HaPpY EaStEr!!!

What up from L town! 

This week was a growing week for sure! Some how I got roped into being in 3 musicals. I think they just liked hearing how awful I sound. We sang in zone conference, YSA branch and I had to sing a solo in district meeting. During the song in YSA I may have made my companion sing an unexpected solo because I couldn't get as high as the song went so I just stopped singing! She has an amazing voice though. She gave me crap for it after. 

I gave a talk in church about the Grace of God and I shared the story about Simon the Pharisee. I love that story!! When the woman who was a sinner, approaches and starts washing Christ's feet and how Christ lovingly teaches Simon that, that woman has more love than Simon. I love how He compares the debtor and the two that owe him money. One owes 500 pence and the other 50 and when the debtor tells them that they need not to pay anything. Who is going to love the debtor more? And Christ teaches that it is the one that was forgiven the most. The deeper the heart ache and sorrow one feels, the more room there is for love. I didn't share this in my talk but that's the reason we have trials! We are able to grow more and to love more. The sooner we come unto the Lord and "wash his feet" the sooner we are to being forgiven and being filled with that love! 

Robert is doing so great! I fasted on Wednesday for him to stop smoking. He decided that he wanted to do it the next day because that was the day that Christ suffered and if he was going to suffer too he wanted to do it on that day! We went over at 8 on Wednesday night and he made us all tostadas. We went outside and Robert smoked his last cigarette. He insisted that he had to wear his cowboy hat while doing so. He cracks me up. We came by Thursday night at around 8 to break the fast with him. He was starving! He told us that he didn't even brush his teeth because he was afraid to drink water! it was the cutest thing ever. He caved and had two cigarettes the whole day! We were so proud of him. He was super sad about it but we reassured him that it was okay and how well he did. He went from smoking 1-2 packs a day to only the two cigarettes that day. We are working hard with him and I cant wait to see him in that white jump suit!! 

 Do you remember the story I shared a few weeks ago about Myron? It was the end of last transfer and we found him on a Saturday night. My companion didn't want to go by him because he was scary looking and I told her that I was going to go talk to him anyways. I made Sister Eggett come with me to see if he was going to come to church with us and he ended up going! Well when I left CalAllen, I made sister Eggett promise me that she would make sure that they kept working with him! We got a text from some of our leaders yesterday. Sometimes they will send out random baptisms that happen. And Myron was baptized yesterday!!!!! At first my pride came in and I was a little upset that I wasn't there for it because he wouldn't have been taught if I hadn't of followed the spirit but then I thought it didn't matter because he was able to be baptized!! It was a tender mercy I think that the Lord was able to show me that "planting seeds" is okay and that i don't have to be there for the whole thing to still make a difference. I don't think we will ever come to know the true impact we have made on this earth until after this life; I just don't want to get there to find out I didn't. So that being said, always open your mouth! I don't care if it's a crappy musical in front of lots of people or if it's asking someone to go to church with you. Don't look back and think "I could have done so much more." The best way Satan works is for good men to do nothing!!!! 

I hope y'all know how much i love and care about you. This life is too short to not be doing what you love! Remember, freedom is doing what you love but happiness is loving what you do! Do it until you love it. 

Love Sister Thompson 

13 MONTHS!

March 21, 2016

This is a street in our area near where we live

Que Honda?! 

This week was swell. We had lots of exchanges and now that I think about it, Sister Moore and I probably only worked together like twice this week. It's fun to work with a lot of people. I feel like a deer in the head lights when I get back to my area and have no idea whats going on! I just go with the flow. We went to 3 church services yesterday. Ours, the Spanish branch and the YSA. I think God has a sense of humor and is having me make up for all the times I didn't go to church. At the YSA branch this guy came up to us and was like, "Hey this is my girlfriend. She wants to start taking the missionary discussions. Can you guys come over tomorrow?"  We are going by tonight! It took every fiber of my being to act cool. I was freaking out. That is literally the best feeling in the world to a missionary. I know that God is taking care of our area because we are unable to work together as a companionship all of the time. 

The Elders keep asking us to sew their stuff for them: pants, ties, shirts, you name it!  They think we work in a sweat shop or something.  What they don't know is that we always try them on afterwards :) I feel like a giant when they look like high waters on me!  The struggle.

Robert has been doing great. He seriously is my favorite person ever.   He always tells me when we come over, "Ms. Thomas, you're not going to get my cigarettes this time because I hid them!"  It cracks me up.  We were talking with him on the porch yesterday and he asked if we wanted a drink so we said yes. He went inside to go get it and while he was inside I took his cigarettes off the table and put them in my skirt pocket. He came out and we were talking for awhile. We talked a lot about fasting. He had fasted before but not for quitting smoking. I asked if he would like to do that with us this week and I told him to pick a day. He told me Wednesday. I said to him, "Robert if you don't drink water, eat, or smoke a single time during the entire 24 hours,  I promise you that you will not smoke a single cigarette from that day on for the rest of your life." He agreed to it and we will be fasting with him this Wednesday. I have only made a handful of promises like that in my mission and I pray that we will all learn from this miracle that is about to happen! 

Robert and me

We were wearing our church clothes so we had to improvise by wearing garbage bags so that we could help Robert paint 

Yesterday we were on another exchange and we were out contacting. We saw this guy out working on his car so we went and talked with him about his car. Then we told him what we do as missionaries. He said he didn't believe in God but that his wife has come to our church before because her mom is a member. He asked if we wanted to talk with her and so we went inside and met her and she fed us pizza. It turns out this is a super less active girl and her husband isn't a member. So we are starting to teach them. That was another cool miracle that we just "randomly" found them.

I feel a little scatter brained today. I don't have a whole lot to update on this week. Our area is awesome!! It definitely has a close place in my heart already. The people here are awesome. 

You can't see but there are 2 sisters behind us in the car.  We had to take a mattress with us.

I love you all. The mission is going by so, so fast. I can't believe it. I have learned so much and I still have a LONG way to go! Thank you for the love and support:) 

Love Sister Thomas;) 

One and DONE!

March 14, 2016

Hello from....... Laredo!!!! 

The cars in the picture are in Mexico

My new companion is Sister Moore. We are the STLs for North Laredo and South Laredo Zones. My area is called South Gate and we are in the South Zone. You can literally see into Mexico from the balcony of our apartment! Our apartment is in the middle of this ghetto neighborhood and I love it! Yesterday while driving home from church I saw a guy on the sidewalk with no shirt on holding a hand gun! While contacting I also watched a pit bull eat a rock the size of my fist. I'm already in love with my new area. I hope I die here (in the mission). I might die literally too. Just kidding mom. Everyone is nice here:) 

We drove to Mexico!  That is the river and on the other side is Mexico

When I got here the first house we went to was an investigator named Maria. She has come to church three times. We knocked on the door and her mom came out and told us off. She said for us to not come by anymore because she was already baptized and that she has things that she should be focusing on right now. Sister Moore was pretty upset about that. We decided to go bike up a couple more streets and contact houses. As we were biking we saw this guy sitting on his porch. We decided to talk with him and he had us walk around the gate and come sit on the porch with him. We got to talking with him, his name is Robert. The elders had been teaching him and he had come to church two or three times but he left his wife and moved into our area. The elders didn't know that, they thought that Robert had just been ignoring him. They hadn't been in contact with him for two weeks or so and we just "randomly" found him! He was going to get baptized and wasn't able to because he has problems with smoking cigarettes and pot. When we went to go show him a video his background on his tablet was a pot plant so I changed it for him to a picture of Jesus. He liked it and ended up keeping it haha. He also calls me Thomas. Which I think is great. I don't have the heart to tell him my name isn't Thomas so I just go with it. At the end of the lesson I told Robert that I was taking some of his cigarettes. I was going to take five and he said three so we agreed on four. I took his joint away from him too. As we were walking out I broke the cigarettes in half over the garbage can. I thought he was going to have a heart attack! He was SO funny about it. I decided that I wouldn't torture him so we threw the blunt into the sewer after we left so he couldn't see. The next time we came back he was like "Thomas I hid my smokes from you!" I told him that he couldn't hide them from God! We had a good laugh. Robert's story is crazy. His brother was taken by the Cartel just across the border. Robert had to sell his ranch to pay for the ransom that they were demanding. He paid up and he still has never seen his brother since. We are going to continue working with Robert and help him to stop smoking.  

The blunt I took from Robert- hehe!

I'm still trying to get into the swing of things. We have already had two exchanges and I left for both of them so I'm still not sure of all that is going on. Here in Laredo there are only branches. We are working hard to make it a Stake. That is the focus for all of the branches. We are going to see lots of miracles and I'm excited to be here! 

Exchange with Sister Stanfill.  We were twinners!

I love you all have a splendid week!
Love Hermana Thompson

Transfer 8 = Done.

March 7, 2016

Tomorrow is transfers! Where has time gone? This transfer was a hard one. In fact, this area has been one where I have learned a lot. We have only had one investigator to church and so i have been feeling like II have been doing nothing. The Lord always seems to take care of me and teach me during trials.  

We learned how to make origami dresses

On Saturday night, we were in the more poor part of our area contacting. It was the end of the night and the last house we talked to before going home. We went up to this trailer and this guy came out on crutches. He had his beard in a pony tail and I think he was on drugs. He was wearing a wife beater and had lots of tattoos. His name is Myron. We were talking with him and it turns out he had just moved there 3 days earlier. It also turns out that the elder who was emergency transfered out of the mission had taught him a few months ago! In the back of my head I was hoping this wasn't the same guy for why they had to leave! It's not. I'm pretty sure haha.  We got to talking with him and I asked him if he would come to church the next day.  He was like "Well, yeah sure there is a reason y'all stopped by here so I'd better go." He asked who told us to come by and I replied "God!" He liked that answer.

Sunday selfies

On Sunday, yesterday, we were going around getting people to church in the morning. I jokingly said to my companion, "Let's go by Myron and get him to come" (she was afraid of Myron and didn't want to).  I told her that was fine she didn't have to do it but that I was going to do it either way. We got to the street and I told Sister Eggett to get out with me to go ask him if he was coming. The other two sisters walked down to ask one of the neighbors we had been teaching if they were going to come to church. We knocked on Myron's trailer and he opens the door. I said, "Myron, are you coming to church today?" He looks at me and was like "Yeah! Let me go brush my teeth!" Long story short-- we called a member and they came and got him and he stayed the whole time for church! It was a little testimony builder to me (and I hope to my companion) to always follow the spirit even though things may appear to be scary. That we all, no matter our life decisions or appearance, deserve to hear the gospel. 

We met some guys working out in their garage while out contacting and they insisted that I bench press.  I did a whopping 60 pounds!  I thought my toothpick arms were going to snap!

Our district

We did a lot of service this week. We mowed lots of lawns and helped leaders with their callings this week. I have also enjoyed getting to know the sisters that we live with this transfer as well. Sister Eggett and I have hit it off. The other night we were playing with these Mexican puppets and the lady we live with came in the room to tell us to be more quiet. I wish I had a picture of her face when she saw that we were playing with puppets and that's why we were so loud! I have learned this transfer that although things are hard sometimes that God puts people into our lives to make them easier. The answers to our prayers are usually through other people. I have come to realize that although our area is hard I can still make a difference. After all, Christ has said that "His own rejected him" the area we are in is "my own" but that I am still able to make a difference in the sisters I get to serve and help them in their areas as well. 

We mowed the Bishop's lawn

Sister Eggett and I were laughing because I came into their room at the end of the night and we were wearing the same outfit: fancy shirts and basketball shorts.

Selfies with Sister Eggett

Well that's about all I have this week. My memory has gotten so bad! I still love you all. Thank you for the support. 

Love Sister Thompson 

Washing our bikes on P-Day

January February MARCH MARCH MARCH

February 29, 2016

Heeelllllooo from Texas!!

I'll break it to you now I literally don't have a whole lot to write about this week. I promised my district leader last week that if I was still sick that I would call the mission nurse Monday because I have been sick for 5 weeks.  Last Monday I called her and she made me go into Calallen minor emergency care and go get it checked out. I went in and they did a few x rays and told me that I have bronchitis. I had a hunch that it would be and so i wasn't surprised.  I stayed in for 3 days and slept literally the whole time except for like 8 hours. I don't think my body knew how exhausted it was until I let it rest! 

The Perrys sent me a cute package :) I just love them!

Thursday was my year mark and that was one of the days I stayed home. Sister Eggett stayed home with me and she and I watched "17 Miracles "on our members TV. (perks to living with a member). I felt like the worst person in the world for staying home sick... let me tell ya! If you're sick and don't want to go out and do something just watch "17 Miracles". I felt like the laziest person in the world! There is a reason i was never a pioneer! My heart goes out to them. 

This was church yesterday.  They needed help in nursery and we were happy to help out.
 I made her feed me goldfish crackers.

Reading stories in nursery

Other than that we had to deal with some sister drama. The Lord is teaching me to not speak my mind. We had an exchange as well. The sister that took over training Sister Castro came and I helped her with ideas for the area. It was probably the best exchange Ive had so far. We both learned a lot. I taught her that you can still have fun while doing missionary work and being urgent. They have been struggling with that. She opened up a lot to me and that's always a good feeling as a leader. 

The joys of Texas living!

I'll leave y'all with something spiritual since I don't have much to say this week, something that I have come to realize the past little while is that It's not the things you make up but it's the things that you give up that make you rich. To truly lose yourself is finding yourself. To gain we must lose. Christ gave up His life so that we all could have eternal life. We cannot have success without sacrifice. The world teaches us that everything in life should be easy. How sad. If what we are doing is easy then what we are doing is not worth it. Even Christ himself said " I never said it would be easy but it will be worth it." When things are hard, learn from it. When something is lost, gain from it.  When something is sacrificed, appreciate it. After all, this life is a life of learning. To serve, give, help, sacrifice and lose is to learn.

Missions are not easy. Heck, life isn't easy! But that is why a missionary learns so much. That is how we gain eternal life is because it's not easy! This life is also to help others lives be a little bit more easy. You don't have to be a missionary or a bishop or the prophet to give up your time to help someone else. All you have to be is willing. When life is hard help someone else and I can promise that your troubles will be a little less troublesome! 

I love being a missionary; it's the most difficult and rewarding thing I have ever done. The people that we get to help they help us so much more than they could come to understand! How beautiful is this life! There are 2 things that bring people closer. One is trials and the other is Triumph. When you experience triumph and success and happiness together or when you experience trial, heart ache and afflictions together. That is why the Atonement covers our bad times and our good times. Because both bring us closer to Christ.

I love you all. Thank you for the love you have given me and for the continual support through out this journey! 

Les Amo!

Sister A. Thompson