July!!!!!

July 6, 2016

We have morning basketball with our Zone almost every morning at 5:45.
These were the outfits we wore for the 4th of July.

Happy Wednesday!!! 

On Monday we had "Celestial P Day" because normally we have to go out to work by 6 pm Monday but because of the holiday we had to be in our apartments by 6 and so we didn't work the whole day. It was super weird. We all went bowling as a zone earlier that day and that was really fun. I bowled a 56! They didn't have any bumpers! We live in a 2 man apartment and so it was just Sister Eggett and I celebrating the fourth of July by our lonesomes. She made stir fry and I practiced the guitar. When it got dark we opened the blinds to see the fireworks. When it was time to get ready for bed she says, "Well I think I saw one firework!" I told her "I think I saw a bird!" It was a cool bird though. We had a good laugh. 

Yesterday the leaders of the mission went to McAllen all day for a leadership meeting. We have one at the first of every month. There were only two companionships (leaders) who hit their baptism goal for the month and we were one of them:) The Lord has been good to us in our efforts of helping His children to grow and change. It was our first leadership meeting with President Torres and his wife. They are awesome! We talked a lot about faith and about doing things now in the moment and not tomorrow. He shared with us a story about circus elephants. When they are babies they put a ring around their leg and chain it to the ground so that it can't go anywhere and when they are grown they take the ring off. But the elephant is so used to not being able to move that it doesn't know how far it can go. Then he called us all elephants haha. He related it to missionary work and inspired us to do more now. It was really good! 

President and Sister Torres

Last week we had our first interviews with him. We all met in Harlingen and there were about 60 missionaries. Oh speaking of that, on the way there I got a speeding citation!! It was super lame. I don't know how much it is for but I have to go to traffic court on the 20th of this month! I'm hoping I can get out of it! I figure everything is for a reason and that maybe I need to get the Judge baptized or something;) Or the reason was because I was speeding.....

Our mission president is super great. He and his wife are super inspiring. 

Zone Conference

We are still teaching Miguel. He came to church again on Sunday! He stayed until after sunday school and then left. He is doing really well. That was his 3rd time to church. We are hoping to have a lesson with him here in the library today and invite him to be baptized this Sunday. Miguel has been reading tons in the Book of Mormon. On Sunday one of the Senior couple missionaries came up to Miguel and said (translation) "Hello I'm Elder Clark." Miguel's response was, "Nice to meet you, I'm a Lamanite." I about died I was laughing so hard. He is always saying stuff like that and it makes me laugh. 

Zone Conference
Elder Felix was one of my favorite District Leaders

Right now we have a challenge that the STLs in the mission can't knock doors and ask for referrals we have to get them from members. So lately we have been passing around a meal calendar to all the members and so we get fed 1-3 times a day. Sometimes we will eat at 4 then 6 then 7. Like full on Mexican dinners. I feel like a beached whale when I ride my bike afterwards! Its been super fun though. We are gaining a relationship with all of them and helping our Branch to grow especially in missionary work. 

We saw this old lady out in her yard and so we talked to her a little bit.  She had some wood laying out and we asked if she needed help taking it out and she did.  She said she needed help cutting it.  We obviously offered and had a good time!

SIster Eggett and I are giving talks this Sunday about missionary work and service. I found a story this morning that I'm going to share in my talk about the Pastor and the sheep. This man found a little baby sheep by itself in a field nearby his home. There were no other sheep around and he didn't know whose property it was. He knew the baby sheep would either be eaten by wolves or starve to death. It was so tiny and skinny that he decided to bring the sheep home and let his son take care of it and be its shepherd. The son would play with it and feed it milk. He nourished it back to health. He knew that he never had to lock the gate because the sheep wouldn't run away from his care. One night while he was in bed he heard his sheep Baa Baaa (yes im going to Baa in my talk haha). The sheep sounded in distress but the boy didn't want to leave the comfort of his bed. The next morning he went down to find that his sheep that he had taken so much care for was killed by a dog that got out. When the dad came home he asked the boy "Can I not trust you with one sheep?" This story relates to us as members. We are the shepherd to our friends in spiritual distress. The Lord trusts us to be the good shepherd and help those in need. We need to leave the comfort of our "beds" and help those who are in need. Which is everyone who doesn't have the Gospel! 

A random fruit at HEB

I love you all! I hope that you have an amazing week! Thank you for all that you do for me and all of the support that you have given me!

              Love, 
Hermana Thompson