5 Months?! say what??

WHHHAAAT UUUP!!.... 

I was debating if I wanted to tell this story or not but yomo. (you only mission once) I have been praying lately to learn to be an example to someone and this is how God answered my prayer... The past few weeks we have been working on a less actives roof redoing the shingles and parts of the wood where there is water damage. On Saturday it was 103 degrees and we were all having a good time working. I took my anger out (from silly investigators/less actives) while ripping off the shingles-- it was therapeutic;) Parts of the roof were ripped off and so I decided I would go over and nail in the frame where the wood had been ripped off. I stepped down on what I thought was a piece of wood but there was so much crap and dust on it, it was actually sheet rock! I legit came crashing through this families living room!!! Legs dangling and all. I don't know how (angles) but I somehow caught myself under my armpit and dangled there. Paco's dad, Hermano Hernandez pulled me up and gave me a big hug. He kept asking me if I wanted to get down and rest and I told him I was fine. The rest of the day the Elders and young men would say "Careful Sister Thompson there is sheet rock right there!"  We made a good joke out of it.

The next day before church I told my companion that I was going to get a lot of crap for crashing through the roof and she agreed and well I did.  After church one of the members told me that in opening exercises with all the men and young men that Brother Hernandez shared my story about falling through the roof.  I was like, "Oh great what did he say?"  He told me that Brother Hernandez got up and said that after he had pulled me up out of the hole he kept saying to me that I should go down and take a rest and relax.  I told him "No way,  I want to keep working!" and how that was a good example to him about service, working, and loving the people. The Lord answers my prayers in the coolest ways that always seem to surprise me:)

Another story that actually happened that same day. We changed our clothes and then went and visited our investigators and members in that area. We went to the house of our investigator Norma. She is supposed to be baptized this coming Sunday and so it was important that she needed to come to church and we usually have to get her set up with a ride.  We get to her house and the gate is locked!! Her van was outside so we knew she was home. She doesn't have a phone either... I started to climb the 7 foot chain link fence with spikes on the top and my comp was like what are you doing?? I told her that I was going to talk to Norma so that she could make it to church tomorrow!! On the way over I get cut on the leg; stupid dress. I make it up to her porch and knock a billion times. She came out and we talked to her a bit and got her ride situation set up.  She thankfully unlocked the gate so I could get out!  I guess her daughter told her "Mom the missionary got in!" She was surprised that I would do that just to talk to her. I told her I would do anything I could to help her.

Just goofin off

 Afterwards I got to thinking about the atonement and how Christ suffered so much for the people he loved. It hit me harder than ever. I'll admit that I had kind of a hard time earlier in the week by giving myself a pity party thinking that I would be missing going to New York with my family. I played with the thought and realized that I had also missed my best friends wedding, Missy is pregnant, I wasn't there when my bestest cousin needed comfort, I'm missing a trip to Tonga, my car is broken, my bedroom flooded, I fell through a roof, got stung twice by black wasps this week, bit by a bazillion ants, I'm sore, tired and then just got cut by a fence. It's not a sacrifice to be here, nothing close to one, by missing those things. It's a privilege. Looking at the big picture, all of those things I'd miss/do a thousand times over to give people the same happiness of the gospel that I have. I'd fall through a 100 roofs and jump 1000 fences to help the people that we are teaching now. They have physically changed because of our message and it's such a small simple thing to "give up" so that people can take full advantage of the atonement of Jesus Christ. That's what this whole life is about; Love. It is Love that we have the atonement. It is love that we want to become better. It is love that drives us to do things we sometimes don't want to. Serving a mission is kind of like the Lord letting you in on a secret. When you lose yourself in others problems, that is where the Lord allows you to find yourself.

I hope you all have a fantastic week! Do what you love and love what you do!!! I love you all:)

Te Amo,

Hermana Thompson

4 Months!!!!!!!!!

Hola yall!!!

I was lazy and didn't write down the highlights this week to remember to put in my letter so sorry if this one is a little scatter brained! My memory is getting awful; I have too many things to think about!

A wolf with a cactus art

I'll start with a little story. Last week I told y'all about having mini missionaries and how I took mine to the unknown of our area. We had met an old lady named Maria. She was super nice and I taught her about the plan of salvation while my mini missionary observed. This lady is SUPER catholic but I made a return appointment with her to go back a few days later with my mini missionary. We went back the second time and I taught her again another message but I could still tell this lady wasn't going to accept our message. Although I knew she was someone my companion would have dropped after the first lesson I decided to make a 3rd appointment with her (because the mini didn't know any better). Knowing that I'd be with my companion and my mini would not be with me.  This week I didn't tell my comp anything about this lady (for obvious reasons) and I made her bike all the way up with me up this dirt road in the hot of the day to teach this super Catholic lady.  In my mind I kept thinking "Sister Kingsford is going to kill me when she meets this lady!!" So we get there and start talking with Maria. She tells us that she wanted us to wait to share our message because her granddaughter who is 21 wanted to come by because Maria had mentioned us to her because her granddaughter is Christian.  Her granddaughter, Marcie comes by and she is the NICEST girl ever. We taught the restoration and during most of the lesson Maria kept saying "Oh... well we don't believe in that" but we continued to teach and Marcie was really receptive and said that she liked our message so we got her information. After we had left Sister Kingsford was like "What the heck, why did you keep going by that lady??" I told her I didn't know until today and now I realize it's because of her granddaughter. I had to meet Maria with my mini so that she wouldn't be dropped and also to meet her granddaughter Marcie that day with my companion. I have seen so many little miracles how the Lord has worked through me to help others and to also test my faith and my willingness to serve.

There is another investigator we are teaching named Norma. She is friends with one of our members and has had the missionaries teach her for over 8 years. This lady has seen it all. Her husband passed away with cancer several years ago, her son passed away, she is jobless as of now and lives with her daughter. She has been through the ringer. We told the member that she is friends with, that she accepted a baptism date with us and the member looked SO surprised. She said that she has never accepted a baptismal date and that she is already progressing so much. Just this last week we went over to teach Norma and she literally looked physically happier. It was like a light switch turned on in her eyes. She looks 10 years younger. I have never seen anything like it; the gospel physically changing someone. She looks incredible. It's amazing to be able to recognize when someone has been through darkness for so long that they are ready to see the light. I'll have to tell you her whole story when I get home because it's too good to write.

We are teaching the Dominquez family. The grandma adopted the two kids. She loves us and we love teaching them. They wanted to make cupcakes together. Alfonzo and I made a dinosaur one and we competed with Sister Kingsford and Mariana. They made cupcakes. 

I'm so excited for you guys to meet Paco!! He is a hoot. His parents remind me of a Mexican version of Aunt Dana and Uncle Brent. I love his family. They are all converts. They are literally the glue that holds the ward together. They have special permission from the President to be in our ward because they live in McAllen and are not in our ward boundaries. We are having dinner with them tonight and it's weird because you will be having dinner with him tomorrow night!!  I told him to have you send some cool stuff for me back with him;) jk but really. His mom yesterday after Relief Society gave me a great big hug and thanked me over and over and over and she had tears in her eyes. You guys don't realize how much you are helping this family and  helping the Lord to further his work by helping Paco to serve a mission. I have been praying to know my reason/purpose here in this area and I think it was to meet Paco's family and Paco so that dad could do his teeth! Last week we re-did a members' roof and sister K and I were up there with the nail gun and Paco's dad was so impressed he showed the whole ward that night a video of us at the ward party His dad does construction and he was over there at this members' house in the hot sun doing their roof for free. Like my dad... using his talents to help others,  to help build Zion. I have to tell you when we were getting all of this put together with the Bishop, the Bishop asked me, 'How much is your dad wanting?" I said, "Nothing!! He wants to do Paco's dental work for free."  The Bishop was like, "No really?" I  was like, "Yes!  You don't have to worry about it because that's the type of person my dad is." The look on the Bishops' face I will never forget. He was so surprised that dad would do that for a complete stranger. I  just want to thank you Mom and Dad for being an example to me growing up and especially now of service; of helping others out of the pure love of your hearts. For the church and your callings, for scouts and achievment days, humanitarian,  the list goes on. Thank you for being real parents. A lot of people don't have that down here. I have the lucky privilege  of seeing the outcome and happiness you are giving this family and I know they will share this story with others for years. Take good care of Paco.  I  know you will:)

Holding the ladder for Eber. He is one of our investigators. He is amazing and we have been teaching him for three months. His story is the one I'm waiting to tell Y'all. It's long and inspiring.

As of now we have 10 people with baptismal dates. Our lessons have been incredible and I wish I could express them in words but it is almost impossible describing how the Holy Ghost testifies to people. The Lord is working miracles whether we realize them or not. It's our decision to make whether we want to be a part of them and having enough faith. What the spirit has taught me this past week and what I have been stressing to my investigators is faith and works. It's so great to have faith but if you aren't going to do anything about it, it's a waste. I compare it to getting a job. I tell people that when you want/need money you don't just sit on your couch and hope that you will receive money! Nope nope nope! You have to get off your lazy butt and go work for that money. It's the same with faith. You can't just sit around and expect the Lord to bless you with miracles and blessings. You have to get up and show God that you are willing and worthy to receive them.

Have a great week everybody! The church is true. Jesus loves you. I love you and thank you for the Love, support, and prayers!!!

Love,
Hermana Thompson