HOWDYYYYYYYY

Hola!!

Where to start! This week we got mini missionaries. My companion got one and I got one for the whole week. If you don't know what a mini missionary is; it's basically teaching a 16 year old how to work and not snap chat every five seconds. I decided I was going to have a nice fun day of hard core biking with my mini (I'm so mean) So I took her up to the very end of our area which is literally off the grid. There is no map of it and it's all dirt roads. Every person we talk to up there always asks us if we are afraid to be up there because there are no police! We literally hit our goals of contactng and receiving for the week in one day! At first I was nervous to get a mini because I had no idea what I was doing but I just made it all up as we went and it turned out well. We met some cool people. The first house we talked to we got a baptism in the first 5 minutes. I also learned that Texas can't ride bikes! I got in my first bike wreck of the mission! My mini crashed maybe 8 times! One of the times she just laid there for like 5 minutes (this was after she complained the whole day about hating biking) So I was like " K im leaving you!!" and I took off! I got like 1/4 of a mile down the dirt road and turned around to see if she was coming and she was still laying there in the sand! So I took a video of me yelling at her to "GEETTT UUUUUUUP" Poor kid. Hopefully she still wants to serve a mission;)  I told her I hope that she gets called to a biking area. She didn't think it was very funny.

I just layed there after my bike crash. No scratches though. It was my minis fault. she cut me off and just stopped!

She Loved Me!

Another day I took my mini to a retirement neighborhood to switch things up a bit. There are some rude old people out there! Someone needs to change their diapers. We met this old couple named Harold and Laura. The old man just opened the door without asking who it was and told us to come in! So we did. The old lady said "IM A METHODIST" I told her that was fine! We just wanted to share a message about Jesus. Then we got talking about gambling in Vegas with this 80 year old couple! They were a hoot. Another trailer we knocked on this little old lady opened the door and says "Who sent you?!" I was like, "Um Jesus did!" She slammed the door on us as fast as a little old woman could slam the door. (sllloooowww) We also got lost in that retirement neighborhood. Don't worry we eventually found our way out.

Van Ride with the Minis

So the Jehovah Witnesses love to come by and try and bible bash with us at our apartment. I kept trying to INSIST that she take my Book of Mormon. She wouldn't! One day I'll get her. The other lady told us "That it's good that we were young and wanting to preach the word of God but that she would feel pretty bad if she were wasting her time preaching wrong doctrine." I was so close to slapping her across the face with my Book of Mormon! The next day they had two other ones come over and try to talk with us and so we just sat in our study room and they wouldn't leave our door because they could see us through the window. So I finally got up and answered it and was like "Hello I only speak English" and they were like "What about the other girl, where is she, does she speak Spanish" I was like "What? I  don't know what you're saying?" Then they left.

i look gross but this is one of my favorite families after we helped them move

We also did a lot of service this week. We moved branches for one family and helped plant mango trees and that was fun. Then we went and helped one of my favorite families who is actually from Idaho Falls but they are stuck down here now:(  We helped move them to their new place down here.  Sister Kingsford and I moved a fridge! I was more than happy to help them but I was even more happy to wear pants! It was magical. After that we had a little time before it was 9:00 so I went and bought a strawberry Fanta at a corner store and we went and drank it outside sitting in the dirt with my favorite little family. They have a single mom who works so we usually go by when we can and play with them or help teach them things. They love it when I bring a soccer ball and they make me teach them how to rainbow. They are getting pretty close! Pretty soon I'll have the whole valley pros;)

Cactus

My little thing of inspiration this week was that as missionaries and even in life we do a lot of things that aren't accounted or recognized. Those are the things that matter. Once we are doing things out of pure love to help someone else and not out of recognition of others is such an awesome thing. It's the small things in life that count and it's also the small ways to help others that count. Whether it's taking time to drink a soda in the dirt with some kids or to smile at somebody, those are the things that keep others moving forward; little pieces of love and kindness. My challenge is to do something for someone else this week that you wouldn't normally do and you will see the blessings from it.

Another Sunset

I love you all.  Thank you for your love and support and for your prayers! Keep smiling!:)

Love Hermana Thompson

Giant frog I caught while doing service

Tejas!

Howdy yall! 

Our Area

It's kind of a sad feeling when you realize that all of your friends and everybody else all forgot about you after four months except for your parents. I can't help but wonder that I must have not made that much of an impact on anyone. 

This week.... was good. It got up to 104 a few of the days! We were chased by 44 dogs and I got bit on the ankle by a chihuahua. The food and I have a real love/ hate relationship. One of the days I was standing outside of the car enjoying a nice plum when my feet started to burn... I was standing on a fire ant hill!! Now i know why they call them fire ants. I did a nice dance for my companion!  I was also bit by a parrot on the ear and the finger! I feel like I'm six again; I have cuts and bruises all over from stupid things! I can't help but wonder sometimes that God looks down at me and puts his palm to his face! I sometimes feel bad for the angels that are looking out for me.

I wanted to tell a few spiritual stories that we have had with one of our investigators but I think I'm going to wait until I see the end results with this one. I often wonder why the Lord trusted me with this investigator because he is such a spiritual being and I  know the Lord has amazing plans for him. The Lord is definitely working miracles through us and it has been a privilege to be apart of them and to not only have my character enhanced as well as those we teach.

A few days ago I  re-learned a lesson. My companion and I had dinner at this little crappy Mexican restaurant and after we were done we went up and paid. The lady told me the price and in my mind it seemed too low for what I had ordered but I paid her all of the cash I had and didn't say anything. My companion paid and then we started to walk out the door. We got outside the door and I immediately turned around knowing I had no more cash to give if she had forgot to add on something. I went up to her and explained that I thought that she had forgot to charge me for my drink and she looked at the receipt and said "It's okay, don't worry about it!" I know that the Lord was testing me in that moment and that I was able to learn from that experience although it was something as silly and as small as a soda, the concept was much greater. 

More Art:

I don't have much else to say. It's getting hotter by the day. The dogs still hate me. My farmers tan is gnarly but I have lots of work to do so I hope y'all have a good week! Thanks for the prayers and support! 

Finally found elder browning!!!   He's the brother of one of the sisters from the MTC.

                                           
 Love Hermana Thompson

HOLA!!!

Howdy from Tejas!!! aka Mexico!

I'll start with my spiritual story since the rest of my stories are... well not so spiritual but still good. So last week after I wrote home I was a little upset still from everything going down the toilet. Everything I had worked so hard for the past 2 months of being here disappeared. I know it's because we are doing what is right but it still hurt my feel goods. After we had left the library I called the sister in the mission office because I hadn't been getting my mail in almost a month! She said that there wasn't any for me and that she hadn't seen any. We worked hard that day anyway and later that night we got back to the apartment I always walk over to the mail box to check it. On the way to the mailbox I said a little pleading prayer begging for something in that mailbox to remind me of why I am out here. Thinking that there would be nothing in there as usual I reaching my hand in felt a stack of letters! Seven letters that had my name on them. The mail I had been missing the past several weeks were inside that mailbox, not by coincidence, but by the Lords hand. I got a letter from the mutual kids of the ward that Sister Hansen had sent after they had a missionary night and Mama Thompson shared some stories. I cried reading those letters. Many of the letters said that they wanted to serve a mission now or that they looked up to me. I don't think of myself as an example and I probably never will because I am far from perfect but the Lord blessed me that day not only by answering my prayer to have a letter to get me through the day but to also give me that knowledge and strength to know that I was making a difference for not just the people in Texas.

ART

Okay now for the chistes!  We have been teaching this young couple who has a baby and they are hard to get a hold of so the other day we just decided to go over to their house to see if they were home. They weren't there but the dad was. We talked to him on the porch for a bit and he was telling us about Virgin Mary. He was like "When I look at you I think of a virgin" and pointed to my companion.  I tried not to laugh because usually I'm the one the Mexicans love to pick on! Then he makes us walk over with him to look at his Virgin Mary shrine in his front yard. (these are all over the place) It was like a half of a shed and made out of bricks. He had the thing decked out with lights and statues and pictures and other random crap. He also put our cards that we gave him in there! Oh well. After that we both knew we weren't going to be able to do much here so we nicely told him we had another appointment and that we had to go. He then PALMS my forehead/face like a basketball! and says, "GOD BE WITH YOU!" I was like a deer in the headlights! Like what the freak just happened!!? Then in my mind I was thinking "Please do it to my companion, please do it to my companion" He palmed her head too! It took every fiber of my being not to laugh because he was serious!!! We had a good laugh in the car afterwards.

We also ate at a families house and the lady made us all hold hands in a circle and pray. It caught me off guard. It was kind of cool though and It was the most action I'll see in the next 15 months... holding hands! Just kidding mom.

We contacted this one house and taught a lesson. Afterward I invited the lady to church and she told me she couldn't come because she didn't have her papers and so she was afraid to drive. So we talked for a little bit more and then randomly I was like "Do you shop for your groceries at Walmart??" and she gave me a weird look and was like "Yeah we go there all the time" So then I was like "You have the faith to go shop at Walmart and not get caught but you don't have the faith to drive to church and be protected by God?" She told us she would come to church! I'm known by the missionaries in our district to be good at doubt busting (telling people nicely to get their priorities straight). It's just because I'm the youngest and blunt and sassy;  I've had lots of practice sweet talking! Another lady told me this week, " I LOVE your legs!" I probably offended her by the look I gave her when I awkwardly said thank you. It was the nicest/weirdest/ gayest compliment I've ever received. These are the reasons why I love tracting is because we literally never know who we are going to run into and what crazy stuff we are going to hear and see. There are some amazing and strange people out there but I love them all!!

we went to a bodega today which is like a giant DI that you have to dig through all of the clothes. it was gross but cool i feel like i have lice now haha

My companion and I have been noticing that every house we go to, the little kids always bring me all of their toys that they own and hand them to me! The other day we were in a lesson and by the end of the lesson when we were about to pray I had 9 stuffed Elmo dolls in my lap. Then the day after it was ponies with a different family. Then literally after was stuffed bears with another family! I told my companion that the kids can all call my bluff. They know I'm pretty much a giant kid in a big person's body, probably because I actually pay attention to them and I  teach them how to wheelie and play soccer. The other day it was pouring rain. Yes, it has been dumping down here too. I made the kids come out with me in this flash flood to jump on the trampoline! I was in a dress but we still had a good ole time. My comp just talked with the parents inside. The kids make things fun and they all have big hearts. I think that as we get older we forget to enjoy life and when life rains on you... jump on the trampoline because its going to rain anyway it just depends on how you look at it. Look at everything like a child would and life is grand! It's the small and simple things like jumping in the rain that counts:)

Have a good week everybody! Thank you for the letters, love, and support! You all are great people! Enjoy the small things in life and enjoy this week! I love you!!

Love Hermana Thompson

3 Months Down!!

Que honda!?

Sorry I didn't get to write yesterday. I guess the library closed for the holiday but this week we had transfers. I'm still here in good ole La Joya! This week was such a hard one. I call it the spiritual wedgie... it was uplifting but in all the hurtful ways.

a lot of people have toilets in their yard... i think they knew i was coming

I'll start with my miracle.  We got a new district leader named Elder Sessions and on Tuesday we had a meeting and at the meeting he told us to write about a family that we want to find on our missions. Since I had so much practice painting with Bob Ross before coming out here I decided I was going to draw my mystery family. I was pretty specific and everyone gave me grief for my awesome picture. I first drew the mom. She had a striped shirt on and she was literally like 9 months pregnant and wore flip flops. Then I drew two kids. After I drew the dad and he was a Mexican man with a mustache and I drew a lawn mower by him because that is what he was going to do for a living. We all had a good laugh at my picture and then I told everybody that I'm not leaving Texas until I find this family.

The next day we were out at the end of our area on our bikes mapping out the streets because we didn't have a map for this part of our area. It was weird because all of the street names were family names. Los ninos, Copadres, Comadres, Cunado, and Los Vecinos. etc. We were riding down the street and Hermana Kingsford was like "Hey, there is a lady in a striped shirt!" she was kind of mocking me for my picture I  had drawn because I made kind of a big deal out of it. I stopped on my bike in the middle of the street and I was like "Is she pregnant?!!" She said she didn't know.  I watched until the lady came around her car and BAM!!, she's like 10 months pregnant. I rode over there so fast!! We talked to her. She was also wearing flip flops. Come to find out she also has two kids. She said she couldn't talk with us right then because they were going to visit her Mother-in-Law in the hospital.  We gave her our number and our names and left.

The day after that we had planning and during planning I was venting to my companion about some things and then I was like, I'm going to go lie down and think for a minute about what I want to do. Literally, right after I said that the phone rang. This Mexican lady was asking for a "Thompson? Thompson esta?" So we talked to her. It turns out it's this pregnant lady we found!! She said that she had a baby last July and that it died and so right now they were looking for a church because she was about to have another baby and that they needed God. We told her that we would be over there in an hour!!

We get over to her trailer and she lets us in. She is telling us what's up and everything about them. She told us that her husband was looking for a better job because he mows lawns for a living and that he wasn't making very much. I was like "Wait what does your husband do?!" She was like "He cuts grass." It took every fiber of my being to not freak out!!  I found my mystery family!!  We talked more and she gave us a referral of her neighbor as well who wanted to hear from us and then we set up a return appointment.

We go back to their trailer and she was sick so we talked with the husband who was outside. He has a freakin' mustache too!  We asked if they needed help with his yard and told him we would come back when his wife felt better.

On Sunday we get a call during our dinner at a members house and it's my mystery family. The lady tells us that she really wants us to come by but her husband says that he doesn't want the Mormons to come by and teach them. He thinks we are not christian and so we asked if we could come and explain our religion to them and that we are christian and she said she would talk to him. She called yesterday and told us that he said we can't come over and she sounded scared too but that she wanted to hear from us. I think she is afraid that he will kick her out if we come over. She said that he will eventually come around so that we can go over and teach them but for us to wait. I felt like I had just gotten dumped!!! I was so frustrated, like why have I had the gift of revelation since being here and we have seen so many things that were not coincidences and then this happens. We lost almost all of our investigators. Julio's parents wont sign his baptismal paper. That's a long story I'll have to tell later too. Something happened with the other family we are teaching, we aren't sure what. Then the other family the mom kind of became antied by someone. The list goes on. Things started out so golden then literally in the span of two days everything hit the fan.

Then I realized that all the people who have been recently baptized or recently converted are having troubles. This older lady that we just reactivated, as soon as she started coming back to church her TV, washer, oven, boiler and AC all broke within like a week or so. The other recent converts are having money troubles. The list goes on. Then that's when it hit me, that us as missionaries were having the same thing happen! You know you are doing something right when everything goes wrong. Freakin' Satan.

My Fear of Horses

Also, this week we saw a cop pull over a guy at this gas station then the guy got out of his car and was walking toward the cop and the cop pulled his gun out on him and it was legit! It was like watching an episode of cops but like fifteen feet away.

We also were pros-ing this street and we heard this woman singing super loud like opera! My comp and I looked and each other and laughed! Like, "What the heck??"  I was like let's go teach her!! My comp was hesitant so I just started walking toward the house.  We got up to the porch and it was a parrot! Haha!! We taught the couple that lived there. They were an older couple. We sat on the porch and were having a good lesson but the parrot kept talking over us.  It talked in Spanish too and it would laugh really creepy. It reminded me of the parrot off of home alone 3. Good times.

This week I was bit by a Blue Healer on my calf! I loathe the dogs down here. They all chase me and they all have lice and fleas and other diseases. Sick.

My Favorite Family

This is my spiritual thought for you all. It's a Mexican saying that says, "Dime con quien andas y te dire quien ares." It means, "Tell me with whom you walk with and I'll tell you with whom you are." I love that saying. You become like the people you associate yourself with. Be the right person to begin with and you will attract others the same. It affects your character and your life long choices. I hope you all are doing well. Remember who you are! God loves you, I love you, and your mom loves you. Keep it real and have a safe week!

love,
Hermana Thompson

 God Pinata? 

HOLAAAAAA!

Hola todos!

I hope I have enough time to write what I want! This week was freakin' nuts! God gave me a big bite of humble pie.

It has starting to get super hot and extremely humid! My hair looks like a Jew fro sometimes.  I'll wake up in the middle of the night and I'm so sweaty. It's gross but it builds character.

Lately I've been praying to see a miracle and this is my little experience. We had a dinner appointment at a members' house, who I really enjoy. She made us Mole. If you don't know what mole is, I envy you. My companion asked her what was in it. It was fried animal crackers, hot chocolate, tomatoes, apple, peppers and a pear. They  put it in a blender and make it into a sauce and then put it over chicken. It looks the same coming in your body as it does coming out. My miracle was that I managed to eat an entire plate without throwing up. I think it's the only food here that I've managed to eat slowly. Luckily she didn't force me to eat seconds like everyone else does. The days we have two meal appointments in a row kill me. Yesterday we did and then after we went to a third house and they kept saying I was too skinny. (this was after I ate like 3 plates of food) needless to say I managed to eat literally half a watermelon because every time I finished a piece somehow there would be another on my plate. When we got in the car my companion just laughs and said "How do you feel?!" ... "Full. I feel full."

I was also bit by a pig this week! People have weird pets. I counted all of my tallies for how many dogs we have been chased by so far in my mission -- 222!! I hate them all.

The first lesson I learned this week is even though I'm a missionary I can't do stupid things. I have bugged my companion to go teach in this voodoo store that a member lives behind. Finally she let me but she waited at the door while I talked to the guy and taught him. After we left I told her that I felt creepy and she said she did too. She then asked if I knew what that place was. I was like, "No, not really, I just thought it would be cool to convert a voodoo man." (dumb idea) I guess it was a santa muerta store which in English means death saint. They worship death and have death shrines. She then told me that they worship it and have brought people back to life and a few other crazy stories. It's pretty much a Satan worshipping thing. I was like "WHAT?! Why did you let me go in there?!!??" and my companion said, " I thought you knew!!" We couldn't get back into the spirit of things the whole day and it sucked. I'm trying to remember that I'm not invincible. We also found a Buddhist temple that we thought was a house but it was cool. We talked to a Chinese man. He was nice.

We went by a recent converts' house this week who stopped coming to church. It's a family of 7. They have been trying to get help from the Bishop and having a hard time paying taxes. When we walked in I noticed they had a brand new TV that was like 60 in. and we got talking to them and she said she didn't like to go to church because she didn't like wearing a dress and that's why they don't go anymore and that they are trying to pay their bills and a few other excuses and that they were having a hard time. I was like just wear pants to church then! I asked her what the real reason was that she didn't want to come because that was a dumb reason not to go to church. She was saying they are having a hard time because they needed to buy a work visa or something. So we pointed at the TV and we were like then why did you buy a new TV?!  She told us she got it from a pawn shop for 200 dollars. Which is a lie. I was like well what else? She told us that her friend told her that we aren't Christians because we are called Mormons. I sat there thinking and my companion was like do you know how to answer that? ... I took off my name tag and I asked "What is the name of our church? she answered. I asked, "What's the biggest lettering on my tag?!" She was silent because she knew where I was going with it. I said, "JESUCRISTO! Do you still think we aren't Christian?" My companion loves that I'm so blunt when we doubt bust.

We went by another less active this week. We were sitting there talking with the mom and the kids. One of the little girls who was about 3 brought her chair by mine and was eye balling me for like five minutes. She then went in the other room and came out with a dress on and sat by me again. She stared some more. She kept looking at my shoes. She left the room again and came back out with her shoes and I helped her put them on. She had my companion braid her hair and she came and sat by me and crossed her legs like mine. It was adorable. It took me back a minute and made me realize that people are watching everything we do. I feel like a normal person but we are representatives of Jesus Christ. We are literally disciples of Christ. That's all we do 7 days a week is be the mouth piece that Christ wants us to be. It made me realize that little girl was watching me and wanted to be like me and that's how we need to look at Christ is to watch him and study him in the Bible, etc. and become more like him because he was the ultimate example.

We meet so many people and hear so many dark things in people's lives whether it's about people's children dying, people being burned in a fire, husbands in jail and not being able to provide for their kids, stories of abuse and peoples kids on drugs, we have heard it all. The other day we were in the car driving and my companion asked what I was thinking. I told her that I was frustrated because I want to help these people with all of their problems. I told her that when they tell me they become my problems and that I was a little overwhelmed because I have the problems of many now and not just mine! My companion then asked me "Do you know what that means?"  I said, "Yeah, a headache!" She said, "That means you love the people," Love is hard! It hurts so good. Although I can't give everyone their papers and bring their loved ones back to life or make drugs disappear I can give them the ultimate gift and bring them to Christ. Helping others remember that Christ died on the cross and the atonement has already been paid for; it's already been done! The biggest thing I ask people is if they are going to let his death be in vain or if they are going to accept him. This life is going to go on and we are going to have our trials either way. I tell people that and I ask them if they are going to go through this crazy adventure alone or if they want to go through it with Christ because I've done both and it's a lot easier with Christ! Christ chose us before we chose him. It's been a blessing to see people change and to help their souls.

It doesn't take a mission to be a missionary or to be an example. We are all on this earth to learn. Although we all have different trials and problems we all want to end up in the same place; on the right hand of God. Help those around you because I can literally tell you that you would be surprised at what people are going through whether you know it or not. Be kind. People won't remember the things you said or the clothes you wore but they will remember how you made them feel. Charity is the true love of Christ. I hope you all have a good week! Thank you for the love and support and prayers. Te Amo!!

Thompson Street! 

This is what our backyard looks like. right when you open the door there is like 5 feet of grass haha!

"nor responsible for accidents" outside our apartment haha  

HOLA FAMILIA Y AMIGOS!!

I don't have a whole lot to write this week since I got to talk to y'all yesterday! It was good to see everybody! You guys definitely keep me out here. It was hard to say bye. I told my comp that I feel like I'm being torn towards two places at once. I want to be home so bad but I also want to be here so bad. Sometimes it's hard.

For those who didn't get to hear, we are teaching a boy named Julio. He is 17 and has been talking with the Jehovahs Witnesses for two years. The other day when we went over we asked about it and he said that about three weeks ago the guy just randomly stopped coming by. I told him that we started to come by three weeks ago and I pointed out that it wasn't a coincidence. He is such an awesome kid and is progressing so much. He is getting baptized next Sunday. He also told us that he wanted to serve a mission which makes me so happy!

The other day it was 104 degrees outside. I was so sweaty and gross by the end of the day. We had a ward party as well. I must admit Mexican ward parties are a little different! They had Spanish music as loud as the speaker would go! We also had beans and rice and tortillas. Surprise surprise! One of the members had a longboard and so I rode it around the parking lot in my dress. They loved it. Some of them told me I was their hero because they can't do that -- sillies.

Also the Jehovahs Witnesses came by our apartment and tried to bible bash with us. The lady was like "Do you know God's name?" and I was like "Yeah I do, it's GOD!" and she was like "No, its actually Jehovah" then I said, "No, it's not, it's God. Why does it matter his name? He is your creator and you don't need to know it for your salvation" My companion had to tell them goodbye because I couldn't help myself but I did get her to take one of our cards!! Maybe she will look up the church and realize how smart I am. Who knows?

While tracting the other day we went in this one lady's house and started to talk with her. She had to go for some reason so we asked if we could leave with a prayer. Sister Kingsford said the prayer and as she was in the middle of her prayer the lady cut her off and started saying some crazy person prayer like super loud. I was trying so hard not to laugh!!! The lady finished and then Sister Kingsford waited and finished her prayer. It was so awkward. We both left thinking, "What the heck just happened?! "

Some little girls who are less active because their mom won't take them to church because of her papers asked if we would come by and help them make Mothers Day gifts. So we did. I made a fancy little flower card. They had this folder with colored paper in it and on the outside it said "colored shits" the "i" in Spanish makes an "ee" sound. It gave me a nice giggle. They also made sister K and I cards. They were so cute. It's hard to see all of these kids who don't get the opportunity to go to church because their parents are afraid. They told us they wanted to come too. I still am thinking of wanting a school bus to take them all to church. One day.

I don't have much to say this week. It's been a super off week and we have had our ups and downs, but we have lots of work to do and we definitely stay super busy. We are teaching a lot of people but a lot of them aren't progressing either. I'll be sure to keep updates on those who are. I love tracting the most. You never know who you are going to meet. One guy told me that he was thinking he was going to shoot me when we were walking on his property.

We work in the hot sun all day and at the end of the day we know we did a hard days work. I go to bed at 9:30 almost every night. I love you all. The church is true. I'll try and have a more adventurous week to write about next week! Thank you for all your love and support and for your prayers. Have a great week!!
                                             
Love Hermana Thompson

Howdy!

Hola y'all!!!

This week was a little slow but still nuts to say the least! We do a lot of biking and my legs are getting so buff! We have been making friends with the neighborhood kids and then they point out the best houses to go to! I teach them all how to pop wheelies. None of them can do it so they make me show them over and over. They yell "Otra vez! Otra vez!" I also have been playing a lot of soccer, pretty much everyday. It's hard to play in a dress but I still school all of the kids. All of my shoes are pretty much destroyed and I look homeless sometimes. I also had to climb a fence in a dress!

The other day we went to a random house and they were peeling oranges and so we ate oranges from their backyard with this family and taught them on the porch. The little kids' name is Kevin.  He is in second grade. We taught him how to pray and he prayed for two girlfriends. Who knows; God works in mysterious ways. The next time we came back he ran up to us and gave us a huge hug and said "You came!!" It melted my heart. He and his cousin who is in 3rd grade come from Mexico to stay at their grandmas house during the week to go to school and then they go to Mexico every weekend. We committed the kids to be baptized but we are having a hard time with what church they should be attending because they literally live two lives. So we have been working with that.

We have also been working in the same neighborhood as the Jehovah Witnesses. (curses) It's okay because we pretty much stole all of their investigators. We met a boy named Julio. He is 17 and we have been teaching him the past two weeks. On Sunday he told us he would come to church so we set up a ride for him. Just a side note -- I think that Sundays are like a giant game of 'Where's Waldo?' except I call it "Where's Juan?" You get to church and you're like "Where is so and so?" then you have to go and find them! We went over to Julios to introduce him to his ride and he didn't want to go! I used my youngest child skills and talked him into it. I think I had an easier time talking Dad into getting a trampoline.  He didn't want to come because he thought that it was too early. He said he didn't know enough. I explained to him we don't go to church because we know everything we go because we want to learn more. After I talked to him he decided he would come. He loved it! He said he had fun and loved the ward and he wants to come back. I was so happy! This kid has been talking to the Jehovah Witnesses for 2 years. He never went to church with them but he said they invited him several times.

Another lesson we had I was sitting on the porch of this lady's trailer home and we were listening to her story. It's super sad and I wont get into it. She has a pet chihuahua and it had lice or fleas or something and the stupid dog kept trying to come sit by me so I finally kicked it in the middle of this lesson! I'm pretty sure she saw too but she didn't say anything.

After church yesterday we went to go find this house that the zone leaders gave us from a referral they had. It was clear at the end of our area and it took us awhile to find it. It was up this dirt road and not many houses. We parked on the road and walked up to the house and nobody answered. They had two other little trailer houses farther back on the property so we decided to go knock on the doors of them. While walking back I got a super creepy feeling like somebody punched me in the stomach. I didn't say anything though so we walked to the first building and nobody answered and then the next one which was actually a school bus that was turned into a house. On both buildings were padlocks on the outside of them, but it looked like someone lived in them. Hard to explain. Immediately the story of the guy who kept kidnapped people in his backyard came to my mind and I told my companion that I had an off feeling about this place and she was like I thought the same thing! She called up the Zone Leaders to get more information and to ask about it and while she was on the phone I was kind of snooping around and found this crater hole with tin roof coverings over it so I pulled out my light from my bike and tried to turn it on to shine it down and it wouldn't turn on! Just then my comp. got off the phone and called me over and as soon as I walked away my light turned on! We eventually left after talking to some random sketchy lady who drove by and claimed to be the provider. She was super uneasy that we were there. There is probably some slave trade going on it that place and I almost got murdered but we have to go back this week to try and contact it again. That place gave me the willies.

We also had exchanges this week and I went with a companion to McAllen. It was weird being in a neighborhood with real houses. It was an English area and the people there were such butts. They were super rude. We got the doors closed in our faces a lot. Our lesson was in English and so it was hard to teach but this little second grade boy did tell me that I "have a good style" It was hilarious.  I love my ghetto La Jola though. I held a parrot yesterday. It bit me of course! I decided that animals and I share a mutual feeling if we don't like each other; especially the nappy dogs down here.

I guess I better leave you all with something about Jesus and such. Life is hard and we all aren't perfect but that's the great thing about the atonement. We are all here to learn and to become better people. This life is for progression and to come unto Christ. Some days are rough and I want to give up and others I help so many people and I forget about my problems. God has us in the palm of his hands. He is looking out for us. When things are good he rejoices with us and when things are hard that is when he carries us. If there is one thing that I have learned here it would be that I don't believe in coincidences. Everything happens for a reason; every person we meet, we met them for a reason. Make sure that you are the reason that somebody wanted to become better. The Lord watches over us with the tiny things and with the big things. Always notice the Lord's hand and life will become so much more rich. Trials make you become stronger. I believe that we have trials because we have something we need to learn from them. Make sure you learn from them or you go through them for nothing.

I love you all! Thank you for all of the support and prayers and letters! I think about you all daily! Have a great week! And be the miracle in somebody's life.
                                                   
Love,
Hermana Thompson!

Jesus Mural 

Schooling the Mexis in Soccer