Hola my Peeps

WHHHAATT UPPPPP GORDITAS!!!!  We just ate gorditas so I had to say that. 

Virgin Mary wall art

We are the hottest bikers out there

I have some crazy stories to share with y'all hoy.  And by stories I mean miracles of course. I always dislike writing them because I can't get in all the details I want because of time. Also I'm just a much better story teller in person; let's be honest.  Pretty much what I'm going to tell is just from one day. The rest of the week wasn't as cool.  On Tuesday we had our meetings and what not then we went over to a members house who was going to feed us lunch but she had to go to Mexico so she gave us a pan of rice and chicken with some tortillas to take.  We found a place to eat them; in a nice abandoned parking lot. It was so so hot! (this week was in the 100s the entire week no joke).  We also didn't have forks or spoons so we ate it with our hands; even the rice. I told my companion that we looked like well-dressed homeless people.  After we ate we had a bunch left over so we were like, "Hey, let's go give it to Norma and her family because they don't really have food. So we went up there and I handed her the pan and she was SO happy. She was telling us that her son literally was just complaining to her that he was hungry! My companion and I looked at each other like **dang not a coincidence (that look ya know?)** So we sit down on the porch as usual and we asked her how her day has been and how she has been since the baptism. She was telling us about her day and then she was like, "Yeah, I showered but I haven't washed my hair yet since the baptism because I wanted to let it(the water?) sit in (this is on Tuesday). It was the most adorable thing I had ever heard of. I  forgot to ask her how long she waited to wash her hair. I'll let you know next week. So we gave her props for that. I told her just to never wash it again.  Hopefully, she knew I was kidding;)

Norma and me. That's the chihuahua I kicked in the middle of the lesson like my first week here.  We finally
are friends although I'm pretty sure it still has pulga

I look nuts but Sister Thompson looks pretty cute

Norma tells us that after the baptism last week she was talking more with Sister Coronado about her husband and her daughter that have both passed away. She was asking her more about baptisms in the temple and things like that because we had just taught it to her. She told us that Miguel Coronado (the son of her member friend) wants to do the baptism for her husband.  Norma was like "Sisters, I don't know anybody who can do it for my daughter. Do you know anybody who can, on the same day or something?" We were kind of thinking and I realized that Miguel is up at BYUI right now!! So I told her that my mom would love to do the baptismal work for her daughter and that she could go meet up with Miguel and do the daughter and dad together!! So Mom, will you be a missionary for my converts daughter? ..... Okay thanks:) They will get in touch with you soon. The son of her best friend and the mom of her missionary! Just when I thought God's tender mercies were beaming on us, they were about to get better!

What we do

That sunset

We continued to talk and Norma tells us that the night of her baptism (Sunday night to Monday) her daughter had a dream. In her dream her dad (the man Miguel is going to be baptized for) appeared to her and said "Viridiana, I FINALLY found the light." Then he turned around and walked into a bright light and disappeared. We continued to talk to Norma and I had the thought, "Sing the song from the baptism." So I leaned over to my companion and I said, "Hey, let's sing for her".

**So a really quick back story before I finish that.  At the baptism the missionaries sang a song while Norma got dressed and ready.  When she came back in the conductor was kind of starting to close the meeting. My companion leaned over to me and says "We have to sing another song for Norma." I was like "Okay, which one?" She was like Divina Luz. And in my head I was thinking, "What the heck. That's random." We stopped who was conducting and told him we are singing again. So we sang that song for her "spontaneously"  **

We pull out our hymn books and open to the song that we sang at the baptism and it wasn't until that moment on the porch looking at the words to that song that it wasn't a coincidence that we sang it at the baptism and that we were about to sing it for her then. It's, "Lead kindly Light" in English. The words in Spanish are like talking about how the night is dark and how he didn't have faith for awhile but then he found the light and now he is going to have firm feet and make it back to his celestial home.  It was as if they were her husbands words to her in that moment after her baptism, the dream of him finding the light and again when we sang to her on the porch.

One side is America and the other is Mexico and in the middle is a giant Texas 

I don't think we realize how much help we are getting from the other side. especially from God. Each and every moment, good or bad has its purpose. It's up to us whether we recognize them, learn from them or just simply let them pass by. His hand is there. It's our choice whether we want to grab it or not. Whether we open the door to let Him in. It's simple things like listening to the spirit like in my story, just by singing a simple song or to recognize an answer from a dream. It's the primary answers and the little things that all add up to become a big miracle. You wont regret listening but you'll always regret not listening. Let him in and listen! He is there! He has been the whole time. HE LIVES! Look for him!!

I love you all. Have a good week. Don't forget to take a second and listen:)
Hermana Thompson

Our popsicles match our outfits

I caught a frog and brought him inside to study with me 

Our zone

Whaaaaat Uuuuppppp!

HEY FAM!!!!!!

Our week was awesome! First. My recent convert Genesis went to the temple and did baptisms with the youth of the ward! I was sad I couldn't go! But so so excited for her! Second my other recent convert Eber, got the Aaronic priesthood yesterday:) And Norma was also baptized yesterday as well!! The service was beautiful. My companion and I stood on the side of the font and held her towel for her when she came out. I wrapped her up and then she just began to sob. She was so happy that now she was clean.  She has changed SO much from the first day I met her.  It was my first night in the mission. We went to the end of our area to the Coronados house (a member) when we got there and we sat outside of their little tiny camp trailer, in the dark of the night with a the dimmest light you ever did see. Sister Coronado introduced us to Norma that night. Norma is this tiny little Hispanic lady. The wrinkles on her face you knew where of a thousand stories.  She just looked so hurt and fragile.  I remember the lesson we had that night was about courage.  Looking back, Norma has showed me exactly what courage means.

Sister Coronado has sent the missionaries by her for 8 years. Norma would never accept a baptismal date or really listen much.  She has a daughter who passed away when she was 12.  A few years later, her husband began to become ill with diabetes. It got so bad that he eventually couldn't see.  About two years ago Sister Coronado took Norma and her sick husband to Family Home Evening at the church one night. Norma's husband told her that if he were to join any church it would be this one. He soon became more ill and passed away.  Norma currently lives with her grown kids in this trailer. She can't find work. They don't have much food.

One day she finally agreed to let us teach her. We did our normal lessons and such but I remember going over there after maybe 4 or 5 times of teaching her and when she opened the door she looked so much younger. It caught me off guard so bad! There were less wrinkles in her face! Her eyes lit up as if she were the happiest person in the world! She physically and mentally had that pain taken away from her! The change was like from night to day. I had never seen anything like it. The Gospel does amazing things to people. It has been a privilege being a part of seeing that change in her and helping her to recognize God's hand in her life and how loved she is.

Saturday night we taught her about temples and that how her husband and daughter can be baptized too. Just like her. She was so surprised and happy and relieved. it was the coolest message we could share with somebody like her. I told her that I felt that her daughter and husband were helping orchestrate this from the other side. That she is going to be taken care of.  After her baptism was the most precious thing I have ever seen.  She knew that she could be with her family for eternity; that her past was clean and that because of Christ all of that was possible. Norma is the most courageous person I know. Having the courage to do what she knows is right even though past things have been hard in her life.

It's Sooo Hot

Elder Stone and I sporting off our new fanny pacs! He's not a very good model like me;) 

Look Mom I dressed my self today! 

Paco and Cesar Coronado 

Selfie with Eber 

I love you all. I hope you have a great week!
Love Hermana Thompson

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

Hola from Mexas!!!

I feel like I just wrote y'all!! This week flew by! Our area is progressing very well! My companion told me that she thinks I will be training soon. I hope not. This week we found 10 new investigators. Eber was confirmed on Sunday. I felt like a proud mom. Our area touches the Rio Grande River. I can officially say I've biked to Mexico;) We got lost in a field the other day down a dirt road because we thought there would be houses....there wasn't.

So tales to tell from this week.... There is this crazy dude in our ward who the Bishop has specifically told us not to go by their trailer (he's in our area). He's pretty nuts --  I wont go into detail. About a week and a half ago this guy, at one of the ward activities gave us a referral and told us to go by it. I wrote it down but didn't really pay much attention to it. A few days later he asked us if we went by and talked to the family.  I told him that we hadn't had the chance yet. He was very persistent that we go by but I still kind of brushed it off.

A few days later on Wednesday, we were doing the usual and one of our appointments texted us and cancelled.  We were sitting in the car kind of debating what we wanted to do and the thought came to me to go by this referral from the crazy guy in the ward.  I told my companion and she said she had thought the same thing!  We call the number he gave and went to the street. The number of the house didn't really exist.  I asked a guy who was outside on his lawn if he knew where it was and he told us that the house was farther back on his property and that he rented it out.  We walk back there and it's this little shack, no joke I could have built it.  It was literally a frame and plywood for the walls.  We get in there and its like 100+ degrees. The lady we talked to on the phone earlier to get the address from got another phone call and left. The dad wasn't really saying much so we started to talk to the girl that was there. She is 18 and her name is Alexis. I asked her how her parents knew the family at our church (the one that referred us to them) and she was like "Oh they aren't my parents."  After talking more with her it turns out that she is friends with the family's son (who was at work at the time). She had come the night before to their house to live. She got kicked out of her house or something along the lines of that because of family problems and she wasn't going to go back. I asked her randomly if she prayed and she said she did. I asked her what she prayed about and then I told her that we were the answer to her prayers. I told her that we were asked to come by that house over a week ago and that we didn't until that day. I then helped her notice that is was not a coincidence that she had come there the NIGHT before we came. She shared with us that she didn't think that she had a purpose in this life. It broke my heart. I shared the most sincere testimony that anybody will probably hear from me, that God loves her and she does in fact have a purpose. I can't wait to start teaching her more about her purpose here.

We are also teaching this big ole Mexican man named Jesus. He is like a giant teddy bear. He has such a strong testimony and has the biggest desire to be baptized. His spirit is ready but his body is not.  We are helping him to stop smoking. He was chewing nicotine gum instead, one every two hours.  Now he is down to one a day! We went to the gas station the other day after we had a lesson with him and I bought him 14 little packs of regular gum that is the same flavor. I want so badly for him to quit and he does too!  It's hard to see something as silly as smoking keeping him from being able to make the promises with God that he so badly wants. I just know that it's going to make him even stronger than ever! I don't have time today but I'll share some more stories about Jesus and keep y'all updated!

Well everybody, I love you all! The Lord's hand is in everything, always remember to notice it! There are no such thing as coincidences, just tender mercies. Everything we should be doing in this life is all for love and nothing for reward. Have a good week!!! Te Amo!!

Love,
Hermana Thompson

HOLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Hola y'all!!!!!!

So yes, yes we did have transfers. I had to laugh at you Mom for texting Paco wondering if I got transferred or not! Paco keeps showing me pictures and videos of his visit to my house. It is a crazy feeling to see him with y'all. It made me happy tho and he told me some stories about Tyler. He said that he looked up to Tyler a lot and that he was his hero. Tyler really helped him and he said how much he loved you guys. It was fun to hear all about it from him. Also, mom thank you for the girl scout cookies and pop rocks!!!:) you know me too well.  I'm sure you already know by now but my new companion is Sister Lance. She is from Utah (surprise surprise). Yes, I am still in La Joya. We had 6 of us total in our district but they took out a set of Elders and now we are a "dating district." Its me, Sister Lance, Elder Sessions, and Elder Stone. Our area is massive now. So half of it is white washed and the other half only I know. It's been interesting. I counted and we are in charge of 91 households (inactive and active) in our area! We have lots to do here!! I knew I would be staying because I prayed to stay another transfer. I knew I wasn't done here. Now I know I'm getting there..... because Eber got baptized on Sunday!!.... the Sunday after transfers!!!!

I now have seen as much as I need to to share my experience about Eber, although I won't tell the whole story because its near and dear to my heart but I'm sure I'll share it when I get home. The first time I met Eber was at the Medinas house. (we wash our clothes there on p-day.  They are members) It was my second week here in the field and I had no idea Eber was going to be such a huge part in my life.

Eber is from Guatemala and came up here to make his way to California to work with his cousin to send money home to his family.  Coming across the Mexican border he was with a group of Mexicans. The first night they huddled together to stay warm. The second day he somehow got separated from the group. He was hungry, tired and scared.  He was worried because it was starting to get cold. He was laying in a crack in the rocks and trees and decided to pray to know what to do. He said after he said his prayer he got this burst of Animo and just got up and took off from the spot he had been hiding out.  About 15 minutes later he found Brother Medina which was a miracle in itself because the Medinas are the type to take people in and help people.

He eventually moved in with another family in our area and it had been 3 or so weeks before we got to teach him. One of our lessons I had asked him to pray about what we taught and he said that he would. A few weeks later we were asking him how God has helped him in his life and if God has answered his prayers. He then told us that after I had asked him to pray that night he did. He prayed so hard, crying and pleading with God to know what he was supposed to do with his life. He had found work here with some of the members and didn't know whether to continue over to California or not. After he prayed so hard he was tired and fell asleep. He had a dream and in his dream he was talking with an older man who was wearing a white robe. The old man called Eber by name and said "Eber  you can't go to California. The road is too dangerous right now and you need to stay here." Just then Eber realized he was with a friend in the dream. The friend looked at him and said "I always listen to the old man."  God talks to Eber in dreams. It's an awesome gift and it's been a privilege to hear how God has answered his prayers. I have been working with Eber for over three months. We have put blood, sweat, and tears so that he would accept our message. We had bumps and mountains along the way.

Last week, because I knew the area,  I've been able to choose who and where we go. (which is stressful).  We went by Eber's on Saturday and talked to him and he told us that he wanted to be baptized tomorrow (yesterday).  I could barely contain my excitement when he said that!!!  I can't wait to get to heaven and tell God that we both made it because of his decision to follow Christ.

We have been working super hard in this area. In our entire mission there were 4 baptisms yesterday and 2 of them came just from our district. God is working miracles through us and it's been a privilege to be a part of them!

I love you all. Have a good week!!

Love, Hermana Thompson

Hermana Thompson!!

HOLA HOLA HOLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Preaching into the sunset

I just have to say that in the four months that I've been out I'm not the same person I was when I left. I love the people so much here and they have won over my heart. Tomorrow is transfers and we haven't gotten the call yet to know whether we are staying or not. I have been praying to stay in this area for at least one more transfer because I am not quite done here. We have so many great people we are working with and they have taught me so much.

This is Ashley and Angie. They are awesome. They are also our investigators and will be baptized next month. They are great!

Me and Hermana Castillo. She is the cutest lady. She is the one whose washer, dryer, oven, toaster and more things broke but she is still coming to church and knows its Satan. She is great too. She talks our ears off!

Sara emailed me last week asking if she would be able to make a dinner appointment with us because they were going to be in the area and I told her I wasn't sure but that I would ask.... And got special permission from the Mission President to have dinner with my favortistest sister!:) We ate at a little Mexican restaurant in our area. It was a good time. We took the left over food afterward to one of my favorite families. It's a single mom and 4 kids that live in a two bedroom trailer. She feeds us all the time so it was good to get to pay them back with the food. They loved it! Before we left Sara said that she was coming to our ward and asked what time it was at and I thought she was kidding! So on Sunday I got to see them again in Sacrament and sit by them:) She kept asking if it made me homesick but it did the opposite! I was able to share and show her some of the people we are teaching. I felt a different kind of love for my family and for being able to share my experiences as well. She got to meet Paco's parents and brother as well. It was good to see everyone! Thanks for coming Sara!!

Me Sara and Cora

Me and Cora

Eating with my sister Sara and the fam:)

Our district and the wegers

After church we had a baptism. Genesis who is 13, made the choice to follow in the footsteps of ChrisI and I'm very proud of her. Her mom is a member but has been inactive for 10 years. They were living in the Elder's area and they had been trying to get her baptized the past 5 months and she got talked out of it 3 or so times. Then they moved into our area and we started to teach her and I asked her if she would be baptized in ten days and she said yes!! She is so hungry to learn more about Christ and the gospel and it was awesome getting to teach her the past few weeks as well. She was so excited yesterday and you could see the light of the gospel in her eyes. She will make a great missionary one day and I'm proud of her decision and her example.

Us with the Weger family. They feed us every Sunday. We were all trying to be the same height because I'm a foot taller then all of them. The guy next to me is Eber. He is our investigator from Guatamala. I cant wait to tell his story to y'all.

After the baptism we were all kind of chatting in the hallway and Hermano Hernandez (Paco's dad) shook my hand and pulled me aside. With tears in his eyes he thanked me over and over for what my family did for Paco. He told me that Paco had told them that he didn't know how it was possible to fall in love with a family in 3 days but he did. Hermano Hernandez told me that through this experience he has learned about service and that it has strengthened his testimony so much. Sister Hernandez then came up and thanked me too. She pulled out her phone and showed me the 2 pairs of dress shoes and ties that mom had bought for Paco for his mission. I don't know why but I just started to cry!! This family was really wealthy in Mexico but they came here to America and have had some hard times in their lives especially with money but they found the Gospel and have been pushing forward ever since. They do so much for our church and for the Lord. Sister Hernandez told me that they had been searching everywhere for a dentist to go to that they could pay for, but that is when I came in and answered their prayers. I told them that they answered mine because I had been praying to know why I was in this area and I know it was to help Paco go on a mission. The Lord works in mysterious ways but in the end it all works out. Trials seem like a lifetime but it's really the time the Lord is working miracles. This week has been such a great week of service and love. I'm grateful for the privilege to be out here in south Texas to work in the Lords vineyard. I love the families in our ward and the people we are teaching. I love being able to see the Lord's hand in my life and in the lives of others. I have seen and been a part of miracles and there is nothing that can compare to the joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I've seen it in my own life and in my own conversion and I've seen it in others as well. I've learned to love not only Christ but my family, friends and investigators as well in a way I can't explain.
God is our Savior. Jesus Christ LIVES and we are all here to learn and to help others to take part in the great gift of eternal life.

Got to see sara!!

Us with Paco's mom

I love you all. You mean so much to me. Thank you for the prayers and words of support. Have a great week!

me and norma one of our investigators

Genesis' baptism

                                       
Love 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