My Dearest Loved ones,
What a week! Can I just start by saying I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!! I really really really do. this is the best experience of my life. I am so grateful that I made the decision to come because I know this has really changed my life. Okay, this email might be a little all over the place (as I'm sure most of mine are). I have officially become climatized to the Canadian weather. This week has been HOT!!! It finally hit 30 C (i think that is around 90 F) and I'm dying of heat! Plus, because it really only gets hot for about of month out of the year no one really has air conditioning. Especially in the area we are. Last night was brutal trying to fall asleep. It was just too hot and muggy so Sister Roberts and I came up with a great idea. We took our mattress' on the balcony, sprayed ourselves down with bugspray and had sweet dreams. It was a lot better out there than in our room. When I woke up though, I aws a little disoriented. I thought I was camping or something ;) Anyway it was nice.
I love this area. At first being in the YSA scene was a little difficult, but I love it now. It is great! Sister White (our Bishop's wife) mentioned that she feels like people accepted me right away (I guess, YSA areas don't accept new missionaries very well at first.) Anyway there is a lot of great things happenin. I also LOVE Sister Roberts. We are such good friends. We laugh and sing all the time and for the first time I really feel like myself (that's a good thing). Being a missionary has also become a part of who I am and I am going to miss it when the time comes for me to go home.
I also have the BEST DISTRICT EVER!!! We all get a long so great. Well, this last week we decided to have District Meeting on Wednesday instead of Thursday to celebrate the 4th of July (and my birthday). Well, the Elders went above and beyond. They made us roast, potatoes, corn, and carrots. Us Sisters just brought the drinks (Apple Mango Sparkling Cider) They also made me a Birthday cake that was delicous and sang happy birthday. It was a great day. I feel so loved. It was a great day, but it didn't feel like my birthday at the same time. I'm used to Fireworks, Family Reunions, and big parties. I was excited to have a "Normal Birthday" (As normal as it gets being a missionary) for the first time in my life and although it was a great day and I'm super appreciative I think I like sharing my Birthday with the United States :) that's right family I said it!!! :p
Garneau District! Sister Roberts, Elder Gold, Elder Jules, Elder Fitzgerald, Elder Pieper, and Sister Thompson
.JPG)
Happy Birthday America and Sister Thompson!!!
As far as the Missionary life goes this past week, it was a good one. Sister Roberts and I did some finding. We knocked on this one house and this girl answered. We started talking with her when another girl came to the door. This other girl was really weird (I don't mean that to be mean, but she was). The first thing she said to Sister Roberts and I was, "I would like to share a message with you about my Savior Lucifer." Silence. Neither of us knew what to say (what do you say to that?!) So I just said, "Well, we have a message about our Savior Jesus Christ, would there be a time this week that we could come by?" Luckily, she didn't mention anything else and just asked us if we had a card instead. We gave her one and then went our way. She wasn't joking with us and it was super creepy. Gotta love the great people/ stories you get from Tracting.
We were also preparing Zhang (Jimmer) for baptism on July 14th. As we were going over the Interview questions he told us that he drank coffee that morning. So, we had to push his Baptism back to July 21st. Last night there was a fireside put on by the Stake Patriarch and we invited Zhang to come. Afterward we met with him and something cool that he said was, "You guys really take this seriously. I should take this more seriously." He explained that he really wants the benefits from being baptized. I'm excited to continue to help him get there.
The past two weeks we have had a non-member coming to church. His name is Chris. He is from B.C. (but originally from L.A.) He came to Edmonton 4 weeks ago to start over. He said, I already found a new job, a new apartment, a new friend (the girl bringing him) and a new church." GOLDEN!!!!!!!!!!! :D He is awesome and we had a great talk with him. His friend gave him a Book of Mormon and we got a text from her last night saying that Chris has been reading and wants to learn more. We will start teaching him this week. I can not wait!!! After I read the text this morning (after waking up on the balcony) I jumped for joy! Literally!!! :)
I wanted to end with a great quote:
"The final judgement is not just an evaluation of a sum total of Good and evil acts- what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts-what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants, of the Gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some Heavenly account. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become."
-Elder Dallin H. Oaks
I love this! It is so true. Life is not a checklist of things that we need to do, but it is those things that we do that help us become. This life is not about acting like Heavenly Father, but becoming like Him. I love you all!
Love Forever,
Sister Thompson
No comments:
Post a Comment