Hello, Hello! :)
This week was awesome! First of all, let me just tell you...when I heard everyone talking about P-day I just thought it was the best day and you had all this time to do whatever you wanted and you'd just have so much time to take a super great nap (which I miss...soooo much!) but it's a lie! haha! P-day is seriously just as busy as every other day, if not it busier! haha! but it's good busy! we have time to do things that we normally don't get to do during the week! and the best part is I get to write to all of you! :) yaya! But last week right after Pday ended, we went to dinner at the Greenways! and they are so sweet! They are the cutest little family and they make amazing dinners! haha! They're so fun! and then right after that we had to jet home because last week was Exchanges! which means I go for a 24 hour period with a different companion and my companion does the same! I got to go to Ephrata with Sister Kirk who is our Sister Training leader! and it was so fun! I learned a lot! At first I was really sad about exchanges because I love my area and Sister Walborn so much, I didn't want to leave! Especially because on Tuesday we had some lessons planned for some of my favorite people! But it was a really good experience! Sister Kirk is soo awesome! she has a super funny sense of humor! and she also is very knowledgeable and in tune with the spirit! the lessons that we taught were awesome! Oh...and also, did I forget to mention on Tuesday morning we had a flash flood warning....yeah! it was raining sooo much! hahah! Aand...we had a leak in the bathroom....so sister Kirk and I had a lovely adventure that morning going to the leasing office and all that fun stuff bright and early! we actually left the apartment and did our studies in the car in a random parking lot while they had someone fixing out leak! and later that day we were out doing our work and getting to our appointments and such and we had to find long roundabout ways to get to different peoples homes because the water was so high in some areas the roads were closed! I'll send you some pictures! it was so fun! :) anyways then I got to come back home! and I was really happy about that! ha! oh!! oh my gosh! and how could I forget...one of the members in Ephrata fed us ham loaf...ick! sooo yucky! there are some really weird things that are served here in Lancaster county! haha! but anyways! now I can tell you some really cool stuff that has happened...Do you remember me telling you about Ciara? well, on Monday we had a lesson with her, and we got to talk a lot about putting our faith in Heavenly Father, and she had mentioned that she was really nervous about telling her parents that she was wanting to become a member of the church and that she wanted to be baptized...and so we shared some scriptures with her and testified that things would work out like they should! And at the end of it we asked her if she would be willing to talk to her parents about it before we met the next time, and she agreed! and on Wednesday night we got a text from her saying, "Hi sisters! I know its late but I just thought I'd tell you I talked to my parents tonight!!!! I told them I wanted to be baptized and they were so supportive!! I am so excited and relieved! Now I didn't get to delve into a huge amount of detail because I brought it up so late but yes! haha! I'm just so overwhelmed with emotion right now and just had to let you know! :)" Ahhhh!!! how exciting is that!!! Sister Walborn and I were sooo excited! We called her up and told her how excited we were and how amazing that was she then told us that Ether 12:27 was her inspiring verse that gave her the courage to talk to her parents! That verse says, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." How amazing is that! the importance of the scriptures!! The Book of Mormon is amazing and is our most important tool as missionaries along side of the Holy Ghost and the power of prayer! This was such an amazing testimony builder to me! The scriptures are amazing and have brought me so much joy since I've been out here and I have learned so much from them! I challenge you guys to be more diligent in your studies in the Book of Mormon, especially if you have a question or a topic in mind as you read! I promise you, that you will benefit from this, that your testimony will become strengthened, and allow your Heavenly Father to talk to you through this wonderful book! However....on a different note, It was so exciting that Ciara has come to the decision to be baptized!!! I am so excited for her! she is just the most amazing person! her faith is so strong! but sadly...we don't get to baptize her. :'( She is moving back to college this next weekend, and even though she is sooo ready to be baptized, President told us that she needs to be baptized in the ward that she'll be living in to build those relationships there. which is okay! I am just so glad and so happy that I had the opportunity to teach her for the time I did, she came to church with us this sunday and everyone was just so surprised that she was an investigator! She seriously just glows! :) we actually had two investigators with us at church on sunday, and we had seven less active members that we teach there too! that was AWESOME!! ahh! we were so excited! and little Athena that got baptized last Sunday was confirmed in church yesterday! :) We've just had a really amazing week! I wish you all could be here...because words just can't describe how amazing my mission is! I love it! and I can't believe that I've already been out here for a whole month! ahh! It has seriously gone by so fast! I'm sorry this email is so jumbled....all of them are! haha! I hope you can understand me! and know just how grateful I truly am to be here! I am so blessed! I love you and I miss you all! Thank you so much for sending me your love! :) I pray for all of you all the time! I know that Heavenly Father hears every one of your prayers! and he loves you so much! I can feel his love so much more now that I'm a missionary and I am so grateful for that! it truly is an amazing thing to testify of the love that our Heavenly Father has for you, and that our Savior has for you! I love you!!! ahh! :)
Love always,
Sister Thomas
Pictures of the week!
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| Sister Thomas, Ciara, Sister Walborn |
