Well I am just going to just jump right in. This last week was a wee bit crazy and wonderful all in one. The first part of the week was a bit slow and my companion and I were having a bit of a hard time because we could not seem to find new people to teach and we were both running low in the motivation area. There was a very bright point to these couple of days though! Ivan gave me his guitar because he is moving so now I can play! Also one of the elders that is serving in our ward too is letting me borrow his simplified hymn book and it has guitar chords in it! I am now singing hymns with the guitar! It was such a blessing from the Lord because it really helps me to release stress and anxiety to play. Another cool thing about this hard time was that although I felt some depression and didn't know exactly how everything was going to work out I did not freak out or anything. I knew that everything would be okay and that "this too shall pass", and you know what? It really did. In fact it was followed by an AWESOME miracle! This last Saturday we fasted with Lawanda and Tiauna(our mother and daughter investigators that we have been teaching since June) with the purpose of Lawanda's boss giving her Sundays off so that they can be baptized and come to church every Sunday. We actually asked Lawanda to fast with us and she said that would. Well Saturday was a day full of tracting and trying to find new investigators for us. Now being able to eat was not really bad at all but we were both dehydrated from the heat(yeah it was warm and humid here on Saturday...the weather keeps changing!) but we stuck it out until dinner when we had planned to break our fast. We had some success in finding people and right before we went to our dinner appointment I asked my companion if we could go see Tiauna(Lawanda's 11 year old daughter that is getting baptized too!) before we ate dinner. When we got there Lawanda was home too and she told us that her boss had given her Sundays off starting this next week but that she would have to work the next day. So we planned the baptism for the 3rd of November. Well five minutes later Tiauna walks in the door coming home from the store where Lawanda works and tells her that her boss said that she actually gave her this Sunday off too! So we were able to move the baptism up a whole week! We have been praying for this to work out for so long. I know with my whole soul that fasting is what did it! They did come to church yesterday for the first time in over a month and they all loved it. Tiauna and one of her other daughter's Myqueria are both going to be performing in the Primary performance next Sunday and they are both excited. I feel like this is such a sacred experience because the Lord gave us more than we even asked for. Do you want to see miracles happen? Fast with real intent, with whole purpose of heart and the Lord WILL bless you. I know it's true because it has happened here!
In the title of this email I wrote about the Liberty Jail. Yesterday we were so blessed to get to take our recent convert Ivan to the Historic Liberty Jail to a very special fireside that happens once a month for recent converts. It is called the President's devotional because our mission president actually puts it on. It is like a big testimony meeting of recent converts. It was so incredible! Ivan was really nervous to share his testimony in front of so many people but he ended up doing it. I felt so happy that it seemed like a dream. He is reading the Book of Mormon every day and praying. It is the most incredible feeling in the world to see someone progress and change like he is. Also he is receiving the Aaronic Priesthood this next Sunday. I know the Lord puts us in the right place at the right time when we are being righteous. I am so glad that we met Ivan! We also got to go through the presentation at the Historic Liberty Jail after the fireside with Ivan and a member of our ward here, Ramon Morinigo(he is one of my good friends here in the ward, a very kind man from Argentina). My old companion Hermana Méndez actually took us on the presentation. It was AWESOME to get to see her. I hope that I get to serve at the Liberty Jail here soon.
I am praying that all of you out there remember how much you are loved. Keep smiling and remember who you are!
I love you all!!!!
con amor,
Hermana Thorne
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