HOLA mi familia!!!!
I trust that all is well on the home front? Thank you so much for those who had a chance this last week to write me about what you are giving to Christ. I love hearing how the people I love are giving themselves to the Savior so that He can continually refine them into the people that they were made to be. I know how much it has changed my life to understand what role that Jesus Christ plays in my life.
Okay so some big, big, BIG things happened this last week. Hermana Dent and I were able to start teaching three new investigators!!! Two of them are a mother and daughter by the names of Marita y Fransesca. We found them one night when we were looking for another family whose information we had, but they ended up not being home. The reason that we chose Marita's house is because we walked by it to get to the original family's house and I noticed that their garage light made this horrible high pitched buzzing sound. When we were walking past it again after trying to contact the first family I noticed the buzzing noise again and this time I stopped and told Sister Dent that we should go knock on their door. I learned a lesson very different from any that I have before that night. The Lord was directing us to this mother and daughter and the way that He caught our attention was by the loud, and very annoying, buzzing of their garage light. He gets our attention to make us focus on where He would like us to go. Are we open to all kinds of direction? I know that I have not always been. The Lord does not always direct us with warm fuzzy feelings, or strong, specific promptings. Sometimes he sends an annoying noise that makes us direct our attention to His work. Marita and Fransesca are SO awesome. We get to go see them again tonight!!! They love the Lord and already treasure His words.
Okay so if any of you have not already been informed of this, my mission president, President Keyes(I LOVE HIM!), asked me the night that I got to Missouri and stayed in the mission home, if I would like to be switched to an Hermana(spanish speaking). I was quite blown away, having not expected this in the least. I actually said to him "Um, President you know that I did NOT go to the MTC for that right? Is that allowed?". He laughed and said that yes he knew, and sometimes missionaries calls get changed in the field, it just is harder to learn and requires focus and dedication. I told him that I would love to and that it would be a dream come true. President then told me that I would need to pass off all of my lessons before I could start studying my Spanish. So here is the awesome part...I passed off my lessons last week! President was pretty shocked because it usually takes quite a bit longer than this, but I was so ready to be able to start my Spanish lessons that I worked my tail off to memorize all of the necessary information. I also get to drive now! The day after I passed off my lessons I was able to get cleared for driving and then that night Sister Dent and I were off into downtown Kansas City with me at the wheel. Was she nervous? Yes. Was I? Yes. But hey, I figure that every single day I am put outside my comfort zone here, so I might as well just jump into everything and learn it right from the beginning. It really is not bad driving here. There are just a TON of weird one way streets.
So now I am studying Spanish. I gave my first Spanish prayer at church in Sunday school yesterday. Hermana Dent and I pray everyday together in Spanish and have since I first got here, but I have not been asked to pray in church until this last Sunday. It went well and I know that I shocked my district leader because he did not know that I have been learning Spanish along the way. I have had no choice but to start picking it up, seeing as how the vast majority of people that we talk to, we are doing it all in Spanish. I LOVE the Spanish language! It sounds so fluid and beautiful. Everyday I learn so much more and I am SO thankful for this opportunity!!!
Tonight we have something really exciting planned. We are teaching some of our new converts how to do Family Home Evening, and we are having our new investigators come over to join us. Also attending will be an AWESOME member of our ward, Hermano Zaragosa(he is a convert of 6 years from Mexico) and we are so stoked about this. We know that this combination is going to really help with our new investigators understanding the church and with our new converts learning the foundations of the gospel. We have put so much thought into what we will be doing and last night after we found out that our new investigators will be able to come I made my companion do a victory dance with me(I know she secretly loved it). I love these people! It seems to me that latin americans are so ready for the gospel. I love the culture and I LOVE the food. We have this beautiful food prepared for us by these adorable little hispanic woman who have made it the same way for years. On Christmas Eve Hermana Balam made us homemade tamales! Oh...me gusta los tamales muchissimo...
One other quick story. We have this awesome family in our ward, the Johnson family, and Hermana Dent and I go over there for dinner about once a week. This last week we were able to stop by in the afternoon to say hi to Sister Johnson. She has a 3 month old baby and so she stays home with her. Sister Dent and I sat down and talked for a bit and Sister Johnson asked if we wanted some water, we went in the kitchen with her to get it because she was holding her baby. We then went back into the living room and were about to leave when Sister Dent asked Sister Johnson if there is a certain way that she likes her dishes done(while in the kitchen we saw that she had dishes in the sink and no dishwasher). At first Sister Johnson said no that she could not let us do that, but we insisted and went into the kitchen. Sister Johnson followed us in and when I turned back to ask her something I saw that she was crying. At that moment I was so grateful for my companion who follows the promptings of the spirit and is so aware of the needs of those around her. Sister Johnson needed help that day. She was so thankful, but really I think that Hermana Dent and I were more thankful for the chance to "go about our Father's work". I am so blessed with such a good example for my trainer. What a wonderful experience.
Okay so I was thinking the other day while at the Visitors' Center how much I love gospel artwork. I love staring at it and trying to feel how the artist felt while creating it. I hope that you all have at least one picture of the Savior in your home. I challenge you to take just a few minutes out of your day and ponder on a painting of the Savior. Think about what He has done specifically for you. Do you allow Him to comfort you? Do you allow Him to rejoice with you when you rejoice? I know doing this helps me to grow closer to my Savior and best friend. I love Him with all that I am.
I love all of you so much. Let's make this week one to remember by serving those around us!
Love,
Sister Thorne
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