Week 23

Monday, November 26, 2012 10:10 AM

FAMILY!!!!!!!

Long time, no read...okay...maybe just a week, but whatever. :)  Let's see.  Before I get to the nitty gritty of my week, let me address a few of your questions/concerns/snide remarks...

Yes, transfers normally would end up being on Christmas this year, but since the rule is that they'll never make a missionary miss 3 Christmases (and because it would be nearly impossible to do transfers on Christmas day) this transfer is only going to be a 5 week transfer and then next will be a 7 week transfer.  Both will be super weird.  One will feel super short, the other super long.  

Sounds like y'all had a good thanksgiving.  Good stuff.  We planned most that day, and then had dinner with the family we stay with, which when all their family came over, ended up being like half the ward :)  just kidding...but seriously...

Yes, we do get the Ensign, but it goes to the apartment.  Ergo, perhaps only an extra copy of the General Conference edition would be okay to send.  I want to really study that and probably mark it up a whole bunch.  We STILL haven't received our GC edition Ensign.  Sheesh.  Super backed up I guess :)

So now to me...yesterday in church, we only had 1 investigator there...and he was the one getting confirmed, so he had better have been there or the confirmation wouldn't have gone as well.  The confirmation was really special and powerful as well.  He's such a great guy and I'm so excited to see him begin his journey back to our loving Father in Heaven.  That's one of the best parts about being a missionary--seeing the Gospel of Jesus Christ change people, witnessing the power of God at work.  We have a couple of investigators who are on track for hopefully getting baptized in December (after I most likely leave, most likely, but that's okay :).  One of them, who is super solid, seems to have dropped off the face of the planet this past week.  We haven't been able to get in contact with him at all, so we don't know what Satan did this time to someone who was coming to Christ, but it's getting kind of annoying.  You may ask why I would consider him still on track for December...because he's just that solid ;)  

I hope next Sunday I'll be able to see the First Presidency devotional.  Hopefully.  I hope you start getting snow too.  Otherwise, next spring/summer isn't going to be good...for anyone...mostly the farmers :(  

This Wednesday we have interviews with President again, which should be really good :)  I love my mission president.  He's so solid.  

I'll tell you one of the most difficult things about being a missionary is trying to remember EVERYTHING!!!!!  There are so many things that we have to remember.  To start, if we didn't have our planners, I'd probably curl up and die.  But then we have so much to remember and so much to do, and there just isn't enough time to do it all.  Prioritizing is key, but still it's like "We really need to go visit this (Less active, former investigator, potential investigator etc) again...we haven't seen them for (a week, a month, for a millenium etc) when could we do that this week?  Oh wait, let me see...no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no...well...our next open day that we have anytime to do anything else is next transfer. Oh dang.  That's not going to work.  Let's see if we can sneak them in somewhere.  Oh, I know I know.  Looks like we have a 15 second break right there.  What if we traveled at light speed and saw them then.  No that won't work...we can't travel at light speed and they live 30 minutes away...by car.  Oh, and we don't have the car this week.  Well, shoot."  Story of missionary life (with a few alterations and embellishments here and there :)

Anyways, hopefully this week goes great.  Holidays just butcher missionary work, I feel.  Who wants to set up an appointment on Thanksgiving?!?!  Nobody, that's who.  :)

So, time continues to fly.  I love you all so much.  ps. I got letters from mom #23, grams, and Sis. Sherman. 

Love,

Your favorite son currently on an earthly mission,

Elder Patty

ps.  Happy birthday this Friday mom.  Big 35 :)

Week 22

Monday, November 19, 2012 10:00 AM

Hey family, :)

Life's good.

Love,

Elder Thornton...

Hope you enjoyed the letter ;) hahahaha...here's the real one!

Hey family,

It's good to hear from all of you!  Thanks.  Also, yes I got my tire fixed.  You should be seeing the charge soon.  About 18 dollars which wasn't bad especially since they put a NAIL PROOF tire in it :) ahhhhhh yeah :)  The guy sold it pretty well, especially since it was only like 5 bucks more and he said the difference was night and day.  HIZZZZAH!!!

I got the package with delicious goodies (the candy has been consumed :) and the "athletic warm up gear" ;)  I also got letters from Kayla, Robert Paxton, grams, dad, and mom #22.  Thanks for all the love everyone.  I love it!!!!

Yesterday, the baptism went really well.  Super exciting time.  I'll include a picture.  We are super busy all the time.  It's crazy.  Usually our week is almost packed full of stuff to do before it even starts.  Tomorrow is going to be super crazy.  On Saturday last week, we left the house at 12:15ish or so and didn't get back till 8:30.  We were gone all day visiting people way out in yonder land.  We are seeing many miracles at the Lord's hand as we put in our effort.  We are working with some solid people and have started teaching some newer individuals.  We'll see how everything goes.  

Weather here has gotten nippier especially when the sun goes down at...STINKING 5:00!!!!! Whose idea was that for missionary work.  I wonder how Hayden deals with it when they get like 3 hours of sunlight a day.  Crazy stuff.  

I really don't have much to say.  Oh, yesterday, I visited the promised land!!! OH YEAH!! It’s official.  Jealous anyone.  It's okay...I forgive you :)  I’ll include a picture ;)

I love this ward so much that it will be tough leaving all of them.  There are so many people here that I want to stay in contact with and that I would consider good friends.  No ward on my mission will ever compare to this ward...I grew up here for Pete's sake!!!!  

Holidays probably aren't really going to feel much like holidays I don't think.  We're having thanksgiving with the family we stay with.  I love them.  There is going to be like 30 people there! Good stuff.  She asked us if we had any special requests of food that our moms make at home; that if we had a special recipe for something, if we got it to her, she'd make it for us.  I just told her the usual :)  That I love stuffing and the works, but I didn't ask for any specific recipes cuz it's all going to be delicious.  I'm going to miss being home for the holidays, but I'll live ;)  

Well, like I said, not much to say.  I just kind of ramble.  Whatever.  You like it ;)

Love always and forever,

Elder Patty

Week 21

Well, I hope Jabari makes the right choice ;)  That would be Jimmer #2 ;)  

Anyways, Hello family and friends and all who are blessed with the opportunity of laying eyes upon the words that were etched into cyber space by none other than the amazing Elder Thornton!!!!!!

Life is going great.  Fast, but great.  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are amazing and help me through anything and everything with which I deal.  This past week we had Ashton's baptism on Friday and his family came which was amazing.  They aren't LDS, but they are great people.  The spirit was super strong.  I couldn't help but have a smile on my face the entire time.  This church is absolutely amazing.  Don't know what I'd do without the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I should be able to upload a pic for you :)  Well, another transfer has begun.  Time flies.  Elder Moses is still being a stud.  We are so busy, it's intense, but we are seeing miracle after miracle.  Yesterday, at church, we had a couple of investigators and few less actives we have been working with attend.  It was great.  I was honored with the privilege of serving Ashton by being the one to confirm him a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and give the gift of the Holy Ghost.  It was a powerful experience.  Then for the 2nd and 3rd hours, I played piano for the primary children.  They're fun, and say some of the funniest things.  Yesterday, they were talking about Daniel and the teacher asked what happened when they threw Daniel in the Lion's den, and one kid piped up and said that he ate pizza with the lions.  hahahahahaha.  Super funny :)  Then every so often a kid will raise his or her hand and share some completely irrelevant thought about when his birthday is.  

I received letters from Mom #21, Kati Kamas, Rachel Sherman, and Gram gram.  Good stuff.  Thanks, ya'll ;)

For Christmas, I thought of a couple of things you could send if you wanted (or anyone).  Colored and black G-2's.  If possible, could some of the blacks be .38, (ask Chris).  Also, possibly sticky notes, and perhaps some CD's of good music.  Mom, that New Testament one you got me before I left is intense.  I love it.  Perhaps they have other similar compilations

So yesterday, we walked outside to bike to church for our morning meetings, and I looked down and lo and behold, my tire had ABSOLUTELY NO AIR IN IT!!!!!!  Oh yeah :)  That's what I'm talking about.  so, needless to say, we walked, and we have to go get it fixed today.  

Anyways, I never know what to take pictures of so I have some random ones to send.  Enjoy.  

We have a baptism coming up this next Sunday, which is stake conference for us.  It's going to be super amazing.  It's amazing to see how the gospel has changed this man's life.  He has grown so much even in the short period of time that I've known him, and others have seen it as well.  He is just so happy and filled with joy.  He is 100% committed.  I love being a missionary.  Seeing the gospel change people's lives is amazing :)

Well,  this week should be good.  I'm still learning a lot.  It will be interesting for ya'll to see me when I return in a couple of years.  You'll have to tell me if it feels like I've changed a lot.  ;)

Crazy to think that I'm almost a quarter through my mission!!!!

Well, I love you lots lots and lots more.  I'm going to miss the holidays with my family, but it will just make the holidays of 2014 that much sweeter :)

Love,

Elder Thornton

Week 20

Monday, November 5, 2012 9:57 AM

First off, Dad, did you really write this letter at 1:00 in the morning??

Anyways,  Hey ya'll

Glad to hear that everyone's doing well...mostly ;)  Sounds like some pretty intense stuff is going on back home.  So life's going pretty swell.  It's pretty crazy that it's already November.  To think...I've been here since early July!!  Wow.  Well to answer the question that's begging to be answered...yes, I got my ballot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Once I talked with the Mission President to see if I could check my email and then saw what you had written, I was almost positive that it must have picked up accidentally by the family I live with.  Things have been pretty crazy for them for the past couple of months.  So, I was hoping they would have a central location where she keeps all the mail so I could just look through it; I asked the daughter that runs the horse farm thing, and she laughed thinking about her mother having a central location.  :) :)  So, I asked Sis. Reece if perhaps they had accidentally snagged my ballot.  Well, she looked for it and long story long, she called me that night and said she had found it.  This was on Thursday night.  So I mailed it Friday and debated whether to express it or just priority since apparently they don't have 2 day guarantee.  Priority was 5 something.  Express which is 1 day was 19 something.  They said priority should get there Monday, Tuesday at the latest, so I went with that.  Should get there.  But I hope they take ballots that come in post office envelopes because that's how I had to send it.  If not, yours is the Return Address.  Good story right.  Trust in God, and give it all you got.  There's nothing else to it. :)

So, I've had the blessed opportunity of wearing my coat a few times so far.  Needless to say,   I'm in love :)  BEST COAT EVER!!!!  I got letters from mom 19(in the ballot pack) and 20 and also a postcard from dad and a letter from Stephanie Hiltscher.  

Elder Moses and I doing great together.  We are becoming more and more unified.  He's doing phenomenally well.  He really only needs a 6 week training program because he's good to go already.  :)  Really no problems together so that's good :)  He's grown tremendously...as have I...which is always good.  This Friday, we have a baptism and then we will have one on the 18th as well.  It's super exciting to see how much the Lord is blessing this area and our efforts.  We have another couple of investigators who are doing really well, and should be able to make those essential covenants with our Heavenly Father in December.  I'm really going to miss this ward...a lot.  So many wonderful people here.  

I'm glad that Mom gets to go visit Nana soon.  It's crazy kind of being cut off from everything.  I really don't know a lot about the north east right now.  Also, it's crazy that election day is tomorrow.  We'll see what happens.  So, I'm not gonna lie.  Trying to interpret those amendments things on the ballot was a fun time without the ability to look anything up. They write it in cryptic language and then they don't inform you as to where the law currently stands now on some things, so I don't know if for instance, they are going from no regulation to some regulation or from lots of regulation to some regulation...all they put is the some regulation.  Whatever.  I did my best, and the Lord probably blessed me and helped me. :)  Apparently, we're voting for the legalization of Marijuana.  I think I voted no on that.  I hope I read it all right :)  Good stuff.  

It's getting kind of cold out here.  Especially with wind, which is augmented by riding on bikes.  We had 3 investigators in church which was amazing and we had several less actives we are working with come as well.  Truly, we are seeing many many miracles each and every day.  I hope everyone else can see them.  

Hope ya'll have a great week.  Know that I love you more than anything in the whole wide world.  Good thing families are eternal ;)

Love,

Elder Patty