Week 62

Mon, Aug 26, 2013 at 9:46 AM

Hola familia,

first off, Dang gina...y'all write these things late in to the wee hours of the morning!!

Besides that, Congrats to DJ and Karolyn on their amazing union in holy matrimony.  Good stuff.  Sounds like y'all have been having a lot of fun with tons of family too.  Oh, and how in the world is Chris already putting his papers in... I thought that was a long time from now...or at least from when we talked about it last...which was like 4 months ago...

3rd off, Yes, I received the most amazing authentic Italian cookies from my most loving mother.  They were...I say were because they are all gone...ridiculously delicious, honestly, probably the freshest I've ever had.  Sad part about the story is that I got them on a Wednesday, and then I went on exchange to another missionary's area and left the dang cookies there...so it took a week for them to get back to me, but eventually they did, and they still tasted delicious.  

So, interviews went well...they definitely aren't long enough...it feels like we barely get started before it's time to switch to the next person, but I love my mission president.  He is the best.  Seriously, like a father right now, (by no means replacing you, dad ;) ).  

Okay, so from now on, mail will be sent directly to me...if it happens to get sent to the mission office, it will still get forwarded to me, but they want us to do it directly now, so our address...

817 Stadium Dr apt. F

Wake Forest, NC 27587

good stuff.

So on Friday the 13th (woooooooooo (say that like a scary wooo) ) we get to go to the temple :)  Good stuff...now are you ready for the better stuff...on Friday the 20th...I get to go to the temple to witness a sealing for a less active couple now active that are getting sealed together for all time and eternity.  We worked with them pretty heavily in Morehead and now I get to attend :)  I'm ridiculously excited :)  It would have been nice for my first sealing to have been my brother's but this will suffice :)

We found a new investigator last week which was super exciting.  He grew up Jehovah's Witness and then disagreed with that when he got older and went on a search for truth in religion and never found it, so he just stuck to the bible and gave up on the establishments.  ...until now (or so we hope :) )...we're really excited to teach him and know he can go far and be blessed so much if he'll just give the message we share a chance...that's all he has to do is give it a chance...the spirit and the Lord will do the rest :)

Seriously, if y'all haven't watched all the members and missionaries videos on hasteningthework.lds.org ...you need to.  They are so powerful.  

Chris is going to love BYU.  It's the best.  So, one of my brothers (not real of course, but spiritually so) left for his mission in Bakersfield, California last week.  He's going there directly, and next week another leaves for Brazil, and 2 weeks after that another leaves for Brazil.  It's weird, but I feel like I'm losing all my best friends even though I've only been here for about 3 months.  Good stuff.  

Not much else to say, but I love the people here.  There are so many wonderful people.  I just wish more of them would accept the Gospel and message we share so they can receive the promised blessings.  Last story...on Saturday morning, we left in jeans and a t-shirt to go help someone move...as we were driving out of our parking lot, we had to wait for this homeless looking man holding an empty Styrofoam cup to cross in front of us.  Part of me wanted to stop.  I could just feel what I imagine the Savior feels for all of us.  He needed what we had, more than he even knows.  But, I pulled out and we started driving down the road.  About 1/4 mile down the road, Elder Nelson made a comment about how nice it would be if we just knew about every single person that was ready to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ into their life in Wake Forest.  Additionally, this very powerful and spiritual song was currently playing in the car.  I knew we had to turn around and talk to that man.  So, I pulled to the side in an awkward position while I decided where it would be best to park, so we could go and talk to him.  We found a side street and then walked over to talk to him in my BYU shirt with my tag on.  I had my Book of Mormon and a pass along card, and I struck up a conversation...as much as you want this story to end with an amazing miracle, it didn't.  He just forcefully repeated that he didn't have time...he wouldn't even take a card.  It was very sad to see.  It kind of hurts.  I just want everyone to have this...but so does our Father, and He's a lot more powerful than me, yet even He can't infringe on our agency.  Still, I was grateful I followed the spirit and didn't have to look back wondering if possibly he was someone who would have listened had I just opened my mouth.  We just don't know exactly who's ready, but our Father does.  This fact emphasizes the point that we must do everything in our power to make ourselves into very fine tuned instruments for our Father to work with and accomplish His work.  We must give everyone the opportunity to accept or reject invitations, which is why we must always invite invite invite.  As the Savior did, invite others to Come and See.  Even if it's 1 in 100 that listen, we will feel the Lord's reassurance that He is pleased and that He is there.  

Thanks for being the most amazing family in the world.

with Love that would fill our ever expanding universe,

Elder Thornton

Week 61

Mon, Aug 19, 2013 at 10:49 AM

Hey family, 

Sounds like y'all have been having a good time roaming the country.  Good stuff.  I don't know if you noticed yet, Padre, but pictures are not my forte ;) haha...It's crazy how many people are getting married...

So, life goes on.  Transfers is next week.  I will be staying since I am still in the midst of training Elder Nelson.  He is doing well.  Growing lots.  No baptisms are planned currently.  We're kind of in a rut...we can't seem to find people that really care and want to learn and grow and come unto their Savior Jesus Christ and be healed...we’re trying to figure out what we can do better while remaining patient and trusting in the Lord's timing.  I read the account of Nephi in Helaman this morning, which always brings comfort.  

On preparation days in Wake Forest we relax and sometimes play basketball...the mission office and home are in my zone aka stake but not in my area or district.  

Life is just so crazy busy.  I hardly have time to think.  Time flies by at a ridiculous speed.  Mom, yes, we have been getting some stormy weather which is awesome!!!  I love storms :)  That is something I will definitely miss about North Carolina is the frequent thunder and lightning storms.  They're the best.  And the sunsets and sunrises here are absolutely stunning :)  

We have interviews with President this Thursday.  Those should be good.  

Got a wedding invitation this past week and 2 letters from Grandma and 1 from mom I think.  And a post card from dad.  Elder Nelson thought it would have been funny if you had sent me a postcard from North Carolina ;) haha

This week's letter may be a short one. 

Had some ridiculously good food last night.  Cinnamon roll pancakes that you pour icing on instead of syrup...delicious.... :)

I was gone out of our area for 2 days this week on back to back exchanges.  We have a lot of Elders in our district.  We had a really good ward activity on Friday night dealing with emergency planning.  And also I need Jim Fink's contact info STAT! :)  thanks... This week should be a good week. 

Quote of the Week: "It's not instant perfection, but constant progression."  President Uchtdorf...jk...but sounds like it could be from someone important...it's actually my quote :)  aren't I special :)

Thanks fam for being there.  And for being safe.

Love,

Elder Patty

Week 60

August 12, 2013

Hey

Hey family,

I don't think I really have much to say today.  This past week went by really quickly, but I'm not really sure how much we got done.  We're kind of struggling on the investigator side of the activity a little bit right now; the people we are teaching  don't really have much desire overall.  The Allens are still doing great though.  We had a fireside at our mission president's home last night for all Recent Converts and Less actives and investigators.  We had several there and Susan and Bro Allen both bore their testimonies.  It was great.  I love President Bernhisel and Sister Bernhisel...they're the best. 

Got letters from mom and grandma this past week. :)  Thanks much :)

Sounds like y'all are having fun in New York.  That's good.

There's not enough time in the day...

I hope you're not depressed after reading this letter ;)

Have y'all read the Worlds Without Number article in the August Ensign yet?  If you haven't, you should.  It is ridiculously fantastic.  Definitely one of my favorite Ensign articles ever (outside conference of course).  Gorgeous images and amazing facts.  Think of it...the closest star to us outside the Sun is Promixa Centauri...I think it takes light 4 years to get to us...traveling at 186 some thousand miles PER SECOND!  okay...that's not the half of it...the closest galaxy is the Andromeda galaxy which is 2 million light-years away...some galaxies they've found have over a trillion stars in it...and the creator of it all, the master of the Universe...is our Father and as I read today in Matthew 10, the hairs on our head are numbered to him....now why did He do it all, to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life.  I don't think "thanks" quite cuts it on this one. 

I really enjoyed a couple verses in Alma that I read this week.  Chapter 37:35-37

So before I quote the scripture, I want to put this in perspective.  This is a Father speaking to his son.  Now why is he speaking to Helaman.  He's about to give Helaman one of the largest responsibilities in the history of the world--to credit our Greek friends, he's making his son into the next Atlas that bears the weight of the world.  Helaman was soon going to be taking over the responsibility of being the sole individual responsible for ensuring the protection of all their sacred records.  In addition, he was going to be responsible for keeping a record of their proceedings--a record, I might add, that would affect millions and millions of people.  He couldn't just keep a garbage journal about what he ate for breakfast that morning and how many beasts he tagged in the forest, his journal had to be celestial status.  He success would affect the playing out of Isaiah's prophesy from hundreds of years prior about the Lord doing a marvelous work and a wonder.  Alma knew that the requirements of this task were enormous, so as a loving father would do, he didn't just require a completion of the requirements, he counseled him on how it could or, for that matter, the only way it could be accomplished.  Here's the counsel he gave him--or at least a snippet of the counsel he gave him--...this was the only way the Lord's will could feasibly be done.

"Learn...to keep the commandments of God.  Yea, cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and withersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.  Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, he shall be lifted up at the last day."

Some counsel, eh?  Well, if that counsel worked in helping Atlas balance the world, should it not be sufficient to help us balance a marble?  This was not trivial words Alma was speaking to Helaman because he felt that he had to say something in order to get dad points...this was crucial, essential, irreplaceable guidance that was necessary for survival..

...and we should treat it as such.

Good stuff.

I hope y'all enjoy the soliloquy.  I'll step down off the soap box now.  ;)

Thanks for being such a great family.

Love,

Elder Patty,

ps. This letter ended up better than it started.  Even I was depressed just writing it at first ;)  

Week 59

August 5, 2013

My Eastern Coast Buddies

Hey Family,

Hope life is going swimmingly for y'all.  Life's going pretty well for me.  However, sometimes I feel like I'm working ridiculously hard and not accomplishing anything (or at least now what the Lord needs me to accomplish)...I don't know...it's hard.  There are just so many things you can and need to do and simply not enough time to do it...

So, letters last week...I don't remember...I think I got one from mom and grandma...Oh, and 2 weeks ago, I received 1 from amber and brad with a lot of great pictures in it :)  I liked it. 

Honestly I don't know what to tell you for this past week.  The Allen's are doing ridiculously well.  Bro and Sis Allen went and walked around the temple grounds last week.  They're great.  We love them to death.  Bro. Allen loves coming on exchange with us.  :) 

We had a lesson with the gypsy lady last week, where she like stared into my soul through my eyes (or at least she thought she did) and I think she thinks she unveiled the mysteries of the universe by doing so, or something to that effect.  When Elder Nelson was bearing his testimony to the gypsy lady and her actually interested cousin, she just started staring at me...like...very creepily.  I wasn't even the one talking so it made it really awkward.  Elder Nelson got super confused when he saw her staring me down mid testimony that he stopped briefly and looked at me too.  As the other companion, I'm supposed to be watching the investigators' responses etc, but it's really weird when the one person just stares you down like she's trying to turn me to stone.  I made eye contact for a few seconds and then couldn't take it anymore and broke it, looked at her cousin, then at Elder Nelson, and then back, and she hadn't moved.  Freaked me out a little.  Then after about 15 seconds of this, she breaks it, puts on this ridiculous smile like she just discovered the succeeded in untying the Gordian Knot and settles back in her chair like she's queen of the universe.  Super weird.  At the end, she says to us...you three are special (us and our exchange), then she looks at me and says, What are you afraid of...in her creepy insidious gypsy voice.  All the while bobbing her head around and staring creepily...I wish I had the whole thing recorded...it's hard to put it all into words...good stuff though...

oh...crazy story...so we ate at this member's house last week who happened to serve his mission in Colombia.  So....like a professional...I asked him if he ever happened to know an Elder Fink (I like asking these things because you just never know)...well turns out he does...in fact...Elder Fink was his trainer in Colombia.  Crazy stuff, right??  Anyways, he wants Bro. Fink's contact information if you could get me his phone number, email,.  Good story though, right?

Lastly, I will end on a spiritual note.  It's truly amazing how much the Lord cares about us.  He knows us inside and out.  He is in the details of our lives.  He never forsakes us.  Last week, we were biking to go visit an investigator of ours that we have had limited contact with over the past week...on the way there we happened to bike by this members house that the member had moved away about 2 weeks ago...(we helped her move).  Well, as were biking by, she happened to be outside, so we stopped and were able to talk with her and we said a prayer with her.  She informed us to the fact that as she was driving here from Cary, where she now lives, she just was feeling down or something, and I think she prayed about it, and felt and decided that she just needed to put it into the Lord's hands.  Not long after that 2 missionaries show up.  I want to promise anyone who reads this that if we will just strive to do the Lord's will, he will immediately bless us (see Mosiah 2:24).  When we take 2 seconds to exercise our faith, even in the smallest of degrees, He provides miracles.  I've seen it time and time again.  I know it's real.  Don't ever doubt it. 

Scriptures of the week is one I came across in my studies...I absolutely love this scripture.  It's in an Isaiah chapter to boot, which gives it bonus points :)  It's 2 Nephi 27:23.  So powerful.  "For behold, I AM GOD; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith."

Ridiculously powerful....the Lord speaking and just declaring who He is and His power.  He is God.  and You'd better believe he can and will do miracles.  He doesn't change, so he will NEVER stop doing miracles in our lives if we will simply exercise our faith in Him.  For if we do, he will work AMONG us...right here with us...helping us do what we need to do, even when it seems impossible.

I love the scriptures...especially the Book of Mormon.  If you don't love them too, start now :)

Thanks for being the best family ever...

Love,

Elder Thornton

Week 58

July 29, 2013

See Ya in Tennessee

Just kidding on the see ya in Tennessee...I was joking with my companion on taking a little preparation day vacation to Tennessee, but we decided against it. 

Anyways...

Hey family,

I hope life is going superbly fantastic for y'all.  Life's is going well for me.  Again...where does time go...It's hard...no let me rephrase...it's impossible for me to believe that we are already in August, basically, and that the transfer is almost half over...I've been here in Wake Forest for 2 months. 

Sounds like y'all had a good time with Robyn and Terrance and the fam.  Good stuff.  

So this past week...oh wait, let me tell y'all letters first...i forgot last week...I receive at some point in the last few weeks letters from Chris, a package with some delicious goodies in it and a flash drive, some from mom..., some from Grandma, Holly, Kayla, Aaron Rock,...I think that's it.  But I'm not going to lie...I' ve  been pretty terrible these last couple months at writing back...sorry...I did really well for a long time...but I have all the desire to sit down and write up until the point Monday rolls around...and then all that desire disappears...mysteriously...

Regardless, last week was good :) Great actually.  On Wednesday, President Bernhisel graced our district meeting with his prescence...about 2 months ago, the thought of teaching/leading a district meeting with President and Sister Bernhisel in attendance and the Assistants to the President would have probably scared me out of my mind, but at this point, it's not a big deal.  After district meeting, President Bernhisel came out proselyting with us.  We had 2 appointments that he attended with us.  They both went really well.  Elder Nelson did absolutely fantastic.  Seriously, it's hard to believe he's only been out 2 weeks and is 18 years old.  Rarely do I even remember that he's only 18...(once in a while I do ;) )  He took amazing lead.  Invited our new investigator to be baptized.  Was powerful and real with our teachees.. Great overall.  President definitely approved.  It was pretty funny at one point...when we were walking up to our 2nd appointment...there was this girl sitting on the step of the apartment next door.  We went and started talking to her.  She was super nice.  We learned that she was 18 and pregnant, and she was outside smoking a cigarette...well...President Bernhisel is a fertility something else doctor...one step above the OBGYN's, and he just straight up asked her if she was trying to quite smoking for the pregnancy.  Okay...not really that funny...but I just thought it was neat that he was with us for that because he's like the real deal. 

Okay, so the baptism on Saturday...so good.  It definitely was powerful.  It was so special that he (the husband that received the Aaronic priesthood about 2 weeks ago) was able to baptize his new wife and the 2 kids.  It was amazing :)  The spirit was strong.  I graced the room with some piano playing...I butchered I believe in Christ for the opening hymn...it was slightly embarrassing...I thought I could play that one better but I had been practicing different songs in different keys, and my brain couldn't let go of the fact that there wasn't (or was) a b flat in that song...fail...anyways, you know that song you sent me...well...I've only been able to practice it a couple times on preparation day, but I love it and it's so beautiful and we decided that we wanted to include it as part of the intermediate time after the intermediate hymn while they were changing back...but I knew I couldn't play the whole thing, so I, in a burst of inspiration, spliced some sections together in the song and kind of made up a little snippet for the transition part in order to work the key change.  While practicing beforehand, it wasn't going as well as I would have liked, but I trusted in my God and knew He would help me.  I played it my best when I played it for everyone thanks to Him, and it was super pretty...well...when I finished, they still weren't back and it seriously didn't feel right playing a normal ol' hymn after that gorgeous piece so I wasn't quite sure what to do...and then, in another fit of inspiration, I started playing the song I composed and use as a basis for improv playing.  It matched perfectly, and then when they came back in, and succinctly ended it.  Good stuff.  For the confirmations on Sunday, Elder Nelson and myself confirmed one of the children each, and this other fella confirmed Erica. 

Not much else to say...this one was a long one today though.  Hope you thoroughly enjoy it.  I love being a missionary.  I love being a part of the Lord Hastening His work (which we all are ;) ).  I know that He lives.  I know He loves us.  I am so grateful for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  Once we follow the first 4 principles and ordinances of the Gospel, the most important thing we can do is to learn how to receive personal revelation and feast on it. 

Thank you all so much.  Y'all are the best.

Love,

Elder Patty