Week 81

Great Scott :)

Jan 6, 2014 at 9:59 AM

Well dear family,

I received 2 letters from Grandma and #79 from mom.  Hmmm...let's see what else to write today...I have a feeling that this letter is going to be a shorter one, but at least, by  virtue of you receiving this email, you know that I am alive.  Don't expect to glean much more information than that. 

I slept through New Years. 

We had a Zone Leader Training Meeting on Wednesday, which translates to you Gentiles as a meeting where we and some of the district leaders instruct the zone.  It went really well.  I've definitely learned and fine tuned a lot of leadership skills out here.  Good stuff.  Should hopefully help me be a better servant for God throughout my life. 

In a couple of weeks, we will be having an emergency stake conference where a member of the seventy will be coming to reorganize the stake presidency because our stake president is moving.  Should be exciting except that there isn't going to be enough room for even half of the stake...seriously though, I'm not joking.  Our "stake center" isn't actually a stake center, it's a lot smaller, and usually when we have stake conference, they hold it at the next stake's over stake center.  We don't have enough room in our building for our ward and "stake center" up there isn't a ton bigger.  It might be able to fit 2 wards, and they're worried about parking...it's going to be interesting to say the least...I'm still trying to figure out whether we want to invite investigators to this thing...could be positive, but I probably don't want it to be investigators first experience with the LDS church...could be a chaotic nightmare. 

Good story for the week, we started teaching this media referral who is truly hungry for the Gospel.  It's incredible.  She was asking this question from her soul from the very beginning about life after death and everything, and she has been searching for a long time.  It's truly a miracle.  We introduced the Book of Mormon to her, and she was so excited to read it.  She should be at church next week.  She has a little girl and wants a good church to raise her in.  Something I find a lot of times is that I really wish that I could just infuse someone's mind with everything I know about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and with everything I've experienced in it.  If everyone could see what I see, it would unwise and dumb, to put it lightly, not to join this church, but alas, I cannot infuse people's brains, so we must do it the Lord's way, which is always the better way anyways, and teach and testify so that the spirit can infuse their soul with the understanding of doctrine and the confirmation of truth.  I just want everyone to have what I have! (hence being on a mission ;) )  Someday, all will know...I just hope people don't wait until it's too late...

Thanks for being the best family in the world (and the best friends in the world if you are reading this . . . because if you are reading this, then you've got to be the best friends in the world :) )

Love,

Elder Thornton