Week 93

 I'm finally Trunkie!!!! :)

Apr 1, 2014 at 12:28 PM

Hey family,

Just in case you were wondering, that subject line was totally an APRIL FOOLS JOKE!!! hahahahahahahahahaha. Gotcha!  Who do you think I am?? 

Anyways, life's good.  

First off, I want to mention and make serious note of the fact of how grateful I am to you, mother, for getting all my class stuff figured out.  Thanks so much, mom!!!! I love you so much, and I am so grateful for everything you do and every effort you make to help me stay dedicated and focused.  Everything's all good on this end.  (Honestly, too, I can't even remember what parameters I had left you...too long ago, sorry ;) )

So, last week, on Friday, which was part of the reason we didn't wait till Friday to email, we had our monthly Leadership Council.  It went really well.  Elder Curtis and I instructed on the principle of one by one and treating everyone like an individual, making them feel like they truly matter and that they are important; this also went along with achieving our baptism goal for the year.  We watched this clip by Elder Bednar, which was absolutely fantastic, (which is obvious since it was Elder Bednar).  Good stuff.  The Role Play we did was super powerful as well.  The spirit was definitely there.  We had the missionaries role play with their companions and one of them was the missionary while the other one role played as the other missionary's friend or family member that is either not a member or less active.  This was the missionary's last opportunity to speak with the family member or friend, and they needed to help that individual feel loved as an individual as well as to understand the vitality of the message of Christ's restored gospel.  Then afterwards, we related that experience to how the conversations we have with people here in North Carolina need to take on a more individualistic personality.  The people that we talk with are our brothers and sisters who are without the Gospel.  Oftentimes we treat the situations here too complacently; every individual matters to God, and thus, they should to us as well. The Mission goal is to have 894 conversions take place this year, but that's not going to happen because we walk outside our apartment one day and meet a crazy prepared throng of 894 people...it's going to happen how?? One by one. 

Sounds like things are going great in the 5th ward. I would expect nothing less with such a great bishop leading out :)  and such great ward members.

No, we didn't have any investigators at church on Sunday.  Sadly.  Hopefully, next week though, we should have at least 2...we'll see though.  

Played some basketball yesterday.  That felt good.  I love basketball.  

Still busy.  Still working on finding some prepared people to teach.  Hard to believe it's April.  I would really like to see a baptism take place here in Falls Lake before I leave.  I know it can happen.  The Lord can do amazing things.  I just strive to continue exercising my faith in talking with everyone and knocking one more door, going one more step, traveling the extra mile even when it's hard.  Amidst it all, I just hope that I change for the better and become more of the person Father needs me to be, that in turn, I desire to be since ultimately, the goal is for His will to be my will.  That's all I really have that I can give; and that's all He really wants for once our wills are aligned, we will be like Him.  

Not much else to say . . . Thanks for all you do.  I love y'all so much.  You have got to be seriously the best family in the world.  I received, btw, 92 and one from grams.  Until next week, 

Love,

Elder Thornton

ps. next week, emailing may not be until Thusday since we have activity zone conferences on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Should be a blast though :)