February 22 in Tierra Blanca

Well I don't have much time to write this email because the place where I'm writing is shutting down now so it's going to be really brief! 

We had a really awesome week! We worked hard and had higher numbers than I've EVER had in my misión with over 50 lessons and finding 20 new investigators. We found someone truly remarkable. Her name is Maria. She has been searching for the true church her whole life, in order to guide her children in the right path. 

Tierra Blanca started to heat up this week, and that was rough. It's only gonna get hotter from here. The good news is that it's so hot here that they let us wear sombreros and so I'm going to unleash my inner Mexican. 

Everyone in this ward makes the most delicious Mexican food that I've ever had in my misión. There are a bunch of people here that have been to Nashville, that's a first. 

I promise I'll write more next week when there's more time!!

February 15 in Tierra Blanca

Wow what a week! We worked SUPER hard this week, we had 50 lessons, and well, not much to show for it. But something that I've learned here is that success isn't about a strong surge, and then giving up when you see that you gave it all you got and you didn't get it done. Success is about doing it again, and again, and again, because you BELIEVE you can. The key is faith. So we're going to do even more this week, and then wait for the miracles to stream in. 

Right now, it's not that hot in Tierra Blanca. Just a little. But soon comes death. It's going to be fun! I've never worked in an oven before...lol!

I don't really have much else to say this week, I dunno im kinda going mind blank but... I'll write more next week!!!

February 8 in Tierra Blanca

WOW what a week it's been! Not 30 minutes after I finished writing last Monday I got the call that I was getting transferred! I'm now in zone Tierra Blanca (white earth). This will be my last area as a missionary, unless something really weird happens. Here I will finish my mission. Tierra Blanca is a small city (but still much bigger than Isla) where the church is really strong. I will now be in a ward, not a branch. My area is named Independencia. It's going to be fun. The bishop is really cool and all of the members are great! Tierra Blanca is the hottest zone in the mission. Summer temperatures often are a little over 120 degrees, and they call this place "la novia del sol" (the girlfriend of the sun). I will be here when it's hot, from April to June. 

I talked with Elder Segovia, and A. got baptized yesterday. Also I. and J. are close to being ready to get baptized as well. So my work is done in Isla anyways. My new companion is Elder Ramirez. He arrived here with Elder Segovia, and I will be finishing his training. Elder Call, one of the missionaries that arrived with me, will be finishing the training of Elder Segovia in Isla. 

I've learned a TON being here in the mission and I have grown a bunch. The most important change that I have experienced is becoming more like Christ. By study of the scriptures, we learn that this is the true purpose of life, and that is how we can be happy. Like Alma told his wayward son in one of my favorite scriptures of the Book of Mormon, "wickedness (or anything bad) never was happiness". The secret to living a happy life is living a life patterened after the example of Jesus Christ. He Himself said, "I am the way" and "I am the life and the light of the world". How true that is. I've learned it for myself. 

Every area that I've been in has brought with it its own trials and its own lessons. I don't know which ones will come here. I know that they will be the last ones of my mission and probably the hardest, but you can't purify metal without a LOT of heat, and we can't learn without trials. So... I'm excited. :) 

I will keep you all updated, but this is all for now. Talk to everyone next week, bye!!!

February 1 in Isla

Hello all, so I really need to get better at this. Recently there's just been no time... so it's going to be abother short email. 

Yesterday was Elder Segovia's birthday. Today I went to another pueblo an hour away in order to buy him a cake. Hahaha it was worth it. I smashed my comp's face into his cake for his birthday. That's a tradition here.

So recently our mission has put some goals that are really really tough to complete. I won't go into the details, but these goals, at first glance, are insane. Really hard to complete. Almost nobody has gotten them done. But this week.... we did it!!!!! The really tough part of the challenge is that we have to find 20 new people to teach every week. That's really hard. But we got it done. The lesson I leared was about how faith has power, and faith is made manifest not exactly in what we do, but the attitude with which we do it. 

That's the message. Attitude is the difference maker in the lives of everyone. 

The older guy I wrote about last week is getting baptized this week! (Yes I will finally be sending pictures). I. and J. are super excited to get married, and everything is going well. Talk to you all next week! 

Elder Thompson.