Week 99 Did You Hear the Good News?

Did You Hear the Good News?

Highlight of this week was reading "I am a child of God" by Donald L. Hallstrom from this past general conference. Really opened my eyes. Awhile back when I hadn't had a baptism for over 8 months I found myself really confused and began to question as to why I hadn't been able to baptize. I would always say a slight prayer thinking "hello I have been contracting like crazy, inviting everyone to be baptized, working with member, studying really well, whaaattttsss the problem here? Why can't you just let me find someone who is looking for the truth!" Month after month with each one getting more and more difficult. I honestly don't think I had fully understood why the Lord let me go so long without baptizing until this morning. Towards the end of the talk he sites a quote from Elder Holland " You can have what you want, or you can have something better". When I read this at first I started laughing and then tears filled my eyes as I began to think how much my testimony grew in those months I didn't baptize. The Savior knows us perfectly and gives us trials to help us learn eternal lessons. A life without opposition is a life with out progression.

This week I have been praying to try and find new fun ways to contact. I started asking people if they had heard the good news. Had way too many funny experiences with people telling me random news stories jaja Not what I had expected to happen. Then we shared with them that Christ had visited the Americas. It always takes people a few minutes to really grasp what we are saying. And when they finally get it the look on their face is too perfect. The work is progressing here in Flores and I really hope I can find all the people the Lord has prepared.  

ELDER GRANT MICHAEL THORN 

Week 98 Testimony Push Ups

Testimony Push Ups

Was about to log off and realized that I didn't write anything home for the blooggggg. 

Between us and the other Elders we have a baptism every week in July. The district is the best district in the mission right now. Honestly things are going too good it's almost weird. We finally had this bomb activity that we planned like a month ago. We took the projector, white board, and a bunch of seats to the park and set it all up to watch Meet the Mormons. The branch pres got a hold of giant speakers and about one hundred people showed up. We had a ton of contacts and it helped us change the idea of what people think of Mormons. Proud to be Mormon! No hay nada mejor. 

Denis, the kid who was going to get baptized this last week, is going to get baptized this week. He came to church Sunday and jaja he is the goofiest kid that honestly makes the funniest comments it's awesome. I feel really blessed to have found him and I really hope I can see him grow in the gospel. I also had interchanges with Elder Obando who is starting his mission here in the other area. SO stellar. Really love new missionaries soo much. Just so pure and full of light. 

ELDER THORN

Week 97 Last Six Weeks

Last Six Weeks

Got the news this morning (while fishing, si hombre) that I am going to be staying here in Flores for my last change. Honestly hyped. We had a surprise baptism this week. Long story but she ask me to baptize her and it made the hard week a lot better. Things have really changed here in Flores. The branch has grown so much and I feel like we are really progressing. I set some goals for my last six weeks and am really going to try to talk to every single person that lives here in Flores. I feel so different these days. Maybe I am just in love with being a missionary lol. For those that know me know that I have never been scared to talk to people or ask questions. And that's pretty much what the mission is. Talking to people you don't know and asking them to change. It's that simple. The best part is that the Lord does that hard part and is so willing to help us do ours. I love you guys. I hope that the Gospel is working for you, it's working for me. Here is a bunch of pictures. 

Elder Thorn 

4th of July dinner beans and hot-dogs

 

Week 96 Maria's Baptism

Maria´s Baptism

Saturday at around three I told my comp that we should pass by for Maria´s house just to remind her to bring a towel and extra clothes to change into after. We passed by a member's house first (where we have taught her all the lessons because she spends more time in their house than her´s) and they looked at us all worried. "We haven't seen Maria all day! She didn't even show up in the morning to drop off her daughter." Elder Molina and I went off running to her house only to find all the doors locked with padlocks and no lights. We spent the next 2 hours looking all over Flores, asking everyone if they had seen little Maria. At 4:45 I was feeling like we were going to get stood up and was about to call the guy with the bus and tell him not to come. When the other elders called us and said that they had found her sitting on the side of the church building with all her stuff. I laughed a little and asked Elder Molina where the ONLY place we hadn't searched, and he is like the church. We both laughed and everything turned out well. The baptism was so full that almost half of the people who came had to stand outside the room.

Last night I had one of the most precious moments of my mission. At about 7:45 last night we were feeling really tired and our last appointment had fallen through. My comp wanted to visit these less actives but I said no because it was too far away and we would waste the little time we had left. I could tell he was really bugged and so I knocked on the closest door I could. The family invited us in and just happened to be a nephew of one of the most active members in the branch. The lesson was horrible. But when I say horrible I mean horrible. I was so happy when we finally finished the prayer. I could tell my comp was frustrated with me and the choice I had made. We got back to the house and planned. After planning we talked for awhile and he expressed a lot of things he had wanted to say. I waited a second and asked him why he hasn't been studying (for this past month I have been studying alone and spend most mornings waiting around until he showers and gets ready). I expressed my concern about the people we were teaching and how our study as companion effects everything we do. After talking I felt better but found myself thinking this isn't how I want to finish my mission. After calling the district and noting some datas I walked into our little room to find my companion kneeling and crying in prayer. As I sat looking at him for a moment I saw things from a different perspective. My mind became full of all the times I had wanted to do better but felt inadequate. I knelt down and prayed with him. After quite sometime we finished and said our nightly prayer. I felt so different then earlier that night or really how I have felt this whole month. All of my frustration and bitterness changed to compassion and love. I really feel like we are going to have some amazing baptisms these coming weeks.

ELDER THORN 

 

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