October 21, 2013

Hey Thorne Fam!

We didn't have as great a week as we did last week... things really slowed down and we weren't really sure why. But we fasted yesterday and got a lot of inspiration as to what we should be fixing and working on. So we are excited to really get started this week!

As for me: I am doing so wonderfully! I always seem to have the hardest time on Saturday each week. I don't know why but Saturday's are always the hardest days. That's usually when I have my little mini breakdowns. :P But then I get to Sunday and I go to church and I feel the spirit and I just love it so much!!! And then I am ready to head into another awesome week. :)

As for investigators: we have 3 progressing, Kat Bill and Stephen.

Kat has a legit bap date for November 30th. Her parents are not very happy with her and may not come to it, but she knows what she has to do and she is set in her decision. She will not waver. I am so very proud of her. She is an amazing girl. Also, she is is most likely getting married either in December or next June. Her and Aric want to be sealed together before they get married legally. But Kat's parents said that if they do, they won't pay for a bit of the wedding. So Kat and Aric said oh well and they are most likely going to be sealed and married this December. Awesome huh!

Bill wasn't able to come to church because he got super sick, but he is planning on coming next Sunday and that is the primary program so he should really like it. We addressed his concern about not feeling "spiritually nourished" at church and talked about how as we study in the scriptures daily, we prepare ourselves to be spiritually fed at church. We gave him a study journal and he will be writing in it as he reads and comes to church. That should help.

Stephen is on the fence right now. He read from the Book of Mormon! Which is a huge step for him, but we haven't been able to meet with June yet. She canceled on us and she is the biggest reason they aren't coming to church. But we should be meeting with them both tonight so we'll see how that goes.

Jeannie we will be meeting with this Thursday so I'll report on her next week. Muhammad and Abdullah we lost contact with for a while... but we've restored that and will be meeting with them this week!

As for your email:

1) Yes, I did mean one more transfer. :P But no, since I will most likely be leaving Morehead at the end of this transfer, I will be missing Thanksgiving by 2 days and Kat's baptism by 4. :( Transfer meeting is November 26th. It is so crazy to think that both Thanksgiving and Christmas is next transfer. I will get to talk to y'all again next transfer! Weird!

2) As for Stephen, we actually just prayed in his neighborhood and picked his door to knock on. Pretty cool huh? I love how the spirit works if we will just be worthy of it. Miracles are abounding! :D

3) By the way, the rules changed! I can listen to any church music that is sung by an LDS artist. Can I PLEASE get some Jessie CD's?!?!?! Also, Bill asked if there was anyway I could get him a MoTab CD. There is also a member who is really struggling (her ex is having a mental breakdown she is helping through and her current husband is in AA rehab 2 hours away) but she goes out with us probably at least 5 times a week. She has literally been our life saver and a huge help for Bill. We have both been pondering about what we can do to return all she has done for us. So we will be making her a nice dinner this week and I was also wondering if you could get her a MoTab CD as well. Is that possible Daddy? Lastly, could I get all my stocking and winter stuff sent back to me? It's is starting to get seriously cold down here. And in a skirt. haha :)

4) Thank you for your advice for Muhammad and Bill! It was actually really REALLY helpful. We will be using it in our next lessons. Inspired mom! :D

5) Sounds like Caleb is becoming an integral part of the family. ;) heehee!!! How did the fam all like him?

6) Mandy swing dances?

7) You never said anything about my dyed hair? :( Do you like it? :)

8) Sounds like you had a super fun week! So many adventures! I hope that they are all written down in y'all's journals I got ya. Brit, Mandy, Josh, Brandon, yes. That means you! haha :) I am so glad that you are really starting to get used to the area and it sounds like everyone has some really good new friends. :) Oh! I also got another email from Sister Anderton, my dear sweet visiting teacher. Tell her thanks! She is so amazing!

As for my spiritual thought: this week I have been studying Mosiah 4 which is the Book of Mormon chapter that answers the question of the soul "How can I find more peace and joy?" This is a question that everyone answers at some point in their life. Sometimes we are just rushing from project to project so quickly that we never have the chance to search for peace. Sometimes we are making wrong choices and can't seem to find any source of joy. That's because peace and joy are not offered by the world. Fake counterparts are, but never ever true peace and joy. That comes only through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. In Mosiah 4:3, 6-7 and 9-10 it gives us the path to receive salvation or the path to find peace and joy. It's something we learn from the 4th article of faith. First, we "believe in God" (vs. 9). This belief leads us to humility and "ask[ing] in sincerity of heart that [God] will forgive you" (vs.10). As we descend to these depths our Savior gives us the tools to rise to redepmtion, even a "remision of [our] sins" (vs. 3). This remision is a cleansing. It gives us that clean slate that provides us with true inner peace. The next tool we receive is the "Spirit of the Lord" which "fills [us] with joy" (vs. 3). The spirit is truly the only source of true happiness in this world. I know that with every fiber of my heart. Then finally, as we do all of these things, we "receive slavation" (vs. 7). This path has been the only path for true joy since the foundation of the world. Faith, Repentence, Baptism (or keeping those covenants aka the Sacrament), the Gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the End. This is not an easy path, but by golly it is worth it. True peace and joy are always worth it. So my invitation for this week would be to discover for yourself where on this path you are. What in your life is causing you to stray from it? Whether it is daily scripture study and prayer, family home evenings or bigger mistakes. I testify that as we come unto Christ through the path He has set out for us, we can find true peace and joy. And I say that in the name of our Savior, Amen.

Love you all so much! Have a wonderful week!

Sister Thorne

We had a pretty decent size rain storm this past week so naturally Sister Sperry and I decided to go tracting in it. At first, I had an umbrella and she was jumping in puddles. She looked like she was having so much fun I just had to join her. So in the end, we both got absolutely soaked! :) 

 This is Krista. I love this family to death! Krista was in the military and she now has a little boy, Ayden. I love that kid so much! Krista is now my older sister and Ayden has officially been adopted as my nephew. Isn't he adorable??? This is Krista's Halloween costume. Ayden has a little mini one.

On Sunday, I curled Sister Sperry's hair. Doesn't it look beautiful?! She is so gorgeous! I think if she was any princess, she would be Sleeping Beauty or Rapunzel. :)