December 16, 2013

Hey Thorne Fam!

OH MY GOODNESS!!! What an amazing week we've had here in Morehead! We've been able to witness so many miracles!!! And there will be so many more coming up this next week! Climaxing in Sandy's baptism!!!! Woot! I am so excited!!!

As for me: I am doing absolutely fantastic! I've had a couple homesick moments when flashbacks of last Christmas hit me, but they actually haven't been that bad which is a miracle in and of itself. I thought that it would be a really hard time of year, but we've stayed really busy and seen so many miracles and have so many people who care about and love us here, I don't really have time to think about that. It's been so nice to just stay focused 110% on the true meaning of Christmas.

As for investigators, we have 4 progressing: Sandy, Yoyo, Jenny and Adam.

Sandy is all set for his baptism this next Sunday! We've got the program all written out, it just has to be approved. We've fitted him in a jumpsuit, talked over times, reviewed the bap questions and have his bap interview set up for this Saturday! It's so crazy! I feel like the time has just flown with him and I have been blessed to be able to witness such an incredible change in him. We're so excited!!!

Yoyo we just met this week and she has a bap date! It's January 26th, she came to the Ward Christmas Part, to church and she's already telling everyone about her baptism! She's amazing!!! She has been so prepared for the gospel. She's from Hong Kong and when we taught her the restoration and felt the spirit so powerfully, and explained to her that the feeling she was having was the spirit of God talking to her, she got so excited. She was like, "God is talking to me right now?!" haha She is leaving with a roommate for Christmas break but will be back the first or second week of January. So yay!

Lastly is Jenny and Adam. They are an adorable new couple we are working with. We've been working with Jenny for a while but just started working with her boyfriend Adam. They both have so many questions! We've taught them most of the Restoration and a bit of the Plan of Salvation. They have accepted all we have said and are most likely coming to church this Sunday! No bap date yet, but I have a feeling it will be soon. Our meeting with them last night ended with Adam saying, "I know you need to go, but I have one more questions for y'all to think on before next time. It's another one that no other church has been able to explain to me. What about those people who live in remote parts of the world and die before they have a chance to hear about Jesus Christ? What happens to them?" We were just like AH! We have that answer! So we gave them the PoS pamphlet to read before next time. Yay!

As for your email:

1) I did get your Christmas package. Just this morning actually! Oh my hot chocolate! AND MINI MARSHMALLOWS!!!!! I totally squealed! THANKS FOR THE MP3!!! We immediately started listening to Forgotten Carols. I have been craving that CD for the past 3 days! I'm so glad you listened to the spirit and put it on there! Thank you!!! :D :D :D I also received an adorable package from Keilee with a homemade Merida pillow case! How cute is that?! Then I got Grandma Kathy's package today as well and as per instructions, I'm not opening any of it until Christmas today. Though it's torture. :P And Sister LeFevre says thanks for her present too! That is so sweet! And we both have our own wrapping paper. :D Then I got Christmas cards from Grandma Kathy and Ann Anderton. Sister Anderton also sent both Sister LeFevre and I Subway gift cards. Please thank her for me! I am so blessed to have so many people who care about me. Thank you all for your support. :)

2) You found my tights?! Yes! I haven't been able to find any that are that warm or knit out here. I would love to have them!

3) I'm so glad the concert was amazing! I knew it would be though. And one of our investigators actually turned on the TV and the concert with Alfie Boe just happened to be on and she watched and just loved it! It was really cool to get to talk to her about that wonderful memory. :)

4) Congrats Mandy on your violin recital! Congrats Brit on your 4.0 AND YOUR MISSION PAPERS!!!!! AHHHHH!!! Sorry, just a small freak out. :P Congrats Josh and Brandon on being my best brothers ever! Love you all!

5) I believe that is Joey from Mads! So cool! And it's so weird to think that Ryan is home. It's already been 2 whole years. Time has flown by and I have been blessed with the opportunity to grow so much. I am so grateful to the Lord for who I am today and for the trials He has given me to get me here. God bless the broken road eh? :)

As for my thought: I've finally come up with my motto for this transfer! I took me a lot longer than usual. :P But this transfer my motto is "Give Him my all. 100%." I've been thinking about this a lot. The Lord has blessed me with so very much. An eternal family, the restored gospel, parents that aren't divorced, siblings I get a long with, friends I love dearly. He's given me everything! And all He has asked of me is that I dedicate this year and a half to Him. I have 9 months left and I am going to give Him everything I've got. I don't want to hold anything back. I want to be who He wants me to be. I want to lose myself in His work. I know that not everyone can give themselves to this full extent but we can look at our lives and determine what is holding us back from our Lord. What is our pavilion hiding us from Him? What are we holding back? What can we drop at His feet? These are all questions I would like you to think about this coming week and make a goal. Make a goal to dedicate more of yourself to the One who gave you everything. Then act on it. For faith without action is nothing. I know that when we dedicate our lives to him and entrust everything to His care, that we can learn to love more, have more missionary experiences and feel His blessings more in our lives.

I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! :D

Love eternally,

Sister Thorne

 Being a sister missionary is so fun. It basically gives you permission to act extra weird. I love us!

 All bundled up because we were contacting in freezing cold weather. But we saw this cute window and just had to take pictures. Luckily, I did get my circulation back after about 15-20 min over our candle.

 Sister Thorne, Yoyo, Sister LeFevre, Yoyo's friend (Heather)

Sister LeFevre and I asking Santa Claus for a white Christmas. And of course, his helper elf had to join. :)