Hey Thorne Fam!
This week we've put a really big focus on recognizing and
following the promptings of the Spirit. Also helping those we are teaching to
recognize it and to get them to pray in Christ's name (following commitments we
received from Elder Cardon at the mission conference last Monday).
To begin, the work this week has been a lot slower than
weeks previous. So we decided to pray and follow the spirit in making some
decisions to be more effective. We were spending a lot of time biking to
investigators who we had lost contact with and dropping by to try and teach
them again but we realized that the time taken to doing that was seriously
decreasing our finding time. So we prayerfully went through the area book and
dropped several of our least progressing investigators. From there we prayed
about where in our area the Lord needs us and we will be spending more time
finding those He has prepared to receive this gospel in those areas.
We also had an amazing lesson with Shymaila this week. She
has been refusing to pray with us but this time we wanted to help her to pass
that hump because we knew that it was only through prayer that she would be
able to recognize the spirit and get her answers. We focused our lesson on
prayer and why we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. We then told her that she
was going to give the closing prayer, explained how (just as Elder Cardon did)
and then got on our knees and.... SHE PRAYED! And on top of that, she prayed in
the name of Jesus Christ! Which is HUGE for her! It was an amazing lesson. :)
Next we taught Billie. She is in the same situation as
Shymaila. She wouldn't pray with us. She's agnostic and so that is a big step
for her. But we taught a lesson on CPR (Church, Pray, Read) and the importance
of doing all 3 in gaining our answers. She has been praying to know if God is
real and she actually had something happen this week that give her something to
pray for. But she said she didn't feel like she'd gotten any answers or direction.
So we talked about different thoughts that have come to her and helped her to
recognize that God was speaking to her and realize how the Spirit talks with
her individually. The lesson ended with Elder Cardon's role play and SHE PRAYED
TOO! So amazing!
The next day we taught Kyle. Now you have to know Kyle to
understand this but praying in front of people is a HUGE step. Like almost as
big as baptism. He's SUPER shy and doesn't understand why he has to pray out
loud, what the difference is between that and praying individually. So we did
the same role play but he wouldn't do it. He refused to budge. But we did get
him to commit to pray in front of us at our lesson this week! I really hope he
holds to that commitment. This is a huge step for him.
Then our miracle to top off our week. We found a new
investigator, Dewana on Saturday and taught her for the first time Sunday. She
has been so prepared! She completely accepted everything we taught her, the
spirit was SO strong! She really connected with Joseph Smith's story and she
committed to come to church next week, read and pray daily and then to be
baptized September 27th if she came to know that these things were true!
Finally, we came to the closing prayer. We knew how important it was for her to
pray and begin to recognize the spirit answering her prayers. So we knelt down
and though she was very nervous, she did it! And it was such a beautiful
sincere prayer. :)
I know that it is only by praying that we can begin to
recognize how the spirit talks to us. Sometimes it takes time and it takes
quite a bit of courage, but He WILL answer us. And as we pay attention, we will
be able to recognize that answer through the power of the Holy Ghost. And by
the power of the Holy Ghost, we may know the truth of all things.
As for your email:
1) I can totally understand about the half marathon. Darn.
But oh well! I will totally be the best cheerleader you've ever had! :D Go Mum
and Brit! Woot! As for the homecoming talk, I think I'm with you on doing it
September 28th. I would much rather do it sooner than later. And would that
talk be in the Heritage Ward or in the Founders Park Ward? Whoa... I almost
forgot the ward names! Haha!
2) Thanks for continued support Mum and Daddy. I have some
amazing people here that could really use some of the things I've gained. I
will probably be leaving a lot here. :)
3) Brit, you are an inspiration to me. Period. :)
4) I did get Grandma Great's letter the second week I was
here in Lexington. So no worries there! Has she been getting my letters weekly?
Tell her I love her and will see her soon!
5) Sounds like everyone in the family is doing wonderfully!
Daddy, you look AWESOME on that bike! Woot! The Thorne(y) Biker Gang. Has a
nice ring to it. :)
I love you all so very much! Have an amazing week! Work hard, have fun, be good, and love the people!
Love always,
Sister Thorne
We went to the
Wildcat Warehouse yesterday and I got a sweatshirt, sweatpants and a t shirt
($75 value) for $10! So this is Hermana Bennett and I wearing our UK gear. GO
UK!
I think I found Snow
White's cottage!!! New life dream, be a princess. Oh wait. I am! I love being
the daughter of a king! ;D
We found this statue
in front of a man's house and he said it's from Led Zepplin's Stairway to
Heaven album but that it means whatever we'd like it to mean. One woman said it
should be called "Looking for an honest man." I really like that.
Either way, it was fun to take pictures by it. :)
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