Golden Investigators

SO. Not much time because we just taught a lesson with investigators during P-day and it went over. How consecrated can you get? Ha ha joking, joking. Remember Isi from my last email? Well she is literally gold! We hit a bump today but I´ll talk about that later. So. On Wed we had an FHE in a member family home and it went really well (with her friend Charles as well). On Friday we taught her in the chapel with the Stake President :)) Easily one of the most spiritual lessons I have ever been in (the kind that bring tears to your eyes). We taught lesson 3, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and it seemed like everything we said was guided by the spirit and had great affect. Afterwards we were all marveling at how incredibly well it went. Pres. Morales is a very spiritual man and his 22 year old daughter passed away a few weeks ago so the experiences he shares are even more special. We talked about baptism and when we invited her she said yes and accepted the date of June 7th, but that there was only one thing she wanted to clear up before she could fully commit. Joseph Smith. She wanted a firm testimony. We all testified of JS and Pres. M bore testimony of his conversion and the spirit was so thick you could feel it. We left with a feeling like we had just been in the temple or something. 

The next day we had an FHE in a member´s home and watched the long version of the Joseph Smith movie so that she could really understand the history. Her fiancé Fran and friend Charles were there as well. She and Charles came to church Sunday and then yesterday night she calls us and tells us that her mother finally listened to her when she wanted to talk about the church and she talked about JS and felt a peace and confirmation inside of her that what she was saying was good. She was so happy and so excited and was talking about her baptismal date. Today for P-day she showed us around Cádiz and after Charles met up with us and we all got something to drink. She asked us to explain the Word of Wisdom (while they were drinking tea ha ha) and the law of chastity also came up (she has lots of questions). We taught everything there although we wanted to wait and that´s the bump in the road. She is engaged but won´t be able to get married for a year or two because they are both in the University and want to be stable. The good thing is they aren´t living together but we´ll see what happens. Pray for her as we look for a solution. She wants to get baptized but of course this is a problem. But seriously, other than Miri in Benidorm, I have never seen such a prepared investigator with so much desire. We are truly blessed. 

And the weekly miracle that Hna Moreno loves to tell everyone. On wed we all wanted chocolate really badly but had none and no time to buy any. Isi comes to the FHE and bring three bars for everyone to share and it just so happens that each one is our favorite flavors. One for each one of us on the day we most wanted chocolate. Coincidence? Hna Moreno thinks not, and truly for her faith in the little things I think not as well ha ha. God loves us and is aware of our most silly and insignificant needs. Have a good week!

Hermana Thompson

photos! and lots of them!

1. us at home eating Spanish empanadas

2. Hna brown, Rindlisbacher, Fumero, Moreno, Isi, me in front of the cathedral today

3. my comps, Isi, and I in a Arabic building she was showing us

 

1. pday lunch

2. no caption? haha

3. FLASH BACK. Hna Crockett and I in the bus station on transfer day

 

 

 

MURCIA PHOTOS

1. bus station again

2. Jose, Alejandra, me, Mirian Rocha (a Bolivian family that we had FHE with every week :) )

3. Carmen, Juan (with my nametag on), me, MariCarmen

 

us and Carmen! she´s the funniest. and the dog they call Nena

 

 

 

us again!

3. Me with Mari and Jose

 

Cádiz, Trios, and the Stomach Flu...

I´m alive in Cádiz (but just barely). I got here late Wednesday night after passing through some tricky bus to train changes in Sevilla and then Friday morning I woke up throwing up! Lovely, right? I had a fever all day and then by Saturday it was gone but I still couldn´t eat normal food. But now I´m all good and trying to eat real food. My companions took really good care of me and are literally like little mothers. Here´s the run down on them. Hna Moreno like I said is from Spain, has been a member all her life, and ends the mission in Sept with me. She is the sweetest most loving thing ever, acts like a Disney princess, and goes around calling everyone guapa (beautiful) and a "Princesa" haha. Hna Fumero is from Venezuela, got baptized there 4 years ago, and has been living in Barcelona almost 3 years. She is super open and they both love to talk and help everyone in sight. So it´s a good trio and I´m really lucky to be with them both! 

Cádiz is beautiful. We work in the newer part but this morning we passed by the older side where the elders work and saw the market, the cathedral, and ate at a place that supposedly sell Cuban food (but really it didn´t...sigh). Next week we will probably go see the castles by bike :) The people here have a funny little accent and are all very friendly and open. There is live seafood and snails to buy everywhere and the climate is literally perfect right now. It´s not hot because there is always a breeze and it feels like Key West or Florida every now and then. (But obviously it is ancient). There are tourists but not like Benidorm so that´s nice. What else? The ward is currently the stake center but they are going to change that soon. There used to be two big wards but a lot of people have moved out. There is a lot of work here right now for the Hermanas' which is good because I was expecting the opposite from what I heard in the beginning of my mission. We have one investigator that is literally AMAZING. Her named is Isi (short for Isabel), she is 25, she knows a ton, calls us to set up appts, and when I was sick she would check up on me (since she studies nursing). Seriously the best. 

I still miss Murcia a ton and the people, it was sad to leave, but I am happy to be in Cádiz to die (aka end the mission). Yesterday as we were going between appointments we passed by a little older lady and Hna Fumero noticed that she was struggling and offered to help. She was reluctant at first but we insisted and she let us. Turns out that her sandal had broken and she had a really heavy bag and cart to hull along. She had been inching along one load at a time and thought she would never get home. We carried her things to her apartment and she was thanking us so much she started to cry and told us that she had been praying someone would come and help her. She apparently had even had former contact with missionaries before and we have her info to stop by again. She loves us now and gave us very long hugs and besos. I love little miracles that show that God is aware of literally everyone. And more than anything I love being an instrument in his hands. 

Love you all and have a wonderful week!

Hermana Thompson

ps- photos! ok so i accidentally left my important camera card at home so I will only be able to send a few pics today. you´ll all have to be patient...

1. last district meeting in Murcia!

2. transfer day! Hna Johnson and I are going the same direction again! she´ll be my leader in the Jerez zone

3. the port in Cadiz this morning :)

 

 

 ~Me, Hna. Moreno & Hna. Fumero

~ Selfie

 Cute new companions (according to Andrea’s Mom)

 Hna. Moreno

 Hna. Fumero

BAPTISM, Transfers, and Paintball!

This week has been so great! It feels like forever ago already! So first of all I am being transferred (I don´t want to leave Murcia :´( but oh well) to Cadiz this Wednesday and my new comps are Hermanas Moreno and Fumero. So I am in a trio with two natives! Hna Moreno has been out a transfer more than me and will go home at the same time and I think Hna Fumero has been out 4 or 5 transfers. Cadiz is the oldest city in Spain and the second oldest in Europe from what I am told and is a touristy spot and really pretty so I´ll let you know how it is next week!

And now for the best news! Juan got baptized and confirmed on Wednesday and it went really well! Even with all the rush people came and one of the members made a wedding cake for them! I was asked to bear a testimony too and now I also own Juan a nametag haha. After the baptism he felt so good and kept talking about how much peace and new he felt. I love that :) Two days later when we went by to visit he was still on cloud nine and you could tell there was a difference in his eyes-a light. And Maricarmen said he was much more positive, calm, and at peace. 

Yesterday talking home was a fiasco with the computer camera but it all went well in the end :) Today we went and played paintball with the Elders, Valeria, and Luis Miguel. (Patrick you would be so proud of me!) I never thought my first time playing would be in the mission. It was fun and I got out without any bruises (that I know of haha). Other than that I don´t know what else to say but we have taken lots of pictures with other camera cards so I can finally send some!

Love you all!

Hermana Thompson

photos!

Hna Crockett, me, and Juan

us, Mari Carmen, Carmen, and Juan

jenny (the member who made the cake, us the family, and Bishop Tomas and his wife Rosi

 

The Paintball Group…

Elder Antezana, Adams, Briki, Miller, us, and Valeria (Luis Miguel showed up late so I’ll send those photos when I get them)

 

 

 

Us and Valeria, she got rescued and now her mission papers are almost all done :D

José Maria, a rescue as well :D

Paula and Enrique, the family I skyped with. She is the missionary mom <3

 

 

Amber´s cute Cinco de Mayo package with Mexican food and handmade cat piñatas! :D

 

 One Happy Missionary!

 Last but not least- Our long awaited Mother’s Day Call

Baptism!

First of all, Happy Cinco de Mayo to all you Mexican lovers! Today for P-day we celebrated by cooking burritos with all the elders from our district. It was kinda close to an actual burrito...Oh and we also got pedicures this morning :)

This week went by so quickly and lots of things happened. We had exchanges with our sister training leaders again. I went to Alicante this time and got to be with Hna Johnson again :) It is very likely the last time I´ll see her before we both go home since she´s part of the group that leaves 3 weeks early to start school. While we were working that afternoon one of the bottoms of my sandals came apart and was barely hanging on so it flopped around as I walked until we found super glue haha.

So we don´t have much time but there is good news! If all goes according to plan we will be having a baptism on Wednesday! Juan had told us that he would have a decision for us last Friday but when we got there he still was indecisive. He said he would let us know before sacrament on Sunday. Because of ride complications he and Carmen got there late, after the announcements had already been made. Afterwards we talked to him and he handed me back the baptismal invitations I had given him and told us that he wanted to wait for the moment and get baptized when he felt more prepared. We were a little disappointed but it didn´t come as a surprise. We had been fasting that he would make up his mind either way. Then that afternoon as we were in investigator appointments with members he called

multiple times from a number I didn´t recognize. I called back between appointments and he said he changed his mind and asked if he could still get baptized! So we are all in overdrive to get this baptism and mini reception planned for Wednesday. Pray for us! 

Sometimes we have to take a step of faith and make our on decisions and then God will confirm to us whether it was correct or not. That´s what we had been emphasizing to Juan all along. He made his decision, said no, and then somewhere in there God changed his heart and the spirit testified that he actually was ready for baptism all along. 

This week we also worked really well with members! We worked with a family and talking about all the less active or part member families they´ve known from over the years and got a lot of info out of it. In turn the father, Neri, who´s on the high council, set up a meeting with all the priesthood leaders from the three wards to make a rescue plan. I love working in this ward, the members are so great and willing to help!

Well that´s all for now! As for pictures my comps camera card is unreadable except when it´s in her camera and she´s the one that´s been taking all the photos :´( I hope they aren´t all lost forever. I do have one photo that someone else took from last pday when we went hiking!

Love you all,

Hna Thompson