mis-sion-ary (noun)
someone who leaves their family for a short time so that others may be with their families for Eternity.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Hermana Thompson is published;)


Kendal is quoted in an article "The Most Important Change the Mission Has Had in Years- Nearing Kolob
http://www.nearingkolob.com/important-change-mission-years/

It’s “the most important change The Mission has had in years” according to Sister Thompson's mission president. What is the big change?  It’s called The Pilot Plan (or The Rescue by some missionaries) and is currently being tested in four missions (two in Chile and two in Argentina: Chile Santiago West, Chile Santiago South, Argentina Buenos Aires South, and one other mission in Argentina which I can’t confirm). Note: one missionary reports it is being tested in 6 missions in South America.
Sister Thompson of the Chile Santiago West Mission reports the following about the book:
We have actually found quite a few menos activos (less actives) who don’t fall in our registros (records). We have this book “El Rescate” (The Rescue) the assistants made and every barrio (ward) has one…each companionship, bishop, sumosacerdote (high priest), lider misional (mission leader), and relief society. It has the direction and name of every member in the ward boundaries, future elders, men who haven’t served missions, members who haven’t been baptized. this book is our life, it is seriously such an awesome tool that our mission has to help with the plan piloto (pilot plan).

Monday, November 24, 2014

Life is a climb

Life is like a rollercoaster, actually, it is more like mountains that you have to climb. right?! It isnt always easy or fun and games...the same for the mission jaja. It is not always so handy dandy. I have had one of those long weeks. But do you know what, even though it was one of the hardest weeks of my mission, I am glad I had it because it's only for the uphill climb that we then can appreciate and enjoy the miracles in life. I just want you all to know that I know when life gets tough, we are not alone. God is on our side. I could feel him with me this week more than ever. I could feel Him as we walked the streets for hours, I could feel Him when I got in bed at night and reflected on the day. He was there when everything, and I mean everything, went wrong. I KNOW that we are NEVER alone. God has given me so much strength. God is helping me every step of the journey, but it is not easy...it wasn't easy for Christ. But we will not fail if we trust in the Lord. 

I am thankful for my trials
I am thankful for my weaknesses
I am thankful for my Savior Jesucristo
I am thankful to be a representative of Him
I am thankful for my eternal family
I am thankful for the knowledge of the Truth

Welcome home JD!! and Happy 16th Birthday Ryder

3 nephi 5:13
You choose what is going to happen in your life tomorrow. It all depends on the decisions you make today

Hermana Thompson




Monday, November 17, 2014

Walk how Jesus walked

Okay so pretty much on saturday our lunch cancelled on us so we had to eat in the house and just cuando (when) we were about to eat, a man came to our gate "halo" (a form of 'hello') so I went to see what he wanted and my comp followed...and boom, a gust of wind shut our door. Well, the keys just happened to be on the inside of the door! In Chile, there aren't door handles, you open the door with the key, no más. And the phone and everything else happened to be in the house. Our back window was open but there are bars so we couldn't fit through. We were outside for 6 hours trying to open the door or even get the phone so we could call the pensionistas (landlord). Well we managed to get the phone out of my "fanny" and used a stick to call the elders. This is just a short version of what happened...

We had a special capacitación (conference)with presidente y hermana Barreiros this week. It was super awesome. We watched a video about the atonement and the misión work. I am sure I am not the first to say that this work is not by any means easy, without a doubt this is the hardest thing I have ever done. However, the life of Christ was not easy either. In fact, he felt more pain and suffered more than any of us, so why should life be easy? Why would I expect the mission field to be easy when it was never easy for Christ. I feel like I am experiencing just 1% of all that Christ endured. We are not alone in this journey, there is one who has walked the path that we are walking. He is perfect. He is without sin. He is above all others. He is our Savior. 

The work is slowing down here but we are working harder than ever. I believe that is what happens in life, struggles come when we feel that we are doing everything possible. It is a way to be tried. That is the time to show our faithfulness, the time to prove ourselves and not give up. We are just plowing the field and it takes some time to let the seeds sprout and begin to grow...then we shall see fruits of our labor. I have learned so much patience while in the misión haha. It is not my timing, but the lord's.

When times get rough and we become anxious, annoyed, frustrated, sad, mad, or whatever the feeling, remember the love of God. Remember God's love for you specifically, and for every other person here on this earth. Only He can comfort you and remove those feelings of despair so you may feel hope and light in your life. I am pushing through, I love this work. 

Hermana Thompson

Yep, this really happened! Quite resourceful aren't we?!


Monday, November 10, 2014

spiritually edified

Amazing week, I feel so spiritually uplifted. Even though I am not traveling to different countries like Cole, haha, I feel so blessed to be here serving in Chile. This country is filled with so many beautiful people and so many beautiful places with a beauitful language. 

I finished the Book of Mormon again last week and I have gained so so so much love for this libro...it is much easier to understand in spanish. Literally, el Libro de Mormón is a doctor, a friend, a brother, a sister, a mother, a father, a psychologist, a companion, cupid, medicine. This book is so powerful, it literally heals spiritual wounds. 

Yes Dad, on saturday we had a conference with Mision Sur en San Bernardo. We had the opportunity to meet and listen to Elder Russell M. Nelson. We all got to shake his hand and he said my name #fangirl. Just like what Cole said last week about Elder Kearon, you can feel he is a man of God. Our lifer de zone said 'looking in his eyes was like looking into the eyes of a baby,' and it's true...so pure and close to God. 
Hermana Nelson also talked and gave awesome advice regarding some of our worst and best days. She said there are 2 things she hopes we will remember when we have days like this. 1. We try to see our "potential" self. She talked about how we should pray to remember our life before we came to earth. We made many promises of things we were going to do here, but now that we are here we have forgotten and get caught up in other things. We learned the gospel before, we socialized together, we walked with Christ, we made covenants. How terrible will it be to return 'home' and have that list of things we did not complete? If we remember those things, all of our trials will fall away. In a moment, the holy ghost can bear witness of our purpose. During trials, try to remember your pre-mortal self and those promises you made, and then the trial won't seem as big to overcome. 2. Remember all of the people on the other side of the veil who are with us are rooting for us and cheering us on. They are our family members who have passed away. Pray to have eyes to see and hearts to feel.

Elder Nelson talked about the abrahamic covenant. He spoke a lot of doctrine, it was so cool. I learned so much. 1 nephi 15:18. We, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have the responsibility to share the gospel; help our brothers and sisters come to know the hope of the atonement of Christ that they may know of true forgiveness. It is our mission to gather so that people may be blessed. We receive these blessings in the temple. The temple should be a goal for every single person.  Right now, we are not on the bench, we are in the infield (and outfield) playing the game...with each passing day there are more steps taken toward the end zone. You do not pay for dinner and only eat the salad right? We need to wait and partake of dessert as well as the main course. It's the same with the gospel, we can't just be baptized, we need to endure to the end in order to enjoy the dessert or the vida eternal (life eternal). Elder Nelson then bore this testimony in spanish; he is a man of God. 
Alma 7:22-23
Well, that was pretty much the highlight of my week, so awesome. 
I love God. I love my brother, Jesus Christ, I love my family, and I love the gospel

I love you guys too. :)
Hermana T

Love the Lord first above everything.



Monday, November 3, 2014

lo que es chileno es bueno :)

Hello Hello Hello

me encanta (I love) CHILE. Chile Cantiago Oeste is the best mission on the west. Yeah, Cole you can have the east ;) Well, I want to give a shout out to my baby Rae (Carsyn) and Trey bug! I can't believe you two are 12!! WOW...Trey gets the Aaronic priesthood so he can pass the sacrament and Carsyn is in YW. I feel old!!!

so, Saturday we went over to check with Javiera to see if she was going attend church with us and we passed by while Cesar's mom was there (Cesar's the boyfriend/partner of Javiera's mom). AND it just so happens that his mom is listening to missionaries in Rancagua. whatttt?! Neither one knew the other was investigating the church. What are the odds? God works in so many ways. It turns out they both started meeting with missionaries at the SAME TIME, such a testimony builder for me. We really do not know what the lord is doing with others that may cross our path. Agh, I love it! I know it reassured Javiera and her mom, Carla, that what they are doing is good. They all testified of what they know and it was so awesome!!! God is awesome

Then, just before we were about to start sacrament meeting, in walked Ana, José and Fernando...my mouth about dropped to the floor. *a family we contacted into and they let us in. They really enjoyed testimony meeting. Pancho even got up and bore his testimony that he knows this church is true and families can be eternal. Power. We stopped by last night to see how they were doing and José shared his experience of the morning where he felt the holy ghost within his chest telling him to go to church and he acted, so awesome. Testimony. Yesterday was so great, our asistencia (attendance) en church was greater then ever before! la capilla estaba LLENA!!! (the chapel was filled) tan bakán

Chris and Carsyn, I have a challenge for you... ready? I want you both to read the book of mormon before Cole and I get home. Don´t worry, you still have a solid 8 months so let's get going! :)

alma 31:34-35
This work is so urgent, there are brothers and sisters lost, we must bring them to christ

Alma 6:6
be at church EVERY sunday! pray and fast for those people who are lost and need to find the way

We are the Lord´s soldiers fighting the battle between good and evil...we MUST win. 

this is something i learned this week:
some of satan's angels were discussing how to destroy the people on earth and they were thinking of all of the ways to tell us the gospel is not true and lead us away...then one spoke up and said "wait let's teach them that it IS true but to do something about it tomorrow.... we cannot put off our repentance, we need to keep the commandments and live the gospel RIGHT NOW!

Hermana T :)