Christ is the reason for singing

So this week was packed. Wednesday we had interviews with Presidente. Thursday was the misión christmas activity. Friday, Saturday and Sunday we had the Musical Presentation for Christmas. wow.

Let's see if I can sum up this week in an email...

We were in such a rush all week. We had to leave the house on friday at 4:30 and we still weren't sure exactly how we were going to do splits, it was just crazy stressful but at like 4:10 we entered an investigator's house, carol y Mari. I WAS SO STRESSED AND we needed to make a few phone calls with the ZL and some hermanas in Maipú so I entered the home not really focused (bad.) Well, we had a little small talk, asked if they read the BoM, and then we popped in our pen drive to watch "He is the gift". It was a quick 2 minutes, but it moved Carol to tears... a humbling experience for me in helping redirect myself and focus my mind back to Christ and my investigator AND NOT what was going to happen in 10 minutes. I think we get so caught up in everything being perfect that we miss moments like this to feel the spirit and allow it to touch our hearts. It was a really tender moment as she expressed her feelings about the video. Afterwards, she gave such a heartfelt prayer, pleading our father to help those in need at this time and that we may all remember the true meaning of christmas.

Christmas miracles! We took like 2 steps onto a street and then stopped, and then went to the next street over...I didn't think anything of it, but we were just walking and nearly to the end of the street when we hear "mission eras" (by the way, I love being a missionary... it makes me happy:)) We flipped around quickly to see 2 women with a guagua coming out of a house. As it turns out they are members and wanted a blessing on their house. So we left and returned with Hermano Pereira. I love being an instrument in God's hands and being guided by the Spirit. It is so cool! It was awesome to talk with them and hear their story. P and her cousin Eli live in the house with a baby. They have been members for quite some time, but lost sight of the eternal perspective.

I know Christ was born in a manger in Bethlahem, I know he was a miraculous birth. Last week, I watched bible videos of the nacimiento (birth) of christ. WOW. http://www.mormonchannel.org/bible-videos

The choir was really good! We sang with angels. I love christmas songs, It brings the Spirit so strong! agh. We are planning to go caroling door to door :) haha that should be fun!

¡Feliz Navidad!

#sharethegift

Hermana Thompson

oh christmas Time

Pues, cada semana (each week) is so packed. But I can't even tell you how much I love christmas time on the mission, it is so awesome. If you have not taken the time to see "he is the gift" yet, you need to. We have been sharing the video with everyone and I pretty much have it memorized haha. Christ is the first and perfect gift. Every human being is blessed by this first gift. This week I have been really reflecting on what this gift actually 'means' to me and how I can utilize the gift better in my life. I love being able to take time in reflect and just think. I have really learned how to think and act. 

Make this season's focus all on Christ. Read the story of Christ in the Bible, and look for all of the references of the birth of Christ in the Book of Mormon. He is the reason for the time of year; He is the reason to celebrate and be joyful. 

Well, this week we found Carol and Mari, mom and daughter. The daughter has 11 years. I don't know if it is just me, but all of the 11/12 year olds look way bigger than my Carsyn Rae. haha. I want you to stay my little rae rae;)  Mari is super interested, it was awesome. She read her homework and everything. I just love this time of year because as missionaries, all we do is testify of Christ and people are more willing to listen about christ during the holidays. 

Happy Birthday to Talia, the big 8! ready for your baptism?! :) It is such an important step in your life. Literally, it is the entrance to eternal life. I love it! That is what we do as missionaries, help people along the path to eternal life. 

We are still trying to figure out skype... no place here have cameras sooooo.... yeah idk. we are working on it. (I'll send one Fed Ex if I have to!) 

This week we have our Mission Christmas Party and then I am participating in the "mission christmas choir". 

I love the work. 

"Today is the day to prepare to meet God."

xoxo

Hermana Thompson

anda con el señor

Hey Hey Hey! 

How is everything going at home? Are you getting ready for christmas? I sure am! I don't ever want the people to lose this christmas spirit, seriously it is so awesome! I love being a missionary all the time obviously, but espically during this time when people are mas receptive to hear about the birth of our Savior. 

My comp is from Las Vegas, her name is Hermana Gonzalez...is super adorable and great :) so much ganas a trabajar (desire to work). She even already speaks spanish, I scored big time! I am just teaching her the chilean talk haha ¿cachi? She seriously came prepared and ready to do the Lord's work. I am not even training her hahaha. Seriously though, she is awesome. I am really grateful to have her as my daughter :) hehe 

Well, this week was a little rough with the work. I am so grateful for our agency but sometimes I just wish we could take it away haha. It is so sad to see people condemn themselves...these last couple of weeks we have seen quite a few victims of satan, it pretty much breaks my heart. But I KNOW God is preparing the hearts of people to accept the Restored Gospel. I am really strengtening my faith and trust in the Lord, I am turning it all over to Him. Every little milagro (miracle) is a success. I am ready to see milagros this week! We are working hard and giving it all. I love "greenie" (lds lingo: new missionary) power, we hit the ground running! :) 

We are sharing "He is the Gift" with everyone! It is such a powerful video...super short but really helps you reflect on the meaning of christmas and why we even celebrate the holiday. Think in terms of "christ mas"... What will be your gift to the Lord this christmas? The cool thing about gifts for the Lord is that we always receive something in return. God blesses us for every esfuerzo (effort) we make. I know He loves each and every one of us. He is aware of us. I love the gospel so much! I am so grateful for my Savior Jesucristo and for my Father in Heaven who sacrificed his son for me and for you. Follow in the steps of Christ. Be a disciple of Christ.

Mom, I love the "25 days closer to Christ" advent calendar you made for me. You are so clever! I love the spirit that it brings to my mornings. Everyday, it is exactly what I need to hear. 

Dad, presidente said we may skype the 24th, 25th, 26th, o 27th...when do you want to hook us all up?

I love you. Always work on developing the attributes of christ, it will bless your life!

Hermana T

mi hija

Preggo

Well, I am training!! I literally have no time to write whatsoever, so this will be short.

The Big news is that 'Plan Piloto' is no longer a piloto, it's the plan for all of sudamerica sur! And they are thinking about making it the Plan for the church worldwide, so awesome!! It is the esfuerzo (effort) that we, missionaries, made with el señor. tan bakán. estoy tan agradecida a ser parte de esta maravillosa obra (i am so thankful to be a part of this wonderful work). 

Well, the church is doing this initiative (initiative) thing... i dont know if you guys have heard of it, but it is called "he is the gift". look it up on youtube, it is so awesome!! As christmas is right around the corner, I want to ask you this: "What will you be giving to our Savior and King this Christmas?

Do NOT EVER lose faith in our Heavenly Father.

The atonement provides mending for EVERYTHING that is broken or torn! 

I want to testify of the power of the Book of Mormon, it has changed my life. If we will just take the time to read and mediate on the words written our lives, we will be so blessed!

Happy Birthday Lucy!

xoxoxox 

Hermana Thompson

I love the Holidays! Thanksgiving dinner & Christmas package

reunited with my companions & friends!

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).

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

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?!