I'm Going on a Diet

It's official I am going on a diet. I have been out for just over a month. I weighed myself the day before I left home, the day I left the MTC, and just the other day. I have gained 15 stinking pounds in the past month. And it sucks!!!!! Seriously! So Sister Seegrist and I are going to start helping each other. The food is so good! but I HAVE to eat smaller portions. hahaha. It's really not a big deal but kinda. if I keep gaining 15 pounds a month, I WILL weigh 400 pounds when I get home!!!

So, anywhoo. What a week! There have been so many ups and downs, but I'm going to spare you the details, sorry ;) Love you tons but I am supposed to only tell you positive things :) Here goes:

 

Tuesday we were out in the Prarieville area. We were trying to find the home of a less-active sister and we finally found it. She had just had a baby a week ago and is originally from Logan! So her and I chatted about that and it was great and wonderful and stuff. So we shared a lesson about the plan of salvation and it was AMAZING!! I could feel the Spirit and I felt like we were lead by the Spirit in everything we said. After, we asked if we could come back and she said "yes." I felt amazing! We had done the work through the Holy Ghost.

 

Wednesday we went to visit a neighbor of ours. We don't live in our area, so she technically isn't ours to teach but we try to talk to her every once in a while. Wednesday she was very rude to be quite honest. I might have started crying... I know I'm tender-hearted. But, oh well. I just felt so bad that she has no interest in the gospel, because I love it so much, and I know with all of my heart that it is true. So, after that we went to a few members' homes to teach, and we tried to see some less-actives. We went to a member's home that we hadn't planned on, and she was set on showing us the Mormon Message called "Good Things to Come" by Elder Holland. It was exactly what I needed to hear and I definitely needed a little inspiration after that first lesson. It was so amazing, and the member told us that she was uplifted by what we shared too. It was really neat. We then went to a less-active member's home. She was baptized and even the secretary in the primary for a while. She went for about 5 years and fell away. We got started talking about family history and she had never done any so we were able to set up an appointment for her to go start on her family tree. it was so neat. I absolutely loved it.

  

Thursday, we went with a member to visit some of her neighbors that weren't members, and we were able to find a guy that wasn't a member but he was given the Book of Mormon over 20 years ago. He has read it and knows that it is true. So Sis. Seegrist asked him if he would be baptized, and he said yes!!!! Ok, just kidding. He said "no." He said something to the effect that "I was born Catholic, I was raised Catholic, and I'm gonna die Catholic" I wanted to just shake him and be like, "You know it's true silly man!!! What on earth is wrong? Didn't you understand any of it?!?!?!?!" but I stopped myself from doing that because it would have been a little inappropriate. :) On the way to our next appointment, we listened to the song "For Good" from Wicked and I thought of dad quoting it to me before I left :) It was great. We then went to a members home for dinner. They are my FAVORITE people in the entire world. He is a convert and she was raised in the church. They have 3 kids but only one still at home; he is 3 and his name is Henry. He is the cutest little boy alive! I think they are so great! The dad just opened a tortilla plant in Louisiana. The first and only one here. Pretty neat huh!

Friday was a hard day. We called or tried to visit at least 12 people and only 1 person let us teach them. It was kind of hard but them we were able to redeem ourselves and taught 5 lessons on Saturday so all is well in Zion.

  
Saturday I had the most amazing experience of my life. it was called crawfish étouffée. mmmmmmmmm. Oh my goodness that's why I've gained 15 pounds I'm sure! haha. We went out to lunch with a widow in our ward to a place called Chimes East. Go ahead and look it up and don't be appalled that it's a bar and grill because everything down here is. The food was amazing and the company was even better. I even started talking to one of the Elders who told me his deep dark secret about wanting a tattoo. He told me all about it, and it was really funny actually. He is one of the best Elders I know out here (don't worry he's really not getting a tattoo).
 

Sunday, church was great. All of the talks went well in sacrament and there wasn't anything too crazy that happened in Sunday School or Relief Society :) We did have dinner with a couple crazy families that made us a little uncomfortable. They were just very loud and excited. But here's the cool thing about yesterday. I was struggling a little and got a blessing and I was promise that you'd all be safe and well at home! So that was great, and I feel like I am so much more at peace now. After we got back from dinner, though, we started getting a call from a Utah number - 801 area code - ans I was a little freaked out for a second. SO, I answered, "Hello, this is Sister Thornley" and the guy on the other end said "Hi Sister Thornley! This is Reuben." I racked my brain trying to think of a Reuben that I know, but I don't know any thankfully. He proceeded to tell me that he has a sales job here for the summer and was selling in the area where we serve. He met a guy that wanted to learn more about the church and wanted a Book of Mormon. He told me all this great and wonderful stuff. I was overwhelmed at how great it was! We have plans to go and meet this referral tomorrow and I am so excited and nervous. It will be amazing! So I'll let you know how that goes. But last night after I had that experience I had a dream that I was gettting a call from another Utah number but it came up with the name "Jeff Bennett" and I answered apprehensively. It was just really funny. haha.

But yeah! I am doing great! The Church is still true and I am loving the work. I hope you're all doing great and that you had fun vacationing. Tell tess to write me about it. Love you millions!

 

 

Love, Sister Thornley

Ummmm ... Yeah, I'm Bad at Subject Lines

July 16, 2013

 

Ok, so here's to another week. I honestly can't believe that it has come and gone that fast. It's amazing. So Monday night we went to an investigator's home and had dinner and their kids put on a varity show for us that was the sweetest thing. The little girl sang "I Am a Child of God," the boy played the harmonica, and then they both danced. I loved it and was able to really get to know them. Their names are Jaime and Trampus ( I know that's definitely a Louisiana-worthy name) (: I got to help him make ceviche, helped her wash dishes after, and really talked to them. It was so neat and I hope that they continue to have a desire to learn and grow in the Gospel.

 

We have been working on a program that is called The First 12 Weeks for the first 12 weeks of your mission. We learned about using family history in finding and teaching investigators and members. It was so cool because I know how to do that. I felt really blessed that you have taught me to appreciate that. I did have a question though. My pedigree chart show some work that hasn't been done and I just wondered if it was a blooper or not. It was on mom and dad's side so you will go look and double check on them.

 

Tuesday we met with a brother that is in his seventies. He only has one leg and dad would LOVE him. He was the neatest guy ever and I could have talked to him for hours about his childhood and growing up and stuff. Dad, he told me about smoking his own bacon and building a little 4x4 smoke house and then putting the fire in a barrel and doing the pipe over to the smoke house so he didn't render the fat. It was so cool and I felt like a hick marveling at it ;) After that we went and taught a lesson to a sister that is less- active but I don't think she ever went to church after she was baptized. She doesn't know anything and that Joseph Smith saw a blue green light that was descending from heaven. That's all she knows about the first vision. So, we are really going to work with her and teach her from ground zero.

 

Thursday we were supposed to go play volleyball early in the morning but everyone else slept in, so I just stayd up until we were suppposed to be awake. We did service for a sister, the one that had Gossner's milk last week. While we were there, it started raining like crazy. They said that if it would have lasted for 24 hours, because of the amount of rain we got, it would have been cnsidered a hurricane. But, we were safe inside ;) After that we went to the library and a guy stopped us as we walked in and ranted for like 15 minutes about how we weren't supposed to have a denomination and that was of the devil. It was the creepiest feeling I ever got from a guy before. Really interesting listening to him try to justify and explain it though because he couldn't. We had dinner with a member family. he served a mission in Ogden and she served in France. They were a really neat family to work with and I'm excited to work with them some more.

 

Friday we went out to a place called St. Gabriel (ya mom you can stalk that too). Look up Bayou Paul Rd. That's the beautiful rural place we were at. The road kill is armadillo, and if you pick it up within 48 hours, it's dinner too. (: MMMMMmmmmmm. I feel right at home ;) We also went to the temple. It was amazing! We went through a "fragrance free session" with a sister in our ward who is allergic to any sorts of perfumes and strong smells. It's really scary if she has an attack from someone's cologne! But, the Baton Rouge Temple is gorgeous! Take advantage of having a temple near you! You should go every week!! Seriously I miss going every week. Also, Friday was my 1 Month Birthday! Happy Birthday to me!!! Whoot whoot. It was a good day and I even got dad's package with the bacon in it. Oh yeah, I'm enjoying that ;)

 

 

   Saturday we went and visited a brother in our ward who just got out of the hospital. He is the funniest sweetest old man and started telling us about this foot file and that he has and he has one for his lemons and one for his foot. I told him that's great as long as he doesn't get the two mixed up. He then wanted to show Sister Seegrist, because she didn't know what we were talking about. He tossed it her, and she, said "I hope this is the lemon one" as she was handling it. He said "No, but my feet are always clean when I use it!" I thought Sister Seegrist was going to throw up. hahahahaha. His face was priceless, so immediately we both pulled out our hand sanitizer. The brother just laughed and laughed. He is so amazing. After that we went and visited some less-actives and tried to visit our investigators. We didn't have much luck talking to them, but we put in a lot of effort.

Also our bishop served in the Italy Ca... (I dunno the name) Mission. The same one as Bob Evans though. So I asked if he knew the name, and he was pretty sure he got to the mission right before Bob left, and that Bob was his district or zone leader. He said, "Bob Evan ... is he tall with dark hair?" and I wanted to say "no" that he was bald, and then I remembered that he hasn't always been bald.. ha ya. whoops. But it was cool.

 

Sunday we got to teach the Sunday School class. It was supposed to be 14- and 15-year-olds, but it was 14 and up.  A little intimidating but really, really good. Sis. Seegrist was a little intimidated about teaching them, but after I got warmed up to the kids, I felt really comfortable. We talked about covenants and ordinances and the opportunity that we have to make covenants with God. We shared the story of the people of Alma burying their swords and covenants with God to never kill again. So we made little swords and then had them write a sin that they would give up and burried them after that. It was really cool!

 

Also! Blue Belle ice cream is amazing. Nothing against Gossner's, but no comparison. If you can order some somehow, order chocolate or key lime pie. mmmmm.

 

I love you much!

 

This work is too important to give up on. There is something out here that I need to accomplish and it's gonna take 18 months. I love you a million!

 

Thanks for all the letters this week! They were much needed! Love you!

 

Love, Sister Thornley

New Vocab

So, my week was pretty busy!

 

We went to a new family in the ward and after talking to them, he looked at his wife and said, "Should I send them to my parents'" and his wife said "yes." He told us that his parents weren't members but they go to church with them every week and we're the first missionaries that they have given their address to. So we felt very blessed that we earned their trust enough for that!

 

On Wednesday we made brownies and I made stir fry for lunch (thanks for teaching me how to cook so I don't eat junk food) We had three appointments cancel on us so we went and had media time at the library which is where we can go and watch Mormon Messages and read conference talks and stuff like that. We can do that up to an hour everyday. Cool huh! We had dinner with a member family n after that she came teaching with us n we visited some less-active members.

 

 

 

Thursday, the 4th of July, was a long day. We had our first dinner at 3:pm, another at 6, and another at 8. We watched fireworks over the Amite River with an investigator in our area and his friends. He is in his 50's n all of his friends that we watched the firewowrks with were just like the people from swamp people, hardly understand 'em, they were drinkin and smoking but they were real curious about the work we were doing and the Church. It was pretty neat actually. Oh, and the first dinner we went to was with Nana, she was saying the closing prayer before we left n said, "Lord, thank you for these bratty girls and the opportunity that they had to eat my good food. I know it's only good food because you're in it and your hand was in makin it" ..... yeah, she's a convert and the greatest person alive. She feeds us every week. haha.

 

 

Friday, we went and did some service for a less-active sister in our ward. We were cleaning out her cupboards and guess what I found!!!!! GOSSNERS MILK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whoot whoot. I took a picture with her. Katie sent me a talk and on Thursday, I shared it with a family that really needed it. It was so cool! It was very inspired n I feel blessed to have such a supportive family like you!

 

 

 

Saturday we had Zone Teaching Meeting and they asked me to share the spiritual thought for the meeting. We learned a lot about plannign n stuff n I felt very uplifter adn I knew what we needed to change to find more investigators. After that we went proselyting. We went to a road that was gravel n the people opened the door n said they were Catholic but she was greatful that we were out sharing our beliefs so we got to come in and talk to her and her 21-year-old son who plays college baseball at SLU (not LSU). We shared about the atonement n Christ's sacrifice. I could definitely see their faith grow and I think that maybe we can continue to share with them and they will listen and open their hearts. We met with a less active couple after that and he was telling me how our ward was so great so I asked him straight up why he didn't come, then n he said "Well it's my own fault n I ain't got no good reason to not come" I said, "Well then I'll see you at church on Sunday then." He kinda ho-hummed about it and we talked a little more. I told him that he could wear his work boots and shorts for all I cared and if I could I would wear mine. When I told him I had a pair of boots he kinda got surprised and said, gosh you'll fit right in with the coona*#*# down here in boots. So go look up what a coona#*# is. Sorry for my cussing ;) haha. We got a whole history lesson about 'em. So when we got up to leave I shook his hand, and he said "Thanks for stopping by." I said, "No problem. I'll see you at church tomorrow. I'll save you a seat right next to me and you can wear your boots" :) haha He said "Ok that he would." He never came but I think it got him thinking about it. I hope we visit him again this week.

 

After that we went our to a place called Alligator Bayou to call some members. We sat and watched in the Bayou for like 30 minutes n watched a set of bubbles swim around. It was so sketchy. I recorded some of it (: haha.

 

Please write me letters!!!!!! and emails and everything!!! I love you so much!  Just excuse my grammar and spelling and punctaution. I know it's attrocious.

Love y'all so much!

I'll be fixin to get at least ten letters this week ;)

Love y'all millions

Love, Sister Thornley