Work Progressing and Doors Opening Up

Sep 3, 2013

 

Don't be mad at me! I know that it's been a while since you heard from me!I promise I haven't fallen off the face of the earth! I'm still down here in Baton Rouge doing my thing!

 

Last night we had a really neat experience. We were supposed to have dinner with a member family, and we have tried to teach the dad's parents, and it hasn't really worked out. They haven't been very interested and that's come more from the mom/grandma, but the dad/grandpa has been a lot more interested. We have six missionaries serving in our ward, so when we usually have dinner with the members, we all eat at their home. Long story short, the elders couldn't make it to dinner and because they couldn't, the dad decided to invite his parents over to eat with us, and we had a really neat lesson about the Book of Mormon and charity and stuff. It was one of those blessings in disguise. We definitely saw God's hand there! We felt the Spirit, and when we left, I could have jumped up and down I was so excited. They opened up a lot to us, and we saw a side that we hadn't seen before.

 

This morning we had district meeting, which happens every week. After that, we went to a less-active sister that was baptized at twelve years old and hasn't been back since. But, she wants her kids to be sealed to her in the temple, so she says to her husband when we were there a few weeks ago, "Riley, will you just agree to disagree and get baptized, cuz I really want to go to the temple!" It was funny and sweet because we see that she wants it, but she it still learning about it and about what she can do to get there!

 

Also, we are currently driving a 2013 Ford Fusion... and living in a club... and we have a touch screen phone. I don't think this is how missionary life should be. We should be scrapping for food living in the ghetto right?! haha. We are really blessed right now! We are seeing the work progress and doors are opening up. My companion and I have our ups and downs but mostly ups. Things are going great!

 

 

 

Yesterday we went and played ultimate frisbee at LSU and went and saw the stadium which is HUGE! Like NFL worthy. We'll have to go to an LSU game eventually.

 

 

I'm sorry that my emails have changed from play by play to summary, but I am really working on focusing on the work. I have kinda had a moment like Hermana Robyn Evans because we read the same talk about becoming a consecrated missionary, so I was like, "No more emails or letters home. They can hear about it in 15 months!" But then I changed my mind about two seconds later. haha. I really want to hear from y'all. I've missed getting letters this week waiting to hear about my new address. Oh and dad, my pen died. Need a new one to represent DairyWay. One of the elders really liked the hats that you gave us and said he's going to write you for one. So if you get a letter from an Elder Bailey don't be too weirded out. I'm glad you saw pictures of the service at the observatory! That was some long hot days! I can't even express to you the pain that comes when it's 95 degrees and 75%+ humidity. It just doesn't compare in Utah. At night, nowadays, when our apartment gets down into the 75 degrees range, I think I'm going to die because it's so cold - haha. It's pretty sad.

 

Oh and this week, I got to drive in Baton Rouge for the first time! (in the Fusion) It was weird to drive again since it's been almost three months, but it felt good. I can't believe that I am almost done with my second transfer. It's going by so fast for me! 

 

Food for thought - reading in the Bible Dictionary I found this out this morning. Did you know that Adam didn't have blood until after he partook of the fruit and that the whole creation fell because of him? But, because of Christ, we aren't lost. Christ atoned for The Fall and for our individual sins. I know that's true. I know that this Gospel is the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and I know that God listens to our prayers and our concerns every day.

 

Please read your scriptures and pray as a family every day! You don't know how big a difference I have seen it make in people's lives! It's amazing!

 

I love y'all soooooooooooooo stinkin' much you just don't even know. And mom, will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful? ;) haha jk Heard that came out on DVD and thought of you the other day.

 

Talk to you again soon.

 

Love Sister Thornley

P-Day in New Orleans

August 26, 2013

We came down to New Orleans on p-day to be tourists a little bit. It's been a lot of fun. We came down with two other Sisters and six Elders. We went to the French Market; it reminded me of lot of Pike Place Market but Louisiana-style. We ate at a café and had a mufaletta. We also went to a cathedral that was really very beautiful.

This week was crazy busy - two days, we had over ten hours of service. We painted the rail at the community's observatory. It was super hot. I got a nice sunburn, but was just so much fun. We got to do it with our whole zone. I saw Sis. Whitney Nielsen from home. The paint that we used was so sticky and gross that I still have it all over. It really was such a great project.

Yesterday and Saturday we went to a less active member's home and watched 17 Miracles with them as a Family Home Evening. It was really neat! The father of the family is really opening up to us. We hope they'll start coming back to church.

We did service for a less active sister on Wednesday. And, we did a lot of visiting to other less active members. One cool experience I had was with a sister that we have been reading the Book of Mormon with. We were at 1 Nephi 4. We talked about Nephi killing Laban and she said that she feels like it was contradicting the Bible because god commanded, "Though shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13). We talked about the verse that says, "It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief" (1 Nephi 4:13). She said that she feels like God could have softened his heart. We tried to explain it to her, but finally, I realized that I couldn't convince her and that she had to find out for herself. Sis. Seegrist and I bore our testimonies that we knew that it was true. I told her that I couldn't make her believe that it was true and invited her to read for herself and pray to know if it is true. She said she would do it. I know that was inspired because I always just want people to know and accept it, but they have to find out for themselves.

Yesterday, Church was great. We had a good lesson in Sunday School. After Relief Society, a sister that was visiting reached up and tapped us on the shoulder and introduced us to her friend that had come with her. She said that she really wanted to learn more and had a lot of questions that she wants to ask us. So, we'll be meeting with her on Wednesday!

Everything has been really good. Companionship is going really well. We have been able to have a lot of good heart to hearts and work together better. I think that part of it is because I am getting more confident in teaching and bearing my testimony.

How's the missionary work going back there? Have y'all got any investigators or referrals for the missionaries? I'm glad you met the Sharps! They are honestly some of my favorite people in the ward. Sis. Sharp is very willing to help us with the work and introduce us to neighbors.

I love you all millions!

Sister Thornley