10-29-12

Taylor with his new blue, (son) on the left and his "dad" on the right.
Elder Oliverson and Elder Mayne.

10-22-12

Bonjour! (like the shrimp on nemo) Well I am going to train a brand new missionary! In our mission they are called blues haha. That should be super fun! A lot of responsibility but I am very glad that i have been called by the lord to do so. Apparently im pretty young in mission age to be training haha. So this wednesday I will go to paris and pick him up! I wont know who my comp is until they just stick us together haha. Im super excited though. I remember being a blue and it was a ton of fun. I want to be the best trainer ever. haha. Im excited to have all of those new experiences with him. Because this will be his first taste of mission life and work and europe too haha. I have a ton of plans of stuff to do with him. I get to take him to the eiffel tower too! And feed him all kinds of good food haha. Anyway, if you cant tell i am super happy for this responsibility. This will also be my first time Leading in an area or in companionship. Also he will be coming into a good situation with lots of good people to teach! We went back to see the american family. He isnt quite ready yet. He just wants to ask questions and not really progress. And talk about football. haha. HE told us next time we came over he would feed us dinner and watch a football game. He gets them all and records them... haha. Prolly going to avoid that one haha. But Ludovic is simply amazing! So in a nutshell here is what has happened. On tuesday his friend samuel forwarded us some texts that ludovic had sent him. He started reading the book of mormon and felt a warmth in his heart as he reads. He has read all of 1 nephi already and understands it better than me hahaha. Seriously, we quized him and he knows the whole family and understands lehis dream so well haha. Awesome! This sunday he came to church and loved it. And then because elder barker is dying a member invited us over for steak dinner last night haha. And they invited samuel and Ludovic too! He loved it a ton. It was great to get him to see how happy we are as members and to make more friends. Also, the members bore their testimonies and the spirit was so strong there. I am positive that Ludovic will be baptized! Hopefully we can set a date this week. Super excited for him. We also met with a man named Cyril who is from congo. He was telling us about all kinds of horrible things that happen there and I just kept feeling that I needed to testify of life after death and about gods love for us. I did so and I know that it wasnt me talking at all. At the end he was quiet and thanked us for bringing the spirit into his home. We prayed and then he said we could come to his home any time and wants us to meet with his whole family. He has a wife and two little girls. Super cool. Also, they are taking the sisters out of my area. SO I will take on all of their work and the people they have been teaching. They have a sweet girl they are teaching who will be baptized for sure. So we have a lot of miracles in the process and I have a lot on my plate right now. Oh and we met with osaertin and her family and their goal now is to be sealed together in the temple!!!!!!!! Whooooooooooooooo! So cool! haha Thats about it for my week haha
Love you and miss you so much! I'll take some good pics this week and send them next week so you can see my new blue! Love you tons! Talk to you soon.
Elder Thomas

Brother Fraikin, he takes us to lunch every Thursday.

10-15-12

Hey mommy! Man this week was flipping awesome!!!!!!!!! So crazy good. Its weeks like this that make everything worth it. SO the baptism was pretty rad. It was super good actually. There wasnt a huge turnout because there was a ward temple trip. But still really good. I'll mail you a copy of the program soon. Actually im sending home a package this week. Its somebodys bday... so look for that :) We made a ton of cookies to bring to the baptism and then spent like three hours in the church filling up the baptismal font with pots of boiling water. haha. There is a pipe to fill it up on the inside but the water was freezing cold. haha So we wanted it to be perfect for her so we just had to boil water the whole time hahaha. Pretty sweet. Her dad did the baptism too which was super cool. He was pretty nervous but he did it perfectly! The spirit was super strong there and she was so happy. Elder barker gave her the holy ghost on sunday too which was really cool. Im not sure what else to say about it haha. But it was great!!! Also I know if you remember but we went over to a members house like a month ago named brother fernandez. And he invited his best friends to come. We taught them about jesus christs atonement. Well they invited us over again saturday night after the baptism to teach their friends again. They had both asked if we could teach them again! So we went over and taught the plan of salvation lesson. Ludovic had lost his father a couple years ago too so this lesson was good. We taught it really well and were able to really just testify the whole time. The spirit was really strong. Especially when His friend Testified to him. There really is such power in members talking to their friends about the gospel with no fear. At the end we were talking about how the celestial kingdom is our goal. And he thought for a bit and then said that now his goal is the celestial kingdom! Super cool. So then we just ate dinner with them and left. But then on sunday Ludovic came to church!!! So awesome. He liked it a lot and is super excited to see us again. And then this morning we got a text from the member saying that he got a text from ludovic saying that he is going to start reading the book of mormon now! It really was a super amazing miracle. We can tell that heavenly father has prepared him. Super cool!!! So talk to your friends about the gospel! haha. Also this last monday I told you about the text that we got from the assistants saying that if we went out to work then we would find someone who is ready for baptism. So we went out and knocked on doors for an hour and a half in the pooring rain and didnt get anything. But finally a guy answered the door and spoke english. Turns out he is from philly and had ran into the other elders in the metro months before. But didnt talk about the gospel. But he let us in and had a ton of questions. We were able to teach him about the book of mormon and he wants us to come back again. We are going to try to see him tonight. So he is american but his wife is french from paris. And they have three boys! Pretty cool miracle there too. It was cool because we just had total faitht htat we would find someone. ANd despite the harsh rejections and freezing rain we just kept working and praying in the rain to find someone. Super cool.
Anyways that was our week in a nutshell haha. Hope it all made sense. I have all of these things written in better detail in my journal so you can read that when I get home! Im on my third one already haha. Sounds like everything is good at home. Im so glad that you guys are doing well. I got the package this last week. They are always so awesome!! Super awesome oreos haha. Thank you! I also got a package from morgans mom with a bunch of popcorn haha. Tell her thank you!

Missions are amazing! And it really is true that we have to love those right next to us. The best thing for missionaries is members inviting their friends. For some reason people listen to their friends better than two weird teenagers in suits haha. >
Pday has been okay today. Nothing too exciting. Had to clean a bunch. We will just finish with dinner soon and then get to work soon. But it was a relaxing day. Well I better get going soon. Love you and miss you so much!!!! Talk to you saturday because we will be checking the repertoire. Im pretty sure I will stay. Love you again!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elder Thomas

Osaertin's Baptism Day!

10-8-12

Hey mommy! This week was fantastic. Thanks to an amazing conference weekend. The announcement of the new misionary age was crazy! We were all flipping out. haha. Especially the new age for young women. SO cool! The work is definitely starting to pick up and the lord needs us more than ever. Each talk was simply amazing. I have honestly never paid super close attention to the conference. But I was able to understand everything and really apply each talk to myself and see how I can do better. We always can! haha. I actually had a very special experience this weekend. I have been prayed for litteraly weeks for a spiritual confirmation of several things. Mainly I just wanted to feel the power of the holy ghost strongly and so that I could know 100 percent that it was the spirit. I havbe felt the spirit several times. But I just needed a strong sure confirmation. But I prayed for a long time and never recieved the answer I was looking for. I would feel peace or good feelings but I wanted to know for sure. So before the conference I prayed very simply and sincerely that I would feel the holy ghost testify to me during conference. And so we left for the church on saturday night to watch the morning session. And during every talk I felt the most powerful feeling I have ever had. It was a physical witness from the holy ghost that these men and women are called of God and that everything they say has come from Him directly. I can not adequately describe the feelings that I felt. But during each talk I felt a warm good tingling over my entire body. And I know without a doubt that it was the holy ghost testifying to me. I know that Heavenly Father hears each one of our prayers and that He will answer them. The apostles all talked about that. That He will answer. But sometimes in the form of another person. Or maybe he won't answer when we want. Because He has His own timetable. Like President Eyring said in conference, His time should be enough, because he only wants what is the very best for us. I just want you to know that it is not always evident that He is there. Or that all of these things are true. But I know that they are. I can not put it any better. I know. We just have to put our trust in God and we will NEVER fail. Sometimes we will not recieve the answers or blessings we want or are promised. But after this life we will recieve every promised blessing. Every prayer will be answered. I know these things by the power and gift of God. I am so greatful for our family and that we are in this gospel. It is the truth. And Jesus Christ has done so much for us. I wish that I could just be there with you guys to live it right now! haha

This last week was a little rougher. Elder barker was pretty sick but is over it now. I was able to give him a blessing and also a Sister missionary. She is serving here while she waits for her visa to go to the states. She will be in the St. George Temple visitor center! I love giving blessings. They are amazing! Oh and I also gave one to a sister in the ward who asked for one while eating at her house. She is from germany. She was crying at the end haha :) She has a son on his mission as well.
Everything is all set for Osaertin to be baptized this coming saturday! Woot!!!!!!! Super excited for that.
That is so super awesome that you guys did well in the marathon!!!! I am so proud of you guys. really. It gives me motivation to do my best and work hard. I am so glad to have great parents that set a great example for me.
I will try to get some measurements some time. Because in the winter we have to wear our suits every day I guess. If I could hold out till february that would be great. Because then I could get a nice french suit on sale haha. But I'll try to get some. My shirts are fine for now because they are all just under my coats haha. Thank you so much haha. I appreciate the mommy worries :) Love you so much mom. I really do. I just want you to know that I know this church is true. And because of Jesus Christ we can endure anything and overcome all. Love you so much! Talk to you soon. Hugs and slobbery kisses.
Elder Thomas

House we came across... Beautiful