Mom!!!! Well i am feeling a ton better than i was haha. This week was a rougher one. But the baptisms on saturday were amazing!!! Our district had seven!!! Thats unheard of here! The valenzuelas were so awesome. Se'riously the funniest baptism that i have been to. They were just so happy. The kids were so excited to get baptized. It was amazing to see their dad do three in a row! So great! After they were so happy too. The dad came up and was like so just because they qre baptized doesnt mean that you guys cant still come over to our house and like hang out or something haha. And then the mom came up and just thanked me with tears in her eyes. I felt so warm and fuzzy. But really it made me feel so good. It was just amazing. Like always its hard to put into words. Other than that the week was interesting.
On monday we went to sacre coeur. That was sweet. ThenTuesday i did an exchange with the zone leaders in paris itself. I was super sick. So that was hard. I was dizzy and had a sore throat haha. But i just kept working. And then on wednesday we finished the exchange and then i went to a southern area of paris called evry on another exchange with an elder from my district. I did three baptismal interviews for the sisters with barely any voice. Then the next morning i had completely lost my voice. But i had another interview for baptism to do. So i got my voice warmed up to the point where i had to yell for him to hear me haha. That was great. I had my comp for the day call the mission doctor and he told me to rest and not talk for a couple days. That hurts as a missionary. So on friday i ended up staying in all day. And on saturday i felt a ton better. And now i am practically healed! haha. But yeah it was an interesting experience.
While i was on exchanges and away from our sector and sick my comp did nothing. So the work here is kinda dead haha. But we will get it back going. I am done with my comp though. We will just leave it at that. Being dl is going well. The district is on fire! haha. So cool. Our districvt had seven baptisms this weekend. There were eight in the whole mission haha.
I got the pkg with the taco stuff and the cookies and reeces and other amazing things! Thank you! The soup did wonders for me while i was sick! It was so good! Thank you for what you said about the atonement. I actually studied it in alma 7 isaiah 53 and hebrews 2 today. It was amazing. I never really understood the atonement before my mission and how personal it is. Im so grateful for the testimony i have of it. Im grateful for this time i have on my mision. Im very grateful. Love you tons!!!! Talk to you on Saturday with transfer news!
(Here are pics of the Valezuela family at the baptism. Adorable.)
Elder Thomas
More pics to come...
Yoooooooooooooooooooooooo! Hey family! haha, And romeo and tuxi! Antony is doing well this week. A little slower than i would like but doing well. A little sick too. But that cant stop me! haha. Neither did the snow. It was a fun time contacting and trying to find our way through paris with limited transportation. Actually tuesday night we were at the valenzuelas house for a lesson and then they invited us to stay for dinner. We finished and headed out at like 8 ish. When we got outside we realized that it was now dark and it had snowed like six inches since we got there. All of the busses were shut down too. They live kinda in the boonies too. And they dont have a car. haha. Finally we found a member to come save us. The valenzuelas were like, you can just stay at our house! The kids wanted to have a sleep over very badly. But we made it home around 10 30. We did a couple unintended donuts on the way home too-haha. It was intense. That was prolly the highlight of the week. We taught the valenzuelas a couple times this week. They should be good to go. Just need the interviews. They are excited. Other than that it was a quiet week.
We did contact a guy earlier in the week and then he actually came to church on sunday. He told me that he was adopted as a kid and that his parents never went to church. But he wants to be spiritual and asked me if i could help teach him. It was a cool moment. So hopefully that turns out well.
On friday we had our zone conference with elder richards. It was amazing! I learned so much! The spirit was so strong all day long. We learned some very valuable things that day. Its always great to be in the presence of a general authority.
Sorry its a boring email this week. Im not feeling the greatest and it was just a slow week haha. Last pday we went to the louvre. It was sweet to see all of these famous works of art that ive heard about all my life. Love you tons and miss you so much!
Elder Thomas
Hey mom! SO i cant believe that a year ago from today i was emailing you from Lille haha. Its crazy to think about! Anyways this week ended amazingly. I dont know if that is a word but it describes the week haha. It was actually a tougher week in terms of work. We didnt have a whole lot going and couldnt get anyone to listen to us past the point of we are missionaries of jesus chri... So yeah haha. But on sunday all of the work paid off. We were so blessed!
We had an old investigator that we dropped a month ago show up to church randomly. When we dropped him he said he just wanted to be catholic. But on sunday he told me he went there and didnt feel right. So he went to his previous church and didnt feel right there either. But kept feeling like he needed to go to our church. He said he feels great here. He told us and the bishop that he wants to be baptized asap! So cool! We are going to a members house tonight to teach him. Also a random guy showed up and said that his church was way too far and he was searching for a new church and found ours. So he came and wants to learn about it! So legit!!! We will see him on saturday. Also three different members are inviting us over soon to teach their friends! Awesome!
Also i just found out that natacha from bruxelles was baptized this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost fell out of my chair in joy when i saw it. So awesome!!!! I wish i could talk to her and see how she is doing. Or at least talk to the missionaries there to find out. Ill see her in heaven i guess haha. Or if we go to bruxelles this december!
Madeleine and rabbi are great. We taught them about general conference and then about missionary work andchallenged them to give out a bom together. Sweet! They were excited to do it. Madeleine couldnt go to church this week so rabbi walked by himself to church! What a stud nine year old! The valenzuelas are so awesome too. Getting ready for their baptisms! It is allen who is 11 andrea is ten and allison is 8. Also the six year old michelle is super cute. I am always cracking up in our lessons and trying to fight off random kisses and hugs haha. Their prayers are awesome too. So funny. I love those kids. We havent seen the ethiopian family. Not sure what happened.
My comp is doing okay.., I am deciding that i just need to embrace the weirdness haha. It is just better that way. It is helping me to gain some incredible patience. I need to work on that apparently. point made heavenly father haha. But its alright. This last week elder miller woke up in the night and said that my comp was singing a song from tangled to the moon out the window hahahahaha. He sings disney very quietly all the time haha. I would be fine with that but we cant listen to disney haha. And i am working on 100 percent obedience haha. Its tough. But i am seeing the blessings! Hes funny though. I started making a daily food diary for him to show him that all he eats is bread and nutella. My district is on fire right now too! So awesome! everyone in the district has an ami with a baptismal date! We are all seeing cool miracles. In our zone we have 9 of the ten dates set!!! Go antony district!
Love you so much mommy!!! Talk to you soon! A bientôt!
Elder Thomas
My silent and always sleeping companion...
3-4-13
Yo g mama dawg fo shizzle g unit in da club yo? Whats cracka lackin in the big AZ?! Haha, hey mommy. This week was great!!!! because we had the baptisms of madaleine and rabbi!!!!!! It was so awesome! They were so happy. And so was I. Those moments make the mission the best ever. All of the trials and hard work is worth it when miracles happen. I cant even describe the emotions that were felt at the baptism. It was just great. The best was that rabbi asked me to baptize him!!!! It was such an honor to be able to be an instrument in the lords hand to help him make this covenant. It was just amazing. I dont have a ton of pictures. I entrusted my camera with someone else but they didnt get any haha. But my comp got a couple. saturday was great. On sunday they were confirmed members and the spirit was so strong in the circle as we laid our hands upon them. They were so happy. And the ward did a great job of welcoming them. We saw them almost every day this week to help them be ready. And we did a ton to plan the baptism. It was a stressful week. But so worth it!
The Valenzuela's didnt come to church. But we had a good rdv with them and told them what they need to do to get baptized. They are set for the 23rd.
We werent able to see any other people this week though. So we are doing a lot of finding to get new investigators. The hard part is that my comp doesnt talk to anyone... i had a little talk with him last night. I just told him straight up that he needs to contact people. Because thats what we do. >i told him it will be a miserable mission if he doesnt. But its true. Im trying to get him geared up. haha. We will see. I wish i could fully describe how he is. I just dont have the time haha. Ill write a letter. But its okay though.
Legality is all figured out for the moment. Sounds like you guys had another good week. I cant believe that P is a deacon and has the priesthood! He looks so grown up. Loving the suit and tie and hair haha. Stud!
Things are going well right now. Honestly i am loving being a leader in the mission. It helps me to do my best and realize me potential. Im just trying to get my companion up to speed haha. Its a little trying at times. Kind of like raising a kid i suppose. BUt things are good. I am best friends with the new elder in out apt too. We have a blast haha.
Love you tons mom. More than you know. Talk to you soon!
Elder Thomas
