My life is turning into a cheesy EFY song and I love it!

Well hello again! It's another glorious Monday here in Tampa Florida and I am loving life. There is just nothing better than driving in your 2009 Toyata Corolla listening very cheesy yet oddly inspiring EFY music, wearing your sweet alligator print green sunglasses knowing that you are about to read your emails from your family. It's a thing beautiful really! Actually I am not going to lie, the EFY music got really whinny after a while so we put in The Prince of Eygpt and I now know that "there can be miracles if you believe." Although I do have a small scent of sarcasm as I speak, there really is something invigorating as I wake up in the morning put on my name tag and walking out that door thinking, " Holy cow I am a missionary!" It still hits me sometimes, well actually most of the time I think that they just gave me this name tag so ther rest of the world would be fooled. Most of the time I make a really awkward missionary but at least I can provide the comic relief and I am learning so that's what matters right? 

So this week we had Elder Kikuchi of the seventy come and speak to us. It was SO good! I think my spiritual tolerance level is increasing because it was like 9 hours long in the chapel and I loved every minute of it. He talked a lot about becoming mastering yourself and developing disciple. I kept imaging him being like Mr Miagi (however you spell that) from The Kirate Kid and saying to me ," Listen young grasshopper, you must master yourself before you become a master teacher." He emphasized that importance of being disciplined in all your efforts, health, time use , scripture reading etc... We call it perfect mornings where you do everything you're supposed to in the morning and out the door by 10. He promised us that if we have perfect mornings in our companionships, our baptisms would double. Alright New Tampa, watch out, Team BLT is coming to a door near you. After he talked about this he then went on for like an hour talking to the sister missionaries ( all 5 of us there) about how we need to get married and to some elder who had "perfect mornings" He then went on to tell some Elder that if he had relationships with any of the sisters he would come and spank him. Of course all the missionaries were laughing because well lets face it, it's funny! Oh I love the whole awkward missionary culture! He also told this Elder that he would go on to have 10 kids. Can't wait to see him at the mission reunions in 15 years lol. Anyway that was a total random tangent that had nothing to do with yours or my personal salvation so I will now go on to speak of the great things I am experiencing.  Well actually honestly the whole thing is really inspiring and ever hour I am constantly learning something new. There is no way to express to you how I am changing and becoming the person that my Heavenly Father wants me to become. I am going to work on being more disciplined.

After the conference we were driving home in a sweet 15 passenger van full of stinky (sweat mixed with cologne) Elders and once again listening to EFY music. I was just looking out the window watching the scerery pass me by and thinking to myself how much I love Florida. I love the people. I love that fact that I am here, right now serving a mission. I could just see myself a couple years from now driving on the same road and thinking about all the neat things I've learned that I have used in my life and in my families life. People always say you'll never regret the decision to serve a mission and I have to say I totally and completely agree! Best decision by far. As we were driving it starting pouring. And I've talked about the rain here before but this was defintaly the worst! It was so bad that we were going 10 MPH on the freeway and the water was so deep that it started soaking into the bottom of the van. As we drove the wake of water created by the van was over the top of the van. Then the lightening came followed by the thunder which was SOOOOO loud that the van actually shook. I love storms!! I love Florida!

So funny story of the week. We were riding with a member home from a lesson and we saw the Elders talking to some man on the street. We pulled over to talk to them and the guy started talking to me who was sitting in the backseat not really sure why we were stopping and then he was like, " Hey I know you! You're the lady who wouldn't write your name down on the card." I have no idea who this guy was, never seen him before. He kept "reminding" me about all the good times we had together. I was trying for the life of me to remember who this guy was but I am prettuy positive I have never met him. I just sat there smiling and waving. Ha you had to have been there but it was so funny. Sister Lane was in the backseat with and was like, " Just smile and wave Sister Thomas, smile and wave." Then he blew me a kiss and winked and it was just funny. Anyway I have to say that is probably one of my favorite things about being a missionary is just talking to everybody on the street. There are so really cool people in this world.

And for the quote of the week

Me: "Hello Sir, we're missionaries from The Church...

Man on doorstep: " Oh I just heard about your church all over the news in Belgium and all those people being abused. Are you abused?

Once again, I love all the people!

Thank you so much Sister Pister for the article you sent me. That was so perfect and an answer to a prayer I've been thinking about lately. I think I will actually share it with one of our investigators so thank you so much! Hope you're all doing well.

Well it's about time for me to go but before I go what kind of missionary would I be if I didn't leave you with my testimony. Well my testimony is simple but strong. I know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me. I know that he has a plan of me me so I can return to live with my eternal family. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that through him the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been again restored to the Earth in it's fullness. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I love that book, oh my goodness I LOVE that book!! It is full of so much beauty and truth. I can feel the spirit everytime I read it. I love to read it! I know that God answers prayers and I am ever grateful he does. I love each and everyone of you. Thanks for all your love, support and encouragement!

Have a blessed day!

Love

Sister Grace Thomas

PS I love my name, thanks mom! :)