So there I was sitting on the couch, the sun shinning through the windows, pondering the great personal study I just had when the phone rang. I look down and see "President Summerhays" on the phone. Transfer calls aren't until tomorrow I thought. Then my stomach dropped. Oh no this can't be good. "Sister Thomas, good morning. I need you to come into my office asap please, I want to talk about transfers." Honestly my first panicked thought was " Oh no, they're sending me home!!" I've been having some medical issues and a couple days before the option came up to be honorably released early to get stuff all figured out. I said no but then I thought they were going to force me on to the plane. Well I throw myself together and head to the mission office, which is around the corner. He takes me in office, well not the actually office because that held the secret transfer info that is confidential, but into a tiny room in the back. Looks at me, take a deep look in to my soul and asks if he can say a prayer. What was I going to say, No? Anyway, after a beautiful prayer that I really didn't hear because I am freaking out inside he asks me how I am feeling. "I am feeling SOOO good president! Couldn't feel better! Ok, ok.... (insert word vomit) but I feel great and I am not going home!" He laughed a little and said "good because the Lord is calling you to be a traveling sister for the mission"... ..???A what?!.... Yup, traveling sister. I get to spend the next 6 weeks traveling Florida. I love my life! I will spend a week in each sister area and help train them on proper planning, teaching, finding... etc.... SOOOO cool!!!! I set my schedule and President said he will personally drive me around from area to area. I am really excited. I'll get to serve will all my old companions and areas for a week. He asked me if there were any negatives about the situation. I pondered and pondered and pondered... Nope can't think of any! He said I'd have to live out of a suitcase and may have to sleep on the couch. Are you kidding I love sleeping on the couch and my suitcases are so big, they could be my own little studio apartment. Thanks again Mark :) I also suggested we could just bring my mattress along and I could just hold on to it on the roof of his car as we traveled. I don't think he thought that was too funny. I just chuckled a little inside. I AM SOO EXCITED!!
The week has been such a blur. It's been a "mixed bag of nuts" as I call it. So many great things are happening in this area, and Satan is working harder than ever, to get us to stop working. NEVER! All our investigators have been sick, we got sick. In fact, I actually have a massive sinus infection that is no fun but regardless I am being SOOO blessed. Aaron is doing SO well. In the closing prayer the other day he said, and I quote, " please help me to be prepared for baptism so that I can go to the temple and be sealed to Kelli and we can do work for our ancestors". There I am sitting on the grass with a huge grin on my face that could be seen from the Hubble telescope. Seriously what better words can you hear from an investigator you have prayed, fasted, and worked so hard to help him even believe in Jesus Christ. So happy! Then we started talking about why we wear a white shirt and tie, and how in the temple we wear all white. He said "well I am guess I am going to have to get new white shoes, and Kelli you'll need some too." I believe Kelli's comment was something on the lines of how grateful she is he is getting baptized because he was her ride to the temple. It just doesn't get any better than that! Then on Sunday he shows up wearing a white shirt and tie! He said he liked it so much he just might wear it all day. He will be baptized this Sunday right before i head out to my new traveling sister duties.
This week we also had smoothies with Barbara to celebrate her birthday! Oh and this morning we had free breakfast at IKEA with one of my favorite member families. Who knew IKEA served free breakfast every monday morning? She also took us to the taco bus. YUM! We also help deliver the 117 quilts we made for the day of serve last week. They were so impressed with the work and service that had been provided by the church and it's members.
Have I mentioned how much I love my life lately? Well I do! It hasn't been all peaches and cream, this I can promise you, but I do know that when we trust the Lord, and are obedient to his commandments, we are blessed far more than we could ever do ourselves. Some days I find myself pleading on my knees for just strength to be able to function that day, asking for strength to endure one more day. That strength or enabling power of the atonement (grace, once again I LOVE MY NAME) is SO real and available to any one who asks. I am so grateful for my Savior and for the help and strength he so abundantly gives me. It's the least I could do to tell everybody I see about Him and His atonement.
I hope you all are happy, and healthy and wise! And stay away from sinus infections, they're painful!
Love
Sister Thomas
oh I also forgot to mention that the best way to send me letters, which I still am happily receiving, is just to send it to the mission office and they'll get it to me during zone conferences etc...
Sister Grace Anne Thomas (unless you want to sent it to some other missionary which I am sure they'd appreciate, or think you are weird...)
13153 N Dale Mabry Hwy Ste 109
Tampa FL 33618
also emails are ok too... just as long as you all don't forget about me
0 comments:
Post a Comment