Let me put this joy into perspective for you...

February 24, 2014

Bueno.  So, first of all, (shout out to Hermana Wong who has brainwashed me into starting everything with "first of all") we had an AMAZING Sunday. Two less active teenage members came to church or the FIRST TIME since I got transferred here! For all of you keeping track at home, that would be almost 7 months. AND they brought their not-very-enthusiastic-about-the-church-father who did not want to get baptized with the family. AND they sons stayed for all three hours. Second of all, a family of investigators came to church for the FIRST TIME since we started teaching them. Sorry for those same people keeping track at home because I don't know when it was, but a LONG time ago. AND they made a friend. Third of all, one of the investigators we're teaching decided that he wanted to set a date for baptism. WOO HOO! Just in case you aren't a missionary, let me try to put this into perspective for you.

If you are a..........                                It's like........

football fan                                          winning the super bowl

movie fanatic                                      winning an Oscar

fisherman                                            catching a 90 pound halibut (which my companion actually did!)            

social media addict                             getting 14 million followers

15 year old girl                                    having Justin Bieber call you on the phone

peaceful person                                  winning the Nobel peace prize

new mother of twins                            getting a full nights sleep

Harvard student                                   getting a 4.0

shopaholic                                          winning a trip to new York

husband of a shopaholic                    winning a trip to Oakley, Utah (population 500, stores: 1 grocery)

o.k. You get the picture. It was pretty great.

It's amazing to feel so much love for the people where I serve. One of the huge perks of being a missionary is that you automatically feel this overwhelming sense of love for everyone and a desire for their well-being. I never thought I would be so happy to see someone at sacrament meeting, but when they walked in I was on cloud 9. I'm sure that when we do small things that are hard for us, this is how our Heavenly Father feels. It might not seem like a big deal to anyone else, but I'm sure that He feels the love and joy of a supremely proud parent at any effort we make. He loves you so much!

And so do I BTW,

-Hermana Thomas