This week was a BLUR

September 29, 2014

Have you ever seen "Bye Bye Birdie?" I'm assuuuuuuuming that you have because we are friends. Or acquaintances. Or you happened to stumble upon my blog in some strange way and have the chicken pox and nothing else to do so you decided to read on. If that is the case, Welcome! If the case is that we are friends, then you must know how I love musicals. And if you are my dad, then you will remember that I used to beg to rent the VHS of Bye Bye Birdie almost every weekend. 

Cue: swoon. 

Well. This morning reminded me of a song in the play/movie called "the telephone hour." You have my permission to look it up on YouTube before continuing on, unless you are a missionary then you have my permission to wait until the end of your mission to look it up. 

(la dee da. elevator music.) 

Good song, right? Yes. So, this morning at 10:00 a.m. was the telephone hour because transfers news came in. And after we found out, we had to call aaaaaaaaall the people we talk to/know that….

1. I am staying in San Bernardino for my last transfer and 

2. Hermana McCartt is moving to Fontana. 

"Wait" you say, "then who is your new companion?" well. I'm going to tell you, and you might notice that it has a familiar wong to it. That's right; Hermana Wong and I are going to be companions again!!!!!!!! woo hoo! If you can't remember, it is she who is "ravishing with a touch of class" as the man at the library described her. I'm so excited to finish my last transfer with her! 

This week was a BLUR. Would it be too repetitive of me to just make another list of the things we did? going once, going twice, o.k. here we go. 

1. Watched a special V.I.P. screening of the new movie "Meet the Mormons" that will be entering theaters October 10th 

2. Volunteered at " the lighthouse for the blind" 

3. Sorted and bagged avocados for 3 hours 

4. Went to a ward "clothing exchange" (everyone brings the clothes that they don't wear anymore and swap) 

5. Planned for the baptisms next week

6. Watched the women's session of general conference  

7. Literally set up an entire playground for a Lutheran church  

Whew! WOW! Or WAW is should say for “What A Week!” But the truth of this tale is that you NEED TO GO SEE MEET THE MORMONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is the beeeeeeeeeeeest movie in the history of PG rated cinema. And we all know that PG is the best rating out there.  It is something to invite your friends to because all it does is follow the lives of 6 Mormons and how they incorporate the teachings of Jesus Christ in their lives......wow If I was a trailer, I would fail because that does NOT do the movie justice. It is funny and heart warming and tear-jerky and soooooo good. The people are really cool. like the head coach for the Navy football team, a female boxer in Costa Rica, a world war 2 hero, a humanitarian etc. so, your homework for this week is to GO TO THE MOVIES and see Meet the Mormons! Especially opening weekend --October 10th. O.k. love you. WRITE ME LETTERS since I only have 6 more weeks to faint with joy when I receive snail mail, plus I just love hearing from you! 

-Hermana Thomas 

A Superhero week flying faster than a speeding bullet

September 22, 2014

POW! BANG! BOOM! 

These sound effect are to be accompanied with mental pictures of super heroes. I will wait as your head computer comes up with adequate images. 

(Superhero themed elevator music.....wait.....superheroes don't take the elevator. awkward.) 

As you may have guessed, this week was ACTION PACKED! Packed like heavy-duty tape and reinforced cardboard priority mail. We… 

1. Started an English class 

2. Volunteered separating granola bars for hungry people (I count, right?) 

3. Planned a baptism for this coming Sunday (you're invited, bring your friends) 

4. Taught taught taught taught 

5. Found five more people to teach 

6. Celebrated SIster McCartt's one year mark 

7. basically did everything missionarily possible to do in San Bernardino California --except sleep. 

One of the proudest moments of my mission happened this week. So we were talking to Martha, the sister that is getting baptized on Sunday. Her daughter walks into the room and fa-lumps on the couch. "Hey sisters, if my mom gets baptized, can we get like a cake or something after?" Before we could even respond Martha says "well, we'd have to get it on Saturday, because we shouldn't buy things on Sunday. It's a holy day. It's a day to spend with your family and think about God." 

And then the heavenly choirs chimed in and the spotlight grew brighter and Sister Thomas wiped a tear from her eye like that of a proud parent when her child chooses the right. 

Or something like that. 

When I arrived here, She wasn't even too keen on having us over. And now......BAM! Keeping the commandments all over the place. 

I'm so grateful for the front row seat I've had to so many miracles on the mission. In truth, we're not the superheroes. just passersby’s who have faith to see others rise and reach their potential......what a lucky girl I am! 

-Hermana Thomas 

The joy of smile lines!

September 15, 2014

It was Thursday. (actually I'm only about 80% on that, but it doesn't bother me enough to get out my planner to make sure. At what point can I hire a fact checker for these things?) 

Anyway... 

It was Thursday. We went over to this lovely member lady's house because the Elders had told us that she had had a tragedy in the family. Well, upon entering, we noticed that the room was a little what my grandmas would call "skiwampus." couch reverse, side into the wall, piles and piles of piles on the table. cosas asi. (stuff like that) so- being missionaries, we said "hermana, what can we do to help?" tuuuuuuuurns out that they had to fumigate for cockroaches (i feel ya, sister.) and she hadn't had the opportunity to put everything back in it's place. 

"Hermana, can I wash the dishes?" 

"ok hermana esta bien." (yes.) 

And hour and forty-five minutes later I was still standing at the sink, rinsing off the latest batch from the counter. I pulled my pruney hands out of the water and thought: Wow! the mission really IS aging me! (sometimes I tell myself lame jokes. no judgment.) 

But then I thought "you know, I don't really mind aging if I get to do it through a life of love and service." I know that I'm only 20, but I've had a companion who was really self- conscious about getting smile-lines on her mission. It was good for me to decide: I don't mind if I get smile lines, because it means that I'm smiling. I hope that when I'm older the bags under my eyes are from staying up late consoling someone. The crow’s eyes from many moments of hearty laughter, the chipped nails from weeding a garden, the calloused soles of my feet from running with my mom, my sisters, my friends. The burn scars from trying to cook for people I love, the wrinkly hands from washing their dishes. 

Let us fill our time with worthwhile things that bless and enrich our lives and others. Then, at the end, it will be easy to see that we have bartered our youth for wisdom and warm memories far more valuable than fine skin. 

-Hermana Thomas 

p.s. I was reading this talk the other day, and whada ya know it goes PERFECTLY with this blog! 

here's a helpful link!  

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/these-things-i-know?lang=eng&query=

A dear friend of ours, one of the SWEETEST girls ever!!!!! She has a goal to get baptized and I can't wait!

Helping someone we met prepare for her baby shower.

It's the people that you meet when you're walking down the street...it's the people that you meet each day!

September 8, 2014

"There I was just a' walking down the street singing doo wa dee dee dee dee dum dee dee doo." 

Actually I was probably singing "i am a child of god, and he has sent me here" which is what my companion and I always sing when those rap beats be bumping along the street. (don't worry, full beat boxing included.) 

When a guy suddenly stops us. 

"I didn't see you at church today." 

we look at each other. "Did you go to church?"

 "Nah. That’s probably why I didn't see you." 

I like this guy already. 

Turns out he is Native American, and a very firm follower of Jesus Christ. He said that many of his friends tease him for not following more closely the "native ways" but "Jesus created all of this for us anyway, man. I mean, He's the God of everything." 

Yeah. He's one of those people around whom your find yourself fighting the urge to say "dude" and "man" every other sentence.....Man it was refreshing to talk to "a fellow traveler in this journey." 

He promised to come to a service project this weekend. So- will keep you posted. 

The scene changes:

I shut the car door and step onto the sidewalk. I see this guy eyeballing' us. "Hey are you giving out free bibles?" 

Jackpot. 

"They're LIKE the bible in that they're records of God's dealing with ancient civilizations. Have you ever heard of the Book of Mormon?" 

"You guys are Mormon? Man, I ALWAYS defend you guys. You guys get a bad rap." (Amen brother)

Turns out he is looking for a new church and is really interested in learning more. 

Five minutes later. (Actually, like 45 minutes later, because we talked to that guy for a while) 

"Hi"

"Hi. Are you guys Mormons?"

(Why as a matter of fact we are.)

"Yes." 

"O.k. that's cool." witi witi cajeta (I just found out yesterday that that's like bla bla bla in spanish) 

"So I'm diabetic, and I'm waiting on disability. I'm living at the Lutheran Church over there on the corner but I'd like to go to your church tomorrow." 

People are cool. I love getting to wear a nametag that basically gives me free license to talk to anyone and everyone. We sometimes miss out on the coolest people because we never introduce ourselves and we miss the best missionary opportunities because we don't open our mouths when we walk in the street. 

-Hermana Thomas