Elder Mills to Elder Ricks

Hey Everyone just shooting out a quick email because today was CAMBIOS so we didnt have to much time. I am sad to see Elder Mills go, but I am also super happy to have Elder Ricks as my companion. I hope that you all have a great week, I love you all, and I am praying for you!!

Zone Monkey Shirts

I hope that you all had a great week and are all feeling fantastic. I have just been here working in Mexico and reading and using the talks from General Conference a ton!!! This past general conference has been so powerful we have been trying to share the talks with as much people as we can.

We first shared the talk of President Thomas S. Monson from last conference with a menos active family here in Izucar. They run a icecream buisness here and are almost always working. We are trying to get them to focus on the basics again like Reading the Book of Mormon, Attending church, and Praying (RAP jaja). When we had the oportunity to share our testimonies and this video with this family to invite them to read the Libro de Mormón. After sharing those two things they started remembering how God had helped them through some rough trials and helped them gain their icecream buisness. It was a cool experience for me.

We were also able to share with Hermana Nancy the talk from Tad R. Mccalister coupled with the powerful Alma 32. We hope that this will help her overcome her doubts and crush her temptations.

With one of my favorite investigators, who is named Ricardo, we shared the first vision and the same video from Tad R. Mccalister. This lesson was especially important because he had still not taken the challenge to pray about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. It was one of those lessons that just emanates with the Spirit. I know that God is carefully preparing every one of his children to recieve the Gospel. I also know that he is relying on us to invite, share, and bring the spirit into their lives. I Know That The Book Of Mormon Is True and that it is the key to the questions we have in life.

We also had interchanges with Elders from Tlapa and Acatlan, which were very fun to see old friends and meet the new missionaries coming to the mission.

I also just wanted to share some of the key lessons and topics that I heard in the General Conference...

Search for the Lord´s Voice and Way and follow it without doubt or fear

Trust in the Lord's changes and impressions that you recieve in your life because he has perfectly planed out every step of the way

When we see our Leaders with faith in the way that the Lord sees them; we will recieve the inspiration and revelation that we need

Do more than Read the Book of Mormon every day

I love you all and hope that you have a great week!!!

Love

Elder Thompson

Nonsense Drawing

Hey Everyone,

We got the presidenta of the Sociedad de Socorro (Relief Society) to take us to meet a menos active family out in a pueblo about 30 min from Izucar. It was cool to see the miles of sugar cane fields in the valley as we traveled in a small combi to the pueblo, Rijo. We had the oportunity to teach this big family and give them some priesthood blessings. While we gave the blessings it was awesome to see how the Spirit guides every blessing. I am so greatful that God has this type of relationship with us, which is one by one.

We also had a lot of divisions with the Elders from Tlapa. One of them has trouble starting conversations with people and building strong relationships. As we were walking and trying to figure out how to fix the problem I recieved a memory of the game I played with my aunt Alesha. In the game you place two lines, shapes, squiggles, or other nonsense on a piece of paper. Then the other person would have to try and make up a drawing from that nonsense. We thought about how often times we dont need to know exactly where we are going to start off, but eventually with creativity we can end up with a drawing or a good conversation. We then went on to teach an antiguo investigador that did not have confidence in the missionaries, but to our suprise he started warming up to the Elder that has problems with conversing. It was cool to see how the spirit teaches then helps us apply.

This week has also been nice because we have been starting to work alot better with the members of the branch here in Izucar. The Lider Misional Miguel is always excited and ready with ideas of activities to share. However this week he passed a reference of a family of 6 that have been waiting to hear the gospel. We are still in the beginning stages of gaining the familys trust, but they are good people and could be ready to accept the gospel. I hope we can start getting some good coordination with this branch.

Here are all the delayed pictures that I have been waiting to send. Thank you all for your patience!!! Have a great week !

Elder Thompson

Tossing House off of Cliff

We had our big huge zone activity this week!!! We started off with the worlds favorite sport soccer, which was a blast. I did not realize how much I had missed soccer being in a zone with only hermanas (no contact sports). Then we got to the super cool stuff. Izucar is the hottest zone in all of the mission so we had the great idea to have a water fight. We filled up almost 400 water balloons to attack each other. Then we divided up into two teams and played capture the flag water balloon style. We also had a cool carne asada after the fight with the Mexican famous coca cola

We also had our interviews with president this week, which was super cool. We just talked about how I was doing in the mission and about life. President Alcala told me to keep on working with the goals I have and to keep helping others along the way. When our food got canceled that day we went out to get pasole with President as well which was super good.

Elder Mills and I also traveled down to another area to do some service for a Member of the Tehuitzingo branch. All of his house had caved in so we had the task of taking all of the rubble out to toss over a cliff so he could begin to rebuild. We also had cut back some the vegetation to give him more room with machetes and everyone knows using machetes is fun!! jaja

One day while we were waiting for a Menos Active family in the church for one of our citas, we began talking with the family history consultants. They are both super fun grandparents, who are super excited to share the gospel and family history (Like some people I know). When our family arrived we were guided to invite them into the office of family history to teach them there with the consultants. At first it was awkward to teach because we normally do not teach about this, but soon everyone was laughing and smiling. I especially liked the prompting we recieved to do an activity of writing out their family tree. It was fun watching them remember their ancestors and then reminding them of their sealing within their family. It was fun and different lesson and I know that Family History is one of the things that sets us apart from other churches. It was super cool to see them arrive at church this last Sunday as well.

Well the computer is still refusing to accept the pictures of my camera so I will have to see what else I can do next week to change that. However, I want to let you all know that I love you and I wish I could write you each a specific letter.

Elder Thompson

Favorite Conference Talks

Hey everyone it has been one of those weeks super fast and busy. Today we had an activity de zona so we got out late trying to clean everybody up. This conference was awesome though. I loved the talks of Ronald A. Rasband, 1st of Dieter F. Uchtdorf, and Niel L. Anderson. I know that these men are apostles of God and that the seventy are key witnesses as well. I cant wait to tell you all more about my week... but I will have to do it next week. I am so sorry keep doing well and know that I am praying for you all.

Love ya

Elder Thompson

Also for some reason the computer cant connect to my camera so pictures are coming next week as well

SORRY