So, So....So. So. HOT!

SO YESTERDAY I spent a good 10 minutes trying to locate my journal. Does that give you and idea for how up-to-date I've been?

I AM DEDICATING MYSELF RIGHT NOW TO WRITE EVERY DAY IN MY JOURNAL. YOU ARE ALL VIRTUAL WITNESSES. My hand's on a Bible. (There's a Bible on my iPad.) (Roll your eyes, fellow missionaries. That's right. I said iPad. #spoiledstatesidemissionaryupinheeeeeyyyaaa)

Let's start with my Hermana Johnson story of the week: she just discovered that the word "cockroach" is not "crockroach." I FEEL SO BAD, my family has poisoned me, I swear, I COULD NOT STOP LAUGHING when she said "crockroach." 

Background: for those of you unfamiliar with the Thomas family....we're great and all, but I give you a warning--DO NOT MESS UP ENGLISH. You will be met with ridiculous laughter, and we will probably not forget about it ever ever ever EVER. 

Which brings me to my next topic...MY BRAIN IS MELTING. I'm serious. This paragraph is mostly intended for the benefit of my mother...Mom...I'm sorry I've laughed at your English mistakes all these years. I understand now. IT'S THE STRESS, PEOPLE. I was super sharp, hardly messed up my words before my mission. But now...well...let's start from the beginning...

It all started in Olivar. There we were, Hermana Kenney and I, walking down the hot stretch of road in front of us, talking about our investigators. (More background information: I was not very forgiving of Hermana Kenney's English mess-ups either.) Well, we were talking about how a lesson we just had didn't go very well. Then, trying to see the bright-side, I said, "but he read his scriptures! At least he's making pogess."

POGESS. 

POGESS.

POGESS.

...hello, where'd you go, "Letter R"?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I SAID 'POGESS'. And guess who noticed? My lovely companion. Hermana Kenney was dying. Laughing so hard. I TOTALLY DESERVED IT. 

That was the first instance. Since then, my stress level has definitely increased, what with taking on more responsibility, planning baptisms, learning Spanish, getting Tuberculosis, changing missions, serving in the blistering heat, training, senior companion, white-washing, biking, conquering Satan, etc. It gets to you, and sometimes your brain fails.

Well, I've had two great ones this week. First of all, I keep accidentally saying, "acartment pomplex." Like, consistently. Like, "apartment complex" is not even in my vocabulary anymore.

But, lo, the best is yet to come...the other day we were sitting in McDonald's for free WiFi, and I'm just looking around, and I see a poster advertising a deal on hamburgers. So I say, "oh, look, $3.33 for two duggle cheeseburbers."

?!?@$&*^#(@()$) DUGGLE?!?!?!?!?! DUGGLE!!!!!!!!!!!! I SAID DUGGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????!!!!!!

Forget the "cheeseburbers," I SAID "DUGGLE."

I blame it on the stress. The point is...sorry, Mom.

Hermana Thomas and Hermana Homer--they are two peas in a pod...er...in a cape!

Back to things that actually matter...oh wait, just kidding, more things that don't matter:

Do you recall when Hermana Kenney and I motivated ourselves to run up 13 flights of stairs by placing snicker bars on every floor? Well, I'm not sure that we exactly matched that, but this morning Hermana Johnson and I went on a run....................to get McDonald's breakfast. (I swear, I am not obsessed with McDonald's.)

We also passed a crazy guy yesterday who started shouting "STOP COME BACK HERE GIMME YOUR BIKES! I SWEAR THAT GOD JUST TOLD ME THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO GIVE ME YOUR BIKES I SWEAR IT." We tried to get clear of him, but we hit a stop light, and he caught up to us. He was like, "y'all mormons?" We're like, "yep, we are." He says, "aww, I'm so sorry to hear that, I hope you find the true path one day." So I said...okay, I shouldn't have said this...I said, "well, I hope the 'true path' doesn't involve shouting and strangers in the streets." So then he goes off on how Mormons are 'unnatural' and that the fact that we don't act on our 'natural impulses' is unhealthy, like we should drink beer and have sexual relations with whoever we want whenever we want, and I'm like, hmm, you probably believe that because you're not close to getting married any time soon, huh...anyway, we just smiled and told him that we think it's more important to obey God, then we biked away. I probably should have just turned the other cheek but I was like PREACH IT. I was in a "stand-on-a-soap-box-and-call-him-to-repentance" mood.

Oh, we had this one day where LITERALLY EVERYTHING WENT WRONG. I wish I had time to tell you how it went down, but I couldn't even type it in one letter, so many things went wrong. At one point, we stopped on our bikes at a stop light, and out of NOWHERE, Hermana Johnson's bike fell apart. We just looked at each other, like, SERIOUSLY?!?! and then we both just started laughing. We could not believe it. But then we were looking for something flexible but firm enough to replace the bike piece that fell off, and we found something SO INCREDIBLY PERFECT, I couldn't believe we found this wire-thing just sitting there! It fit like a glove. Miracle! AND some random old lady gave us CAKE THAT DAY. 

Guys, count your blessings! There are miracles every day. It would be so cool if you stopped at the end of every day, before your prayer, and thought of one miracle that happened in those 24 hours. Will you all do that from now on? 

As for our investigators, everything is good. :) Blanca and Alex are so amazing! I'm pretty sure that Alex is back to church to stay, he even gave a talk at the other sisters' baptism on Saturday! So now we just have to help Blanca gain a testimony so that they can have an eternal family!

We got a hold of this amazing family we found the other day, and they are eager to have us come back! Super awesome! 

We have one person who wants to get baptized, he just has to change a few things in his life first, mostly...his pride...but he's super super nice! Will you all pray for him? 

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH. I love being a missionary. I've stopped my count-down, I hate it. I just want to be a full-time missionary forever.

Keep being awesome. I love you lots and lots.

Love, Hermana TBhomas

the most schlikin' week ever....?

Hey guys, did you have a schlikin' week? Mine was pretty schlikin'.

Can we just pause for a moment and discuss this: what if "schlikin" was actually a word in your language? Could you really take your language seriously? This was a thoroughly discussed topic in my companionship this week, and we have concluded that the only way to know is if we try it. Thus, "schlikin" was introduced into the English vocabulary.

The interesting thing about "schlikin" is that it derives from the verb "to schlik", but, curiously enough, its root has no real definition. Thus, "schlikin" has a variety of meanings and can be applied to almost anything.

"I feel a little schlikin' today."

"That lesson was schlikin'."

"Our mission president is so schlikin' tall!"

"You look quite schlikin'." 

My invitation to you this week is to find what "schlikin" means to you and apply it in your every day life.

FREE CLOTHES! I got a ton of free clothes this week. It was great. Our stake's Relief Society did a big clothing exchange, they had SO MANY CLOTHES. Our ward mission leader's wife is the stake Relief Society president, so she let us in early to grab what we wanted. Granted, most of the clothes were...not my style...but I SCORED on some skirts and a nice shirt, also some incredible ugly sweaters which will be perfect for my return home (oh yeah, I'm coming home in style.) My companion also managed to find a 'MERICA shirt that rivals my own. It was my turn to break some "thou shalt not covet"s. 

Also we lived through another HABOOB. It wasn't as bad as the first one, but we got tossed around a bit. My face was pretty coated with dust by the time we got to our lesson...then we hid in there until it cooled down. I'm a little disappointed, though. I want another big one to blow in, because last time we were trapped in the CVS and you can't see out the windows! I already know where we will camp out...Donut Co. (Even though that lady thinks I'm special...donuts. Worth it.) 

The dust storm brought in some SPECTACULAR lightning that night, too! I was literally sinking into a super deep sleep when suddenly I'm pulled out of it by Hermana Johnson saying "HERMANA! HERMANA!" So I get up and she tells me to look outside, and "BOOM CRASH AND A LIGHTING FLASH and well that's another story, nevermind, anyway" (<--I don't know if anyone is going to get that reference) but yeah HUGE lightning! It just was crawling all over the sky! So I pulled out my iPad and took a video of it, but by that time it had calmed down a little bit...bummer. But it was so cool!

We also had a few meetings this week. We had interviews with the president, but unfortunately he hasn't gotten to us yet. He was halfway done with our Zone when he had to deal with something else, so I'm still waiting on that! But I am learning patience (patience, iago (<--is that how you spell that? eago?)) (what is up with me quoting things today?!?) (I'm sorry. This email is super scatter-brained.) 

Yesterday we started a workshop in our ward called "Taller Misional: 8 Fundamentos." It's something that we are doing for the ward as missionaries to better train on how to use the fundamentals in your calling! Whatever your calling is, your purpose is the same: "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." Are you a bishop? Primary teacher? Relief Society counselor? Visiting teacher? Deacon's quorum president? WE ALL HAVE ONE PURPOSE! Isn't that awesome?

We had some really amazing things happen this week. One family that we found told us that they will pray to know if Joseph Smith is a prophet, and they were super into it, accepted the baptismal invite and everything! We have a lesson with them on Wednesday, pray for us!

We finally got a hold of a part-member family, shared a scripture and ended with a prayer, and as we were leaving, the husband told us that he wants to get baptized! It was amazing! We are working on it right now. He still doesn't have a date, but he was there yesterday at church (even though they all ran out as soon as the first meeting was over.) We are going to work with them a lot so that they can be really prepared to become a member of the church! 

Blanca and Alex are still doing great! They want to get married, and we are working bit by bit with them. We love them so much! They are such a lovely family. Their two kids are hilarious. Oh my goodness we love them!

I love training. Hermana Johnson is incredible! BEING A MISSIONARY IS THE GREATEST CALLING IN THE WORLD. I don't ever want to take off this tag!

Hows the scripture study going? No one ever tells me. Also, everyone go join the "Hero Like Him" event on Facebook and post a POWER PHRASE this week with the hashtags #strengthfroma #herolikeHim

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH. I pray for you every day and I think about you a lot. I love being a missionary! It's the bomb. You don't even know. You don't.

The church is true! Isn't that great??!?

Love, Hermana Thomas

so.....

HELLOW BARBIE! HOW ARE YOO! WHA-CHYOH-NAYM? (throwback to Chile....)

What's new, homies? (Sorry, our new district leader called us homies yesterday, not quite over it.) What's crackalackin? 

First of all...ANTS. BITE. PEOPLE? DO THEY HAVE LITTLE ANT-TEETH OR SOMETHING?! 

My Chilean Animal Nemesis: Birds, dogs, snails, etc.

My Arizonian Animal Nemesis: ANTS.

I have gotten bit SIX TIMES THIS WEEK. WHAT?! I just keep standing in ant piles! I kid you not, I have NEVER BEEN BITTEN by an ant before in my life!! Yes, okay, I have heard of being bitten by ants...but until this week I have never experienced it for myself. But I'll just be standing there, unlocking my bike, and out of nowhere BAM MY WHOLE LEG STINGS. Look down and there are about six trillion and five ants sucking my blood or whatever they do. Little evil vampire-y ants...I AM NOT FOOD. I AM NOT A GIANT CRUMB. NICE TRY. I STEP ON YOU. WHO THINKEST THOU THAT THOU ARTEST. (Scriptural-language in the name of righteous anger.)

Yeah, but they sting for a bit after! (Oh, and someone help me out please...after getting bitten the first time, I had the vaguest memory of one time when we were at some primary activity and Erin stuck a stick into a red ant pile and got bitten to death? Was that a psychotic dream or something?)

Also, a new chapter in my companions odd sleeping habits. I woke up one morning, walked out to the living room to find a very excited Hermana Raynor. She was super eager to tell me about what happened the night before...so I guess this is how it went down:

Hermana Raynor is a light sleeper, and wakes up at about 1:00am, because she hears noises in the kitchen like someone is cooking something. She goes out, and finds the light on, and my little greenie is (in Hermana Raynor's words) "going to town" on some brownies! (We made brownies the night before. There were nine, I ate one, Hermana Arellano another, but other than that, no one ate the rest.) Hermana Raynor's like, "what are you doing," and my greenie says "cutting a brownie." Then apparently she shoves one brownie in her mouth, grabs another one, and groggily walks back into our room. 

Anyway, I was like, "no way, no way, I don't believe that," but then we go over and look at the brownie pan, and sure enough, two more brownies are gone. Then I go to tell Hermana Johnson, and I find a little trail (if you can call it that) of brownie crumbs entering into our room. Hermana Johnson was very disappointed, because she'd been planning on eating a brownie for breakfast...she's like, "well now I can't even eat one, cause I already ate two, and I didn't even get to enjoy them!" It was...really funny. Also slightly worrying....but mostly funny.

Also, Hermana Johnson finally hit one of the Spanish mile-stones...she officially cannot pray in English anymore! Yayyy!! I'm so proud! Sometimes we'll be in lessons where we speak quite a bit of English, and at the end when she has to pray, she'll turn to me and ask, "should I pray in English or Spanish?" I always shrug and say, "which ever one you want to get better at." (Heh.) But this time, she went ahead and prayed in English...and she COULDN'T! HAH. I WIN. She started accidentally saying "Jesucristo" and instead of "and" she said "y"...then our investigator started laughing at her and we all kind of lost it...I know, not good...so then I said the prayer, but then our investigator couldn't hold it in again, and we laughed, then we finally got a good one in. (It ended up being a good thing, our investigator said that she had been looking for a good laugh that day.)

HAH. #spanishisthebest #nomoreenglish #ever

We also had a few really awesome miracles this week! We were biking around a little aimlessly last Monday, since most of our plans fell through...then we passed on street, and all the sudden we hear "MISSIONARIES! MISSIONARIES!" so we turn around and we find Hermano Villa, a SUPER AWESOME MEMBER of our ward, and he's signaling for us to come over. So we turn around, and it turns out that he is in the process of giving a Book of Mormon to his friend who is standing next to him, and he wanted us to bear our testimonies of it and tell him the story of Joseph Smith. It was so cool! It was definitely a little miracle from God, because we were feeling pretty aimless that day, but then BAM. Awesome lesson! And with a member. Surprise! 

We also found a FAMILY! :D We were knocking on doors one day, and we met a woman with three kids who had just moved to Arizona from California (or Texas? I don't remember...) just two months ago, and was looking for a church to go to! She loved everything we taught her. Her children are also super great! We have a return appointment with them on Wednesday, we hope everything goes well and that they can really progress!

Blanca and Manuel are also doing super awesome! We love them so much. They came to church with their two little kids this week, we were so happy! And they bought us little bracelets. They said that they are going to visit me next year for their little family vacation in Utah! I'm pretty stoked. They are great.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH. How is the Book of Mormon going? Are you all still reading it? What part are you at? It would be cool if you shared a scripture with me in your emails from something you read that week...sometimes I get bored just finding my own insights. 

How are your prayers?!?!? 

I LOVE YOU ALL AGAIN SO MUCH AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. Keep doing good! Keep serving others! Keep being the best people ever. Big hugs from the AZ!!

Love, Hermana Thomas

Holy Cow!!!

Well. This week was quite the whirlwind of weirdness.

First of all. I LOVE YOU! 

Okay so back to this week. 

I CRASHED ON MY BIKE. Let me tell you what. I hate bikes. But I also love them but sometimes THEY JUST I don't even know how to explain this. Hermana Johnson and I just left the house to head over to the Beck church building because we needed WiFi for our online hour. So, here I am, just chillin, ridin' my bike, down the same road I always go down, doin' the same thing I'm always doin', nothin' in view, then HWA-PAM I AM FLYING THROUGH THE AIR, SKIDDING AROUND LIKE A MANIAC, LIMBS FLAILING AND SKIDDING TO A STOP. One moment I am humming an Adele song under my breath and the next I am soaring through the air. (That is what I get for an unconsecrated song stuck in my head...I've repented.) 

It's all good, but I got banged up a bit. I'll send pictures, but let me just tell you, they do not do it justice. Okay? They don't. Mostly I was fine, scraped elbow, bruised in really weird places, but my left knee got the biggest blow. It's still throbbing a bit. But, as you can all probably imagine, this was not the funnest experience for me. (It still isn't.) Hermana Raynor and Arellano came to the rescue with a first aid kit to disinfect and bandage me up, but I was just not having it. At one point she had to dumb cold water on my leg and that was probably the worst part. I finally pulled out my iPad and watched the bible videos on it to distract myself. I'll try to send some proof.

Oh, the other day we were standing in a gas station waiting for the other sisters to come pick us up when suddenly this black guy bursts inside, stops and stares at us, then points to Hermana Johnson (after apparently thinking very hard about something) and says, "...YOU'RE the older one." We look at each other like...what? So I start thinking about possible things he might be talking about...like, older in life? Me. By a year. Older in the mission? Me. By a year. So...I say, "nope. I am." Then he's like, "aww man, darn it, I always guess twins right." Then he just walks off and leaves. 

I don't know if I've already mentioned this, but everyone thinks that Hermana Johnson and I are sisters. I don't think our faces look too similar, but it's the blonde hair and blue eyes, plus we keep accidentally matching, which sure doesn't help...anyway, this week we've been asked like 6 times if we are twins. One time a cashier rung us both up on the same receipt because we "looked like twins." Another little girl asked us if we were twins. Like...it's been multiple, multiple times this week.

Speaking of Hermana Johnson, the other night I get woken up to the sound of my cute little greenie praying super loud in perfect Spanish. In her sleep. Super loud. And she was praying specifically for one investigator, so I'm like, it's cool. I'm sure God heard that one, even if she didn't.

We also had a flash flood yesterday! I've never experienced one of those before, and it was literally a "flash"! It stopped after like 10 minutes of non-stop pouring. Luckily, we were in a baptism during most of it, but I LOVE RAIN. I kind of just wanted to go run in it! I wish we'd been on bikes...

We also invited a member to one of our lessons who literally and quite boldly called our investigators to repentance. While it was maybe verging on the "whoa, there, way way way too direct" side, I think I learned a lesson in being bold, because they didn't seem to startled by it.

I also got asked to direct the hymns for like every single meeting we had this week...EVEN SACRAMENT MEETING. That was a doozy. All I'm saying is..."A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief." All seven verses. And I don't know how to properly direct 6/8. In Spanish. Slow organist. Slow death.

And now...for the kicker...

There's this donut shop next to where we live called "Donut Co." Supposedly, it has been voted best donuts in Arizona two years in a row. Truthfully, we only go in there for bathroom breaks, but a few nights ago we ran in and ended up buying a donut each. There was this lady working there...she was a little odd. Like, said weird things. (And I'm not just saying that. Okay...just...wait. Wait until the end of this story.) Like...while Hermana Johnson was in the bathroom a person came through the drive through, and after she gave them her donut, she says, "I just washed a toilet with these hands." ?!?!?!? Don't say that, lady! And she really did. She was telling me about it before he drove up. She also said other really odd things. But I just had a small conversation with her, no big deal. Then later a member called us, so I took the call, and I'm speaking in Spanish, and the lady working there says something to Hermana Johnson about me, but yeah, whatever, right?

Well, on Saturday Hermana Raynor and Arellano come into the house practically peeing their pants from laughter. They tell us that they just ran to the Donut Co to use the bathroom, and that some lady working there (and they described her. It's that same lady) was talking to them, and was like, "Oh, two other missionaries came in here the other day with nametags like that. Two blondes. One of them was pretty new I think, and the other was special or something, she kept signing with her hands and didn't understand much." 

?!?!?!?

DJIAW FJIEA'G'EAJISD;FLEJA WHAT. SIGNING WITH MY HANDS?! 

So ya'll can just enjoy that one. 

Also there was a mini ward activity planned that we were invited to (me and Hermana Johnson) so we showed up and LO AND BEHOLD we had NO IDEA that we were teaching it! And it was about Temples, probably the least studied topic of my entire mission. So we throw in this DVD about temples that lasts 10 minutes and are in the back just rummaging through Preach My Gospel for something to say after. (Preach My Gospel is inspired, people.) It ended up being fine. But that stress-shock took a solid two years off my life. 

BUT this week has been so awesome! I love when crazy stuff happens! I seriously love it. We have had so much fun this week. Hermana Johnson is so amazing, this morning I was just thinking to myself, "I LOVE MY COMPANION!" I really feel like we are together for a big reason! She teaches me things all day! And we are such great friends. We are seeing miracles all the time!

We had a less active that we've been working with come to church yesterday! It was a big shock! Then he and his wife and two little, adorable, kind of crazy kids came to a baptism yesterday night with us. It was so fun! We love this family so much, and it was a big step for him to come to church--alone--and we were so happy! We are praying so hard that they can progress as a family, and that his wife can be baptized! We love them so much!!

We also got a few good references for families that we are going to pass by this coming week! Our investigators are doing fine, still lack the motivation, but we are pushing forward with them and keeping up faith to really find more prepared people! Keep praying for us, please! :) 

Also, I met my first Chilean the other day! Ya po! Que bakan!

Spiritual insight...I have always, my whole life, whole mission, thought that God wanted us to be dependent on Him. But I read a talk the other day that flipped my world upside down. I don't remember who it was (I'll find out...I think it was President Uchtdorf,) but he said something like "if we are dependent on God, we become weak. It is through the struggle that we learn." (Really botched that quote, but that's the gist of it.) I had the thought...what?? Aren't we supposed to turn to God in everything, trust in Him, look unto Him in every thought, etc? What?? But then I had a big moment of realization: Yes, God wants us to DEPEND on Him, but He does not want us to be DEPENDENT on Him. He wants us to be INDEPENDENT. And that's why sometimes He lets us struggle! BOOM. Mind was blown. Instantly. What do you all think about that? Let me know.

I love you all so much. Say your prayers, read the Book of Mormon, and go to church and LOVE IT ALWAYS.

Love, Hermana Thomas

Haboobs and What-not?

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYY

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY FAMILYYYYYYYYYYYY AND FRIEEEEEEENNNNNDDDDDDSSSSSSS

First thing's first, I am going to ask that someone (I don't care who it is okay just someone) send me a full report of the weather in Arizona, because I thought I knew how it was but YEAH NO. 

Everyone's like "it's so dry, always dry, sizzling heat, dry dry dry..."

LIARS. It is so humid right now. And it all started with the Haboob...

Yes, that is a word. Haboob. I was in the middle of a thundering, raging haboob this week. I just can't stop typing that word. Haboob. It's such a weird word. Anyway...what is a "haboob," you might ask? Well, imagine that you're outside picnicking on a beautiful 3rd of July, the sky is blue, the grass is green, when suddenly Mexico decides to kick up some sand and BOOM THE HABOOB IS UPON YOU. These Haboobs hop the border, man. Huge dust storms! My companion and I were biking to a coordination meeting, and we get this text from the City of Tempe saying that an "urgent warning" is being sent to everyone about an incoming dust storm. It's like...how'd you get my number, Tempe?!? Anyway, we thought we could make it, so we kept biking. Out in the horizon, we can see this cloud of dust. It's getting bigger and bigger, so we just start peddling faster and faster...logic...anyway, we get outside of a CVS and decide to call it good, with the branches flying around us and the traffic lights flickering and whatnot. (Mom, do not have a heart attack.) 

So we chilled out in CVS for a good hour. It was actually pretty lame, but at least we didn't have any other plans than this meeting...which ended up getting cancelled. The other sisters came to our rescue when it was safe, and we went home. It was raining a bit (which is the second time on my mission that I have felt any other type of weather other than skin-melting-hot) and there were some SWEET lightning storms over yonder. 

But since then it has been SUPER HUMID. Apparently Arizona has a monsoon season?! AND it's over 105 degrees every day? 

So I guess we're in for a lot of these haboobs this month. That's what I've been told. I like humidity, but I just started getting used to doing my hair...bummer. 

The other girls in our apartment reported bedbugs in their room, so we all had to throw our things into plastic bags (everything everything everything in plastic bags) and desert our apartment for five hours so that it could get sprayed down. That was an adventure! And I just finished unpacking...ayayay! But that's okay, it was actually kind of fun. But now I have a lot of plastic bags with clothes in them. 

It was also the Fourth of July! All missionaries were required to be inside at 5pm and stay there for the rest of the night. We partied hard! (We colored with crayons.) (All night.) (Actually, we played a game called "The Duck." It's a game that Andrew Massamini and I made up in Physics class, you draw a duck on a piece of paper, one person's job is to the kill the duck and the other person's job is to protect the duck, you can draw anything you want, you take turns, and it requires imagination. Also it's a really dumb game but it's SUPER entertaining. We were all four really into it.) (Missionaries have the most fun. I swear.)

Also, remember how I told you all that we show that "Because of Him" video a lot? And I told you about some of the responses we would get. Then we eradicated this problem by telling the people to actually READ the WORDS, not just look at the PICTURES...well, it's been working perfectly. Then, the other day, I forgot to tell them to read the words. I was like..."nah. it's okay. they'll get it." So then at the end I asked the man what he understood from the video, what called his attention and he says: "...I like...how it showed that we went to the moon.......because....it's true....we did."

I just stared at him. I was like...no. No. No. NonononononoNONONO. So I just sat and waited for him to say something more. And he just sat there like that was it, but then he sensed that I was waiting for something else, so he thinks, and says, "and...Jesus---" and I'm like "YES. SOMETHING ABOUT JESUS CHRIST. GOOD JOB. THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR!!!!" and just pretended he didn't say anything about astronauts.

This week was a good week as far as la obra is concerned. Nothing too big to report, but we came across a few really good people who we think can progress really well! Hermana Johnson is slowly forgetting about the Spanish, and I keep telling her to just let it go as much as possible, because that's the only way she will ever get better! But I know that's hard, trust me, I lived it. But I still love training, and I hope I get to do it again and again! :)

I love you all so much! Also, I thought I'd add that in the room next to me right now are a group of 15 old women having a lesson on how to use Facebook. 

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH KEEP READING AND PRAYING PLEASE. And go to church. I don't care what your excuse is. Quit your job and go to church. 1 Nephi 3:7 #lookitup

LOVE, Hermana Thomas

PS: update on the TB...it's all good. :)