Happy Thanksgiving

November 18, 2012

G'day Mates!

It's been a pretty sweet week! Time is continuing to fly by. I can't believe that in about 3 weeks I will hit what I think is my 1 year left mark. I think next Monday is transfers and the next transfer will take us all the way into the new year! 

Funny story about Air-Bud, just this last week I was tracting with Elder Lau, in the Cantonese program, and we ran into one house and the lady was a long lost less active member! Miracle! She was really nice and had this 3 year old son who was OBSESSED with basketball! They were on their way to go get a new dog too. She was telling us about his favorite movies. Basketball movies like Space Jam and stuff. We told her about Air-Bud and she had never heard of it so she was pretty excited that they could now watch a movie about a dog AND basketball. haha anyway just kinda random that Makayla watched that movie this week for the first time.

My core experience with God this week goes hand in hand with what I learned about virtue. Learning a lot about virtue, it is something that someone can not give to you, and something that no one else can control. It starts within yourself. In reading about and pondering about and praying about virtue, I have found myself being more sanctified in thoughts, words, actions, moods, appetites, passions, desires, and everything else! Virtue is the kind of thing that one must have in order to do things and be obedient because they WANT to versus because they HAVE to. I think to myself, if I was not accountable to anyone for the work I do as a missionary, if I were like the missionaries of old, who go to foreign countries alone with no companion, no rules or anything--- would I work like they did? Would I be diligent like them? Would I always remember that even if I am not accountable to any person, I am always accountable to God? My answer to these things is... I sure hope so. I may never find out, but I want to live so that if it ever came to something like that, I would hold my virtue and do righteous things because it is my desire and my passion. I am happy and thankful that Heavenly Father has helped me out with this realization and deeper change of heart. 

President Howes in his last email to us asked us all to read the first 15 pages of the Missionary handbook this week and report back to him what we learned. Reading the first 15 pages of the white handbook takes everything right back down to the basics. I thought back to when I first read that book and was amazed at how organized the church was with missionary work. They've thought of everything!! These basics are the foundation for all other decisions we make and for the way we conduct ourselves as missionaries. We can interpret, rationalize, justify and tweak just about anything in that book to satisfy our disobedience, but when taken back to the basics, all of these justifications are fraud. I hope that myself and everyone else can get into a habit of keeping in mind the spirit of the rules, and not just the words. This is something that applies not just to missionary work, but also to life. 

That's awesome to hear about Quinn getting his mission call! I am really excited for him. Peru will be an awesome place to serve. It's also great to hear about the mantle being put up, work's getting done!!

Today we went and got some genuine hand made kangaroo fur scriptures cases. It is so soft :) I probably wont use it till I get home though just to preserve it. We had to get them fast because the guy who sells them was going to stop doing it. I think next year for everyones birthday I will send them their very own Kangaroo scrotum! They are great for holding coins!! ;) hahahah anyway, have a wonderfull thanksgiving. I will miss everyone but try to have fun without me. :)

Love, Elder Thompson