Hello!
Wow I'm so jealous that you all get to be out camping! I
really miss it! haha I hope to have some pictures sent to me pretty
soon. I guess I'd better send some as well.. I have to go get batteries
for my camera though.. woops!
I have had a really great and very
fast week! I had one of the most amazing experiences in my mission and
life this week. I got to share my core experience with God, with three
other people at once. I was on trade offs in Sutherland. I was on trade
offs with Elder Lee. We had planned to see a less-active member at night
but we had to reschedule with her to a time earlier in the day. We had
no guy to go with us so we figured we would just at least go have a door
chat. When we got there, we found out that her little brother who is 18
was unexpectedly home at that time. So we got to go inside! Miracle #1.
We shared a message with
her but her brother just kinda sat at the computer and didn't really
interact much or show interest. As we talked with the girl, Sah, she
said that her little bro wasn't a member of the church. What a perfect
opportunity. He didn't seem interested but it was worth a shot! We
started to talk to him and inquire about his beliefs. He had been to our
church before but didn't really like it because he was too confused as a
kid and stuff. We told him that our job was to teach people that basic
foundation of knowledge so that they aren't confused at church. After a
few minutes of talking about helping him understand our purpose, his
sister and us were able to convince him to hear the message of the
restoration. He said ok and agreed to just turn around in his chair at
the computer. To make a long story short, we began teaching and
delivered the best lesson that I have ever taught. That's because the
spirit was so strong. So strong!!! At the time of explaining
the first vision, a little toddler was running around jumping and
getting chased and making disruption but Semu (the one we were teaching)
was locked on the picture of Joseph Smith in the grove. It was amazing.
His sister Sah did an excellent job of helping him understand as well.
By the end of the lesson the spirit pretty much forced me to invite him
to be baptised and he accepted a date 3 weeks away. At the end of the
lesson the only question he had was "Is it true that this will change my
life?" We said yes and he was very comforted. He said he just wanted a
better life and future. Before we left, he looked down and the Book of
Mormon in his hand and said "Never thought I would have ever gotten into
this... but.... ". He didn't know what the Holy Ghost was before but we
clearly helped him understand that this feeling he had, which he had
never felt before, was just that. God telling him that this was true,
that he loved him, and that everything would
be okay. This was one of the most amazing experiences that I have ever
had. Really the first time I have met someone that was so open to the
spirit and humble enough to change. The Sutherland area has REALLY
struggled for new investigators lately and with the snap of a finger
(Gods finger) they now have someone to baptize. I am so thankful that I
could be a part of such a miracle.
I'll be looking forward to
the mission conference next week so that I can become even more focused
on my purpose as a missionary and be reaffirmed that the Lord in on my
side. I wish to be humbled and learn new things that I can apply in my
life as a missionary and also for the rest of my life. I hope that all
these experiences help me grow and progress toward eternal life.
Love, Elder Thompson
PS- There is an Elder here who's name is Elder Smiler. He is from New Zealand haha. There is also and Elder Elder. hahaha
Saturday, September 1, 2012
6 months down
Hey there!
Sorry I haven't been able to write any letters home yet. Things have been crazy. The last two p-days have been zone p-day so we have done a lot of travel and activities and today we got to go to the temple. We had to ride the train so it took a few hours and tonight we have to cut our preparation off a little early because of appointments. So we have to email, wash the car and do our shopping.It's nearly 4 pm and I haven't even eaten anything yet. That leaves me with 0 min of free time today but I promise I will find the post office next monday and send a package home. By that time I will have the funds to send it too. I have some cool things to send :) One letter per P day doesn't sound too bad. I think I can manage that :)
Sounds like you have all had a really great week! So many things going on I wish I could comment on all of it! The main thing I have to say though is that I miss everyone so much! All the holidays and things sound so fun. I love my family more than anything! Oh yeah... and since when have we celebrated christmas in July??? hahahaha I never even heard of that until a few weeks ago and now I find out my family does it! hahah oh well whatever gives the excuse to gather with loved ones.
My core experience with God this week has definitely been the strength and support that I have received from Him. Prayer really is a two-way communication. It is interesting to be able to really seek and receive revelation from the spirit, for those that I am in a position to help. I am very excited and looking forward to the time that I have to serve as a Zone Leader. I long to stay humble, teachable, and committed. I am firm in my belief that I will learn wayyyyy more from the Elders that I serve around, than they will learn from me. The bottom line is, however, we can't teach each other anything. The spirit teaches us, through other people. It strengthens my faith in Christ when I observe other people's desire to obey and serve the Lord. When the Holy Ghost comes as the Holy Spirit of Promise, it confirms to us that we are doing the right thing. I know that it can also testify to us when others are doing the right thing, and I am so thankful for that gift that we have from Heavenly Father.
I received guidance from the verse in D&C 121 that talks about faithfulness being stronger than the chords of death. That just comforts me and encourages me to continue to develop the faith that is really stronger than the chords of death. I have been working more on exercising faith lately. Yesterday, Elder Honeycutt and I decided to make a goal for a number of return appointments we wanted to get during finding. We held up our fingers with our goals. I help up 3 fingers, Elder Honeycutt held up 7. We decided that 7 would be our goal. We worked our hardest and exercised all of our faith. We saw heaps of miracles!! We ended up at the end of the day with 5 return appointments, right in between 3 and 7. I know that the Lord prepared each of those people to be ready to receive the restored gospel. I am grateful that I could be the tool that He used at that time to be able to reach out to them.
I am excited for my first Zone Leader Training Meeting this week. Once a month the Zone leaders will gather the entire zone to train them. Kinda like a district meeting but bigger. We also go on a 24 hour companion exchange with each companionship in our zone per month. We also organize district leader councils and work closely with President Howes to keep the mission running smooth. There are 14 missionaries in my Zone and I love them all. I will have lot's of fun. My new area is full of lebanese, muslim and asian people, they are all really nice. For my new mail address it would be best to send things to the mission office.
Elder Kuyler Thompson
Australia Sydney Mission
756 Pennant Hills Road
Carlingford, NSW, 2118
Australia
Anyway, It's so good to hear from you as always. Have fun camping for me! :)
Sorry I haven't been able to write any letters home yet. Things have been crazy. The last two p-days have been zone p-day so we have done a lot of travel and activities and today we got to go to the temple. We had to ride the train so it took a few hours and tonight we have to cut our preparation off a little early because of appointments. So we have to email, wash the car and do our shopping.It's nearly 4 pm and I haven't even eaten anything yet. That leaves me with 0 min of free time today but I promise I will find the post office next monday and send a package home. By that time I will have the funds to send it too. I have some cool things to send :) One letter per P day doesn't sound too bad. I think I can manage that :)
Sounds like you have all had a really great week! So many things going on I wish I could comment on all of it! The main thing I have to say though is that I miss everyone so much! All the holidays and things sound so fun. I love my family more than anything! Oh yeah... and since when have we celebrated christmas in July??? hahahaha I never even heard of that until a few weeks ago and now I find out my family does it! hahah oh well whatever gives the excuse to gather with loved ones.
My core experience with God this week has definitely been the strength and support that I have received from Him. Prayer really is a two-way communication. It is interesting to be able to really seek and receive revelation from the spirit, for those that I am in a position to help. I am very excited and looking forward to the time that I have to serve as a Zone Leader. I long to stay humble, teachable, and committed. I am firm in my belief that I will learn wayyyyy more from the Elders that I serve around, than they will learn from me. The bottom line is, however, we can't teach each other anything. The spirit teaches us, through other people. It strengthens my faith in Christ when I observe other people's desire to obey and serve the Lord. When the Holy Ghost comes as the Holy Spirit of Promise, it confirms to us that we are doing the right thing. I know that it can also testify to us when others are doing the right thing, and I am so thankful for that gift that we have from Heavenly Father.
I received guidance from the verse in D&C 121 that talks about faithfulness being stronger than the chords of death. That just comforts me and encourages me to continue to develop the faith that is really stronger than the chords of death. I have been working more on exercising faith lately. Yesterday, Elder Honeycutt and I decided to make a goal for a number of return appointments we wanted to get during finding. We held up our fingers with our goals. I help up 3 fingers, Elder Honeycutt held up 7. We decided that 7 would be our goal. We worked our hardest and exercised all of our faith. We saw heaps of miracles!! We ended up at the end of the day with 5 return appointments, right in between 3 and 7. I know that the Lord prepared each of those people to be ready to receive the restored gospel. I am grateful that I could be the tool that He used at that time to be able to reach out to them.
I am excited for my first Zone Leader Training Meeting this week. Once a month the Zone leaders will gather the entire zone to train them. Kinda like a district meeting but bigger. We also go on a 24 hour companion exchange with each companionship in our zone per month. We also organize district leader councils and work closely with President Howes to keep the mission running smooth. There are 14 missionaries in my Zone and I love them all. I will have lot's of fun. My new area is full of lebanese, muslim and asian people, they are all really nice. For my new mail address it would be best to send things to the mission office.
Elder Kuyler Thompson
Australia Sydney Mission
756 Pennant Hills Road
Carlingford, NSW, 2118
Australia
Anyway, It's so good to hear from you as always. Have fun camping for me! :)
Thursday, August 2, 2012
First Transfer
Hello!
Well, this last week has been hectic! Probably the most busy week I have ever had as a missionary! Lots of lessons to teach and things to do. We knew transfers were coming up and so I figured I was going to be transferred after being in Manly for 6 months, it still being my first area! We don't find out about transfers until Saturday night and we leave Monday morning. President usually calls up people who will be trainers and zone leaders on Thursday but we got no call Thursday, Friday, or Saturday so we figured it would be a pretty simple transfer. Saturday afternoon I got the call from President Howes to be a Zone leader! I accepted it. So now I'm in a new area called Bankstown and am a Zone Leader for the Mortdale zone. We have 12 missionaries in our zone. Get this! My companion now is one of my MTC companions, Elder Honeycutt! Right now me and both my MTC companions are all zone leaders. Crazy.
I am so thankful for the opportunity that I had to be able to serve the people of Manly for the last 6 months and I am excited now and grateful for the chance that I have to be able to serve the people of Bankstown and the Mortdale Zone.
My core experience with God this last week was being able to speak in Sacrament on my last Sunday in Manly. I spoke just before the temple president and his wife and it was one of the best sacrament meetings I have ever been to. The spirit was so strong and I felt so confident in the Lords work and in the role of the Holy Ghost in teaching and testifying to people. We have had an investigator named Lesley who has struggled to desire to pray and come to church but this last week was a miracle with her. She prayed with us no problem and then showed up to church the next day and received a very warm welcome from the members. I am sure that she will be back next week. To see the change in her over the last few weeks has been amazing. God really loves his children and will give them every resource they need in order to return to Him forever.
Doctrine and Covenants section 121 has helped me a lot lately. I just about have it memorized, just the last two verses to go. I am a Zone leader now which is kind of daunting but it's comforting to have the warning and the guidelines that this section gives to me. At first, my duties look a little unclear but I know that as I exercise persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness and love unfeigned, by kindness and pure knowledge then my soul really will be enlarged by the Holy Ghost. I look forward to all the responsibilities and things that the Lord has in store for me. I thank him daily for this chance I have to help others so intensely.
Anyway, I enjoyed the email from you guys this week! I did hear about the massacre in Denver! So messed up! Oh and I was wondering how I can vote! Oh yeah, and the number of full time missionaries is actually about 55,000!
Well, I can't wait to hear more next week! Love yous!
Elder Thompson
Well, this last week has been hectic! Probably the most busy week I have ever had as a missionary! Lots of lessons to teach and things to do. We knew transfers were coming up and so I figured I was going to be transferred after being in Manly for 6 months, it still being my first area! We don't find out about transfers until Saturday night and we leave Monday morning. President usually calls up people who will be trainers and zone leaders on Thursday but we got no call Thursday, Friday, or Saturday so we figured it would be a pretty simple transfer. Saturday afternoon I got the call from President Howes to be a Zone leader! I accepted it. So now I'm in a new area called Bankstown and am a Zone Leader for the Mortdale zone. We have 12 missionaries in our zone. Get this! My companion now is one of my MTC companions, Elder Honeycutt! Right now me and both my MTC companions are all zone leaders. Crazy.
I am so thankful for the opportunity that I had to be able to serve the people of Manly for the last 6 months and I am excited now and grateful for the chance that I have to be able to serve the people of Bankstown and the Mortdale Zone.
My core experience with God this last week was being able to speak in Sacrament on my last Sunday in Manly. I spoke just before the temple president and his wife and it was one of the best sacrament meetings I have ever been to. The spirit was so strong and I felt so confident in the Lords work and in the role of the Holy Ghost in teaching and testifying to people. We have had an investigator named Lesley who has struggled to desire to pray and come to church but this last week was a miracle with her. She prayed with us no problem and then showed up to church the next day and received a very warm welcome from the members. I am sure that she will be back next week. To see the change in her over the last few weeks has been amazing. God really loves his children and will give them every resource they need in order to return to Him forever.
Doctrine and Covenants section 121 has helped me a lot lately. I just about have it memorized, just the last two verses to go. I am a Zone leader now which is kind of daunting but it's comforting to have the warning and the guidelines that this section gives to me. At first, my duties look a little unclear but I know that as I exercise persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness and love unfeigned, by kindness and pure knowledge then my soul really will be enlarged by the Holy Ghost. I look forward to all the responsibilities and things that the Lord has in store for me. I thank him daily for this chance I have to help others so intensely.
Anyway, I enjoyed the email from you guys this week! I did hear about the massacre in Denver! So messed up! Oh and I was wondering how I can vote! Oh yeah, and the number of full time missionaries is actually about 55,000!
Well, I can't wait to hear more next week! Love yous!
Elder Thompson
Time Flies
Hello again!!
Sounds like you guys have had another pretty exciting week! Isn't
it crazy how fast each week goes by? Days are starting to go really fast
for me. Every time I kneel down to pray and night, it feels as though I
was just there and when I wake up in the morning, it feels like I just
barely fell asleep. Each week when we do weekly planning, it feels like
we just did it yesterday. Time flies... too fast.
I do miss everyone so much! I miss hanging out with my family and
friends and just being surrounded by my loved ones. There are still
people that I love here but it's just not the same. In preach my gospel,
it says that Heaven is a continuation of the ideal home. PMG pg 85. I
was thinking about that. It's a really nice thought. What is your ideal
home? When I think of that, I think of Christmas time. Everyone is off
work and school, there are no worries. Everyone is together and happy.
There is a good feeling in the air. There is Jesus everywhere. There's
lots of uplifting and happy music. Just stuff like that. If Heaven is
just eternal Christmas then I will be pretty happy! hahaha
Well I'm gonna head off! We're going to play touch rugby at
Freshwater beach today with the zone. We might even have a few National
Rugby League players there with us :) haha courtesy of the Manly
Elders. Hope you all have a great, not too hot week!
Love, Elder Thompson
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Hot Hot Hot
Mom and Dad,
This
week was really good! The actual week felt a little slow and stuff but
Sunday was amazing! 3 of our investigators came to church. I've never
had that many people come before! I was pretty overwhelmed! The busker guy is named Andre and he actually came to church this week! He really liked it a lot!
There
is a really good feeling in the mission right now. I really enjoyed the
Zone Conference/Special training that we had last week. We got to meet
President and Sister Howes. They are REALLY GOOD. He is really smart
with scriptures and so gentle and loving and so is Sister Howes. We
were all so spiritually pumped up and ready to go. I'm really excited to
have them here. I already feel as if I have spent heaps of time with
them because we feel so close already. It is going to be a really great
experience getting to serve with them.
The
Lord is continuing to bless this area. There was a period of time where
a lot of people were on vacation and things but now they are all coming
back and the members are starting to really get excited about missionary work. There is one investigator we have named Lesley and she really reminds
me of Mom a lot. She is really nice and loves to do gardening! She even
baked Elder Ng and I a nice banana cake! This has been a really great
first area for me. The members have been so great and I have built a lot
of really valuable relationships here. I think I am ready for something
new though. I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for
me on the rest of my mission. The people I will meet. The service I can
do. The growth I can experience. I am just so excited for it all! The
feeling of working hard is the greatest feeling, especially when it is
the Lord's work!
Sound
like things are going really well! July 4th celebration and Antelope by
Moonlight sounded really fun. Two things I really miss!
I send my love! May the Lord continue to bless you!!
Love, Elder Thompson
Happy 4th of July
Mom and Dad,
I love to hear from you two each week. I am sorry to hear about
Aunt Debra. It is comforting to know the plan that Heavenly Father has
for us. We teach people that death is just the separation of body and
spirit. The spirit lives on and the body just waits until the
ressurection. I love Aunt Debra and am glad to hear that she went so
peacefully. I am grateful to be part of a family with the knowledge and
testimony to be able to bear a trial like this. I know that Aunt Debra
will be a great missionary in the spirit world and will definitely be
taken into a state of happiness. I wish I could be there to help. Will
you send me their address so I can write to them?
Good to hear about the new job, Mom! Sounds like you will be able
to get out and be more active now! That's good! I can't believe how hot
it is there! I just realized this week that I spent 3 years in a row of
4th of July away from home. That's kinda a bummer! haha I miss fireworks
and BBQ!
This last week has been pretty good! Pretty fast too! We got a new
investigator. This guy who is a busker (street performer). He hand makes
his own flutes out of pipes that he collects! It is really cool. He
said he can make about $40 per hour on average! Wow I want to do that!
hahah sounds awesome. Can't wait to go back and teach him. I think I
will get transferred at the end of this transfer. So about 3 weeks left
in Manly. In President Simmons last email to me he pretty much told me
that. But the new mission president could change that. Ya never know!
Still haven't met President Howes yet but we have Zone Conference this
Thursday so I look forward to meeting him! Still have no idea where I
could be getting transferred though. Got my fingers crossed for
Canberra.
Can't wait to hear how Independence day and everything goes! Hope
you get to meet President and Sister Simmons. They are awesome. Oh yeah
and Sister Sheen has given us cupcakes and Chinese snacks. And Sister
Simmons gave us cookies too! Usually enough treats to last us 2 or 3
days. :)
Love you guys!
Elder Thompson
One Year
Mom and Dad,
It's been one year already haha wow I hit my year mark since going
in to the MTC a few days ago. Today is my 5 month mark of being in
Sydney. Wow, it doesn't feel like that long at all.
Right now, it seems like we are doing a lot of waiting. Lot's of
people are on vacation and stuff so we just have to wait until they get
back to keep teaching. In the mean time though we are spending time
looking for new people to teach and also working on strengthening the
ward. I am constantly working on Improving my Christlike attributes.
This coming Saturday is President and Sister Simmons last day. I will
miss them a lot but I am also looking forward to seeing what happens
with a new mission president. I know that you two will love the Simmons!
Thank you for all that you do for me! I was just thinking how great
you two would be as a Missionary Senior Couple. You could even be the
one's that go around and take care of missonaries houses and stuff. One
office couple we have that take care of houses is the Sheens. Sister
Sheen is always bringing us cookies and stuff while Elder Sheen fixes
things. I could totally see you, Mom and Dad,
doing that kind of thing and loving it!!!!
We are constantly finding people who are interested in meeting up
with us again but it's just a matter of that desire of actually
following through. It's a bummer when we end up not being able to teach
someone but we will just keep working and working.
Today, we are going golfing with our friend named Gum. He is a
member and his partner is a non member and she is awesome! They came to
church this week and people were pretty much lining up to meet them. I
can always trust the Manly ward to help someone feel at home. I am so
excited to go golfing!!!! I love golfing!!!!! I can finally use my new
golfing shirt that I acquired here!
I look forward to hearing more next week! I love yous and hope you have a great week!
Love, Elder Thompson
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