...And Justice for All 7/7/2022

 The week leading up to independence day has been a wild, crazy, hectic, wonderful week. It felt like our schedule was basically like a fireworks display.

 

We spent our first couple days of the week trying to get stuff for our apartment and trying to get moved. No matter how many times we've tried contacting the office, our dryer is still broken from the day we got here so hopefully, that's resolved soon.

 

In this area, we get to have dinner not only with our branch members but members of the stakes we cover as well so we get to be fed fairly frequently. There's a member of the Texas City branch who owns a taqueria on Galveston Island, so we also get free food there after our district councils on Wednesdays. 

 

Thursday I was on exchanges with Elders Zabel and Long in Texas City and it was quite fun. Texas City is definitely interesting. There is a whole lotta nothing out there aside from the oil refineries and trailer homes scattered about. The people there are also for the most part redneck trailer trash, which made the experiences we had all the more enjoyable. 

 

Saturday mornings we play basketball with our ward members and investigators which is a lot of fun. The zone leaders joined us this week and it was a blast playing full-court games again.

 

Fast Sundays are always followed by a linger longer in the YSA so that gave us a chance to talk to our branch members and for me to meet everyone. We also got the chance that night to eat even more amazing food at a member's home.

 

For the 4th of July, we went to the pancake breakfast put on by the League City stake. We then went as the elders in our district to play disc golf down in Texas City. Later that evening, we went for a bit to a ward get-together. Sadly, we have to be in early as missionaries so we didn't get much of a chance to experience fireworks. 

 

This week has been wild, but there is so much potential for work here and so many fun things to do. I know the Lord has a hand in the work and that many blessings will come as we continue to press on

 

-Elder Thompson

Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast 6/29/2022

 Transfers happened and crazy things have been happening around the mission.

 

Peter fed us and a bunch of other missionaries in our district at the mission office while lesson-offs were going on so we got to say hi to some missionaries. He said it was because we wouldn't get the chance to have a good Father's Day dinner. We also got the opportunity to attend mutual and interact with the youth. 

 

The Yeates fed us an awesome Japanese dinner on Thursday and we had one final lesson with Remi as well. 

 

We did a lot of transfer cleaning on Friday after we taught Sis. Lauritzen and Rebecca as well as a new guy at their place named Mark. Elder Rowe and other Elder Thompson were in the area and stopped by to say hi for a bit. 

 

Saturday was wild. We taught our member friend Trevor, then biked 30 mins to a lesson just to find out they actually lived outside our area. We then had to bike back to go to dinner with the Roskophs. After dinner we got transfer news and found out we both were leaving the area. 

 

Our last day in the area we said goodbye to people at church, then had dinner with the Boyces and taught Sis. Cagle one last time. 

 

At transfers we went to In N Out then said goodbyes and headed out to our areas. I'm now over the Armand Bayou YSA Branch, which is in the League City zone but its boundaries are both the League City and Friendswood stakes. My comp is Elder Van Wagoner, who trained my previous comp and is only my second companion of many to be from Utah. I'm excited to work in a new area and be close to the coast and NASA, but I'm extra grateful for having a car again.

 

I'm looking forward to all the great work that's gonna roll forth swiftly and strongly.

 

-Elder Thompson

Father of Mine 6/22/2022

 The week leading up to Father's Day was mostly uneventful.

 

Most of the week we were trying to find and contact people either over the phone or by knocking on their door, luckily we did find a couple new people to teach.

 

Over the weekend, most of our plans fell through, minus a single-member meal and helping a nonmember family move. I do remember having to dispose of a dead frog in the member's house though.

 

Father's Day was solid, we got some of the leftover cookies after church which was fantastic. We also got to interact with the youth preparing for missions in the near future.

 

The last P-Day of the transfer was nice too. We went to the Vietnamese Buddhist temple again which is always...interesting. We also went to Costco as a district for some odd reason, which is a place I haven't been to in ages.

 

I'm grateful for everything my Father in Heaven has done for me, including giving me an amazing earthly father who has been a wonderful example and friend to me and helped me get to where I am today in a multitude of ways. I love you Dad!

 

-Elder Thompson

Times Like These 6/16/2022

 We had Remi's baptism on Saturday! It's these kinda moments we live for as missionaries it is so wonderful to be a key part of someone's spiritual journey.

 

Earlier in the week, we got to go through another round of interviews with President Richards, and he often gives great advice for us and our areas.

 

We mainly focused our efforts in the week on preparing Remi for baptism and scheduling lessons with our investigators. 

 

Saturday was Remi's baptism and it was amazing. Bro. Olatoye did struggle a bit getting her under the water and well it ended up taking him like 5 tries to get it right. Sunday I got to confirm her a member of the church and give her the gift of the Holy Ghost which was so special and an amazing spiritual experience. 

 

Our area is doing so well right now and we're excited to continue working with those we are around.

 

-Elder Thompson

I'm So Sick 6-8-2022

 This past week has been basically nothing since we have both gotten covid and were stuck inside.

 

Elder Byrge came and joined us in quarantine one day since he had come down with covid as well.

 

Elder DeCarlo came with his parents to visit the mission, and they stopped by our apartment and church to say hi and talk to us and the members.

 

Other than that, pretty lame week so this next week will surely be better.

 

-Elder Thompson

Facebook post from Sister Debby Richards 6/13/22

 President Kyle McKay and Sister Jennifer McKay visited the THSM on May 24-26, 2022. It was an incredible three days packed with powerful training. Each day we gathered 1/3 of the mission while the other 2/3 tuned in via zoom. We loved Sister McKay’s counsel and direct instruction to learn the language of the Spirit and Elder McKay’s powerful command of the Spirit as he taught from the scriptures and from history all without reading anything. President Richards and I also taught each day. We feel energized and excited about all that we learned. Some of the key takeaways were:

**How we "represent" Jesus matters. We "present him again" in the way we groom ourselves, how we dress, how we act and what we say.

**We are helping God with his work. It's "take a child to work day," and we get to be part of it! We get to see that Father's work in action.

**Being disciplined (more of a disciple) is greater than being motivated.

**Every day, be "united" with your companion in "mighty prayer" like the disciples were in 3 Nephi 27:1, fasting from sin by "hungering and thirsting after righteousness" (D&C 59:13)

**Make our message enticing. You make your message enticing, engaging, and interesting by the words you choose and the way you deliver it, like Elder Holland. Say what moves you. Say it with feeling. Practice.

We learned so so much more. This just scratches the surface. At the end of our experience Elder McKay said, "If you've had a spiritual experience, you can never be the same. God expects us to change." In our mission, we love a growth mindset!! We never stop improving!!! We are truly so grateful to be serving as disciples of Jesus Christ!!!

Down with the Sickness 5/31/2022

 I got Covid-19.

 

Well, this week would've been a positive highlight from my mission of not for the past couple of days.

 

This week was our mission tour where Elder and Sister McKay got to come and observe the mission. They also got to speak to us every morning Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On Wednesday we got to see them in person, and they even decided to sit down and have lunch with us and our district. It was a pretty great experience and we all learned how to effectively and efficiently work to see our results increase.

 

Tuesday we decided we'd go to mutual for the first time since we have unbaptized youth that attend. Long story short, their adoption papers just need sorting out so we just wanted to build a relationship with them. We learned how to draw a little bit with the deacons and teachers then played dodgeball and basketball with the priests.

 

On Thursday, we had a fantastic lunch again with Peter Martinez. This time we were joined by the Eldridge Park Sisters. He does a really good job encouraging us to make good decisions after the mission and learn to love and support those we are teaching. 

 

On Friday, after another lesson with the Olatoyes, Bro. Stuckey took us to get Baskin-Robbins and I had a headache like no other. I woke up the day totally sick and have been outta commission since. I got tested for covid and found out I'm positive, so we'll be stuck here quarantining until Thursday morning. Luckily, we did get Elder Unga and Elder Longman from Jones Creek to help give me a blessing and a quick trip to Walmart.

 

It's been a wild week for sure but it'll just be another short and small memory as a part of my whole mission experience.

 

-Elder Thompson