Hey everybody, I thought for sure I gave you my address last week, (what a communication lapse, lol), but I guess not. Anyways, here it is:
Elder Thornton
14604 A Washington Ave SW
Lakewood, WA 98498
This week has been awesome. We have such cool investigators. I love them all so much. We had a baptism on Saturday, a girl named Jamie that has been coming to church for like a year, and finally decided to get baptized. It was cool. She was one of those "dry Mormons." We had seven people on date, but one of them wants to wait until April to get baptized because that will be when her husband will have his R&R. Another one of our people, a teenager, can't get baptized because his mom is anti-Mormon; but we have a super sweet family that is on date.
They are awesome. It is a man and his girlfriend, and their three kids. Two of the children are of baptism age. We taught the family the commandments the other day, and when I say “we,” I really mean the Holy Ghost taught them because I have never taught like that before. It was an awesome spiritual experience. Before they can be baptized, they need to get married, and he needs to take the steps necessary to quit smoking. I believe he will succeed. I have never seen anyone with so much faith. After teaching the commandments, I asked them if they would keep them. His response was this: "If God wants me to do these things, why wouldn't I?" He taught me a lesson in Faith. I hope and pray that the faith they have will carry them through this time of sacrifice, so they can receive the blessings that Heavenly Father wants to give them.
I heard a really good story, and I shared it with him the other day.
A little girl was in the dollar store with her Mom. She saw a little pearl necklace, and instantly fell in love with it. She wanted it really bad, so she asked her Mom if she could have it. The Mom picked it up and looked at the price tag. She told her daughter that it was two dollars, and that she could buy it if she helped out around the house. The little girl was super excited.
When she got home, she immediately started helping out around the house: cleaning her room, helping with the dishes, doing whatever she could to earn nickels, dimes, and quarters. At the end of the week, she had a dollar in change.
It was the little girl's birthday that weekend, and her grandma gave her a brand new one-dollar bill. Now she had enough money to buy the necklace. Her mom took her to the store, and she bought the necklace. She was so happy. She wore it everywhere – even to bed at night. A couple of weeks went by, and the girl continued to cherish her little pearl necklace.
One day, her Daddy came home from over seas. He tucked her into bed that night, and after reading her a story, he asked his daughter how much she loved him.
She replied, "I love you this much, daddy," stretching her arms out as far as she could.
"Well, do you love me enough to give me your little pearl necklace?"
"Oh daddy, not my necklace, I'll give you my dolly though, she is my favorite one."
"That's okay sweetie, good night."
The next night, he did the same thing, and the next night, and the next, each time the little girl refused to give him the necklace, offering him something else instead. Until one night, the daddy came into the little girl's room to find her sitting up in her bed crying, clutching something tightly in her fist. "Here you go daddy, here is my necklace."
The father took the necklace with one hand, and with the other reached into his pocket and pulled out a little box. "Here you go sweetie, this is for you."
The little girl opened the box, and inside was a REAL little pearl neck lace.
Sometimes we have to give up something before our Heavenly Father can give us the gifts he is waiting to give us. All of us are holding onto a little pearl necklace of some kind. We all have that thing we don't want to give up. But, if we will, Heavenly Father is waiting to give us something so much better.
The question should be: If Heavenly Father wants it, why wouldn't I do it?
I love being a missionary. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now. I pray every night that I will be able to be an instrument in the Lord's hands.
I love you guys,
Elder Thornton
P.S. I am plenty warm, lol.
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