Thirtieth Letter Home 19 March 2012

Hey, whats up?

So... this week has been crazy. Crazy awesome! I'll start from the beginning.

Tuesday, we were trying to decide where to go tracting for our 5-7. We'd already tracted all of Tillicum twice (I live in Tillicum), so we decided to go tract the new area we inherited when the Wards split. We got in the car, got on the freeway, and headed to the area. As I was driving, the impression came to me that we needed to tract Union street in Tillicum. I listened to the prompting, but thought to myself, "we've already tracted that street twice." Again, the prompting came, "go tract Union Street." So, I did. I exited the freeway, flipped around, and headed back to Tillicum.

During that 5-7, we gave out 5 Book of Mormons, and found a very sweet Mexican family. The mom and the daughter took Book of Mormons, and said they would read them. I was happy we found them, but didn't think too much of it because we regularly give out at least two Book of Mormons every day, and we usually never hear from anyone.

Two days later, we were following up with people we had given Book of Mormons too, and Elder Bowser said he felt like we should go back to the Mexican family. We went to their house, and they invited us in. The mom said she had been reading the book, and that she was at the part where Nephi just got the plates back from Laban, and Lehi was reading them to his family. I was shocked. Elder Bowser was like, "can we read another chapter with you?" The family said yes, and we taught them the Restoration using 1 Nephi chapters 1 and 2.

The mom told us how she has been stressed out because her ex-husband, who just got out of jail, has been banging on their door in the middle of the night harassing them. She said she couldn't sleep; she has been so afraid. But, when she started reading the Book of Mormon, it brought her peace. She said she didn't want to put it down. She read it until she fell asleep.

I taught her about the fruits of the Spirit — that the Spirit brings us peace when we are doing the things that are acceptable to the Lord. She said she knew the Book of Mormon was true, and that Joseph Smith was a Prophet, because of the feeling of peace the Book of Mormon gave her.

So cool. She told her kids the stories she was reading, and her kids loved them. They all wanted Book of Mormons also. We asked the family if they wanted to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding God's priesthood authority. They all said YES. The youngest, Paul, said he wanted to get baptized again, this time by the priesthood. He is nine. We had one problem though, the family was moving to California the next day, to escape the crazy ex-husband, and to help their ill grandma. The family wanted to be baptized before they left. We prayed about this, and asked Heavenly Father what he wanted us to do. He said, "Blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe." -Alma 32:16- He brought this scripture to the forefront of my mind, and along with it, the feeling of peace you get when you know something is right. I called President Weaver, and he said, "Baptize them, and font-side, confirm them." So, that's what we did. Yesterday, we baptized the Delgado family. Probably the sweetest family I have ever met. Then, we gave them the Holy Ghost. It was a missionary baptism, Sister Miranda, a dear friend to the missionaries was the only member from the Ward who attended. Our whole zone was there, and though it was a small gathering, the Spirit was really strong, and the family was beaming. They were so happy.

That was my miracle this week, a true testimony to me, that Heavenly Father directs this work, and that when we follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and when we boldly share His gospel, He will lead us to those of His children who have been prepared to hear the gospel and are willing to accept it. It was awesome.

I love you guys,


Elder Thornton

Twenty-Ninth Letter Home 12 March 2012

Whats up? 

Yuki got baptized on Sunday! It was so cool. She was so happy. Sunday was Stake Conference, and she was going around inviting everyone to her "special day." It was cute. I was so happy for her. I love fulfilling my purpose. 

President Weaver our mission president attended our Stake Conference. I had previously explained the organization of the Church to Yuki. I told her that President Weaver was called by the Apostles, and that he pretty much answers directly to the Quorum of the Twelve. Missionary work was the commission given to the Apostles by Jesus Christ (Mark 16). Full-time missionaries are a direct extension of the apostleship. Our commission comes from Christ through them. That is why we have the title "Elder." Yuki was so excited to see President Weaver. She invited him to her "special day" also. He showed up, and she was really happy. I think she might of thought he was an apostle... but that's okay. 

I'm still working with Austin. It's tough though, because he isn't progressing very well. I don't want to leave him; I really don't, but I can't make him live the commitments; I can't make him gain a testimony, and I know the only way he will develop greater faith in Jesus Christ is through keeping the commitments. He needs to read the Book of Mormon. He needs to pray about it. He has to apply the teachings in his life. These are the tools Heavenly Father has given us so we can establish a relationship with Him. 

It is a direct cause and effect. The right patterns of behavior will improve our faith, knowledge and ability to live happy and fulfilling lives. Commandment keeping brings blessings, which in turn helps us to realize those blessings come from God. In this pattern of obedience, our faith increases until we get to the point where we are like the Brother of Jared, who's faith and trust in God was so great, that he couldn't be kept from seeing the Lord and beholding all things. Faith isn't blind. It is a hope and power which leads to action, which in turn brings blessings, and establishes the truth of a principle. "Faith is a hope of things which are not seen, but are true." I will work with Austin as much as I can. Heavenly Father loves him. I love him. I would do anything for all of my investigators. But, I can't give them faith. That is something they must seek for themselves. 

We are working really hard. It has been tough though; I kind of got doubled into a new part of town because of the Ward boundary changes, and a lot of our potential and progressing investigators went to the Elders serving in the other Ward. It is becoming more and more apparent to me how little I actually know. I am so inexperienced. I'm a very young missionary, and my companion is only three months out. He has a bit of attitude: He doesn't try to learn the area, and though he is slightly more obedient then Bailey, he complains constantly. In times like these we define who we really are. Am I going to be valiant, and turn to the Lord with all my heart for guidance, or am I gonna just coast through, and wait until transfers. I am trying to be valiant! The fact that I don't know what I'm doing causes me to humble myself and seek to do things the Lord's way. His way is the only right way. 

I like my District, and I think the other Elders are beginning to accept me better as their District Leader. Elder Bowser is a good Elder; I like him. I think we are getting along well -- which is good, because he doesn't seem to like anyone else in the Zone, lol. 

Well, that's all the news I've got. We're trying to schedule more people on date so they can access the full power of the Atonement in their lives. What an awesome job I have! I love you, have a great week.

 

Love,

 

Elder Thornton

 

 

Grandma,

Thank you so much for the package, and weekly letters. I really enjoy hearing from you. I'm not very good at writing hand letters, but I wanted to let you know I appreciate your support. I love you.

Love,

 

Elder Thornton

Twenty-Eighth Letter Home 05 March 2012

Ha-ha, what’s up?

So...Yuki didn't get baptized... She was in Seattle. But, she should get baptized this weekend? That's what we are shooting for anyway. We have people with potential, their faith in Jesus Christ is increasing, but the application of that faith requires constant nurturing and encouragement. We have to get a couple married, we need to get Yuki in the water, we need to help Austin give up his boos and cigs, its crazy.

The other day someone said to me, "If your church is true, where are the miracles?" As I thought about that, later that night, I realized that perhaps the greatest miracle is that 19-year-old kids can go out into the world, into the ghettos, and actually get people to quit smoking, stop drinking, give up their drugs, get married, stop beating people up, and become true followers of Christ. How do we do it? We don't. Christ does it; and in our weakness, inexperience, and lack of skill, He shows forth His power. He shows that He is the true and living God, and that he never ceases to do miracles in the behalf of His children. It's cool; it's fun, and I love being a part of it. 


We are working hard, and the Lord is helping us. Every night I pray about how I can help specific people. When I sit down to study, I study with specific people in mind. Last night, I was praying about how I could help a soldier we are teaching who has served in combat. He is having a lot of difficulty coping with the many horrifying acts of war. It is because of these  experiences he turned to alcohol to drink away his pain everyday.

For most of his life, He didn't believe in God, but now he does believe. 

I met him five weeks ago. Bailey's previous companion didn't want to meet with him, but Bailey felt like this person had potential. So he introduced the soldier to me. The lesson we had with him that first day was probably one of the most spiritual lessons I have ever had. The soldier was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he prayed that he would be able to hold onto that feeling. He understood the feelings he felt came from God. He wants to believe in Jesus, but he says his pride is getting in the way. I want desperately to help him. He wants to stop smoking and drinking. He knows they are bad for him: they are expensive, and they limit his liberty. But, he doesn't know how to quit. I know how to help him quit. I know that the only way one can truly replace addictions is through Christ, but I have to be able to help him realize that.

Heavenly Father answered my prayer and told me how. As I prayed, 1 Nephi 19 popped into my head. I pushed it aside not really wanting to look it up. Again, 1 Nephi 19 followed with, "go look it up." I got up, grabbed my military scriptures, and looked it up. I've read that scripture a hundred times. I've used it in lessons, but this time it took on a different meaning. The scripture is about likening the scriptures to yourself; and I realized that if the soldier is going to be able to progress, he needs to be able to keep commitments. Those commitments need to come from the Book of Mormon.

In Lehi's dream, the only way to get to the tree of life is by holding onto the Iron rod, and moving forward. The iron rod is the word of God, and keeping commitments is called repentance which must occur before one can be baptized, or partake of the "Love of God." What commitment does he need most? He needs to read the Book of Mormon, and pray about it. He knows what the Spirit feels like, and by having him ask a specific question, he will be able to connect his answer straight to the source. 

The placebo effect from the awful war experiences will eventually be of no concern to him anymore. It will be replaced with the peaceful, comforting assurance that Heavenly Father loves him and has great blessings in store for him and for all who truly seek the Savior. With that clear answer, and the connection established, he will know that Christ is real. And with that testimony, he will be able to focus his faith, use the Lord's atonement to overcome his addictions, be baptized, and further unlock the blessings of Jesus Christ in his life. He won't have to suffer the effects of war anymore. I know what I need to do, and it came from Heavenly Father, so I know it will work.

I love fulfilling my purpose. An interesting thought came to me today during companion study. Bowser likes deep doctrine, and he asked me about Cain. I told him that Cain was cursed to stay on the Earth until the end when Christ comes back. There are four other men who will also remain on the Earth until the second coming of Christ: John the Beloved, and the three Nephites. In their case however, remaining on the Earth until the Lord’s coming is a great blessing. Today the thought came to me that the difference is that Cain has no purpose, and thus he is miserable. The other four are here to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to bring souls unto Him. They have a purpose, the greatest purpose of all. Unlike Cain, they are happy, and they will be happy for the rest of their eternal lives, because they are fulfilling their purpose. I know from experience, that I am the happiest as a missionary when I am fulfilling my purpose.

Anyways, these are things that I've been thinking about, and experiences that I've been having. I love you all, and I hope you have a great week.

Love,

Elder Thornton

P.S. I like Elder Bowser. He is a good Missionary. He got chewed out hardcore by the investigator the other day for not being "sincere or straight forward." Poor Elder... The investigator told me I need to teach him how to "argue better," lol. I don't argue; I listen. I take in the words he tells me, and expound upon them with the scriptures and analogies the Spirit gives me to share. I think he understands that though, because last time we saw him, he thanked Heavenly Father for giving me the ability to speak to him, understand him, and teach him. Elder Bowser was a champ though. He is humble and teachable, and he handles criticism very well.

Twenty-Seventh Letter Home 27 February 2012

What’s up? This has been a challenging week.

Yuki did not get baptized. I have never seen anyone get “antied” as much as she has, but she still comes to Church. She has really gotten a lot of opposition: As soon as her friends found out she wanted to be baptized they told her that Mormons are eloquent and skilled deceivers who work for the devil.

First of all, if we were in the business of deceit, would the Church send 19-year olds out? Most of us barely passed English class, lol; the thought is so ridiculous. Worse than the Anti-propaganda though, Yuki had a nightmare in which she said a scary man was trying to strangle her, and yelling at her not to get baptized. She got scared, and backed out. But I talked to her about it over the phone and explained that someone who was good and trying to warn her wouldn't try to kill her in the process. Kind of counter productive. Then I read to her the Lord's Prayer, and told her to pray that she would be protected from evil as she sleeps. She came to Church, and she said that she realized that the man in her dream trying to choke her was the devil and that she still wants to be baptized. As we talked, I felt inspired to read Joseph Smith's first vision with her and this time include the part where the devil bound his tongue that he could not speak and tried to [strangle] destroy him.

As she read Joseph Smith’s testimony she said, "This is exactly what happened to me." I told her that the devil was forced to leave once Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ came to him, and that when she gets baptized, she will have the Holy Ghost, and the adversary will be forced to leave. She knows now, that the devil is going to try to stop her from getting baptized, and that the sooner she is baptized and receives the Holy Ghost, the sooner the devil will be forced to leave. Yuki and I have really good conversations.

She told me, "Elda Donton, thank you so much for all your patients, and help. No one else answers my questions, because they can't understand my accent."

Ha-ha, it is funny, I can understand her accent because I grew up around Mom's accent. Yuki hopefully will be baptized next Sunday.

We got our transfer calls, but they could be changing soon. The Stake just shifted a bunch of boundaries, and created a new Ward.

Some things that go on in the Mission field really try my patience, but I promised Yuki the Holy Ghost would give her more patience; so I can't allow myself to get upset – I’ve been given the Gift of the Holy Ghost and I need to Follow His promptings. As for now, my transfer call is this: I'm serving as District Leader where I am here in Fort Lewis, and I'm training a brand new elder from the MTC!  I'm stoked, I'm going to have a brand new companion. I can't wait. It'll be an opportunity for me to go back to the fundamentals, and really learn them well. Plus, we get to start fresh, which means hopefully we won't have any obedience issues. Fingers crossed.

I love you guys, I'll talk to you later.

Love,

Elder Thornton

Twenty-Sixth Letter Home 21 February 2012

Hey everybody, 

I couldn't write yesterday because it was Presidents' Day, and the library's were all closed. But, President Weaver is letting us email today, so here it is. 

This transfer is almost over. This is week six, and we'll be getting our transfer calls this coming Saturday. I've been working really hard, but we don't really have much to show for it. We've only baptized one person this transfer, which is frustrating because this is supposed to be one of the higher performing areas in the Mission. I was starting to get a little discouraged, feeling like the reason we weren't doing well was my fault. These feelings of inadequacy were compounded by the fact that I'm the youngest District Leader in the Mission, and I felt like a few of the older missionaries in the zone didn't really like me for that. I don't really think that is true anymore though. It was just the adversary trying to bring me down. So dumb. 

We had a really good Zone Conference where I was able to receive advice through the training given, and from one of the APs who served here. He said that Fort Lewis is an up and down place. Sometimes they baptize a ton, and other times you have to re-build your teaching pool. The truth is we are working hard, and I know that the Lord blesses us when we are diligent and obedient. 

I love personal scripture study so much; I always learn such cool stuff. My scriptures are my most prized possessions, they are filled with notes and markings, all of which are insights I've gained from the Holy Ghost. He is the best study buddy ever. I'm in 1 Nephi right now, and I only get through maybe two chapters in an hour of study because I cross reference a lot. So it takes more time. Elder Bailey isn't really used to working hard all the time, and he doesn't like to participate in companion study. He is a good Elder though, and I'm trying to help him develop good habits for the rest of his Mission. 

He's so funny: He writes his girl friend every day, lol. No joke, every day. I hope he doesn't get DJ'd, because it's gonna tear him up. Poor kid. 

I think I told you guys about our Japanese "eternal," named Yuki. We witnessed a miracle on Sunday. It was so cool. We've been working with Yuki every Sunday since I've been here. We sit next to her in church, answer her questions, etc. She is such a good lady, and she really just needs to get baptized. Last Sunday, she asked me why Jesus told us to forgive one another. I explained to her that Jesus suffered for everyone, and that He suffered for us as if He was us. In other words, when you fall down and scrape your knee, Jesus Christ felt that for you. Jesus did that so that we wouldn't have to suffer. Interesting to note, when human beings experience too much pain, they pass out. Jesus atoned for us so we could overcome our hardships, and continue forward in our progression. When we aren't willing to forgive one another, we are telling Christ that he didn't suffer enough for us to forgive and forget. What a slap in the face for Jesus. She didn't really say anything, besides, "really?" (Look of surprise on her face) But, this Sunday she told me that she has been thinking about what I told her, and she is thinking about getting baptized. I Holy Ghost jumped on that, and I started encouraging her to do it. I can't even describe it, I opened my mouth, and everything just flowed. I was pulling out scriptures to answer her questions. It was awesome. It was really funny too, because everyone keeps trying to "anti" her. She is always showing up with anti-Mormon stuff. No joke. Last time she had sixteen pages of some of the funniest anti I have ever seen. 

This time she had a little Baptist pamphlet, that was preaching hell fire and brimstone, and she was asking me questions from their pamphlet. The Holy Ghost helped me take the truths quoted in the scriptures they used and expound upon them using the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was so cool. I had all the scriptures marked already from my personal study, but the Holy Ghost told me how to use them, and when to use them. So fun! I invited her to get baptized this Saturday, and she said that she would! I am so stoked, what a miracle. Heavenly Father set it all up so perfectly. I pray that she will have the courage to go through with it. It's like the story of Ammon. He knew how to use his sword. I'm sure he was well trained, and very competent with his blade. Because of this, when he went to defend the king's flocks, the Spirit was able to tell him, when to block, when to dodge, when to strike, and where to swing. 

Anyways, I am really having a blast everyday being a Missionary. It is so fun. I love all of you, and I hope you have an awesome week. I hope that story makes sense, but it is really hard to explain. Just know that the Lord blesses us, and He knows exactly how to touch the hearts of his children.

Love,

Elder Thornton

Twenty-Fifth Letter Home 13 February 2012

Hey, whats up everyone? Guess what? 

Yesterday I hit my six-month mark! Crazy. I feel like I just stepped off the plane. I'm having so much fun, being a missionary is awesome. Being at my six month mark means I am no longer considered a "greeny," though I still very much feel that I am.  Sometimes my companion and I will look at each other hoping the other one knows what to do. Ha-ha. We don't know what we are doing, lol, but it is okay because through us the Lord gets to show forth His power.

Thinking about this makes me laugh. Here I am almost 20, and I'm giving people marriage advice, addiction recovery advice, family advice, telling them to get married, to quit drinking, to quit smoking — it's kind of crazy. But it works because it isn't me. I am just an instrument in the Lord's hand. I am like a pen. When I study, I am replenishing my ink levels. When I go to bed on time, wake up on time, get out and work, and do my 5-7s, I'm sitting in the Lords pencil cup on top of His desk. 

Obedience is about aligning our will with Heavenly Father's will. It's not about whether the Lord is on my side, it's about me being on His side. When we do this, He can pick us up and write with us when ever He wants. 

Have you ever wondered why so many of the Lord's mighty servants in the Book of Mormon were also soldiers? Is it a coincidence that the statue on top of our temples is the image of a man who was a soldier in life? Perhaps it is because soldiers have the ability to put their will behind them, and follow their captain at the peril of their own lives, to protect the lives of others. In Moroni's closing remarks, he said, "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not Charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail-- But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him."  

Doctrine and Covenants section 19 describes how Christ showed us this love. He submitted His will, to His Father's will. When Christ came to the Americas, he said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them: I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity." We are not the Lord's if we don't do the Lord's will. This is not Elder Thornton's work. It is not President Weaver's work. It is not even the work of the Church per say. This is Heavenly Father's work, and His glory. 

When we have charity, we submit our will to doing the Lord's will. When we do this, then we are like Moroni, Mormon, Alma, Nephi, King Benjamin, and Captain Moroni. "Yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." I love this scripture. Everybody who knows me knows that Captain Moroni is my favorite super hero. But, at this time in my life, I really love the verse 19 in this same chapter. "Now behold, Helaman and his brethren were no less serviceable unto the people than was Moroni; for thy did preach the word of God, and they did baptize unto repentance all men whosoever would hearken unto their words." 

I came on a mission to shake hell. Every person we baptize is another person freed from its grasp. I love being a missionary. Right now, we are struggling. We have people who want to get baptized but can't until they get married; we have people who want to get baptized but don't know it yet; and we have people whot should have gotten baptized months ago, lol. This is kind of a tough job. We have this super hilarious Japanese lady who has been coming to church for a year; she even pays her tithing, and she still isn't baptized. She is just stubborn. She says the water is dirty here, lol. She calls me Elda Donton, and my companion Elda Balley. I wish you could meet the people I get to work with. They are great. I truly love these people. I would do anything for them. All I want is to help them access the Atonement of their Savior Jesus Christ. He laid out the path we need to take if we want His sacrifice for us, and that path is Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. We can't access the Atonement without Baptism. This is why this work is so important. I pray that I will be able to be an instrument in the Lord's hands in bringing many people unto him. 

I love you guys. Have a good week.

 

Love,

 

Elder Thornton

Twenty-Fourth Letter Home 06 February 2012

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.