Twenty-First Letter Home 16 January 2012

Hey, How is everybody? 

I got my transfer call on Saturday night. Transfers are tomorrow at 2:00pm in Tacoma. They changed it to Tuesday, because that's when the missionaries enter the mission field now, as opposed to Monday. 

I'm getting transferred; I knew I would be. President Weaver told me I would be in the interview I had with him on Thursday. Ha-ha! He thought this was my second area. He forgot I've been here for four and a half months now. I'm a little nervous for my new assignment, I'm going to Fort Lewis, which is in Lakewood. The reason I'm nervous though is because I'm going in as the new District Leader. Anyways, my new companion will be Elder Bailey, and I believe he is one or two transfers younger than me. I'm excited for the new area. 

I can't wait to find the people that Heavenly Father has been preparing for us to teach. Missionary work is like a treasure hunt: you know there are people that are ready to hear the Gospel; you've just gotta find them. I've really enjoyed working in this area. I love the people, I love the members, and I especially love our recent converts. The Wards liked me here. A lot of people said I could come back and visit, and the bishop gave me a hug and thanked me for what I did for his Ward. Ha-ha, I didn't do anything; the Lord did. I've just been along for the ride. I'm gonna miss this place, but I know I'm gonna love Fort Lewis. 

I'll be able to work with a lot of soldiers. They need the Gospel — especially with all the ones that will be coming home from Iraq who have PTSD. The Love that Jesus Christ has for us is the only thing that can heal the emotional and physical trauma those men and women have been through. I pray that I can be an instrument in the Lords hands in bringing many people unto Him while I'm in Fort Lewis. 

I heard a really cool story today about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, the second person in the history of the church was baptized there last Sunday. The Gospel is being spread by LDS service men there. In Iraq, when we first invaded, my Ward Mission Leader's son was in the initial invasion force. His group was halted in there advance by a huge sand storm in which the visibility was less than two feet in front of them. His group had to hunker down and wait out the storm. In the morning, after the storm blew over, the soldiers looked out and they saw that 100 feet in front of them was a huge mine field. The storm had blown all the sand away, and exposed the mines. If the sand storm hadn't hit, his entire unit would have been annihilated.  Cool huh? The Lord protected those soldiers. 

Anyways, this week has been kind of slow. We got cussed out while tracting the other day by a super rude dude. He had a fence around his yard, like everyone here, and he didn't have any posted signs. We went through the gate and knocked on his door, and he came to the window. He motioned for us to wait a minute. So we did, thinking he wanted to talk to us. He came out onto the porch very calmly, and then exploded. "Get the (%@!) off my porch you (%@!)-ing Mormons, (%@!)-you.... and on and on." Dude we would have left if you would have just shook your head "no" from the window. That's what everyone else does. Ha-ha, it was ridiculous! He was super angry. Elder Fosburgh wanted to dust his feet off, lol. He's been reading the D&C, and it says to do that if people don't receive you. I explained to him that you don't do that. Ammonihah stuff happens when you dust your feet off. So, he didn't dust his feet off, and that guy's house isn't a smoldering heap, lol. He'll get another chance to hear the Gospel in a few months. 

Anyways, the next time I right I'll have my new address and stuff. Have an awesome week, good job on reading the Book of Mormon.

Love,

Elder Thornton

Twentieth Letter Home 09 January 2012

Hey guys, hows it going? This last week has been fun, but it has also been a little stressful, as always.

We had a baptism on Saturday, and a confirmation on Sunday! Sister J got baptized! I met her the last week of my first transfer, and I've been working with her since that time. She is an awesome lady, and she has a ton of faith. She would have gotten baptized last transfer, but she had to work on quiting smoking and drinking a little more.

She isn't completely over her addictions, but she is sincerely trying, and President said if she had a desire to be baptized, we should baptize her. She had a great desire, so we baptized her. She has made some very significant changes in her life, and her countenance is so much brighter now than it was when I first met her.

She'd had a rough life, and because of things that had happened to her, she didn't trust anyone. When I first met her, she was worried about her daughter who was addicted to meth, and living on the streets. We were teaching her about prayer, and the spirit told me to promise her that if she prayed for her daughter, that God would help her.

That Sunday was Fast Sunday, and she bore her testimony about how she had prayed for her daughter, and how the next day she got a call from the Sheriff telling her that they had arrested her daughter, and that she was going to be in jail for a while. Sister J realized that it was an answer to her prayer, because now she knew where her daughter was, and she knew she wouldn't be able to get drugs for awhile.

While Sister J's daughter was in jail, I arranged for the missionaries in that area to go and teach her. J's daughter is out now, and is thinking about baptism. She will have to do some work before she can do that, but you can see how the Lord answers sincere prayers, and how He works to bring his children back into His fold.

J says she doesn't trust anyone 100%, she is wary of everyone. But, she says she trusts me 100%, because when I make her promises they happen. I am so grateful that the Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to work with her. I believe she is one of the people the Lord promised me were waiting to hear the Gospel from me. I am really excited for her, and for the leaps of progress she has made.

I am almost 100% sure that I'm getting transferred next Tuesday. Elder Fosburgh called the President the other day, and their conversation went like this:

President,"Who are you with in Port Townsend?" (He forgot about me)
Fosburgh, "Thornton."
President, "Oh, how long has he been there?"
Fosburgh, "He's been here his whole mission so far, its been like four and a half months."
President, "Oh... well, its probably time for him to move huh?"

So yeah, my guess is Gig Harbor on bike lol. It will be fun, I'm ready to go find the rest of the people I'm supposed to teach.

So, some of the missionaries in this Mission do things really against the Mission Rules like buy IPADs so they can get on the Internet. Now we aren't allowed to have IPODs any more. The Mission President cannot allow missionaries to use their IPODs to listen to inappropriate music, look at inappropriate things, and so on. So everyone has to send their IPODs home, or they will be sent home with their IPOD, and if their companion knows about it and doesn't report it, he too will be sent home with his companion and his companion's IPOD. You should be getting a package in the mail soon, lol. It really irritates me when people do dumb, selfish things that ruin it for everyone else.

Transfer day is on Tuesdays now, and I'll get my phone call this Saturday. I'll be able to Email you next Monday and tell you where I will be going next.

I'm really going to miss this place, I've fallen in love with this area, my investigators, the members of the Ward and especially our recent converts. But, I'm excited to go to the next place Heavenly Father wants to send me.

I hope all of you have a wonderful week; I love you.

Love,


Elder Thornton

Ninteenth Letter Home 03 January 2012

Hey, Its so good to hear from everybody. 

New Years for me was funny. I went to bed at 9pm, and then I was awaken at midnight by people yelling outside of my window. I was like super annoyed, and then I remembered it was New Years, so I smiled and went back to bed. 

On P-Day we went to Forks and Lapush as a zone. It was super fun. Lapush (the indian reservations) has beautiful beaches. It was pouring rain, but it was awesome. We should do a family vacation in Washington, and I'll show you guys these places. Gorgeous. 

Elder Fosburgh and I met Stephanie Meyers at church. I didn't know who she was, but I saw a new family so I went up and started talking to them. I introduced myself, and they introduced themselves as the Meyers. I didn't think anything of it, but Fosburgh is a bit of a "Twilight" nerd, so he got excited, lol. She seems a nice lady — kind of introverted. She lives in a super nice house on Marrowstone Island. We wanted to go teach her family our "rat-trap" object lesson, but she had already gone back to Arizona by the time we found her house. 

We have a baptism this Saturday: an investigator who I've been working with since transfer one is now getting baptized. I am so excited; I can't wait. 

This last transfer period hasn't been as fruitful as far as baptisms because of the holidays. No one wanted to meet until after New Years. We have a 10-person teaching pool, but we've been able to meet with hardly any lately. I believe after the next transfer will be very fruitful though, and I'll probably get transferred. The problem with staying in one area so long is that it is easy to get tied working with the same people, doing the same things, and it becomes difficult to not allow preconceived ideas about the investigators and the members to get in the way of the work. I'm working really hard not to allow that to happen to me. I'd kind of like to stay here, but at the same time I'm kind of ready to experience some other areas. Either way, I'll be happy. I really love my investigators, and the members of these Wards. The Port Townsend Ward has three kids leaving on Missions this year: one is going to Atlanta Georgia, another to Ireland and Scotland, and the third to the Philippines. I am super excited for them, there is nothing better than serving a mission. 

Our Tacoma Mission is a really young mission. Almost two-thirds of the missionaries are younger than six months out. One of the problems that the mission is facing is that many of the young missionaries feel as though making it to go on a mission was good enough, and that they can just endure these two years and then go home as "successful" missionaries. This is wrong, and it hinders the work because this kind of apathy takes away their excitement to share the gospel. They aren't as excited to find and teach people to baptize. 

Baptism is the difference between the Celestial kingdom and the Terrestrial and Telestrial kingdoms. If someone isn't baptized, they cannot live with God again. Our Mission President has told us that if someone has the desire to get baptized, we need to baptize them.  Even if the person goes in-active, their name will be on the records of the Church. They can be reached out to, and fellowshipped in the future. Our job as missionaries is to find, teach, and baptize. Its the members' job to fellowship the people we bring into the fold.  

I love being a missionary. I get to go out everyday, and point people in the direction of eternal happiness. Baptism is the first step on the only path to Heavenly Father. Missions aren't to be endured, they are to be enjoyed. There is so much to enjoy about being a missionary, and if you are constantly looking back, wishing you could watch movies, listen to your music, and date girls, you will miss out on a lot. These two years are the only time we have to give everything we have to God. When its over, we don't get to do this anymore. Its all about attitude, and living life in the moment. 

I'm glad that all of you have made a commitment to read the Book of Mormon. There is a lesson to be learned in every group of four verses. When you apply the teachings of the Book of Mormon to your own life, the book comes alive. It becomes as a "voice speaking from the dust..." just as Nephi says. I can testify to you that I've seen the Book of Mormon change lives. There is power in this book. If you read it and apply it, the devil will not have power over you. The Book of Mormon gives you a firm testimony of Jesus Christ, the rock upon which if we stand, we cannot fall (Helaman 5:12) And, the Book of Mormon gives us the tools we need to deflect the fiery darts of the adversary. You can't stand still and deflect darts, you'll get hit. Christ gives you the foundation and strength, tand His words in the Book of Mormon give you the skills you need to be victorious. 

I love you guys. I'm out of time. I've received all of the packages, I really appreciate them. I'll write more next week.

Love,

Elder Thornton

Eighteenth Letter Home 27 December 2011

Hey, I enjoyed talking to you guys on the phone. I had fun at the Peet's home, they made roast beef for dinner, and we watched "17 Miracles." President Weaver approved the movie. It was the second time I've seen it; we watched it as a zone on Halloween. It is really good. Have you guys seen it? If not, you should watch it. It is about the Willie and Martin handcart companies, and the miracles that followed them throughout their journey.

I finished the Book of Matthew today, and I also finished the story of Ammon and his brothers' mission to the Lamanites. I love that story, it is super good. It gets me so pumped about missionary work. Matthew was good also, but I can see how people could become confused by the Bible without reading the Book of Mormon. So many plain and precious truths have been removed from the Bible, and the ones that remain are kind of vague. The Book of Mormon is the single greatest piece of evidence that the Bible is even true. By itself, the Bible can be easily mis-interpreted, mis-construed, bent, shaped, and pointed in whatever direction those reading it want. But the Book of Mormon is a solid, pure testament of Jesus Christ, which confounds false doctrine, and acts as a stumbling block to all those who fight against the Church of Jesus Christ. Many have tried to pull it apart, dissect it, and prove it wrong, and have failed. Why? Because the origin of the Book of Mormon is simple, it is a record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas, which was kept by the Lord's prophets, and delivered by a holy messenger to a boy named Joseph Smith. God has promised that if you pray about whether this record is true, He will answer your question, yes or no.

I love the Book of Mormon. It is my favorite book. I never get tired of reading it. It was interesting talking to you guys on the phone, particularly Dad. It used to be that I could talk with you whenever I wanted, I could receive council at the touch of a button. Now, I receive council, guidance, and encouragement every night when I get down on my knees and speak to my Heavenly Father. I talk with Him, I council with Him, and He talks back. When I pray at night, I ask questions, pause, and wait for the answer. The answers come very quickly often times, and other times, the story about the Brother of Jarrod pops into my mind, and I know that Heavenly Father wants me to come up with a solution on my own. When this happens, I come up with an idea, and then ask Him to bless my work.

The power of prayer is real. He truly does answer prayers. "Council with the Lord in all thy doings..." The key word is council. Talking to you guys on the phone reminded me of this.

This week is going to be a bit slow, everybody is still celebrating. I'm ready for the Holidays to be over so I can get back to work. We have to work anyways, and it is a lot nicer when you actually have something to do. I hope you guys have a wonderful week, and a happy New Year.

Love,

Elder Thornton


Grandma,
Thank you so much for the package, I really appreciate the gifts. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Thank you for sending me letters every week, I enjoy getting them.

Mom and Dad,
Thank you for the presents. I like the music you put on the IPOD, we listened to it today during personal study. Thanks for all the other things, and supporting me on my mission. I'm glad you have a lot picked out.

Where is it at?

Amber and Brad,
Thanks for the subway card, I've used it a couple of times so far.

Happy Anniversary! I hope you have fun in Vegas.

Brad, there is this guy in the ward that is a cop, and he's been on SWAT teams, he was a SWAT sniper, and an undercover NARC officer. He is about to retire now, and as a hobby he likes to build AK-47s. He gets the basic Kalashnikov platform, and then customizes them. His has a rail, a collapsible buttstock, and he is going to put an Aimpoint sight on it. Its a pretty cool gun. He wanted to take me shooting, but I told him it was against the rules. It would have been fun though.

Seventeenth Letter Home 19 December 2011

Hey guys, how are you? 

I'm doing great, I'm loving driving, I love this area, and I really, really don't want to get transferred. There is a good chance that I will be transferred in four weeks. 

This week has been slightly slow because we haven't been able to meet with as many people as we wanted, and out of our 10-people teaching pool, only 3 are progressing. 

One of our jail investigators was released from jail the other day. He wants to be baptized, but because he is on probation, we can't set a date without the approval from the Mission President. We had an investigator on date for Christmas Eve, but she wants her kind of father-in-law from Utah to baptize her; so it probably won't happen until after the first. I'm praying that it happens before I leave. 

Her name is Jackie, and I've been working with her since my first transfer. She is a really good and sincere lady. She has made big changes in her life, and it has been awesome watching the Holy Ghost work with her. She has a cognitive disorder that makes it difficult for her to read. 

When I first met her, she could barely read at all. Now, she is able to read the Book of Mormon, and comprehend what it is saying. I have witnessed the power of the Holy Ghost in not only teaching and testifying of Christ, but also in quickening her mind and helping her read. 

She tries super hard, and her countenance gets brighter everyday. It is super cool. We had two "sandbag" children confirmed on Sunday. (Sandbag is a term given to someone who gets baptized but not confirmed. It comes from a quote from Joseph Smith in which he said that if someone is baptized but doesn't receive the Holy Ghost, it does as much good as baptizing a bag of sand.) They had been sandbags for over four months. We've been trying to get their dad to bring them to church this whole time, lol. When I told the Bishop that they should be coming, he and everyone else in his office started making bets about whether or not he would show up. Everyone kind of lost faith. But we kept inviting him, and he finally showed up. We have one more sandbag, and hopefully he will show up next Sunday. 

Being a missionary is really funny, the other day we dumped a recent convert's alcohol down the drain, and right now we are holding onto a guys terms of release from jail. The things we do seem crazy sometimes. 

Sometimes Elder Fosburgh has anxiety problems: he doesn't like to knock on doors that have "no trespassing" signs. The problem is half our area has no trespassing signs and no soliciting signs; so I knock anyways. It makes him nervous. I look at it like -- the Lamanites had a huge no trespassing sign on the road into town, and they enforced it with their clubs. But that didn't stop Ammon; and he ended up baptizing half the kingdom. Grouchy people need the gospel too. Elder Fosburgh and I get along well, he is a good missionary. I can easily get along with Elders who like to work, and who obey the rules. 

Unfortunately some of the missionaries in our district don't obey the Mission Rules. President Weaver is trying to pin point who has problems so he can try and help them to improve, but these Elders dont realize he is seeking there own good, and when they find out he is coming they run and hide the things they're not suppose to have making it difficult for him to correct them. 

I feel bad for President Weaver, there is a lot of misunderstanding right now, and even the older, more obedient missionaries don't seem to respect him. 

I love President Weaver; I think he is awesome. He is a brand new Mission President, and he doesn't put up with anybody's rebellious attitude. He leads by the Spirit, and I know the things he asks us to do are inspired. 

I'm having a lot of fun out here. 

Thanks for the packages and cards, I haven't opened the packages because Sister Weaver asked us to wait until Christmas, lol. She is fun. 

Have a great week, and Merry Christmas.
 
 
Zia, 

Ti volio tanto benne. Mia Mamma none tornata a casa. Mia Mamma a andata a la aereo porto aprendere mio papa. Ti mando tanti bachoni. Grazie for the post cards, Felliz Navidad. Love,
Elder Thornton.
 

Grandma, 

Thank you so much for your letters. I enjoy reading them. I got your package, but I haven't opened it yet. Thank you so much. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.


Hey Mom,

I do get to call home next Sunday, but only for 40 min. I think I did get a post card form Zia, I'll make sure to mention it. The Christmas Party was fun, and the ward parties were fun also. I have the package, but the Mission President's wife told us not to open them until Christmas, lol. I haven't opened it yet. Congrats on your new calling. I'll probably be calling around 2 or 3 o'clock your time.

Love you, bye.

Elder Thornton

Sixteenth Letter Home 12 December 2011

Week one of transfer-three came and went like the Navy SEALs: swift and efficient. It has been an awesome week. Elder Fosburgh is great, he is serious about missionary work, obedient, and fun to be around. We found five new investigators this week, and we have one on date for the 24th of December! I am having so much fun, I seriously love being out here. I'm going to miss Port Townsend when I get transferred, I really love the people here. 

I'll probably get transferred this coming transfer; but, this is going to be an awesome period. We have nine people in our teaching pool, I'm way super stoked. 

We've been teaching a kid in jail; he is 18 or 19. He has kids, and he really wants to turn his life around. I feel like he is sincere. He gets out of jail on the 20th, and he wants to start coming to Church. Its going to be kind of weird not having glass between us and him, lol. Elder Fosburgh had never taught in jail before, so he was pretty nervous, lol. Apparently it isn't a very common thing in the mission, except for here, lol. I've taught like six lessons in jail. Its not a very nice place to be — even on the side of the glass that I'm on.  Its funny, some sheriffs won't let us give the inmates Book of Mormons, while others will.  

Anyways, not much is new here. The work is great. The members are great. We have people to teach, and I'm having a blast. I finished the Book of Mormon, (I probably told you that already). I've started reading the New Testament, and I'm going to restart the Book of Mormon. 

I hope you have a wonderful week, I love all of you.

 

 

Love,

 

Elder Thornton

Fifteenth Letter Home 06 December 2011

Hey guys, 

Yesterday was transfer meeting, and it took up the whole day. We got a ride there from a sister and her fiancé who I  baptized. She was my first baptism, so it was cool to get to ride with them. 

I did not get transferred. I am still here in lovely Port Townsend. I have a new companion though. His name is Elder Frosberg. He is a cool kid, serious about missionary work, likes paper work, and he has been out for about six months. I like him. We are gonna have a good time this transfer. I miss Elder Topp though, he was awesome. He went home yesterday, to New Mexico. 

It was a little weird being with a "dying" missionary, watching him pack his bags and stuff; especially during the holidays. But, I'm super excited for this transfer. We are going to see miracles. 

I saw Corey yesterday. He just got out of the MTC. He looked super slick in his suit with his name tag. I love seeing the Greenies on transfer day: They all have huge rain coats on -- even though it isn't raining; and they look like deer in the headlights. 

Transfer meeting is when you fully realize what you've just committed yourself to. You listen to all of the departing missionaries' final testimonies, and the fact that you're gonna be here for two years slaps you in the face like a bucket of cold water. 

It is difficult to explain, but you can see it in the Greenies eyes. I am way excited for Corey, he looked really good, the best I've seen him. I sensed that the MTC was a life changing experience for him. Missionary work is the best. There really isn't anything better. 

I don't really have any news or anything, I'm excited; I'm having fun. I'm warm, I'm trying not to gain weight... and I just finished the Book of Mormon. I love the Book of Mormon, what a powerful testimony of Jesus Christ. It is true, I know it is. 

I want to read it again, but I've decided that I need to focus on Preach My Gospel and the New Testament for a little while. 

We were supposed to finish the Book next Tuesday, but I couldn't put it down. I prayed about it again, I told Heavenly Father that knew it was true, He's told me -- like every time I open the Book, but I asked Him to tell me again, mainly just because I love being able to pray to Him and receive an answer right away lol. It is an awesome experience because you know He is there, and that He is listening. 

This time my answer was different, He basically reminded me of all the incites I'd received while reading this time around, and then reminded me of what Moroni says. If it inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to believe in Christ, then it comes from God. Then He told me it was true in my mind and in my heart. I love Moroni's promise, because it works every time. 

I promise you, anybody who reads this email, that if you will read and pray about the Book of Mormon, you will know that Jesus Christ is your Savior, and you will establish a personal relationship with your Father in Heaven. "Behold this is life eternal, that they may know Thee, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou has sent." (John) What better way to begin to know our Father in Heaven than asking Him a question that He has promised to answer? 

I know the Book of Mormon is true because I prayed about it. As a teenager, I came to the point where I realized that if I was going to do the things I was being asked to do, I better know that the reasons for doing them were legitimate. Why would I live the standards, if they didn't truly come from God? So, I knew that if Joseph Smith truly was a prophet, then the Word of Wisdom, the Law of Chastity, etc., came from God. The Bible says "By their fruits ye shall know them," and I understood that the Book of Mormon was the fruit we were given to know whether or not Joseph Smith was a prophet. 

I read the Book of Mormon, and when I got to 3 Nephi 17 the spirit hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew it was true right then and there. I finished the book, and then I prayed about it. 

Once again, the same feeling came back, and I knew it was true. From that time on, I made the Book of Mormon the Key Stone of my testimony. Everything I was asked to do by a servant of the Lord was true because the Book of Mormon was true. I promise you that if you make the Book of Mormon the foundation of your testimony, you will not fall. The devil will try to fell you, but if you look back on the personal witness you received, and gather your strength from that, he won't be able to knock you off your rock. 

I love you guys, and I hope you have an awesome week.

Love,

Elder Thornton


Dad and Mom, so I'm working on getting my drivers license info, its not as easy as they told you. I had to call Jefferson City. Oh well, I'll get it soon hopefully. I'm glad Sister Grosscost called you, she is one of my favorite members here. We didn't have Thanksgiving with her, but we had dinner with her a few days after thanksgiving. She is an awesome lady. We can't get hugs lol. It is against the rules no matter what age they are lol. Have a good week, I love you.