Sunday, January 25, 2015

Week 66: Back on Top

Great week this week. It was the first one in awhile that either my companion or I wasn't sick, so that was really nice. Highlight of the week was probably the lesson we had to pick up another new investigator. We brought a priest with us to the lesson since it was a single female there, and wow it was a really interesting lesson. Good experience for McKay(the priest) I guess. we taught the restoration and we were going through it and somehow our investigator brought up using birth control and if that is a sin and if it is a sin to send inappropriate pictures to others. So we got to adjust and go a bit differently with the lesson and explain those answers as simply as we could. A bit awkward for McKay, but that's ok, builds character. It's always great getting to teach people that are willing and ready to learn at least a little bit of the truth.
Something I have thought a lot about this week was the value of hard work, and id have to say at this point, it is one of the things I have learned the most. Hard work always pays off, and you always have a sense of accomplishment after. We got on the topic of what we would be doing in heaven, and the answer is work. in one form or another, we will be working. This brings up the scripture of the week and quote of the week. Alma 36:25 " 25 Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;" That statement can be extended to all of us as well. There is joy in hard work. President Ezra Taft Benson said "Work, work, work—there is no satisfactory substitute" I know this is true and hard work in a righteous cause will always pay off!
Another incident from this week, we had the opportunity to talk to an "ex-mormon" who had gone on a mission and all that good stuff who went off the deep end because he didn't agree with some of the changes the church has made in its existence, including how the Book of Mormon had its intro changed a bit. I don't care what anybody does in this church, if the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet, and President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet in these latter days, and this church is true. I'd challenge all of you to reevaluate your testimony of the Book of Mormon and seek to strengthen it by reading from it every day accompanied with prayer. I know that as you do, you will feel the fruits of the spirit, which will bear witness to you of the divinity and truthfulness of it.
Have a great week!
Keep it real,
Elder W.Chad Thompson

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Week 64: 15 Months?

Hola,

Reason we are emailing today is because we had our temple pday this week! That was a great experience, even though a lot of us in there were sick. The temple is such a great place to be, no matter how you are feeling. You always feel better after. So I'd encourage you to attend the temple more this year and make it one of your priorities. 

Another week has come and gone and finds my companion and I, and Zach (and everyone else that came out with us) at 15 months this week. Really weird to think about but it is what it is. But this past week was full of activities which is always nice. But first, a somewhat of a big announcement, we will most likely be on facebook this upcoming week so keep your eyes out. But I won't be able to chat with y'all so don't be too heart broken :) Our purpose will be to post inspiring and uplifting messages. We are receiving that training tomorrow, so stay tuned.

This past week we had a fun New Years eve. We had to be in by 6 pm off the roads, so we walked to the church and played basketball and soccer with a member family which was awesome! Sunday we had a great time at church. It was -42 which is always a party. To put it in perspective, a deep freeze usually sits around -15... so it scared some people away for a while, but it was still a great fast and testimony meeting. I also got sick this week, so that has really sucked. i made it 14.89 months without getting sick but it looks like it has finally caught up to me. But even with that, we got to do a bottle drive on saturday in -35 degree weather so that was fun. It went from 10-4 and our investigator mike even helped out with that! what a great guy. We did it for a young kid in the ward that got paralyzed this summer from crashing his bike, right after his family moved here. We were able to raise over $9000 in just bottles in one day. it was great to see the community pitch in and show their good hearts. 

Quote of the week comes from a guy who answered the door of one of our potentials. he said "Oh he's not here right now, but he should be back by the 3rd period of the hockey game" haha its always great to see and hear stereotypes fulfilled!

Scripture of the week is more of a modern day scripture I guess you could say. it is a quote from President Eyring "If you are on the right path, it will always be uphill." And how true that is. This life is meant as a probation and testing period so of course it will be tough. furthermore, the saviors life wasn't easy, so if we are trying to be more like him, why would we expect anything else? As we pray daily in our families and as individuals and add that to daily scripture study, we have a manual of sorts to go through life. Keep working hard, keep doing what you need to be doing, and last of all,
Keep it real,
Elder W.Chad Thompson

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Pig feces and Christmas Week


This has been a great week up in Canada. I hope all went well this past Christmas week for you all as well.

One of the highlights this week was the service we got to do the other day. We went over to a members home( they live on a ranch) and we got to shovel out the pig pen. It was filled with lots of pig poop that hadn't been shoveled since summer. But the weather was on our side. Since it was freezing, it didn't smell as bad as it could have so that was nice. We smelled pretty bad after. good experience though. I also got to go on exchanges with the Zone Leaders, one of which is one of my previous companions awhile back so that was lots of fun. We were able to see lots of miracles too, so that was great. That day we got 5 new potentials, 1 referral, 1 lesson and 1 new investigator. Yesterday we also had two investigators at church which was pretty great too. It feels like work here is starting to pick up, so we are really excited! 

Quote of the week comes from tracting. we had knocked on quite a few doors and we were offering to shovel their drive ways so we knocked and we talked for a bit to this guy before he said he wasn't interested and then we offered to shovel and i said "can we help you drovel your shiveway?" haha whoops. joys of tracting i guess.

This past week in my studies I was contemplating the act of submitting to God's will which was great. It is perhaps one of the toughest things to do in this life because of the natural man which is naturally prideful. But the blessings of doing so are far greater than not doing so and Mosiah 2:23-25 puts it into a pretty good perspective 

 23 And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.
 24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?
 25 And now ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? answer you,Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to hiwho created you.
We are literally nothing but the dust of the earth, and even that is Gods, so we should probably do what he wants because it will be more beneficial than anything we come up with. we are promised that as we obey him he will bless us, whether its in missionary work,  shoveling pig crap, or sleeping at night, God will bless us for our obedience, "both in things temporal and spiritual."
Keep it real,
Happy New Year!

Elder W.Chad
T
hompson

Mosiah 2:17