week3

Hello everyone!

So not sure if everyone heard the news or not... But missionaries can now call/FaceTime their family on P-days! So it has been a great day video chatting my family and getting to see their faces and hear their voices.

This week has been so good. I've realized that Sundays are my favorite days of the week because we get to be around our branch presidency and hear some great talks from them. I always feel the spirit so strong when I am with them, they are just so sweet and always know the things I need to hear.

Every Monday we have service from 6:25-7:40. It's always such a long day but it's also another one of my favorite days because I get emails from all my missionary friends/fam who have their pdays that day. But anyways for service we usually just vacuum hallways and clean bathrooms. It's not that bad, nothing too hard.

On Tuesday we had a devotional and Elder Soares, who is a member of the 12 apostles came and spoke to us. It was a great talk all about obedience and being worthy to serve a mission. He left us a blessing and said

 "if we are obedient then we may have the power and courage to rely on the spirit, rather than our own works and talents" 

Which is sooo comforting to me. The Holy Ghost is the best tool to have as a missionary. It's the way God communicates with everyone. Without it, a mission would almost be impossible. Obedience brings blessings, for sure. Andddd the spirit, which is the biggest blessing of all. 

Also this week my roommates figured out that I sleep talk. It has happened twice now that I have woken them up from it but the funniest one was last night, apparently I yelled out, "don't forget to pray!!!" idk what I was dreaming about but I said it so loud that I ended up waking myself up after I said it bc I had yelled it so loud. Hahaha I feel bad but oh well haha I can't help it, I just want everyone to remember to pray I guess. 

On valentines day I got some really pretty flowers from someone special, so that made my day and week a lot better too :) 

As well as my moms packages that she has sent me, she's the best. 

Me and my comp decided to start taking the stairs everywhere we go in exchange for working out everyday. So we figured out that there's 91 stairs up to our classroom and we go up and down those about 6 times a day. Plus when I take the stairs I get a good view of my bffs apartment over at byu which is fun to see. 

Every night me and sister McMahon listen to 1 or 2 conference talks. The words of the prophets and all other general authorities always bring me so much comfort and brings the spirit so strongly into our companion studies. 

Something cool that I learned/realized this week is that even if you only bring one soul back to christ on your mission its one more that didn't have a relationship with him before. 

And that one could even be yourself. And you will find yourself as you focus on everyone but yourself. 

You have to lose yourself in order to find yourself. 

I can't believe my time in the mtc is already over! I fly to fort worth earlyyyyy Tuesday morning and I cannot wait!! I'm sure the first few days are gonna be a little bit of a weird adjustment but I'll get the hang of it haha. 

My mission has been so life changing already. I just want to share the message of Christ and His gospel to everyone who is willing to listen!! Because it really is the best message in the world and I know that it will change their lives as it has changed mine.

I love you all and I hope you have a great week this week!! 

Love, Sister Thorpe 

Ps I can now use the "hangouts" app to chat so if you wanna download that, it can make it easier to communicate with missionaries! :)