MTC WEEK 5

My dearest family,

It´s been another wonderful week in the MTC! No complaints here. I don´t have much time today unfortunately but I will hurry as quick as I can! This email will be random from the bullet points I made earlier, but I hope it still makes sense. :)

Well I think the biggest highlight of the week by far was singing in the choir at the General Relief Society meeting- and seeing Mom!!! It was funny because I think everyone except for me saw you at first. After I finally noticed you, everyone told me, We were wondering who that was! Mom, I love you. I know you would have never left that enormous conference center without getting my attention. I am so grateful I got to see you- I am grateful for your love. The whole thing was such a spiritual experience for me, one of the most spiritual in my life actually. Before the meeting, the Relief Society presidency gave us a little devotional (which was amazing in itself). One of the sisters told an experience about how she ran into Elder Scott once and how she started sobbing right after, and she didn't know why! She later realized that what she was feeling was the Savior's love for her. As Elder Scott looked into her eyes (he being a representative of the Savior), she felt as if it was the Savior she was with in that moment. Well I felt like doing the same thing as President Thomas S. Monson, the prophet of God on the earth today, was walking out. I felt like, in that moment, that I had been sitting behind the Savior during that meeting, as part of His army of missionaries- I don't know how to express what I am trying to say, but it was glorious. I know that the Savior is pleased with us when we are in His service, and in the service of our fellow-beings. Someone said recently (I think it was the MTC President's wife, Sister Nalley) that "This work works on the basis of love." Oh how true this is! Without love, there's no purpose in any of this. The purpose is love.

We had mission conference on Sunday and President Nalley talked about the miracle of the translation of the Book of Mormon. My thoughts about it- The whole thing wouldn't have been a miracle without Joseph Smith's diligence, great faith and righteous desire to fulfill God's purposes. Because of this, the miracle took place. After getting the plates, Joseph Smith didn't go home, sit down and eat a snack. He went straight to work, and immediately started the translation. We should follow his example in our lives- There is no time to waste. We must not wait to fulfill OUR life's mission. I challenge each of you to think about YOUR life's mission. What does God want you to DO in this life? Ponder about your wonderful purpose in life (because each of your purposes IS wonderful), and then immediately go to work. Do something more than what you're already doing. Read your patriarchal blessing in faith- "A patriarchal blessing contains chapters from your book of eternal possibilities." I know that we are not alone in our work. I have felt this so very much here as a missionary. We may be called to do hard things in this life, but it is all for our good and eternal happiness, and we are not alone in doing it. One other thing about singing at the conference center- I couldn't help but to think of the people I will be serving, wherever that may be, and in whichever language the Lord would have me speak. I sang with these people in mind, and with the hope of bringing others closer to the Savior Jesus Christ. 

I want to close with one of my favorite quotes: "Run with your heart, then run with your mind, then at last run with your feet."

I hope you are all doing wonderfully! I wish I could hear every detail of all of your lives! But I am sure you are doing great things and it sounds like everyone is happy, and that makes me happy. :) And yes Mom, I can only access my email account once a week, but letters written through dearelder.com I can receive any day. Have a great week! I LOVE YOU!!!

Love,

Sister Katie Thornhill

P.S. I will let you know of my mission reassignment as soon as I can! 2 days! :)

Also, I hope you enjoy the pictures! I think it's obvious from the picture of us sticking grapes in our lips that we are really the most fun district