Mesa, AZ WEEK 4

Dear Family,

The work is moving forward and as always, I'm loving it. I continue to be impressed every week with the members and how willing they are to help us. Yesterday Sister Sallstrom and I taught Relief Society in one of our wards and we did a roleplay with them, and tried to show them that it's really not scary to come with us to lessons! It really is essential at this time when the work of the Lord is hastening that members and missionaries work together. Our stake president said yesterday that in the past we, in a way, viewed missionaries going down one road, members down another. But now, the Lord is changing our view- And that view is members and missionaries on the same road. The work of the Lord truly is hastening. I feel it everyday, and it seems that this feeling even magnifies with every passing week- the members are feeling it too, and it's so exciting! The time is short really, and so we should always have a sense of urgency to be about our Heavenly Father's business.

Sometimes when I stop and think about it, it's still crazy to me that I am serving a mission! I don't care where I am- Arizona or Brazil - The Lord calls each of us where we are needed (to who we are needed), when we are needed. Every P-day we spend our day with a wonderful member family, the Lomax's. They are an older couple and they treat us as if we are their grandchildren- we even have a key to their house. Sister Lomax always says things like, "Anytime you need, whatever you need, even if it's 3:00 in the morning, you're welcome here!" They truly understand what it means to consecrate yourself to the Lord. They are wonderful we love them! The first week I was here Sister Lomax after finding out that I wasn't 19 said, "I would think you would be at home married and with a few kids!" It was funny because that's what I've always thought would have happened by now, but the Lord had a different plan for me. And how grateful I am! I know that I will be a wife and mother someday, I know it! Because I know that I am a daughter of God and that His Plan is perfect and more glorious than we can imagine. Only He knows the end from the beginning, and we must trust in His plan for us and His timing, because it IS perfect. Gordon B. Hinckley said: "Today many sisters are being called to serve. Many more are preparing to serve- not because they aren't married or don't have anything else to do, but they have desired to serve. One reason that the Lord wants more sisters to serve is because within the next generation He will send His Priesthood army to the earth. He wants to send choice spirit children to mothers who have been prepared, trained and taught in the gospel. What better schooling can a mother have than the experience and growth she gains through serving a mission."

As always, I love Sister Sallstrom and she has many strengths as a person, and as a missionary, that I desire to develop in myself. She is a gentle and kind hearted (Christlike) person who never stops trying to be the best she can be. I have thought about this a lot lately- the principle of striving to be the very best you can be, and just simply striving. I remember one of my bishops at BYU once told us that a person is progressing and happy when they are striving to do good. This week I thought about a few of our investigators who seem to be progressing, but are they really? And I had the thought that perhaps when we see one of our investigators simply striving to do good, it is evidence that they are truly progressing. When we strive to do good, what we are really doing is trying to be more like our Savior. When we see our investigators showing charity to others, we can know they are progressing. And that's something I need to be aware of in my own life as well- I need to ask myself, am I progressing? And how am I doing in my strivings to "do good continually" as the Savior would?

The mission has definitely been a transition for me and in all honesty, it hasn't been the easiest. But I have to keep telling myself that it's the first transfer and of course it's a transition- But it's more than that, it's an opportunity. I have an opportunity to work on those "strivings." There is always so much more I can do, and so much more that I can be. I love the Lord and His Gospel. I know that I am a daughter of God and that the people we come in contact with daily are His children.

Look up the video in the gospel library app: "My Joy Is Full." It's wonderful

I love you!

Love,

Sister Katie Thornhill