New Habits & New Memories

This one is gonna be a brief one this week so sorry in advance! I'm pretty sure I say that every week:

Last P-Day we traveled to an island around Singapore called Pulau Ubin and we rented bikes and rode around the island. I have done it before so I showed everyone around the place. We caught some sweet views and got caught in a crazy storm! The sky opened up and we were riding through rivers, basically. Lighting and thunder were going off everywhere, it was insane. Nothing like biking through what felt like a war zone of lights in the jungle right? 

  

The house I stay in is great. We have started a workout program that is intense. Tt gets me every time and I have been sore all week! Got to get this missionary body back into shape! We wake up way early and we have a workout that kills us.   You'd think after the rain storm on P-day the rain would stop, Nope! It rained all week long which bogged us down on some of the missionary work we can do. It is not like East Malaysia where we can just hop on our bikes and ride through a monsoon and then teach a lesson, haha. Singapore is a bit different but it is awesome still!

One of our members invited us to come join them for a dinner. They live right next to the Singapore stadium right on the water and they were doing a rehearsal for Singapore's Birthday coming up. At the end of the night we caught the firework show and it was sweet. The scene there next to the stadium and on the water was way cool! Awesome memories.

 

We were sitting in church on Sunday and all of the sudden I see my last companion, Elder Cocq, walks in the door! He is already back in Singapore and he came to the ward to say hi. It was cool and also way weird seeing him there, haha. He is Brother Cocq now.....so weird. Cool to see him though!

This week we were teaching the Restoration to one of our members and when we got to the house it was stressful. It was loud with all of their kids and the father was a bit angry. There was just stuff going on everywhere. As we started to the Restoration and got into the First Vision the whole house just seemed to be quiet, calm, and no stress. There was just a sacred peace and it was nice. Another testament to the truthfulness of this message. 

  

That is all! Love you all! I want to thank a lot of people for sending me email for my year mark and what not. I am trying to get tot answering all of them but I may not get to them all. But thank you so much to all!

Elder Thompson

Draper, Utah Missionary Letters July 23-2016

The ONE YEAR Mark

Hey Everyone!!

Ok, first, let me tell you all about all the highlights of the week as far was what we did and then we can get into the deep stuff later, haha! :

Last P-day we went to the top of Marina Bay Sands again with the house and enjoyed seeing some sights around there. 

Funny quote from Elder Miller this week: "We're missionaries, we're not human!" Haha, I have been known to say that throughout my mission. There is no truer statement out there, and yet so spiritual at the same time. Maybe I'll explain later!

 

This week we were at the stake center receiving some training and I saw some of my Sibu brothers! Two young men from Sibu, Malaysia who were just one day out on their mission. They just entered the mission field! Man I hugged those two tiny Malaysians so dang hard I just about killed them! It was exciting to see two young men that I had worked with for 8 months to get them on missions and support them, finally in the mission field. This work is true folks. We had zone conference this week as well which is always motivating and inspiring. Love me some zone meetings all day! It felt nice to get out and work under the sun haha. 

 

Ok, and then came the year mark. Friday July 15th, to be exact. First off, it was a pretty chill day in that we had to do weekly planning but I think that is what made the year mark so good. Mom! I made the cookies for the house and we enjoyed them with some nice ice cream. Yes, they were good! I also made some french toast for the house the next morning and we munched on that. Contrary to most missionaries, I think my baking and cooking skills have degraded on my mission...woops.  That brings me to the year mark. As far as cool traditions go to celebrate, you can kind of make your own!  Singapore is a bit too safe so we can't do too much, but I think that is better for Elder Thompson given my track history in Malaysia when it comes to celebrations. I'm being safe Mom and Dad!!

 

Anyways, one year:  Wow. I can't even begin to think what has happened and how I have changed in the past year. I'll tell you all what though, I've never laughed harder in my life. I have never prayed harder in my life. Never have I enjoyed church so much in history. I know what it is that I am out here for. Oh hey guess what? The Spirit feels pretty good when you have it with you, who knew?? I talk to random people all over the city without even blinking an eyebrow. I can't wait to get up in the morning an hour before we are supposed to so that I can work myself in the gym. I now own 8 journals that I write in simultaneously. I am writing in the journal....that is a miracle in and of itself. I know this church is true, every part of it. You know what I learned from all this? It's not about me. I have seen lives changed, people healed, and sorrows overcome. I have seen miracles happen, faith grow, and repentance take place. I have been humbled until I hit rock bottom. That is where I found Jesus Christ, sitting on the rocks waiting for me to join him so we could take this mountain together. I know that he lives and I know of his power to take us and make us more than we ever thought we could be. He can make us into something we didn't envision for ourselves, not against our will, but with his will. I serve with my heart. All of it. Everything in and nothing left out. A full sacrifice. A consecrated missionary. I love God. He truly does wait for us to mount up as eagles and take flight. Only then do we get to see what it is that he sees. What it is that Joseph Smith saw and every other person on this earth that has lived this gospel, preached it, or been changed by it. It is real. It is true. I know it is. I know it is. 

Sorry that was so jumbled and what not but I love you all!

Elder Thompson

Draper, Utah Missionary Letters July 16-2016

The Weekly Stuff

I apologize for the not so creative title to this email, Elder Thompson has run out of ideas, but that will have to do for now! Here's the run down of the highlights and some fun things that happened last week in my missionary life: 

For the 4th of July last week it was our P-day and after I got done emailing we went to a nice western food place here and we got some nice juicy steaks. It's nothing like Dad's BBQ back home, but for a 4th of July celebration it was way good! Good times with the missionaries I love here in Singapore!

Later in the week we got to go bowling with our Elders Quorum! The Elder's Quorum here is way fun and super chill, especially the Filipinos, haha! We had a fun time with them and then we pitched in on a service project afterwards, because service is what we do best. We were painting again which is always a good time. Then you add in some Filipino members to help out you get more of a party then anything, but I'm not complaining! 

 

With the new house we have (by that I mean the Elders that stay in our house), missionary work becomes way too much fun! Elder Miller my companion, Elder Cook, and Elder Bloem, my MTC companion, all of us have so much fun together. I have said this before but I have never laughed so hard in my life than I have out here on a mission. That is something I never thought would happen. Missions are so much fun all around!

One day this week we were fasting and we got through the day pretty well until we came to church toward the end of the night to teach a lesson. We were looking for members to help us and we heard the Young Women were doing an activity in the kitchen so we headed there. Big mistake. They are pulling out HUGE brownie mix muffins and they looked so good. They are pouring the batter right in front of our faces and we couldn't handle it we were so hungry haha. We quickly had to leave that situation but the rest of the night went just fine. Don't trust the Young Women everyone, they make sinful muffins. 

We had dinner and got to hang out with a Filipino family in our ward, the Gutierez family. They are so much fun. Their kids are the most adorable things in the world and they just love to have fun as a family. Yes, I did sing Disney songs in the car with a Filipino family and their 3 kids under the ages of 8.....what? With all this growing you do on a mission you'd expect me to get over it, right? Nope. I still know Lion King by heart. Yeah. 

By the way my companion Elder Miller is the best. I absolutely love him and we have such a good time doing the work. We got nations to baptize, and all in shirts and ties!

Love you all!

Elder Thompson

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Draper, Utah Missionary Letters July 9-2016

Indulging in the Good Times

Hey Everybody, Happy Day of 'MERICA! 

This week was full of fun experiences as well as spiritual ones! Check that, this week was chalk full of fun experiences that were spiritual at the same time! That is when the mission becomes fun. That's when Elder Thompson is having a good time, haha. 

I give a quick run down of each thing that I did:  First, last P-day we went to the beach as a zone and we played volleyball and ultimate frisbee. It was cool to play beach volleyball on such a beautiful beach as the one on Sentosa island, always a good time here in Singapore on P-days!

Earlier in the week we had a friend take us to a Mexican buffet at an American club. Oh my, it was so good... It was too good.  I ate one too many enchiladas and one too many Tres Leche cakes. Don't even ask me about the guacamole and the chips & salsa. Shout out to my boys in the Spanish speaking missions, your people brought me back, haha, I have missed it!  Got to go to Chili's this week. They have a Chili's here family?!? I may have indulged a bit...

 

We did a service project this week at an old folks home and that was hilarious. Sang some songs and met some sweet people.  I made a ton of new friends! Some sweet spirits there and a whole lot of toothless smiles, Yes!, haha.   We ended the week with a dinner with the YSA's in our ward! They are always a good time and fun to hang out with for a bit. It's pretty cool considering there were about 10 of us there and we all came from different backgrounds and countries. Singapore is a serious melting pot all the way down to the church! What other stake uses over 100 languages within the system?? That is a complete guess by the way, but I bet there aren't that many.   Some other good food eaten this week (In case you couldn't tell food is a big deal here in Singapore), I had some burritos and some PHO. Vietnamese Pho, hat stuff is addicting!

 

Ok, enough fun! Here's the miracle for the week! We walked out of the house one day with some pamphlets and a Book of Mormon and some goals we set. We told ourselves we were not aloud to come home unless we got rid of all the supplies on hand and reached our goals. So we set out to do just that. We had good success placing the pamphlets but the Book of Mormon was hanging heavy in my bag. We were heading home and we passes a man on the street and we said hi as usual. Our reply was "What's up dudes!" with a funny laugh. So we kept talking to him because you don't get that a lot in Singapore, like ever. Turns lout this guy saw the play in London and has been looking for us forever. He was so excited to meet us and he wondered if we had the book......Uh, yeah! Gave him the book, exchanged info, and went on our way. If you set a goal with God in it, it's going to happen. 

I love you all!

A big 16th Happy Birthday to Maddi!!! Driving and all the good stuff! By the way: I'm looking at these pictures of you...where did Maddi go?! When did you become so grown up, confident, and super beautiful?? Wow, Happiest of Birthdays! Try not to grow up too much more now! 

Elder Thompson

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Draper, Utah Missionary Letters July 3-2016