February 23rd, 2015

Dear Family,

This last week here in Chao has been really great. Elder Campos and I have been working extremely hard in finding new investigators and the fruits of of work have shown. This week we were able to encounter 10 new investigators and received a few more names that we can go tract down this next week. We have been praying for more opportunities to encounter new investigators to teach and I feel like we have been blessed in being able to find many people that we will be able to help come unto Christ. 

This last week Elder Campos and I were working really hard on being able to teach with more unity and as one. We have talked about having one vision so that our investigators can truly understand our message and what our Father in Heaven wants them to know. The first of the week was a little rocky because we are adjusting to the way each of us teach and Elder Campos is still working on the key points of the lessons, but we are really trying to focus on the spirit and be guided by the spirit so that we can share what Heavenly Father wants us to share. Towards the end of the week it got a lot better and I feel like we were more unified as a companionship.

I am learning a lot of patience right now because I can't just expect my companion to know everything and the direction we should go in teaching or anything like that. We have really grown as a companionship though and I feel like in the next coming weeks we will be able to teach really unified and how our Father in Heaven wants us to teach. The Godhead is our perfect example of unity. The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost all testify of each other and are one in purpose and mind. They work with one vision and that is why the gospel is perfect and why the plan of salvation works. I truly know that the Plan of Salvation is perfect and that it is through it that we are able to return to our Father in Heaven.

This last Sunday we had a Family Home Evening with a family in the branch and Elder Campos and I were able to teach about the love of our Father in Heaven. I couldn't help but tear up a little as I testified of the great Plan of Salvation and the love that Heavenly Father has for all of his children. I truly felt in that moment the love that my Father in Heaven has for me. It is real and it is infinite. 

I love this gospel so much and I am so happy I have to chance to proclaim this great gospel and the love of our Father in Heaven.

I love you all so much and I want you to know, just as I know, how much our Father in Heaven loves each and everyone of you.

Love,
Elder Thorpe

February 16th, 2015

Dear Family,

I can't believe that I have hit 7 months! Wow time really does go by fast while serving the Lord. So I was thinking last night that whenever I send out letters, I feel like they are never interesting and so I wanted to try to make them sound more interesting and well, just better. So this is my attempt to do that..

 

So as you know, I am training and I couldn't be happier! I am so happy that I am still here in Chao and that I am able to have a ¨Son¨ here in Chao with me! haha. This first week with Elder Campos has been pretty good. The start of the week was a little slow because Elder Campos has been trying to adapt to missionary life, but we were able to have a few great lessons with a few investigators and less actives. This first week I have been trying to help Elder Campos adapt to missionary life and just a few other minor things from the mission, which he seems to be adapting really well. He is super quiet and doesn't always like to open up and talk a whole lot, but toward the end of the week he started opening up to me a little more and started to open up more as well with the investigators in sharing his thoughts of the gospel. We have started practices every morning, especially with the lessons because he isn't completely familiar with the lessons and all of the main points of the lessons, which I didn't expect him to be, but the practices have been going really well and have affected the way that we teach together.The first few lessons were a little scattered and we weren't completely united, but I had a talk with him on unity and the importance of having the same vision, which I believe has helped us a lot.
This week was a great start for him as well because we were able to have a baptism and an Alma rescatada, which he was super excited about. I am glad that all of that was able to work out this week and that he could come into the mission with a great week of missionary work. The work in Chao is growing each and every week. Our consejo has grown so much in the last month and I feel like our branch is more unified than it has ever been. We missed a couple of key families at church this last week and I think if they were there we would have reached the high 90's in assitance again, but all and all this last week was a great week for us. 

 

So as I mentioned, we had a baptism this last week! His name is Frederico and I am super excited for him. He is one of the investigators that I had that right when I met him, I knew he would get baptized! I am super excited to continue teaching him and hopefully in a year enter into the temple with him! We are hoping that this next week we can help his receive the Priesthood and maybe even a calling! Who knows? Also we have a less active in our branch that we have been working with that has become more active and is working to go to the temple, so we are super excited for her. 

 

Luckily this week I was feeling way better and that I was able to get back out working. At times I miss Elder Farnsworth because we were so unified and could teach any lesson, knowing exactly what the other would say, and so this first week of teaching was a little rougher. Elder Campos is way quiet and a bit shy and so the lessons have been mostly me talking, and when he normally talks he testifies about the gospel of Christ, which is great, but not always what we are talking about. That is alright though because he is in training and learning. I feel so blessed to have such great people in my life like all of you that raised me so great in the gospel and of the knowledge that I have because of that. I look forward to this next week of teaching a practicing with Elder Campos and I hope I can be the example that he needs to become a great missionary.

 

I LOVE this gospel so much and the blessings that come from it. I testify of the truthfulness of the gospel that it truly does bring true happiness. I testify that Jesus is the Christ and that he loves us so much. It is through him and his mercy that we are able to progress and be saved. I love the Book of Mormon so much and I see the truthfulness of it as I read and apply the doctrine into my life and my teaching. I hope you know that I love you all so much and that I know that I am here on my mission as a representative of our savior Jesus Christ, doing his work.

Love,

Elder Thorpe

February 9th, 2015

Dear Family,

This letter might be really short because I haven't really done anything this week. 

Elder Farnsworth and I had 1 normal day of teaching at the start of this week, which was Tuesday, and then on Wednesday morning Elder Farnsworth got super sick and got a really high fever so we couldn't go out and teach. Then on Thursday we were supposed to have interviews with President but Elder Farnsworth was still really sick, and you know what happens when your companion is sick... You get sick as well. So Thursday night I got super sick. I couldn't eat or drink anything without throwing up (I know gross) and I had a 102.4 fever so I couldn't do anything as well. It got so bad that in the middle of the night I was waking up every 15 to 20 minutes throwing up.. (sorry this letter is a little gross..) And then finally at 2 or 3 in the morning I asked my companion for a blessing which we were both able to give each other a blessing and after that we were both completely fine (Talk about Priesthood Power) And that was pretty much the week, although we were able to teach a few people on Sunday. 

So this week is change week and so I am sure you want to know what is going on! Well, I am staying here in Chao and I am TRAINING!!! Oh my goodness I didn't think that I would train this early in the mission. My companion will be a Latino because there are no Americans coming in this round. But yeah.. I am training in Chao and will be here at least 12 more weeks! And that means that Elder Farnsworth is leaving, so I am a little sad about that because we are doing so great here in Chao, but I am excited to be training now!

Well I hope you all know that I love you and that you all have a wonderful Valentines day!

Love, Elder Thorpe

February 2nd, 2015

Dear Family,

Well, we have hit the month of February! That is so crazy for me to think! This last week went by super fast and was pretty great. We had a pretty interesting experience with a couple of our investigators this last week. Basically what happened was one of them hid under a bed from us because I guess he didn't want to listen to us and then we were told we couldn't visit them anymore by their landlord because he only allows one religion in his house. So that was interesting. We also got into a Bible bash with the landlord, which is never what we want to do, but it ended on a good note. He pretty much proved all of our points to be true and proved to himself why his religion is false. I am not sure if he realized that or not though.

Also this week we found another really awesome new investigator that has come to church twice and we have been working with him a lot this past week. We think that he could be prepared to be baptized in the next couple of weeks, so we are really working hard with him.

Other than that, the week was pretty normal. We played basketball this morning and today for P-day we are going to watch the lego movie and play Inca-Pong, we are pretty excited for that. 

Well, I love you all and I will talk to you next week! 

Love,

Elder Thorpe