Hallo!
We had a ton of fun this week! Even though we weren't in our own area for most of the week, we still found a bunch of success and we learned a lot from all of the meetings we went to.
We visited all of the district meetings in the zone and taught about the Book of Mormon. The many experiences and testimonies strengthened my testimony of the book even more, and it make me even more excited to share it. We also had interviews with President and Sister Bunnell, and I learned a lot from their council.
On Friday we went to MLC (Missionary Leadership Council). It took the whole day, but we learned a lot and discussed and solved several problems that are currently affecting the mission. It was a open council, so if you know me well then you would know that I participated a pretty ridiculous amount. I have changed a lot on my mission, but I still have some pretty strong opinions... I guess we all have some things to work on. :)
On the two days we spend in our area we had a ton of appointments and still managed to find a few new investigators. We are planning on seeing quite a few of them in church this next week, so keep on praying! Our teaching pool has gone from 0 at the beginning of the transfer to several progressing investigators with even more with a lot of potential.
Remco was in church again, and I am so excited for him. He has been praying and reading daily, and loves meeting with us. His desire to change amazes me, and how much he has changed amazes me even more. With the amount of effort he is putting into finding God he will get his answer very soon!
I can't send any photos this week, but I will make sure to send them next week!.\
I love you all, and I hope you all remember the incredible opportunity you have to know the gospel. It makes me so happy to see people discover it for the first time!
Love,
Elder Thornton
Monday, February 12, 2018
Monday, February 5, 2018
Week 82 Stake Conference!
Hey people!
Yet another great week! We got to spend a lot of time this week just working, so that was pretty great. We have been working in some huge apartment building, and we have found quite a bit of success. We had several good lessons with return appointments, so we are finally going to be able to see some people progress, which is super nice since when we started this transfer we had no solid investigators. Now we have 5 or 6 who are progressing, one of them being our Jewish investigator I have mentioned a couple times. She is still doing great, and even though she has been sick we have good contact with her.
We had zone conference this week which was pretty fun, if not a slight bit stressful with the couple trainings that we had to do. Thankfully the Assistants did most of the work, so it wasn't too bad. Just super spiritually uplifting.
We also had Stake Conference this week, and it was really good. I was really impressed with the talks, especially one from a recent convert. The member of the Seventy had some really good stories in the Saturday night session. I got so into it that when he annouced that he would like to hear from some of the missionaries in the congregation, I just got a little confused, and thought,"I wonder who. There aren't very many missionaries here." We were actually the only two missionaries there because we had to bring an investigator in order to come, and it was in our city so it was a bit easier for us. I was then very suprised when called Elder Thornton and Elder White to come up. He asked us to tell why we came on a mission. I went first so I had no preparation time, but thankfully I was guided on what to say.
And now that I say that, I'm not sure if very many of you know why I came on a mission. So I guess I will share a little about that.
To be perfectly honest, I came out on my mission because of Duty. Also because it was something that my parents wanted and something I had been planning on for my entire life. I knew logically that the church was true. But when I got to the MTC something changed. I have never really struggled very much in my life. School was always easy, my social life was never too tough, and I was blessed with a wonderful family. But in the MTC I found out that I was not capable. For the first time I couldn't do it on my own. So it came to the point where I had to figure something out. I prayed hard for help, and for a general confirmation of God's presence.
And I recieved it. And that help and affirmation has continued to grow as I have been out here.
I understand now that I truly am nothing. Just a tool in God's hands. And through the many blessing I have been given I can help him in his work. This church is true. We are led by a modern day prophet. God loves us and wants to help us, we just need to let him do that.
My reason why I am here has definitely changed. I am here because I love it. I love the growth it has brought in me. I love to see the people around me come closer to Christ. And I am super grateful for it.
I hope this email wasn't to long and that people are still reading at this point ! :) I love you all! Good luck with all of the craziness in life, and don't forget to rely on God!
Love,
Elder Thornton
Photos:
Our zone after we won the mission wide competition :)
Pday in Europe!
Yet another great week! We got to spend a lot of time this week just working, so that was pretty great. We have been working in some huge apartment building, and we have found quite a bit of success. We had several good lessons with return appointments, so we are finally going to be able to see some people progress, which is super nice since when we started this transfer we had no solid investigators. Now we have 5 or 6 who are progressing, one of them being our Jewish investigator I have mentioned a couple times. She is still doing great, and even though she has been sick we have good contact with her.
We had zone conference this week which was pretty fun, if not a slight bit stressful with the couple trainings that we had to do. Thankfully the Assistants did most of the work, so it wasn't too bad. Just super spiritually uplifting.
We also had Stake Conference this week, and it was really good. I was really impressed with the talks, especially one from a recent convert. The member of the Seventy had some really good stories in the Saturday night session. I got so into it that when he annouced that he would like to hear from some of the missionaries in the congregation, I just got a little confused, and thought,"I wonder who. There aren't very many missionaries here." We were actually the only two missionaries there because we had to bring an investigator in order to come, and it was in our city so it was a bit easier for us. I was then very suprised when called Elder Thornton and Elder White to come up. He asked us to tell why we came on a mission. I went first so I had no preparation time, but thankfully I was guided on what to say.
And now that I say that, I'm not sure if very many of you know why I came on a mission. So I guess I will share a little about that.
To be perfectly honest, I came out on my mission because of Duty. Also because it was something that my parents wanted and something I had been planning on for my entire life. I knew logically that the church was true. But when I got to the MTC something changed. I have never really struggled very much in my life. School was always easy, my social life was never too tough, and I was blessed with a wonderful family. But in the MTC I found out that I was not capable. For the first time I couldn't do it on my own. So it came to the point where I had to figure something out. I prayed hard for help, and for a general confirmation of God's presence.
And I recieved it. And that help and affirmation has continued to grow as I have been out here.
I understand now that I truly am nothing. Just a tool in God's hands. And through the many blessing I have been given I can help him in his work. This church is true. We are led by a modern day prophet. God loves us and wants to help us, we just need to let him do that.
My reason why I am here has definitely changed. I am here because I love it. I love the growth it has brought in me. I love to see the people around me come closer to Christ. And I am super grateful for it.
I hope this email wasn't to long and that people are still reading at this point ! :) I love you all! Good luck with all of the craziness in life, and don't forget to rely on God!
Love,
Elder Thornton
Photos:
Our zone after we won the mission wide competition :)
Monday, January 29, 2018
Week 81: Exchanges and Miracles
Hey!
This week has been really great, and pretty packed. We went on exchanges with both Groningen and the Assistants in Leiden, and they were both super good experiences! We also had some pretty incredible lessons with some newer investigators.
Being back in Groningen was awesome! (I served there for 4 1/2 months a while back.) I was a little nervous because when I was there we did not have a ton of success, but the moment I got there I remembered how much I love it! It is such a beautiful city. We managed to find 2 new investigators in one day in comparison to the several weeks of nothing. I really wish I knew then what I knew now.
We also went on an exchange with the Assistants. It is always really great to be working with more experienced Elders, and I will definitely be applying some of their contact techniques.
We had a super good lesson with the Jewish woman that I mentioned last week. We met her on the door last week and we showed her "Dankzij Hem" (last Easter's video) on the telephone. At the end she was crying, said she felt something, and told us she wanted us to come back! We had that appointment this week, and it was so incredible. She took the Restoration really well, and she is really excited to learn about the Plan of Salvation. She is totally going to get baptized!
This week has been really great, and pretty packed. We went on exchanges with both Groningen and the Assistants in Leiden, and they were both super good experiences! We also had some pretty incredible lessons with some newer investigators.
Being back in Groningen was awesome! (I served there for 4 1/2 months a while back.) I was a little nervous because when I was there we did not have a ton of success, but the moment I got there I remembered how much I love it! It is such a beautiful city. We managed to find 2 new investigators in one day in comparison to the several weeks of nothing. I really wish I knew then what I knew now.
We also went on an exchange with the Assistants. It is always really great to be working with more experienced Elders, and I will definitely be applying some of their contact techniques.
We had a super good lesson with the Jewish woman that I mentioned last week. We met her on the door last week and we showed her "Dankzij Hem" (last Easter's video) on the telephone. At the end she was crying, said she felt something, and told us she wanted us to come back! We had that appointment this week, and it was so incredible. She took the Restoration really well, and she is really excited to learn about the Plan of Salvation. She is totally going to get baptized!
Centrum Contacting in Leiden
Back in Groningen! It was super windy, so my hair was everywhere!
Monday, January 22, 2018
Week 80: Prophecies!
Hey Everybody!
We have been seeing a bunch of success here in Apeldoorn! We are working hard, and have knocked a ton of doors this week. Thankfully we got let in a bunch, and found several new investigators. One of them was pretty cool! We have been showing the easter message from last year on our Phone on the door, and there was a Jewish woman who was super touched by it, and we have an appointment with her this Wednesday because she "felt something." The prophecies in the Book of Mormon are coming true!
Church also went pretty well with both Remco, the friend of a couple members, and Ammar, our 18 year old Muslim investigator there.
I don't have a ton of time today, but I just want you to know that the Church is true! I am so very grateful for it, and also for the opportunity I have to share it everyday! I love you all!
Love,
Elder Thornton
(From part of his letter to me in response to me complimenting his positive attitude in such a hard mission)
And I wouldn't say our mission is so hard. It is just an incredible experience! and thankfully we get to see a plenty of success even with the incredible amount of atheists and not open people here. I would definitely go so far as to say that it is the best mission.
I can't believe Derek is 6 feet tall! Bother... I'm pretty sure I haven't grown at all...
The beautiful thing is that the gospel is pretty logical if looked at in the right way. And even more beautiful is that it rests on one thing. Is the Book of Mormon true?
People can attack Joseph Smith or Brigham Young or Polygamy or whatever, but no one has or ever will be able to explain the Book of Mormon away. Because it is true. The more I read it the more I am convinced of it's divine origin, and I can never get enough.
We have been seeing a bunch of success here in Apeldoorn! We are working hard, and have knocked a ton of doors this week. Thankfully we got let in a bunch, and found several new investigators. One of them was pretty cool! We have been showing the easter message from last year on our Phone on the door, and there was a Jewish woman who was super touched by it, and we have an appointment with her this Wednesday because she "felt something." The prophecies in the Book of Mormon are coming true!
Church also went pretty well with both Remco, the friend of a couple members, and Ammar, our 18 year old Muslim investigator there.
I don't have a ton of time today, but I just want you to know that the Church is true! I am so very grateful for it, and also for the opportunity I have to share it everyday! I love you all!
Love,
Elder Thornton
(From part of his letter to me in response to me complimenting his positive attitude in such a hard mission)
And I wouldn't say our mission is so hard. It is just an incredible experience! and thankfully we get to see a plenty of success even with the incredible amount of atheists and not open people here. I would definitely go so far as to say that it is the best mission.
I can't believe Derek is 6 feet tall! Bother... I'm pretty sure I haven't grown at all...
The beautiful thing is that the gospel is pretty logical if looked at in the right way. And even more beautiful is that it rests on one thing. Is the Book of Mormon true?
People can attack Joseph Smith or Brigham Young or Polygamy or whatever, but no one has or ever will be able to explain the Book of Mormon away. Because it is true. The more I read it the more I am convinced of it's divine origin, and I can never get enough.
Monday, January 15, 2018
Week 79 - Apeldoorn
Hoi Jullie!
This week has been crazy, but super good! I said goodbye to Roosendaal, and now I am back up north here in Apeldoorn.
We found a couple more Arabic investigators while I was in Roosendaal, and I heard that they finally set up an appointment with a miracle investigator that we found a few weeks ago!
It has been pretty crazy up here with all of the beginning of the transfer meeting and planning for the zone, but we have finally finished all of that crazyness so hopefully we will be able to spend even more time finding this next week.
My new companion is Elder White (and yes, that is his real name) I may have accidentally called him Elder Black earlier on my mission. In my defence it is a pretty common mistake. :) He is a really good Elder, and lots of fun. He only has 2 transfers left, so I will probably end up "killing" him.
I felt a little overwhelmed this last week, especially when I was sitting down with all of the leaders of the mission and I realized that I still have a lot to learn. But I am definitely going to be able to learn it here!
The ward here is incredible! My first Saturday here we attented a baptism of an 8 year old, and he invited his entire school class to his baptism, so his classmates and their parents came to watch it. It was a pretty incredible service, and while we didn't get any new investigators or appointments from it, I'm sure it was a super good experience for them!
And speaking of ward missionary work, a member brought a friend to church and he is really positive. We still need to figure it out with the ward member to see what their expectations are, but this guy is definitely going to be baptized!
I am super excited for this next week, and I hope that you all have an incredible week too!
Love,
Elder Thornton
This is Jeroen, one of our investigators in Roosendaal. He is pretty cool
This week has been crazy, but super good! I said goodbye to Roosendaal, and now I am back up north here in Apeldoorn.
We found a couple more Arabic investigators while I was in Roosendaal, and I heard that they finally set up an appointment with a miracle investigator that we found a few weeks ago!
It has been pretty crazy up here with all of the beginning of the transfer meeting and planning for the zone, but we have finally finished all of that crazyness so hopefully we will be able to spend even more time finding this next week.
I felt a little overwhelmed this last week, especially when I was sitting down with all of the leaders of the mission and I realized that I still have a lot to learn. But I am definitely going to be able to learn it here!
The ward here is incredible! My first Saturday here we attented a baptism of an 8 year old, and he invited his entire school class to his baptism, so his classmates and their parents came to watch it. It was a pretty incredible service, and while we didn't get any new investigators or appointments from it, I'm sure it was a super good experience for them!
And speaking of ward missionary work, a member brought a friend to church and he is really positive. We still need to figure it out with the ward member to see what their expectations are, but this guy is definitely going to be baptized!
I am super excited for this next week, and I hope that you all have an incredible week too!
Love,
Elder Thornton
Monday, January 8, 2018
Week 78: Back to the north!
Hallo!
This week has been pretty great! We have been working hard, and seeing a pretty good amount of success. Elder Jeanfreau and I have become pros on the door, especially with Muslims. We have a ton of people here from the Middle East, both 1st and 2nd generation. We have learned the perfect way to present the Book of Mormon to them in a way that they cannot resist, and then set up an appointment with them to talk about the necessity of a Christ. We have had multiple people try to convert us to Islam, but the funny thing is that nearly everything they bring up we already agree with... #greatapostasy #moderndayprophetsarenecessary!
It has strengthened my testimony of Christ even more, if that was possible! Jesus is so incredibly important! 2 Nephi 2 and "His Grace is Sufficient," by Brad Wilcox are super good and explain it very well. If you haven't read both of them recently I highly suggest it. I am so grateful for his sacrifice that made it possible for me to return to my Heavenly Father, and I am going to continue do my best to follow his example to show him my gratitude.
We got transfer calls! I found out that I will be heading to Apeldoorn! I will be a zone leader with Elder White with 2 other Elders in the most fancy apartment in the mission, or so I've heard. I'm excited to have some new opportunities to learn, and a new change of responsibility and scenery is always nice. I will miss Elder Jeanfreau though. We have had a super good transfer and got along really well.
I failed to take any photos this week...
I love you all! Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Thornton!
This week has been pretty great! We have been working hard, and seeing a pretty good amount of success. Elder Jeanfreau and I have become pros on the door, especially with Muslims. We have a ton of people here from the Middle East, both 1st and 2nd generation. We have learned the perfect way to present the Book of Mormon to them in a way that they cannot resist, and then set up an appointment with them to talk about the necessity of a Christ. We have had multiple people try to convert us to Islam, but the funny thing is that nearly everything they bring up we already agree with... #greatapostasy #moderndayprophetsarenecessary!
It has strengthened my testimony of Christ even more, if that was possible! Jesus is so incredibly important! 2 Nephi 2 and "His Grace is Sufficient," by Brad Wilcox are super good and explain it very well. If you haven't read both of them recently I highly suggest it. I am so grateful for his sacrifice that made it possible for me to return to my Heavenly Father, and I am going to continue do my best to follow his example to show him my gratitude.
We got transfer calls! I found out that I will be heading to Apeldoorn! I will be a zone leader with Elder White with 2 other Elders in the most fancy apartment in the mission, or so I've heard. I'm excited to have some new opportunities to learn, and a new change of responsibility and scenery is always nice. I will miss Elder Jeanfreau though. We have had a super good transfer and got along really well.
I failed to take any photos this week...
I love you all! Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Thornton!
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Week 77: Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar!
Hey Everybody!
This week has been great! Even all of the busyness and crazyness of the holidays, we still mangaged to be pretty effective. We found several new investigators, and we are really hoping that we can do better this week to turn them into progressing investigators and actually have more than a couple who we teach regularly.
They take the New year very seriously here, so we were required to be in our apartment at 4:30 on New Year's Eve since missionaries make very good firework targets. We thought we would have a little bit of down time during that so we had bought a 1000 piece puzzle the p-day before. We ended up finishing the day before New Years... oops. All on P-day time and after 9 of course.
But the fireworks were crazy. We got up to watch it for a few minutes, and is impossible to describe. In America you have a few big firework shows around you, but in Nederland everyone buys a ton of aerial fireworks, and the moment the New Year starts they go crazy, and don't stop for a while. The entire horizon was covered in fireworks.
This email wasn't super spiritual, so I would like to end it with a bit of my testimony. This church is so very true. I did not understand that before as much as I do now. We are so very blessed to have these opportunities to be led by leaders called of God. The power of the Priesthood is real. Jesus Christ truly is the Son of God and has made it possible not only to have eternal life here after, but find happiness here on Earth. I promise that true happiness comes through this gospel. I hope that you will all take the chance this new year to continue to know your God, and to better understand his love.
I love you all!
Love,
Elder Thornton
The Puzzle!
Enjoying my Christmas package :)
This week has been great! Even all of the busyness and crazyness of the holidays, we still mangaged to be pretty effective. We found several new investigators, and we are really hoping that we can do better this week to turn them into progressing investigators and actually have more than a couple who we teach regularly.
They take the New year very seriously here, so we were required to be in our apartment at 4:30 on New Year's Eve since missionaries make very good firework targets. We thought we would have a little bit of down time during that so we had bought a 1000 piece puzzle the p-day before. We ended up finishing the day before New Years... oops. All on P-day time and after 9 of course.
But the fireworks were crazy. We got up to watch it for a few minutes, and is impossible to describe. In America you have a few big firework shows around you, but in Nederland everyone buys a ton of aerial fireworks, and the moment the New Year starts they go crazy, and don't stop for a while. The entire horizon was covered in fireworks.
This email wasn't super spiritual, so I would like to end it with a bit of my testimony. This church is so very true. I did not understand that before as much as I do now. We are so very blessed to have these opportunities to be led by leaders called of God. The power of the Priesthood is real. Jesus Christ truly is the Son of God and has made it possible not only to have eternal life here after, but find happiness here on Earth. I promise that true happiness comes through this gospel. I hope that you will all take the chance this new year to continue to know your God, and to better understand his love.
I love you all!
Love,
Elder Thornton
The Puzzle!
Enjoying my Christmas package :)
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