Happy Halloween!!

Our lil punkin (a gator howling at the moon)

The District

It's fall, y'all!! The weather's cooling down, leaves are falling (kind of), and there are pumpkin blow ups everywhere (Slidell is obsessed with yard inflatables). Fall really does happen in Louisiana!

Happy moments this week:

- Amanda is our new best friend. Every lesson we teach her she gets excited about how it all just makes so much sense. We gave her a church tour this week when she came to the ward Halloween party. It was pretty funny touring the halls as "Monster Mash" played in the background but the spirit was strong as we testified about the sacrament. 

 - Teaching KIDS. Y'all I love kids so much. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I went back to a family ward! There's a group of kids we started teaching a couple weeks ago and they're hilarious.  On Tuesday we were reading 1 Nephi 1 with them. We had planned to read half of the chapter and then have them finish it on their own but they loved it so much and begged us to keep reading together. It amazes me how receptive they are to the spirit.

We had zone conference this week and it really got me thinking. Our mission has had a strong focus lately of being "all in" and laying everything on the altar of sacrifice. Something I've realized is putting everything on the altar of sacrifice pulls me out of the comfort zone. Those parts of myself I want to hold back or the sins I want to hold on to are comfortable. But giving them all to the Savior brings me out of my comfort zone and onto my knees, because I know I can't do it without Him. 

This gospel is true! Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and He lives. I love y'all a whole lot, have a great week!

<3 Sister Thomas

Sis Gamble is the cutest am I right or what?

Love her <3

Sis Gamble is the cutest am I right or what?

Cloudy with a Chance of baptism

Chance's happy day <3

Chalmette missionaries came up to do service at the Slidell
Bishop's storehouse so our "squad pan" was happily reuinited

 #21

Hey fam!

Major highlight of this week: CHANCE GOT BAPTIZED. It was a pretty crazy week leading up to it but the baptism was peaceful and beautiful. It turned out so well! On Sunday he was confirmed and then given the priesthood. It's sweet to work with him and plan for his and Sheri's temple marriage a year from now. Since we've been teaching Chance Sheri has become more active and will even be going out teaching with us later today. Blessings on blessings on blessings!

We're still getting to know the members but wow I love them so much. Slidell is already starting to feel like home. I don't know how I got lucky enough to be serving here but I am sure thankful! Every single day there seems to be a new miracle. 

My favorite miracle of the week is Amanda. She's 22 and up to this point has had no relationship with God. In our first lesson she was explaining how she's felt a void in her life and she knows she needs something more. As we taught her she felt the spirit and is already planning on and excited for baptism! She's been reading the Book of Mormon and praying about it and recognizes a difference in her life. 

Y'all, this gospel is so true. There is always an answer to our problems in life and the answer is always Jesus Christ. I read Alma 26:12 this week and it took on a whole new meaning for me:

"Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things..."

Before my mission I knew that "in his strength I can do all things" but now I believe it. I knew God loved me and had a plan for me but now I believe it. Isn't it funny how that works?

I love y'all! Have a stellar week!

<3 Sister Thomas

p.s. Thanks to all of you who were so sweet to me on my birthday! It was a great day :)

My Slidell fam (The May's) called my mom and got the recipe for the birthday
dinner she always makes me....I'm telling you, I am too spoiled here

More birthday love

His hands

Sierra's happy day

Pday with Sister Edwards in the pouring rain = :)

Elder Christofferson came to our ward yesterday. That should give you a clue of how good our week has been.

We finally made it to Slidell! Sister Gamble and I have been so antsy to get into our area so when we got here we hit the ground running. It's been an adventure taking over an area from the Mississippi mission! The area book hasn't been updated for about 6 months so we spent a lot of time searching out investigators and former investigators and figuring out what they've been taught so far. It's been crazy but we are happy to stay busy. There's one investigator we've gotten close with who will be getting baptized this week! His name is Chance and we feel blessed to get to know such an honest seeker of the truth. 

It's amazing how work keeps popping up. Heavenly Father continues to remind us that we need to be here. 

Elder Christofferson came to Slidell yesterday to reinstate the Slidell stake! Slidell used to be its own stake but it was dissolved in 2005 with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Like so much of Louisiana, Katrina hit the church hard and many members left the area or passed away. But these people are finally getting their stake back! The Lord's work moving forward here and this new stake is evidence of that.

My favorite part of Elder Christofferson's visit was actually after the meeting ended. He announced that as much as he would like to, he didn't have time to meet everyone. But he asked if all the children could come up so he could shake their hands. That was powerful. It reminded me of the Savior's love for children and the different occasions that He blessed them. I know that the disciples are representatives of Jesus Christ but it was still powerful to see Elder Christofferson acting in a way that the Savior would. It made me think about how all of us have promised to take Christ's name upon us. We've committed to serve as He would serve and love as He would love. None of us are there yet but that shouldn't stop us from trying!

"We are the Lord's hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children" - President Thomas S. Monson

I love y'all! Keep looking for ways to serve and love those around you. I'm sure praying for ya!

<3 Sister Thomas

p.s. Sweet Sierra was baptized on Saturday! I got permission to face time in for the baptism and it was such a special moment. I'm know spirit was strong in that room because Sis and I could feel it over the phone. Sierra was glowing. I love her so much!

New addy:

1734 Tidewater Slidell LA 70458

When Sis tries to open the blinds....

 I love Sis Gamble <3

NATE

Saying goodbye to Sister Beck :(

Chalmette sleepovers for dayzzzz

Sweet Leonard in the hospital

This week we ate pizza 4 times in 2 days, enjoyed a midnight snack in the mission home, cried with Leonard in the hospital, had a slumber party every night, and......got EVACUATED thanks to hurricane Nate!

So yes. I feel like I say this every week but y'all, it's been a wild ride. Sister Gamble, my new companion, is adorable and I love her a ton already. We've been bunking with the Chalmette sisters which has been a blast! They are both already good friends of mine so spending the week together has been too much fun. They doubled in so Sis and I have been showing them the area.

Chalmette didn't actually get hit by the hurricane but President evacuated us and 12 other missionaries just to play it safe. He called us Saturday morning to tell us to come up to BR and said "bring your Preach My Gospel, it's gonna be like girls camp!" And you can bet we took that to heart! After a day of working in BR we came in and watched President play corn hole with some elders, cut strawberries with Sister Varner, and then we dragged mattresses into the family room so all of us sisters could sleep together. It was definitely one of my favorite nights of the mission! The Varners are seriously like family. I can't say enough good about them :)

Sister Gamble and I have felt a bit homeless this week without our area to work in and because we've been moving around so much, but I've been so blessed to work in two of my favorite areas! In reality we weren't actually homeless because Chalmette and BR are both home to me. I got to say some "hello again"'s and "see you later"'s to my fam in Chalmette, and then we went to church at LSU so I got to see my best friends in BR! I don't know how I got so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life but boy am I thankful.

I love y'all! Tomorrow we should be moving to Slidell so we'll be off on a whole new adventure! Thank goodness Heavenly Father keeps life exciting. Have a great week!

<3 Sister Thomas

Back at the mission home

Back at the mission home

Girls camp?

Corn row in the hallway of the mission home

Back at LSU with Emily <3

Saying hello to Abbie

Leaving LBRM....kind of!

This is how I feel about transfers

One last time at the state capitol

Transfers are usually a lil crazy....but this one is downright insane! The whole mission is being turned upside down in the best way possible. Heavenly Father truly has some big plans for Louisiana!

Transfer news: I'm leaving LSU to open up Slidell. The funny thing is....Slidell is not even part of our mission. It's in the Jackson, Mississippi mission. There's a new stake opening up and Slidell will become part of our mission. That will all be going down in about a week, so in the meantime I'll be serving in Chalmette, the area I was in a few transfers ago! I'm excited for this new adventure and of course to see my fave Chalmette branch. God is so good.

I love LSU and I'm sad to leave. This area has been a place of serious growth and beautiful experiences. I have seen the Lord's hand in this area. Sister Beck and I were talking the other day about the beauty of change. As a missionary I've had such a great opportunity to see change in my investigators, areas, companions, and of course myself. Change can be tough but I am so glad that "our Father in Heaven is concerned not just about our comfort but even more about our upward progress" (President Eyring). Change is beautiful. I'm thankful for the changes I've seen here and for the changes that are to come.

It was a great week! Conference was amazing, of course. We watched a couple sessions at the mission home with the Varners and two of our investigators came! I loved talking to Sierra about it afterward. She was excited that she recognized some of the Book of Mormon references from what she has been reading. Sierra is a ray of sunshine in our lives. She is progressing so well and will be getting baptized next week! I'm happy for her and proud of the choices she is making. 

Some of my fave conference quotes:

"In any case, I am grateful to know that in spite of my imperfections, at least God is perfect"

"We cannot control all that happens to us, but we have absolute control over how we respond to the changes in our lives"

"Hard is good"

"Who needs me today?"

"Whatever we do, don't do it out of fear"

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. He lives and He is there for us. I find great peace knowing that we don't walk alone. I love y'all! Have a great week!

<3 Sister Thomas

The district