DECEMBER 30, 2015

NEW CALLING

Dear Brother & Sister Thayn,

Sister Aquino and I are pleased to inform you that your daughter, Sister Thayn, has been called to serve as a Trainer in the Philippines Iloilo Mission effective 30 Dec 2015.

We are grateful for her willingness to follow and serve the Lord with all of her heart, might, mind and strength. We are confident that her missionary experience will be a great blessing to her, to her family, and to the people that she will be serving in our mission.

Thank you for entrusting Sister Thayn to the Lord and to us. We will continue to pray for her success in her new assignment.



With warmest regards,



JAIME REYES AQUINO

Mission President

DECEMBER 27, 2015

WHITE CHRISTMAS?? AND CHRISTMAS LUNCH AT MCDONALDS??

Christmas Morning

Hello everyone! and MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year! My Christmas was so good very different but amazing! Mostly different because there was no snow on the ground! Christmas morning we woke up and opened presents that we got for one another! We got ready and were able to attend a White Christmas which is a baptism on Christmas day! None of our investigators got baptized but there were 17 in the stake that were! After the service was over we all went up to shake the newly baptized members and I shook this one sisters had and she threw her arms around me and cried and gave me the biggest hug. I have never met this sister before but she was so incredibly happy for her decision that she made on Christmas to follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized. The spirit there was so incredible! After the baptism we got hungry and one of the only stores that was open was McDonald's so we ate our Christmas lunch at McDonald's!! Then we went and visited lots of people. It was a very simple Christmas but it will be one that I will never forget!

Also I was able to skype my family on the day after Christmas which is Christmas day in America! It was so fun to see a little bit of home and talk to my family! 

Skyping with the family
(Alexa looks terrified)

Yesterday we had such an amazing lesson with this family in Sister Heins area who are devoted Catholic's. We taught them about the importance of Baptism and the Priesthood. When I told the Dad that he could have the Priesthood and have the ability to baptize and bless people he was blown away! It was such an incredible experience! He was so excited and wanted to figure out how he could do that. He was also mind blown that baptism and marriage and other ordinances in our church are free. Everything that we were telling them started to click in their head and they are really starting to understand which is so incredible!  The spirit was so strong in that lesson and I cant wait to see their mindset change and come to an understanding that this is the real and only true church here on the earth because we have the power of the Priesthood! 

Proselyting in my new Christmas dress!

This week is Transfers and we are 90% sure one of us is getting transferred but we are not sure who yet! We will have to see this coming Thursday! 

I am so grateful for this gospel and for my mission. My mission has truly changed my life and I am so excited and grateful that I get to serve the lord for 18 months. Sometimes it is really challenging but the more I learn the rely on Heavenly father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost all my burdens are lifted and lightened. I love you all so much! Hope you all have a good week!

Love,

Sister Thayn

 

DECEMBER 20, 2015

The original trio together again.
(Kiera had her dress made for about $12)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!


Merry Christmas I hope you all are doing good and have a Merry Christmas! This past week has been Insane but so fun and good! We had Christmas Conference, Sister Crisanto's Birthday, Sister Fepuleai finished her mission, Now we are a three some and working two areas but having so much fun and having a good Christmas Time!

Christmas conference this year was two days long the first day was games and food and presents and lots of laughing! The second day was such a spiritual and amazing devotional day! On the first day we played a relay race and me and 4 other missionaries from my zone got chosen and we were competing against other zones. There were 5 cups with something in it and a paper covering it so we couldn't see. The goal was to put whatever was in the cup in your mouth and run to the other end and spit it out in a bucket. But if you ate you got double the points. When it got to my turn I lifted up the paper and it was a gray pigs tongue! There was NO WAY I was going to eat that but I stuck it in my mouth and ran so fast to spit it out! Oh man Christmas conference was so fun! 

Photo op with Giant Snake

Then it was Sister Crisantos Birthday and we worked a normal day but then we were going to eat out later that night and on the way to the restaurant the little girl yells over to us "Sisters! sisters!" Then she points we look over and see the biggest snake I have ever seen in my entire life on top of a car! so of course we had to take a picture by it! 

in the jungle by the swinging bridge

Then we took Sister Fepuleai home and now me, Sister Crisanto and Sister Hein are companions till our transfers which is December 31st! But the other day we went to the other sisters area to work and it was my first time there so Sister Hein took us on an adventure and we went on this bamboo bridge that moves every time you walk on it but if you fall you fall straight into the sewer! GROSS! but I survived! 

This was such a fun week full of events but I am so excited for Christmas celebrating the birth of our savoir Jesus Christ! He is the reason for the season! I hope you all remember that and have a Merry and safe Christmas this year! This gospel is amazing and without it i dont know where I would be. I am so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ and all he has done for me! I love you all Have a Merry Christmas!

Love, 

Sister Thayn