On her way to Taiwan

 What we did with the apron I was sent

The sisters flying out

 My MTC Mish Pres

 Me and Sister Megan Smedley

Kim called on Tuesday, on her flight out of SLC. It was great to hear from her, and we are all excited to receive letter this week! 

TRAVEL PLANSSS!!!!!!!!

This week was AWESOME!!! Elder Scott came to the MTC and talked to us all about prayer. It was amazing. I wish you all could hear the devotionals we have here they are all so inspiring and uplifting. May I invite you all to heed to the counsel he gave to us. "Make your prayers more sincere. You are after all talking to your father who cares more about how your day went than you do. Pray, even when you don't want to." I have tried to better my prayers and I have seen the blessings increase. 

So we did another skype, this time was not such a good experience you see, our teachers here find us people that are willing to help us practice teaching by having them skype us and we teach in Chinese. Well last monday we had very short notice and a sub teacher. So we didn't end up with a native for ours but rather a returned missionary. And, all you returned missionaries, if I ever catch you acting the way he did I will punch you in the face and repent later. Because that was the worst thing I have experienced here. It was fun to have a guy laugh at our Chinese though I mean we already knew it sucked but at least the Taiwanese are nice about it and don't get upset cause you slaughtered the grammar structure but white guys... its a whole other ballgame. But its all good, I just know not to ever act like him now :) And it also increased my love for the Taiwanese they are so sweet and I just love em! Also it reminded me that you have to really give all you can to this and allow the Lord to change you as much as he can cause I do NOT want to end up like that guy! 

Also, a little shout out to all the Bear River seminary kids, apparently Brother Mick has been putting my letters on the FB page, may I offer a bit of advice? Do not just gain a testimony. You need to be converted. Have Brother Mick teach you all the difference. It will help you with your missions a TON if you come in already converted. 

FUN NOTE- I GOT MY TRAVEL PLANS!!!!!!! WHOOOOO!!! So if anyone has flying tips for me I would greatly appreciate it sense our plans are as follows:

Leave MTC at 7:30 

Depart SLC Airport 11:20 arrive LA at 12:16

Depart LA 4:50pm aug 27 arrive Taiwan 9:05 pm aug 28.....

So... yep a 14 hour flight. seriously I need some tips cause thats a heck of a ways to go for someone that has never been in a plane before. 

Also I found out we will be arriving in Taiwan just in time for the raining season! So I will most likely see a Typhoon!!!! How sweet is that?! yep I know you are all jealous. 

 Its really weird to me that I will be leaving the MTC, I feel like I haven't really learned anything yet although I know I have. It just weirds me out that I can leave and maybe actually start to feel like a missionary. OOHHH :) Fun challenge for you all go onto Mormon.org and serch the Happy Tourist video profile on there. Listen to it- I can totally understand that!!! Yep and... thats without the subtitles. 

Another fun thing. So I have with me here a locket which is probably 1 inch long and maybe a half an inch wide oval shaped. But I don't have any pictures in it... So I am opening up a contest! Everyone send me little pictures of your face (maybe like trying to escape or looking trapped or something you get creative) and I will put in whoevers is funnest into my locket and wear it around in Taiwan! That way I have a funny story to start up with members. But I kinda would like them soon so that I can have it done quick and can wear it around. This was inspired due to the fact that I learned recently in Taiwan you can make your own postage stamps of your face!!! And the coolest one was a sister miming the who box thing. So... mmmhmm all take the opportunity to be close to my... uh??? collarbone??? Cause I know you all want that! 

Well, that is pretty much it :)Sorry the letters are getting really dull but I promise better ones when I am in Taiwan and meet new people rather than all missionaries daily. Love you all and I think you are all awesome. Oh also Haley Young, I am a bit offended that Jeff with two F's has written me and you have not... uh.. well its whatever I guess I have moved on;) Megan Smedly from Kaysville is my roomie now :) Thought it was ironic. I guess kaysiville people and I are meant to be together. 

-Sister Thornley!

TEMPLES ROCK!!!

Well everyone, the temple is the best place on earth and right after that is Taiwan Taipei... I think?... I'll let you all in know in TWO weeks!!!!!!!!!!! IT is so crazy to think that in two weeks I will be In Taiwan  constantly surrounded by chinese people speaking nothing like what I learned! But I am so so so flipping excited! I recieved 11 emails from friends today!!!! You all rock! Shout out to Jeff Chapmin and Ben Zollinger! You two are awesome It was so nice to receive letters from you two! I want you to know this is the best thing I could have ever done for my life and am so excited for the day that you will be serving the Lord in this great cause! Congrats Ben on your call to New Zeland!!! And Jeff.. I'm serving in Taiwan not Thailand but :) I still love you because that is what Jesus would do and so I will as well ;) You are fantastic! If you both send me a mailing address I'll write you both a letter next p-day! 

Alright, so this week was actually a pretty boring one here when it comes to sitting down and writting about it cause youre not missionaries and so.. the joy is probably not the same. Cause I had an awesome week bit not for reasons that I can really write about?? My resolve to learn and do all I can to learn Chinese was strengthened this week from my amazing teachers. Wen lao shi and Chen lao shi. I could not have asked for better teachers to help guide us on the journey of preparation to teach the chinese people in Taiwan. However, this saturday we lost wen lao shi. She got a teaching job at a school somewhere and so we allowed her to quit on us and start her career, but not without a bang! We all pitched in and had jade dragons bought for them (sense wen lao shi's name is jade). They were both super happy and told us they would sleep with them. Well... then to our surprise they came in the next the day with gifts for us... which will be displayed in a picture. They are terrific and I am going to miss them so much! Which worries me for when I get into the field and it comes to be next December and I will have to leave the Taiwanese people... so just so you are all forewarned I may not ever come back to America but you can all come visit me the visa's are easy to get for there!! ;)  

Alright, so for what went down this week... oh and Kipp, I am funny. And you know it. ;) I apologize everyone, I know I am not funny but I think that I am and I thank everyone else besides Kipp for allowing me to think I am funny. Okay, so we were teaching our investigator (who is pretend) about repentance, and got to the part where she asked us what she would need to talk to the bishop about, and remember how Chinese is fun with the fact that you HAVE to say the words with the right tone of voice? Well.. we didn't and ended up telling her she can talk to the "pig's foot" about serious sins rather than the bishop... needless to say, I still have a lot to work on when it comes to Chinese. 

However progression is being seen. You all remember how I told you the second or so week that we watched the Testaments in Chinese and the only phrase I caught was meiyou mesiah? Well we watched it again yesterday and I could understand all the things Christ said and most of the things said about Christ, any other random lines non gospel related... I still am clueless. So, I have decided I will be fine in Taiwan, I will simply tell them I only know these words give them a pamphlet on Christ and I am golden! 

So, hmm... what else to write... I honestly do not know. The MTC life is hard to write about cause we don't meet any new people like EVER! But this wednesday I get to host new missionaries!!! So if any of you are coming in let me know via dearelder and I will look out for you!!!!! Love you all and know that this is the true church. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve and daily become more converted to Christ. 

-SIster Thornley

This Month I Will Be In Tawain!

Well Everyone, as the subject says, this month I will be in Taiwan joining the two CUTEST missionaries there ever were! Sister Funk and Sister Bell!!! Just... ill be in a different place of the mission. I miss you two both tons :( COME BACKK!!! But yep so I only have 3 weeks more to go and I honestly... am scared out of my mind now. But I know the Lord will bless and help me out with the rest of this. Alright, so onto the details. 

This week was sweet cause it was my first week of my new assignment. But it was way fun cause I got to talk to all the sister senior companions and really get to know them better. It is crazy what a sincere prayer will do because honestly I have never felt more love for them than now. I am so grateful for the blessings he has given me and allowed me to recieve. Its weird. ITs not just cause I am a missionary that I am getting these blessings its because I am now asking for them. SO.. hint hint for everyone out there. You can get them to, just pray literally ALL the time. ;) Yesterday was fast sunday, which should be rough cause we basically sit and study all day but everyone agrees the fasts here are a ton easier than back home. God strengthens us in all things. So yesterday was also mission conference. Which was super cool! I wish you all could experience those. But they have really good speakers and awesome spirits. Mom, this is for you, there was an analogy I think you would like, we are all like crockpots. And if we dont properly take care of them we will aquire lots of rust. Now at times we will all aquire some, but we just need to put the effort into cleaning them back up and seasoned again. So now you all relate that to faith and religious stuff cause I can't type that fast. 

Okay... OH! So the TRC skype was way fun! Its weird how much you can love someone over miles. But yep Sam is my new best friend. Sorry guys. Hes in Taiwan so he has better dibbs. But it was way funny cause no matter how we asked him he wouldn't speak Chinese to us even though the purpose of it was to help us practice with listening to Taiwanese. Anyway yeah he was rather impressed with his english so thats all he would speak so... we were stubborn back and only spoke Chinese. And the cool thing is, he understood us! So, yep i think its safe to say I have now progressed to the level of a toddler in chinese! Whats up?! 

Also, yesterday being fast sunday and all it was testimony meeting. Well we had a surprise visitor in our branch and the PRESIDENT OF THE MTC sat with us!!!! I have never been so glad we have to speak in Chinese up there! HAHA it was fun :) Also, everyone. I know my letters are pretty funny, or at least I think they are, but I want you all to know. I am learning so much here! And really am feeling the spirit so much. I am not the same person. May I encourage you all to really pay attention to the promptings of the spirit. because it will be in ways you are not expecting. I know this from personal witness. But if you will heed them, no matter how strange they may seem you will progress in ways you never thought possible. 

OOH!!! My district has upgraded! We no longer use forks and spoons or knifes! Our teacher brought us all chopsticks to use! Haha yes, we are the dorks eating our pizza with chopsticks. Also, my companion has decided she will have nothing to do with the rule of no watter play. As we were cleaning the showers I had foamed one and she went into scrub and suddenly a huge bang! HAHA I tried so hard not to laugh at her as she slid across the floor. But hey no one is perfect and the good news is she didn't hit her head so we are all good! Seriously though, SO FUNNY! Another funny moment, we were doing another demo in class and we sometimes watch short clips to take on an investigator well, one of them is entitled, "Patrick, the boat dweller" So anyway the investigator was patrick. And so we were getting to know him as all missionaries should and so naturally we asked what he likes to do, now imagine if you will, a stalwart mexican missionary sitting erect in a chair and slowly says, "I like... to ride.. my boat?" Well, needless to say we were all laughing really hard. But it ended up being a good lesson anyway so yep thats all ive got for funny this week sorry. 

Cool thing though! For those who have been into the temple. Have you ever closely looked at the crystal chandeliers in them? Well not to gloat or anything but today I spent three hours disassembling a chandelier in a sealing room cleaning each tiny piece of crystal and then reassembling it. It really was THE coolest thing ever. Go to the temple and look closely at it then ask a worker how they are cleaned so you can fully appreciate it. It is awesome! 

Well, that is basically all, I appologize it was kind of a lame letter this week I'll take notes for next week till then, love you all!

-Sister Thornley


**** Amber Kunzler***
Did you get my letter this week? I hope that it made it into the mail but I am not 100% sure and I will write you again if it did not.