This week was really good! It felt like time was slowed down a bit and Heavenly Father gave me some time to focus my thoughts and get some things figured out so that I have a better vision for myself and the last stretch of my mission here in Taiwan! I was really grateful this week for all the answered prayers and help that I received from Heavenly Father. I really worked this week to slow down a bit. To not get sucked into the rush of the city and just breathe and listen to the spirit. It was nice! And I recommend that you all back home also do the same. Stop for a second and look at your day. What is it full of?? And are you listening for the spirit?

We had a very incredible miracle this week. One night every single one of our appointments canceled and we were left to find for the next 3 hours. Which is actually not that bad but it can get really tiring. My companion and I were unsure of our plan to be there at that spot to find so we prayed. After the prayer we looked up and saw a woman pacing back and forth. We were outside of a very large hospital so that wasn't a good sign. We went up to talk to her to attempt to comfort her. And I can testify to you that Satan will make you feel inadequate or frustrated to try to prevent you from performing a miracle. Because if we hadn't stayed there and talked to that woman her faith in Heavenly Father and Christ would have taken a hit. She was there waiting for a doctor to tell her the results of her baby. She had been trying to get pregnant for months and it just wasn't happening. Finally this month things started looking good. And she had offered a very fervent prayer to our Father. But sense that time two weeks had passed. Because her condition is so fragile she needs to do check ups every week to check the baby. She was only on her 4th week and the doctors told her if she could stay stable that the chances would be a lot better after the second month into the pregnancy. We were there for her 4th. and in that moment she was so heart broken she was afraid that because throughout the week she had forgotten to pray. As we talked with her and assured her of our Fathers love for her I thought of the many miraculous times in the bible where the Lord blessed women to be able to have children. However I was a bit afraid to tell her of these and to promise her the same blessing because I am not God and I don't know his will. But as we prayed with her again before leaving a very peaceful feeling came to me and I remembered the scripture that teaches us of an unchanging God. I knew that if He could do such miracles before to the faithful women he could do it now. As we looked up all of our hearts full we embraced the woman and ensured her if she would keep faith and strive to come unto Christ the Lord would bless her to be able to have a miracle. She was so full of hope. And she looked at us with tear streaked cheeks and thanked us for being there for her that night as Christs messengers to give her faith. I too am thankful for being a representative of our Savior and to be here to declare as ministering angles of the message of peace and hope. 

I love you all very much. I am grateful for your love and support. I am looking forward to hearing how your prayers worked this week to know how to better help with the Lords work. 

Be strong and of a good courage!
Philipeans 4:13 I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me!

Sister Thornley

Typhoons:)

I wish you all could have as much fun as I do here in Taiwan! Let me tell you all a little about the Taiwanese and the typhoons. Alright, so here if there is rain there is NO WAY the taiwanese people will leave their house. NONE. So when typhoons come its like... hmmm.. how can I compare this so you can all understand... it would be like If in America we heard that there was going to be raining hail the size of bolders and that it would kill everyone in sight.. OKay so when Typhoons come it become literally imposible to get anyone out of the house to meet with us. Well this week my companion and I really focused on inviting everyone we met to come to church with us. We had 5 people who were going to come. Then saturday rolls around and we start to hear on the streets that there is going to be a typhoon that night. Well we began to worry. Because if there was a typhoon none of them would come. I was so sad. And my companion and i began to pray. I prayed so much that the typhoon could hold off until today so that our investigators would be brave enough to come to church so they could progress to baptism. And my dearest family. Just as in the New Testament when Christ calms the storm I bear testimony that Heavenly Father still has power of the storms today. We walked out the door sunday to go to church. There were clouds but no wind. And no rain. We got to the chapel and began to ask some of the people there about the typhoon when it would be coming. To our surprise (but not really) they were all astounded that it would be coming in Monday and not today. I about fell over with relief!!! However out of the 5 only 1 really came but it was the beautiful new investigator of ours Cindy. She is such a miracle and such a brave woman! She stayed all 3 hours!!!! Then the next miracle. After the closing prayer in relief society our bishop came in and said to us all, Sisters we must cancel all your appointments today and go straight home the typhoon is coming. Heavenly Father held back the storm until after church!!!!! 

Then that night because of the typhoon and we missionaries are to use our best judgement of safety to decide whether to go out and work or stay inside in this case because it wasn't rated as a serious typhoon. WEll my companion and I went out! And in the typhoon and pouring rain we found 2 new investigators in two hours. I testify that Heavenly Father is aware of us. 

This week was absoluetly amazing. I am so grateful for the Lords hand in this week. There is no way the success that we had was from Sister Nelson and I. I know that the work is the Lords. and we are merely tools in his hand. 

My invitation to you all is to pray right now. And ask Heavenly Father what it is that he wants you to do to help his work. And then call the missionaries and plan it with them. Please do this. We have the responsibility. I want to hear how it goes next week when you all email me okay???

I love you all so much. Have a wonderful week!

-Sister Thornley

 a nasty picture of us but it was moon festival that day and the moon was right there we had to stop at the light anyway and got the picture

 asian tacos...

rice onions kewi tomatoe peper in lettuce

 my first letter to a recent convert here :)

me and my companion in front of 101

Better :)

Other than my body having a cold in the heat I am doing really well! 

I want to start by saying I think you are all really great. And that I love you all lots! 

Okay now for the cool stuff ;) just kidding. This week was interesting. My companion and I went to San Chong (where the elders that passed away were serving) to help their district teach the english class sense they were not sure how to do it without the Elders. It was really touching. I taught the class that the Elders usually teach. It was tender to see the students come in and especially one woman. A non member but a devot english student. As she heard of the news she began to cry. I was touched by the impact that the elders had on every student there. They all miss them greatly. And I know that their hearts were softened by them! Such great missionaries. 

I was also really touched by Elder Thredgold's mothers letter that she wrote to us missionaries here. She is an incredible woman. I love her. And we as a mission are all working to do as she invited us to, that is to smile bigger. 

I can not really clearly think of what it is that I would like to tell you all about this week. But I can share with you a tender moment I had at church yesterday. We had no investigators come to church which was very sad and hard but then one by one our sweet recent converts came in and sat next to us. I was so touched by the beautiful faces and spirits of them. I love them so much. And I am constantly strengthened by their testimonies. I know that I am here in Taiwan for a reason. And I know this is the right place for me to be at this time. I am so blessed to be here and to be meeting these precious people. And though our numbers may be small they are strong. 

We had a lesson on communication which at first was gross and sappy all about marriage and everyone there sharing their opinions and stuff but then it came to me that if communicating with people was such an important thing that we should all take more care in the way we communicate with our Heavenly Father. And realize that it takes time. 

Well... I am not sure of what else to write to you all.. But pretty much it. 

I am doing good I love the scriptures! A LOT! I know that Jesus is our Savior. I love him. And I know that because of him we will all return home. 

-Sister Thornley