21!

So this last week was really good. We were able to find some new investigators and have some really good lessons. There was this one guys who was walking away after he said our religion was way to hard to believe and I said, "oh yeah? evolution is way harder to believe." It was one of my great 7th grader come backs. This guy came back and we started discussing it haha (bashing). He turned out to be such a cool guy and he said he wanted a book of Mormon. We met with him the next day and had a great lesson. He prayed and said that it felt really good. He came back where we were GQing an hour later. He pulled an old bible out of his pocket and gave it to me. This bible is from 1884, so super old. He said, "Merry Christmas! thanks for the book of Mormon." it was a great Christmas Present. We look forward to meeting with him again.

Last P-day we had planned to go out to this small town named Carluke to teach a women named Wilma. We found out we wrote down the number wrong so we couldn't get a hold of her to confirm the appointment. We decided to go anyway. We got there and she let us in! we taught her a good lesson then her husband came in the room at the end. We talked to him about his work and found out that he knows our ward mission leader. They work together often. So that was cool. We automatically have some good fellow-shippers.

Sunday rolled around (happens to be my birthday!!!!!!) and I woke up with swollen eyes and a stuffed nose...the dreaded cold. We got to church and saw our less active part member family there. We were so excited! He got up and bore a great testimony about how they were planning on going to church but that morning everyone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. They decided not to go. He went to the bathroom and saw on his window a mirror, some razors and makeup that looked like it spelled the word LOVE. The spirit touched him and he remembered one of his friends from church that passed away this week. His friend would always show so much love to him inviting him back. This friend would say, "I am never giving up on you." So when he saw this on his window he knew that his friend, even though on the other side of the veil, was not giving up on him. It was a powerful testimony.

I was in the foyer when I saw some people I recognized coming up to the building. It was the Oaks's from back home. They were in Scotland and just decided to come see me in the Motherwell ward. It was so much fun to catch up with them. they are such great friends.

Life is good on the mission. I love this gospel. I hope you are all so excited for Christmas. It is the best time of the year.

Elder Thayne