hey everybody!!!! 

it has been awhile since I have written you all in a group email....and it has been way to long since i have written a good email with details and everything. so here it goes.

i am still here in trebol, and i am now companions with hermana boror. Hermana acosta is still in trebol, but has recieved another companion, hermana brandaris. so now there are a total of 6 missionarys in trebol!!!!!! 

This week i had an interview with president cordon. it was good to talk to him, especially since he will be ending his mission in july. I always love the inpsiration that he recieves for each and every one of us, and i always feel a thousan times better leaving his office... :) 

well this week has been a crazy one. Some people say that the mission gets easier with the more time you have....and well, whoever made that up is so wrong. haha :) it gets a lot more fun, but really never gets easier. One day we were out working...and we were doing contacting in the street. We approached a man, and my companion said, "hello brother, how are you?" He turned his head and didnt say anything. This time she held out her hand and said, " hello brother, we are missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints." He turned his head, looked at my companions hand and said, " I am not your brother." And then walked away. And that was like a smack in the face. It wasnt the first time that this had happened, and it definiltey wont be the last, but i got to thinking a lot. 

When Jesus Chrsit was in His earthly ministry, He too was preaching the gospel, working miracles...visiting the people. When He might have held out His Hand, and might have said, "hello brother", how many people turned thier heads away or walked away and said, i am not your brother???? i am sure that happened on a daily basis. And after this earhtly ministry..He suffered in the Gethsamani....bled from every pore to the point that He was in absolute agony. Then after that, they took Him and put a crown of Thorns on His precious Head...and whipped His back. He was smit upon and smacked and after all that He was forced to carry His cross up the Hill. He then had nails placed in His feet and HIs Hands....and shortly after that, He died. He died for me...for you....for the whole world. He did this for all of our sins, and mistakes and errors. He did this for all of our pains, and anguish and sadness and deppresion that we may ever feel in this life. 

what would you have done if you had been there in that very moment that He had that huge cross upon His back?? Would you have helped Him carry that cross? Or what if you were there when they started to put the nails in His hands? what would you have done in that moment? If I had been there, I would have given all of the Roman soldiers a good knuckle sandwich. Maybe that sounds funny to you....but I am serious. What would we have done? He suffered all of this pain for us.

Now, as members of the church...how are we in our callings? are we fulfilling them the best we can? are we going to all of our church meetings every sunday? are we treating our families well and serving others? and for all of us missionaries....are we doing what we need to do in our mission to fulfill our sacred calling to the maximum? If we are not doing this...if you are not doing this...it is as if we were standing in that moment when Chrsit had the cross on His back, and not doing anything. Fulfill your callings, in the church, with your family, with the missionary work and with your work. If we are not doing what we need to....the Atonement was done in vain.

But i know it was not. I know it was done for me. I will do what i need to do to fulfill my calling as a missionary. The invitation for you is to do that as well.

I have a testimoney of the Atonement. I know it can relieve us of our mistakes and pains. Allow the atonement to penetrate your life. If you can do so, it will carry you. :) 

I love you all. I really do. Have a great week, and have a great conference weekend. :) 

Until next week....

Love, Hermana Thomas