JWs and Christmas time

Hey guys!

Hope everybody's having an awesome Christmas time. I love this time of year! Even in England I can feel the hype of Christmas because everybody is psyched!

Well, it's December. I didn't think I'd make it this far! But this week has been pretty crazy. One day we we started talking to a guy who seemed to know a lot about us Mormons. Come to find out he's a Jehovah's Witness and had previously studied the Book of Mormon...obviously not sincerely. We could have easily slammed him, but I let him talk because I really want one of the new translation bibles: not to read, but to mark it up for scriptural warfare and to use their own book to contradict them! Elder Raveneau has taught me everything to know about talking with the Jehovah's Witnesses. I don't want to bash, but at the same time I want to walk away with honor! They're actually pretty nice people and they're fun to talk to. Anyways, he didn't have a Bible but it was cool to talk to him. His name is Graham.

One of our investigators, Jonathan, has also been talking to the Jehovah's Witnesses. Of course, because he's having lessons from them and from us at the same time, he's completely confused! Hopefully he'll come around as we continue to teach him, but it's so tempting to explain to him where the JWs are wrong! But It's waaaayy more effective just to explain the doctrine of our true church and let him feel the spirit. No contest!

Alright, the Rathbones! They have been very busy with Simon's broken hand, Imm's birthday, and their anniversary, but we were able to visit them on Friday night. As we were planning the lesson, the Spirit told us to bring Ian, a recent convert, with us. Ian is a super solid guy with a super solid testimony. A complete animal. In fact, he got baptized last year and has already read the Book of Mormon 5 times! Bringing him was a good choice...he tore it up. The Rathbones are in the same situation that he used to be in: He used to be Atheist, then he was Agnostic, and then he believed! He had also studied with the Jehovah's Witnesses--so have the Rathbones! The lesson could not have gone better. Everything made sense to them and they are keeping their commitments. Ian finished the lesson by bearing a bold testimony that the church is true! It was a spiritual bomb indeed. The Rathbones have committed to keep coming to church, reading the Book of Mormon, and last but not least: they have decided to pray. We really want to see them get baptized. They are also having us over for dinner and a lesson on the 18, coming to the ward Christmas Party on the 19, and coming to church on the 20. Can you say golden? :D

HUGE shoutout and thank you to the Burnett family for the package! It made me so so happy, especially when I found the pumpkin spice cookie mix. The Burnetts know me too well! So thank you so much! Also, thank you to Grandma for sending me a keyboard, with which I am now able to type and email with incredible speed.

I also found out that we stop in London on our way to the temple on Thursday. We only have an hour or so there but I'll try to get some nice pictures of good old London for you.

Funny/weird thought of the week: Brother Sutton always comes up with strange yet hilarious things. I don't know how he does it, but it kills me every time. His latest obsession are honey badgers. Don't ask why! He really wants to be one because I guess if one gets bitten by a deadly snake, it just goes into a 24 hour coma and then wakes up fine. They are invincible. One night he had a dream about a honey badger named Ragnor: the battle-hairy viking honey badger of the north. He's big enough to be the north land and has a tribe of indigenous elves living on his back. So weird, but that's Brother Sutton for you.

That's all for this week! Lot's of work, fun, progress, joy, and Jehovah's Witnesses! Have a good week and I'll talk to you soon, chaps!

Love Elder Thomas