Adios Carthage ~ ¡Hola! Monett ~ Zone Leader

I went on an exchange this week to Cassville. It is a small town just south of us. It has a restaurant called the Rowdy Beaver. The young recent convert told us that the sanitation inspections of the Rowdy Beaver were somehow made available to the general public and the results were not good. It had a 'Critical' rating in both kitchen and food quality. We went anyway. We expected stomach flu but the only thing questionable about the entire experience was the water which tasted like Dimple Dell. It was all in all a fine experience and hopefully I will return there to get a shirt to always remember the strange place.

We received the news that both of us will be leaving here and two new Elders will come in. We were pretty shocked. I will be going to Monett, in the same zone, and Elder Marques is going to Rogers Arkansas. I will be returning to the same Spanish group I worked with in Aurora! (They relocated the group to Monett while I was away.) We broke the news to the group yesterday and they were all quiet sad. But to lift our Spirits one of the sisters invited us and everyone else who was there to come to hear house today to eat. We are excited for that. 

Last night, we went and ate with a family. The wife's mother had passed away two weeks ago. We showed a Mormon message about a man who's life was changed due to the Book of Mormon. He said specifically that the words in it about the afterlife brought him peace. I felt quiet a bit of peace as we testified about it and imagine they did as well. Recently, I have noticed the Spirit as more of a comforter than anything else. I have felt the peace that comes from reading the scriptures and praying. I am so grateful that I can find peace in a world that is really chaotic.

Thank you for your prayers!

Elder Thomas