A Thirty-One-Year-Tastical Week

Meet Natalie, the newest member of the Church on Staten Island. Her Mom Yvonne on the right and her Grandmother Iona on the left.

Today, May 3rd, is celebrated around the world as the day the Thiot family was founded, 31 years ago. From humble beginnings in a temple in Salt Lake, to a nation wide family that spans 4 time zones, its true what they say about the Thiots, our family rocks.
I'm happier then anyone my parents were married 31 years ago, because if one of them would have had cold feet and called it off, then poof, I wouldn't exist(sp?), and I wouldn't be having the fun I am having here in the NYC.
This week was a great week that offered alot of chances to serve the members here on staten, and I saw an amazing young woman get baptized and join the Kingdom of God.
The weeks fun started last monday, when Elder Kosaka and I drove to Brooklyn to hang out with some of the missionaries there, and parked on a street we thought offered two hours of free parking. Well, as a $60 parking ticket taught us, it was actually a 2 hour max parking, and you have to buy your time to park there. Pretty crazy, but it was a fun lesson to learn. haha, oh well.
That next day I went into the city(manhattan) on the ferry and went and saw a doctor to check out a pain I had been experiencing and I got a clean bill of health, so I can keep on keeping on here. The next major event was friday. Friday is day we have district meeting and try and get everything planned for the weekends, which is typically the busiest two days of the week for us. But we got a call from a couple members who were moving and spent the day from 11 to 9 helping some families move. The first family was thankfully just moving across the island, but the second family, the Ellises, were packing up and headed back to utah. It was a sad day because they are a sweet family. The ward will miss them for sure.
The next day we had Natalie Brown's baptism. It went really well, and she had family members from all over the place come, and one of her good friends from school came too. Her friend liked it so much she came to church the next day for the confirmation. The baptism was smaller since alot of people werent able to make it on a saturday morning, but it was still really nice. Natalie was grinning from ear to ear. The ward is getting excited about the baptism. One of the less active members we have been seeing even brought a friend and her friend's son. They stayed for all 3 hours and loved it and we will be meeting with them this week. The woman's name is Angie, and she is from Sri Lanka. She was actually telling us about the Tsunami. It turns out she was there 5 years ago when it happened. Its pretty nuts, but she is a way sweet lady trying to find the truth. Its the ultimate for a missionary with the members bring their friends to church, you couldnt ask for anything better.
Now for the questions and answers:
Questions for Elder Thiot….
1. How are you and how was your week? im great and the week was pretty much the best week I have had in a while.
2. How was Natalie’s baptism? I was smiling just thinking about you on Sunday. it was sooo good. the spirit was so strong.
3. Did the GPS arrive in one piece? Does it work on Staten Island? yep and yep. Its amazing and a lifesaver. This island has the most complicated street layout in history.
4. What did you learn this week about the power of prayer? Thats funny you ask that. I have been praying alot more recently, and without going into much details, it has been way energizing, and motivating. The prayer is the power to life.
5. How was your Sacrament/Fast and Testimony Meeting on Sunday? It was very good. The less active woman who brought her friend bore her testimony, and talked about how great it is to invite people to church.
6. Did you see any miracles this week? everyday. The only down thing that happened all week was the rain on p-day, again. This is like the 5th time in 6 weeks that it has rained on p-day. what can you do?
7. What is on your Preparation Day Agenda? Heading back to brooklyn to see some members over there, I'm psyched. I miss that ward alot.

I love y'all, talk to you in 6 days. (Missionaries get to call home twice a year, Christmas Day and Mothers Day.)
sly,
elder s.w.t