First Week Down of the MTC

 Hey Familia!!!

 

So first week down of the MTC can you hardly believe that its already been soo long! It feels like I've been here for like 3 weeks because so much happens everyday. So I'm still adjusting to my schedule and trying to figure out how I'm going to fit everything in! The language is coming...really slowly, but we have taught 5 lessons in Spanish to our investigator and last night we asked him if he would follow the Savior's ejemplo (example) and be bautizado (baptized)! :D Sorry Mom if i change my English words to Spanish words, it will help me learn faster! Anyways he accepted and it was really fun.

 

I want to tell you about the best lesson we gave.  On Saturday mi companeras (my companions) and I taught our investigator and for us the lesson was really rough! We didn't know what each other was saying let alone what our investigator was saying. We felt a little depressed afterwards but we had the BEST companionship inventory ever! Companionship inventory is when you get together and talk about problems or anything you want, basically. But we learned so much about each other and where we need to work together as a companionship to be the best teachers together. One person can't do it alone. So as we prepared for the next lession we were a little nervous, but I tried to keep my faith that if we prepare and pray that it will be good  and we will always learn more about where to improve! So right before it was our turn to teach I had the feeling that I should share what I had learned about Matt. 11:28-30 with a couple of Elders in my district. I didn't want to focus on the lesson anymore because I knew if I stress and worry about my job as a missionary, I'm not having faith that the Lord can and will do great things through me. So as I taught them more of the Elders came in and all of a sudden we were opening the scriptures up to each other and teaching each other the things we had learned and the experiences we had had. The Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit) was so strong in the room that when mi companeras and I left to go teach I had no worries about what we had prepared or what we could or could not say. We got there and started to teach Oscar. In the end of the lesson we asked him to be baptized and I thought he asked us when he could be baptized so I was like..manana...tomorrow!! My companions were like, "No Hermana, he wants to know more about baptism and why he needed to be baptized again." We had not prepared any Spanish to explain the answer to his questions, but I tell you we knew what to say! The words started to come out and I even understood a little of what he was saying. By the end we told him we had more to share and we taught him again the next day.

 

Needless to say we left the room feeling so high on the Espiritu! It was definitely a highlight of my week. But the learning and teaching didn't stop there. We returned to our classroom and the Elders had been singing hymns the entire time we were gone (which is amazing because 19 yr old boys get really distracted, really easily!! :D) The Spirit was like a wall in our room. Again we opened our scriptures to each other and the Elders and mi hermanas (my Sisters) told which scripture they chose to be their mission scripture! I know that everyone of those Elders and Hermanas want to be here on their missions! All of them have such a strong testimony of the truthfullness of this church. I was so humbled to see such amazing people and once again be so blessed to be in the presence of such good examples, and people who carry the same desires as I do. It truly was one of the best days ever in the MTC.

 

So, I was given the calling of Coordinating Sister for my Branch. I'm not really sure what it is because I haven't been trained yet but, basically I'm supposed to make sure all the needs of the Sisters in our Branch are taken care of. I guess like a Relief Society President...kind of. I was super shocked though when they asked on Sunday because I had only been here for 4 days. I barely know my way around the MTC let alone am I supposed to lead the Sisters. But I know that everything happens for a reason and Heavenly Father has a plan for my life. This time in the MTC is preparing me for the missiona and ultimately life.

 

So, I was a little worried about mi companeras at the beginning but I love them. Hermana England and Hermana Latham are awesome! They have so much to teach me if I listen. Most of the time I cut myself short of opportunities to learn because I think I know everything and I have something better to teach! But I have learned this week that if I listen and am willing to learn, the Spirit will teach me the things I need to know!

 

God is so good! I hope that you can feel His love for you! I know that I feel it! I always say this but I don't know how I am so blessed. So many good things have come into my life and I know its because of this Gospel. Thank you madre y padre for you unconditional love! Mom, esta bien that you didnt say I love you! I KNOW YOU DO!! the best way to show your love is not through your words if you can believe that!! :D I love you guys I hop all in well!

 

I wanted to tell you that you should use Dear Elder.com or something. (maybe ask on of the elders in Shelby) That way I don't waste my time that I have to write on reading you e-mail. You just send it and I get the letter that very day in the MTC if it is sent by 2:00.

TE AMO!!!!!  (I LOVE YOU!!!!!)

 

I love you all!! Happy Thanksgiving

 

P.S Elder Nelson spoke to us today and Elder Christofferson yesterday!!! :D

"My official tag!!!!!"

Hola Familia!!

 

The MTC is quite the experience? I was so excited and so happy when I finally got here and they gave me my official tag!!!!!! (I dont have much time so ignor the spelling) So I met my companeras, I have 2, Hermana England and Herman Latham. they are really sweet girls and both are from utah. (south jordan and nephi) the schedule at the MTC is crazy and iim still adjusting to it but it is getting better and i have hope that i will become more efficient with my time. it seems like we have no time at all to do anything and i feel like i have to learning everything.

 

so you are probably wondering how my spanish is coming..! well the first 2 days our teachers only spoke spanish to us. the first day we walked into what is now our classroom, where we do everything, and our teacher was giving us instructions in spanish. i felt so out of place and it made it worse when some of the elders and mi hermanas could understand what was going on. Needless to say i was sooo stressed out about speakin spanish and in a moment of weakness i actually wished that i was serving an english speaking mission. well in that same moment el Espiritu Santo brought taught me that i need to learn humility and totally put my trust in the Lord. well here i am on day 4 and becoming humble is going to be a long journey for me. i am totally being humbled in my struggle to learn spanish but our teachers are constantly reassuring us that the language is not as important as learning  to have faith in the Lord and rely on the Espiritu Santo. I am not yet as Job but i do have a desire to be, and a desire to completely rely on the Lord.

 

So yesterday was really exciting. we got to teach our first investigator named Oscar. oh ya might i add that we taught him in spanish!!! whe i heard the news that i was going to teach and the investigator did not speak any english i was terrified. again the Lord has to continually humble me and remind me that all is well in the Lord. We had to plan as a companionship what wer were giong to teach but that was easy. the difficult part was how we were going to teach this man when we knew little to no spanish. so about and 1 and 1/2 before we went to teach we were taught how to pray and bare our testimonies. kind of a priority when teaching!! :D so we delegated who was going to do what and i was chosen to say the opening prayer. when we met oscar and went into the classroom we asked if could pray...which is one of the questions we had memorized right before going in. he said yes and i began to pray. i forgot most of what i wanted to say and i stumble through it but i made it through and i hope that it made some kind of sense to our investigator. then we continued on with the lesson and asked a couple of key questions the only problem was when he answered none of us knew what he was saying. i feel like i know the least amount of spanish compared to my companeras but i felt like i spoke the most. i didnt know what he was saying, but i know the easiest way to bring the Spirit into the room is to bare testimony of Jesucristo!! so did! it was awesome! i only hope that my companeras and the investigator felt the spirit that i felt because is was so good. the lesson was far from good and i dont really know if i said anything that he wanted to hear but i felt really good about it. we are teaching him again today and that might be even more difficult because i felt like i said everything that i can sayin spanish already!! but we think we will teach him aobut profetas and the resturation. ill let lyou know how it goes next THURSDAY on my p-0day...wink wink!

 

my comparneras are good but im struggling to feel united in our purpose and decision making. Hermana latham and i are pretty outspoke and herman england is pretty quiet and we all think that differnt things are important. hopefully as time goes on and our love for one another grows we will be a great companionship and be able to learn and grow individuallyand together. both of my companeras are serving in chile but we are all going to different missions!! my district contains 3 hermanas, us, and 7 elders. all the elders are great in my district and we are having fun learning together and teaching one another! i hope all is well at home! por favor know that i send my love.

 

yo se que Jesucristo es el Salvador y Dios es nuestro Padre Celestial. yo se que la iglesia de Jesucristo de los santos de los ultimos dias es verdadero. yo se que el libro de mormon es verdadero y es la palabra de Dios!!

 

i love you guys! i love being a missionary and i am soo excited to continue putting my trust in the lord and learning how to preach the true evangelio en espanol!!

 

love hermana thacker!!

Hermana Thacker's Testimony/Farewell Talk

Words alone cannot express the tender feelings which I have for my Father in Heaven and my Savior Jesus Christ. They know me, personally, and they love me. I know They have unconditional love for all of their children, and as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I get to teach people about this love. I feel so honored and blessed that my Heavenly Father would allow me this great opportunity to be a part of something that is so much bigger than me.  

In the book of Moses chapter 1 verse 39 it reads, “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” For a time I have the blessing of completely dedicating myself to the special work of Heavenly Father... “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man”.. This can only happen in and through Jesus Christ, and His atonement.  I know that He died and atoned for the sins of every person. Life can be difficult. Really difficult.  But with this knowledge comes hope, peace, and immense amount of joy. I know this because I have experienced it personally.

I am so excited to go and serve the people in Chile. In the Book of Mormon, in the book of Alma chapter 26 verse 3 it reads, “…for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.”  This is a special scripture for me because I know that I will truly be made an instrument in God’s hands. I’m not perfect and I don’t have a perfect knowledge of things, but I don’t need to be. All I need to do is be willing to let Him work through me!

I know God lives! I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church which contains the full gospel of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith was a prophet called by God to bring forth The Book of Mormon as a second witness of Jesus Christ. This book is true, and it can change lives.

This is my testimony, my witness, and I end it in the sacred name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen. 

All the love in my heart!!!!

Hermana Thacker :D

Snail Mail ADDRESSES

MTC ADDRESS (Nov '11 through Jan '12)

Sister Corian Thacker
MTC mailbox #278
CHI-RAN 0124
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

Packages to the MTC are easily received through normal mailing procedures. 

CHILE MISSION ADDRESS (Feb '12 through May '13)

Sister Corian Lee Thacker
Chile Rancagua Mission
German Riesco 230 Suite 703
Rancaugua
Lib. Gen. B. O'Higgins
Chile

Packages sent to this address are most likely not to be rummaged through if there are stickers/pictures of Jesus Christ on the outside of the package.  You can locate stickers of Jesus Christ at any local Christian book store or on line.  Some websites being: http://www.zazzle.com  OR www.orientaltrading.com   OR www.cafepress.com, etc.