9 Investigators at Church!

HEY FAMILIA!!

 

Ok, so it sounds like it's getting kind of busy at home for you guys! That's good. Ok, so I´m going to have to send some good pictures next week because I don´t have any, but don´t worry there will be lots more to come! 

 

Ya about the package, thats really crazy! Don´t worry about sending me stuff on a regular basis. Chile is basically like an American-wanna-be and I have everything I could possibly need and more. But I'm not going to lie, I´m really excited to get the package. I got your letters today too! That was really fun to go to the mission office and have something waiting for you. I even got a letter from an Elder who was in the MTC with me, but I´m pretty sure I know who he is, but I don´t ever remember giving an Elder my mission address outside of my zone, but thats ok! Haha random.

 

Anyways, so Grandpa I heard that you want to know what the temperature is like here. Well, basically it's like Montana in the summertime. The sun is always shinning and there is usually a nice little breeze to cool things down which is so nice. It's probably in the high 80s or low 90s.  So, I'm sweating all the time and the breeze is definitely appreciated. 

 

Dad I wish I could tell you where I live in Graneros but I´m not sure myself. We live on Pedro Lidro, that's the street name and the house is at the very end on the right side. I think the house is yellow. Maybe. 

 

Oh and the chocolate here is definitely not as good as american chocolate but some things are pretty good. The factory just makes the town smell better!!

 

So this week was pretty good. We teach a lot of lessons and have lots of people to go and see all the time. We still have two people with baptismal dates and we were supposed to have a baptism this weekend but we couldn´t find times this week to meet with our investigator, Miguel, to get all the lessons in that he needs. But now we have it planned for this next weekend and he is starting to get cold feet. We have to try and meet with him as much as possible and just keep him excited. This is a time for Satan to work really hard on him since this is one the most important decisions of his life. But can I just tell you that we had 9 investigators in Church yesterday!!! That is amazing!! 

 

Actually that morning I was kind of dreading church since it makes for a quiet day for me, not being able to understand everything and not being able to talk to anyone besides my companion, but we went and picked up one of our investigators to walk to church that morning. I just love her and she just smiles and laughs when I can´t understand what she is saying to me, haha, but I love the fact that she still tries to communicate with me!

 

Anyways, we walk to church with Mari (investigator) and her brother who I had never met before. Turns out he is really inactive because he does drugs and drinks a lot, but he was dressed in a suit and came with us. Actually I think he was a little drunk still, but I figure the place he needs to be is with us in the Church. 

 

But while we were walking to church and I´m still thinking of myself and how I want to talk but can´t.  When we arrived at church we saw one of our other investigators with her little boy and further down the street is a part member family we had been trying to get to come to church since I have been here! In that moment all my stupid feelings I was feeling about myself melted and it was all I could do not to cry right there on the street. It was sooooo cool to see them happy and walking in through the church doors. Then we had 9 investigators in church and it was soo amazing! I love the moments when the Lord reminds me why I am here.

 

Ok, so after that good uplift I want to tell you another incident we had this week that wasn´t so uplifting. Well, we had an appointment with this little old couple we pass by everyday on our way home. It turns out that they are Evangelicals and have really strong feelings about their religion. I knew right away that they wanted to hear nothing of our message and just wanted to argue. My companion was trying to explain some of the things they had confused about our church and share some doctrine with them, but it kind of turned into this big argument. Anyways the spirit was totally not there and she kept telling me in English to testify but everytime they quit talking she would jump right in and say something, I have no idea what because when the Spirit isn´t there I really can´t understand a thing. My whole self just wanted to leave the situation because nothing was happening spiritually and they were not willing to listen at all. So when there was a pause in the converstaion I stuck my hand out and was like, Gracias por su tiempo, chow! (Thanks for your time, bye). And I turned and we left the situation. Well, my comp was not happy about that at all. So maybe it wasn´t the best ending to a lesson but we needed to get out of there. I felt bad that she was upset, because it's true we just can´t leave them with that alone, but truly I didn´t feel bad for ending the "conversation" or argument. I know we are here to preach and teach, but that does not happen when the Spirit is gone. 

 

Anywhoo, it was a good learning opportunity for everyone I think. 

 

Oh I almost forgot! In my last letter I told you that it cost $100 dollars for that package not 100 entonces. Entonces is a filler word like "so." So.......or Entonces.....make sense? My bad for the confusion.  But I have to go! 

 

Know that I miss and love everyone of you!!!!!!

 

Hermana Thacker

 

(Recieved February 15, 2012)

Falling Asleep the the Music

Hey mom!!

 

 

I am so glad that I got a letter from you today. I´m not going to lie but this morning when I checked I was a little sad that you still hand´t written me yet. But now I am feeling much better! 

 

 

Anyways, about packages, my trainer told me that the only carrier you should NOT send through is FedEx. She said that her mom sent it through Fedex and she had to pay like $100, entonces, you can just send it through normal mail and it should be fine. Probably just more expensive for you. Oh and don´t worry about filling it full of treats and sweets because Chile is definitely not like Mexico and all the treats are really good. If you do send treats make them small ones that I could share with like kids of my investigators and things like that. Remember to put pictures on it of Christ también!

 

 

Ok, so my week was pretty good! We have a baptism coming up hopefully this weekend. I say hopefully because our investigator´s brother will be out of town and he might want to change the date for that.  We also have not taught him the law of chastity yet, but I´m pretty sure he doesn´t have any problems like that either since he doesn´t have a girlfriend. 

 

 

Actually this whole week has been one big tender mercy for Miguel(the investigator) because he and his brother have been living in Rancagua and they work in Graneros in the fruit fields. This past week they have been looking for a house to be closer to work. Their contract, I guess, was expiring and they didn´t have a place to live. So, the only way to find a house is to walk around the town and hope to find signs and phone numbers of vacant places. Well, with a lot of prayers and the help of one of our other investigators they found a house in our sector (area) and we get to continue to teach them both. Miguel´s brother wants to hear the lessons as well. 

 

 

We have so many people to teach, we are literally running from place to place. The hardest thing is knowing what each of our investigators needs, and how we can help them. Another hard part is trying to get them to come to church, but last week we had 5 investigators last week and 3 this week. It´s also hard because it is summer time here and everyone wants to go on vacation on the weekends. 

 

 

I´m not going to lie but this week was a little difficult for me. Everyday I have to constantly fight off the feelings of doubt that come from not being able to communicate with the people we are teaching. I want to talk to them so bad and say more but sometimes when I open my mouth it comes out jumbled and awkward and not really what I am feeling in my heart. The thing is it is really hard to not think of myself at those times. I know everyone told me to lose myself and go to work but that is so much harder that it sounds. I am trying to be grateful for the struggles though, because I know that in our struggles we learn the most, and we learn to completely rely on the Lord. 

 

 

My companion told me to cherish these moments, which is really good advice. I have to completely rely on the Spirit when we are in a lesson because I can´t understand what they are saying most of the time. Bits and pieces make sense but I´m never 100% sure of exactly what they are talking about. But when I open my mouth, in those moments I have to have complete faith that the words coming into my mind are what they need. 

 

 

Anyways, I also feel like we are not doing enough. I feel like the only way to combat my feelings of doubt are to work harder. But my comp has a year into the mission and sometimes I feel like she is a little trunky (anxious to be done with her mission), but she also strives to get our mission goals every week so hopefully doing stats each week will keep her going. Don't get me wrong, I love her and I am learning so much from her. People just love and adore her and hopefully that will rub off onto me. Right now people just look at me and smile and then talk to her, haha but thats ok. They try to talk to me and I have to constantly tell people to speak slower and to use simpler words, but some people are patient with me and try to have a little conversation! :D They just speak so soo fast!

 

 

It is so nice here. I love Chile! My favorite part is that music is always playing and on the weekends we lay in bed falling asleep to the music from all the fiestas! It is really fun and is a constant reminder that I am definitely not in Montana!! I had my first mate (maw-tay) this week and I actually kind of liked it. It tasted like oranges and grass in hot water! haha! Oh and empanadas are sooo good. Don´t worry about me being fed!! Well I love you guys! 

 

 

I hope to hear from you next Monday! wink wink! I´m glad that everyone is doing well. Sounds like Shelby will be a little different by the time I get home! I love you Dad! I love you Grandma! I love you Grandpa! I love you Mama! I love all you people who read this! I love you Jules! I love you Brooke! I love you ALL! ¡Cuidense mucho! Chow Chow

 

 

Love, 

  Hermana Thackekr

 

 

 

 My zone. One of the Elders that was in my District from the MTC is in my district here. haha The really tall one in the back.

 My comp and I in a colectivo (cab) going to Rancagua I think on p-day.

My first empanada made from this little house in Graneros. Super good is was filled with meat and onions.

 

(Received February 6, 2012)

Investigators Teaching Investigators

¡Hola po!

 

 

Hey there loved ones! So this week has been amazing and I want to tell you about everything! So I'm not sure what I told you in the last email, but I hope that you got the pictures I sent along with it. 

 

 

It is so pretty here--it kind of reminds me of Utah and Arizona! Anyways, I live in the best place ever. Really, I'm not sure how Heavenly Father blesses me so much but everthing is just perfect. The little apartment I live in is great.  It has a working shower and everything. It's funny, in order to have hot water in the morning we have to go out and turn on the gas. But I don't care I get hot water so basically that's amazing! 

 

 

I want to tell you about all the people that we have been teaching and all the new peeps that we keep finding that are falling into our laps.

Entonces, primero es Miguel! He is like straight out of an Ensign article! Tell the missionaries that this kid has two church attendances in one week of meeting the missionaries! That is like amazing. So, my trainer met him on the street the Saturday before I got here. They invited him to church the next day and he came. This is the first church that he has ever attended and he loved it! His first lesson was with me and we invited him to be baptized. A baptism date on my first day is basically amazing. He is twenty years old and he lives in Rancagua but comes to Graneros, just north of Rancagua, for work. We have met with him every two days and he just eats up the Gospel. 

 

 

We also have this other couple who are progressing investigators, and they are basically members. I'll tell you about them later, but they came with us to one of Miguel's lessons.  Rodrigo just testified of everything and the Spirit was so strong--it was all I could do to hold back the ocean of tears in my eyes!

 

 

Rodrigo and Maribel (the couple I mentioned before) are not members, yet.  But they just love the Gospel as well! We went and visited them this week--I swear they could teach us the lessons. Their Book of Mormons are marked up and they are just awesome. The only reason they are not baptized is because they are not married. It is actually a big problem down here because people don't get married, they just live with each other for years and have a family and act like they are married. This couple is soo good though.  I just hope that I get to be here for their wedding and their baptism. They are so good that we can count them as members when they come with us to teach other investigators. Investigators teaching investigators.

 

 

We have so many investigators it is crazy fun and I love it. We are so busy everyday running from house to house or lining people up in the church waiting for their appointments. People just keep coming out of the wood works as well. We got 12 new investigators this week even! WOW so crazy cool. 

 

 

My Spanish is still really bad, but I do try and teach and testify as much as possible. When I testify the Spirit is so strong though, it definitely reassures me that words don't matter. Everyday I feel like I can understand a little bit more but they speak so fast and they drop the 's' off of almost all of their words which makes it even more difficult. For example, instead of saying maso menos, so-so, they say mao meno. And I'm dumfounded, "Huh??"  Ya, anyways, I wish I could speak more and get to know more people, but a lot of the times I just sit there. 

 

 

I know I said that I wished I had a native companion but the Lord knows that I would have gone crazy not knowing what was going on and just following my trainer like a puppy. At least this way she can explain important things to me and tell me about the investigators and their needs.

 

 

I learned this week that the MOST important thing I need to do as a missionary is have the Spirit. I don't teach anything. Even if I could talk to them, without the Holy Ghost you cannot understand or learn anything! It is so important to do everything to keep the Spírit and bring it into the homes of those we teach. I just love being a missionary already. It rocks!

 

 

Mom, I know you probably want to know what I have been eating. Well, actually it's pretty normal stuff. We ate at a members house, the Relief Society President, and I'm not sure what it was. At first it was just this pile of stuff with potatoes on top, but it was actually really good. Then another time we were eating at another members house and I guess they think that if you eat cold things when you body is hot it isn't good, so we eat lots of hot foods in the summertime. But we had this potato and chicken soup and I was just sitting at the end of the table sweating hard core, but it was good and I didn't prepare it so I loved it. I also ate almost an entire plate full of tomatoes. Ya, just let the record show!

 

 

Anyhoo, I couldn't upload any pictures but I will try again next week and show you more of my zone and my companion! I love you all and I hope everything is going well! Write me back, I missed getting an email from you guys!



Hermana Thacker


(Posted on Monday, January 30, 2012)