When You Ask for Help

¡Hola po!


Mi familia, como estan. It sounds like you guys are all trying to get sick or something!! I hope you guys are starting to feel better. And I´m also glad that the crazy week has ended for catering. Is this one going to be a little better? Well, I´m glad to hear that Brent is home, sounds like it was a pretty sweet trip for him. Can´t wait to get an email from him...cough cough!


I have some really good news.....we had a baptism yesterday for Miguel! ¡Por fin! This last week we had a really powerful lesson with him, and he really felt that he had received his answer. Yesterday was the baptism service and it was really neat. We tried to get his brothers to come and support him but his entire family is against him to being baptized. But there were lots of people from the ward that came and some other missionaries too. Hermana Dutton and I sang, but it was really pretty bad, but that's ok because it didn´t matter at all. Basically yesterday was just an all around amazing day.


Later that day we were supposed to have a lesson with Anjelica but she couldn´t come. So as we were leaving the church we felt that our back up plans weren´t what we needed to do. We said a prayer and afterwards we just kind of stood waiting to see what we were feeling. We decided to just start walking and knocking on doors. Well, turns out the second door we knocked on was this little old lady and right away she invited us in. This usually never happens, so Hermana and I looked at each other and gave each other the, this-is-cool-look, and followed her into her house. It turns out that this lady is a member and she has been inactive for many years and just before we came to her house she had been praying for someone to come to her. When you ask for help, chances are Heavenly Father is going to send the missionaries!! Haha. Well, it was so cool to talk to her and to re-invite her to church.


Later that same night we found like 7 more people that we really felt like we needed to find. All of them have citas (appointments) this next week!


There was another really big day this week that I have to tell you about. We went on divisions again this week, or "splits" I think is what they call them there. My companion is in charge of divisons among the sisters in my zone and on Tuesday she told me that I would be going with Hermana Johnson who is brand new to the mission. She has been here two weeks tomorrow! When my comp told me that I about had a panic attack. This meant that I was in charge of our sector, finding our appointments. . . oh ya and talking to everyone and leading all of the lessons. Did I mention that Hermana Johnson doesn´t speak a wink of Spanish. I was so scared I can just barely understand people and my speaking skills are way less perfect and then I had to be in charge of another missionary, who I was in her shoes no longer than a few weeks ago. 


I am here to tell you that I survived the day and we even had some really good lessons. I still couldn´t understand everything that the people said, but I think my companion was trying to show me that I know enough. I still have a ways to go, but I learned that I´m going to be ok.


The other day I was reading the Joseph Smith story. The part that stuck out to me this time was right before Joseph saw the light, he says that he was at the point of almost losing complete hope of being saved. Perhaps he felt like he was at that point right before the edge of the cliff and the next step was over the edge. Well, at that moment when we feel like we just can´t do anymore, and it might just be too diffcult, when we might sink into utter despair...´I saw a pillar of light´.....are his words. Sometimes we have to take steps into the darkness to receive the light. I know that no matter the trial or struggle the light always comes and Heavenly Father is always there to pick us up when we feel like we can´t do it anymore. The Light always comes, the blessings will always come when we are obedient.


These pictures are from the hike we went on last week. Isn´t is so pretty here!?! The town behind me is my sector. That's Graneros.

Then the baptism picture with Miguel and the Bishop who baptized him. Miguel is the shorter one! Ok, so I tried to send the better baptism pic, like the one where I was looking at the camera, but it wouldnt work sorry. Maybe next time I can get a better picture!

Well, LOVE YOU GUYS SOOO MUCH!!!!!!!! Have fun in Utah with the family!! I MISS YOU GUYS!!!

p.s. I got Grandpas letter and it was soo cool!! My companion thought it was the sweetest letter ever. OH and wow a meth lab in shelby huh? crazy!!

con cariño,

Hermana Thacker

(Received Monday, March 19, 2012)

Tender Mercy

Hola Familia

¿Como estan? Yo creo que todo esta bien. Yo espero que ustedes sea felizes siempre. ¡Hay mucha obra en Chile y en Graneros, pero vamos a cambiar las vidas de todas las personas aqui!

Ok, that's enough for the Spanish, but I figured I could give grandpa some words to work on! How is everybody? Mom I was super excited to get your email today because before we went and printed things off my comp and I used her recorder to record a little of my voice--there is about12 minutes worth, but at least you will get to hear my voice. I haven´t listened to it, so hopefully I don´t sound stupid. I hope it works too because I also want to send some pictures with this email as well. And there are even going to be some with me smiling. I really hate those ones though. There´re just not me. haha

That is super cool that there is a whole family in Shelby that the missionaries are teaching. Tell them congrats for me. They even have them coming to church. Mom and Dad, as a missionary I´m going to tell you to help the missionaries as much as possible and help to make those people feel comfortable and welcome in church. You really cannot imagine how much easier it is to have the help and support of the ward. Truly most of the members are amazing in Graneros and are so willing to help. Our ward mission leader is the BEST. Whenever we ask him to come with us to a lesson he never refuses. I just love him. He truly gets the meaning of missionary work. Its not just for those people with tags on. Anyways, I´m sure that the missionaries appreciate everything you do for them but just keep in mind their investigators as well!!


I am really bummed that I had to leave our internet place and you guys were both there waiting for me. I feel really bad. My comps trainer ended the mission today so we had to plan around going to the office when she was there to say good-bye and such. Actually, I´m really glad we did because her suitcases were too heavy and she left behind her fitted sheet which I took as a tender mercy because I was trying to find a fitted sheet the other day and they were kind of expensive; so, I thought I could just tough it out with a stupid flat sheet that I have to re-tuck in everyday. But no longer!!


This week was actually a tough one for me. It was the last week of the change (transfer) and I was thinking about all our investigators that we have. I was so excited to have baptisms in my first change but then they both fell through. Cristina, our other fecha, has difficulty with tea and she drank tea a week before her baptism. I was really bummed especially because she had been doing so good. This week it all just hit me. Like maybe I could have done something more to help them understand. I just felt down and couldn´t shake it--which is lame as well. One night Hermana and I came back for the day and just decided that we needed a pick me up. We read out loud Alma 26 which is one of my favorite missionary chapters. It actually helped a lot to remind me of my purpose. It also had many words of comfort for those trying times.


Everyone always said that the mission was going to be hard. I didn´t expect it to be like this though. I can handle the physical. If I have to walk up a mountain everyday to find people I could do it. But this is so different from what I imagined as difficult. It is a struggle to know if I am doing enough. Alma 42:27 has been another scripture that I have looked to a lot lately. It says something along the lines of those who will come, can come and those who choose not to come are not obligated. I can only do so much, but people still have their agency. Dang it! :) haha just kidding. But now I know how it feels to know the right answer and watch people walk away from it.


With that said I have so many goals for this next change. I am going to do everything, everything that I can possibly do to be obedient and  hopefully my obedience will bless my investigators. We have soo many investigators and we keep finding more. This is going to be a great change I can feel it!


I have to tell you about my week; it was a good one besides those few stupid moments of feeling down, but we had some good lessons and I have no doubt that our two fechas that fell through are going to be batpized in the near future. We had really good lessons with them this week and they both were in church on Sunday. That's the real test. If they come to church they are golden. We have another fecha with this young single mom but she has yet to attend church so we will have to work with her on that. 

I have to go! I love hearing from you guys and mom you don´t have to worry about sending packages to me all the time.  I know they are expensive and I´m well taken care of here. But since you are sending one could you throw in some fruit roll ups for my companion she loves them and they don't have them here!!

LOVE YOU GUYS SOO MUCH!! Thank you for your prayers I feel the effects of them everyday!!

con cariño, 

Hermana Thacker

(Received Monday, March 5, 2012)

My First Changes (Transfer)

¡MI AMORS!

 

Hey, sounds like you have been having a busy week up there in the northern country. How sad about that guy from Sunburst. We actually just had a member here in Chile pass away as well. I guess he was the Rancagua area institute guy. It was kind of tragic; I guess because people think that he killed himself. I´m not sure what happened, but I do know that the Area Seventy for Chile spoke at the funeral and none of the missionaries in the area got to go. I guess it's kind of a big deal. 

 

 

Wow, it sounds like Brent and Blake are doing awesome and the whole family! Happy to hear that Brent´s little misfortune turned out to be alright. I can´t wait to hear back from him and all his travel adventures. Hopefully he was practicing his spanish. I know I have been! HAHA

 

 

How's the diet coming? I´m on one too! It´s called eat all the fresh fruit you can diet because it tastes soo much better here than at home! :) I swear I haven´t eaten this many peaches in my entire life. People give us so many and when we eat at their houses we almost always have peaches for dessert! We also got this giant bag of plums and I´m just in fruit paradise. But it's starting to be fall time here, thank goodness, so I´m guessing fruit season is almost over..bummer.

 

 

I got a letter from Grandma and...YOUR PACKAGE!! I was so excited I just picked it up today. Grandma, mi abuela, hang in there it sounds like making blankets will help get your mind off of things. Maybe if you have time you could make one for me before I come home! :) Thanks for the letter and I´m sure it was Grandpa who put the little comic in! I loved it, it is so cute. I will have it taped to my wall so I can see it everyday! 

 

 

Sounds like the weather is getting pretty cold up there. The weather is just now slowly turning into fall and is starting to cool off. I love having to wake up in the morning and put a sweat shirt on and wear my slippers. It just feels better to wake up to crisp air. My companion said that winters here are really cold. But what makes them cold is that they don´t have indoor heating. So everyone just basically bundles up and toughs it out for 3 months. She says that it is so hard to get up in the mornings because sometimes you can see your breath in the house!! HAHA.  I´ll let you know how it goes when that happens!

 

 

This week was interesante! Miguel called us this week and told us that he doesn´t want to get baptized. WHAT!?! Well, don´t worry we talked to him and he still had his interview with my district leader, but we decided that he needs some time to work it out with himself. He knows everything, he just needs to know in his heart that he knows. If that makes any sense to you. Hopefully within the next couple of weeks. 

 

 

We have a baptism this Sunday again for a different investigator named Cristina. We have so many investigators right now my goal this week is to get batism dates with them all!! 

 

 

So, we have changes (transfers) this week but I just found out that I will be staying in Graneros with Hermana Dutton for another change!!!! YAY!! I was really excited because we have so much work to do, I didn't want to leave yet! Everything has been going really well with her. She is teaching me some really good things, and truly is an amazing teacher. She just has the type of personality that people are just drawn to.

 

 

I went on my first division this week. I think they call them exchanges in English. So, we live with two other Hermanas in our house and we split Greneros into two sectors. I got to go with Hermana Martinez for whole day. She is from Mexico and is this cute little Hermana. I have to be honest though I was super nervous to go with her. She seems just kind of quiet and my spanish is horrible.  I thought that it was going to be a really silent day. Plus I´ve never taught with anyone but Hermana Dutton and I didn´t know any of her investigators. But it was a really great day!  We talked the entire time! WOW, I understood everything and she could understand me! It was great, I just love her now she is so funny! I want to be her companion in the future, she is just a good missionary!

 

 

So something else that was completely awesome about this week. The day Miguel told us that he didn´t want to get baptized we went to meet him to talk about it. We were standing outside the hospital waiting for him and this little lady started walking toward us. I said hello and she came and gave me a beso on the cheek like she knew who we were. I thought that maybe she was a member that I hadn´t met yet but Hermana didn´t know her either. Turns out she talked to the missionaries at one time, if I remember correctly, and obtained a Book of Mormon. She told us that she has read it three times and knows it is true!! That just doesn't happen in real life does it? Well, it did. I wish I could tell you all the amazing things that take place during the week but thre is jsut so much.

 

 

Thanks mom for the scripture reference I´m definitely going to look it up later! My studies lately have been a lot about change and what it really means to be converted to the Lord. Something that has taken over my studies these last couple of days is what it really means to take upon the name of Christ. In D&C 20:37 says that when you want to serve Him with your whole heart and self--I wish I had my scriptures right now cuz I´m just going by memory, but then I also thought about the Anti-Nephi-Lehis. 

 

 

After the Anti-Nephi-Lehis had been converted unto the Lord they no longer wanted to be associated with their past and so they took on a new name and became a new people living in peace and happiness for years. This same change happens with us after baptism, except the name we take upon ourselvs is Christ´s name, no longer associated with the person we once were. Well, it turns out that this change of self is a huge process and right now I´m trying to learn about this process and what more we need to do to be called children of Christ! Cool huh? I´m reading the Book of Mormon too mom, but I´m reading it in Spanish.

 

 

Anyways, just because we are trying to become better everyday doesn´t mean that road is going to be easy. Actually, I know it's only through the rough patches that we can chipped and shaped into the person Heavenly Father needs us to be to build up the kingdom! Know that I love you all with all my heart and so much more! I miss and love you and am SOOOO GRATEFUL for everything you have done and are doing and will do for me!

 

 

ciao ciao (chow chow) cuídense! (take care)

 

todo mi amor,

Hermana Thacker

 

 

ps. I´ll send the other letter from last week!

 

(Recieved on Monday, February 27, 201)

We Sing To Everyone

Hey Familia

I can´t believe that my first change (transfer) in the mission is coming to an end! WOW! This next week will be the start of week number 5. I´m not quite sure how I feel about it yet, because it makes me nervous to think that I might have a new companion in a new area and I will have to start all over again.  I guess welcome to the mission right?! I love this quote by one of my teachers in the MTC, I think about it a lot, she said, "There is no comfort in change, and there is no change in comfort."  So, I guess bring on the discomfort. 

Dad, I would try to explain where I live to you but I only know how to get there by walking. I´m still not sure about directions here. Maybe I´ll figure it out this week and let you know. 

Anyways, so my week was pretty good. Ok so I must have missed typed last week but we only had 9 investigators last week in church, not 14. But this week we had 8 which is so amazing.

So, Miguel. He was supposed to get baptized yesterday, but he ended up traveling to the south for his sisters wedding this last week.  We couldn´t do anything about it. But while he was there his family kind of placed some doubts into his heart about getting baptized. Well, we talked to him yesterday after church with a couple that I love. (They are our investigators as well but we can count them as members because they have been coming to church for like a year. The only thing that keeps them from getting baptized is they are not married. Rodrigo was still going through a divorce and it just takes along time for things like that to take place, but I will talk about them next.) Anyways, Rodrigo and his "wife", Maribel, talked to him about there experience with the same struggles, but just bore testimony of doing what you know is right in your heart. We invited him again to be baptized for this next Sunday! YAY! And then we have another baptism the week after that and hopefully one the week after that!

Let me just tell you about this new investigator we got this week. Hermana and I were waiting outside the church for an appointment with Miguel. Well, Miguel didn´t show up and we had been waiting for almost a half hour. Finally we decided it was hopeless and said bye to the member who agreed to come to the lesson. We went to go lock up the church when this guy was standing outside the church just looking at the inscription. We walked over to him and started to talk to him. The moment we started to teach him that he was a son of God and that God has a plan for him, his eyes lit up. Then when we told him that we are representatives of Jesus Christ he was said, "REALLY!?"  It was one of the coolest contacts ever. 

He told us that he has everyting. He has money, a big house, horses, cars, but his family left him and he is alone. He told us that whatever it is that we have he needs it! I am really excited to hopefully teach him. He doesn´t live in Graneros but he works there so hopefully we can work something out. It was really neat. We even sang to him on the sidewalk. We sing to everyone. Hermana Dutton has a really pretty voice and I can harmonize so it makes it fun to sing for other people.

Ok, so to answer some of the questions. I get one hour to email every Monday and we usually are in Rancagua because we can go to see the other missionaries, go to the office and pick up our mail (instead of waiting for it to get to us). I didn´t get the box today like I was hoping; it usually takes about 2 weeks or so to get to the mission office. So I´m sure by next week I will have it. I am super excited to get it.

About the language. . . ya lets not talk about it! Haha, no I´m sure I am getting better everyday, it's just slow progress. I have to remind myself that it takes time to learn a whole other language, but I just want to know it right now. I have to learn how to balance finding joy in the journey because this journey of learning a language is just kind of exhausting and sometimes depressing.  I know that everyday I can understand a little more and I definitely know that I know more than I did in the MTC....soooo slowly but surely. I will learn this language, but right now when I speak people can understand me and thats all I really need right now. 

It was cute in the cab on our way to Rancagua today I sat in back with this little old lady and we spoke to each other the whole ride. Convesation is slow but I at least could understand enough to keep talking to her. She was sweet and just smiled at my spanish. People do that alot, I will say somethign and they will just give me this cute little smile that says, "Oh, your so cute for trying". Haha...I hate it sometimes ;D hahaha

The weather is so nice here but it can be pretty stinking hot. NO air conditioning! Funny story: last night we got done teaching we were already late for our next appointment and, since we walk everywhere, we had to run...literally. Well, it's like 9:15 and still hot and sticky and by the time we get there I´m really sweating. At the end of the lesson with this family we are shaking everyone's hands goodbye and one of the boys points to his armpit and says,"Are you sweating?"  Hahaha..I was like.."Si, hace calor"..ya it's HOT... I just laughed, haha.  Good times on the mission.

Mom, I´m going to take a picture of the horno, or oven that they cook everything in like their empanadas. Maybe dad can build one for you so when I get home we can have legit emapanadas!! And then gourmet night will be that much more better! Everyone has one in their backyards. It's cool looking. 

Everything is good.  My comp and I are good, I am just so blessed.

 

I love you all sooo much!! ¡¡¡¡LES AMO MUCHO!!!! La Iglesia es verdadera. Cristo vive. Dios nos ama. ¡Todo es bien!

Hasta proximo Lunes

 

Hermana Thacker

(Recieved on Mon, Feb 20, 2012)

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)