A NOTE FROM MOM THATCHER

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to pass along two things. One, the fastest way for Emily to receive your letters is by getting onto a web site called dearelder.com. This site allows a letter you type on the computer to be printed off that day and sent directly to Emily (no charge). She is the ARG-MEN mission but in the MTC right now. Her date to leave the MTC is 0412 (or April 12). They will ask for this date before you press SEND. Again, make sure you send it to her in the MTC. You can still send her letters the same way once she arrives in Argentina. You will just enter her mission code (ARG-MEN). The letters will then be typed out and sent pouch mail to her in Argentina at no cost to you.

The second thing I wanted to share is that Emily right now only gets 30 mins. on Tuesdays to write her emails. As she sends one to us each Tuesday I will make sure it in on the blog for you to read by Wed. or Thurs. at the latest. That way you can all hear from her each week, even though she doesn't have time to always respond to everyone's letters.

Again, her mailing address (if you decide to send a letter or package yourself to the MTC) is

Hermana Thatcher
MTC Mail #135
ARG-MEND 0412
2005 N. 900 E.
Provo, UT 84604

Thank you all again for your prayers and support for Emily. As you can see, she is really happy and can feel your love from far away!

With much gratitude and love,

Brenda

March 1, 2011

Hello Family and Friends!

 

Sorry these are getting to be generic letters but it is hard with the time they give us to type to every single person. But all is well here, just keep trucking along and learning everyday. Here are the highlights of the week:

 

 

1) In Relief Society, since there aren't many Sisters here, we have the meeting with all the Sisters in the MTC (or C.C.M. in espanol). It is pretty cool to talk to everyone and see where they are going. There are so many beautiful sisters here, not at all what I expected really. This last Sunday we got to hear from Sister Ann Dibb, who is the second counselor of the Young Women's General Presidency. Well I didn't know this but she is also the daughter of President Monson! She looked very similar to him and had many of his same mannerisms. She talked to use about teaching wives, women, and young girls and what we should share with them. It was really interesting! She said that we will have so much effect and power to convert all the women of the world more than the men will ever. She told us about the every increasing threat of chastity and virtue and how to talk to the Young Women in our missions especially. We also received the Primary Program Manual for this year and she told us to prepare to possibly have to run it in some circumstances when leadership is few. Mom you were right! But my favorite part of the talk was the end when she opened up to any and all questions about her father the Prophet! She said he was in the Stake Presidency when she was born, was a mission president when she was 4, and was an apostle when she turned 9. She said that sometimes she was sad but her dad was always there and supportive when she needed him and was the most caring person she knows. She talked about Sister Hinckley and how she was the woman to thank, because she in never in the spotlight but it just as much a stronghold. How cool is that? Those are just some of the answers. The last question we asked was what did he talk about last week (since he gave a talk in his home ward). Sister Dibb said that he said "I have walked where Jesus walked: Jerusalem, Bethlamen, and Jordan. But what is more important to me is that I walk where Jesus would walk today- helping people and walking in his footsteps where he would walk here."- or something like that. I loved that! I went up afterwards and met her in the lobby. She gave me a huge hug and it felt like if President Monson would have been doing the same thing if he was here.

 

2) The Hermanas! Wow these girls here are amazing! Seriously Army of God! Hermana Lewis (since she is a solo sister) has basically become companions with Hermana Elias and I even though she is in a different district. We do the funnest things together! We love to meet new people going all over the world and bear testimonies and hear them in different languages. We got four new Hermanas in our branch which is really refreshing. Since there are only 6 of us and probably 80+ elders, we all are really close. It feels like I have know them for years, but really only 3 weeks! Sometimes I get scared thinking about leaving here. It is like the most spiritual boot camp in the world! All we do all day is study doctrine, study Spanish, play games in Spanish, eat and go to gym. What could be better?! Oh well seeing my family and friends would be AMAZING and maybe a little gory medicine would be the complete package. Still, this is an experience everyone should go through. It truly is life changing.

 

3) We are learning the second lesson in Spanish this week. We successfully taught the first lesson in Spanish again to A REAL INVESTIGATOR!! He said our Spanish was beautiful and we did great which made me feel a little better because he was from Honduras and spoke SO fast. Sometimes Hermana Elias and I would just look at each other and smile and say "yes, that is great". I guess he was referred to the MTC from a friend because he wanted to learn more and be able to be taught many times. Very nice about 60 year old gentleman, Napoleon. We taught the second lesson just to practice to a sister down the hall and it was amazing. By the end she was in tears- I guess thats a good sign. Hermana Elias has been very shy to teach so I am trying to talk less to help her, but it is a proccess. We are working hard to make sure she is comfortbale with the doctrine. Don't worry though, we are still great companions. I've lasted way longer withought getting frustrated or annoyed that I thought! Definitely prayers are being answered in that way.

 

 

Not too eventful of a week but very spiritual. I'm still pleading for help with Spanish and better understanding of the Gospel. I feel my prayers are answered all day everyday, as long as I am worthy of them. Thank you again for your prayers, I need them and love them. 5 Weeks left!

 

 

Til Next time,

 

Hermana Thatcher

Feb. 21, 2011

Hello Family and Friends!

 

Again, let me apologize for the short general message. Thirty minutes is not much to read all your emails and write back. But I will have two hours later today to write letters. So let me tell you about the awesome week I had.

 

 

1) The Argentina consulate flew in from Los Angelos, CA to sign all of our visas! I guess they called a lot of the Arg. missionaries at the same time because he requires that he meets us to sign the visas ( And the church probably didn't want all of us on a plane to L.A.!) He gave us a big open forum on Argentina and the different areas. He gave us some history and what the economy is doing now. He says that the people are very very politically active and are very very proud of their country. There is about 30% unemployment rate right now, so parts of the country are doing very well, but the rural areas are struggling. Mendoza is doing great right now but he said outside the main city- poverty strikes. Listen to this- he says that lots of areas in that region you can expect to go back 100-150 years in how established they are!! So maybe I will be living like a pioneer for some parts of my mission. How cool is that?!

 

2) Fireside/Devotional. I joined the choir here which has been a very powerful experience. This last Tues we had a speaker from the first quorum of the 70- Kevin Pearson. It was the most moving talk I have ever heard. He bible bashed us at first but basically said we need to do better, be better disciples of Christ. He said that we need to completely forget who we were before we got here and go to work as an instrument from this great and marvelous work. I wish you could hear the whole talk, it was really harsh but really woke me up about how I thought I was working hard, it would be all for none without the spirit. So now I have a paper on my wall saying "I am not Emily, not a basketball player, not a college student majoring in exercise science, not a dancer, socialite. I am humble, I always seek to have His spirit, I am completely obedient, I love others, I am diligent and focused in what is right, I am a disciple of Christ." I have had a change in my life, you probably would not recognize me. I follow every rule to exactness and have felt overwhelming blessings already. I want to be a great missionary more that I want to keep the old me, and I work hard everyday to get there.

 

3) The BEST part of the week BY FAR! Our district had a teaching evaluation this Friday scheduled to teach the first lesson- The Restoration. We were supposed to do it in our native language but Hermana Elias and I thought with some help and extra work we thought we would do it in Spanish. Well, with the help on our teachers and sincere prayers all week long we did it! It was the probably one of the most amazing experiences in my life. I felt like I opened by mouth and everything I had been studying came to my remembrance and we gave a complete lesson in Spanish to volunteer investigators! The first week at the MTC! We didn't conjugate the verbs correctly every time or speak with much finesse but the words came. Our teacher was watching on a camera and almost cried and gave us the biggest hugs when we came out of the room. I had never felt so much aide from the spirit before in my life and it was only a practice. So we teach again this Friday and Hermana Elias and I are working hard to perfect our Spanish to make it smoother this time. But if there is one thing I can testify of is that obedience brings such a powerful spirit as a missionary! Now we just have to help out poor elders learn some more so they can maybe do it next week. I have to pray for patience everyday, sometimes it feels like I am in a room full for 9 Andrews, but when they focus and are sincere- we are a very powerful group!

 

So I got everyone's letters and packages today! Tender mercy of the Lord, I was needing them yesterday. Yes it is hard here, but I have good Hermanas to lean on and I have got used to praying probably 10+ times a day. Ten hours in class six times a week is very very hard. I will send pictures in the mail because I don't think this computer has the right input cords to send them over email. I will also write back a letter with all the things I didn't have time for in this message. I really want to bear my testimony in Spanish but it would take most of the 30 minutes to writer.

 

Thank you for your prayers, I feel the blessings from them everyday! Love you all so so so much and think of you always.

 

 

 

Hermana Thatcher

Feb.15, 2011

Hi All!

 

Wow, lemme begin with where I am right now...laundry room at the MTC. Imagine 200 elders and sisters fighting for washers and dryers while everyone is on the floor writing letters. So let me see how focused I can be to write this letter. Such a crazy place on p-day (preparation day).

 

This place is amazing! Karlee and her family took me out to dinner after we dropped off Mom and Erin and then dropped me off. They give you about 1 minute to be in the drop off lane and then they drive away. Elders and Sisters grab your luggage and then you drop it off in your room get your ID card and then go straight to class. For all those who I haven't told, somehow is tested into advanced and intermediate Spanish so class was only taught in Spanish even on the first day! I looked my my companion and whispered to her:

 

"Umm, are you a native Spanish speaker?"

"No. This is crazy. You are my companion?"

"I guess so, we are the only Sisters here. Nice to meet you. I'm guessing we will be best friends soon."

 

And we have been every since. Hermana Elias is a 5'0 Hispanic sweetheart from central Washington. She is quiet and shy so we are polar opposites but we are great companions (She is going to San Antonio). We look pretty funny walking around the MTC. There are six Hermanas in my room right now. Two of them are leaving for Chile next week and the other two are going to Tucson and San Diego. We try to speak Spanish as much as we can but sometimes get frustrated and tell stories in English. They are such fun and super spiritual girls and great to be around!

 

The MTC, how do I begin. It is kind of like a huge United Nations with the feeling of a temple. Such a powerful feeling here, it is like we are training for a battle. Everyone is so diligent and happy. Everywhere you go you hear a hello in a different language which is awesome! All the Hermanas in the four rooms surrounding mine are Spanish speaking and they even have all the cafeteria time scheduled with those going to spanish speaking missions so you are completely immersed in it. It is fun to speak to everyone and hear their stories on why they went on their missions.

 

There are 11 people in my class (District). Most are going to Argentina actually but different missions. They definitely remind me everyday that they are 19 year olds but are very fun and respectful to use two Hermanas in the class. The Lord definitely has a hand in keeping us all focused to sit through 10 hours of class each day. The teachers here are the best I have ever had. They are so energetic and inspirational and really care about us. We play games, listen to mission stories and other things to keep up awake and motivated. We have 2 male and 1 female teachers, all which are recent return missionaries. The cool thing is we don't have separate Spanish and Gospel classes. We integrate both and ask grammar questions as we go. I have learned more Spanish in the last 6 days then 3 semesters of Spanish combined. Definitely my prayers are being answered to help me learn the language yet I have a far way to go. Thank you for your prayers because I feel I am being helped a lot beyond my own strength. Hermana Elias and I have mastered prayer and bearing simple testimonies and are practicing the first lesson of the church this week. You think memorizing scriptures in English is hard- try Spanish! We are memorizing Doctrine and Covenants 4 and the first vision. Our teachers love Hermana Elias and I because we make sure the Elders are doing their homework and we set the bar.

 

We have been having lots of meetings and inspirational devotionals to get us pumped up about missionary work. I have felt the spirit here more than ever in my life I think. I know it has been the best decision I have made so far. It is very hard, but I pray probably 10 or more times a day to help me get through it. Please continue to pray for me, I have lots to learn and master and it is hard, but extremely rewarding. Love you all til next Tuesday!

 

Hermana Thatcher