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