Brrr......June 20, 2011

Painting faces for Flag Day

Family Garrido

Hola All!! Hope you are enjoying your summer! Ok, now it is finally getting cold here! Makes finding people so much harder! We try and jog from appointment to appointment to keep warm in the mornings and evenings. Lots of the people don't have heaters that we taught this week in a more humbler area so it was freeezing. Builds character though. Wouldnt have it any other way! 

Not much to report this week. Just good steady progress. We are running around like crazy trying to get our amazing investigators to come to church with us. We have a college aged girl named Natali prepared to be baptized. She is a miracle. She got hit by a car on a sidewalk two years ago and broke almost every bone in her body, her heart stopped, was in a coma for four months and is here now to live and tell about it! She lives 20 minutes from the church walking, but her walking speed is about 45 minutes to the church because of all her leg problems resulting from the accident. It was so humbling walking with her and listening to her sweet testimony along the way. We took step by step with her, waking up really early to go pick her up, and I was just so grateful for the life and health I have to be able to walk normal. It was a real testimony to me and softened my heart. Miracles are real. Two people that were planned to be baptized had some things come up so we pushed them back to this week. Having tons of faith it will all work out! We are also planning the wedding of a family we have been teaching this and last transfer, the Family Garrido. I am sooooo excited! That is the first picture I sent, all the kids in the family. They basically have nothing so we have lots to plan! We are involving all the ward members but it still is going to be lots. I probably wouldn't even want to plan a wedding in the states, let alone here haha! Wish us luck! July 1st is the casamiento and July 2nd is the baptism. It will be amazing, I cant wait! 

Today is Dia de Bander, or Flag Day. People get more into it here than the states so we decided to join the Argentine pride and paint faces. Fun no? Gotta try to do fun things to break up the week! Then we played monopoly in spanish in the chapel with the Elders. fun!

Oh another miracle this week. True story of the protection missionaries have. Almost forgot about this! On Wednesday I was walking like normal and passed a big dog. Didn't look abnormal or mad or anything so we just went on our way like every other 100 dogs we pass during the day. Well it happened so fast but it came behind me and bit me! In the back of the leg really hard! Then he just whimpered and ran away right after! I looked at my leg and it was all wet in teeth marks and felt really sore but my skirt was perfectly in tact and no bite marks on my leg. It would of been a bad bite, but I have absolutely no doubt that I was protected somehow and the dog couldn't bite through as much as he probably wanted to. Crazy huh! So there, I've been bit by my first dog but was protected so all is well! 

The mission is amazing. I love every second. The Lord is always there, he protects us and sends us help. The Holy Ghost will guide us, if we are worthy of the companionship. Everything works out if it is according to His plan. All is well.

Hermana Thatcher

Winter In Argentina- Feels like Spring!! - June 13, 2011

sorry we can't turn it around!!!

This week has been beautiful!! A weird week but loving every second! It is winter here but the temperatures have been great! Makes working so much more enjoyable! 

I'm guessing that everyone heard about the volcano eruption in Chile. We started seeing the effects last Monday and Tuesday because the sun was all white and we could look directly at it. So weird. It was all the smoke and ash had traveled up to us. People here have been really sad because on the Argentina side, Neoquin, all their water and food is contaminated and lots are suffering. Since it is the province just south of us, many of our members and investigators have family there. So on Tuesday we only went out half day because President Lindahl wanted us to get major food storage. That is one on the pictures I am sending. We took a taxi home because it was so much to carry! I guess volcanos are sometimes followed by earthquakes so since Mendoza is on a earthquake fault he is getting us all prepared. Makes me a little nervous but I guess that is the times we are living in. 

Besides all the crazy natural disaster gossip, this week was awesome. We met some amazing people and got 5 of them to church this week. It takes some strategy to do it since all we we can do is walk and only 3 members have cars. PLUS, this week was an AMAZING stake conference broadcasted from Buenos Aires. Neil A Anderson and Boyd K Packer spoke! I was in heaven taking all sorts of notes and I think even though it was long to sit, the investigators liked it too. If all goes well we should have two baptisms this week. Maxi is 18yrs old and is super smart and knows 4 languages! Javier is the father of a family we have been teaching and we just have been waiting for his health to get better and hopefully he will get cleared this week. There are many others who are scheduled for the next few weeks, we just have to keep loving and supporting them as they get their testimonies stronger. I love getting people excited for baptism. I get about as pumped for baptism as I would for a basketball game! 

Well, I feel blessed as ever. The work is still hard. Saturday we knocked over 100 doors and only got it twice. Those days are hard but Hna Wilde and I make up fun songs and laugh at the silly things we see here as we sing and walk. The work of the Lord cannot be stopped, I just keep working my hardest so I can help and be a better instument in his hands. Thank you for all your prayers and support! Even though I am so far away I still feel the love from you all here! 

Pictures
1> All the food storage in our room!
2> We went to a big supermarket far away and I found the same cereal I remember eating in Ecuador when I was a kiddo there! Tony the TIGRE!
3> We invited all these friends of one of our new converts to a big fun Family Home Evening (Noche de Hogar) and we ate fried bread and watched the Testaments. I love the craziness of tons of Argentine kids! They have the sweetest spirits!

That is all for this week! Love you all!!

hermana Thatcher

This week has been beautiful!! A weird week but loving every second! It is winter here but the temperatures have been great! Makes working so much more enjoyable! 

I'm guessing that everyone heard about the volcano eruption in Chile. We started seeing the effects last Monday and Tuesday because the sun was all white and we could look directly at it. So weird. It was all the smoke and ash had traveled up to us. People here have been really sad because on the Argentina side, Neoquin, all their water and food is contaminated and lots are suffering. Since it is the province just south of us, many of our members and investigators have family there. So on Tuesday we only went out half day because President Lindahl wanted us to get major food storage. That is one on the pictures I am sending. We took a taxi home because it was so much to carry! I guess volcanos are sometimes followed by earthquakes so since Mendoza is on a earthquake fault he is getting us all prepared. Makes me a little nervous but I guess that is the times we are living in. 

Besides all the crazy natural disaster gossip, this week was awesome. We met some amazing people and got 5 of them to church this week. It takes some strategy to do it since all we we can do is walk and only 3 members have cars. PLUS, this week was an AMAZING stake conference broadcasted from Buenos Aires. Neil A Anderson and Boyd K Packer spoke! I was in heaven taking all sorts of notes and I think even though it was long to sit, the investigators liked it too. If all goes well we should have two baptisms this week. Maxi is 18yrs old and is super smart and knows 4 languages! Javier is the father of a family we have been teaching and we just have been waiting for his health to get better and hopefully he will get cleared this week. There are many others who are scheduled for the next few weeks, we just have to keep loving and supporting them as they get their testimonies stronger. I love getting people excited for baptism. I get about as pumped for baptism as I would for a basketball game! 

Well, I feel blessed as ever. The work is still hard. Saturday we knocked over 100 doors and only got it twice. Those days are hard but Hna Wilde and I make up fun songs and laugh at the silly things we see here as we sing and walk. The work of the Lord cannot be stopped, I just keep working my hardest so I can help and be a better instument in his hands. Thank you for all your prayers and support! Even though I am so far away I still feel the love from you all here! 

Pictures
1> All the food storage in our room!
2> We went to a big supermarket far away and I found the same cereal I remember eating in Ecuador when I was a kiddo there! Tony the TIGRE!
3> We invited all these friends of one of our new converts to a big fun Family Home Evening (Noche de Hogar) and we ate fried bread and watched the Testaments. I love the craziness of tons of Argentine kids! They have the sweetest spirits!

That is all for this week! Love you all!!

hermana Thatcher

 

Beautiful Week - June 6, 2011

Wow this week was a blessing from heaven really! I have such a great new companion that is just as crazy and fun as me so there is never a dull moment. Hna Wilde is such a great teacher too so I am taking lots of notes. She has been here 10months so is pretty experienced but I feel we both tons of new things every day. He have found amazing people this week and hopefully they will follow up on their baptism commitments. We walked 40 minutes one way to pick up a family for church and they weren't there which was sad yesterday but we haven't given up hope on them. But there are tons more we are working for and praying for daily!

Let me explain the million pictures which will basically explain this week.

This week was a hard week for my new close friend Hna Zepeda from Honduras. This is her second week here on the mission and we have been close since she got here and is a sweetheart and recent convert to the church three years ago! Well, on Tuesday she got the worst call you could get as a missionary or even in your life. Her dad had cancer that was in remission when she left but within a span of 3 days they found more in his stomach. They operated on Sunday and he passed away Tuesday. It was terrible to hear here wail and cry when President called her. I felt heartbroken for her and didn't know exactly what to do (especially since expressing being sorry and emotions in Spanish is kind of hard still). I sat there and scratched her back and cried with her but I felt such a strong comfort and calm in the room and I said words to comfort her that I am not sure where they came from. It was a miracle for me. We called her family and Stake President back home in Honduras and they were all so strong and told to to stay here and all would be ok. From that moment she never questioned why things happened or talked about going home, but only moved forward knowing Christ would heal her and she had a work to do. I have never seen such strength before! Some days I see her cry and we talk and then she gets back to work. Hna Zepeda has amazing faith I have never seen before, especially for a new member of the church. If you haven´t read President Monson´s  talk from April 2009 ¨He Is Risen¨ lately you should. It is amazing and I cannot believe how beautifully it fits into her situation. The zone leaders are amazing and gave her a blessing and we all read it. I really have been touched and changed from the experience this week.

I thought we should do something fun in the pension to make us laugh since the weather has been yucky. So Hna Wilde and I had a fun version of ¨Come Come Ye Saints¨ on her ipod and we dressed up and danced for them and then they joined in. It was all to have fun and make everyone laugh and feel better! Basically hilarious! Laughter helps everything feel better! We all have laughed and cried together this week. The joys of a mission are amazing, and I am lucky to have such great missionaries around me to learn from everyday!

2) Best Pday so far!! VALLE GRANDE!! We went to this huge lake 30 minutes from here with the other hermanas and the Elders from our district! It was so fun, freezing but fun. We hiked and played and it felt like I was a normal person for a day haha! Very relaxing! I guess it is a huge summer spot for rafting and all sorts of fun things but since it is winter here, it was empty and we had it all to ourselves. The only funny thing is that the bus dropped us off at 800am and it only comes every 8 hrs to return which we didnt know so we were stuck there wandering around for quite some time! All in good fun though! I love every adventure here!


Well, almost been out for 4 months! Weird!! Love every second! Thanks for the prayers and til next time!


Hermana Emily Thatcher

More Photos and Emily's Address

Hello All,

Emily sent me her address if any of you would rather mail her a letter instead of emailing me to forward any letters. After talking to her on Mother's Day, she is still quite worried that any packages sent to her might not make it, or the fees to pick up packages might be more than they are worth. The boxes containing food were especially difficult to receive, so she discouraged us from sending any food. She said that some missionaries had luck getting anything that was in a padded envelope, so if you want to try that, it might work. Her mission address is as follows:

Hermana Emily Thatcher
Casilla de Correo 631
5500 Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina


She receives this mail from the mission home about every 2 weeks.


Thank you all for your love and support towards Emily. As you can tell from her letters, she can feel it and she's doing great!


Sincerely,


Brenda Thatcher

May 23, 2011 - First Transfer!

Hello Familia y Amigos!

Well I officially ended my first transfer! We just got transfer calls and I am staying here with Hermana Richins!!! YEAAHHh!! It could change, at least with her but I am staying here for sure the next 6 weeks so I am excited!

This week. Wow. I learned a lot about myself, the scriptures, ummm and what feeling like having bugs and a sinus infection at the same time feels like haha. All in good fun though! Yes it was hard but really I laughed through most of it. Monday my stomach started feeling bad and by Tuesday it was bad news bears. I knew I would get sick because people serve us all sorts of interesting things. Some of the drinks I can taste the dirt in my teeth haha. Oh well! The best part of the story is that I stayed in 1 day and went stir crazy and the antibiotics (which you just go up the the pharmacist and ask for and he gives you a certain number of pills without labels or instructions) helped with both immensely! But that picture is truly how I felt on Tuesday. Thanks to a priesthood blessing and the crazy part of me that loves to work in any situation, I kept on going until my companion got it haha. I really hate being sick, not because I feel uncomfortable but because I hate missing the work! SO this week was a great lesson on patience. It is really a ton harder to teach in another language when your nose is running and your stomach hurts. Builds character! 

BUT, we still did work and we found another awesome family of 6. They are Evangelical so they promised to come to church if we go to theirs. So Wednesday night we are going! I'm pretty excited! Also we got permission to go to this local dance performance in a nearby park that one of our newly baptized 13yr old Marlene was performing in. SOOO sweet!!! I loved it probably too much but it showed so much of the culture here! Tango, salsa, folk, all sorts of sweet stuff! I took videos and loved every second of it. She did awesome too. We sat next to her mom Claudia who is one of our investigators and I think won some points with her. So all around great decision and I was very glad to go.

The last picture is this family we visit. They are 96 years old members! They love love love when we go over so we try to stop by every other week to just sing a hymn and share a scripture. Family Ponce. Precious angels! 

So things are on the upswing and I feel a hundred times better! Learning so many lessons here it is amazing. The work is just as great as even and yes the church is still true, even here in San Rafael Argentina! Thank you all and please help your local missionaries if you can. We are all in this together and what joy you will feel!!


Love, Con Amor,
Hermana Thatcher

Folk Dances

La Familia Ponce (96 years old!)

More Folk Dancing

Just Hanging Out

Feeling Pretty Sick

May 16, 2011- First transfer almost gone!

Fun Jump!

The life of a missionary

Noche de Hogar

PAZ!

Small Doors

Table Foundation

Hola All!

Well another amazing week in Argentina! Could not ask for more. This week wow we were exhausted in all aspects. We set really high goals this week and met 8 out of 10 of them! Which means today I am exhausted and last night we barely made it home because our legs would barely move we were so tired! But I wouldn´t have it any other way!

Funny Highlights of the Week:

1. Family Home Evening, "Noche de Hogar"- We recently baptized a family with 6 kids. They have a million friends. So we had the idea to throw a huge family home evening for them all at the chapel to invite their friends to. We did 2 of them! One Tuesday and Wednesday night. They went fantastic even with a million little crazy Argentine kiddos running through the gym. We taught them to pray, come to church, and read the scriptures and did games for each. The final game (which the picture is of) is they had to make house out of tables and blankets to "have a firm foundation from the storm" which we related to reading the scriptures. It was great! It would have been hilarious to video us trying to explain how to play some American games to these kids but they figured it out, even with our yucky spanish! Then from that we went to 4 houses of those kids to teach their families! A great way to get new investigators!

2. Futbol riots and parties- Well these didn´t help how tired we were but we got some good laughs. We live in an apartment above some stores in downtown San Rafael. Our neighbors above like to throw "get togethers". But here in Argentina, everything has a different timing than the states. People wake up at 11am, have dinner at 10pm and go to bed who knows when. So it makes our 10:30 bedtime and 6:30am wake up a little weird for them. It keeps me up lots of nights but I am getting better at sleeping through it. Well, Im guessing this was a big week in soccer here because EVERYONE knows when they win. Everyone riots in the streets and honks their horns for hours and runs around waving their flags. It is quite entertaining! I wish I could take a picture but it isn't really safe or in accordance to the rules. But, just know that Argentina is one big party. Even though we don.t join in, it is still entertaining to watch haha!!


Well, this is the last week of my first transfer as a missionary! It flew by! We will see where I go from here!! Love you all! I am so grateful to have you all and thank the Lord each day for all he has blessed with with!

Hermana Thatcher

May 9, 2011

Mayo 9, 2011 (Officially 3 months on the mission today!)

Hola Familia y Amigos!

Well, another amazing week in San Rafael Argentina. I wake up most days so humbled that the Lord has trusted me to take care of the beautiful people here and in such an amazing area. So here are the top thoughts of the week.

1. Angels are undoubtedly real. I try to use all my resources. When people here try to speak English to me {because all the kids here learn it for a few years in school} I tell them I will if they let us in to teach. I also pray for angels everyday. I read a talk by Jeffrey Holland that talks about how we can ask in faith we are promised them as missionaries. So Ihave been working to increase my faith and asking, and miracles have occurred. We found 15 new people this week, 7 with baptismal dates, taught about 30 or so lessons. We worked out tails off but wow, we had some extra help and guidance that we hadn't had before. I really have been amazed. Missionary work isn't called work for nothing. It is hard, but I feel that I have been doing well adjusting and been sent extra help from your prayers and faith and those angelic ministers in this world have been on our right hand and our left. 

2. Argentines are ALL religious. I have yet to find a person here that is not been baptized or has not read the bible multiple times {the ones that can read of course}. So lots of times people let you in your house to have religious debates which hasn't been easy but wow I have learned a lot. I realized that the more powerful teachers we can be, only by letting them feel of the spirit, the less of an arguement it will be. It is hard, but I feel I am improving each lesson with lots of studying before and afterwards. Well, lots and lots of prayer too. We taught some interesting people this week- a atheist doctor, a man and wife who made up their own religion from the Bible, a woman who said Mary was more important than Christ, and more. Hard no? If you have any ideas please send them on down! We are working hard to answer questions and doubts but it had only made my testimony of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ even stronger. It is hard and takes creativity, but like I said, we have been very blessed with higher help.

3. We think being members is hard in the U.S., here is a whole other category. There are no Young Men, 3 Young Women (2 of which we just baptized), and everyone has about 2 or 3 assignments in the Church. But gosh these poor members are faithful! The Bishop is about 25yrs old, and there are about 3 strong families that do everything here. We even get fed here about 4 times a week with the 30 member barrio (ward) we have here! How lucky we are! Anyways, my point is it is hard for them. Two people in the ward have autos and the rest walk to church. So that means many of the older people can't even get there so we try to visit them a lot. The temple in Chile is 13 plus hours away and they take bus and train through the mountains to get there and is very expensive. They give so much of themselves to be strong members of the church. So what I am asking you in the U.S., if you have a temple even 3 hours away> GO! If you feel like not going to church, you probably have a ward of loving people and you have a car and just have to show up. Please be faithful when things are convenient because there are so many people here who give all they have for this church. It touches my heart everyday!! Love them!!

Well that is all! The pictures are from a Natural History Museum we went to in the middle of nowhere today haha. We did a little shopping too. The other pictures are what downtown looks like, the apartment I live in with the other 3 hermanas about a store downtown. And yes, we do all the laundry in the sink! Fun no? The baptism pictures are Lardado and  Nazalena Ortiz (9 and 8yrs), the sweetest kiddos we have been teaching. Their family is all inactive members and we found them about 4 weeks ago and they finally got baptized Saturday! Such an amazing night! 

Thank you for all you prayers! Hermana Richins and I are working very hard feel the prayers. Please pray for our investigators Innocencio Galera and the Garrido Family. We are trying to get them both married right now but having some trouble with the process. Thank you and LOVE YOU ALL!!!!


Hermana Emily Thatcher!!

My bedroom

Cooper!!!

Downtown

Evolution

Gauchos

Laundry....yuck!