That thing the world calls "TIME"

Time. It passes quicker than you want when you are having fun. It passes quicker than you want when you hear your alarm in the morning. It passes quicker than you would like in the summer. It passes slower than you would like in the winter. It passes slower than you want when you are in pain or in the midst of a hard spot. It passes slower when you are waiting for something important, or even someone important.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks stated “In all the important decisions in our lives, what is most important is to do the right thing. Second, and only slightly behind the first, is to do the right thing at the right time. People who do the right thing at the wrong time can be frustrated and ineffective. They can even be confused about whether they made the right choice when what was wrong was not their choice but their timing.”

Woah Elder Oaks, you hit a nail right on Emily Thatcher’s head.

When I was 17, I thought I had my life totally figured out. I was going to play basketball for four years on a scholarship, get a good degree, find my future husband and start a family shortly thereafter. But I think Heavenly Father thought that sounded nice, but I needed to lead me to other priceless experiences. Three back surgeries, two school transfers, a handful of boyfriends, an 18 month foreign mission, and a few life curve balls later, I am happily standing here in Salt Lake but with that cartoon character confused face.Why am I writing this? Because I have come to a grand realization that until I write it down, I won’t be able to convince myself of it and live it.

I have come to believe that the first principle of the Gospel is faith for some good reason. “Indeed, we cannot have true faith in the Lord without also having complete trust in the Lord's will and in the Lord's timing” said Elder Oaks.  Most times either we do things too late, too soon, or too long. Applying to graduate school before we have the needed experience or background= too soon. Maybe living at home and mooching off our parents= too long. Making yourself available to someone after months of contemplation= too late.

So here’s my pledge. I know I have gotten the answer to obtain higher education so if that be medical school or physician assistant school, I accept either happily. Even though maybe some of my classmates and friends may be whizzing by me and getting higher degrees before I even apply, so be it. Does one or two years really make a difference in the long run? Although it’s frustrating as heck and our pride tells us others are doing more things faster than we are, I think the Lord knows best and we need to trust Him. I need these years to develop and become a better person. I need these years to make lasting friendships. I need these years to prepare to be a better mom. I need these years to have fun and love life. Will I stop progressing and just wait around for good things to happen? Absolutely not. But I will grab every opportunity I have and make it known than when it is my time, I’ll be ready.

So medical school applications done this year- probably not. Sometimes hard things are thrown your way and you have to slow down a bit. Maybe next year? I most definitely plan on it. Time is a worldly concept; the Lord really cares about who we become and not how old we were when we did it. So even though I have this “internal basketball shot clock counting down 5-4-3-2-1, Emily you should be in medical school by now and be making more money and have 2 kids!”, I need to have a little more faith that Heavenly Father has a better plan than the one I’ve imagined.

Happiness comes from accepting the Lord’s will in our lives. We will be eternally frustrated if we want things to go our way. So let’s have a little more faith, a little more patience, and a little more love. Or maybe at least I need to. 

"Do not rely on planning every event of your life—even every important event. Stand ready to accept the Lord's planning and the agency of others in matters that inevitably affect you. Plan, of course, but fix your planning on personal commitments that will carry you through no matter what happens. Anchor your life to eternal principles, and act upon those principles whatever the circumstances and whatever the actions of others. Then you can await the Lord's timing and be sure of the outcome in eternity." (Quotes taken from 'Timing by Elder Oaks, http://magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=1042) 

This is Emily's internal shot clock that tells her there is too much to do and too little time. Who even made clocks, seriously? Enjoy the dang game of life. 










This is 17 year old Emily- moderately cocky basketball player Emily who thought she could rule the world. 

And even more importantly, this is 24 year old Emily- a little less cocky, a little more chubby, a little more faithful, a lot more happy. 

Birthday reflections... I was here.

I think since about the age of twelve I have been a Destiny's Child/ Beyonce fan. Not quite sure why. She probably doesn't even write her own songs nor performs them at times, but I like the strong woman she exemplifies. Don't worry, she's definitely not my hero though. She has many silly songs that mean nothing, but this one truly describes the feeling I hope I have some day:

I was here
I lived, I loved
I was here
I did, I've done everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here

I want to say I lived each day, until I died
And know that I meant something in, somebody's life
The hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leave
That I made a difference, and this world will see

I turn 24 today. I think I've reflected more on this birthday than any of the rest. I am looking back on what I've done in these past 23 years Heavenly Father has given me and looking forward and setting goals for the next decades of life. 

I have lived in five states, two foreign countries, and visited ten foreign countries. I am a sister for my three beautiful younger siblings. I have won state championships. I have broken four bones, had seven surgeries, and lived through many a concussion and major accident. I have learned to ride a motorcycle, drive stick shift, and four wheel vehicles better than most boys. I have learned from my father to love cars and be proficient in pistol and rifle shooting. I have played basketball at a collegiate level on full scholarship. I have made teammates and friends from countries and states whom I never will forget. . I have served a full time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Mendoza Argentina. I have learned and speak fluent Spanish. I have graduated college with a Bachelors degree in Kinesiology and Business Administration. I have watched countless hours of surgery and worked thousands of hours with medical patients. 

What I still have left to do:

I want to be married to my best friend and have a beautiful family. I want to attend medical or physician assistant school and help others who are sick. I want to balance my career with service in the church. I want to learn to play the piano and learn to maintain my car. I want to serve and find more people who need a helping hand. I want to teach my children to love The Lord, love learning, and to work hard. I want to serve a mission with my husband. I want to be financially secure. I want to quickly return to Argentina and then visit Central American and Africa. I want to have roommate and teammate reunions for life. I want to attend the temple weekly for the rest of my life, and if called- work in the temple. I want to do geneology every week and inspire my family to do so. I want my friends to learn of the gospel of Jesus Christ and find how much God loves them. I want to be my husband's biggest fan and strongest supporter. I want to retire and travel around supporting my grandchildren. I want to live until I'm 100!

I want to be able to say "I WAS HERE"

Several Ability and Divine Positioning

The institute of religion is a sacred place for me. It was seated in the Weber State institute with Brother Mueller about five years ago when I think I first saw the light and understood I was loved. That love and the spirit of the gospel hit me and planted itself deep in my heart during those hard years. And today going to the U of Utah institute with Brother Marshell, I would expect nothing less.

Today we went over Matthew 25. While reading the parables of the talents I felt a certain verse jumped out at the page, screamed “Emily”, cut deep into my heart, and at the same time felt like the clouds had opened and a precious light had shown down.  Gotta love how personal revelation works.

"14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

 15 And unto one he ^agave five ^btalents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey." 

Supposedly these people mentioned were travelers from a far country. Supposedly we were created, taught, and grew in the pre-mortal life. So does that make the far country become Earth and that we are the travelers?  No doubt in my mind that that is so. Now what did “several ability” mean?  I believe that before this world we learned how to do good, to bless the lives of others,  to have stewardship placed in our hands, the talents to build the Kingdom of God.  But perhaps Elder Maxwell said it best:

“Being subject to law, and having their agency, all the spirits of men, while yet in the Eternal Presence, developed aptitudes, talents, capacities, and abilities of every sort, kind, and degree.  During the long expanse of life which then was, an infinite variety of talents and abilities came into being..and so it went through all the hosts of heaven, each individual developing such talents and abilities as his soul desired.”  (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, 1:23)

So our loving Heavenly Father, or God for some, helped us develop those talents and then trusted us enough to send us down and left us develop them. Thus the parable (at least to me) means that before this life we were so blessed with gifts and abilities, how we use them here on Earth is how the people in the parable opted to use them and return them back to Him.

So the word that Brother Marshall used tonight was something I always knew was true deep down but had never coined it a phrase. Divine positioning.   That idea that there is no such thing as coincidence but rather He directs and plays a divine part in everything that happens.  That idea that I was blessed with several abilities and I made a promise to Him that I would use them well to help others. So then in return He divinely positions me to be able to receive help, meet critical people, and be able to give my little two cents to help others when we have gone through similar circumstances. Another great quote on the topic:

“Suffice it to say that we were sent here. We came willingly: the requirement of our heavenly Father and our anxiety to take bodies brought us here… Then, if it be true that we entered into a covenant with the powers celestial, before we left our former homes, that we would come here and obey the voice of the Lord, through whomsoever he might speak, these powers are witnesses of the covenant into which we entered; and it is not impossible that we signed the articles thereof with our own hands—which articles may be retained in the archives above, to be presented to us when we rise from the dead, and be judged out of our own mouths, according to that which is written in the books”- Journal of Discourses volume 7 page 314

I’m sure I knew full well what I was signing up for in this life before I came here (and probably more perfect than I even know my own life right now) . I saw the trials I would face but knew was equipped to handle them. What faith we all had to know what was coming and still accept to come to earth (Because we knew it was the only way to progress, duh!) If I knew exactly the trials I would have to pass through on my mission would I have done it all over again knowing full well? Maybe with a sour face I would have signed the dotted line. Most things we actually walk into a little bit blind, which works out to our advantage since we don’t know how hard they will be. It boggles my mind to know we had so much preparation, but all seemly forgotten once we arrived at the hospital screaming and crying. It’s there somewhere I am sure. I like to think that we didn't come to this earth to gain a testimony, but to remember the testimony we always had.  Back to divine positioning…. (basically what we do with all this preparation. If we decide to use it or not)

Three things I learned from the phrase “several ability” and divine positioning. Emilyology is that both phrases go hand in hand. But don’t worry it’s not official doctrine….

.      

1. Why do trials happen the way they do? 

“Sometimes the Lord hastens his work in our spiritual development by the compression of experiences. Sometimes the best of people have the worst experiences because they are most ready to learn” (Neal A Maxwell). 

Now I am definitely no saint. I do know this though: some people have that innate faith and strength from some superhuman source (or pre-mortal learning course aka several ability) and they pass through really hard trials like champs. Most times these people seem to find others or be around others passing through the same thing. Coincidence? Umm, nope! God uses our ability and testimony and divinely places us around people who need our help. Or we could use our trials and say “why is this happening to me..wa wa wa…?”. Then God probably steers anyone who needs help very far away from us so we don't drag them down. But let’s just hope that never happens and stick with the first example……

2.       Why are we born into the circumstances we are?

“But if the smallest things we can conceive of are declared to be under the divine direction, need we, or can we, be more plainly taught that the greatest things of life, such as the manner of our coming into the world, our parents, the time, and other circumstances of our birth and condition, are all according to the eternal purposes, direction, and appointment of divine Providence [positioning]?” (Ensign Dec 1974 Spencer W Kimball).  

So some people are born to be the “chainbreakers”, pioneers, faithful future generations of already righteous parent, or whatever our calling may be as daughter, mother, cousin, neighbor. No matter what, we already were born (divinely positioned) with “several ablilties” to be able to shine light into whatever situation we were blessed to be in.

3.       Why do we meet and are around the people we are?

No quote for this one. Have you ever thought about your young women’s president, your primary teacher, your influential English teacher, your close teammates, your seminary teacher, your co-workers, your companions, all the people you meet in your mission, your siblings, parents, your ward members, roommates,  your bishop?  God handpicked (divinely placed) those people to positively influence us.  I love that feeling that you knew someone before this life but really have only known them for a few weeks. Kinda like “Hey buddy, I promised I would meet up with you and now its finally time”. Love that! God sends us angels all throughout our lives but lots of times it is our stewardship to be angels for other people.

So the point of this looonnngg blog/ personal essay was one of two things: 1) Realize and remember how many “several abilities”/talents I have been blessed (and pre-mortally trained with) and try to remember/find them rest throughout my life.  2) Honor my loving Heavenly Father and recognize His hand in all things and seek his guidance to be divinely placed by someone who needs my help. So you get how cool this parable now is?! Miracles/ tender mercies all over the place! I think this was the only way the man in the parable with five talents traded some in and gained many more. Because I have been given much I too must give.  Like the end of that sacred verse 15 says I will “….straightway [take my] journey”. I promised I would over 23 years ago and I can't wait for that moment I can come home faithful to my promise to return all those talents He gave once me. 

(PS whoever reads this, I challenge you to re-read this parable in Matthew 25 and gain your own personal revelation)

Two baptisms and five birthday cakes - July 30, 2012

Well, I love the mission. I'm preparing to come home (July 15th!!) mentally and made lots of goals. But, I still have 2 weeks left and I am going to love and live every second of it.

Marcos Vilela and Marcela Quiroga entered the waters of baptism this last Saturday. Amazing. Future families sealed in the temple. Ruben Flores, our recent convert did the baptism. The ward is on fire :) Amazing last baptisms.....

It was my bday this week. Hna Lino was the 26th, mine the 27th. We went to visit the members and found out that there had been FIVE birthday cakes made for us in different families. That's what you get for being close to the members- 3 pounds of birthday cake goes straight to the hips :)

We just got to San Rafael. Mixed emotions, but great to be in my favorite area of all time. It should be a BLAST this week!! 

I love you all........

Alma 28:14 And thus we see the great call of adiligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing梥orrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the blight of Christ unto life.

-- 
Hermana Emily Thatcher
Mission Argentina Mendoza



Cake 1



Cake 2



Cake 3




Cake 4



Godoy Cruz Mendoza, first stop‏ - July 23, 2012

Family and Friends.

I am tired. But HAPPY. SUPER HAPPY. Traveling is kind of like a mix of
a few things....

1) Camping (living out of an even smaller suitcase than the normal
mission one. you sleep on the floor with cheap air mattresses).
2) Girls Camp. It´s like being a JC for about 1 month straight. We
stay up later, wake up earlier, all to serve and help the hermanas. We
have planned fun stuff for the trips to get the sisters pumped to love
Mision Mendoza and being a missionary
3) An amazing but very tiring vacation. Everyone loves to see you, but
you want your own bed after a few days.

So this week Pte Avila assigned me to work with Hermana Call (my 3rd
¨daughter on the mission¨) and Hermana Salcedo ( my nieta from Hna
dana) in Godoy Cruz Centro Barrio. It was hard work but fun. Hermana
Salcedo is from Peru and a little older and Hna Call, well she is
amazing, I know her too well. We had lots of work to do to find new
investigators and get to know the members, but we did lots of work.
The area is lots on downtown so very different, but great. Pte Avila
gave me specific things to teach and help them with, the they were
great. Hermana Bedke worked with the hermanas in a neighboring area-
Trapiche Godoy Cruz. All 6 of us were in the pension! What a party! I
learned a ton from them and they have great investigators.

We got all the hermanas that are close to Mendoza together for a big
pday at the famous monument ¨Cerro de la Gloria¨. Don´t have the group
pic yet but I have some. It was a blast!!! We made our ¨Title of
Libert¨ flag to rise up on the hill. President Monson said ¨Captain
Moroni had courage as he faced challenges. He loved truth, liberty,
and faith. He devoted his life to helping the Nephites preserve their
freedom. You can be like Captain Moroni by facing your challenges with
courage. You can even make your own title of liberty by writing on the
flag below or on a separate piece of paper the things that are
important to you and your family.¨Alma 46 says

12 And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece
thereof, and wrote upon it—aIn memory of our God, our religion, and
freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it
upon the end of a pole.

13 And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his
shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the
pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it
the title of liberty) and he cbowed himself to the earth, and he
prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon
his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christiansremain to
possess the land—

Make a title of things you love and will fight for. We right now are
fighting and loving to make this mission better!! Read about the Cerro
de la Gloria en Mendoza!

So we are off to SAN LUIS!!! I talked Pte Avila into letting us go
there since Marcos is getting baptized this weekend! :)

Love you all. Hna Bedke is AMAZING!!!! Super paciente and an all star
missionary. From Bakersfield Cali!!



Me and Hermana Bedke



Cerro de la Gloria



Condor



End of Transfer

  

Familia Castillo



Familia Romero





Gloria

 

Godo and Cruz Hermanas


 

Good-bye Party!



Marcos and Anina





The offices



San Luis Transfer 11



Our Title of Liberty



The Totem Pole!

Hermano Yao and Hermana Lino



Zone Leaders



Dreams come true. Especially in the service of the Lord - July 16, 2012

Well, this week has been one of the most reflective weeks I have had on the mission. Let me explain....

1) Zone Conference. It was the best one I have every been to. Pte Avila spoke a lot about obedience and faith, Hna Avila spoke, his daughters sang, Santiago his son (11yrs) did practices with us. From 9:30am to 7:30 pm, what a spiritual fire hose! What an amazing family the Avilas are. I feel like they are my family too. The nurse of the mission, Elder Ence, and his wife who got here in January gave their testimonies in broken Spanish and made me cry. We all had a testimony meeting to finish with. I didn't realize it was my last zone conference, so as tradition is, they ask the missionaries who just got here and who are going home to give their testimonies. It hit me. I hadn't really been thinking about home but I realized my time is running out. I realized the best thing that has happened in my life was about to run out....I gave my testimony struggling to not cry. 

2) President Avila came up to me while I was sitting down in a break between zone conference. He asked me if I wanted to pack my bags. I first was a little sad thinking ¨Well, finish the mission in a new area, oh well¨. But then he said I would be packing to travel around the mission! Hermana Bedke and I will we working in Maipu Mendoza and traveling to train the other hermanas and help them with their baptisms. What a dream!! My whole mission I have wanted to be able to do this (hermana Anderson and I planned it all out but never happened...) but now President Avila for the first time will call Hermanas to travel. I feel super humbled for such a great opportunity and amazing way to finish the mission. ( Plus to be able to see my converts before I leave in every area). I still can´t believe it!! 

3) Marcos Vilela came up to us Sunday after church, and in his quiet shy voice said... ¨Hermanas, yo decidi a bautizarme. El 28 de Julio. Yo quiero que Ruben Flores lo haga¨. And to you that don´t speak Spanish..it means he decided and prayed to know if he should get baptized and got his answer. We have been visiting him with Ruben, who had a similar story (his wife and family were members of the church but he wasn't until recently) and he has stopped smoking and wants to be baptized. Hna Lino and I jumped and cried and ran to tell the Bishop. It is huge for the ward and for their family because it could mean a lot of future baptisms because he in a house behind his family who all are awesome people too who coulnd in the future accept the gospel. Plus, he will be a great future priesthood holder. So...what more can one ask for? The recent convert who recently got the Melchizedek priesthood to baptize your future family sealed in the temple! WOW blessings!!!

Sooo....... things are great. Sorry Mom and Dad, not ready to come home yet. I have 4 weeks left in the best mission in the word........

-- 
Hermana Emily Thatcher

Misión Argentina Mendoza



Elder Yao's Birthday!



Carla and Leticia Avila



President & Hermana Avila and family




Grafitti Bridge

 

Hermana Avila



Lunch with the Bishop




Micaela



Welcome to Zone Conference

Happy Argentine Independance Day‏! - July 9, 2012

9 DE JULIO!!!!

Hello Friends and Family!! I have been super busy (and perhaps a little lazy) to write a letter to the family. Sorry! I am still in San Luis, 4 months now I have been here. I love everything about it. It is still relatively warm here. It is like Chicago, super windy. So when it is windy- it is a terror to walk in but we still obviously go out. I am staying warm with my heavy Chronicles of Narnia jacket. I have gotten a lot of comments on it. I laugh and say thanks but in the back of my mind think ¨ I bought this old thing for $20 at the DI and probably belonged to an old dead guy¨. The mission is still fun, even 17 months into it :)

So let me tell you about the three investigators that are progressing the most right now:

1) Marcos. He and his wife Yanina ( who is a member who recently came back to activity in the church) are a young married couple with two little kids. He is in the army, and his dad served in the Islas Malvinas war. He is super timid but is making tons of progress. He has almost completely stopped smoking his previous 20 cigarretes a day and is slowly and surely gaining his testimony through prayer and reading. A million of missionaries have worked with him but Yanina says that Hna Lino and I are the ¨chosen ones¨ for him. We´ll se, I don´t believe it but I do feel super happy he is going to church and preparing for baptism.

2) Mariel. She is a young college study studying BioChemistry. She is a roomate of a member here and is progressing fast. She is reading the book of Mormon and is in love with it. She is from Entre Rios (a province about 15 hrs away) and recently went home for ¨winter break ¨ here but when she gets back, I am sure she will be ready to rock and roll.

3) Sasha. She is the daughter of a recent convert of about a year. 11years old and is the province champion in figure skating (but they do it here with roller skates on a basketball court...cool huh?)  She SHOULD GET BAPTIZED THIS WEEKEND!!! And thus will end the 2 month drought of no baptisms :) She is a sweetheart and is learning very quickly. 

This week should be great. This Thursday we have Zone Conference and Pte and Hna Avila are coming. We spent most of today cleaning the pension because she is coming to check it.....rutt roohh. This week all the students have off so we set up a few days with divisiones with the young women which should be good. I love to call them and show them what the mission is so they one day will plan to serve too. Transfers are in less than a week so by next email I should be able to tell you who the lucky last companion is. I am praying it is Hna Dana. We will see....president owes me haha maybe it will happen. 

Gotta go, the field is white and ready to harvest. Plus we rented a basketball court for the afternoon haha :) Love you all



Julieta. She is the bishop´s daughter. She is the cutest baby and mission rules, we cant hold babies. But we couldnt withstand, so we took a couple pictures with her for like 30 seconds each.



Mexican Restaurant. It was Elder Passantino´s birthday so we found a mexican place. 

I got nachos and almost cried when I ate refried beans tortilla chips and salsa, something I havent tasted in 1.5 years!!

 

Sasha in her house after a lesson



Mariel and Yanina (her roomate who is a member) after we made empanadas together and read the scriptures.