transfers!! - April 23, 2012

TRANSFERS TODAY..............................AND:.........................................GUESS WHAT??? I´m going to train. ¨YYEaaaHHH (ssarcastic voice haha)¨¨

 

So on Wednesday I will be taking the trip to the offices in Mendoza to do the training meeting for the 4th time and picking up my newbie companion. I am pretty excited actually because I heard she is Latin but those are just mission rumours. Hermana Dana (my second ¨hija¨ or person I trained) is also going to be there training so I am psyched to get to see her. Hna Farris is going to Mendoza and Hna Shapiama too. Hna John stays here with me and she is getting a fairly new Hna from Paraguay which should be cool. I am super pumped to work right now and the Lord is giving us lots of success so hopefully she comes in ready to work and we will have a great team! Most people at the last couple months of their missions ¨burn, or get trunky¨ but I feel the opposite....for now haha!

 

.....probably because the last 3 weekends in a row we have had baptisms and NEXT weekend too. I plan on keep lining them up until I go home! I still can´t believe how the Lord keeps giving us people in our hands. The ward and bishop love us to death right now thank goodness and they are helping a ton. The girl that is going to get baptized in Gisel Rivera. She is 14 years old and all her family are members that had gone inactive (They went inactive or stopped going to church before she turned 8) and now we are working with them all to come back. She is super sweet and strong girl and the young women's are doing an amazing job to get her involved in everything. How sweet no?!

 

This weekend went amazing with the baptism of Flia Lopez. As you might have seen, the 15 year old boy did not get baptized which was a heart breaker. The parents are divorced but the dad told the son he didn't give him permission to do it which was very sad. We will keep teaching the dad and maybe in some time Jonathan can get baptized. Carolina and Yenifer are the most adorable and faithful little girls (and the Mom). They walk 1 hour to church and this week in the cold to their confirmation (Well Hna Farris and I volunteered to walk with them and I think we complained more than they did) (Partially because we live 2 blocks from the church so that was 2hours of walking early haha) . Makes me think of how more faithful the members are down here in sometimes that we take for granted in the states.

 

Until next week. The Lord´s work can´t be stopped. Especially not in Barrio Pringles San Luis Argentina.

 



Typical mission pic. Corney.




Preparing the baptismal clothing



I miss burritos but A LOT. So my new thing is make this dough like biscuit and then cook it like a hot pocket. Closest thing to breakfast burrito I have.



Me and Carolina & Yenifer




The Hermanas of San Luis



All of us at the baptism. The Elders helped us a ton with this baptism especially because I got a bad stomach bug this week so they helped and taught them lessons for us. They are probably the some of the best elders in the mission so we are super lucky.




In San Luis it rains a lot. It POURED this day!




As you can tell, they are tiny people. I look like I have been taking growth hormones next to them. Candida was born and raised with her 9 siblings in the country an they are like the native people or race of Argentina. Pretty cool. Her mom is the one who got baptized a few months ago and gave us the reference! Super faithful and super hardworking people!





The family at the baptism. It was a super windy day. Here it is like Chicago...always windy.




My friends the cows. About the only ¨wildlife¨here



 

Blessings left and right!! - April 16, 2012

HHHHHOOLLLAAA!!!

 

Wow what a week we had!! Miracles happening left and right! Tomas was baptized this Saturday night and we had an amazing service. All the young men´s group did the talks and everything so it was super sweet (since Tomas is 12). Tomas´ brother is serving a mission right now in Buenos Aires, who before Tomas got baptized was the only member of the family. I have no doubt that these two brothers, although their family does not have interest right now to go to church will be a light for all of their family. Tomas is super prepared and I am sure in a few years he too will serve a mission!

 

But even more amazing news, we have a complete family that is getting baptized this Saturday too! They were a reference from a recent convert (amazing sweet 68 year old lady who walks 1hr plus every Sunday to get to church AND then 1hr back PLUS she fasts every Sunday!). We started teaching her daughter and her kids: Candida (the mom) and Jonathan (15), Yenifer (11, pronounced Jennifer), and Carolina (9). They have came to church walking 1hr together the last two Sundays! Even writing this I am still amazing. They are all so amazing and so apart from the world, a beautiful small quiet family who are so pure. The ward is super pumped with all the baptisms that have been happening and it is great to see a fire in them! I just feel soooooo blessed right now!!

 

Well, hope you enjoy the pictures. Let me explain. The first pictures are of a plaza right around the corner from our apartment. We walked out in the morning to go to an appointment and they were having some sort of basketball jamboree for the kids. I of course, missing basketball, volunteered some skills and teaching while still in the skirt. It was great and the kids loved it! The other pictures are of the baptism and of a tour of the cathedral in front of the plaza as well (Plaza de Pringles). All around amazing week!!!!! Can´t get ANY better! Mision Mendoza is the best in the world!!!

 

Til next week! Please pray this week the baptism prep goes well!! Familia Lopez-Munoz!
-- 
Hermana Emily Thatcher

Misión Argentina Mendoza

 

 

Waterfalls and zone conference - April 10, 2012

Hola Friends and Family!!

 

Well this letter will be a little short. I´m exhausted.

 

We had a great week. Yesterday was Zone Conference. It was hands down amazing. We talked a lot about the Prophet´s 5/5/5 plan for the wards and finding people. Then we had practices and testimony meeting and then finished singing the sweet mission song. Can´t complain, it was amazing. Easter was beautiful. It is my favorite Holiday for sure! We went to church and then had a sweet dinner with the elders and with the Stake President and his family!

 

Small miracle this week ( not about the work). Pte Avila bought us a basic WASHING MACHINE!!! You don´t even want to know the color of the water that came out when I washed my clothes. It is a basic one, which means you have to heat the water and put it in and then drain it out when you are done but hey, it isn't hand scrubbing! You have to rinse by hand but it still cuts the time in half. I think if you would have seen four sister missionaries screaming about a washing machine you would think we were crazy, but gosh we felt soooo happy haha! So for 14 months of my mission my clothes were hand washed. They get a break the next 4 haha!

 

Today for Pday we went on a sweet hike to waterfalls called ¨Salta de la Moneda¨. It was long the steep but way worth it. I went with Hna John because our companions had already gone and didn't want to go again. We have such a sweet zone right now with the Elders and Hermanas, it was a BLAST!!

 

Saturday we have a baptism!! Tomas! He is 12 years old, super amazing little guy! His brother was the only member in the family and got baptized and last month went on a mission. This stirred Tomas to find out more and now he too wants to be baptized. It will be a sweet surprise for his brother serving in Buenos Aires. He has gone to church a ton and reads very diligently the Book of Mormon. He is different than any other 12 yr old I have met, very special kid. He just wants to be good, follow what God wants and be very respectable and clean. Very hard to find this these days! But still, this Saturday he will enter the waters of baptism!! WOHOOO

 

Well, that is it for now. Hope you all have an amazing week cause here in San Luis we sure will! Onward Christian soldiers!!

 

 

 

Pictures;

Salta de la Moneda, Hna Shapiama popping my back since she is so little (Peruvian), and the last one is all the basketball players in the zone (which are a lot) doing a dance move that an NBA player ¨John Wall¨does. We just happen to have a Hna JOHn and an Elder Wahl for such we took the pic!

Conference, Baptism, and Islas Malvinas - April 2, 2012

THIS WEEKEND WAS LIKE A MISSIONARY¨S BeST wEEkEnD EVER! Let me explain:

 

1) Conference. Wasn´t it amazing like always? I felt it was so fast. When you go into conference with questions, it feels like they are talking directly to you. Plus we had investigators that came so it was even more important.

 

My favorite talks:

• Elder Hallstrom about being active in the gospel, not just the church.
• Elder Oaks about sacrifice. I too feel privileged to sacrifice to serve my Savior.
• Elder Henry B Eyring about trials. God needs to polish us, so let us ask for more mountains to climb to become better disciples.
• Elder Utchdorf about forgiveness. Who of us didn't need this talk? We all did
• Elder Ballard about families. I felt that I could read this to about 90% of my investigators. So i will be prayerfully meditating on how to use it. It was a direct answer to a question I had before conference.
• President Monson must be the most happy lovable disciple of Christ I have ever seen. Let us all try to be happy and cheerful like him. What an amazing example

 

2) Ruben´s baptism!!! So on Saturday in between the last afternoon session and the priesthood, Ruben after 10 years of investigating the church entered the waters of baptism!! His wife is a return missionary and the two girls Zoe (11yrs) and Mia (6yrs) were just SOOOO happy. March 31, 2013 they can be sealed as a family!!  We got tons of support from the ward and it all went perfect. The member doing the baptism showed up late which gave us a little scare but besides that, it was amazing!! SUCH a spiritual day.

 

 

 

So we had a sweet hiking trip planned today but it didn't go down because it rained all day. Just a small let down off the spiritual high. But today is a very important day in Argentine history anyways. A day that as much as I am so very proud of wearing the last name ¨THATCHER¨, today is a day that is it not as safe to wear. Today is the 30 year anniversary of the war with England in the Islas Malvinas. Margaret Thatcher is not a very loved name here. Look it up in the history books. Kind of like wearing the missionary plaque of ¨Elder Bin Laden¨ on September 11th in the states. But hey, as of now no problems, but I might use Hna John´s plaque this week I haven´t decided. ¨Depends if they have protests or what not (since the people here are very politically active) But Mom, don´t worry about this, I will be just fine :)

 

Next week is ZONE CONFERENCE!! (On Monday so I will have pday again on Tues). I am ready to be spiritually rocked my Pte Avila and the crew again!! Until then, I will leave you with the quote that was used in conference that I love! Take care!

The Standard of Truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame. But the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and dependent till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, until the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah will say, ‘The work is done.'- Joseph Smith
Hermana Emily ThatcherMisión Argentina Mendoza

Baptisms! - March 26, 2012

Still loves puppies!!!! (Little Jackson)



Cathedral in San Luis





Martinez Familia

Hello aLL!!

Things are getting rolling here in San Luis!! The weather is turning into spring and it is perfect weather to go into the streets and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ! We had some small miracles and big miracles this week. 

There was a family we were working with in San Juan that I got super close with the mom, Ana. They got baptized this weekend!!! I was so happy I cried with joy!! This was the first baptism I have had of someone I loved so much that I couldnt be there. It was sad for a second because I missed it by 1 week but I realized it didn't matter because they finally did it! The Lord´s timing is not our timing but I am soooo happy I could have a big part in participating in such a super family. Three more souls in the path to live with our Heavenly Father! 

There was a family that the missionaries had been working with for years. The dad knew he needed to be baptized but wanted complete preparation before, a firm testimony before he made the decision. Well 12 years of testimony worked. His wife is a return missionary and his 11 year old daughter got baptized in the spring (October). Well, the missionaries lost patience and had dropped him (or stopped seeing him as an investigator because he was not progressing) but Hna Farris and I stopped by anyways this Monday. He said that he saw a mormon message on LDS.org about President Hinkley´s last testimony and he knew deep down that he was a prophet. He then prayed for forgiveness all day long and got his answer to be baptized! He was 100 percent sure and said he wanted to do it this weekend! So this Saturday between conference sessions, Ruben will be baptized. The whole ward was so excited because he has been going to church for a long time and basically was a member. Miracle no? I felt like I did nothing to earn such a sweet experience but everything happens for a reason, I´m not complaining! Amazing timing the Lord set things up so we ran into him! 

Besides Ruben, we got some amazing references this week. Hermana Farris and I worked super hard and got 23 references from members etc and within those references found a lot of great families we are looking forward to meeting them this week in our appointments! Lots to do!

Well, not much time. DON´T FORGET THE AMAZING WEEKEND WE HAVE COMING UP! GO LISTEN TO THE PROPHET´S VOICE!!! I am pumped for conference!! The church is true!!! Love every second of it!!!

Hola from San Luis!! - March 20, 2012

Hola from San Luis Argentina!!! I absolutely love it here!! It reminds me of San Rafael, small good town people. The first day I got here I thought of it as a mix of Silver City NM, Mexico, and Ecuador if there is such thing. It has hills like Silver City and mountains in the background and the houses are similar to what I remember Ecuador feeling like. My companion is awesome, very good missionary for the time she has in the mission. Like I said before, she was my athletic trainer at Weber and knows a lot of the same people I do like Karlee and Ali and Abby. We live with Hermana John (who reminds me a ton of Erin and who I lived with in San Rafael before) and Hermana Shampiama (from Peru). Hermana Shampiama is teaching me how to cook Peruvian food :)

President Avila came yesterday to interview us. He is such an amazing leader. He said I am doing great and try not to run my companions to the ground haha. Just kidding, he just said that he knows I have lots of energy for the work and wants me to finish strong like that. 

The ward here is AMAZING!! It is like a ward in the US. Like 120 people! It is one of the biggest and best wards in the mission. We share it with the zone leaders (Elder Roche from California and Elder Allen from Salmon, Idaho) who are awesome Elders. This Sunday we even had and Argentine BBQ or ¨ asado¨ with them and the bishop and his family after church. It was a great way to start off the transfer haha! 

We have a few investigators but will have to find a lot more here soon. It is ok, there is tons of potential here. We found a family yesterday who look like they live in Africa literally because they all are so skinny from hunger. The dad was abandoned as a child and has had a terribly rough life getting jobs, loosing them, trying to keep his cute family alive. He is married and his wife does all she can too to keep the 3 kiddos happy and healthy. They have a Book of Mormon from old missionaries years ago and it seems they are ready to accept. Life is hard, but the gospel makes it worth living. 



Hna Farris, Hermana John and Shampiama. Hna Shapiama taught me how to make my favorite Ecuadorian dish- ¨ Arroz con Pollo¨ and then we ate it on our balcony!




Dana. 18years old. Similar story to Flavia. She hadn't been to church in years and we worked wit her a ton. We asked her to do divisions with us and now she goes every week to church and just got called as teacher for the gospel principles class!! I was so proud of her!!




 The Familia Benegas. Super fun family who has 11 kids (all not there for the pic) They fed us a lot athough they had nothing and we spent New Years eve with them




Flavia. 16 years old. We worked a ton with her getting her active. I insisted that every week she did divisions with us. I think it worked :) Now she goes to seminary every day!!




Familia Duran. The dad just got baptized and we got all the family to come back to church in our ward




Familia Polo. Our neighbors in front who take care of us and rent us the apartment




Hermana Call and I our last night with our Argentine jerseys.




Our small room! We live in downtown San Luis and it is a nice apartment but very noisy haha



The zone in San Juan!

 Some pics of San Luis!

Our chapel on Mariano Moreno. Good memories.

 

Until next week. The church is true. Miracles exist. I am the luckiest person in the world to be able to put on the Lord´s name everyday and serve his children here in beautiful Argentina!!