Elder Logan Thatcher
Christmas Day the family was able to Skype together for an hour. It was so great being able to see Logan and hear his voice. He was also able to see his nieces and nephews - including 2 new nephews born while he has been in Peru.
Well this week has been great to see all my family!! It was awesome to
turn it on and see all my nephews and nieces on the screen. Made my
day!! This week has been interesting... Not to much work.. Which is
sad because all of our investigators and basically everyone who has a
brain would leave Cerro de Pasco for the holidays. It didnt even feel
like Christmas here. So ya hardly anyone was here, so we visited
members.... which was a mistake... we ate soooooo much gross food...
Turkey, rice, and potatoes.... and fruit cake... and then this drink
called maka... sooooo gross.... I ate it all day... and the turkey is
boiled and dry.... Im not lying I threw up that night, and so did my
companion... just too much gross food.. The fruit cake is gross... i
ate 8 hugeeee pieces of it.... so gross... ( PLEASEEEE if anyone wants
to send food, go ahead haha) Luckily i didnt have to eat guinea pig,
so thats good...
Me and my companion are going to try to make tacos today, im sure its
going to be a fail, becasue all the ingredients are way off... We have
transfers tomorrow, so we will see what happens with me and Elder
Walker. Elder Kidd, my zone leader is getting transfered out of here
for sure because he has 6 months here ( what a trooper) so ya that is
usually the max you have in an area so we will see.
I loved seeing everyone, i really liked talking spanish with chris,
that was cool!! I will send some pics... Love yall!!!!
With love,
Elder Thatcher
Feliz Navidad!!!
So... PATRICIA GOT MARRIED AND BAPTIZED!!!!!!! It was awesome we did
everything on Saturday! It was wayyyyy cool!! Elder Walker Baptized
her and got his first baptism!! It was awesome!!!! It was a very
spiritual experience for us both! I will send pictures!
This past week has just been tiring! We went to Huanuco for our
Christmas conference! It was awesome! I had lasagna!! It was soooo
good!!! So ya just travelimg and then the marriage and the baptism.
I have been good. Just tired haha. The transfer is almost over, so we
will see if i get a new companion or not. It was sooooo much warmer
going back to Huanuco, but you know, i missed Cerro .... weird..
Ya so skype will have to be at 5 on thursday, my time, 4 your time. Im
excited to see everyone! I will get an hour!
By the way i got my thermals! Thankyou!! So much warmer!!!
Yes I got my package and no my zone leaders didnt steal anything haha,
it was funnny, I like my zone leaders!!
See ya on Thursday!!!!
Love yall!!
Elder Thatcher
hello to all!!!!! It is cold right now as I am typing. Not much that
went on this week. Other than we have been working really hard with a
couple of our investigators! We have one date for the 4th of january
for a 15 year old boy named william, and also one for the 27 of
december for a 36 year old lady named patricia. But she still has to
get married first with the person she lives with. But the marriage
should be finished the 13!!! so it is really exciting right now!!! The
work is hard and cold her but Elder Walker and I are working our
hardest.
I love my Zone here, my zone leaders are awesome and are helping me
out a lot!! Im learning a lot and having a lot of fun as well. They
said my package is in huancayo so i will get it this friday! Super
excited! All the food here gets super cold, so right when its fresh we
eat fast!!
It is crazy how fast transfers go, it is already coming to an end with
Elder Walker which is sad!! I hear Bridger is in Mexico!!! GO ELDER
MYERS! DO WORK IN MEXICO!!
Well Feliz Navidad to all!!!
With love,
Elder Thatcher
So get this!!! We found a real golf course here in cerro!!! Thegringos made it when they used to be here!!!!!GOLF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I dont really see how it is one, but itis!!!!!
Well Cerro is treating me real nice! Love it here more and more each
day. President emailed me and basically he didnt see my change going
that way but the Lord did. I dont exactly understand that but it is
ok. I love here anyways! For Thanksgiving elder walker and I went out
to eat with our zone leaders (who are awesome) to a really good
restaurant! Then after that, Elder Walker and i went and bought some
pie! It was really good!! Look at the pictures!
Anyways, I had my second district meeting on Tuesday, and I was able
to find the needs of my district and teach them according to that. The
Zone leaders went to Huancayo for a zone leaders conference and told
everyone how i am district leader. Apparently everyone knows about me
now, Even elders I dont know yet. The youngest district leader in our
mission had 11 months, now everyoneee knows about me. I just dont
understand why i am district leader right now. I was expecting to be
junior companion for another 6 to 7 months. But my zone leaders keep
telling me to not doubt president. I hope i understand it soon.
On wednesday I went on splits with my zone leader, Elder Kidd, he only
has like 3 months left on the mission. He is a super hard working
Elder, and just a great guy! I learned a lot from him.
So this week, I want to talk about faith. and hope. So right before I
came heere to Cerro de Pasco, my area was just barely opened up. So it
is a new area. And so far it has just been super hard finding people.
Because there isnt any members that live in our area. It is a fairly
poor area. And so on friday... Ya friday was rough.. We didnt teach
anyone alllll day.!!! Was the first time i havent taught someone
everyday. I was so sad. It reeeeally put a trial on my faith and hope
as well it did to Elder Walker. We didnt know what to do. We dont have
very many investigators and it is just really hard. So on saturday
elder walker and i decided to fast. Fast until we found someone who
was prepared to hear this gospel. We knocked, and contacted, and
knocked for 6 and a half hours, just contacting. We had 43 contacts
that day... And no one wanted to hear. We were about to go back to the
room, but Elder walker and I wanted to contact one more person. So we
knocked, and a 19 year old boy opened the door. And I just knew he
would let us teach him. AND HE DID!!! His name is Anderson. And he
just had so many questions!!! We gave him a Book of mormon and he was
excited to read it! He told us he wanted us to come back! The only
problem is he studies alllll week, so we can only teach him on
Sundays! It just goes to show you that if you can just put your trust
in the Lord and keep going and working with Faith that he will putt
someone in our paths! It has been a long week. But i am ready to work
even harder!!
On Sunday, I was asked to give a talk 5 min before sacrament meerting
about tithing. I was so nervous. But anyways!!!! My spanish!!!! It
just came to me! I didnt have to worry or anything!!! I am so suprised
how it is just coming to me all of a sudden!!!
So ya that is my week so far!!! Pretty good! I am thankful for my
family! I love Yall!!
With love
Elder Thatcher
Well I find out tomorrow if i am getting changed or not!! Pretty crazy
that I have almost been out for 6 months now. I dont know what it
is... but when im walking all day out in the hot sun im just like wow
this is really hard work, then when finally someone lets us in to
teach, and we teach them... I feel the spirit just testify to me that
this really is the lords work.. That this really is the true gospel
that can change lives. That allows people to live with there families
forever! You know... I have a pretty amazing family, if you just sit
down and think about it.... 5 crazy brothers, 5 sisters.... 12 nieces
and nephews who i absolutely love, and two parents who taught me how
to find the true gospel for myself... And did i mention that my family
is absolutely witty and funny and crazy... and they embarass me
allllll the time, and im stuck with them for eternity... and i wouldnt
want it any other way... All thanks to this gospel. I want the people
here to realize the blessings they can have from this gospel. It truly
is quite amazing if you just think about it. Just stop and think about
your family.
That is one thing thaat has helped me a lot. You know, being out here
has had some hard times... And that is just it!!!! When people in life
think about there problems it JUST CAUSES MORE PROBLEMS!!! If we out
weigh those problems with the blessings we have, i guarantee you the
blessings will outweigh all problems and trials.... GUARANTEED!! It
helps a lot!!
We have been teaching this family of 4 (Julio, Lilly, Piero, and
lilly), they are pretty rich, but we have been teaching them the
gospel, and the plan of salvation. They are really stubborn catholics,
but we told them how with the plan of salvation they could be together
forever, and it caught there eyes.. <they were interested in that. If
we an just testify the truthfullness to families about the plan of
salvation that is centered around the restored gospel of jesus christ
it can testify to peoples hearts that this is the true church.. That
is what happened to me.. That is how i knew.
So in the ward, A girl named liz is leaving for ecuador on tuesday for
her mission, and they came over to our pension at night last monday to
do a farewell, so basically everyone was there, and asked me to bear
my testimony on a mission.
What i said was this, That before I always knew i would serve a
mission, because i made the decision to serve when i was a kid, and
that if i hadnt of done that that it would of been really hard for me
to of gone on my mission. Then i said that i hoped to of gone french
or english speaking, and that i told my mom i really didnt want to go
spanish speaking, i told the ward that i didnt want to go to peru, i
wanted france or the U.S. And they all moaned and said i was mean for
saying that, but what is important is where my father in heaven wanted
me to go, that was my calling. I dont want to be in any other place
right now than peru.
This is the place i am suppose to be, I know it.. When you are called
to serve by god wether its in a calling or a mission... Plan to do it,
because he planned it specifically for you.. That goes for all
callings in the ward... plan to do it and face your fears... Last week
i told yall i ate a cow heart, Think i was terrified of eating
that!!!! YES!!!! But i did it,, and know i am blessed, why? because
my pension has been making me american food, she made french toast,
pancakes, philly cheese steak sandwiches, tacos, hot dogs, french
fries. Its awesome!! and tonight she is buying fried chicken!!! All
because she said how proud she was that i ate that heart!!
So what im trying to say is, plan to do things you dont like, you
never know what outcome or blessings you will recieve!
I love you all, thanks for everything, i will inform yall where i will
be if i get transfered tomorrow!
With love,
Elder Thatcher
FACE YOUR FEARS!!
Im not TRUNKY I promise ( trunky is a missionary word meaning whenever
you start talking about the states or your home, another missionary
will tell you that you are trunky!!!) TRUNKASO!"!! HAhaha I wont be
trunky until thanksgiving time until i remember all the good food we
eat.... That will be hard...
Anyways first of all, before i forget... I need stronger bug spray...
way stronger, I dont know where you will find that, but ya... second
of all.... im good on the peanut butter... they actually have it here
in a store called metros... so ya, none of that, third of all,
yesterday we had a conference with the 4 zones in huanuco and a zone
in cerro de pasco with president and his wife ( which is why i didnt
email yesterday) and too many missionaries were taking advantage of
the disney music with lyrics, so ya none of that anymore, it can only
be classical and instrumental.. as well if you can send me the music
of josh with his band, all that bluegrass, that would be nice, i can
listen to that type of stuff like instrumental bluegrass, just put it
on a flash drive, i have a speaker that reads usb. Also add any other
music.. i like guitar bluegrass instrumental, anything from the
church, ask the brothers and josh.. Just no disney with lyrics
anymore. I really just want food from the states.... anything... im
dying here......PLEASE.... NO MORE GUINEA PIG!!!! NO MORE
POTATOES!!!!! I want some flavor.. theres no flavor to anything accept
the juice.... YES IM SAYING I DIP MY POTATOES IN MY JUICE JUST SO I
CAN GET THEM DOWN MY THROAT hahaha, the potatoes are just plain and
dry... and did i mention... NASTY!!!
So my companions name is Elder Cook, he is from Idaho falls and he has
13 months in the mission, there is only 2 more weeks in the
transfer... already.. thats soooo fast, and im like 99 percent sure im
leaving primavera. President made a joke to me yesterday and said I
hope texans like the cold... which means i will probably get sent to
huancayo or huancavelica or maybe even Cerro de Pasco... which is the
coldest part of the misiion, its the tallest city in the world, and
has the highest church building in the world....
Anyways, the work is getting slow, but its not bothering me too much,
we have had to drop investigators, for people just not wanting to come
to church.
This buhdist guy named Edgar taught me something that is actually
pretty cool. So he believes that when one is super busy and just
always doing things or always worrying about the future of the past
its because they arent thinking about the present. Its like golf
(yayayayay i know another analogy to golf) dont worry about your last
shot (hmmm Cameron hahaha) just focus on the one you need to do in the
moment. Dont get upset about the past because in reality, you cant do
anything more but fix it. So edgar told me when i am upset about the
past of future to stop for 3 to 5 min and think about the next thing
personally i need to do.. and go on and do the next.. I think this is
super important with my duty as a missionary. I was called to serve
each day as hard as i could. Not worry about the weeks to come. Each
day is a sprint. Work as hard as i can for that one day. Ya its hard
to drop people... i just gotta keep looking and finding the people im
suppose to find. It aint easy... but i´ll tell you what it aint
imposible either.. I love this work and i love my friends and family
for supporting me. You know in school all i wanted to do is
golf....and right now all i want to do is serve.. I had friends ask me
before why i was leaving golf to go to peru, Isnt it hard to give up
something for two years... This is my answer, Yes it would be hard to
give up something for two years, but because i made this decision to
serve a mission when i was a kid while my brothers served it was a lot
easier. Yes its a sacrifice but i made the decision to serve a
longggggg time ago, therefore it was a lot easier..
THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!!!
FACE YOUR FEARS!!!!
SHARE THE GOSPEL THIS WEEK!!!!
ALL OF YALL!!!
Love
Eldert Thatcher}}
P.S. That means ALL O YALL!! YA HEAR!!!
One week left in this transfer!!! Thats crazy!!! Time is flying by
fast!! I hope everyone is doing well!!! I have some funny stories this
week.
First of all... its super hot here, I cant takeit!! its like 40
degrees celcius!
Second of all I got a haircut this morning and i tried to tell her i
just wanted a trim but i guess she didnt understand me so she cut a
lot of it off... oh well...
Third of all... You will never even guess what I ate this week.....
You cant even guess, guarantee it.. Ready?? Cow heart..... It was
gross!!!! But i downed it down my throat with a lot of maracuya which
is my favorite juice here, so i didnt even gag... not even a little
bit... i took that cow heart like a man... And I am proud!! Haha
So this week has been hard, still looking for more people. We have
some possibles but they havent accepted dates yet.. Just no one is
coming to church.. the area is getting hard. I have knocked on every
door here in our area like twice. The only places i havent knocked is
all the way out passed the mountains. But the people out there dont
want to come to church. So its hard right now. And it doesnt help when
we are just walking everywhere in the heat... Oh well.. gotta keep on
goin!!
Oh by the way apparently for christmas in able to talk to yall i have
to have a skype. I know its a ways a way, but someone has to make me a
skype then give me the info to log on..Thanks everyone.
Doctrine and covenants 50:24 That which is of God is light and he that
receiveth light and continueth in God receiveth more light and that
light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day
Just remember that if we continue in doing the small things, the
things that bring joy to us, the things that are of God, that we will
shine and show it unto other people, who may need that light more than
we do. You never know whos watching ya..
Love Elder Thatcher
P.S. Face your Fears, like always
Hermana Claudia!! Best Pension in the mission!!!My pension!!! Shes awesomeeee!!!
Paul!!!! My favorite Peruvian!! He is sooo cool!!!!
ok... I spy time... See if you can find the face of Jesus!!!
this angel is pointing into the mountain of a face of jesus that was found in the mountain
kfc in the pension!!!! AHHHH YAAAAA!!!!
First of all I just want to say sorry for the email I sent last week. When I was writing the email I was kind of drugged up to begin with. I am better. I will have this scar for the rest of my life, so thats pretty sweet. Its smaller and its going away now. Im not in pain anymore. I still dont know what it was. I spray my sheets every other night, and i never see bugs in our room. Oh well, thats a story i will have for ever!! COOL
Feliz Cumplianos!!!! Ashley y Devrie!! HAHA, yesterday we finally had time to make the cupcakes, so we made them, and after we sang happy birthday to ashley and devrie!! It was awesome!! The cupcakes were delicious!! I really enjoyed them.
last monday, hma claudia made hamburgers... it wasnt the same, but its better than the other food i have been eating!!!
Hermana Claudia ( my pensionista) and Josue (her son)
Me, Silvia, Elder Lopez and Silvias boyfriend
Silvias baptism!!
When i was on splits with my Zone Leader.... Just relaxin on my not comfy bed haha, it basically was a matress without anything inside it haha
Well I feel amazing spiritually this past week. I got asked to baptize Silvia Rosales on Saturday. It has just been a huge process teaching her, because she has liked what we have been teaching her, only she hasnt felt that it has been true. So her baptism date was more of a goal. And the past week i was worried for her a lot!! But she called the morning of her baptism and my companion was on the phone and i was just praying so hard right there in that moment that everything was ok. And when he hung up he looked at me and i was scared and Elder Lopez just smiled and said.. we have a BAPTISM!!!! She asked me to baptize her. So that morning we called up some members and after two hours, i Baptized her..
Hello family! Things are great! I only havetwo weeks left of this transfer!That is crazy to me! (sorry about the spacesinbetween words, the space bardoesnt really work) My companion left for Huancayotodayforadistrict leader training for three days, so I am with thezone leaders andElder Rodreguiz for 3 days. So this shall be fun.
Hello family! I am doing great! I feel healthy! I am happy! I feel blessed! Everything is just great right now! How is everyone?? I pray that yall are healthy too! I hope yall got to see all of the great pictures last week! I dont have pics really from this week as this week has just been crazy busy serving the Lord! We have been really pushing hard to find people who are prepared to listen to the gospel, and one of the many ways we can do that as missionaries and <I think is the best way is through members. The members are who we find people that they know and love and can share the gospel with and everything be fine. Meaning as after baptism they have a friend in the church and are actively engaged in the church. So this is what we have been working on mainly this week.
