Elder Logan Thatcher

Dear family,

This week has been a rollercoaster.. and no i do not mean like shock wave or batman (like the fun ones), i mean the mine train or the judge roy scream where it just jerks you around all the time.. that is what it has felt like for a couple days, then the other days i just feel like im on a spiritual high, like the ride at sixflags where you just cool off? i dont know if you know what i am talking about or not, but anyways i am emailing earlier because the elders all got in trouble because another elders clothes went missing so we got in trouble so all we could do today is go to the temple then come back, we werent allowed to go shopping, but thats ok. Lets see, all the latinos and advanced class left last tuesday and then a new wave of missionaries came in, we only have two latinos now. Its funny cause when we are eating it is just a bunch of gringos now. All the new kids looked scared and nervous there first day, so i probably looked like that. It is crazy to think i only have 3 more weeks but then again i feel like i have been here forever. I like it here, its not cold in lima, its muggy, and the air is nasty because there is a ton of people here and the cars all run on diesel, so the pollution is really bad here. All the other guys that are going to huancayo got sleeping bags, so far i looked at stores for them and have found no luck. Its ok for now though. I have been playing a lot of soccer, everyone picks me first on there team, it makes me feel good. The spanish is coming and going. It seems like when i need it, in lessons and teaching investigadors that i can speak, but in class im just like WHAT DOES THIS MEAN!?! so ya we teach two fake investigadors, which is going well, and then my companion and i on friday saturday got asked to teach a real less active that they brought in 15 minutes prior to when they told us, so it was scary. So we went and didnt have much planned, and it has probably been our best lesson yet, she was emotional and crying and she felt the spirit so strongly, and said that she knew that the words coming from us were true. So that really boosted my spirit! oh also, a girl here, that came on tuesday was really down on her self and i knew something was wrong so i went to talk to her and she said that she was about to tell president that she wanted to go home. So i grabbed my companion and we went to teach her lesson, just to see what she would say. and we did it english for her, and she said that she still wanted to go home. So i gave her a comitment to just stay til sunday and if you dont get an answer at church that you should stay here then she can tell president. She didnt like that idea and wanted to go away from us. So as she got up and started walking away from us she turned around and said, "elder thatcher, can you give me a blessing?" so i did, and she stayed til sunday, then i talked to her yesterday and she said thanks for the blessing, and she said she got an answer that this is where she is supposed to be. Im glad i was able to help. Then we got a new district leader this week, it is Elder Simper, he is a great elder. BUt he has bad hives, and he asked me to give him a blessing on saturday! so i did! two blessings in one week! i was nervous about both of them but the spirit just comes out and says the words that need to be said. I love the spirit so much. This week i started jesus the christ, and am on chapter 6 so far, it is a great read so far and i really feel like i am getting a closer friendship with christ by reading it. I also read all of matthew 25 outside near the garden here at the mtc. What a wonderful experience that was to hear those words of christ while enjoying the beutiful nature outside. A lot of people think that just reading the scriptures is good enough, but i found a difference when i read the scriptures in a quiet place away from the scuddle bud of everything, and just read with a good scenery around me. I challenge yall to read this chapter outside at a park near the lake, or just outside away from noise and just enjoy the words of christ. I testify that as you do so, the spirit will make known unto answers to your prayers and liften any burdens that you may have. Its weird, there is this red bird that always is outside of my room, and when i go outside it starts singing all the time, and it isnt scared when we come out. it just stays there. Interesting to me. i hope all is going well. i miss the kids. tell them uncle logan saw a toucan this week! one of teachers has him as a pet, his name is tin-tin the toucan. he is super cool. They wont let us take pictures of him unfortunetly. anyways miss yall!!!!

with many llamas (and tin-tin the toucan), 

And much love,

Elder Thatcher

Oh P.S. apparently in Huancayo they dont speak spanish they speak cetchuwa?! apparently its some language the aliens spoke in star warz in a couple or scenes.. It sounds like some indian tribe language. All i know how to say is "Wa kala fi WaWa", which means hasta la vista bebe!! haha i thought it was funny the way they speak.. Spanish is already hard enough, now i have to learn that language out in the field!!