Howdy! Glad to hear everything is going well! This week we have been
doing good here in Satipo. Lots of rain, it comes down strong!!! We have
been having to rebuild this area. When I got here there was nothing.
But this week we have worked hard and received a reference in a small
town called mazamari, which is 30 min outside of satipo. She came to
church yesterday and we gave her a date for the 31st. She will get
baptized, she says she already knows the church is true! We have worked
really hard, I feel like we dont have time to breath, or even talk in
the street, we just have lessons all week every day!! I am also excited
for conference!! Yes we get to watch it all!!!
So
something that i liked in my study this week, is in section 112 in
doctrine and covenants, and it is refering to the 12 apostles of joseph
smith, but i like to put my name in there instead to make it feel like
its talking to me, and i advise yall do the same. In verse 5 it says
"contend thou, therefore, morning by morning, and day after day let thy
warning voice go forth, and when the night cometh let not the
inhabitants of the earth slumber, because of thy speech" then in 7
"therefore, grid up thy loins for the work, let thy feet be shod also,
for thou art chosen, and thy path lieth among the mountains, and among
many nations. These scriptures really spoke out to me as a missionary!
Am I concerned for the people i am teaching? Yes, should i worry for
them? Yes, although at some nights when i return i dont worry for them i
am just thinking about there situations. I feel there is a difference
in the two words there. Jesus Christ worried for the people he helped.
Like it says in mosiah 18, verse 9, "and are willing to mourn with those
that mourn, yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and
to stand as witnesses of God at all TIMES and in ALL THINGS!!!" I really
like that, Are we willing to do those things? Back in section 112 it
says in verse 14 that we should arise and gird up your loins, take up
YOUR cross, follow jesus christ, and feed his sheep... Are we taking up
our own crosses? Are we following him in everything we do? Are we crying
with those that are crying? Comforting those who are in need? As a
missionary, and i have thought about it a great deal, if im not worried
or feel sad feelings for people after i discover there needs, im not
really helping them, yes im still changing there lives, but im not a
TRUE disciple of christ. I find myself thinking about christ more and
more each day.. He is our captain, so why not follow??
Last
P day was an experience i will never forget!! We went to a waterfall
called San Andres!! It was beautiful! Mom... the jungle is everything
you have ever dreamed of, and then some!!!! You are probably super
jealous!!! In the photos is me about to kiss a guinea pig, and the other
is part of the waterfall!!
Hey family!!!! Whats good!!!!! I am lovin it here in hot hot hot
paradise!!!! Everything is going good here in Satipo!!! We are kinda at
ground 0 so we are rebuilding the area. So thats the only hard part. It
is a branch here in satipo. It is really nice! The ward is nice, they
just dont work in the way they should. So i was reading doctrine and
covenants when all of a sudden i got the impression that i need to read
and study more of the bible. I know the stories i just want to know
more. So this week i was studing john. And what i really liked and knew
that would help me was the story about Peter talking with Jesus in
chapter 21. I have been thinking about a lot. And yes it scares me that i
am getting closer and closer each day, so i really want to work and
finish hard, like what it says in 2nd timothy 4, verde 7, "I have fought
a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith", and
yes I can apply that to golf finishing strong on my round but more
importantly, thats what i want to be able to say at the end of my
mission, and further down, at the end of my life to show my discipleship
to christ. So when Jesus in john, goes to Peter, he asks him 3 times if
he loves him more than the things he had. "Lovest thou me, more than
these"? He had to ask his apostle 3 times that question. So iasked
myself, do i love everything that i have ever had or grown to have more
than Christ??? The first time i said yes, the second time as well, i
said of course, but the third time i really thought, and i wanted to say
yes, but i have also enjoyed the things I have been able to do, like
golf, college, friendds... but i thought more and i said yes, yes i love
my savior more than those things.. I think its important for us to know
where our true desires are, just like peter had to find his true
desires, and not his true wants... A lot of people here live together
with there spouse and arent married so i share this with them, whats
more important? the things we do and want or our love for the savior? If
we dont love the savior, our hearts are in a different place and the
same with our minds.
I love it here in satipo!!!
Today the four elders, we are going to a waterfall!!! I will send pics
next week!! Its nice having 4 gringos here in the district!!! We play
basketball for exercise!!!
Love yall!!! Ask me questions about the jungle!!! And go Cowboys!!!!
Love Elder Thatcher
Well, I am proud to say that I got transfered from ambo finally and I
got transfered to the promised land of the mission. I am in an area
called Satipo!!! It is the jungle!!! It is super hot and humid, kinda
like Texas eh? I am with an Elder named Elder Tolman. He is from
northern Utah, a city called Hooper. Never heard of it?? But ya he is
cool! He is from the same group as Elder Schreiner and Elder Walker! So
now he is my third companion from that group! He is way cool!! His first
name is also Logan!! Hahah. I am still District
Leader, even though my district composes of me, my companion, and the
two zone leaders. The zone leaders are also in the same ward as us in
satipo, and they are both gringos as well. So four gringos sharing the
same ward, and that is my district. Pretty cool, eh? Hhaahah. So i can
do my district meetings in English now. It is super green here in
satipo. It is everything i thought the jungle would be like and then
some!! People live in tree houses!! Mangos and coconuts fall from the
tree!!! Fruit everywhere!!! It is delicious!!! After every lesson we
have people give us fruit that i have never even heard of!!! But it is
super sweet and delicious!!! My favorite are the mandrains. So sweet! So
ya that is what has been happening around here.
I
miss ambo but in a weird way. My pension on the day i left was sad. And
they apologized for acting the way that they did. I apoligized as well,
and thanked them for there services to me. It was sad really to leave
that day. Elder Cahpeton didnt care that much for them. I am sad as i
fell that now that im not there Elder Chapeton will change the pension,
which means they might go inactive. But we will see. I was sad to say
goodbye to a couple friends in huanuco, like my old zone leader Elder
Horsley and Elder Schreiner and Elder Cook. (Different Elder cook, not
my old companion). But thats how transfers are.
Im
sweating a lot but I am loving the work! I am almost done with doctrine
and covenants!! It is very interesting how the lord interacted with
Joseph Smith about everything.
Love you all!
Til next week,
Elder Thatcher
Saying goodbye to my convert Jordan.. he was super sad that i was leaving.
And then saying goodbye to Elder Chapeton
And then saying goodbye to Elder Chapeton
Well this week, went by super fast. I guess when you are always teaching it goes by faster. We taught 28 lessons this week, so we were in houses basically all the time. It was great, everyone was recieving us! I am super tired and sore.
THanks for everything yall!!! Dont have too much to say.
Love yall
Elder Thatcher
