It was great to be able to see you guys!!! I am sorry there was some internet problems! Thats how it is here in satipo!! It can be slow! And right now it doesnt want to let me send photos. The struggle is real here in satipo sometimes. Sorry.. we missionaries in the Peru Huancayo Mission, havent upgraded to ipads and iphones yet.... Haha. Wow!!! That is so scary that a tornado hit!!! I cant believe that!!! I hope everything is ok!
Soooo. The question is what did everybody do for christmas for some one else??? No one said much.. This whole week has been crazy with me and my companion!! We bought 5 boxes!!! of panetones!!! And this whole week we have been handing them out to people! It has been a great week!!! We handed some out to the homeless, to the members, to investigators! To everybody!!! One of the best experiences we had was we went to give one to a member, and right after a homeless guy on the ground asked for food. And well, we had a whole paneton, so we gave it to him, and he started crying afterwards saying he had forgotten the last time he had eaten paneton. He said he wanted just a little bit, but we gave him all of it, and he was very grateful. He wanted to give us something in return. But he felt bad because he didnt have anything! He offered us one of his socks... we told him it was ok and that he could keep his socks.. hahah. It was a great experience for me to of witness. All the people outside on the street were watching us as two gringo missionaries were offering paneton to a homeless peruvian. It was quite humbling. Then on christmas morning the other two elders came to our room and we did a gift exchange. I bought the elders some nice ties and in return i recieved a poem book (which i really like), a snickers candy bar, and my favorite.... A lifesize photo of me holding that big boa snake!!!! Its hilarious!!!! They found a place that makes lifesize photos!!!! Its so funny!!!! It was truly a great christmas. And what beat it all was that i got to talk to my family!!! So all in all, great peruvian christmas!! Ya the food wasnt that great, and nothing im used to back home, but it certainly was enough for me. My pensionista is a great woman, who serves us evry day, i felt bad for her, as she was talking about how she wanted a nativity scene, but they cost too much to afford. I felt bad, a nativity scene isnt much. So i went and bought her one, as a thanks of her service! She was grateful, and she as well wanted to give me something in return but she couldnt. I told her that her food was enough. She is a sweet lady.
So we have 4 people with baptism dates. But it doesnt look like any of them will get baptized any time soon, they still need time to progress. I hope they do progress though. I worry about them so much! It is weird, i worry about them more than i worry about my self. Which is a good thing i guess!!
Ok new years is coming... which means.... NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS!!!! My new years resolution is to do exercise everyday!! For at least 30 min or more, not including sundays! And then my other one, is to share my testimony every week with someone. And yes these goals are the same for when i go home!!! I think they are very manageable goal for me!! Think of your goals! And put them in a spot where you can see them every day!!!
Eight P's of accomplishment: Plan Purposefully, Prepare Prayerfully, Proceed Positively, Pursue Persistently.
There is a quote i like that says, "If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there." So with that in mind make appropiate goals that will help yall progress as children of God!!!
Pictures from our Christmas Skype session.
Wow!!!!! What a week!!!
So I started the week , going to huancayo for a district leader conference, I was one of the oldest District leaders there. And one of the most experienced. There were so many elders there that i have never met, just goes to show you how big our mission really is!!! So that was good! We got to eat Pizza Hut!!!! YUMMM!!! Unfortunetly my stomach is not used to that food anymore, so i payed the price latter in the bathroom.... Hahaha. Then On Wednesday morning instead of packing my bags and headin back to Satipo I ended up going to La merced, for our Multi Zone christmas Conference! That was a blast! We had to play a skit for our zone for the others. It was called if Sister Missionaries ran the mission. I played as a sister missionary. I wore a skirt and had makeup put on me, and talked like a little girl! It was quite hilarious. And the good news is i got videos, but i dont know how to send them so i will show yall after!!! President talked to us about several things. And one of the things that i would like to share with yall about this christmas that is about to take past! It is a video called The First Gift, It has a message that is super powerful. "The First Gift, was not wrapped, had no bow, wasnt purchased online, or in a store. The First Gift of Christmas, was a simple gift, a sacred gift. It wasnt gold, or frankincense, or myrrh. It was a gift of love, and life, and peace, and hope. That was given to us by a father. To all his children. For God so loved the world, and so loved you, and you, and you, and every one of us. He gave his son. He is the Christ. He is Christmas. He is the Gift. This Christmas season, Discover the Gift, embrace the Gift, share the Gift. John 3:16" That message really helped me understand that the real gift of christmas was given to all.
One of the things i love most about christmas, looking back at it, is being with the family, chowing down on peanut m and m's, and watching the kids open and scream about there presents. Being with the family. Now there is another thing I would like to talk about and that is the charity we can give. Dad has been a great example to me in this part, I remember going with dad on christmas eve handing out chocolates to people, that dad would always be thinking about! "The world today speaks a great deal about love, and it is sought for by many. But the pure love of Christ differs greatly from what the world thinks of love. Charity never seeks selfish gratification. The pure love of Christ seeks only the eternal growth and joy of others" -Ezra Taft Benson
There is a video here.
http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/videos/what-shall-we-give-christmas-music-video.html It is called What shall we give. It is also powerful. As it shows people forgetting them selves. I remember one cold night i was with cameron. I dont remember where we were going, all i remember is we were busy and low on time. We were in the car driving one cold night. And we saw a lady stuck in the road, with her car and her kids. She was in the middle lane in Dallas. And instaed of passing by her like every one. We stopped and helped the lady. I remember asking Cameron, But we dont have time? But he didnt even think about my question, he got out, and so did i and we helped push a car up to a safer place. That moment impacted me a lot. As it goes to show, that we shouldnt even think twice about serving others! Especially in this time of year!!!! I challenge all of you to do something for someone else this week. It can be someone you dont even know!! But the thing is to just forget yourselves and do something for someone else. Sacrifice your things your time. All for the service of our Savior. It makes me think of the rich boy in the bible!? Remember? He had everything he wanted, he kept the commandments, But when the savior told him to give away everything he had. It was hard for him. But if we love the Savior, it wont be that hard. I want to hear stories of the charitable things you did throughout this week! And next monday I will share yall my stories!!! I love you all!!!!
Elder Thatcher
P.S. Skype will take place at 4 o clock your time!!! (Get your questions ready!!!!) I have a suprise for you all!!!
Hello to all. Ya I wont lie, i teared a bit when I found out Grandma had passed away. I did. But then i felt a chill go through my spine, that made me feel like everything is ok. I am so grateful, and i cant describe it perfectly, but how grateful i am to feel so secure in this Gospel that Heavenly Father so lovingly has given to us. Grandma needed to be with Grandpa, He was waiting for his missionary companion.. Grandpa has just been on a split for a while, but now he has his companion, and I know that they are working hard right now. They arent wasting time. They are getting to work and preaching the Gospel, and that makes me so comforted to know that they are still setting an example for me, which now is a perfect example. I also felt very disturbed on tuesday of this past week. I was feeling weak, we werent having any luck at all on tuesday.. I just felt weak, as if someone was trying to hold me back, and i didnt know why!!!!!! I wasnt sick, nothing was wrong!!! I now know satan was trying hard on me to throw in the towel.. This week me and my companion had 31 lessons! Satipo record!! We found many new people! But tuesday, we only had one lesson... I had to work hard so those feelings would go away.. It wasnt easy, but with the help of my father in heaven i was able to keep on swimming! I want all you to know that I feel God's love for every one of us. I feel it, i know its there, and I cant DENY it, and I know that Heavenly Father knows it!!! I know that he wants the best for us and that he lives, He has a body of flesh and bones.. and he sent his beloved son, so that we.. one day.. as well can live as he lives and be perfect. He gave us our families for a reason, and that is what I want these people in Peru to realize, so that they know that they as well can return to live with him. In my mission I have learned many things, one of the biggest things i am trying to work on is to follow the example of Jesus Christ, the example he set, with his Christ like attributes, I am studying them and trying to live them, especially in this time of season, charity and love. I feel Gods love, so i must light another candle stick with the light that i already have!!
This week will be busy for me, tomorrow i have a district leader conference in huancayo, and then on wednesday and thursday we have our christmas conference in La merced. And then I will be back in my area working on friday... It will be a long week! Let me know about skype for the next week!
I love you all and you are all in my prayers, every one of you, i love you so much and i am grateful for your love as i am here on my mission, I love the kids, let them know that.. I pray for there guidance each day, and i again am so grateful to be able to know that i know grandpa and grandma are in a much better place, preaching the gospel, just like there grandkids!!! Its time to work hard these last months, and that is exactly what i have planned to do now.
Elder Thatcher
Hey everyone, so this week has been ok. Getting lots of new investigators! We might have a baptism on the 26th for a 13 year old named Jhenner, and for this lady named Mirian, we are still not sure when she will get baptized, but we are planning for this month, we have a visit with her tonight to decide.
So this week I have been getting really tired. I dont know why... But I just am, I hit 18 months which is really crazy!!! But this week I just got tired more than usual. I have been doing Everything I should be doing! And sometimes I feel like I deserve more out of what I put in. So I was thinking of something that would help me out. And then I read this liahona magazine that had this poem. It is called "The job for me!" And I think all of us can apply this!
"The Lord one day had a job for me, butI had so much to do, so, I said ,"Please Lord, get somebody else, or, wait till I get through." I dont know how the Lord came out, but he seemed to get along, But I felt kind of sneaking like, and knowed I'd done him wrong. One day I needed the Lord myself, needed him right away. But he never answered me at all, But yet I could hear him say, Away down in my accusing heart,"I've got so much to do, You get somebody else this time, or wait till I get through." Now when the Lord has a job for me, I never try to shirk, I drop whatever i have on hand and do the good Lord's work. And my affairs can run along, or wait till I get through, For nobody else can do the job that the Lord marked out for you" -Paul L. Dunbar
When I was done reading that, I felt the spirit so strong, telling me, this is my job, this is my duty to my God, right now! I can be tired all I want, but it doesnt mean I am done here. The Lord will help me and guide me because this is my job. It is my responsibility and my duty. Like it says in D and C 107:99-100 "Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence. He that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand. Even so. Amen." This scripture helped me a lot recently. Im finishing these last 6 months with all diligence because i know this is my duty, and I know this is the Job the Lord has for me!!! Like the old saying is, Yesterdays hits wont win todays games.
I am doing great, I am so Happy!!! And I see the touch of the masters hand, bless this people here in Satipo! I love this Gospel and I love yall!!
Elder Thatcher
Photos
1-Me and my district!!
2-I burned these pants i found (no they werent mine mom, they were gross) for 18 months!!
