El Fin! (The End!)

Monday, February 9, 2015

Querida Familia, 

The truth is...I miss your stinkin guts and I am very excited to see you. I can't believe the moment is finally here. Mom you sent me that funny country missionary music cd and it has a song called "Can't Take Her with You". It's about a guy and he has his car and his fam and his girlfriend, but he can't take them with him when he goes. Then it skips to two years later and as much as he´d like to he can't take the people with him when he goes. I feel a bit like that! I laughed when I heard it but it's become a reality. (Except I didn't leave my girlfriend, thank goodness....) Anyway, it's like...I haven't ever been so happy or so sad...! BUT ALL IS WELL!

 

So this week was crazy, I found out that Arsenio and Micaila (they are cousins of the Familia Moreno from Nemby) got baptized! It made my day. Also I forgot to mention that last week we saw a large black lady. There aren't any black people here. So I pointed her out to Hermana Ramos because sometimes so feels a bit alone because she is the only black girl, with the typical black braids, etc. around. Anyway, she called her over and we invited her to church...and she came! Haha! She´s here studying something. She´s from Angola Africa and she came to church in her traditional dress, kind of like the ones that Grandma and Pa Thacker brought back. It was the best. She bore her testimony like a baptist and the members loved it. But that was last Sunday. This Friday I left San Lorenzo to finish my mission in Guarambaré. It has been so much fun, and is amazing to see the growth. The branch president changed and now there are 70-80 member attending. (I remember a Sunday when there were 8!) So many of the recent converts that had problems with family members have stayed faithful...and I was so shocked to see that their families have gotten baptized. Berta was a lady that got baptized my first week here about a year ago. She is planning to go to the temple any day and her two adult daughters and her sister and two cousins have gotten baptized! It's so neat to see. Lidia came to church. She is passing through a super rough time, but she has the gospel now and she´ll be fine. My comps in San Lorenzo had a whole family that we´ve been teaching come to church as well. I feel like I have 2 areas and 3 comps.... It's a bit complicated!

Anyway, I wanted to send this letter to you guys because you are the ones that wrote every week, or in the case of Dad, the ones that mean the most. Thanks for always loving me, keeping in touch and helping me. I promise, it is a tried and true fact that there is nothing better for a missionary than getting letters from home and seeing people get baptized! 

This is the last time that I have to leave you with my testimony as a representative of Jesus Christ. I know that He loves us and that He did his part to free us from sin. I know that we have to choose to repent everyday to return to Him and Heavenly Father. I have learned that the atonement is for everyone. We fought side by side before to be able to live here, and now we have to fight to help our brothers and sisters get on the Lord´s side again. I know that God always listens, and that the times when we don't want to pray are when we absolutely have to. I know that it's when we are about to give up that we have to charge ahead, and that the miracles do come! I've confirmed the fact that laughter is a cure all and that sometimes the mission is a time to suffer, but as Hermana Kimball says..."we suffer with joy!" I love you all and I can't wait to tell you all about it! I will see you soon! Sorry if I smell bad!

Oh and Mom and Dad...I am sorry if our car ride is awkward.... It's just that I don't speak English!  Yo no hablo ingles! 

I love you. See you Thursday. Tell everyone hi for me. 

Love you where ever you are, Hermana Thacker