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Tuesday, November 18, 2008
11/18/2008--"GOSPEL IS TRUE...TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVERYTHING...LIVE EACH MOMENT LIKE IT'S THE LAST, FOR YOU AND FOR THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU."
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jacob Thatcher <elderjthatcher@myldsmail.net>
Date: Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 12:46 PM
Subject: Letter from Elder Thatcher 11/18/2008
To: kni07001@byui.edu, wes07006@byui.edu, suzysumm@gmail.com
Dear Family,
Yet another week. Boy are they flying by! What is this, my 4th or 5th pday as a real missionary? Life is good, the gospel is true, and people are accepting it, however slowly, they are accepting it. Has been an interesting week, every day is different, you wouldn't think so doing the same thing every day, but it is. We encounter new people, learn a million new things, and figure out ways to do things a little better.
Today for example, I got to attend an Interrena, or the U.S equivalent of a graveside burial. Was very very interesting, you can learn A LOT about a culture and about a people by visiting their cemeteries. I sent pictures, hope you all received. It was very intriguing. The dad of one of our prime investigators died yesterday of 5 or 6 different types of cancers. One being stomach. He had been suffering for a month or so, and needless to say, he was in pain, so it was good that he went, and hopefully we and slim knowledge of the gospel was able to help them. The divorced mom, Karen 24, and Gabriella, 9. As you can see from the pictures they bury everyone above ground, don't ask me why… the water table isn't that high. Just culture and tradition. The houses these people are buried in are nicer then the ones the people live in. almost like King Tut and his tomb… seriously!
Yesterday we went to the equivalent of an Irish ´Wake´ or a Verlarou. Where you sit and watch the person for 24 hours to make sure he is really dead. We attended for about an hour and a half. Was so empty, hollow. Just a small room, with a fan on full blast and bible sayings written all over the walls, a real testimony to me that w have it the best, cause we have the truthfulness of the gospel.
Think how hard it must be for the 9 year old Gabriella. It was so sad to watch her cry. The mom, of the guy that died (Joao) was morning and wailing, just like the scene in the other Side of Heaven! Under different circumstances it would have been quite hilarious. Get this, this is what was the most hilarious, he was buried in an International jersey!!! And the flag over his casket was an international flag. This is the big ´Gaucho´ soccer team down here.
Again, we have the truth! My companion and I are teaching a bunch of potentially good members. We have had a very successful week. We taught 1 guy named Gabriel who is a mechanic for the local bus company. Very sweet, he did his homework and read the little pamphlet we gave him last week. When my companion recited the first vision he was saying it with him! Anyway, when explaining about the book of Mormon he asked can I have one? Only problem is his family is that excited, but he has a cute little family, 3 small kids.
Elder Harding at the CTM was always bouncing off the walls (literally) this one is exactly the opposite. He is way slow, easy going and patient. Which is good for me to learn. Sometimes I am too hyperactive. Dad always used to say, Patience is a virtue… Tough though, a different personality; that is the amazing bonus about a mission I'm starting to figure out, you learn how to live with so many different people, you learn what you like and don't like. Make it easier picking out a wife!
Another funny thing (not really at the time) was the ride to and from our district conference (your equivalent of stake conference) everyone is poor, including me, and of course, we have a two hour drive to the conference. We so happened to get assigned to ride with the counselor (Marciono) to elder Baird (branch president) in their little car smaller then Miki´s car. He reminds me EXACTLY of Kelly Thompson at the High School, or so infamously called KT. He, along with his 70 year old wife was dragging along their 2 grandkids, Juliana, 6 and Santiago, 3. So 6 of us were scrunched in this little car for 2 hours each way. And guess who sat next to the 2 kids? Me! Of course, being me, I slept on the way their. But on the way back, didn't get the privilege. I entertained Santiago the whole way home. They helped me open my package (Christmas presents, etc) that I received at the meeting, to say the least I had to use all of my skills to entertain them. Santiago reminded me of Jett, wild and funny…
by the way, as I've mentioned in other emails, these roads here put every other road I've every driven on in the states to shame. They are SO ruff.
This Sunday, we will have church in our little casa; hopefully we can get some people to come for a change. It's tough. ALWAYS take advantage of your meetings. Go to everyone. You're making the people that planned it happy, you're receiving blessings and learning and you're making the Lord happy. So here's my advice for the week. Take advantage of everything. Live every moment like it's the last, for you and for the people around you.
Love you all, until next week. Jacob
From: Jacob Thatcher <elderjthatcher@myldsmail.net>
Date: Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 12:46 PM
Subject: Letter from Elder Thatcher 11/18/2008
To: kni07001@byui.edu, wes07006@byui.edu, suzysumm@gmail.com
Dear Family,
Yet another week. Boy are they flying by! What is this, my 4th or 5th pday as a real missionary? Life is good, the gospel is true, and people are accepting it, however slowly, they are accepting it. Has been an interesting week, every day is different, you wouldn't think so doing the same thing every day, but it is. We encounter new people, learn a million new things, and figure out ways to do things a little better.
Today for example, I got to attend an Interrena, or the U.S equivalent of a graveside burial. Was very very interesting, you can learn A LOT about a culture and about a people by visiting their cemeteries. I sent pictures, hope you all received. It was very intriguing. The dad of one of our prime investigators died yesterday of 5 or 6 different types of cancers. One being stomach. He had been suffering for a month or so, and needless to say, he was in pain, so it was good that he went, and hopefully we and slim knowledge of the gospel was able to help them. The divorced mom, Karen 24, and Gabriella, 9. As you can see from the pictures they bury everyone above ground, don't ask me why… the water table isn't that high. Just culture and tradition. The houses these people are buried in are nicer then the ones the people live in. almost like King Tut and his tomb… seriously!
Yesterday we went to the equivalent of an Irish ´Wake´ or a Verlarou. Where you sit and watch the person for 24 hours to make sure he is really dead. We attended for about an hour and a half. Was so empty, hollow. Just a small room, with a fan on full blast and bible sayings written all over the walls, a real testimony to me that w have it the best, cause we have the truthfulness of the gospel.
Think how hard it must be for the 9 year old Gabriella. It was so sad to watch her cry. The mom, of the guy that died (Joao) was morning and wailing, just like the scene in the other Side of Heaven! Under different circumstances it would have been quite hilarious. Get this, this is what was the most hilarious, he was buried in an International jersey!!! And the flag over his casket was an international flag. This is the big ´Gaucho´ soccer team down here.
Again, we have the truth! My companion and I are teaching a bunch of potentially good members. We have had a very successful week. We taught 1 guy named Gabriel who is a mechanic for the local bus company. Very sweet, he did his homework and read the little pamphlet we gave him last week. When my companion recited the first vision he was saying it with him! Anyway, when explaining about the book of Mormon he asked can I have one? Only problem is his family is that excited, but he has a cute little family, 3 small kids.
Elder Harding at the CTM was always bouncing off the walls (literally) this one is exactly the opposite. He is way slow, easy going and patient. Which is good for me to learn. Sometimes I am too hyperactive. Dad always used to say, Patience is a virtue… Tough though, a different personality; that is the amazing bonus about a mission I'm starting to figure out, you learn how to live with so many different people, you learn what you like and don't like. Make it easier picking out a wife!
Another funny thing (not really at the time) was the ride to and from our district conference (your equivalent of stake conference) everyone is poor, including me, and of course, we have a two hour drive to the conference. We so happened to get assigned to ride with the counselor (Marciono) to elder Baird (branch president) in their little car smaller then Miki´s car. He reminds me EXACTLY of Kelly Thompson at the High School, or so infamously called KT. He, along with his 70 year old wife was dragging along their 2 grandkids, Juliana, 6 and Santiago, 3. So 6 of us were scrunched in this little car for 2 hours each way. And guess who sat next to the 2 kids? Me! Of course, being me, I slept on the way their. But on the way back, didn't get the privilege. I entertained Santiago the whole way home. They helped me open my package (Christmas presents, etc) that I received at the meeting, to say the least I had to use all of my skills to entertain them. Santiago reminded me of Jett, wild and funny…
by the way, as I've mentioned in other emails, these roads here put every other road I've every driven on in the states to shame. They are SO ruff.
This Sunday, we will have church in our little casa; hopefully we can get some people to come for a change. It's tough. ALWAYS take advantage of your meetings. Go to everyone. You're making the people that planned it happy, you're receiving blessings and learning and you're making the Lord happy. So here's my advice for the week. Take advantage of everything. Live every moment like it's the last, for you and for the people around you.
Love you all, until next week. Jacob
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