Fwd:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jacob Thatcher <elderthatcher@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Mar 3, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Subject: Re:
To: thatchercolton@hotmail.com, Kni07001@byui.edu, wes07006@byui.edu, suzysumm@gmail.com, runmts@gmail.com, elderthatcher@gmail.com, cliffhucker@gmail.com, dmhansen@ida.net, runmts@ida.net, summercofarms@hotmail.com, annalisesummers@msn.com, gramlaree@gmail.com, bethatch@gmail.com, isavethewhales@gmail.com, shaleesummers@hotmail.com, tannernelson@gmail.com, mikts@docomo.ne.jp, skylaw@ida.net, crazygr8@msn.com

Dear Family, from Bento Gonçalves! I am trying my hardest right now to not swear. I wrote 3 pages of what I was doing, where I am, and what has happened in the last week. Two hours of work. I was just getting ready to send it. I had it saved on Microsoft word. Safe ehh??? Well, I was just adding some pictures, and it died. The freaking computer froze on me. I thought it was saved, so I restarted the computer, but because it is the computer in the Lan House it erased everything. 3 whole pages of work.

I don't know what to do. I am beyond frustrated.

Know that I love you all

So, I am writing from my new city in Bento Gonçalves. A Terra do Vinho, or the land of the wine. The city was founded by Italians in the late 1800. And appears as such. Sometimes I have to ask myself, am I in Europe or Brazil? Sometimes when we think of Brazil we think, starving kids, rain forest, animals, etc, but here it is exactly the opposite. Big city, 110,000 inhabitants, and all of them are white and proud Catholics. The majority of them still speak Italian in their houses, although I hear that it is a diluted form… but still, very cool.

So Tuesday morning I left alone for Porto Alegre, where I hooked up with other elders. I was handed my ticket, and boarded the bus for a two hour bus ride for here.

This is the hilliest city I have ever seen. I don't think there is a flat space here. I went from 2 months doing nothing physical in the ctm, to a city on the beach at 0 degrees altitude, now I am at 700 meters above sea level, and my heart is feeling it.

I am so sorry; I have lost all incentive to write. I really did write a good letter, and I SAVED it!

My new companion is Elder Pelligrini, an Italian descendent, that doesn't speak hardly any English, so my Portuguese has to improve now.

Here I feel a little jyped. In Torres things were starting to happen. We had 10 people with dates to be baptized, and the family that I spoke about last week; with the dad from Bolivia did family home evening with us last Monday night. While we were walking to the Bairds house the parents said to us that they had talked the night before and wanted to follow our religion. We just about feel backwards on top of our head! SO here in bento they don't have hardly any investigators. The president told me this was a burned out city… I don't know what they elders have been doing, but they only have 3 or 4 old investigators, and no new ones. So we are trying extra hard to make contacts and find new people. In fact, that's basically all we have been doing, we don't have anybody to teach.  I think the key for this area is the members. Last Sunday at church there were 143 people. The ward is strong, and they are about to get a stake center. The problem is, according to the bishop that the church has cut the budget for the construction of new buildings here in Brazil by 60% maybe the crisis is a bit worse then we think! Anyway, we are going to try to work with all the members, they have lived here for a long time, and know a bunch of people.

We had family home evening with one family Saturday night. It was very good. We gave a lesson about families, and how they are eternal. I told the story about Alexander the great

When he was about to die he asked all his generals to come in and talk to him. He requested 3 things

1)      That the pathway to his seplicure would be paved with the treasures that he had gained during his life

2)      That the best doctors in the world would carry his coffin

3)      That his hands would be left out of the coffin, hanging.

One of the generals asked why?

Alexander responded. Because

1)      I want to show that all the treasures that I gained in this life, not one of them I was able to take with me

2)      Not one of the best doctors in the world was able to save me from death

3)      Into this world I came with empty hands, and out of this world I will go also

We taught how families are one of the only things that we can take with us in the life to come.

Again, I am so sorry, but if I was to rewrite everything I wouldn't have time for anything else, and my companion would go insane

Love you all, and until next week, Jacob

 

Fwd: 6 months! leave for new area! Carta de Elder Thatcher 2-23-09

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jacob Thatcher <elderjthatcher@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Feb 23, 2009 at 2:11 PM
Subject: 6 months! leave for new area! Carta de Elder Thatcher 2-23-09
To: mthatchercolton@hotmail.com, Kni07001@byui.edu, wes07006@byui.edu, suzysumm@gmail.com, runmts@gmail.com, elderthatcher@gmail.com, cliffhucker@gmail.com, dmhansen@ida.net, runmts@ida.net, summercofarms@hotmail.com, annalisesummers@msn.com, gramlaree@gmail.com, bethatch@gmail.com, isavethatwhales@gmail.com, shaleesummers@hotmail.com, tannernelson@gmail.com, mikts@docomo.ne.jp, skylaw@ida.net, crazygr8@msn.com


Hello family and friends from Torres Brazil!
This will be the last time I write to you from Torres! The zone leaders called today and said I will be transferred! I loved it here in Torres, what an awesome city, very difficult, but I learned and grew so much. I know that the lord sent me here in Torres, from the people I have met, and the things I have learned, that only I could have learned here.
I will leave for Porto Alegre tomorrow morning at 10! Sózinho!!!! Alone!!! Without a companion! What an adventure. I have been under the watchful guidance of a companion for 6 months, and now for 7 hours I will be alone, by myself, in a foreign country, I feel like a baby that has to leave his mom for the first time to nursery. Not only will I be alone, I will be alone on a bus with the prettiest women in Brazil….. Brother I don't like to mock Satan and his temptations, but, who was I to ever make a move or do anything that involved girls???
I guess, the reason that I will go to Porto ALegre by myself is that Torres is the farthest city away from the mission, and there aren't any other missionaries close by… oh well, something out of the ordinary, an adventure. Elder Simoes will stay with Elder and Sister Baird until his new companion will arrive. I will know where I am going tomorrow morning at the bus station.
So DO NOT send any letters to the Torres address, send them all to Porto Alegre until I can tell you where I am.
This week has been a good one, although the hottest yet. Right now is equivalent to just before grain harvest, so if that gives you an idea, just times your idea by 10 
I am now 6 months into my mission. When I look back I think, holy smokes, I have learned a lot, but then when I think of every single individual day---pheww! I wish I knew more, but then when I think that I will still learn 3/4ths more then I already know, it gives me comfort. I will finally know the language the day I board the airplane.
It is a little difficult to leave here. This was my primeira area, so I will always have a special place for it in my heart. It is also difficult, because we are teaching two families in particular that will be baptized. I am a little sad that I wasn't able to get a little more action here, but I gave it my all, and I know that I planted lots of seeds that will one day grow, and bear fruits.
I know I was sent here in particular because of one family, perhaps I have already spoken about them… German, Izonette, and their 3 kids. The day I made the contact with them it was almost like I was drawn to him. I veered from one side of the street and made the contact with this guy. Actually he is boliviano, and doesn't speak very good portugues, his wife, however is Brazilian, and the family lives here permanently. They are basically living the gospel, and don't even know it. The first 3 times we went there (with elder Abdo, my first comp) we talked and talked, they are so curious, and interested in our lives, and the church. Because of this we have formed a strong friendship (just like ammon, he didn't go there and preach right off the batt) finally, now, we are starting to do some real teaching. Yesterday, I used the "this is my last Sunday here" line, and got the WHOLE family to come to church. It was a great day there, finally some luck, and help from the spirit. The speakers were exactly what they needed to hear, and everyone was very accepting. Tonight we will have family home evening with them and watch the testament, about the book of Mormon (he is big on the Inca, Aztec stuff) and do smores.

Speaking about smores. This week was hilarious. As a going away/FHE, We organized a family home evening with two inactive families and an investigator. I bought hot dogs (they are way cheap, 1.20 dollars a kilo. (Probably made out of stray dogs) and smores. We made a fire, and tried to roast them. It was so funny to watch these brazillions standing around the fires trying to roast hot dogs like a pansy. Even my companion had never lighted a fire in his life, and was holding the hot dog right in the middle of the flame… Anyway, every thought it was so cool to do a "Churrasco Americano" American barbeque, and love the smores. The message was good as well, about job, and how god blesses us with trials.
Well, I will sign off from Torres for the last time.
Where I right for the next time I do not know…
But I love you all, and will pray for you.

By the way, I had one of the members do a Brazilian face book for me… it is on www.mormons-br.ning.com  --- search Elder J Thatcher.
Tried to add picutres, but the church email sucks... if I can say that :)
Until next week, Jacob
The following is my letter to the president... maybe you can understand a little bit---who knows, My help was Microsoft word…
Querido Presidente,
Eu recebi uma ligação hoje que eu vou embora. Bem triste, uma cidade, um ramo maravilhoso. Eu tenho aprendido muito aqui, que eu acredito que eu não tenho aprendido em qualquer outro lugar. Eu sei que eu fui mandado aqui por meio de inspiração, Obrigado pelo Amor, e orientação que o senhor tem.
Eu estou muito animado por minha próxima área. Eu vou começar fazendo as coisas que eu aprendi  aqui.
E eu me sinto pronto para sair aqui, como eu cumpri meu chamado.
Eu estou muito bem, gostando mais a cada dia deste país e língua, só não tenho paciência... mas eu sei que por meio do Senhor eu posso aprender esta língua.
Essa semana foi ótima! Nos levamos uma família nova para a igreja. Eles são bem especiais, e tem muito potencial.
Eu acho que este ramo precisa mais famílias. Uma das coisas que eu aprendi aqui é a importância das famílias na igreja - por isto a igreja existe. Quando nós levamos  famílias para a igreja estamos fortificando todas os programas, a primaria, etc., eles vão ficar mas fortes  quando eles forem batizados.
Eu estou pronto para trabalhar em minha próxima área!
Desculpe pelos erros em minha carta. Espero que dê para entender!
Elder J. Thatcher