Well, I hope yall are still alive and well. Did you forget about me? Or is something going on? I must admit I am a little sad I didn't get to hear from you this week...

The good news is: I haven't been transfered and neither has my companion. We are still in Mt. Juliet and loving it.

The bad news is: Well, there is no bad news. It is all good.

LeeAnn and Hunter want to be baptized! The only problem is LeeAnn wants her husband to be baptized at the same time. He wont sit in on the lessons. He is a little afraid of us. We finally met him the other day, by accident actually. It was a good thing though. He was so nice and cordial. I think he is just afraid of change. I think most people are that way. I would be... I have been. If yall would pray for this family specifically in your prayers, I know we could be lead to a solution. We are a little stumped as to where to go from here.

Elder Parker is leaving for home tomorrow. He will be greatly missed. I know he wrote yall. He wrote Sister Smith's parents too. What did he say? Fill me in. A missionary named Elder Talbot is coming to Mt. Juliet. He is supposedly a great missionary. It will be exciting I am sure. I love seeing other missionaries teaching techniques and ideas. Missionary work is so fun! It is rough and I am learning a lot of tough lessons, but it is so fantastic at the same time. We will now be refering to Missionary Work as 'Missionary Fun' as our ward mission leader, Bro. Turner has decided. I would have to agree. Missionary fun is the Best.

Ok. I just figured out the bad news... as of today, I have been on a mission for two months. : ( It is going by WAY too fast. I wish it would slow down.

So another person came up to me in church yesterday. Her name is Sister Mitchell and evidently she is Sister DeGerings sister (of Kamas). Weird isn't it? Kamas is everywhere!

Word spreads quickly in Tennessee. I have told a couple members about Tyler when I have found it appropriate. Sister Gieseke, (one of the awesomest member-missionaries) told me that someone from the Hermitage Branch asked her if she knew that one of us was a widow. So it is spreading everywhere... Just as I want it. I don't mind people knowing, as long as I don't have to tell every single person. (To answer your question dad, I have been wearing my ring on my right hand so I can tell people that I want to tell. It still draws attention, but not nearly as much.)

Another funny story for you: One of the members in our ward refered us to their neighbor across the street. They told us that she was a member and had been inactive for a number of years. They also told us that her family lives in Salt Lake City. We went over and visited her. We were at that house for a total of 3 ours. She told us all about herself and all about her past. She is a very intelligent woman. Her reasons for leaving the church were not because of offense or distrust. She felt that she wasn't happy in the church and went looking somewhere else.

Over the course of the evening she began to soften and to really pour out her heart for her feelings of the church. All we did was listen. She has stood up for the church in social conversations and loves everything about it. She is just afraid to go back.

By the end of the night, her feelings and desires to return to church had surfaced. She re-arranged her schedule so she could attend church the next day... AND SHE DID!!!

Here is the funny part: Her family were converts to the church when she was 15. They lived in Michigan at the time. She was telling us how she still keeps in touch with the missionary that baptized her family. She told us that he is currently a Mission President for the Salt Lake mission... I cut her off right there and asked her what the Mission President's name was. When she replied, 'President Steve Laney' I almost died! THE President Laney... the one who spoke in Stake Conference with me. Isn't that just CRAZY!?! I couldn't help but laugh. It still boggles my mind.

She told me that she was going to call President Laney and tell him. She doesn't know that I was once married, but if he remembers me, and remembers that I was going to serve in Tennessee, it will be a pretty interesting realization. I am coming to understand that everything happens for a reason. There are NO coincidences.

Once again I have left yall with an epistle containing a montage of subjects. I apologize if reading this letter was in any way a waste of time. It was so nice to reflect upon the miracles that I have been able to witness however. Thanks to everyone that have been writing me. I love hearing from yall. It really brightens up my day.

Love,
Sister Thacker

PS. Mommo and Daddo, Can you save all my emails in Word files on my laptop as well? They are partially my journal for my mission since I don't have much time to write at night before bed. Thanks! Love ya. Happy 48th Pappy!