Missionary Stuff!

Dear Family and friends,
Thank you all for writing me. I am actually really happy that you sent me all the pics of the derby. My companion Sister Goff hasn't ever heard of a demo derby and I was trying to describe it to her just this last week. Now I will have visual aids. She thinks it is sooo red-neck... probably because it is!

This week was a little sad. Melissa dropped her baptismal date. She will be getting baptized in August but not this month. She wants to feel a little more comfortable with the members and get a stronger testimony of the doctrine and Book of Mormon. I don't blame her. But she could have been baptized this month. She met all the qualifications.

I don't' know if I told yall about Donna and her children. She has 4 kids over the age of accountability. They are sweet. They are the family that has a son that looks like Addison. Well. We received a text message the other day from Jennifer the oldest daughter that said that she had been reading the Book of Mormon and she had prayed about it. She said that she received a witness from the Spirit that it is truth! We were so excited. Her mother isn't completely on board yet but she will get there. If you could pray for Donna that would be great! We need prayers right now.

Our goal as a mission is to get 100 people to make the baptismal covenant with God in August. As a mission we have 90 dates set for the month already! We just need all those to stick. If yall could fast for that when you are fasting for the missionary work this Sunday that would be great! Fasting works! I know it does.

That is so weird that Bill is back and that yall saw Nathan and Tyson. Memories. It is weird to think that they are all back from their missions and moving on with life. So many times when we were growing up, the mission or marriage were basically our goals and anything beyond that was never really thought about. Now that those mile stones have been hit I find myself thinking, "Now what?"

I am not going to lie. I am really scared to come home. I don't want to because there are lots of hard things awaiting me. The real world is a crazy place. I really thought I still had a long time. But I've seen multiple companions of mine at the stage that I am now in, and those last months fly. It really makes me sick to my stomach to think that I will have to leave all of this in 4.5 months.

I read a scripture in the Book of Mormon the other day when I was going through something hard. It is in Alma 33:11. It says, "And thou didst hear me because of mine afflictions and my sincerity; and it is because of thy Son that thou hast been thus merciful unto me, therefore I will cry unto thee in all mine afflictions, for in thee is my joy; for thou hast turned thy judgments away from me, because of thy Son."

Really, this is true happiness. Regardless of our circumstances or our current trials. We have the right and the ability to have that joy. We are the Spirit children of a Loving God. He wants us to recognize His hand and the blessings that come from the sacrifice of His Beloved Son.

Love you!
Sister Thacker

Blessings, Miracles, and Tender Mercies

My Goodness! There is an unusual excitement right now in Missionary work in the Tennessee Nashville mission! I just read my letter from President Hutchings and amazing things are happening left and right. We have broken all time records for lessons taught in a week, new investigators, and baptismal dates set in a week! Blessings are being poured out on us and we are having a hard time having room to receive them.

We are getting hit with the blessing here in McMinnville too. Melissa Kimmons has committed to be baptized at the end of this month. She actually has a very amazing story. She lived out in Cali with her parents. Both of them were members. Her mom died two years ago and she moved out to Tennessee. Her trials continued to multiply, but she was prepared to meet us when she did. She was delivering a pizza to our next door neighbor.

We had a goal as a mission to find three new investigators on Saturday. We had found two of them by dinner time. Our evening was booked with appointments so we were a little concerned that we would be able to find one more person to listen to the lessons. We drove to a less active appointment but they weren't there. On the way there I noticed a little neighborhood that I had never seen before. So, when the appointment fell thru we felt like we could go find in that neighborhood. I drove past two coldasacks (NO, I don't know how to spell it), and went straight for the third. I parked in front of this house and we walked up to it. The woman had moved from Oklahoma one month before and had been meeting with missionaries there! She didn't have a copy of the Book of Mormon. Heavenly Father knows where His Elect are!

Life is great as a missionary. Not going to lie, it is HARD. I have been exposed to Lower lows but I have also had much Higher highs! We get to go to the temple this Wednesday. I am so excited!

Have a blessed week. I love yall. Keep spreading the gospel!

Love,
Sister Thacker

July in McMinnville

First of All... LOVED the pictures! Addison looks like he is getting really tall. How tall is he now? Mom, you looked so cute! I hope that picture is on the blog. Evan is getting big... and Sarah Gerlach is getting married!?! WHAT? You need to tell me these things. Who else is getting married?

This last week has been amazing weather. It was really dry so it wasn't nearly as hot. I didn't sweat nearly as much. : ( Gross!

Anyway, Sister Goff is my companion still. She is great. This is her third transfer and she rocks. We have been having a more difficult time getting people to progress, but I know that it will all change soon. We've got some really great people on the radar right now. We've got Six missionaries in our ward boundaries right now. There are a LOT. We have a Spanish set, the Zone Leaders, and us. A couple of men that the Elders baptized last transfer blessed the sacrament at church yesterday. That was a really neat experience. The Howell's are back on the Radar again too! The girls were in Chattanooga for the last three weeks. Hopefully we will get them back to the point they were at baptism again. Pray for them.

As for the shoes, mom and dad, I promise you, it is cool! I actually broke another shoe while I was walking today, but I found another shoe repair shop that I will be taking them too. This guy was referred to me by a member of the ward... so he has got to be good. You know that your shoes are getting pretty bad when the Elders notice them!

Our 4th of July was a little lame-o. Holidays for missionaries are never really that great. It is just another day to sit and wonder what to do with your time. No Proselyting. No mail coming in or going out. No Fireworks. I was happy when Sunday came around and I could get back to the schedule! I don't know what I will do when I come home... Yall better keep me busy!

It is crazy how much Brian Marsing is tied to me through multiple connections, both sides: Shuppys and Thackers!

Well, I've attached some fun pictures. The 'Dodge' picture is for Toby!

Mom & Dad and Joni & Larry, I will be sending yall some postcards of things here in McMinnville: Keep them so I can put them in my scrapbook. : )

Love yall!
Sister Thacker

My Shoe, continued...

Ok, so I get to stay in McMinnville!!!! I am so happy. Sister Goff is still my companion. They are loading the Eastern side of our mission with some rockin missionaries. There is a lot of work in McMinnville and Cookeville. We had 11 people at church yesterday between our 3 companionships! It was so amazing. There is a new family that we are working with who was introduced to the church through their next door neighbor who is Less active that we have been working with. She and three of her children came to church yesterday. She had a lot of questions, but she enjoyed herself. She has three boys and a girl. Her boys remind me of Addison, one in particular so it has been really fun teaching them.

I was helping one of our investigators get ready for a yard sale out here the other day and found this shirt. She gave it to me for free and I couldn't pass it up. It is SO SOUTHERN!

Oh, Sis Turner, I found a really good name for your baby, "Daisy Bob!" And Sis Gieseke, Thank you so much! The quilt is amazing. That was so sweet of you to make that for me. I love you! I love all yall in my past areas and miss you. Oh, and Emerald (Sis Smith) aka the world's best trainer, I love you too. Hopefully you took lots of pictures of Kayla's wedding. If not that is cool.

Humm, who else do I know of that is looking at this blog. Well, I know there are a few of you and I love yall! Write me letters if you look at it, I'd love to hear how you are doing.

I took my shoe to have it repaired. The woman told me that it wasn't repairable. I told her that I only needed it to last 6 more months. Then I clarified that really it only needed to last me 3 because I have another pair of shoes. She smiled then told me that it wasn't going to be pretty. AND IT ISN'T! I got it back a week later and it looks absolutely dreadful. They stitched up what they could then it looks like they poured black tar all over the stitching. It is totally tite! Getto! All the Elders think it is cool. All the Sisters think it is gastly... Me? I think it is sweet! I am totally going to wear them into the ground!

Well that is all for now. Talk to you next week.

Love,

Sister Thacker