Gratitude

Family-Well, I didn't get to go to the temple this last week. : ( I was very sad that I we didn't. Very Sad.It has been so cold here! There is a phrase in Tennessee however: "If you don't like the weather here, just wait 15 minutes." It is true. The weather has varied from 2 degrees to 60 degrees in the last two weeks. Very strange. We were walking a lot last week because we ran out of miles for the car. We live really far away from our investigators so it eats up miles really fast. I am chopping off my hair today. I am so sick of the perm. It will be pretty short. I would do a pixie cut but my companions have almost talked me out of it. I was thinking a very short A-line or a Pixie. I guess we will see. I'll have Sister Gieseke send pictures so yall can see it. I hate hair... well, when I don't have time to do it.The work is going great. There are a whole bunch of part member families here to work with. Some of them are pretty stubborn though. I love them all so much, I just wish they would listen to the Spirit, but 'there's a wall there.'I don't remember if I told yall about the lady that Sister Smith and I found named Sherri Smith? She is a less active lady that I really love who was baptized with her family when she was 18 by President Laney of the Salt Lake City South Mission when he was a missionary. (He was the same one who spoke at the stake conference that I spoke at before I left.) Well anyway, her boyfriend Mark is taking the lessons right now!!! He is so cool. He used to be a Baptist Deacon (that is comparable to an Elders Quorum President in our church (prestige wise)). He knows a ton about the Bible. It has been so exciting to see him making connections and growing. Pray for Mark and for Sandi. Her father is having some serious medical problems right now and she is in Utah with him. Pray for him too. Have I told yall how much I love Mt. Juliet? It is like my second home. I got to see Ginny and Gordon yesterday. They are doing well. I love them and miss them at church. Well yall, it has been fun. I hope all is well for you. There have been a lot of crazy things happening with the economy so I have heard. Stay strong and keep praying. I know that if you are doing all that you can to keep God first on the priorities list, He will help you with your righteous needs when you ask in faith. This is a time of humbling. Unfortunately many are being compelled to be humble. But take the oportunity to share your testimony with someone this week of the love that God has given you and your families.Read D&C 59:21. President Monson said, "If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."I know that God loves yall so much. Stay strong!Love,Sister Thacker

SIster Geiseke sent me these cute photo's of Cassie and Sister Williams

The Temple: A House of God

Family and Friends-Can I just say... I LOVE Mt. Juliet! The other night, we were at a family in the ward's home. Sister Williams and I were going to sing them a song. We were on the topic of hymns and sing them. The father of the home said, "Well, I just download 'em already sung." We are still laughing about that. There are so many people here that I love. This last week, I had another confirmation as to why I was sent to this mission. I had heard that the Temple President's wife was a young widdow. I was in an interview with President Hutchings and felt prompted to ask him if it would be ok to meet with her to ask her a few questions. It just so happens that we will be going to the temple on Wednesday of this week. President Hutchings pulled out his phone, right there in the middle of the interview and said he would ask the Temple President if his wife would reserve some time to meet with me prior to the session we will be attending. The President's Wife was more than willing. She was widdowed at 18. I guess because of the small numbers in the church when it happened back then, she was asked to meet with a general authority of the church. He gave her some advise that she said she would like to pass on to me. I am so excited to meet with her! I know with out a doubt that the Lord had many reasons to send me to Nashville Tennessee. I know that there are people that I need to meet and that need to meet me. I know that God loves all of his children and that this is a pure manifiestation of His tender mercies towards me. Oh how great is our God!I love yall so much! Keep writing. I need your words. I know that God will bless you if you follow the inspiritation that is given to you by the Spirit. And to paraphrase President Monson, "...we can experience nothing more sweet in this life..."Love, Sister Cassie Jo Thacker

Ju... Ju... Juliet!

Family and Friends,

This week I will be brief. I need to catch up with other individuals in the family so I hope yall are doing well. Mt. Juliet is AWESOME! Sister Williams is also awesome. I had a great 'Welcome Home' from the ward members. We have taken over the whole area so we will have tonz of work! Yes! Pray for us. We need it.

Love yall. Here are some pics.

Love,
Sister Thacker

SIster Geiseke from Mt Juliet sent me these photos, looks like fun!

Transfers

Well, you are never going to believe where I am going to be transfered tomorrow...Really...MT. JULIET... no I am not joking. And my companion will be Sister Williams. I couldn't believe it. I am still in shock. President is doing some crazy things in the mission. He closed six areas this transfer. I am so sad to leave Bellevue, we were digging up some good stuff. Sister Day is going back to Clarksville. The Elders are leaving Mt. Juliet so it will just be a sisters area. I am pretty excited about that. We are living with the Gieseke Family. Mom, you have heard a bit about her. She is the one who wants your Chocolate Rum Cake Recipe. Toby, you will be happy to know that I beat all the Elders at bowling the other day... except for one. : )We are loosing a lot of good Elders this transfer. Elder Sainsbury, one of the Assistants to the President is going home. He has been an Assistant for over a year! Also one of our office Elders is going home. And my Zone Leader, Elder Brinkerhoff is headed home. He used to be an Assistant. I am going to miss them. They really set a high standard for the mission. Since Bellevue is closing (kind of, Office Elders are moving in), not too much happened this week. But three of the less active families that we have been working with came to church on Sunday!!! It was a miracle, I was so thankful to my Father in Heaven for it. We had been working with them all since we got there. Hopefully they will continue to come. The pictures that I am sending are from this morning. The Russell's invited us over for breakfast... Southern breakfast! We had Buscutts with your choice of Sausage, Tomato, or Chocolate gravy. We also had bacon, eggs, potatos, pancakes, homemade smoked sausage, and grits (I LOVE them!). I love this family so much! They have been so good to us. They are like family to me.Well family of mine, it is time to go. Love you tonz! I will let you know how Mt. Juliet is, and Sister Williams next week. It is a dream come true!Love, Sister Thacker

Mi Familia y Amigos-

I am back in Mt. Juliet again! This time I am with Sister Williams! Hooray! I love that Sister. We have been having a lot of fun together. I will be here on exchanges until Thursday of this week. Transfers are a week from Tuesday and some crazy things will be happening then. We are loosing some excellent missionaries this transfer. One of our Assistants is going home, as well as one of the Office Elders and a Couple Zone Leaders. Our Mission President is such a good man. I respect him so much. He has a lot on his plate right now.

Sister Buhler (my MTC companion, awesome sister) had to go back to Salt Lake for a surgery. She had to get her gall bladder taken out. She will be returning to the mission next week I think.

We had an awesome lesson with a couple the other night. They fed us dinner and asked us a whole bunch of questions. I feel bad for people in the South sometimes. All they want is truth. There are so many around us here that come close but are still so far away. These people have all been so burned out by churches and their 'almost truths.' This couple didn't think it was possible to find a church that they would be able to agree on everything. But the lesson was very very good. The Spirit was there so strong and Sister Williams and I taught a whole bunch to them. Practically all the lessons in one setting because of all the questions they asked. They are golden. I wish I could stay here to see their progress.

I think I will be leaving Bellevue this transfer. There are a few rumors going around about it. But I will let yall know next Monday!

Love ya,

Sister Thacker