Week 78 Last Week "It just got real"

This is it. My last email. Things are about to get real.... real life! Ahhhhhh, scary but so exciting! Also, this is a very very looooong email. I am not sorry because once again, this is slightly (completely) my journaling for this week.

The biggest thing that happened this week is that.... WE PUT BRYANT ON DATE! He is amazing! He knows the Book of Mormon is true and he knows that baptism is important. He actually said, "Baptism is on my bucket list."

Also, when we were talking about having a date for his baptism as a goal, I said that having a date makes it more real and he said, 'Yeah, it just got real!" Then he started fanning himself He is truly is amazing. He has loved all of the members that have joined the lessons and he is excited to continue learning about the gospel!

We also got our first Covid shot... it was good. Only Sister Ficklin got a little sick afterwards. (See Pictures) Monumental moment that will be in the history books for sure.

Also, it was my last district council. That was fun! We did some roleplay of inviting people to pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true and it helped us with a lesson we had the next day with our friend Leonard. He asked us why other religions aren't using the Book of Mormon because it is so enlightening. He is now praying about baptism.

We had 2 day exchanges this week! This was the first in person exchange I have been on since before Covid. Sister Ficklin and I went to DeWitt with Sister Swazey! It was so much fun! We sat outside and made calls, it was a nice day.

Then on Friday, Sister Ficklin and I went to Syracuse North with Sister Laycock. It was amazing! We met 2 elect people, Robert and Rochelle. Robert was a referral that we called. By the end of the 45 minute call we had gone from thinking, "this man is going to get baptized!" to knowing that this man was already a member. He had just moved from Utica and he hadn't gone to church in a while so he wasn't sure how to move his records. He is so sweet!

Then we called Rochelle. She seemed like she wasn't interested, but then... we shared the first vision. She was in awe! She said that when we were talking, a  ray of sunlight peaked through the clouds and shined on her. (Just for context, it was very very rainy) She said she was covered with chills and she started getting emotional. Then we dropped off a Book of Mormon and she was so appreciative! She was even planning on coming to church yesterday! Amazing woman!

We decided to go to a huge park on Saturday and do some finding! Before you think we can go street contacting, we just made calls while sitting on a bench. It was super nice outside!

We got a text from the first counselor in the bishopric on Wednesday asking me to speak in church on Sunday. Lucky for him, it was my last Sunday, he had no idea It went great though!

We met an amazing woman named Kenyatti. She referred herself and she is so elect! We did a zoom call with her and she got to know her. She is truly trying to change her life and she is ready to come closer to Christ!

We were able to go visit another member yesterday! She is the most amazing woman ever, Sister Stanton. She has a riding center called Tanglewood. Its adorable! She took us on a tour of her house and barns. It was a DREAM! We  pet some horses The feeling of peace there was incredible, the Spirit was strong! She has told us of many people who come to work at the stables and eventually get baptized because of the Spirit and the examples of the Stanton family. (Pictures are included)

Last night we had a lesson with our friend Rob. He is another one truly trying to change his life. We taught the Book of Mormon. We asked him what it would mean to him to know the Book of Mormon is true. He said that he would need a megaphone to tell everyone about it! We said a kneeling prayer with him and invited him to ask if it is true. It was such a heartfelt prayer. Afterwards he said that it felt like a burden was lifted off his shoulders. We committed him to pray about a date to be baptized in June. This man is amazing! 

This is my last email everyone! These past 18 months have been incredible. I would not trade it for the world. I have learned so many things about myself, life and most importantly, my Savior Jesus Christ. He is everything to me. I love Him with my whole heart and I want to do everything I can to become more like Him everyday.

If anyone of you is considering a mission, I encourage you to go. It will change your life and it will be a spring board for your whole future. I will not lie though, it was HARD! I have had many ups and downs, but Jesus Christ was right by my side. All I had to do is pray to Heavenly Father and ask for Christ to strengthen me. I also have learned that God does not always remove our trials. He is always by our side, but He knows that our trials can make us better, if we let them.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding."

-Proverbs 3:5

I love you all so much and I am grateful for your continued support of me while I have been serving the Lord.

Love,

Sister Thacker

P.S. Sorry for the long email.

P.P.S. My homecoming information is in the last picture. Please view it online at the link provided or reach out to my mom or on my personal facebook for more information. It will be at 11am on April 25th, broadcasted on YouTube.

Pictures

Adventures of this week

(Our showerhead broke)

-Homecoming information

All of my cute companions!! I love each one of them

Week 77 God is among us

 So many things happened this week!

I don't normally do a day by day synopsis of what happened, but this week I am going to. I have not journaled at all, so this is my journaling for the week...

Tuesday:

We had Zone Conference! It was amazing! We had 3 zones of missionaries there, so there were a lot of missionaries! We had an amazing training from President Vest about Revelation. It was so inspiring and it brought a lot of clarity on how to receive revelation. Also I was able to lead us in doing the Hurrah shout at the end of the conference. That was an amazing feeling! Then they got us Chick-fil-a for dinner

Wednesday:

This was a loong day. Our toilet broke in the morning... it didn't get fixed until the  next morning... Luckily, we live a 2 minute walk from the church building, so we walked over there a few times on Wednesday to use the bathroom...

Thursday:

We had our first in person lesson with someone since last year. It was with a super cute member, Sister Jenks.

Friday:

Sister Ficklin had Sister Krieger cut her hair. Also we prepared our friends for General Conference!!! We also had some amazing referrals who are super interested!

Saturday:

General Conference!! There were some amazing words from the living Prophet and Apostles! I encourage you all to watch or listen to general conference, its amazing!

Sunday:

Easter!! We dyed eggs and ate some ham and mashed potatoes. Watched more general conference. The last talk of conference, President Nelson announced 20 temples!! The first one he announced is in............ Oslo, Norway!! This is so amazing! Norway has such a special place in my heart. My grandma and my sister are both from Norway and my Grandpa served his mission there. God loves all of His children and He is providing means for more of them to receive the blessings of the temple. The work of the Lord is hastening!

I love you all!! I hope you have an amazing week and that you had a great Easter remembering our Savior's sacrifice and resurrection all for us to be able to return back to our Heavenly Father.

Love Sister Thacker

Week 76 Birthdays and Miracles!

 So many good things this week.

Highlights:

- Bryant!!

- Interviews

- Sister Kriegers Birthday

- 18 month mark

- Updated COVID guidelines!

So, if you remember last week, I wrote about our new friend Bryant. He is incredible! We taught him on Monday night and he had already read from the Book of Mormon and was understanding what it was talking about! So we invited him to pray to know if the Book of Mormon is the word of God.

Our next lesson comes and he tells us that he got his answer and that God said yes, the book is true! He described his experience and it was beautiful! He also has never been baptized before and he wants to experience that! We also had a recent convert of 2 weeks join our lessons and he just testified so strongly of the Book of Mormon and Baptism. It was beautiful! Bryant is going to be on date for baptism soon.

We had interviews with President and Sister Vest this week. I sure love them so much! President is so inspired. 

It was also Sister Kriegers birthday! it was so much fun! She loved it!

It was also my 18 month mark! It feels like not that long ago that I left my family and in a couple short weeks I will be seeing them again!

We got updated COVID guidelines! We can do in person lessons again and recieve food from members!! Its going to be great to see people in person again outside of church.

Its been a good week. This week I have noticed how much my testimony of Jesus Christ has grown while I have been on my mission. I truly know that He is my Savior and this is His church on the earth! I am grateful for the time that I have had to serve

Also we had district P-day today at the duck pond. We fed ducks and geese. Geese are mean, but it was a fun activity!

I love you all so much!

Sister Thacker

Week 75 Miracle Finding!

Sister Thacker Week 75 Miracle Finding!

This has been a crazy week!

Highlights:

- Lessons fell through, lots of finding time.

- 21 people in our teaching pool

- New friends! Charles, Darrin, Bryant

- 6 people at in person church

We had 11 of our 12 lessons fall through one day, but we found some elect souls!

Darrin said, "Is there somewhere I could go to be apart of something?"  So we invited him to church! He didn't come this week because of a  miscommunication, but he will soon.

Bryant was so open to the Restoration, and it made so much sense to him! We are calling him tonight so stay tuned for that!

Charles was found while calling the number of a referral we got and it ended up being her son! He was really interested and we were able to drop off a Book of Mormon for both of them!

Our friend Janet said her and her daughter were coming to church and so we were waiting for them. They pulled up and out piled 6 people! Her 4 daughters and her sister also came with her! It was amazing!

Also, we can now do in person day exchanges!!! That's going to amazing

While there were struggles, disappointments and frustrations this week, we still saw miracles. Syracuse is a wonderful area!

Today we were able to go visit a cemetery that has the graves of some of my ancestors! It was really cool being there

At church yesterday, one of the speakers talk about belonging. She shared a few amazing quotes. "You never truly belong until you feel like you deserve to belong" and "the date of your baptism and the date of your conversion are not the same date" and "no one is born converted to Christ"

It was a very, very good talk!

I love you all!! These next 3.5 weeks are going to be the best weeks ever

Love,

Sister Thacker 

Photos

St. Patrick's day picture!

St. Patrick's day green food

Graveyard

I braided Sister Ficklin's hair

Some deer in the cemetery that we walk through.