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.

Week 74 "OD!! Get off the phone!"

What an eventful week!

Highlights:

- Carolyn and Otis

- Referrals!

- Spring

- President Vest calling us on Duo

- Pie day!

So, we were eating dinner on Saturday and President Vest randomly started video calling us on Google Duo! He got a notification that the Syracuse East sisters were on Duo, so he thought he would just give us call! Stressful, but super nice

It got really really warm this week! Then it went back to freezing, but there were some cute flowers in the graveyard we walk through!

We got so many referrals this week! We found 5 new friends and have been having some amazing lessons! Especially all of the Restoration lessons. Our mission is focusing on powerfully teaching the Restoration, so that's amazing!!

Also, Carolyn and Otis have been the highlight of this week... Just some funny quotes from their phone calls.

- "OD! Hang up the phone!"

- "I'm sorry, I'm just smackin' "

- "I dropped the phone"

- "Did I miss the prayer?"

- "My sweet potato pie is so good!"

- "Not to toot my own horn, but I am such a good cook"

Another fun thing! We made mini apple pies for pie day! It was last minute because we didn't know until someone at church told us, but they turned out pretty good!

My spiritual thought comes from the talk yesterday in church. So small backstory, this past week I have been struggling with being okay with never being a trainer or Sister Training leader in my mission. It was making me feel less than. But, at church yesterday, a sister gave a talk about stewardship. She gave some simple definitions and basically, she said that stewardship is less about who you are assigned to and more about who God needs you to serve, whether its an assignment or the Holy Ghost prompting you to reach out. One specific part of it that I liked was when she said something to the effect of, "The Lord cares about each stewardship. Our stewardships are valued the same as the Prophets."

So if you are ever feeling less than because your responsibility is lower than others, remember these quotes and that we are all stewards of the Lord in His kingdom on earth.

I love you all!! See you in 1 month!!

Sister Thacker

Pictures

Cute flowers around the grave

Graveyard pics!

Good quotes

Our mini apple pies🥧

Week 73 Last transfer!!!

So this week was transfers... I ended up getting transferred to a new area! I am in Syracuse East now!

Fun fact, I have never served where I was called... I was called to the Rochester mission before the missions merged and I have not served in the old boundaries of the Rochester mission. Crazy!

So I left those 6 beautiful souls on date for baptism in Bennington and now I am here, building the kingdom! There are some great members here! We also have some amazing friends!

My new companions are Sister Krieger and Sister Ficklin. Sister Krieger is from Texas and Sister Ficklin is from Washington! Sister Krieger was supposed to go to the Dominican Republic, but is reassigned here so she is a Spanish speaking missionary and we are teaching some people in Spanish! I have learned how to pray in Spanish so far One of our Spanish Speaking friends is on date for April 11th! Her name is Alta!

We had 5 people join church yesterday!! We also have 3 different church sessions because only 50 people are allowed and we have a ward So I have done 50/50 Branch/Ward on my mission.

I was sad to be leaving Bennington and all of the amazing people there. But there is a line in Preach my Gospel that talks about leaving the area better than you found it, and I feel like I have done that and so I feel okay with leaving. Plus I will be home in 6 weeks, so it's not that long until I can talk to them again 

Syracuse is way different from Bennington and, in all honesty, all of my other areas. It's super weird to be in a big city. There are 3 sets of missionaries in this ward and that is weird too. One of the other sisters is Sister Johnson, my former companion! She is so cute! I got to see her yesterday at church and tell her that Peter from Bennington is on date!

It was a very surreal feeling to be driving across New York, realizing that it was my last time driving across the state. I am now 30 minutes from the airport.

Anyways, this is going to be an amazing transfer and there are going to be so many miracles! These last 6 weeks are going to be incredible.

My Spiritual thought comes from the missionary devotional this week by Sister Aburto. She talked about Divine Patterns. As missionaries, this is the perfect time to learn divine patterns. The divine patterns she taught us are:

  1. Obedience to the commandments

  2. Hard work

  3. Scripture study

  4. Prayer and following promptings

  5. Finding joy in the Lords work

  6. Focusing on people

  7. Relying on the Power of Jesus Christ's Atonement

My favorite phrase she said was, "We are Spiritual beings, clothed in mortal bodies." She was talking about how we need to take care of our mortal bodies, but also not run faster than we have strength. Sometimes our spirits want to go more than our mortal bodies can at that time. Rest and refocus are important!

I love you all! I hope you have an amazing week and remember that God loves you

Photos

My new comps!

A black squirrel!

Our church building

A beautiful sunset

The Bennington monument

And then a sunrise

Goodbye Robert Frost!

At the Laundromat today

Week 72 "Busy, Busy Busy!"

This week has been packed! We are teaching so many people from Facebook and our own areabook. We have 6 lessons every night from 6-9! Its amazing!

Garth and Stephanie are doing well! Still working towards baptism, and please continue praying for them! We saw them at the store today too!

Peter is doing great as well! He is still working towards baptism too! He came to church yesterday and he is beginning to live the Word of Wisdom! We are also giving up habits to help him... so pray for him and us as we all overcome our habits. I am trying not to pop my knuckles...

Kelly is doing amazing! Still working towards baptism. She is also striving to live the Word of Wisdom. She has such a strong testimony! Keep her in your prayers

Catherine is amazing as well! She loves reading conference talks and is so excited for General Conference right before her baptism! We hope that will help her testimony of Priesthood Power.

Tracy has been going through a rough patch, so keep her in your prayers!

The work is progressing so much here in Bennington! Hopefully I don't get transferred this week, but we will see. Anything goes this transfer because it's my last transfer and I have been here for 3 transfers.🤷‍♀️ that's right folks, I have 6 weeks left

That's about if for this week, but the Lord is hastening His work!

There is a beautiful verse from the Book of Mormon that I wanted to share. Jesus Christ was talking to the people in ancient America and He was going to leave them, but then He says this in 3 Nephi 17:6-8,

"6 (...) Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.

7 Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.

8 For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you."

Jesus Christ can heal you, but you need to show your faith in Him! Sometimes He doesn't take away the trial, but He can lift and strengthen you in your trials.

I love you all!

Have an amazing week!

Sister Thacker

Pictures

Our snowman - Doris, best walk ever!

District picture!

Gorgeous Sunset