Thrasher, Evelyn T

Happy Monday!     This week was phenomenal, we stayed busy and had just a happy attitude about everything.      We got to do a ton of lessons with members of the church in our area (We call them members of our ward which is just a fancy word for congregation). They all went awesome! The people are super kind and always give us way too much food, but I'm not complaining.      We saw Ibrahim again this week; he seems to really like having us over. He always says he needs our help in the garden, but really we just pick about 10 cherry tomatoes and then he cooks us a full African meal and chats with us. He loves to laugh and knew that there was Stake Conference (when a bunch of wards meet together at once) but he wasn't interested in going. He texted us after to ask if we like okra, then told us to "preach the gospel, flip some people off, and resume your life". He has great advice, obviously. I was almost tempted to follow it when we were yelled at o...

Hi everybody!     I have learned so much this week and I have been doing so much. Last Monday feels like 10 seconds ago, but when I really stop to think about what I did last week, it feels like 10 years. Either time works weird on the mission or the smoke from all the wildfires around here is starting to affect my cognitive functions. Probably a little bit of both.     Well this week started with visiting some people we haven't seen at church for a while. We just went to check on them and make sure they were doing alright.  Something I love about the mission is that people are so open and willing to share their lives with you, even if you just met 10 minutes ago. I love people!     Our lessons keep cancelling, which is still frustrating, but it gives opportunities to meet people we wouldn't have met otherwise. Something I have come to appreciate more is Facebook! Just like ye olde missionaries were guided to knock on the doors of the people who were p...

Hi everybody!!     I'm shocked that it's Monday again already. It's true what they say; the days drag on forever but the weeks and the months fly by. So much happened but can I really remember any of it? Nope.      I do know I had my first zone conference! This is when about 80 missionaries from my zone and some surrounding zones in my mission all get together and listen to the mission president (leader of the mission) and other leaders give lessons on missionary work and gospel topics. It was super uplifting and was focused on covenants (two-way promises we make with God). It really made me reflect on how much Heavenly Father loves me, you, and all our families!! The next day we had interviews with the mission president. This is when we get to chat with him about how we've been doing, concerns we have, struggles we're going through, etc. President Weekes is an incredible man! He is so close to the Holy Ghost and always knows what to say to help us through our t...

Happy Monday email crew! We're still alive in Oregon! This week has been hectic, chaotic, dramatic, and went by so fast. We had awesome lessons, cancelled lessons, creepy service projects, and fun service projects. It was a missionary week to the extremes. Good thing is, I love the 3 other girls I spend most of my time with and they feel like sisters to me at this point.  We got to teach Louis, who has met with missionaries on and off for a few years. He has an awesome belief in God, but he struggles with the idea of baptism because he is very afraid of water. We would appreciate your prayers for him! We got to... not... teach Chris. He has also met with missionaries for a while, but he's a little bit of a flakey guy and has stood us up twice this week. But everybody we've heard from says he is a super solid guy, we just need to actually get to know him! Prayers for him would be appreciated too! We helped Judy (says everybody in her synagogue calls her Jewie) move wood and ...

Hola de Eugene! Today's subject line comes from the first thing I wrote in my journal on my first day in the field. I know everybody says missions are hard, but now I know why. Sorry but this email will be long because Hermana Thrasher has a lot of juice to tell y'all.  So I finished the MTC! I took a language test, did some ending questionnaires, and logged off the zoom for the last time. A very unceremonious graduation, but I was so busy packing and trying to find a dual voltage hair dryer that it really didn't matter much. Saying goodbye to my district was hard since we had gotten so close, but I'm proud of all of them and the work they will do all over the world. And then, I got myself on a plane and flew to Oregon. It's gorgeous here and it's hot! Maybe not Texas heat, but my area is a walking area and I am drenched in sweat after 5 minutes outside. I will not lie to y'all, the first few days were muy dificil. I walked into a small, funky smelling apart...