Really, I'M the one who's SUPER blessed because I hear from y'all every
week! Thanks so much to those who email or write every week. I know I
never did that, with friends, siblings, cousins, anyone. I was real bad
at writing...still am, but I gotta share things somehow!:)
So, I read y'all's letters to me in that blue
folder...man...amazing. I've gotten more guidance from those than from
most other sources. Thank you all SO much. I loved them a lot. And
thanks Mama, for putting them together. ANY advice is welcome and
embraced, so please send any y'all have for me.
PS. i saw college football on at an investigator's house one
night......I almost died. It was wild. Cool about BYU beating Texas, no?
What was the score?
One thing I like that my mission pres. said in the stake conf. here
was his version of the 49ers coach's saying. My mission pres says, "Who
has it better than us, as we feel the spirit? NOBODY!" Something like
that. I like it.
On Tuesday, Elder P and I committed to follow every prompting of the
spirit we recieved, and it was an AWESOME day. We found a lot, not just
that day, but this week. And we have a couple 18-yr-olds (so, my age),
who are pretty solid investigators now! Sweet, no?
The G's cancelled their appointment with us two Fridays ago,
and we haven't heard from them since. And they haven't answered when
we've stopped by. C and A (other investigators), and D (C's dad), disappeared
the other day. They left their apartments, we think, cause they haven't
been answering. And the last time we were there, we talked with D and
he got pretty emotional when we read scriptures about not worrying about
temporal things, and seeking the Kingdom of God first. He told us about
how they were struggling with rent, and they were now supposed to pay
for electric and other bills. I guess it was too much for them. I hope
they're alright. We've seen A at some other apartments, near ours.
We think it's her. So they may be laying low with some friends. Who
knows... well, God does. We'll see.
Another investigator is SOO solid. She's been
investigating since a while before I got here. She knows it all and is
progressing a lot. There's just one thing, she is living with a man and
they have kids together, some teenagers and a toddler. He, her boyfriend
I guess, is not very interested in the Church. We taught him once
and it went pretty well, but we haven't since then. Her son was baptized right before I got here. He's good, but has had
some struggles with fighting other kids. He's 14, but a BIG 14-yr-old.
We've been trying to help him, and he might start passing the Sacrament
soon! If he comes to church. They didn't come yesterday, cause her
job (walmart) worked her pretty hard and late Saturday night, so she was
too tired. I hope she's alright. We're trying to help her a lot.
We found a really great family. The dad looks like Uncle Scott,
just a little darker skin, cause he's Mexican. They're great, but are
pretty comfortable with their beliefs...like lots of people here.
I wanna try the more wealthy parts of town, but Elder P stays
away from them. I asked him about it, and he said he guesses he just
assumes they won't listen. (Al, he's like you said you were i
think.) But he said he'd be willing to try some. I'm going to make sure
we do.
I hear Consider the Lilies on my iPod all the time, and I think of
you, Mama! I love it. Also, I pulled a Mama the other day. One of the
Elders from Elk City, Elder T, was really sick and eventually
had to go to the ER. But I suggested that Elder P and I should pray as a
companionship for him when we got their text...like our almost
daily special family prayers for anyone who texted or called Mom about
something hard in their life:) So, Mama, thanks for the great example.
He's totally fine now! Elder T, that is.
There's a Guatemalan fam that comes to our English class
every week, and they invited us over to their house for the dad's bday
party last week. It was madness...I couldn't understand anyone, and
there were tons of people in a pretty little home. The kids literally
were running around screaming and no one did anything about it...so
funny. I loved it though! Even if I couldn't understand. I just tried to
understand, so I didn't fall asleep, like I kind of did at one of our
appointments with another Spanish-speaking couple...oops:) (It wasn't
bad though, Mom, no worries. Just for a couple seconds.) Elder P
goes into Spanish mode every time after we talk with Spanish-speaking
people...it's pretty funny. He's kind of an awkward Elder...but I love
him. He and I both think I'll be taking over the area after just the
first transfer, instead of 2. I could just get another spanish-speaker
comp. But obviously, we don't speculate...kinda:) Elder P has the
worst texting pause EVER. Worse than Ann Dog. Yeah, crazy.
I read from the BofM everyday, I'm in 2 Nephi, and I've gotten SO
much more out of it than ever before. I love that book so much! Jacob's
anxiety always reminds me of Mama:) And in Moroni 8 reminded me of Dad's
letters to me. Read it and change it to our names, Papa. It's pretty
amazing. And I need to thank you for your letters, Mom and Dad. They are
so incredible. They've really changed my life. I mean that. Thank you
so much for the support and prayers. From everyone. They are literally
the only way I get through some mornings. Mornings are harder for me,
but I love when we get to go out and share the Gospel and this
happiness!!! I can't even explain it.
I've had some incredible answers to prayers recently. One was when
we were visiting a LA, , and he had some friends over,
nonmembers. We shared a Mormon Message with them about the BofM. (ps.
EVERY missionary should have the Mormon Messages DVDs with them. They
are such an incredible tool. We need iPads out here.) While we watched
it, I prayed for his friends to really feel the spirit through it.
and from the things they shared afterwards, they did! She even said she
"felt actually pretty moved by it." Answers to prayers are real?? Sure
thang. Tangent real quick, he came to church, which is awesome esp.
cause he works a ton and usually can't, but he finally could. First
time coming back, and the ward (amazing Clinton ward) were awesome at
fellowshipping him. They showed a lot of love for him and his two little
girls. They're VERY important to him, so that was a miracle. Then he
suggested that he come out with Elder P and I later for visits, and he
was essential in the meeting we had with a LA. Essential.
The other specific answer to prayer was in my personal study. I
prayed to learn something specific for a current or future investigator.
I believe I did. I don't know who for yet. I had just happened to read
the Proclamation to the World the night before and then that day I kept
turning to scriptures about family and marriage, by chance. It
was incredible. I hope to use it to help someone (or more than
one) someday!
Our district has grown pretty darn close lately, esp. at dinner at
the W's yesterday. And today we're going to a museum together for P
day! It'll be awesome. We got a third sister too! she's from Puerto
Rico! So, that threesome, the Elk City Elders, and us (Clinton Elders)
make up the District. It rocks. Elder T tried to convince one
sister he was from Texas, then yesterday he tried to convince the new
sister that he was from Peru. He always says little phrases of Español.
Super funny.
I also still do perdiddle, and the yellow light thing on my bike. I
do perdiddles on the left handle and the yellow light name spelling
between the left handle and brake:) Only some will understand this, like
Tato.
Elder P does play piano and sings too, Dad. He's pretty darn
good at piano. He's playing right now, actually:) He's great. Amazing
trainer. He was taught by his second comp. to pray for his future wife
in the last comp. prayer of the week (sunday night, daily planning
closing prayer). So we do that. I like it. I don't any other time, cause
my "heart is locked". Look up the Lock Your Heart talk, if you don't
know what i'm talking about:)
I love this so much, despite some REALLY hard times. Tomorrow
night, Elder B and his comp. are sleeping over! Cause we have a
meeting in the City on Wednesday morning. That'll be fun! some people
don't get to see their MTC district much in the field, but i'm blessed:)
And it just happens to be the Elder that went to my High School! Dulce
accion. (Español for sweet action)
I love y'all so much and pray for ALL of you daily. Thanks for the
prayers and support. It means a lot, esp. out here. Hope y'all had tons
of fun for Scotty's bday!
Love y'all,
Elder Tanner
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