HAPPY NEW YEAR! Best. Year. Yet.

I've decided that 2014 is gonna be the best year yet. I'm gonna make it that way. Why not, right? Right.

 

It was SO good to talk to y'all on Christmas! I really gain a lot of strength from talking to and writing y'all. I think it's hard for a lot of missionaries, but for me it's helpful. Really helpful. So motivating too. I think that's because of the family and friends I have. Aren't we blessed. I may have mentioned this all before, but it's so dang true! Couldn't be more grateful for my family and friends.

 

We got to talk in church yesterday, all 6 missionaries. It was really good. Good to be able to talk to everyone. This branch is so awesome. They love us so much and I really love them.

 

Mama and Papa Choate had their 50th Anniversary Celebration this week. That's the Grandparents of the whole Choate fam. They are such good people. Even more Choates than normal were here, so it was a crazy week. We also had lunch at Choate Ranch (Mama and Papa Choate's land) on Sunday after church. There were so many people in that little house. I got to have some really great conversations with both Mama and Papa Choate. Talking to them each made me miss and appreciate my grandparents even more. I miss all of them a lot. All four of them. Though I know Grandpa Tanner is always with me. In D&C, where it says that angels will be round about us to bear us up, Grandpa's one of those angels for me. I know it. I've felt his help, guidance, and love very often. It's amazing. His missionary spirit is contagious. I love it. Such a blessing.

 

We've been struggling to find new investigators and to meet with our current investigators. They're all sick, out of town, or causing problems. Such is missionary life though, eh? Everything works out for our good in the end, if we're obedient. Obedient and Kind, and we're OK.

 

We did the Haka this morning. Elder T taught us how they did it on his island before track meets. It was pretty fun. We're starting Insanity again, I think. It's gonna be....well, insane. It'll be good for me though. I'm just a li'l guy, ya know. Not after Insanity though. It's out of control.

 

Well, the work is working, as Sister Beckstead says.

 

Love y'all tons,

Elder Tanner

-I Love the Lord-

Merry CHRISTmas!!! "And that's what it's all about!" (Copyright Hokey Pokey Industries 1987)

"So this is Christmas, and what have you doooooone?" (I think those are the words.)

Wild that Christmas is here, no? It's wild, wild stuff to me. I tell you what. It's so different on the mission, but so good. 

I don't have tons of time, but it's okay...for reasons that will be revealed to y'all sometime this week.

So, we've been trying to get new investigators, after our baptisms. They took up a lot of our time, and still kind of do, since now missionaries teach the new member lessons. It's crazy. My goal now is to ask for referrals from everyone. Literally everyone. We're supposed to be doing that already, but I haven't been too good at it. Another thing we've been focusing on is OYM'ing everyone. We did with a guy the other day and he said he wanted us to stop and talk to him and had been wanting to change his life. He proceeded to tell us basically his whole life story...Okie talker. He's a great guy though. "There can be miracles, if you believe."

I'm so glad to have this special time of year to reflect on the Savior's birth, life, death, suffering, His names (thanks to y'all), and his resurrection. One thing I loved in the Christmas Program in Sacrament Meeting this week was that they talked about the Millennium being like an ongoing Christmas season for 1000 years. Doesn't that sound amazing? It's that song come true..."If every day could be Christmas". Every day will be, and for 1000 years! What a blessing, eh?

We, the Seminole Missionaries, sang in the Branch Choir for the Christmas Program yesterday. It was...interesting. Actually, the actual meeting went well. There were definitely angels singing with us. I prayed so hard that we would be able to bring the spirit into the meeting. I also have missed singing in choirs...odd, I know. It was fun to do that again. 

The basses from Mads have an email chain, and we've been talking about that recently. We had some fun times, wild times. I miss singing with The BIG4 a lot too. I've been so blessed to be a part of such great things. 

So, I'm getting rather excited to talk to y'all. I don't get homesick thinking about y'all...it's like the opposite. I get super duper motivated! It rocks. It's because I've been blessed with such great friends and family! There's no reason to be sad about stuff. Just be happy, why not?

I love y'all so muchly tons. For realsies. Thank you. For it all.

Love, 

Elder Tanner

-I Love the Lord-

Here again...

So I'm staying in Seminole for another transfer....and Elder H is staying here with me! First time I get to keep a comp for 2 transfers in a row! And this is his last transfer so I'll be his last comp. I'm stoked.

I'm super excited to stay here for Christmas! The members here are so awesome. They love the missionaries and are starting to do more missionary work!

pictures from the Christmas social in Seminole

Sorry for a kinda short letter...last P day as a district.
 
DH was baptized this past Saturday and I got to perform the baptism! Really cool experience! Elder H confirmed her on Sunday, and the new Stake Pres was there. Reminded me of Pops.

I got to go on exchanges this past Thursday and Friday. We did them back to back because of the shortened transfer and the crazy weather. I was in Shawnee for two days. It's hard being away from your area for that long, but I had a ton of fun, learned so much and had some incredible miracles/experiences. I've never not been District Leader's comp, so I've done a lot of exchanges. This next transfer, E. Hernandez will no longer be DL, so I'll only do probably 2....so weird.

Our mission goal of 50 baptisms is going well. Still needs work though. We're working on one or two more, we hope!
 

Thank y'all so much for all you do! Anything and everything makes a huge difference!

I'm not sure exactly when I'll be calling. Let me know what would be best for y'all! Don't know how to feel about talking to y'all...but it'll be good:)

 Love,
 Elder Tanner
 -I Love the Lord-

Helping us get to 50

DG was baptized on Saturday, and I had the opportunity to confirm him. We ended up doing it then, on Saturday, because church was cancelled due to FREEZING cold weather and, despite the "fact" that "it doesn't snow in Oklahoma", snow. But quite a few missionaries were able to come to the baptism. It was really cool. He's had a lot of missionaries teach him. This was a huge testimony builder for me that I'm where I'm supposed to be right now. I love the Gs almost like grandparents. They love us too. We have lots of fun and really spiritual times together. Bro. G is gonna be an amazing contribution to the Branch. I thought he was a member already my first week here. He's one of those people...super solid. Love that guy.

"Bro. G. said he felt like the jumpsuit was from a jail. I told him it must be a pretty nice jail....all white and stuff"

 The snow....the stuff that comes every year to Utah, but not Oklahoma...not much at least. It's here. And it's below freezing every day. We have been grounded a couple of days this past week, which is rough. We still walked to visit one potential family and turns out, they've met with missionaries before. Had a cool lesson though. They're so nice. Their kids love me too. What can I say? It's just the way I be.

Our two baptisms set for this Saturday dropped. One for sure, one maybe...probably. Church was just the 6 Seminole Missionaries yesterday, so we didn't have any investigators there. Too freezy out. So E can't be baptized this week, having only been to church twice. He will be eventually though. He's still pretty hesitant and can be difficult sometimes, but we're working on it, of course. Still love him. Lady Bug has been in Shawnee this week, trying to stay out of the cold, with some of her friends. Hopefully she'll come back soon, like today, so we can teach he more. She's been to church enough, just need to finish the lessons with her. It all depends on if she can come back to Seminole yet. Don't want her to freeze. She's awesome though. Love her too.

Church yesterday was sweet action. Rough because it was just the 6 missionaries, but awesome cause we had a powerful testimony meeting where we all bore testimony, and we watched "Israel, Israel God is Calling", a CES Devotional by Elder Holland....So, of course it was amazing. If y'all haven't seen it, watch it. I dig it...so much. It's the one where he tells us not to check our religion at the door...ever. I get the chills just thinking about it! Whoo! Then we figured out some things we need to work on in this Branch. It's gonna be good! We're already doing The Games, a competition between all the families in the Branch, doing missionary work and other church-related things, but also funner things like making a Mormon Harlem Shake and other FHE activities. They seem excited about it.

We introduced a fam to The Games last night, after we had dinner and watched the Christmas Devotional with them. It was our Branch Mission Leader's fam. The Mom and Grandma are Filipino, so we had amazing Filipino food! They also had some nastysag rice gelatin dessert thing....tasted like raw eggs and was like Jello, but thicker...so I gagged a li'l bit. Like, an actual gag. But I finished it. We all tried it and none of us liked it....pretty funny though. They're a great family. Turns out, I forgot it was Christmas-time... Even with all the snow and freezy-ness and christmas decorations and even Christmas gifts from the G's...still forgot. But the Devotional reminded me. Really great Devo. too. I loved the question of What happens next? That's a good question for everything, including Christmas. Always good to hear from the prophet too. Love that guy. I almost felt sad missing the Fast Sunday deal with caroling and all, but I was fine, actually. I thought it would be harder. Thought of y'all though. Felt some love vibes too, sent some back. Hopefully y'all feel them too. 

Fun at the K's home

 Speaking of...I'll be only calling on Christmas, no Skype. But it's all good with me. I really want to talk to everyone, if possible. I wanna talk to Ann too. But especially Tato. Tato must be there. We need to talk, bro. No offense to y'all, but I miss him probably most. Turns out, my whole life has been spent with him by my side, no matter what. Despite all I do to bug him. I don't have a closer friend. So....he's gotta be there:) Ya hear, Tato?? Good.

I love y'all so dang much. Don't have too much fun without me. Jk, have tons of fun!

Love,

Elder Tanner

-I Love the Lord-

The Lord's hand is in everything we do. Did ya know?

SO...turns out we have 2, maybe 3, baptisms these next two weekends. Talk about miracles.

 

I don't have much time to write, cause we have a Zone P day today. But here it goes.

 

Bro. G, a member's husband is getting baptized this Saturday, the 7th. DH "Lady Bug" is going to be baptized the next week, the 14th. Super exciting. E might be getting baptized that day too.

 

Did exchanges with the ZL's this friday. Elder C and I were here in Seminole, and we ended up teaching all three of our baptismal dates lessons Friday. It was some of the best lessons I've had my whole mission. Really. I learned so much from Elder C. He's a great missionary and an awesome leader.

 

E fasted with us on Sunday. He made me go up with him to bear his testimony, but he did it! It was so cool. He told us he wants to stop smoking now, since his fasting. HUGE miracle. We were kind of losing hope (I know we shouldn't), but I've really been trying to focus on the fact that each and every one of God's children need this gospel. No matter what.

 

We had a mission-wide fast for 50 baptisms in December, as a stepping stone for 100 baptisms in a month, our mission vision. Vision 100, as Pres. Walkenhorst calls it. We're going to do it this month. I know it.

 

The Lord has been extra quick and/or specific at answering my prayers lately. It's amazing. He knows us each so personally and wants to bless us. He's just waiting for us to ask and act.

 

We had a Turkey Bowl Thursday morning, and we ate dinner at the G's that night. It was so good to play football again.

 

Also, I found a cool scripture that goes along with Bishop Linton's turning to Christ, rather than turning from past sins. It's in Alma 39:12-13. There are some other cool verses in that chapter as well about not letting the sins of others be an excuse for our transgressions. Good reminders. (If you could share that with Bishop and tell him I share that with a lot of people and it really helps, I'd appreciate it.)

 

It's nice to see some outward success, after not having much, if any, the rest of my mission so far. But I've also learned to really appreciate the inward, smaller miracles and successes. I love Him for both.

 

I know the Lord has a personal plan for every single one of His children, our brothers and sisters, no matter how we've treated Him in the past, or will in the future.

 

Thank you for all you do. I'm so grateful for you. (HEY, I rhymed.)

 

Love y'all,

Elder Tanner

-I Love the Lord-