There ain't no room for sadness.

Elder Tanner with Elder S.

This (the subject of my letter) is a choice, just like happiness. I think this helps make being happy much easier though. We, or at least I, so often leave sadness so much room to fill whenever it pleases. For why? It's so silly. Why not, instead, make that room for happiness? Then it can and will flow freely into us and fill us with LIGHT. (Good, eh Mama? Light!) I'm working on making room for that light and happiness. I want it to fill me. What are you making room for? HMMM??

This week has been wild. Elder H is now home in Dallas, but Elder S is now here in Seminole! I was having real trunky feelings for the first time Wednesday night. Never felt the real deal before...never want it again. Thinking about E. H being home prompted it, I think. I chose to change the way I felt though. The mind is powerful, but we have to use it correctly, eh? Turns out, Elder S has this transfer and then 2 more before he goes home....another nearly-dead one. I guess Pres. Walkenhorst liked how it went with E. H, or he feels like I still have more to learn in that way. Probably the latter. I have SO much to learn, and I love it. I love learning more than I ever have before. It isn't fun a lot of the time while it's happening (the growth and learning), but it's so very worth it.

Quick side note: I told all the other Birfday boysies for this week Happy Birthday, but I don't have John Schouten's email....so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHNNY-KINS! Oh, one of my Zone Leaders looks and acts like a mix between you and Jordan, your bro. Wild, eh? It is, just in case you didn't know. It was wild. Let me tell you. Good times though, serving with both of y'all. Wish I could for real. We'd be unstoppable. Make it a great week and day commemorating your birth! And don't forget what day that is....ya know...the Day o' LOVE! Go date someone, or something:) Love you, busco.

Elder S is from Loomis, Cali. So right near Rocklin, eh Kev? He was in Rocklin First Ward, I believe. I was telling E. S about how we visited for the wedding reception and went four-wheeling with Mike McGuire and had those crazy good pancake cups and all that good stuff. He's not sure if he knows the McGuires or not. I even tried to spark a memory with a reference to Kev's street name back in High School: Kevin "The Fire" McGuire. Nothing still. We'll see.

I'm excited for this transfer! Elder T, my mission best friend, is our District Leader! It rocks. He's such a great missionary. Love him.

We have some Part-Member families we're working with that are interested, so we're pretty dang excited about that...of course. One named Whitney Keltch (daughter of Sis. Keltch) had some worries about messing up after baptism, and we were able to resolve those through testimony of the Atonement and the cleansing power of the Holy Ghost (see BD: Holy Ghost). I love these people we're teaching. They really are His elect. A tell-tale sign of the elect: they accept the Book of Mormon as the word of God and another testament of Jesus Christ. That tool is more powerful than...well, almost anything. Love it, use it, live it, share it. For realsies.

Sorry if my emails are hard to follow...I'm easily distracted, eh? Plus, I write in my journal, then sometimes forget to write those things in emails. Whoops:) Worth it to have a journal, sorry.

I love y'all so much. I'll keep praying daily for all y'all if you'd like....or even if you don't like:) I love to pray for everyone, so too bad. Make room for happiness and light this week!

Love,
Elder Tanner
-I Love the Lord-

Elder Tanner and Elder H

Short, but sweet action.

Joshua Randall Underwood was baptized by Elder "Bill" Tanner this past Saturday. It's such a cool experience every time I get to baptize or confirm someone. Unfortunately, church was cancelled yesterday and he was not confirmed, yet. He will be next Sunday. He's great and already wants to come out with us. Even bought a bike so he could.

 

It snowed 4 whole inches yesterday, shutting down all of Oklahoma. Yup...4 inches. It's so funny to me. It is really icy though. Especially today. The cold really cuts through you here. It's amazing what it'll go through...everything, basically. I'll send pictures of the snow another day.

 

Elder H is still going home this week. I found out I'm...........staying. Surprise! But I'm super excited. My new companion will be Elder S! He's been an office Elder for the past few transfers, so he's just getting back to the proselyting stuff now. That'll be exciting. And like the rest of my comps so far, he's been out for quite a while. Elder T is the new DL and his comp, Elder B, is staying too. Sister B is leaving, but Sister W is getting a newbie, who will be going home at the same time as me. Crazy, eh? I guess that means I've been out 6 months then...don't know if it seems incredibly fast or not. Probably.

 

Sorry this is so short. I'm loving this and working Elder H to his death...mission-death, that is. Glad to have served with him.

 

I love y'all so dang much, and continue to pray for y'all daily.

 

Love,

Elder Tanner

-I Love the Lord-