"But wait, there's more!" (RIP Billy Mays)

Fruity Pebbles comes in big bags now....not just Fruity Dyno Bites, no no no...Fruity Pebbles! Miracles do happen. I'm so grateful for that.

I've realized, as I was emailing Scotter just now, that gratitude is going to be the key to success for my Year of Happiness. I realized this because of a lot of different things that have happened.

First, could you, Mama, try to find my father's blessing that mentions Captain Moroni? I remembered it this past week and I need to work on what it told me to do. "But wait, there's more!" It seems there always is...in those infomercials and in real life, but especially in the scriptures.

In Alma 48, it talks about the mighty Capt. Moroni. Alma 48:11-13, 17 describe him with things like "perfect understanding", "a man who did labor exceedingly", "firm in the faith of Christ", and then probably one of the coolest things that could be said of a person, "the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men" if we all were more like him. But why did he have such amazing things said about him? How does he do it? See verse 12. It says he was "a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God." Kaboom. So, how he does it, aka how we can do it, is by working to have our hearts "swell with thanksgiving to [our] God. That's not something that just comes to us, necessarily. We have to work at it, actively searching for things, however small, to be thankful for. As my man Josh Groban put it so well, "There's so much to be thankful for." Isn't there? Listen to that song again and think about it.

What can we do to show more gratitude to God? That includes showing gratitude to those around us because as He said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt. 25:40) Anyone who reads this, I would like your ideas of how you show gratitude. I want to be so full of gratitude to God that I become like Moroni. Why not? I pray for it (along with happiness) every day in the morning and throughout the day, then I thank Him (gratitude) for His help throughout the day in my evening prayer. Keeping Him involved is so important, in everything.

Some of the things I'm grateful for from this past week: 1. I got to go running for about 45 min a week ago, on Monday. (Even with the shin splints. They're gone now.) 2. This Monday (yesterday) we got to be outside and play some sand volleyball. It was actually kinda warm/hot outside...and it's January. Crazy. 3. Our investigator with a baptismal date for Feb. 1 is still on track and improving. 4. His family members are almost all investigating now too. 5. The Lord sent me to Oklahoma. These people are the best. 6. The desires of my heart are recognized by the Lord, even when I don't show it as well through my actions. So I can be forgiven. 7. I'm understanding the stories of the Book of Mormon stories better than I ever have before, this time through it. (Just finished Mosiah today.) 8. The work is picking up again here in Seminole. 9. We got a referral from an investigator in the OTM (Hear that Al?) whose Mama lives in our area and we have an appointment with her Thursday. 10. Our Recent Converts are doing well (Ladybug and Bro. Grier). 11. My family always has my back. No matter what.

Those are just a few. So many more. There really is "so much to be thankful for".

I love y'all. Make it a HAPPY and THANKS-FILLED week.

Love,
Elder Tanner
-I Love the Lord-

Miracles for being OK

Elder H and I were both sick this week. He was barfing and I just felt like poop all the time. I've been using Mama's tricks though. Meds, fruit, and water...lots of water. Why is that the cure for everything? I do not know. Mama knows what's up though. I never got barfy though, thank goulash. Huge blessing. Haven't had that for a while, and that's okay with me. We tried to go out and work, but we got even more sick. We had to stay inside for most of Wednesday, and it was terrible. I don't like it. Nope. This was especially rough since we need new investigators badly, having baptized or dropped or been dropped by most of ours.

Then we started feeling better and got to get some work done. We found 2 new investigators, and 2 potentials in that same family. One of them, so far, has a baptismal date for February 1 and is super excited about it. He called this morning to ask us what he needed to bring to it. A little early, but I don't hate his enthusiasm. He commented a ton in church yesterday too. He's funny.

"that's Bob West in the front. He's a funny li'l recent RM in the Clinton Ward. getting married soon"

Along with that, I had a huge testimony builder this week. I was praying before personal study one day and I felt impressed to ask a specific question for my studies. So I did. Immediately after my prayer I always read the quote of the day from Annette's Conference Calendar. In that quote by Pres. Packer was a direct answer to my specific question. I don't remember having a prayer like that answered so immediately and directly before. It was incredible. I felt Heavenly Father's love for me personally so abundantly. I also felt Grandpa Tanner's presence. That's always such a sacred experience for me. I know he's watching over me too. I think this was all to help me realize that I did receive personal revelation and now I can never deny His answering prayers. I know He does and will. He loves to.

The baptism in Clinton for Zenaida G (that is how you spell it) was a hugely spiritual experience. Zenaida is her real name, but she used to go by Cindy. She informed me that now she's going back to Zenaida. She's Hispanic, so it's said with a Spanish pronunciation. Pops should know, and probably Kev too. Anyway, it was incredible. I've never felt the spirit so strongly at a baptism. Elder T and I went with our new Branch Mission Leader, Bro. White. There were around 10-14 missionaries there. It was so good to meet new missionaries and see some old friend ones too. I felt almost overwhelmingly happy there. So much good happening. My song went miraculously well too, thanks to a lot of prayer previous. I was still SUPER stuffed up and starting to get a cough, but God blessed me. I prayed to be able to bring the spirit, and that happened. It wasn't perfect or necessarily all that great, but it brought the spirit. That's what matters. Another cool answer to prayer.

At Zenaida's baptism

I've started to write down my revelation in my Li'l Book o' Revelation. It is so helpful. I recognize my own revelation so much more often. I recommend it for anyone and everyone. It has changed and strengthened my confidence in my ability to receive revelation, and it can do that for you too. I love it.

The Lord is really blessing me.

Year of Happiness Update: It's working. Like I told some of y'all, it's really changing my nature, not just my behavior. I'm becoming a happy person. There are times that I'm so tempted to not be, but I can't let that happen. Miraculous, eh? If you knew me at all before, you'd say yes:)

Thank y'all for everything. I love y'all and pray daily for y'all.

Love,
Elder Tanner
-I Love the Lord-

2014 - The Year of Happiness

 

Turns out, I start out quite a few letters with that, no? But also turns out, I'm gonna be happy every day of 2014. Even if I get down sometimes, I'm gonna catch myself and look up. I'm gonna do it, and it's gonna be hard, and I'm willing to accept that challenge. Bring it, Satan.

 

So we've had a few investigators drop us and we had to drop one, all in the past week or week and a half. Crazy, yeah? We're praying for miracles for them, especially this girl named Mercedes. She's so solid. We were so sad to see her go. BUT "hope is never lost", as Elder Holland says. And when he says something...you don't refute it. Is refute a word? Did I use it correctly? Oh well. I digress. Is that used correctly..? Anyways!

 

Elder T and I found a ride to Cindy's baptism in Clinton!! Huge miracle! Turns out (there it is again), I'm singing at the baptism. Cindy wants me to. I just got a letter from her that said she was losing hope for getting baptized. This was obviously before she found a way to be able to be baptized, so more miracles! Cindy in general is a miracle/miracle-worker for me. She's such a good example. I'm honored to sing at her baptism. I'm singing I Love the Lord, but to the tune of Be Still, My Soul the way it's written in the Hymnal (Sounds like Dad, no? Hymnal, rather than Hymnbook). Just hoping I don't start to bawl like a wee babila.

 

I'm starting a new thing today. I'm gonna get a little notebook so I can write down revelation every time I receive some. I call it my Li'l Book o' Revelation. Catchy, eh? I'm excited. My District Leader promised me blessings of being able to recognize revelation more if I do this. I'm a huge promised blessings believer, like Shelle has said she is. We kindred spirits, Shellster. How do you feel about that? We both got the unsolicited faces down too! Ann dog has those too though...and really most of our family. Even Mamasita has her "Tiger face", which I do sometimes, not actually to relieve stress, though it does anyway. I just think it's funny.

 

Been struggling lately sometimes, but Satan's got nothing on me. Silly Satan. It's not worth it to get down, ya know? Satan will drag us down to Hell from even the smallest of negative feelings. It can lead to lots of sorrow and gloom. Why let it? Silly natural man.

 

That's not a very happy note to end on, now is it? So I'm crazy excited to start a new year, with a brand new start. It's gonna be wonderous, am I right? It's up to us. "Water what you want to have grow", right Mama? I share that with lots of people. I've......learned to love it.....#missionaryprobs Thanks Mama.

 

I love all y'all so muchly much. Don't you forget it. Pray for y'all daily too. Nice of me, I guess. Y'all deserve it.

 

Love,

Elder Tanner "Bill"

-I Love the Lord-

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-