Dear ครอบครัาที่รักของผม

How are you guys? Another week down here in Surin. We are approaching the halfway point in this transfer. Crazy how time truly does fly! We are truly having such great times here and the responsibility keeps coming from the mission and from the branch as well. I LOVE it! I LOVE being busy, especially for the Lord. I hope and pray that Heavenly Father will continue to use what He can out of me to help His work progress. I'm not sure if I can offer alot, but I'll certainly try.

I'm so excited for conference! I'm amazed at the many strides the Church is taking to help all of it's members understand and more fully come unto Jesus Christ. If you have any extra time, you should check out this URL: https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/to-sweep-the-earth-as-with-a-flood?lang=eng  It's Elder Bednar sharing exactly what and how we can share things on social media. The work is making HUGE strides.

This week has been a crazy experience to say the least. Last week we had planned to see a less active who works at a hospital as the person who preps people who died at the hospital for burial and things like that. The second time that we went and met with him at his work, we met and started talking with him briefly in his work room. I then glanced over and noticed that there was a dead body next to us that was covered by a blanket. I asked Brother Manoon if that was a real body, and he said it was and he lifted up the blanket to reveal that it truly was a dead body. I was stunned. We didn't really stick around all that much longer after that, but we were able to meet with him again and have some really great lessons. It was a pretty crazy experience, to say the least.

There was another crazy experience this last week as well. Elder Reid and I got done with studies, we started riding our bikes to the church. As soon as I turned a corner from a street by our house, I saw two people run out of a side street up ahead a little ways. One man was chasing after another. I thought to myself, "Oh, they are playing tag." Then I realized that they were both grown men. And then I also realized that one of them was a police officer and he was chasing after a thief. The man ran and ran and almost made it away from the cop, but he tripped and face planted it on some gravel and two police officers ran to him and started kicking him and slapping him on the head. Everyone came out of their houses to watch and the two police officers handcuffed him. I couldn't believe what we had witnessed hahah. Needless to say we had a crazy week. 

We had a week full of miracles as well! One of our investigators is preparing to get baptized This upcoming Sunday. His name is Brother Mo and is 17 years old. He is really a funny and smart kid. Keep him in your prayers as the adversary might try to thwart him this week. We also had someone randomly call us on Friday who wanted to come to the church, but told us he would come on Sunday. We called him again to come and he showed up. His name is Brother Joe, who is a sailor but wants to know about Jesus Christ and wants to get baptized. Please keep him in your prayers too. He is truly prepared by Heavenly Father. Apparently he was invited a couple months ago by the sister who were here then but didn't have time to come until now. God works in mysterious wondrous ways:) 

That's about it for this week. I love you all! Thanks again for the package, I'm sad to say that alot of the candy has been consumed hahah.

I love you guys,

Elder Tanner

PS - This picture is of our Ugly Thai Day at district meeting last Tuesday. I hope you enjoy:)

Hello Family!

It is so awesome to see pictures of little Finn and Sean and Jaimie. It is just SO exciting to see all these changes going on in the family! 

I heard that Hayley had a bit of a fall at a gas station the other day. What happened? It sounds like she is doing okay now.

Regarding the Thai girls, the APs texted us last Tuesday and told us that they talked with President Senior and they all agreed that it would be best if Elder Tamang and I follow up taught them and help them get baptized. So yesterday around 6:00 pm we were able to Skype with Sister Nalin. She is SUPER NICE! She showed me a picture of something that you guys sent her with dad and mom and finn in the picture. It was the first picture I had seen of him outside the hospital. She loves you guys so much! We got talking about you guys and she started crying alittle bit. She misses you guys alot. She told us that she didn't have alot of time on Sunday to go to church. In Asoke, the meetings for Thais start1:00 pm and that's when she special tutors, but we told her about the farang ward that starts at 9:00 am and that she could go to that ward when she's not free to goat 1:00 for the time being. She was super happy again. She said she loved going to church every week with you guys and she said that she still really wants to get baptized. Keep praying for her. We are going to Skype her again thisnext Thursday.

This week we were able to see a baptism! There was Sister Mapang and Brother Manat who were baptized. We saw so many miracles with these two, especially Bro. Manat. Bro. Manat has been a Buddhist teacher for over 40 years. He first met with us because he wanted to learn english at first. As we started reviewing the commandments, he started realizing that he must repent. Over the course of the three weeks that we knew him, he was able to repent of sins that he had done and turn to know Jesus Christ. It was SO amazing watching this man who had taught religion alot of his years, come to know and accept that Jesus is the Christ and that he can really be cleansed from his sins -- every single one of them. We all can have experiences like this, we just need to open our mouths and share what we know:) I love being a missionary!

I hope everything is going well work and with the family. I love you guys alot!

Love,

Elder Tanner

Hello hello,

It sure sounds like this week has been a great one! BASEcamp is BOOMING and blessing lives of many! How are we almost in August?? Where has the time gone?

I am glad to hear that you got to meet up with the Santana's again as well. How I love them. I remember all the times where we would go over to their house for parties and how they were just family to us. They also gave us those great Root Beer mugs that we always used for Root Beer floats. Haha great memories. 

Happy happy Birthday Dad!!! What have you guys done for it? Eat any chocolate cake? I had an opportunity to talk with Nalin this past week on Facebook and she said she misses your chocolate cake the most! Hahaha I told her that I felt the same way:) They miss you guys alot.

Transfers are coming up again! I have a friend who is coming into the mission this upcoming transfer. I don't know if you remember Tessa Hermann or not, but she will be coming in with the Elders and Sisters this transfer and there will be another friend coming in December. We are being blessed.

This week we had a new investigator come in to the church. We were starting to teach her and she said something really interesting. She said she was given a Bible about 10 years ago, loved reading it and wanted to change, wanted to follow Jesus Christ, but when she went to go investigate churches, she found a lot of different sects all saying that they had the truth and they were the right church. She was very very confused. (Does this sound familiar? Like Joseph Smith?) But instead of prayer for an answer like Joseph Smith, she forgot about the whole thing and dismissed it as just a different feeling. As we were teaching her the whole time I was silently praying to Heavenly Father, thanking Him for the fullness of the gospel that we now have on Earth. She then asked, "What really is Christianity? Where is the truth?" I was overjoyed and humbled as I said, "We have the answer that you are looking for." My companion Elder Tamang bore a beautiful testimony about the apostasy and about the Book of Mormon. It just strikes me how interesting it is that how clearly you can see the Lord's hand in people's lives. She has been clearly prepared since 10 years ago and beyond that to come and find the truthfulness about Joseph Smith, The First Vision and about the Book of Mormon. I know these things are true, not because I believe other people, but because I've prayed personally about them. Anyone can receive an answer. That's the best part about it:)

How is Sean and Jaimie and Finn doing? Have you gotten to go see them?

Love you all so much! 

Elder Tanner

สวสดีครับ

I almost fell out of my seat here in at the internet cafe when I got news that Sean and Jaimie and baby Finn are all together now. Hahaha I can't even believe that! When I get back, he's going to be already so old! That's incredible! How is Jaimie doing? I hope they are all so great! It's so crazy to welcome a new member into our family:) Hahah I remember Drew would talk about this time when he was on his mission, and now I'm now on mine and it's happened. I'm just thankful I didn't have to wait til a skype or phone call to find out that they had a baby like Sean was planning for Drew when Drew was on his mission;) 

I'm super excited for BASEcamp as well. It sounds like it has turned it to a family operatoin -- the whole family is putting their ideas to make it the best it can be. I'm super excited to hear about what happens this next couple of weeks. I am also very excited for Jane and Nalin. I followed up with Elder Wilson again and he said that they had planned to go to church, but at the last minute called and said they couldn't go this week. I feel this is just another way Heavenly Father is allowing us to show our faith in Him:) He definitely has a plan for the two of them, and I was able to find them on Facebook. Elder Wilson told me he would be striving to pay closer attention to them this next week:) Please continue to pray for the missionaries, the members and Sister Jane and Sister Nalin. I'm very excited for them.

We have been seeing more and more miracles from Heavenly Father as well. About 2 weeks ago we were inviting at Big C. We ran into a boy about 19 years old who immediately expressed interest in coming into the church and learning about Jesus Christ. He said he had been smoking and wanted to stop smoking. The first time we met with him we talked with him about smoking, about the healing power of the Atonement and the power that it had in our own lives. He really took it to heart and pondered the things which we talked about. The spirit touched him deeply that he didn't want to leave the church. The next time we met he told us that he cut down on smoking from 4-5 cigarettes to about 1 or 2 a day and soon quick before his baptism. This last Sunday we were able to see him get baptized, and right before the program was about to start he told me he wanted to give me something. He pulled out from his pocket the last box of cigarettes that he had at his house. He told me that he would never buy a pack of those things ever again. That is what I call true repentance and humility. How blessed are we to get front row seats to see the hand of God! I know without a doubt in my mind that it was Heavenly Father who helped this boy turn from a rugged life into a chance to have a clean slate. The power of the Atonement is real. No 19/20 year old boys could change someone like that. It is solely that power of our Heavenly Father who loves each of His children. How blessed are we!

I hope all is well with the family, which it certainly sounds like. I love this mission! I'm thankful for our Heavenly Father.

I love you all!

Elder Tanner

Dear Awesome Family of Mine,

I love love love all of the things that are happening at home and for BASEcamp. You all have me SO excited for BASEcamp even though I haven't been able to attend or even see how it goes. I know it's got to be great and I know that it is inspired of God as well. I love you all. 

I also have some very exciting news. I have seen in the past couple of months how much the Lord has blessed our family with having Jane and Nalin come to our house and grow closer to you all and to come unto Jesus Christ even more. Last week you were able to send me their telephone numbers and addresses. I was able to print those out and hold on to them. You told me in last weeks email that they would be getting back to Thailand about last Tuesday, so I held onto their names and telephone numbers with the intent to send them as referals to the Elders in Bangkok.Tuesday evening came and I had almost forgotten about sending their information until a thought, which I can testify was not my own, reminded me to send their names to the Elders in Bangkok. I was able to send Jane and Nalin's names and telephone numbers to the AP's at our office in Bangkok, in which area Jane and Nalin's houses are both located. I told the APs about the story about these girls kind of coming surprisingly into our house, and coming to know about the gospel. I told them how much they have progressed and basically related to them everything that you guys have told me over these last couple of months. Elder Wilson (Nephew to Elder Wilson who is serving in the 2nd quorum of the Seventy) was the AP that I talked with and said that he would put these two on top priority. This all took place last Tuesday night (7/9). I was able to follow up with Elder Wilson yesterday night (7/13), to see what had happened. Last Thursday (7/10), these two Thai girls were able to meet with the members and missionaries at the Asoke Building in Bangkok for an appointment, they were able to see that the church does not differ from that in America. They made friends with members there and were taught more about Jesus Christ. Apparently they are of similar age to many of the members in the Asoke Ward. They weren't able to come to church this last Sunday but said that next Sundaythey will be able to go to church and are most definitely learning more with the Elders this upcoming week. WHAT EXCITING NEWS! I hope you all know that your work with them has not been lost. They have not lost any fire, and will soon be baptized. I sit here just amazed and grateful beyond measure for a family who opened their mouths to share the gospel, and for a loving Heavenly Father who knows and loves each and every single one of His children, no matter where they live on this planet. I hope that sometime while I'm still a missionary I'll be able to meet them and maybe serve in their area. Please don't stop praying for Jane and Nalin, and the members and missionaries. Miracles will continue to be done on their behalf. 

As a side note, could you send me the names of them on Facebook? I got approval from President Senior that I could facebook with them every once in a while to help them continue on their journey. If you could send that, that would be great!

The Lord is just pouring out his blessings upon us. Yesterday we were able to see two baptisms of 2 16 year old girls. S. Ging and S. Glass are their names and how great are they. Sister Ging has a testimony of Jesus Christ even before she had met with us. She said one day she had a rough time with family, I'm not sure if it was arguing or other things but she just felt so sad. So she decided to go onto YouTube and search about Jesus Christ. What she saw and felt just brought her to tears and she said that she literally felt someone hug her. 5 days after that my companion walked up randomly to them as he had been inviting and asked them if they wanted to go to church. She said, "YES PLEASE!" And the rest is history. Sister Glass was able to bring her two Buddhist parents to her baptism service yesterday and we overheard her father, as we finished singing, "Abide With Me" in the hymn book, he said, "I could sing two more verses of that song!" He really enjoyed it. There was just a special spirit at church yesterday and it was all made possible by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. 

How I love this work so much! How I love you all so much! 

Love,

Elder Tanner 

Hello ครอบครัวที่รัก,

It sounds like everything is going so great. I love hearing about the struggles and the success with BASEcamp. Without opposition there is no way we could be successful:) I'm glad the Thai girls got to go to the rodeo. Haha I don't think they have anything quite like that here. 

This week I have been learning alot about the role that members really do play in missionary work. If you think about it, even the work that the President of the United States does doesn't even compare to how crucial and important missionary work is. Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints puts on us a huge responsibility, because we hold the keys and the knowledge to help others wake up out of their spiritual fog. I have seen it many times on my mission. Some people didn't even know they were searching for Jesus Christ until they had these simple truths explained to them and then they acted upon it. In our Branch here in Thailand I have seen many examples of how important the members are to the work. I'll give you an example. 

We have a member of about 4 months who is named Brother Champion. He helps us teach all of our investigators. We had one particular investigator, Sister D who was having some troubles feeling guilty about past things she had done in her life. Before we had a lesson with this wonderful investigator, I felt prompted to ask Bro. Champion to help us teach her. As the lesson went by and as we talked about the pure power of the Atonement, a sweet spirit fell over the room and soon we were in tears. Bro. Champion shared that he had a friend who had the same problem as Sister D and shared how she came to know, trust and let Jesus Christ help his friend in her life so that she could overcome those problems. We were able to lay our hands upon our investigators head and give her a blessing of comfort and strength. You could literally feel the presence of angels in that room that day. Because of this member, Bro. Champion, a 17 year old, living a worthy life, wanting to share what he knew with others and trusting in the Savior, our investigator Sister D was able to fight, beat and overcome her hardships and temptations and be baptized the next week. That's the power of members in God's work. Heavenly Father needs his members helping in this work. A few days after this miraculous lesson, Champion told me of what the gospel did for him. He said when he was younger he wanted to go get alot of tatoos. His mom told him not to, but he told all his friends that when he was 19, he would get one for sure. And then he met the missionaries and turned his life all around. When we choose to help in the Lord's work, the people we help are blessed, but more often than not, we are the true benefactors of God's work, for our faith, our testimonies and our eyes are cleared to see the real vision of Heavenly Father's plan and work. Sister D, who was baptized soon changed as well. She has helped us teach in lessons with other investigators and has helped others know that the repentance process is REAL. Before she came into our Church, she said she tried all the other churches she could to get the guilt feelings out of her. She said everywhere she went, it didn't help. She felt guilty and in turn went back to her old ways. But when we had that lesson with Champion, everything changed and she became baptized. Just 3 days ago we had a lesson with her and she told us that she had prayed about being a missionary, and she said, "Elder I got an answer, God said I could do it!". Because of Jesus Christ, Sister D went from a person strung with darkness, guilt and shame, to a humble follower of our Savior Jesus Christ who is pure and whole and will serve a mission in the future. I promise there are stories like that for all of us. I promise you that if you help in this work, your life will have more peace, you will see the lives of others change, but most importantly, I testify that you will see your own life change and mold into what Heavenly Father would have you be. "For behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) I know He lives! And I know that this is His work.

I love you all so much! This week is transfers, I don't know if I will be moving or not, but I really do love P-Log. I'll let you guys know what happens this next week!

Love ya,

Elder Tanner 

Dear sweet sweet family,

It's good to hear from you all again, and feel of your love. I always get so excited to hear about Jane and Nalin and all the progress that is happening. I'm am praying for them as well. 

It's good to hear that Chris Pratt came over! How was he doing? I hear he is working at the temple as well! That's so great! As always I am so grateful for such a great, loving family.

This week has been a harder week for me dealing with problems with investigators. We are teaching two 17 year old investigators who's names are Brother Ice and Sister Smile. They are both extraordinary people who has seen and received answers that the Church is true through prayer. But the only thing is that their parents don't agree with it yet. We were hoping for them to be able to get baptized this last Saturday, but things fell through. I was crushed because I felt like we had prayed, expected miracles and did all we could, yet we still could not help them get baptized. I don't want them to wait years down the road because the desire might get lost in the world or something like that. So much potential will be lost if they don't get baptized. We are hoping and praying that their parents will open their hearts to the gospel. 

We are also helping an investigator repent of some serious things. We recently found some things out which made my heart drop to the ground. It's incredible what the gospel of Jesus Christ can do, about helping people realize sin, and want to throw it all away. But by also trying to help them, we must help bare the burden which is taxing both spiritually and emotionally. I think of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. If it's this hard for me to help someone repent and see their sorrow and pain as they go through it, I can't even imagine what it must have been like for Jesus Christ to take the sin of billions and billions of people who have ever lived on Himself. I just stand in awe as I think about how Jesus Christ loves us so much. I am baffled about why he loves us this much. I have seen more than ever now that this world is a fallen one. The only way we can have hope is through our Savior Jesus Christ.

I love you all, and I hope you have a great next week!

Love,

Elder Tanner