Howdy Howdy Howdy! 

First and foremost, thank you so so so much for going to Steven's farewell. I know that meant alot to him that you guys were there. Thank you for having gone to all of my friends farewells and showing your and my love for them. It means alot to them and it means the world to me. Thank you thank you:) I'm humbled at Steven's kind words, but in actuality it's quite the reverse of what he has said. I have learned so much from my group of friends, especially Steven. He is super in tune with the spirit and knows how to help people. I thank our Heavenly Father for him, my good friends and such a wonderful family!

How busy the Christmas season seems like for you guys! Haha I love hearing about all the activities!  I sure hope you guys enjoy the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Concert! That's one thing that I want to do when I get back, is go and see one of their concerts live. I am also surprised by the assignment of the Elders to the stake! How awesome is that?! I remember not seeing the Elders very often in our stake before I left and now they are going to be there full time. That's amazing! This work is truly moving forward. 

The Lord is moving the work here in Thailand faster and farther than ever before through our mission president, President Senior. How grateful I am for him. Last month he set a goal to have every companionship have a baptism and through the miracles that happened, we had 110 people get baptismed in the month of November in Thailand! Can you believe that?! The Lord has opened up the windows of heaven. We are striving to do that again this month and in the month of January he has set a goal for 200 people to get baptismed. I have full faith that we can get this goal. President Senior, through the inspiration of our Heavenly Father is truly shaping a new revolution in Thailand. We hope and pray for a temple here soon, and we hope and pray for the 200 people to get baptized next month here in Thailand. With Heavenly Father, all things are possible. I have seen His hand in all things and we believe. 

Yesterday, we were able to have a baptism for Sister Fan. Thank you all for your prayers in behalf of them. We really felt and saw miracles. This last Thursday we were waiting for her at her interview when she called us and told us that she could not come because she was working and was the only one at work. My companion told her to pray that she will be able to come to the interview at 4 pm and that we will pray to and she will be able to come. So we prayed for her and waiting for her at 4 pm. And in she walked with her mom and was able to pass her interview and recieved baptism yesterday! Heavenly Father has been so good to us.

I'm truly thankful for a loving family. I think to mom's comments about Drew and his search to find a wife. Nowadays you don't find alot of good men striving to find a righteous wife. I'm thankful for Drew and Sean in both showing a younger brother how to live a righteous life after the mission. I will lean on their examples both on my mission and when I get off too. 

Thank you all for your love, prayers and support. The work is hastening. Jesus Christ is coming once more to this Earth. How grateful I am to be apart of the work at this time:)

I love you all!

Elder Tanner

Dear Familia,

I am absolutely grateful for your emails this week because it is exactly what I needed to hear. I really enjoyed the messages about peace that you guys shared. I think sometimes I get wrapped up in the logistics and numbers of a mission and I need to slow down and think about the REAL reason for which we are serving these people. I loved what President Monson said, "simply drop the last syllable and you have the 'spirit of Christ'". How much I need and long for the Spirit of Christ in my life. I also appreciated the scriptures from Mom's email. I am going to study those too this week! Niall sounds like he really understands the scriptures and that's something I want in my life as well. Thank you thank you for your messages. Thank you also for those two packages that you shipped. I really have a great family. I will tell you when I recieve them in the upcoming weeks.

It's crazy that their is snow in Utah now! Here in Thailand it is still one tempreture - HOT haha. But I love it! I used to not like the warm weather, but when it gets down to 22 degrees Celsius, It's super cold to me! Crazy how our bodies adjust to the climate. 

This week we have just been blessed to the point of overflowing. We have seen miracle after miracle as the humble in heart have come back to church and brought family with them to be baptized. We have been working with this woman named Sister Pen who was baptized about a year ago and hasn't lived in Sakhon Nakon since her baptism. She has tried to come to church but hasn't really had many chances. We met with her and her daughter, Sister Fan about 16 years old, and she told us that she just didn't feel right. She wanted to repent and make things right again, and have her daughter receive baptism as well. How merciful and loving is Jesus Christ. We talked about repentance and the fact that Jesus Christ is more than willing to forgive those who are humble in heart. I love that part about the gospel the most I think. Great things will come of this sweet lady and her daughter.

This week we also had an interesting situation happen. We had met with an investigator of ours, an elderly man in his mid 70's one time. A couple days passed and we heard that he was in the hospital. We felt that we should go visit him in the hospital with a member friend of his. He could not speak and he could not talk to us, but he had his eyes open and I remember my companion showing him the picture of Jesus Christ and telling him to remember this picture because we weren't sure if he was going to recover from his illness or not. Yesterday, we received word from our member friend that he had slipped out of this world and into the spirit world. It was interesting for us because the next lesson we were planning on teaching him would have been the Plan of Salvation. We had given him a Plan of Salvation pamphlet before he went in to the hospital, but we weren't sure if he read it. I'm not really sure how I feel about the whole situation, but I am grateful for a plan to help him receive baptism and eventually inherit the kingdom of heaven if he chooses to accept. I hope with all my heart that he will meet great missionaries on the other side of the veil to help him progress further.

Thank you so much for everything that you guys are doing. I really could not be doing this without you all and without the help of our Savior Jesus Christ. I love you all so much!

With much much love,

Elder Tanner

PS - If you could sometime make a Skype account for me and send me the username and password, that would be awesome. I can't remember my old one for when we Skype on Christmas:) Thank you!

Dear Family,

Happy Thanksgiving!!! it sounded like there was a quite the party over at our house this year haha. I'm sure glad to hear that all the family is doing so great! I absolutely love the holidays because it brings everyone together! It's something that I don't think I really appreciated before I came out here. I also wanted to thank you for keeping in touch with Brent and inviting him to things. I know he appreciates that and I do also. He has made a deep impression on my heart. Hayley, I'm so proud of you for inviting that boy your mutual activity! that's so awesome! And don't be discouraged by him not coming this time, as missionaries our lives are filled with that kind of stuff haha. President Senior has said that it takes a person at least 7 times for a person to either talk, see, read or hear about the church through missionaries or other means for them to become interested. Can you believe that?! And you just knocked down one of those times. Invite him again next week too:) You guys so great!

I won't lie, I missed you guys like the dickens on Thanksgiving Day. I had my first real sickness here in Thailand and it started on Thanksgiving Day. It started with a fever and other things, and resulted with me checking in to the hospital, but all is perfectly well now. I got much better and I am out and working and riding my bike and doing just fine:) I can explain some more about it when I Skype you guys on Christmas day. It's crazy how fast time is flying by! Christmas is almost here! I'm super excited to see you guys.

This past week we also had a Mission Tour. We had Elder Larry Wilson come and talk to the missionaries and his wife as well. They both touched on the importance of the Book of Mormon and how key it is to use it in conversion. They also focused on a point that I had never really thought about til now. They told us that we should strive to read the book of mormon with our investigators. Elder Wilson told us that he had a friend who once he read the book of mormon with him, he joined the church and was sealed with his wife and kids. It's something that I really want to do and something that I want to focus on when I get back to our ward in helping less active members come back to church. I thought it was a great idea. 

I can't believe Niel Staddard is already back from his mission! It felt like his time went by so fast! How long does Elder Gibb have? and Elder Clements? That's so crazy!

Thank you for all of your prayers and love. Mom, your email was an answer to a prayer of mine. I love you guys so much! Have a great next week!

With much love,

Elder Tanner

Dear Family,

Can I just say how excited I am to see my family catching the wave of this missionary work! I love love love your emails and I hope to be able to catch the wave with you guys as we all strive to bring souls unto Heavenly Father. And don't worry about the emails last week, I knew you guys were busy with something, so no worries on my part. It's also exciting to hear about the BASEcamp booth at the Family Festival! I loved the pictures, Drew looked like a stud teaching those kids about that knot! I hope everything is going great with the programs. Haha I loved your response dad, to that man who was not interested in the "Jesus" stuff. You never know, he might start thinking about his life and wanting to change because you talked with him. I have just finished the biography of Thomas S. Monson and am probably going to read it over and over again because our prophet does exactly what you did, dad. There are stories upon stories where the Spirit filled his mouth with words and later realized that what he said lead others to change their life and come back into the fold of Jesus Christ. 

I am surprised at how many missionaries Provo has now! 275ish?!?! That's incredible! We only have about 160 here in Thailand haha. When I get back, that's one thing that I want to focus on, to help teach as many times as I can with the missionaries in our area. Do you see the missionaries alot more often now? Do they stay in our wards now? It's truly incredible how fast this work is going. It really is hastening. We feel it here in Thailand as well. We are pushing so hard to build stakes so that we can get a temple here. We are hoping by next April it will be announced. 

This month, our mission president has set a goal to have every companionship in the country get a baptism for the month of November. This month has been hard for us. We have tried as hard as we could, inviting everyday, and being obedient, but we kept facing investigators who didn't want to continue to learn or who weren't interested anymore. Our mission president pushes that we pray for miracles and then expect them. Everyday. We have been doing that. And last week, I will admit I had almost lost all hope. Our strongest investigator told us that he didn't understand how this message could help him become better because he was already a good person. So we were discouraged and beaten. But a newly assigned missionary to our area, Elder Astle told me, "Hang on to the faith that you have, though it may be little, and leave the rest to the Lord." I thought about that and pondered about it. We really had no other options to get a baptism, but we held on to that little faith that we had. We continued to try and at the almost breaking point, we felt Heavenly Father's mercy and miracles in our lives. And now we are having a baptism tonight at the church!!! I know it could not have been done without Heavenly Father's help. This last week I have truly felt and seen the missionary work on both sides of the veil. We are not alone in this work. I testify of this with all my heart. Heavenly Father knows all. He knows how it will all work out, and if we continue to have faith and continue to do the things we need to do, Heavenly Father is bound to help us. We are not alone in this work. In the Biography of President Monson, he has said that if we are an errand of the Lord (missionary work) we are entitled to his help. This means He will help Hayley with that boy in her English class. She will know what to say and what to do to help him the best. This means that the Provo Mission will get 100 converts for 2014 and 600 reactivations. This isn't the work of Elder Tanner or the Tanner family, it's the work of the Almighty God. I am so grateful for a family who trusts in Him and is doing missionary work! How great you truly are!

Thank you all so much for your prayers in our behalf. Please continue to pray for us, and I will do also! I'll be praying that Sean passes his next two tests! Love ya much!!!!!

Love ya,

Elder Tanner

PS - If you could include a small sewing kit in the Christmas package also that would be awesome!

PPS - We had the opportunity to harvest corn this last week! It was so awesome!

Hey Hey Hey!

We are emailing alittle bit earlier in the day than usual, and I think that's why I haven't received any emails from you guys. Sorry to not be able to read your emails this week. I hope all is well over in Utah!:) 

First of all, I got my package from you guys finally!!!! Thank you thank you THANK YOU! It was an answer to prayer and it brought me such joy! Thank you for all the goodies and treats and the peanut butter and Nutella too! It is SO good. But I think my favorite part had to be the letter from you guys. Immediately when I opened it and read it, I knew it was mom's doing. You are so skilled in the ways of cards, Mom! Thank you so much. My favorite saying on there was "I love you to the core" right next to an apple stamp. Could not have been any better! Thank you for all writing in the card as well. As I read your sweet sweet messages I couldn't help but think of how blessed I am for having a family as grand as you guys! Truly! It made me miss you guys alot, and I regret those times where I walked out the door to go hang out with some friends while you guys were playing a game and invited me to stay. Boy, I wish I would've stayed. But I guess that's why we have eternity together, right?:) We can play all the Uno and Banana Grams we want in heaven and after I get back as well. I am starting to understand why families are the basic unit of heaven. You guys mean the WORLD to me. I don't say that very often, and I need to say it more often. I truly truly love you guys. Thank you for being there in times of need, for helping me bear my burdens and putting up with me. As my mission goes by, and I see things in a new light, I realize that my life really is nothing special. It's the people and the loved ones who have inspired me, who have left a deep impression in my heart, and who have showed Christlike love that have made this life divine and one never to forget. I could not have been in a better family. 

I hope those meetings with those universities went well, Dad! I would love to hear how things are going with that. How is the missionary efforts going? Hayley, how is that one boy in your English Class? I remember last week to when dad told me about that new program they are doing for the RMs of the stake. I LOVE that idea. I realize now that there is so many ideas, so many ways I want to serve when I get home, and if I had someone help me and listen to me and help follow up with me from time to time, I would love that. I think that's a great great idea. This week has been a crazy one. I mentioned last week that we have a goal for each companionship in the mission to get a baptism in the month of November and we haven't got one yet. We have one planned for this next Sunday, but we need all the prayers and faith we can get from you to help us. His name is Brother On and he is a wonderful guys who is getting baptized this next week. We are still not sure how much of a desire he has to get baptized, but we pray for miracles everyday. That's one thing that President Senior has told us. He tells us to pray for miracles everyday and then expect them to happen. That's what we are doing. I also wanted to tell you dad, I know I have some of your blood in me haha. This transfer I have been assigned to keep the books for the money spending that our house does for laundry, supplies, upkeep and rent as well. I LOVE IT! I think it's a mini version of accounting actually haha. 

I also wanted to include some pictures for you. Last night, Thailand has a festival for floating lanterns like on the Disney movie Tangled. Exactly like it! We got to light some lanterns off as well! It was amazing! I kept having to pinch myself, I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. The sky was filled with lanterns as they silently floated up to heaven. 

Anyways, I hope everyone is healthy, wealthy and wise:) Please keep us in your prayers and I will do the same for you guys. I love you, Dad, Mom, Sean+Jaimie, Drewbino+(girlfriend?), and Hayley! Thank you again for the package!

Love you much much!

Elder Tanner 

Hello Hello:)

First of all, I'm sorry for forgetting to send you ideas for a Christmas package, last week I got off the email and onto my bike and realized that I didn't send you any ideas. I only have a couple, and if it's too late, don't even worry about it:) Some ideas are a hygiene case for razor and toiletries, some ugly conservative ties from DI (Hayley can pick out ones she think I would like), I don't want any new ties because they get dirty anyways, but if you could send some used ugly ties, that would be awesome:) The thai people love the different ties that we wear haha. Also maybe some baked cookies from heaven that dad and hayley always make or some chocolate cake, or maybe some nice raspberry jam as well. THank you so much! I wish I new what was in your first package so I could get a better idea on what to ask for haha but I haven't received it yet. I'm still praying that I'll get it from the Zone Leaders soon:)

I loved your emails! Thank you so much. They are always so uplifiting and it sounds to me that you all have really caught this missionary wave. I absolutely LOVE that. Hayley, I know you'll do so great with that boy in your English Class if you keep being a great example to him:) And dad, some ideas on the topic of catching the wave. Yesterday actually we had our district president come down and help all the members get excited with helping the missionaries. The work here is hard because they ward doesn't help alot. And that's why it's important that we all pitch in. Some ideas that our ward came up with was writing personal testimonies in Books of Mormon that the missionaries give out. Have activities that are centered around gospel lessons. I have heard about an activity where the church set up a huge "Plan of Salvation" setup in the church. Each room at the church had a different specific place in the plan. One room was life before this earth life, then another had "earth life" and so on and so forth all the way to the kingdoms, and the investigators and members were taught and did activities in these rooms to help solidify knowledge about the plan of salvation. I thought it was quite creative. We are also trying to get more members to help us teach more lessons. And have members go and visit LA's and Recent Converts by themselves and make friends with them and investigators too. One lady said she would do family home evening, invite the Elders and our investigators as well. This work is so important. I hope that gave you some ideas and I hope that helped. I'll keep thinking for sure!

This week has been a crazy one. I am now the only white Elder here in Sakhon Nakhon. The other white elder just got transfered out of the blue to Bangkok and we have another elder who is Laosian. And it is my opportunity now to teach our english class we do every tuesday haha. It should be interesting. We have one investigator set for a baptism this next week. The month of November, our mission president set a goal to have every companionship have a baptism. It has been so hard to get investigators to stick! We talk with everyone and their dog about baptism and invite them within 30 seconds of talking to them if they will get baptized. Haha it's hard work, but I'm really starting to love it. 

Not too many crazy stories this week. That's about all it. I hope you guys are doing well! I am so glad to hear that grandpa is up and moving!

Love ya lots,

Elder Tanner

This is a letter from a man Jameson talked with on the plane ride to Thailand

Dear The Tanner Family,

 

    My name is Anthony Pham.  I am a friend of your son (Jameson).  We met on the airplane to Hong Kong.  Your son (Jameson) had shared with me his faith, and the faith is perfection.

 

    First of all, I would like to say hello to your family and best wishes to your family.  Mr./Mrs. Tanner, your son is a very holy person.  I respect him with all my heart.  We had a great time on the airplane sharing our thought and believe.  During the flight, there was time that we thought the airplane will drop down the ocean; the airplane even missed the landing in Hong Kong.  We thought we will go to Heaven that day.  He told me about how great his family is.  I am very honor to know your family.  I hope to meet your family in the future time.

 

    Right now I am very busy with running my company.  I hope in Christmas, I will have the time and take my family to Utah for vacation and visit your family.

 

     What Jameson doing right now in the mission is the most wonderful thing.  I respect this young man with all my heart for his doing for the people of Thailand.

 

    I know by now you must miss your son so much.  I am writing this letter to greet and comfort you.  You should be proud because you had born a great son for the world.  Hold your smile up and put away the tears.  Two years will fly by really fast, then you will see him again.

 

    My English is not proficient, but I am trying my best to write to  your family.  Please forgive my broken English.  I am very interest in Mormon believe.  I will try to attend Mormon church one time.

 

    Thank you for your time,

    I hope to be a good friend of your beautiful family.

 

     Anthony Pham

(These pictures are of the Thailand people and what they did for their Halloween costumes)

Dear Family, 

First of all, I want to thank you for sending that letter from Anthony Pham. Reading that brought back memories of our discussion and about the feelings of the Holy Ghost that were there with us as we talked about our Savior. Thank you Thank you. I know without a doubt that he is going to join the church, he just needs alittle time and more support. I really hope he has a chance to come and visit you guys because it will benefit him so much. He was the sweetest guy I have ever met. If you would join with me in praying for him and his wife and son that would be awesome. It was such a sacred experience for me.

Our plane experienced alot of difficulty flying into Hong Kong. If I remember right the fog around the airport was so thick that when the pilot tried to land, he couldn't see where he was going. It was kind of scary at first because we were literally in mid decent when all of the sudden the pilot full throttled us upward again. I was sitting next to Elder Smith who had never ridden on the plane and was super scared. Anthony told me he has never had that happen to him on a plane, but we made it alive by the grace of God:) I remember thinking about Elder Hale's experience with a plane ride, where his wing took fire and started to crash land and the women next to him began to scream for her life, but he was calm as could be because he was ready to meet his Maker once again. I thought about that while in the plane and thought how important it is to be worthy and ready all the time. Life is so fragil. Thank you again for sending that letter, I will cherish it deeply. Will you save it for me so I can read it again when I come home?

The number one question that I have all week is what kind of box creation was Hayley for Halloween?!? I am dying to know! How was your guy's Halloween? We had an amazing time here in Sakon Nakhon. I'll include pictures, but just know that my branch president is the one in the lighter yellow shirt with his face painted haha. I love him to death. I really am getting to like this area more and more each day. The members are sweet and we find people interested each day. Also thank you for putting Bro. Wally and Sister Macpherson's name in the temple. We had an opportunity to meet with her last Saturday as she was having the Kimo therapy. It broke my heart right in half. We had to wear those masks to cover our face, I think they are called surgical masks. I just cried and cried when we talked with her. She is such a sweet lady FULL of faith. We read in D&C 121 7-8 about how this affliction will be but a small moment and if she will endure it well, Heavenly Father will bless her on high. We just cried and cried together. I don't understand why this is happening to her, and if I could, I would switch her spots in a heart beat so she didn't have to suffer like that. But I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us and I will kling to that belief forever. 

Also this week for the first time in my mission did I really feel the true sadness for people who reject this great message. We go inviting everyday and go to neighborhoods and talk with everyone we can. But most people simply laugh in our faces when we tell them that Jesus Christ is their Savior and Redeemer. I remember talking to a lady who rudely told us that we needed to leave. She wanted nothing to do with our religion or with Jesus Christ. We also talked with two girls who just laughed and made fun of us as we told them about baptism and Jesus Christ. Tears came to my eyes as I walked away beaten and battered by their words. It makes me so sad to see these people reject the message so sweet. They don't know what they are missing out on. It's not something simple or small. It's eternal life! Why they don't understand, why they have such hard hearts, I will never know. But one thing I do know is that I will stand up for Jesus Christ and his Church until my dying breath. He's real, I know it. We went to visit an Less Active man in our city who had been a missionary in England 10 years back. But since then he has lost his faith and it has been replaced by a hard heart. We told him that Heavenly Father still loved him and will never give up on him, and I know he felt the spirit, but after he just discounted it. He doesn't want anything to do with it anymore. He has since broken those sacred covenants and tried to convince me that Joseph Smith couldn't really have seen God and Jesus Christ. He told me I am living a "dream" right now. He told me I am brainwashed and that life can and will never be as beautiful as the gospel portrays it. I remember praying to Heavenly Father after he told me those things and saying, "Heavenly Father, he might not think you are real, but I know you are." He was just down right rude to us, and my first thought was that I will never come back here and talk with him again. But I soon felt that Heavenly Father won't give up on him and neither should I. The Lord has told us that we need to go back again. Pray for us that the Spirit will be able to soften this man's heart. He still has time to change.

Anyways, thank you so much for your emails and updates. I will be praying for dad and his meetings coming up. I have fasted and will continue to pray for your health, Mom. It sounds like those pills are sent from God. I love you all! 

Love you to the moon and back,

Elder Tanner

Hello Hello Fam:)

Before I start, I wanted to share what my companion, Elder Love in the MTC emailed me this week. Here is his email:

"Hey!

So Elder Adams and I were home teaching last week and talking to this members family about their history in the church. And guess what- he was baptized about thirty years ago by an Elder Tanner! And soon as he said that I started questioning him and explained that we had been companions and your dad had served here. Anyways after some discussion and description we determined that is was probably your dad who baptized him! His name is Brother Bunsong (บุญส่ง) just though you and your dad would like to know. He's raised a family in the church, been in the bishopric and is a fantastic help with teaching. 

Hope all is well with you good friend! you still in the north zone?

Elder Love"

Haha isn't that incredible! Yet another person who knows my papa!:) And the most beautiful part is that he has stayed a member all his life and has brought his family and others to the gospel as well. Dad, you made it possible, you helped it all happen. I wish I were there to give you a hug, because you deserve one! I hope I will be able to change people's lives like you did back in the day:)

Thank you all for writing me. I love love LOVE you emails. I found out that I possibly could be getting my package sooner than December, I'll let you know how that goes. I am so glad to hear that those pills are still working, Mom. I will continue to pray for you, I have faith that it will continue to work. That's such incredible news! How is grandpa doing? Is he able to move around now? I hope all is well.

Today started off by having the opportunity to go fishing with out Branch President haha. As odd as it seems we went fishing on this little river out in the boonies. We fished from the banks with these makeshift fishing poles and we didn't catch anything, but it will be a memory for sure haha. 

Yesterday I got to go give sacrament to an older American guy living with his Thai wife here in Thailand. I went with some other members and am really the only one who can speak english so we had a way good chat, me and the older man. His name is Brother Wally and has been a member of our church for about half his life, but he hadn't always been active. I chatted with him and found out that he is from Alaska and we chatted about that. He then began telling me about his sweet wife who just started Kimo therapy for cancer that she has. It absolutely broke my heart when he told me this and then I was able to see her, and she wasn't looking so good either. She doesn't have any hair and is more of a grayish tone of skin. A more sickly color. It was way hard for me. We asked if we could give her a blessing and she said, "But I don't have any hair, does that matter?" It broke my heart in two. I told her it didn't matter. As we laid our hands upon this sweet woman's hairless head, you could feel our Heavenly Father's love for her. He was aware of her pain and suffering as well as her husband's pain having to watch her go through it. At first I thought, how did Heavenly Father let this happen to such a sweet Thai lady? But I soon realized that Heveanly Father doesn't allow things to happen to us for our own pain and suffering. He always it to happen so that it will refine us and help us come further into his loving arms. Trials help us remember Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. And if we endure this life well, we will be free from trouble and torment in the next life. I have come to learn that Jesus Christ is there when you don't think anyone else will understand. He understands when we don't think anyone else will. I promise you this, and this was made manifest through this sweet lady. I'm not sure if we will have time to go back and visit her or see the outcome of the Kimo, but if you could pray for Sister Macpherson. I think that she would greatly be blessed by it. That memory will stay in my head for eternity.

Thank you all for your love and prayers, especially in this new area. It's definitely been a challenge, but I am learning from it and I know it will help me in the end.

Love you lotsssss!

Elder Tanner

Helllllllllllooooooo all the way from Sakonakhon:)

Yep, this last transfers meeting I got transfered to a new city:) But I'll get to that in a second. First, Mom, I am ABSOLUTELY excited for you! As I read your email to me, I could just feel your excitement and faith as you try those new medications. I'm so glad they are helping you! I'm so glad that you are getting better rest and that you are feeling all around better! I will start praying specifically for that and hope that all goes well! That's so wonderful! Keep me updated on how things go, I want to know if it has helped.

Hayley and Dad, thank you for sharing updates about everything for me. I wish I could have been there for Bryan's homecoming! Does he still talk a mile a minute?? Haha I bet he is so better and I hope and pray that he will help Caden out. Hayley, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think you are sleeping right now, it's 1:34 pm here, which means 12:34 am there haha. But in Thailand it's your birthday already:) What are you going to do for it??? I loved the pictures that you sent me! It was way good seeing those old Orem crew members haha. I miss them all so much! If you get a chance, tell them Hello and give them a HUGE hug from me. I can't believe Wyatt is going to Taiwan. That's so cool. Him and Jacob will be able to chat it up. But I still think I beat him, because when I get back, I'll be able to chat it up with Dad:) I loved seeing your costumes haha, but I have to say... Liz's outfit beats out everybody just because it's Star Wars haha:) Thanks for sharing that with me! 

This week has been an upside down turn around kinda week for me. Both with goods and bads in it. I got moved from Pakkred, in the heart of Bangkok to a city northeast 6 hours called Sakonakhon. It is right up by Laos. And I also got a new companion who is Thai haha. We had to take a bus from Bangkok and travel all night til we got to Sakon. The town is super small haha. It reminds me of the town in The Three Amigos, but instead of Spanish Churches, it has Buddhist statues everywhere haha. It is way small. When I first got here, I kept thinking back to how much I miss Pakkred and the members and facilities there. They had an awesome fireside coming up that I had to miss, they have a BBQ coming up that I have to miss, and it made me sad, because I loved my district and members there. I kept thinking of how great Pakkred is and how small Sakonakhon is. The Zone Leaders forgot to bring down my package, so I will have to wait til December to get it. And all these things just boiled in my head. I kept thinking about myself. Me. Me. Me. But it soon hit me, I am not on this mission for ME. None of this has ever evolved around me, or what's good for me. I soon realized that the Lord has provided me with a mountain to climb. I fell on my knees and kind of embarrased, pleaded for repentance and forgiveness for being so near sighted. I lose sight of Heavenly Father so easily, but Heavenly Father never loses sight of me. He always puts up with my ignorance and things like that. I am so blessed to be out here. I am starting to love the members. They are so humble. They come to church in this little shack, and they love each other so much. I love my companion, and although we communicate through Thai-English, he is the best missionary. Heavenly Father has put me here to help me cope with change. We all know that I can't deal with that very much, but I think the key is to just not focus on myself and work hard. I thank the Lord for helping me overcome myself better and to change to become and to serve more like Him. 

Thank you all for your emails! I hope and pray everything stays good for all of you guys! I'll send some pictures. They speak a different dialect out here. Dad, I don't know if you remember but it's called Easan. It's a Thai and Laosian mix language haha. We'll see how it goes:) Love you all!

Love much much,

Elder Tanner

PS - One of the pictures is a baptismal font for the church:)

Hello All!:)

"In my journal tonight, I shall write, “This has been one of the most inspiring sessions of any general conference I’ve attended. Everything has been of the greatest and most spiritual nature.” I ABSOLUTELY LOVED CONFERENCE. Especially Pres. Thomas S. Monson's talk in which that first sentence comes from. He truly is a prophet of God. I loved it! Are they usually that good? I think I have neglected that special experience long enough now. I feel so bad looking back now as I remember I always fell asleep during conference and not realizing the true power that we feel and receive from General Conference. I guess that's what repentance is for, right? We had the opportunity to watch it in English, and we watched all of it. The sessions went so fast! And I still feel depressed that it's over and won't be back on for another 6 months. I'm almost tempted to put in a petition to Salt Lake and ask if they could do them every weekend;) Thank goodness for the internet and the ability to review them online. We are so blessed in this day and age. I loved loved loved Pres. Monson's talk about his sweet wife. It is now my goal to have that much love for my wife. You could just feel the Spirit thick when he talked about his love for her and their experience as she "slipped into eternity". I felt that they really focused on three main subjects. 1. Covenant keeping and repentance, 2. Missionary Work and 3. The Role of Women and Marriage. All three of these subject, I feel like is what the world needs to hear right now. Us missionaries don't receive much information about the outside world, but what I have heard about the United States right now scares me to death. I've heard about the Congress shutting down, gay rights passing, and all forms of wickedness coming forth. I also heard that Pres. Monson had an opportunity to meet with Pres. Obama and talk for a few hours. All this makes me think that the end is not too far off any longer and the need for repentance and convenant keeping is ever so important.

This past conference has also solidified my testimony of Pres. Thomas S. Monson being a true prophet who hears revelation for all of the Church. He is such a good man. These past few months I have had an opportunity to read his biography "To The Rescue" every so often and I'm about 1/2 through it. If you need a new book to read or want to reread something, that is the book for you:) It never ceases to amaze me how much of the gospel he live in his life. He doesn't just say what he believes, but he has shown time and time again that he acts whenever The Lord says to go and do. I want to be just like that. I want to be close with the Lord all the time like he is. I was reading one day and found a sweet poem in the book that applies perfectly to missionary work. It has inspired me, and I hope it will inspire others as well. This is the poem:

"Father, where shall I work today?"

And my love flowed warm and free.

Then He pointed out a tiny spot

and said, "Tend that for me."

I answered quickly, "Oh no, no that!

Why, no one would ever see,

no matter how well my work was done.

Not that little place for me."

And the word He spoke, it was not stern;

He answered me tenderly:

"Oh, little one, search that heart of thine;

art thou working for them or for me?

Nazareth was a little place,

and so was Galilee."

It doesn't matter where we serve, but how we serve is what I've learned. I think Elder Dube talked about that in Conference. He kept telling his mom, "Mother, look how far we've come, look how much we've done!" But his mother answered to not look back, but to look at the work ahead of us. We all have a work in the service of the Lord, no matter if your the prophet or a missionary in Thailand. 

I'm so glad Hayley received my letter this week. It got there way faster than I expected haha. Thank you for the updates with Grandpa. I'm so glad he is continuing to grow stronger and stronger. I don't know much about moves/transfers until later today or tomorrow. I have a good chance I will be in this same area for another 9 weeks but I am most likely getting a new companion, but I will let you know what happens. Watching conference made me miss you guys. I'm so blessed to have been born in the gospel. I look at these Thai people and think that that could have easily been me, not knowing Jesus Christ and His tenderness, living in sin and filth all the time. I really am blessed infinite times more than I deserve. I am forever grateful for a mother and father who know their roles as nurturer and a provider and who have taught me the truth all my life. I love you guys and pray for you! Until next week:)

Much love,

Elder Tanner

PS - the pictures I am sending are of a Less Active family that we are working with who are so ready to come back to the church. Their father hasn't been baptized yet. Another is a picture of a sister who got baptized last week in the other branch. The other pictures are of my Zone leaders who live in my house, Elder Terry from Brigham City, UT and Elder Appleyard from London, England. Elder Appleyard finishes his mission in 3 days. They are both great guys.   

 

Swasdi Khrap!

The General Conference sounds so unreal! Thank you for sharing your thoughts about it with me. I have not been able to see it yet, because it takes about a week to translate it to Thai, but we will be able to see it this weekend. I think I'll be able to watch it in English, so I'll look for those specific talks you guys told me about then:) I really am super excited for it!

I'm am super grateful that Grandpa is recuperating. I'm glad he is doing better each day. I continue to pray for him and hope for the best in his situation. I also loved hearing about the Bryant's time in Bangkok. We had 4 foreigners in our church meetings yesterday from Australia. They originated from New Zealand and had the best accents I've heard haha. It was really cool to see them in their traditional skirt things that the men wear and stuff. And at the end, they gave us 1000 Baht (which is equivilant to about $40). As missionaries we aren't suppose to take money like that, but this man insisted that we take it to get something nice to eat. I'm thankful for him.

This week has been eventful. To start off, me and my companion locked ourselves out of our apartment not once, but twice! and both time my companion had to hoist me up so that I could climb on our balcony to climb my way up to the back door. It was so freaky, but I am thankful that we only live on the second floor haha. I also wanted to add something that I think Sean would get a kick out of. During our Correlation Meetings, we have a man named Bro. Wisat who is our Elder's Quorum President, and he has a lazy eye. And at first when we first met with him, me and my companion sat at opposite sides of each other in the bishops office and I could never tell who he was speaking to, because he can look at me on one end of the room and look at my companion at the other side of the room at the same time with his eyes haha. But he really is such a great man. He is organizing this American style barbeque to reactivate less actives and rejuvate the ward members. It's such a great idea. We also got word that our district is now Stake worthy!!! Meaning that when we submit papers, we will be able to become a stake! We are all happy about this, because you need about 3 stakes in a country to be eligible to get a Temple. And we already have 1 stake in Asoke. So we are that much closer to getting a temple:) Keeping praying for us, we are getting closer in other areas of the country as well to be getting additional stakes.

This weekend we had 2 more baptisms:) One was an investigator from the other branch named Sister Doughnut, and one of our investigators named Sister Ung. I don't know if you remember me talking about her, but she was the one who came to America and found Christianity there, and when she moved back, she prayed that Heavenly Father would lead her to the right church in Thailand for her. She was able to be baptized yesterday at 6:00 pm and what a special and spiritual time it was for all of us. Although she had to get rebaptized 3 times (the man baptising her was a very old man and couldn't get her down in the water all the way) she held on to faith in Jesus Christ and to his teachings. She believes with all her heart that she belongs to this church and she puts her whole trust in God. She's such an amazing person! I'm am so blessed to know her. The other day at a lesson with her, she brought a birthday cake for me and said that she felt bad that I couldn't celebrate it with family and that I didn't have a birthday cake on my birthday, so she bought me one. I'll send a picture. She is such a sweet heart and has such a pure spirit. She will be such an amazing addition to our branch. 

That's it for me here. We are seeing miracles everyday. I can't wait til we watch General Conference! Thanks for all your love and support. I really truly feel it everyday.

With much much love,

Elder Tanner