Week 7!!

สวสดี!!:)

 

Hey hey hey:) How is everyone?? I'm so glad to hear BASEcamp is thriving! I sit back in amazement when I read your letters about the drastic jump from 14 youth to in the 50s! That is absolutely amazing! I am so glad it's working out. I know it will continue to work out because you are helping further the cause of the Lord. He will continue to bless that program because it's helping young people gain better testimonies and to create a righteous force against the wickedness in this world. I'm so happy for you guys! I can't wait to hear more stories on how it goes!

 

Sean and Jaimie, thank you so much for keeping me in the loop! It's so good to hear that you guys are doing so awesome in AZ. I would say I wish you were back here, but it sounds like you guys will be multi millionaires over in AZ soon, so when I get back, I'll just come stay in your mansion:) I'm so happy that everything is just fitting in place for you guys. That just goes to show that you are living righteously and know what is truely important. You guys are my heroes:)

 

This week has been much much better. Thank you, dad, for that sweet letter of reassurance. That made a big difference as well. I've learned it's all about trusting in the Atonement, trusting in Heavenly Father  and Jesus Christ and actively remembering those feelings and having faith in the Atonement. It cannot just be words we say, we must believe in it. It's an amazing gift God gifts us. Glory to God forever!

 

This morning we had one of the best experiences I've ever had. Our district (12 elders and sisters) had the priveledge of cleaning the Provo Temple while it is still down and not serving people. It was amazing!!!! We showed up and they gave us these white grubs that looked like what surgeons would wear to work in. We got to sit in the chapel area down in basement by the baptismal font and wait in silence. All the temple lights were mostly off and it was as if I were in the temple alone. The spirit was so strong there! I was thinking awhile and then the words to "A Poor Way Faring Man of Grief" popped in my head and almost brought me to tears, I was so humbled. Jesus Christ actually walks those hallways. He actually sees and sits and stands where I stood and helped clean. Oddly enough, we were assigned to clean the Sister's Locker Room, but even in the locker rooms you could feel the peace and love of Our Savior. After about 3 and a half hours of cleaning stalls with rags and cleaner, an older lady named Gail Strait, who I absolutely love to death, took us to see a few places in the temple. She showed us chandeleers that they have to take down and clean. She also showed us the Bride's Room where Bride's get ready to be married. When she turned on the lights to that room, my breath was literally taken away. It was the most beautiful room I have ever seen! There were gold lacing everywhere on the furniture and a huge chandeleer in the middle. She told us that this room is so special and amazing because Heavenly Father loves to make his daughters feel special and that He cares for them. I know this for a fact. This room was unbelievable, most fitting for the daughters of our Heavenly Father. She told us a story of a woman who was in charge of putting together the huge chandaleer in the middle of the room. She had ordered it from far away and had to put it together with multiple little pieces, and in the process some of the crystals were smashed and destroyed. They put what they could together before the weddings and checked many times for spare parts but could not find any. This woman just felt so sad and so helpless that she couldn't order replacement parts for this chandeleer in time for these bride's big day. As she came back to finish the final touches up in the room, knowing that the chandaleer wasn't perfect, reached to grab the boxes and papers that the chandeleer came with. She then found the exact pieces in a baggy to the exact places where they were needed. Such a miracle. It just goes to show how much Heavenly Father cares for us. We then were able to sit upstairs in a chapel with that huge mural of Christ. All the lights were off except dim ones that were on the mural. It was such an amazing thing.

 

After our service we finished up and headed back to the MTC. When we got there, Elder Love realized he didn't have his name tag and thought he left it at the temple so we went back. Once there we looked everywhere for it. Elder Love checked thoroughly in this locker and I checked the chaple and benches where we sat, but no luck. We then decided to pray to find it. Elder Love offered the prayer and we stood alone in the basement. We then decided to retrack his steps and went back to his locker where we had looked thoroughly. We opened up his locker and there laying was his name tag. Some may call that luck or coincidence, but there is absolutely not way that could have been luck. God and angels were there helping us. And although it was a simple small thing, it meant the world to us! We immediately said a prayer of gratitude and thanked Heavenly Father. We couldn't have done it without him. It was the best thing ever! I have grown so much to love the temple so much and the miraculous events that it truely does hold.

 

I hope those stories made sense and I hope I could tell them in a way that portrays power, because they were amazing to witness. I am nothing without Heavenly Father. I am nothing without Jesus Christ and I am nothing without the Holy Ghost. I shall always remember what he has done for me, and I can't wait to share these experiences and thoughts with people in Thailand in a week and a half! My mission president sent me some travel plans. I'll include them. Thank you so much to all! I could not be doing this without you guys!

 

Love you guys immeasurably,

Elder Tanner

Week 6 in the MTC

วัดึ!!!

 

How is everyone doing?? I can tell BASEcamp is in full swing! I'm glad to hear it's going so great for you guys. It sounds like an amazing time, especially with that hike up that bluff you were telling me about, Mom. I'll continue to pray of it's success. I love that you switched the "counselor" to be called a "guide". In preach my gospel and in the MTC they make an emphasis that we know that we are but guides with the investigators. The Spirit and the Savior are the true teachers. We are just clean vessels that the Spirit can be guided through. It's amazing. I sure hope everyone is doing all right and is happy and healthy! Thank you also for a new camera and that package!! It was awesome to recieve and I'm sorry if it was a hastle to get here. I'll be much more careful with this one.

 

This week has been tough but it has gotten easier. I understand now the importance of total submission to Heavenly Father and His work. It's crazy to think it's been 6 weeks already! and in 2 weeks and a half I'll be heading onto a plane, and into the great country of Thailand. I couldn't be more excited! I have truely learned to rely on Jesus Christ. He has become my best friend. As I have strived to prepare for Thailand, I have been hit hard by the power of the adversary. I have felt Him give doubts in my head like I'm not clean enough to be here, or I can't master the language, or that I won't make it all the way through my mission. He has struck fear in my heart for the future, and I wish it didn't work, but I must admit, it has made it hard for me to focus on investigators. I actually had my companion, Elder Love, give me a blessing to forget my past and move on and not let Satan get hold of my heart and to submit fully to Heavenly Father. I absolutely love my companion. I am sad I only have 2 and a half more weeks with him because I feel we have grown so well together. Heavenly Father couldn't have placed me with someone better than Elder Love. I then remembered a scripture that I looked up in Proverbs 3:4-5. It talks about leaning not on the understanding of my own heart and mind, but rely fully on Heavenly Father. I've never really understood what it's like to actually truely believe and hope on something until now. The Atonement and repentance are things that have been significantly strengthened through my time in the MTC.

 

We had a devotional yesterday night about how to contend but not be contentious. I thought it was magnificent. It's important to contend with the forces of evil, but not be contentious by doing it. The Emeritus General Authority told us about a story of a missionary calling to confirm his appointment for an investigator on the next day and the investigator became distant and wanted to give the Book of Mormon back to the Elders. The Elder on the phone began to question why she wanted to end the lessons but she wouldn't give an answer. So he contented with her some more without being contentious and she decided that it would be okay if the Elder call her back in two days and ask her again. So he did and they talked about the forces of the adversary and Satan's tactics to try and confuse and fluster her into not accepting the gospel and he told her that she had God pulling her on one side and Satan on the other. It's so crazy sounding, but the forces of the adversary are real, and come in many forms. We must contend without being contentious. It was a really cool story.

 

Anyway, I hope all is well and everything is fun and dandy and awesome for you guys. Although it's hard and Satan sometimes makes me feel down in the dumps, God is always there. It's great to be a missionary right now! Love you lots!!!!!!! Have a great week!

 

Love you guys much,

 

Elder ฐะนั

Week 5 in MTC

Dear Family,

 

How I love you!!! As I have read your emails I can't help but think that I have the greatest family on planet Earth. You guys are amazing! It's crazy to hear how everything is changing and how amazing everyone is coming closer to our Savior. I do remember Spencer Price from TW. He is Brent's nephew and I'm glad he's doing great things now. Thank you so much for replacing my camera. I hope it wasn't too much and I hope you took it out of my account. Mom, I am sorry to hear about the siezures. It truely is a blessing that you haven't been harmed too much. It's amazing how much love and support we get from the other side of the vail. I will pray continually for you. I have sometimes had a terrible thought of something bad happen to one of you while on my mission that strikes my heart, but then I realize I need to have faith in our Heavenly Father and the blessings he gives us. Hayley, I'm sorry to hear it was sad for you to let your friends go into the mission field. I recently just read a talk called "The Fourth Missionary" by Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge that the whole family could benefit from. It's absolutely AMAZING. Just remeber that the Lord will protect them. It's not bad that you have a hard time letting go of them. It just means you are capable of feeling love and charity towards people. Try not to dwell on it so much, pray to the Lord that he will help you. Pray for the blessing of feeling his presence. And then work to be always worthy for it. That's something they pound inside our heads. It's so true. Dad, it's so fun to hear that your programs are coming to life and are coming with such success. I will continue to pray from them, they will be stellar!!! Keep me updated on how they go! The youth are very privelleged to be encompased by this great gospel inspired program.

 

This week has been much better than last week. I have really felt the Savior's love for me, without a doubt. I have more fully come to realize the power and the blessings that come from the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I have felt the joy, the happiness, and the relief that comes from it. It also has more fully opened my eyes to be more charitable to people. Every week on Sunday we get to all walk up to the Provo Temple and take pictures and stuff up there, and this week there were two men with large crosses protesting up at the gates of the temple. We heard and saw what they were doing, and for the very first time I didn't feel offended or angry at them for doing what they were doing. The thought came to me of the great saddness I felt for them and what power Satan had on their hearts. He had such a grip on them and all I wanted to do was express my love for them and hug them and help them feel the love our Savior has for them. We learned that one of those men had been a member of the church for 30 years, but because of something, left the church. If only he could refeel what the Savior has done for him, the Atonement. I know without a doubt, even though he was saying words contrary to God's plan, Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father still love them as much as they love me and you. I want so badly to share my feelings of the Atonement and repentance to the people of Thailand!

 

We had another interesting experience. We all had an opportunity to listen and help teach an investigator (fake investigator, real story). We came to find out that he left the church 5 years ago because his dad who was a stake president broke the law of chastity with another member and his family soon became torn apart. This man's mother would tell the children to pray that God would kill their father every time they prayed. I looked at this man and just wanted to weep with him. He had been through so much! I wanted to share my knowledge that all things are made right through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ understands perfectly what he is going through. He understands us all. The gospel is so beautiful. I don't share these stories to make you think that I am all high and mighty with love and that I am an amazing person, because I'm not. I want to make it very clear that I feel that love because it's God's love toward his children. I feel it because Heavenly Father helps me feel for it, and I love it so much. I don't ever want it to leave. All glory be to God. They tell us here at the MTC something that is absolutely true. When lessons or things in our lifes go right and awesome, we must praise the Lord. And when something goes bad, don't blame others or shrug it off, we must look inward and fix the things that we need in order to be better. The gospel is true! It's the most beautiful thing there ever was/is.

 

I love you all so much! Thank you for everything and I'll continue to pray for you!!!

 

With much love,

Elder Tanner 

Week 4 in MTC

Sawadiiiiiiiiii!!

 

Thank you all for your wonderful emails! I absolutely LOVE hearing from all of you. It's awesome to hear that Hayley got to go on the Trek, she made the right choice by going and I'm bummed that I never got to be able to experience that. Thank you thank you thank you for the package I recieved from you guys a couple days ago. Much needed support and love did I feel from you guys. Thank you. I'm also excited to hear about your missionary opportunities! I think back in high school and middle school and remember some kids who I knew that I sometimes worry for because some have rejected totally the gospel. I wish I could have done more to help them understand our Heavenly Father's pure love toward us, His children.

 

This week hasn't been the easiest for me, especially since it was the 4th of July and I became very homesick. I miss you guys so much! I think about you often, and I sometimes share my testimony of the power of an example of a mother and a father in lessons and testimony meetings, more specifically the example of my mother and father. I can hardly talk about you guys without crying because I love you guys so much. And to add to the saddness, an Elder in my district was holding my camera one night and accidentally dropped it on the floor and broke it. We tried to revive it, but we couldn't do much, so I sent it home yesterday. I'm praying we have a warranty on it, but if you can't trade it in, please please please use money out of my account to get a new one. The Elder feels terrible about breaking it, but I told him not to worry too much about it.

 

On the 4th they let us watch 17 Miracles. It was such an amazing show and if you haven't seen it, be sure to watch it. It's amazing what the pioneers have done and the faith that they have shown. They then let us stay out long enough to watch the fireworks from the Stadium of Fire over the MTC walls. It just wasn't the same and I thought about you guys alot. and that feeling of sadness and depression stayed with me for a couple of days after. I then felt like I should say a pray and so I asked for comfort and strength. I was reading in D&C 6 soon after and the words began to jump out at my like they were alive. It was amazing to me to feel and see the comforting words and it was as if that whole chapter was written for me. I knew that Heavenly Father had answered my prayer. It's amazing to think that our Father in Heaven, the Ruler of the universe, the manager of uncountable worlds took time out of His busy day to answer a simple prayer as mine. I'm a small speck on a faraway world to him, but yet he knows me by name, He knows my fears, sorrows, and doubts, and He made me feel special. I know this is the same for all of us. And so as I read D&C 6, I switched out Oliver Cowdry's name for Jameson Tanner and it made my week. The scriptures are so powerful. I will never forget that experience.

 

This week we were teaching one of our investigators named Cay Cay. We had kind of a hard lesson and came out feeling beat. We then prayed for inspiration to know how to better teach him and decided the next time we teach him, we will bring him to a "chapel" to show him around. So we built a makeshift chapel in one of the classrooms and taught him in for our next lesson. It was amazing the Spirit that I knew he felt when he entered. I'll attach a picture of it. We even drew the organ and everything on the board:)

 

Me and my companion have definintely learned about the importance of tones in this language. We were teaching another investigator about the Restoration and about families and had memorized words and phrases beforehand to be able to teach the lesson. We taught the investigator and we would say some things about the Restoration and that families can be together forever and he burst out laughing a couple times and we couldn't figure out why. He later told us after the lesson that we had asked him, "Does your family make tires for a living?" when we were trying to say if he believes that families can be together forever haha. We also asked him if he was able to create a family and just weird things like that haha that were totally not suppose to be that way. Needless to say we have some work to do.

 

I love you all so much! My Branch President has told us it's not a bad thing to be homesick, it just means we are capable of love towards other. We can't dwell on it though. And so I won't. Through God all things can be done:) Til next week, may God bless you!

 

With much love,

Elder Tanner

Week 3 in MTC

Hey Hey Hey:)

 

It's so good to hear from all of you! Week 3 is finally here and that means I have 6 more longs weeks to go here at the MTC. It was so good to hear all the different thigns that are going on out there with you guys! Dad, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts of that book, it sounds amazing and everything you said is 100% true! They stress now here at the MTC that it's a three part force of Missionary Work. The Missionaries, the Members and the Leaders. Mom and Hayley, I'm glad everything is going great for you. Sounds like the girls camp was a smash hit and that Dad did really well with his lesson:) Thank you for rounding up things for me for a package, it will be awesome to recieve those things.

 

This week has been full of extraordinary experiences. We participated in our first TRC training here where we meet with a member and teach them in Thai for 20 minutes and then repeat it with another member. The first one was a bit on the rough side, because we actually ran out of things to say and could understand probably only 50% of what the member actually said, but the second one flowed magnificently. I think we taught for like a half an hour and the Spirit was there so strongly. The member we taught had actually just got back from Thailand about one month ago and told us some missionary stories in Thai that we followed along with.

 

Another experience happened within my district. I happened to be reading along in Jeremiah and felt like I should show this to one of a more struggling missionary in my district. I shared it with him in private and thought nothing of it, but a couple of days later, in a devotional review he bore his testimony about wanting to have a question answered and praying that he would recieve an answer through scripture and thanked me. It felt so awesome to be able to help him out but I know that it wasn't me that did it. The Spirit here at the MTC is felt so strongly. It's in our lessons and when we study. It's amazing.

 

The language is coming, slowly but surely:) We learned the script and are now in process of reading it. I'll try to send Hayley some pictures. But thank you all for your wonderful love and support. Thank you for praying for me and my companion and district. Keep them coming:) Love you lots and miss you so much! Tell Uncle Kevin and Aunt Heather thanks for the towels and the marking pen they gave me for my scriptures when you see them tomorrow. I use it everyday. Happy 4th of July!!!!

 

With love,

Elder Tanner