Mission Week 40, Arequipa Mission Home

Firstly Brother Evans is super awesome! Elder Carter has a few photos that I will ask for. Brother Evans came down with a group of dentists who just came down to do dental work for free! They got in contact with the nurses and the nurses asked us if we could help translate. Elder Carter did not really want to do it at first but I needed a break from my training as Financial secretary so I convinced him to go. We went and it was a BLAST!!! We had a ton of fun and there were three members in the group. We learned a lot of dental terminology and we translated between the Latinos and the Gringos. It was a ton of fun. Brother Evans was a complete boss. There were a few other students but whenever there was a kid who started to give the dentists problems he came in and pulled teeth filled cavities. It was super cool. I learned a ton to about dentistry! I saw what a cavity was like and what you needed to do to fix it. Also how to pull teeth. For a few days I wanted to study to become a pediatric dentist. Yeah then that kinda blew over and I forgot about it until just now! It was super fun... I thought I had told you about it. 

Answer to the question of the day. no 😢 but it is coming and it will be here before Christmas 😄. I am super excited for Christmas. I think I am going to buy a pair of headphones and a battery today.

 

Thats awesome about Jake doing well this year. Oooh one Interesting thing that I heard was the new president has been announced. I have finished three of the things on my list of ten things to do! It was super fun! Yesterday we had a ward talent show and we did a sketch called The Death of Elder Webb. I was the one who killed him. It was a ton of fun and everyone loved it. We were doing it on a whim because we had never taken the time to practice because when you are in the office time is something that just does not exist. Every Saturday the internet gets super slow and it makes me want to shoot people because I can never send videos or pictures home because they approximate time to upload them is about 2 years 245 days and 13 seconds. I CANNOT LISTEN TO MY MOTAB!!!! I will try to remember to send you guys the video of the sketch on Monday because the wifi Always tanks on Saturdays. Thats a little bit of what is happening here in the office. 

 

Elder Tanner

Mission Week 39, Arequipa Mission Home

I am doing really good... yesterday was a really hard day and I had a training with someone from the area! He was super cool and he taught me how to do things as a financial secretary... I now feel like I could look at the budget of a company and see where they were falling through. It is super cool to be here. Sometimes overwhelming but I am always learning something new! 

Right now I am sending Money to all the people who need a little bit extra because their area is so big. I am working with the zone leaders to make sure and Clarify who is getting what amount of Money. Its not the funnest part of my job but its okay...

We have been teaching tons of Converts! There have been thirteen baptisms in the past six months and our number one focus is retention! Its amazing to see how a very determined Elder can bring so many souls to the truth. We do not have very many investigators and we are not finding very many new ones... all of the ones we have are super busy with finishing school and work for the Christmas season. Everyone is busy this time of year but the recent converts always make time for the missionaries!

One of our recent converts is named Paul! He feels a little bit overwhelmed with his new calling but he will be fine! I hope we did not scare him...

Awesome to know that the kitchen is almost done! Can you send me a picture? Also Obispito went to serpost yesterday and there are no packages from the states here in Arequipa. They must be in Lima and Serpost is operating at ten percent capacity. So the packages are coming slowly but surely and the strike is starting to break but its Perú so who knows what could happen.

I have been thinking a lot about Christmas and missionary work. They are both amazing but the best is when they are put together! We have been teaching so much about the Christmas season. I have often talked about many of the testimonies that were shared from the video too! I am super excited to talk to you guys!!! 

Mission Week 38, Arequipa (Mission Home)

This week in the Umacollo Ward we are having a family history activity. In this week we have been inviting everyone in the ward to fill out their Mi Familia books and to bring them to the office. We are going to have all of the office computers open along with a few laptops so the members can come in and put all their information online. I am going to go Eat I will finish when i get back

I am so sorry I have not been taking pictures... I just do not have my camera... ALSO! I was wondering if you could send me some Idaho Spuds in the next package you send?

Mission week 37, Arequipa

We had BISCUITS AND GRAVY!!! :D

 

 

Here is my desk and the view that I have of Arequipa!

 

 

We have three baptisms today also I finished my training and I am officially the new fully trained financial secretary!

I am doing good I have about three minutes before we leave and I just finished 9 CAJAS :D

I am keeping super busy we have more missionary work than I have ever had before and we only have about 3 hours to do it. The only other time we have we are doing paper work. I have been working on closing the year with all the missions finances... Not fun... also renewing the contracts that we have with the office and the apartment where we live... My testimony has been growing and I am looking forward to Christmas! Although I cannot send the package home, also I cannot receive packages. The Post is on strike in Arequipa and close areas. It costs about $50 to send a single page letter it would cost upwards of $300 to send the package for Christmas, luckily people in the ward often go to the states and I could probably send it with one of them! I will let you know how it goes love you bye!

Mission Week 36, Arequipa

I do not live in the mission Home... I live in an apartment with six missionaries. The apartment is about the same size as Bensons and Kaitlyns apartment. Its only one floor but its big. The mission home is fairly nice. It has lots of rooms and its not huge but the landscaping is beautiful. I have only been there twice in two weeks but Elder Carter says we go every now and then. I would have to say the nicest thing about being in the office is the office. Its on the seventh floor in one of the nicest buildings in Arequipa! Okay maybe not the nicest building but I have an awesome view of the city from my desk. Arequipa reminds me a little of Treasure Valley except its much more arid and concentrated.

I am the Financial secretary. I am in charge of finding solutions to all problems with money:

1.  I make sure that all the missionaries in the mission have enough money to get through the month. I also revise and reimburse the costs of all the zones and their activities. The mission will pay for some of the activities that the missionaries do. They have to call me and make sure that the mission will reimburse their activity. I also get tons of receipts from all the ten zones in the mission, I have to archive them and send money to the zones through the Zone Leaders cards.
2. I am in direct contact with president and I make purchases for the whole mission and leaving and coming missionaries. For example President comes in and says I want Christmas hats for every single missionary in the mission get it done. I have to create a budget and get them bought through whatever means possible. I also buy food for the mission house. Basically when president needs something done that has anything to do with money he goes to me.
3. Pancho and Obispito: Pancho and Obispito are two Men who work for the mission. Everyone in Arequipa knows them. They are registered as taxi drivers but they deliver water, they make hospital appointments, they take missionaries to and from places. They always help us out in the office with making deliveries and I will often times send them with a budget to go purchase things

Thats mostly all of my responsibilities but I have to keep track of everything and its one hundred percent problem solving, I am still just a missionary.

I wake up and have a normal missionary schedule until 10:00 AM. At that time most missionaries leave. I go to the office. I am working in the office from 10:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon and then we leave to go teaching.

Yes I do still have an area. I work in the Umacollo ward and its amazing. It has about 200 active members which is a large increas from the 50 and 30 from my previous wards. The bishop is awesome and we have tons of progressing investigators. I am super sad because There is so much potential and we have to go to the office. It gives us tons of incentive to get our office work done so we can go leave during the day. 

 

We do have Pdays, because we just stay in the office and write family and then do things to help the rest of the week go along more smoothy instead of going to the beach or playing football with tons of missionaries. So we do have a P-day do we do much on P-day no ..

 

Arequipa is expensive but Now I am in an area where I can go the mall! I CAN GET ANYTHING I WANT!!!

 

I was being trained by Elder Carter all the time! I am still super overwhelmed but I have learned a ton and I am going to try to help the mission in whatever way possible.

love Elder Tanner

 

 

Mission Week 35, Arequipa: Mission Home

Big Changes happened and I am extremely overwhelmed but still keeping my head.

This Wednesday I got a call about my investigator who needed an interview however I was talking with the financial secretary Elder Carter. He asked me If I knew who he was... I did not and He told me who he was and said that I had an Emergency Change and I needed to be in the office the next day to start my training to replace him as the New Financial Secretary. I kinda said something to mom about how I would probably be skyping from the house In tacna unless I got a change or I was Called to the office to replace Elder Carter, I was completely joking. When He called me I was on the bus and almost started crying. 

 

This is going to be super hard and super challenging however it will be possible... They called me in because of my ability to use Microsoft Excel (Thankyou dad) and other reasons. I still am getting used to Arequipa and I got here the day before my birthday. I was super upset because I came to this brand new place on my birthday and nobody knew... but I quickly figured out that I am a missionary and Birthdays are not important. I have been trained in a little bit of things but I still feel like a fish out of water! I will be writing you guys on Saturdays now because in the office we have to work on workdays. I will most likely be here for the next six months.

 

Let me know how your week has been I love you guys a ton

Mission Week 34 Pocollay

 

super good place to eat I ate ostrich and Alpaca and Cow!

This week was really slow however we are finding lots of new people and recieving tons of references! We did not do anything super spectacular or amazing but we might have a baptism next week his name is david and he has gone to church four times and he is going to get baptized however we do not know when... I have lost two kilos and I am back to 56 kilos :( Mama Luz is mad at me... She says I need to go back to moquegua. My ankle now is just a minor nuisance. I love my ward and my area! I found a child in our ward who was baptized only because He liked the elders who were teaching him... He has never read the book of Mormon.... He is a little anti social but we freaking love the kid! He lives in Pachia. Super lehos(far)!! It would be like the of star also teaching a small family in melba! That was my week! I have met amazing new people who do not know that they want to progress yet! 

 

 

Mission Week 33 Pocollay

These are photos from Pachai and Alto Calana We have to take a thirty minute bus to get there

 

 

Pday soccer injury.

Mission Week 32 Pocollay Peru

Life is hard. Life is full of challenges. Life is full of sorrows. Life is full of needs. Life is hard, however, we know that it is possible. Life is full of challenges that will help us grow and become stronger. Life is full of sorrows that will help us to learn how to support others in their times of need. Life is full of needs that only the gospel of Jesus Christ can fulfil.

This week was an extremely difficult week for me however I have been able to learn more than I have ever before. I came to internet feeling slightly defeated when I realized, we are only defeated when we submit to defeat! This life is a battle and we will continue to battle until we win or we submit to defeat and I will not submit to defeat.

In Pocollay we are passing for many difficulties but we are passing and we will continue to keep passing these difficulties until we are changed! There is no way for us to progress with out the stress of change. I feel like this last week was extremely challenging but I have seen many areas of Pocollay progressing. Ricardo was going to church by himself for the first time in his life. I was surprised to call Jesus for the first time and he said that he had already changed his clothes and was out the door. One thing that is coming to my mind right now is that I am trying to help this ward fulfill its full potential but am I doing it in the lords way. I must cast away all ambition and pride. Elder Uceda talked to us a few months ago and he spoke of a quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley, President Hinckley said to the missionaries, You are nobody, You are no great person, but you are all that the lord has to do his work. 

We have work to do, you and I, so very much of it. Let us roll up our sleeves and get at it, with a new commitment, putting our trust in the Lord.

Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;

But with joy wend your way.

Though hard to you this journey may appear,

Grace shall be as your day.

We can do it, if we will be prayerful and faithful. We can do better than we have ever done before.

The Church needs your strength. It needs your love and loyalty and devotion. It needs a little more of your time and energy.

 I hope that this week I can look forward to the difficulties of the following week and that I may be able to help one more person everyday I am here!

 

Elder Tanner

Mission Week 31 Tacna, Peru

This week has been a hard week but it has been a good week. I found myself not knowing where to go or what to do in so many different situations. I eventually found myself letting god direct everything in my life! When I handed him everything he showed me what he could do. We found more less actives and every person who we could never find before. It was amazing. We had been looking for about five less actives in the same area, We had tried to find them with my last companion Elder Perez and for some reason they were all leaving their houses when we happened to be wandering by because we felt like we needed to. Some of them invited us to teach them others told us that we could pass by during a specific time to visist them. I know that when we let god guide our path, he will never lead us astray.

Love Elder T

Mission Week 30 Pocollay

This week we have been visiting a ton of the less actives that we have been trying to visit for a long time and for some reason. Every single one of them was in their house and the one we could not find went to church anyways! We were visiting a ton of young men whom are all in very different stages of the progression... some of them need to change many habbits and living styles before they can fully enjoy the blessings of the gospel however the good news is that they all want to come back to church! We are working with about five young men, three sisters and three young women whom all want to come back to church. We are working with other less actives to but these ten have said with a firm voice that I need to go back! It was amazing and this sunday we did not have a ton of investigators come to the church but we trippled the size of the gospel doctrine class! When I first came here, Elder Taylor asked me what was my vision for the ward and I said I want to see 100 people sitting in the chapel every single sunday participating in the sacrament, we usually have about 60-70 but this sunday we had more than ninety.
We still need to find new investigators. We are finding that many of the old investigators are not interested in the gospel with the change of companionship but those who are interested are progressing at an even faster rate as we focus in on those who are ready and prepared by god not man! We need to find new people! We need to help these ten souls to come back to church with a testimony that is unbreakable and more than anything we need God to be with us every step of the way! I can honestly feel gods hands changing my life as he works through me to help his children! I know that without him, I am nothing... Its is dificult to speak in spanish when I am not in tune with the spirit. Like an instrument I must be prepared to be the mouthpiece of god but he is the artist and I am nothing more than a instrument without a voice when I am not in his hands. I have seen so much change in the past week it has been amazing! I look forward to another week hard week of demanding challenges and I will be ready to face them if I am with the Lord!

Elder Tanner

Mission Week 29 Pocollay

 My old zone no longer exists and we as a mission we have half the leadership that we did and a lot more of responsibility. I have been pretty shaken up with conference and changes and I am very drained right now. I will write for this week tonight or someday this week when I can sit and gather my thoughts but right now no...My companion is leaving to an area that will be in my district. My new companion is Elder Naranjo(orange) He is from texas but his parents are from columbia! He is suppose to be a fantastic missionary. I look forward to working with him...

Elder Taylor and I are going to be okay, we just had two companions who were different.... I was watching the conference and I honestly started crying during the talk of Elder Holland.... I felt for a moment the burden that I had put on my mom... I thought about how much you are helping us and how much we depend on you and i thought much of how much I have failed to help you in your efforts to keep all of us afloat! it killed me...Honestly Mom you have a son WHO NEEDS YOU!!!!

 

 

Mission Week 28 Pocollay

This week was a very humbling week and definately a week of growing. I have definately been able to see how someone can change there life through the gospel. The other day Elder Perez and I went to visit a recent convert and she showed us that she had shared the name of her Grandfather through Family search and It showed that He had been baptized and confirmed and she is now waiting to see the other ordinances done. She was so happy and she keeps on ¨nourishing her family tree to help it grow more and more.

Elder Perez and I have been doing well. I am very pleased with this past week. We have been planning more and studying harder and working more as a companionship. We had a mountain of visits fall through. These last two days we had everything planned ahead of time and not a single planned visit happened. Saturday at about seven thirty I was really frustrated and I just looked up and asked what is it that you want us to do because we are trying and its not working, and I got the feeling like that was what I needed to do. I needed to ask god what he wants and less of what I want. I need to be more loving and humble. After that I sat down and talked to Elder Taylor at the dinner table and I just found answers to questions and they were not complicated answers just things I had forgotten.
Why is this week so hard?
The Lord wants this week to be hard!
Why did all of our visits fall through?
The Lord had other plans for us to do!
Why is there so much pain and suffuring in the lives of the people here in peru?
The Lord loves them enough and He knows that everything they suffer through will only make them stronger!

I have to be honest IT KILLS ME to see how people live here. I feel so shallow and spoiled! I think you know how empathetic I can be and it hurts and I cannot even begin to imagine..

Mission Week Twenty Seven Pocollay

Today I was getting ready to leave and I thought do I have everything... I checked my pockets opened my backpack and looked inside the folder and Saw in the folder a few photos letters and a mirror. I spent five minutes looking at each photo of my friends and family and I felt like I was just sitting in a room spending time with each and everyone of You! That moment I said I have everything, but people are missing!!! I know there are more of you out there reading this blog who need to be in my folder wherever I go! For all the people in Peru to see! This folder Leaves with me in the morning and comes back with me at night! AND I NEED YOU WITH ME!!! It may not be much but I can always look at your smiling faces and remember the moments that are most important! You all have impacted me so much and I am who I am because of all of you! SO if your photo is not here send me one so I can Have you with me wherever I go! I am thinking about you! I love you! and I want you to keep you by my side every single day! 

Mission Week Twenty Six Pocollay

 

 

 

Elder Ancajima is my zone leader and this week we had divisions. I stayed in my area with Elder Ancajima and we had an amazing day! Elder Ancajima Has been in Tacna for his whole mission! A few changes he was in Arequipa but that does not stop everyone from calling him the Tacna Missionary. It was awesome because we were able to work with much of the old investigators and find a fairly large number of less active members and we have started teaching them all! Elder Ancajima is from Lima and he likes to listen to music! The whole time we were on divisions we were relating so many things to the gospel it was a very inspiring time and I was able to realize that being here in the mission makes my life after the mission better! Every moment i have here in the mission is making my life after the mission more satisfying. With Elder Ancajima I was able to express all of my worries and ideas in a constructive environment and I Grew spiritually and I definately have raised my expectations for pocollay and my mission!

Mission Week Twenty Five Pocollay

My Dear Family and Friends,

 

The Power of Prayer: I hope you know how much I love you all! If there is one thing that I was able to learn this week it is the strength and blessings that get sent from home. This past week I thought I was going to end up dying from a stomach issue. I asked for a blessing Monday night and I knew that my family and friends would be praying for me. I will tell you all now That I testify of priesthood power and the ability that the lord has to answer prayers. After Monday I made a complete turn for the better and I have had the best week and a more healthy stomach than ever before. It was an amazing experience.

Ye are a light on a Hill:

 

 

 

I was standing up on a bus when I noticed a young boy gawking at me. He started to measure how tall from afar and continued to stare astounded, telling all of his friends to look at the gringo on the bus! It made me laugh and I just kept on standing there. He sat down with my companion and my companion started to tell him about the plan of salvation. It was a spiritual moment and I began to think of Matthew 4:14-16 and How much I stick out. Missionaries stick out enough but I am a Gringo(White Person) who is super tall and It came to me that I really did stick out like an Eifel tower in a small town. I thought about the meaning of light in these verses and compared it to the spirit of a testimony. God has put us on a hill and it is up to us to shine for the souls of the world. If we try our hardest to shine through the storm the lord will help us to grow stronger and stronger. If we do not try our hardest why would the lord want to help augment the light of our testimonies in christ.

A Song came to my mind, the lyrics go: This little light of mine Im gonna let it shine let it shine let it shine let it shine! My previous companion and I would sing that song when we were having a bad day at the top of our lungs and it brought a smile to my face! I felt so full of the spirit and This all happened on a bus ride home! 

I just want all of you to know that you all are lights of hope in my life! The world is a dark fallen place and I find the strength to keep on going thanks to each and every one of you! Often times I find myself waking up in the morning remembering a dream of sitting at weber state having just had a long talk with my weber gang, or sitting on the sidelines of an Eagle High Soccer game with all of my sports med friends or sitting at home in a field of grass just watching my family have a fun time throwing the frisby... Keep shining!

 

Elder Tanner

Mission Week Twenty Four Pocollay

Sickly week.  But did get some fun pictures.

We LOVE Elder Shaw Tanner!!!

Mission Week Twenty Three Pocollay, Tacna

This week we had changes and I am no longer in my beloved Moquegua, I am in Pocollay. Pocollay is in Tacna. Tacna is about the size of boise it is beautiful. Its much greener than My desert flower moquegua. I do not think I will have any problem finding a camera battery here! Our area is huge! I am in Pocollay 3 there are six missionaries in a single ward! Its a HUGE area! We have a baptism this saturday, after all things were said and down Juana ran into a few doubts and postponed her baptism date but I am so greatful that she had the courage to do so and wait until she and the lord are ready for her baptism! I will miss the Vargas Family and the tapia family dearly I dont have any pictures but Elder Guzmán will send them to me today! That stinks about the fires!

 

Pocollay is amazing, I live with my companion Elder Perez. He is the youngest of 8 kids and the second missionary in his family! He is a little short but he is super hilarious! I have been laughing a ton! Also ELDER HEATH IS IN MY ZONE OF TACNA!!! Also Bonilla is here too but he is on the other side of Tacna! I am going to see if I can visit my old pensionista she is coming to Tacna with her daughter mafer to compete in a gymnast contest

Week Twenty Three Moquegua

First I am going to say that you guys always give me great things to tell my investigators! Second This past week has been a lesson on obedience we have had a lot of success not in baptism in numbers but we have been working harder on being more obedient! We were told this week that we would need to prepare for the talk that Elder Uceda was going to give. Elder Guzman and I were Fasting the day before and day of and for both of us it was probably one of the best days of our lives. Also Elder Guzman is by far the best friend I have ever had in my life... I do not know how to describe it. We have only lived together for three months but I know that he was definately my friend in the pre mortal life! A large part of Elder Ucedas Coucil for us was about obedience. He said that obedience will bring the blessings of god also that All of the latin missionaries had to learn english. English is the language of the resturation and the translation of the scriptures is close but it is not perfect. If you want to have a more perfect understanding of the gospel you have to do it in the language that god chose to restore it! He talked about how the culture here in latin america is extremely critical and for this reason a lot of the missionaries have fear of being made fun of But if we have faith fear is nothing! The other part he talked about was how to improve our studies and our obedience, He told us to be more obedient flat out... It was amazing to hear with the power that he spoke and the spirit that you could feel! 

Also This is my last week in moquegua... I am going to be completely honest when I say that another miracle has fallen in moquegua. Hermana Juana is a woman of about fifty years old, she is very ROUND and she is always extremely happy and coming to church her daughters are all members and they do not go to church all of the time but they all have very strong testimonies. Juana has been listening to the missionaries for ten years. She has never accepted the challenge to be baptized but she told Elder Guzman and I that she would think about a date. I was fasting and praying all day friday and saturday that I would be able to see her become baptized... I wanted nothing more but the lord decided to give me something more. This sunday I went with our mission leader to a new family we are teaching and Elder Guzman and Alejandro went to visit hermana Juana. After waiting in the house of the new family Elder Guzman Called me and told me that Juana had made the decision to be baptized the twenty second, my heart jumped and then dropped and then jumped, First because she had chosen a date to be baptized, second because it was the 22nd and it was not probably going to be in less than a week, third because there was still hope, And then Elder Guzman said of august, and she wants you to baptize her! I started to cry, After ten years of listening to dozens of missionaries she is finaly going to take a step to further unite her family. It was an extremely spiritual lesson and I know that it is a blessing from the lord. Love you all so much.

 

Elder Tanner 

 

More pictures from Moquegua from Alexjandro

Mission Week Twentytwo Moquegua/San Francisco

In little words: This week has been hard but a good one. Two days we left and we only we could only find two people to teach but those two lessons were fantastic. We also had divisions with our district leaders. Elder Turnblom and I were able to find many of the investigators who had been eluding us for quite some time. Eliodoro shared with us his feelings and he told us that he could not say that he did not have the ability to go to church and that he needed to make changes so he could go every week! It was amazing to see how one of our investigators can see the importance of going to church. One thing that many of the less actives here struggle with... Our Ward council did a 180 this week! They are really focused in the families but before it was dificult to plan with them but this week we planned with the spirit! In every aspect of the mission the Holy Ghost is crucial! I have realized that without it I really cannot do anything let alone talk. Our Zone Conference was amazing and Elder Guzman and I have been thinking about potiential, and how we have unlimited potential how much more we have to achieve. Excuses exist but when it comes down to it is our determination versus the devils and we decide who will win. I am looking forward to the multi zone conference in tacna with anticipation. 

 

In detail: This week we had an activity with the primary, We went to the streets and contacted people, It was good to see a recent convert Nilda talking to people left and right! We had about 80 missionaries that day! Some young and some old but everyone worked together to tell everyone the blessings that they could recieve through the blessings of the gospel. I was suprised and that at the end of the activity I was asked to give my testimony! I did not think much of it and that the kids would be distracted... I got up to the pulpit and it was intimidating to see 80 little pairs of eyes staring right at me. I remembered the look of a childs eyes as she her brother and her mom were running away from an abusive situation. Eyes that looked up to me like I was some kind of super hero. I remember how I used to look at the missionaries when I was little. It made me think... What more can I do to be the superhero that these kids deserve, these eighty kids who were going to be missionaries. It touched my heart and I started to cry but quickly regained myself and started testifying sobre los cosas que son mas importantes en este vida. Que nosotros necesitamos los bendiciones del evangelio! Realmente Ellos son el futuro del evangelio. Les amo mucho siempre voy a recordarlos!

 El siguiente Día Fuimos a la casa de Nilda Y la encontremos haciendo un cometa Grandote! La ayudamos terminarlo y fuimos a volear lo. (Lo siento for the spanish) We took her giant kite up to the big hill close to her house and it took to the air. We talked about the holy ghost and how he is like wind we cant see him but we know he is hear because we can feel his presence. Just then we saw an investigator whom we had been searching for! Eliodoro he shared that he was still very interested and wanted to learn more and we are going to ask him if he would like to get baptized in the near future and start preparing him! We have been running into so many people that we have not been able to find before. Elder Turnblom and I left the room with two lessons that we planned ahead of time and the lord blessed us for having faith and he guided us to people that were in dire need of finding us! My message for you all this week is follow the promptings of god whole heartedly, he will bless you and you will always be able to see the path that you have walked after the trial of your faith. The Lord will guide your footsteps one at a time and you will find yourself walking strange new paths and you will learn that you can always trust in the lord! I have a testimony of the guidance of the lord! He is here and he will always find something that we can do if we take the time to listen.

Elder Tanner

The kite is also another lesson we can teach! This kite is amazing. It represents the imagination of a child and the lack of pride, the humility and diligence of Nilda! Nilda lives in a poorer part of san fancisco. you can see the houses behind Elder Turnblom and I, They are not much more that wood with a tin roof. Many children live here and they are some of the happiest I have ever seen! They do not have grass or televisions, a lot of them don't have running water and they have to wait for their turn to receive their water from a hose but they are always extremely happy. This kite is made from nothing but recycled from broken wooden fences and walls. They use plastic garbage sacks and what yarn they can find... its amazing to see the ingenuity of all these little kids.

Mission Week Twenty One Moquegua

After spending a good amount of time recuperating, Elder Guzman and I have hit the pavement hard! Now covering two areas our number of investigators has DOUBLED and the amount of walking has been trippled! We have been Focusing more on Reactivating the members who already exist because our number of investigators has been starting to grow smaller but we are asking all the People we teach if we can visist their friends and family! One of those families is the familia Vargas! They are all going to church and avoiding classes on sundays to keep the sabbath day open for church activities! We gave the names of Elizabeth and Lucio to be considered to be called ward missionaries! They will definately help in the work of the lord!

 The other day we were walking in the street and we found fifty centimos in the street and we used it to buy oreos! It is just one of the millions of blessings that i have recieved every day in the mission. Look for the small mercies of the lord every day!

Lastly a little bit of scripture study from today!

 5 Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience.

 6 Now, seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called?

 7 Why should I desire that I were an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth?

 8 For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true.

 9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

we all have a part to play in the lords grand and marvelous work! Ask the lord what is your part!

Mission Week Twenty Moquegua

This Week has not been the most productive week We have had... My Companion and I have been taking turns being sick with the flu and more. Although we didn't have much time to leave and teach we had a lot of time to study the gospel! I was able to read a good portion of the Book of Mormon and sharpen up my Spanish! I realized How much being out Teaching helps with your testimony! It was much harder to keep the spiritual growth that I was having before when I was able to leave the room. The Blessings from the mission are huge and they are not easily won. It takes a ton of obedience and patience. I know that these two years will not be easy at times they will not be fun but they will be the best two years for my life!

 

 

Mission Week Eighteen Moquegua/San Francisco

My area is new! Also I am moving to my new room soon but the good/bad news is that The zone leaders Left sanfrancisco 2 and no one is coming to replace them!!! MY NEW AREA IS SANFRANCISCO MOQUEGUA!!!!! ITS HUGE AND THERE A LOTS OF PEOPLE AND I AM SCARED!!!

 

Today is the first day of the last transfer that I have in moquegua. This transfer has made an unusual amount of change in the mission and its a little hard to adjust to, We have completely new leaders and the only person that is here from my first change is Hermana Sanchez. With new transfers we have new challenges. In this transfer all of our district leaders and zone leaders left including Elder Webb and Elder Mackay. We shared a pension with them and spent a good amount of time together everyday. They Left Our zone of San Francisco and no one is coming to replace them. The area of Elder Guzman and I has now doubled in size and with that size comes many more investigators, and members. We are not sure how we are going to be able work with it all, but we will figure it out soon. More than anything it has been extremely lonely in San Francisco, Elder Webb and Elder Mackay were not only extremely excellent leaders but very close friends. I was looking at all the photos that Elder Webb had on his camera and I found it extremely funny that he had all of my time on the mission in his camera with photos from all the major events I have had in the mission. I can´t describe how much they have helped me in the five first months of the mission. Right now I am looking forward to the new challenges! The number one strength for me right now is Elder Guzman! I could trust him with absolutely everything and he is very calm and collected and never runs out of patience. I learned from him that many of the latinos in the mission don´t have proper grammer, actually its quite the abhorrence to him. Good news for me studied history and languages before the mission and his spanish is amazing. We always remember to work hard with a smile on our face and we will continue to do so until the day that they decide to send me somewhere else(Approximately 1.5 months) but until then i will be here! SAN FRAN MOQUEGUA!! CIAO!

 

 

Mission Week Seventeen Moquegua

This week was a little bit slow but Sunday came and dropped blessings like rain! The missionaries have been working with a Sister in our ward for about a year now and she has been going to church but she has a person who she is living with and they are not married. we had just gotten back from the church when we recieved a call from the young womans president saying that we needed to come to the church. This investigator had asked to talk to the bishop of the ward and told him that she was ready to move on in her spirtiual journey with or without her partner and that she needed to be baptized and soon! It was amazing and then we talked to a father of a recent convert who is going through a similar challange but He has seen the blessings in his daughters lifes and he wants the same for himself and his two oldest children!

Needless to say the Field is white in San Francisco Moquegua but its up to us to get to work! 

Mission Week Sixteen Moquegua

I have had a fairly tough week  but I am looking forward to the challenges of the mission. We only have so much time in the mission, only so much time to grow. I have always noticed a huge difference in the people who come back from their missions. At times I ask myself "am I changing the way the lordwould want me to change?" I have been taking a lot of things for granted on the mission. I give thanks in my prayers but I feel like I can still do more. It has helped motivate me during the hard times. I have never been the best at anything but I am giving my best to the lord.

 

I want to tell you how much Elder Guzman has helped me a lot in this change together that we have had and I still absolutely love Moquegua. Elder Guzman told me I was probably going to leave this change after you told me that I had accumulated some time here in Moquegua. I would be sad to leave but willing to go wherever I am needed.

Mission Week Fifteen Moquegua

There was a strike in the area where Shaw was emailing us, he had to leave and we didn't get an email this week.  We received a few exchanges and this, "Got to go Power shut off there are huge strikes going on and they are turning the power off! Love you! I am Safe dont worry! Just a lot of angry taxi drivers! LOVE YOU!!!"

 But this letter came through the following day.  So glad it came when it did. 

Dear Tanner Family,

                I would like to tell all of you that I miss you, however, the experiences I have had in my few months here in Peru have helped me grow and learn things that would otherwise be unavailable to me. The Mission has been an opportunity and I hope I can make the most of it!

                The most crucial aspect that almost always results in success is unity. I have learned only through unity in our companionships and our Zones can we find true success. Missionaries work hand in hand with many ward members and church leadership. We all have to trust in one another that we are going to do our part in the work of the salvation of souls.

 6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

 7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.

 

                Dear Tanner Family, These two scriptures have helped me see things in a more broad and eternal spectrum. God does not work in today or tomorrow or yesterday. He works with an eternal purpose in mind and at times we have to wait centuries to see the fruits of our labors. My companion had a recent baptism in his old area. The Recent convert had 87 years the day of her baptism, She met the missionaries at the age of fifteen… after seventy two years of knowing the church she was baptized. The missionaries that had first met this daughter of god would never be able to see her be baptized in this lifetime.  You all too have a part in a plan longer than centuries. You have the opportunity to change someone’s life with something as simple as a smile. This work is grand and marvelous and I earnestly plead with you to pray for opportunities to take part in this work.

                You have many talents and much strength that the world is in dire need of.  One of the most powerful tools you have is your example.  All of us have committed to take upon ourselves the name of Christ this means to follow his example.  When we are following the example of Christ we will easily obtain the unity and drive to have successful families and companionships.  In this time that you all have I invite you to lift one another and you will find yourself being lifted. In this time of bonding and upholding the sacred bond that binds our family together we can find true happiness. I testify that only through apoyando uno al otro, pudemos llegar a ser mas unificado y Nosotros podemos obtener un visión eternamente!

Mission Week Fourteen Moquegua

Its been a week, it has not felt like a week. I feel like the time in my mission is sand slipping through my fingers. Right now we plenty of people to teach but not enough time to teach all of them! We have started to work a little bit more with our Ward council but its a bit hard when your ward mission leader tries to through you under the bus when he has not completed an assignment... It caught me off gaurd, I was suprised and a little offended but we cannot hold grudges. We have been working more with the less actives and part member families and I found that a huge barrier between us and the investigators was a complete lack of relationship. We need to teach and know the doctrine but we also need to listen to those we teach. Elder Guzman has helped me to learn to have patience with our investigators and Less actives. It is amazing to see how much love he has for the people of moquegua. Elder Guzman is a very different companion than Elder Bonilla. I knew more about Elder Guzman in the first few days than I knew about Elder Bonilla in the whole time we were companions. I feel really guilty because I never really knew my companion and its deffinately my fault but I feel like Elder Guzman is my brother! We have been sharing a mormon message about how we can find Jesus christ in our lives no matter what the moment is. I have definately been looking much harder for what my heavenly father wants me to learn from times of difficulties and hardships. Thank you for your time and your advice!

 

Love Elder Tanner

Mission Week Thirteen Moquegua

Here it is

 

Well this week has been a whole new experience with my new companion Elder Guzman. It has only been a week but I feel like we are working harder and more importantly I feel like we are working together. It was quite the change but we have great companionability  and camaraderie. I feel like I am actually making a diference in our investigators lifes. We have been working on finding new ways to present the lessons to some of our investigators whom we have been teaching for a long time. Right now We dont have anyone on the verge of being baptized but I am not letting that get me down. We never will know when heavenly father will drop a prepared investigator or less active right in our way. 

 

Looking back at how much I have changed from when I left my home it is amazing. I was sitting in the gospel doctines class with one of our investigators and realized that I was not straining to understand what the teacher was talking about or teaching. It is amazing to me that in these short four months I have grown so much mentally. I find that my problem solving skills are faster and my reaction time is quicker and even my balance has improved in the mission. 

I have also seen major spiritual growth in my life for some reasons I will get the urge to talk about something completely off topic but it leads to a gospel doctrine that is close to the investigators life. I have a much deeper knowledge of the scriptures too. yesterday our investigator was talking about how she does not understand how everyone can be resurrected and for the first time in my mission I had known exactly where to go in my scriptures because I was already opened to the page! It was Alma explaining to his son what the ressurrection means. 

 

I would like to tell you how much moquegua has changed in my time here. I feel like the entire mentality has changed profoundly. We have become unified and we are working together as the zone of Moquegua.

 

From San Francisco,

 

Elder Tanner