Mission Week Eleven Moquegua

So much is changing here! When I learned that they would be closing areas I thought that I would be leaving moquegua for sure and I was devestated because there is so much potential here! Potential investigators, potential rescues, and potential for me to grow and to change! I know that I am going to leave someday but It will still be hard to leave. This week was a little bit rough. I had a fever of 103 and what I thought was strep but it turned out to be the flu, I think, I dont know for sure. We were able to get to a few investigators and we had really good lessons. One of our investigators has difficulties with her father. He doesnt want her to go to church or listen to us. I cant imagine how one can progress without the help of their parents. For much of my life I had been dependent on on my parents testimonies and their faith but out here I have learned that if an investigator doesnt have a testimony of their own their is not much you can do except invite them and teach them until they gain one! Dont have much else that happened this week. I look forward to writing you next week about changes and a possible baptism!

Also our convert Nilda turned eleven this week! She was very excited for her birthday and Elder Webb bought a mutant banana from mamita luz! It is suppose to bring you good luck i guess...

Mission Week Ten Moquegua

Friendly boy Elder Tanner sat next to while sending his weekly email today.  Like his new hair cut?

This week I feel like the lord opened up the windows of heaven and poured out so many blessings here in Moquegua! We had the Baptism of our investigator Susan Tapia. I will say it took several miracles for this to pass. Several large miracles! It was absolutely amazing. After Susan had her interview with our District leader she was devastated because she was told that she would have to wait to be interviewed by someone for the mission presidency, but she had faith in God and He was probably trying her faith at this time. She told us that it is easy to be grateful when you are blessed but what about when we are being tried? Later she was able to talk to President Zobrist and she was given the option to be baptized. She talked to her son because she wanted him very badly to be at her baptism but Her son told her that if she knew it was true and she knew that she was going to be baptized she couldn't afford to wait! We had her son connected to the baptism through Skype and I had the blessing to watch as a son watched his mother find the truth that he had found so long ago! It was absolutely amazing and I learned a lot from the experience!

 

The biggest lesson for me, Where is my faith, where is my confidince. Its Easy to be happy when you are being blessed and when you are having success, however, What is our disposition through opposition? How do we respond to trials and challenges? Are we responding with patience and love, Or have we grown so accustomed to the state of success that we turn away from something difficult. If I was denied my salvation, how would I respond... Would I think to pray and ask god what more I needed to learn? I hope that I can fallow the example of Susan Tapia and respond to oposition with positivity! 

 

Also we can buy a KILO OF CHOCOLATE FOR 15 SOLES!!! THATS 2.41 POUNDS OF CHOCOLATE FOR FIVE DOLLARS!!!

Love Elder Tanner

Mission Week Nine Moquegua

I may have been in the mission for a good few weeks but we had a lesson that changed how i viewed the work of the lord! We were planning on having a Noche Misional but no one showed up except one investigator. We decided that we could  use our time more wisely by teaching a lesson. After a very powerful lesson(Thanks to Elder Bonilla! He can teach with the spirit and sometimes I forget that we have investigators to teach because I learn so much about the doctrine from him!) Our investigator told us that she was looking forward to her baptism this weekend and that she was having terrible dreams of a really dark past that she had. She has talked to the bishop and is changing her life so much but after these dreams, She Feels like she cant be accepted by god, not because He is angry or mad at her but she feels so ashamed of her past.

 This investigator found us in the street and told us that we needed to visit her in her house. We taught her twice and then all of our other appointments fell through. After three weeks of not being in contact with this investigator, She suprised us by coming to church, Telling us that she knows this is where she was suppose to go because she was praying to know and immediately after found the tarjeta that we had given her. She has a baptismal date and she began talking to the bishop before we invited her to. She is coming to chruch instead of working and she doesnt have money for food. She is trying so hard to change her life and Its amazing to see how much she has already changed!

 I have always known that being on a mission isnt about baptizing people, its about converting people. With this experience I have learned that the Lord is the one who converts people whether we are ready or not, However, when we are ready to help the Lord in his work he can edify us in every aspect of our lives too! I hope that I can be ready to help every person that the lord has prepared for me because his work will come to pass in his time, with or without me. If I am ready to work, He will permit me to participate!

It was an Awesome fun day to spend 2 hours with Shaw.  He couldn't see us for a good portion of the video chat, but his smile never waivered.  He is doing well, loves the work, food and people. All his siblings were able to see him on Mother's day and speak with him.  How we love him.
MOM

Mission Week Eight Moquegua

This week we had the oppourtunity to have a weekend activity in the ward building. We invited everyone that we could but not very many people came, but one who did was an investigator of ours named susan. During the activity we watched The Other Side of Heaven, Its a disney movie based on a true story of a missionary in tonga(its made by disney and its got Anne Hathaway). It was the first time that i had ever watched the movie and I was amazed at the story of this one missionary! At the conclusion of the movie we asked everyone how they felt and our Investigator Susan told us how much she loved this video and that she could feel the spirit. She said that this video is  something that everyone should watch no matter what religion. She shared her testimony that missionaries change lives and that she wouldn`t be the same without Elder Bonilla and I. 

 

It was amazing for me to see the impact that the Lord had made on someones life. After the movie I was talking with my Zone leader Elder Webb. He expressed how the movie had redetermined his desire to serve the Lord. We talked about the Zone of Moquegua and how many missionaries refer to it as one of the harder zones but after watching this movie of a missionary sent to a tiny Island with no knowledge of the language or the people with difficulties beyond anything that I could Imagine, We were humbled. In reality I have never known anywhere else on the mission but truthfully I don`t really want to go anywhere else! Moquegua for me is absolutely amazing. The People here are stubborn but the Lord is just as equally Determined. When ever i am having a difficulty with my companion or a person in my area I go and read about an attribute of christ that I need to improve on. All of you should watch the movie and ponder in your life how can I help build the Kingdom of God. Moreover, Realize that we are all tools in the hands of god. In What shape do we want to be when he decides its our turn to help build the kingdom of god. Do we want to be a little bit dusty and rusty with signs that its been a while. Or do we want to be polished and shining ready to work in whatever work the lord requires.... But how can we tell if we have gathered a little bit of dust? My advice Look at your scriptures. Do they look a little unused, have they gathered a little bit of dust? Well Dust them off an open them up because your scriptures are the words that god has for you and wants you to hear! We must show God that we are ready to be made useful but first we must prepare ourselves for the work.

 

Elder Tanner

 

The picture is of Elder Dennis and Elder Gessiel (The two elders from Mollendo Who were evacuated a long time ago)