Elder Tanner

Elder Tanner

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

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..

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

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! 

Monday, September 14, 2015

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!





Tuesday, September 8, 2015

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