Elder Tanner

Elder Tanner

Monday, December 19, 2016

Mission Week 92, Tacna Peru; "PEACE".




This week was fairly interesting. I was sick for a part of it but I got over it fast. It was actually the Christmas dinner that made me sick and after that I ate Ricotto Relleno which would usually make my stomach worse but my companion told me to do it with the faith that it would make me better. I just kept on telling myself that it would make me better and with a positive mentality I got better while eating a pretty heavy dish.
This sunday I gave a talk on the message from the first presidency from this month. I enjoyed preparing myself for the talk I used a few scriptures from John. The explanation of peace is amazing and how Jesus gives us a peace that no one else can. How a firm confidince in his plan and in obeying the commandments can bring us more peace that a full wallet and a full stomach. That is just one of the fruits of the spirit. I have decided to look and develop everysingle one of these fruits of the spirit found in galations 5 this week. I hope that I can gain a stronger testimony of each and everyone of them.
Our investigators keep on progressing. We are excited to see them take thier leaps of faith in these days. Last week we all had very spiritual experiences and we were able to feel such a strong spirit and this week we really focused on committing them to act according to their feelings. We will see the results this week and I wait for them zealously.

I have a two months left in the mission. I have many plans and goals that I will accomplish in that time, Moreover I would like your opinion on the goals I have set and I would like you to help me set more. Here are some of the goals that I have planned,

1. Learn to testify in Ayamara or Quechua
(native language here in south america)

and use it to help convert someone who does not speak spanish.

2. Have a healthy Diet and gain 5 Kilos.

3. Raise church attendance in the ward I am in by 20.

4. Read the Book of Mormon in the two weeks I have left while contemplating the way I have used it in the mission and how I can better that usage int he time I have left.

5. Serve my companion daily.

6. Be more spiritual in my letters that I write home. Help my family feel converted through the things I write.


Elder Tanner

Monday, December 12, 2016

Mission Week 90 & 91, Tacna Peru "One SOL"




 12/12

Another good week. It was hard to get in doors for lessons but with a some phone calls and text messages we got enough investigators to go to church. There are a few of those investigators that we want to teach and they tell us, no I just want to go to church. A little frustrating but no one ever said that the investigators would come easily. I hope that we through fasting and prayer the lord can soften their hearts or we can find the "KEY" that will get us in the door and the spirit in their hearts.

I miss being with Elder Velasquez. He is an excellent missionary. We are still living together. Its a little strange. Everyday with Elder Velasquez was a Day where you got home and you felt absolutely drained. So many spiritual experiences and surprises at every turn. Elder Cleverly is a fantastic Elder too. I do not know him quite as well but we have a much more compatible way of teaching and I can feel the spirit so strong its like it is shooting out of our fingers like it says in Preach my gospel. The weight of the zone is not the same. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I had to learn. It was amazing to see how the lord can fix everything and we only play a small part. He is everything. He can do everything. Sometimes all we have to do is be present and he will do the rest. Sometimes we he lets us fail so we can learn.

This was an experience from last week that I wanted to share.

Fast and testimony meeting the Bishops councilor started by talking about the example of a sister in the ward who was going to go to the temple. She had so little but she always saved enough to go to the temple. This sister was an older woman who sold juice in a market she said that she did not make much money in fact it was practically nothing. That all that was left after she had bought food and necessary items was a sol. ONE SOL. She would take that sol from everyday and put it in a jar that was saved for the temple. Every year she would go to the bishop and say bishop here it is and she would always have enough to go to the temple including a little extra that would go to help others. A few testimonies later that same woman stood up and gave the most simple and sincere testimony. She said,"the temple is a good place. It is Beautiful and I like it. I like it and the lord likes it to. He is happy that I am there. That is why he gives me extra so I can go". I could not stop thinking about the humility and example of faith in that woman. She saves 33 cents daily so she can go to the temple. What more can we give? I am making goals of more things that I want to give during the mission and after the mission. 

12/5
Whew I had a few things that I wanted to write you but today was the hard day. Changes.... I am staying in my area but I will have a new companion Elder Velasquez is going to another ward in the stake but they are splitting the zone. I have half of the zone in the larger of the three stakes. It will be a lot easier to manage. Elder Cleverly is my companion. He should be getting here soon. I am feeling really wiped out. Yesterday we readied a room and that was not the funnest. We were painting for over an hour. I loved the Christmas devotional. I should have a few minutes more to write


Today was changes. We had to send over half the zone. Imagine trying to get over fifteen missionaries on three different buses in two different terminals.... I was fairly agitated and I yelled at a member. He wanted to call me and give me a hard time and I was just not taking it while trying to make sure elders did not lose their buses. During changes I cannot describe how much less stressful the sisters are. They are mature, they get to the terminal on time. they do not complain. they dont give me problems. I would love to thank and urge all sisters to go on a mission. They have such a strong presence int eh mission.




Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Mission Week 89, Tacna Peru "Prudent and Simple"



We had a baptismal date for this Saturday but the investigator, Raquel, did not feel to good about choosing between god and her family. It was a really hard moment it was the first time that Elder Velasquez and I had ever gotten back to the room and just thrown ourselves in bed without changing brushing our teeth. It was a pretty hard moment but we bounced back even stronger. With the determination that God is preparing people for us and we need to find them.



 This week was good. I feel like there are many things to do in Tacna and with the determination that Elder Velasquez and I have we will keep on doing it. I feel like some of the Elders feel comfortable being outside of Arequipa, we have taken the initiative to see how there studies are going and take time to talk with them one on one. It has been a great opportunity to solve problems have companionship inventories and show the Elders that we are more than just a digital audio recording device. This week I read a scripture that I love and until this day I have not been able to stop thinking about it.

Mateo 10:
16 He aquí, yo os envío como a ovejas en medio de lobos; sed, pues, prudentes como serpientes y sencillos como palomas.

The lord sends us like sheep between wolves. I have seen the importance of Permanecen Juntos SIEMPRE. What is one sheep all by itself going to do between a lot of wolves. I cannot imagine it getting very far. The lord promises us protection and success when we are obedient. We must be prudent and simple. Many times, as missionaries, we try to complicate the gospel and we are blinded by confidence. We believe that we can trust in ourselves more than the spirit but the gospel is simple.

Monday, November 14, 2016

Mission Week 88, Tacna Peru; "trying to bathe a cat"






Today we had an excelent companionship study where we talked about how we could improve our teaching methods and use of time. We concluded with us needing to be more focused on those who were prepared by god to recieve us. Many Missionaries in Tacna believe that we must prepare and teach our investigators and help them to find their testimony, however, Preach my Gospel teaches us to FIND, TEACH, INVITE. That is all we can do. Preach my gospel does NOT say that we must force the spirit into someones life by teaching them OVER and OVER and OVER AGAIN. We must be effecient Missionaries and the lord will to the preparing we just need to do the Finding the Teaching and the Inviting. This last week we found Three people ready to baptize. THEY WERE PREPARED BY THE LORD and all we had to do was find them. I know that The Gospel Changes lives but if we continue to  teach people who are not prepared it would be like trying to bathe a cat. You might be able to do it, but the likelyhood of that happening is a lot better when we work with the will of God. The gospel is like a river. We need to help every that wants to go with it. Some people might be already trying to go with the flow of the gospel but they are tangeled in reeds of doubt. Others are actively marching upstring. We must help those who let us help. 


Elder Tanner

Monday, November 7, 2016

Mission Week 87, Tacna Peru {Chased by an addict; font overfloweth; needle in a hay stack.}





This week has been much smoother than the last. The last week had me at the end of my patience but I now know that god listens and answers prayers not in our own time but in his time. He knows our weaknesses and our strengths and he is going to push us to our breaking point and then give us all that we need. This week we had a few notable things happen.

1. I was shouted at and chased by a drug addict from Brazil. He was yelling a lot of different words and the best part was that it was in Portuguese and I did not understand anything.

2. We had lessons set up with a family that we really want to help but they rejected us three times.

3. We had meetings with two of the stakes and because of the holiday no stake is having it at the same time.

5. after the church meeting on Sunday we had a crazy guy who is also famous come to the church. He started yelling and saying that these are my brothers from the one and only true church. People say that he is crazy but that he is also extremely intelligent!


4. We prepped the baptismal font for a baptism. Usually the fonts take around three hours to fill and when they do they have a run off pipe that keeps them from overflowing. Little did we know that the font in the arias araguez building fills faster than the run off pipe lets water out. We started filling and thought that it would at least take a few hours to fill and we left to go make a payment. When we cam back to the church we found water in the entire floor of the church. It somehow had managed to make it into the entire sacrament room and cultural hall but avoided the classrooms. We were extremely lucky to have caught it before it made it into the basement. We spent the fallowing two hours cleaning up all the water. During which we did not have any idea how to turn on the fans which would speed up the clean up. I said a quick prayer asking God to send me the knowledge to figure out how to turn on the fans or to send me someone who knew how to turn them on. About a half an hour into the clean up our relief society president rung the bell in the front door and asked about a certain activity that was going to take place in the church. We had no idea of the activity but we asked her how to turn on the fans in the sacrament building and she explained us the way to turn them on.

5. NEW INVESTIGATORS: this week has been an amazing week to find new investigators and we have received MANY references. I am not saying that all of them are golden investigators that are ready to be baptized in fact until Sunday night I was super happy to have the new investigators but I told my companion that all of them are going to be a lot of work. I was telling him that we have lots of new investigators and lots of work to do but I did not see much desire to learn more, However, Shortly after saying that we had a little kid run up to us and say ELDERES!!! we contacted the family. They are not members they have been going to church and they want to hear more. That was a tiny mercy of God. He was letting me know that he is going to make us look for the needle in the haystack. We are going to find a LOT of hay but that is what it is going to take to find the needle!

I am just grateful for the opportunity to be in the mission for this opportunity to serve my heavenly father and my siblings.

Monday, October 31, 2016

Mission Week 85 & 86, Tacna Peru: "I know that God lives and He loves each and everyone of us. It is the first truth of the gospel."









HEY MOM! (10/24)

Wow Stressful week full of amazing experiences. This week I was able to get through my last week alone without having another companion. President was telling me the whole change that I was going to train in the upcoming change while being a zone leader. I was on top of everything trying to prepare the rooms and getting all the things I needed, writing contracts and going to get things legalized. I almost jumped on a bus to go get a document from a really small town a few hours away. super stressful week. I was called rude by three different people who almost did not make it to their bus because I was pushing them out. INSANE WEEK!!! but its over my new companion is another Argentinian. His name is Elder Velasquez every has great comments for him


(10/31)

 This week was a good tough week. The work was a little slow. We found a lot of new people and were rejected a lot too. We had a fun time teaching a fairly stubborn family. I hope that the lord will answer there prayers and soften their hearts. When we got back there were lots of missionaries who needed things done, people waiting for us to remove the furniture out of their house. Today I became overwhelmed and was thrown into a down warding spiral of doubt, frustration, and feeling inept. I get to the point where I do not know what to do. Do I do the things that the missionaries need, or do I do something that would help me unstress. I cannot sit still knowing that other missionaries are not well because they do not have money and need reimbursements. Is there a moment where I just say I cant do it anymore and stop answering the phone calls. Maybe I am just overthinking everything. I feel bad because today it is taking a toll on my companion to see me in such an oblivious state. I feel bad but at times I do not know how to react and rather than getting angry its just easier to literally let everything go mentally.

What is it that you do when you cannot feel like you can complete all the things you have to do?

Some of the sacrifices that I want to make for this week in November are...

1. Smile all the time. I guess you could take this as maintaining a positive state of mind even when passing through difficulties.

My companion and I went to one of the ward activities and as we walked into the activity we could both feel the spirit slowly dwindling away. After sitting through the most uncomfortable 45 minutes of my mission we left the activity. As we silently walked up the road from the church I talked with my companion. I asked him if he could feel the spirit in the activity and he told me that he did not feel it at all. It was a strange feeling of emptiness that I have yet been able to shake. I worry a lot about the Esperanza Ward. La Florida is doing great we have been finding new investigators asking for references and receiving new work. This upcoming month will be a fruitful month.

I hope that I can shake this feeling of doubt and inability.

Elder Tanner

After Five minutes of sitting and almost crying in a public internet cafe president gave me a call. He just gave me a pep talk and helped boost my mood. God answers our prayers!

I love you. I want you to know that in the hardest times of my mission and the hardest times of my life I have always depended on the testimony of you and Dad. I know that the promise of alma is true. In alma 37:16-17 we learn the importance of being obedient. If we are obedient nothing in hell or on earth can take away the blessings of the lord. I know that this is true not because I have participated it first hand but I have seen the blessings that my parents have received. In the mission I have seen Elders go home because they doubt. I know that God lives and He loves each and everyone of us. It is the first truth of the gospel. There is no way that out of two hundred letters to president he read mine out of chance and new that he had to call me. I Know god has a divine path for each and everyone of us. Sometimes we need to do hard things with him to be able to help others. I love you Mom. Thank you for your testimony always!

Elder Tanner

Monday, October 17, 2016

Mission Week 84, Tacna Peru: "Dedication, Devotion, Allegiance."


"Gopher Everett?"

Gray Hair or just dust?


This week was a good week. The zone had success. We Ended this week with 6 confirmations and 7 rescues. We still have room to improve. The Tacna district seems to be having a few bumps in the road. Elder Barrientos is trying to do all he got here this week in an emergency change and he will go home this week too. The Missionaries in the Alameda District are having lots of success. This week we will do divisions with Elder Senden and we will have a good day contacting with lots of spanish practice. 

Compromiso. While pondering you letter I thought about the things that I needed to do to become a more committed missionary. While looking for synonyms to commitment I found the fallowing word. Dedication, devotion, allegiance, loyalty, faithfulness and fidelity. What mission president would not want missionaries with these actualities? I feel like I would shout with joy if our investigators were a little more dedicated to their scripture study. What would any missionary do to have liders devoted to The Mission Work. I know many missionaries that long to have a more loyal companion. I feel like there are so many ways we can improve our commitment to the mission. 

 I feel like before the mission we were all spiritually unformed. We all we starting our lives and starting to understand our purpose in life but we there was something that was missing.  A lot of times when a person needs to get in shape physically they go on a diet and they stop eating and drinking things that are not bad, but at this time they are not absolutely necessary. The mission is a diet of our lives. For two years our heavenly father is ready to shape us spiritual. The commitment to this spiritual diet will effect the results for the rest of our lives. I will be putting goals down and looking for new opportunities to become a more committed missionary. Thank you president.

Monday, October 10, 2016

Mission Week 83, Tacna Peru; "find the means to keep going on"

Mom it has been a very very challenging week. We had correlations with all three stakes. Later President came down for interviews and a stake conference. While president was here Every stake leader wanted to talk to him... It was a lot of correlating but in the end it all worked out. President went back to Arequipa Sunday. He told me that this trip was the smoothest trip he has had and he felt like he had accomplished a lot because I had scheduled him things to do for almost every hour he was here. I am not going to lie that it used up a lot of my concentration and Sunday I was paying the consequences but the lord always comes through and when we should be absolutely dead because we have nothing left to give it comes out of somewhere.

Elmer Is awesome. He is from tacna and He is a rather serious person who takes a lot of time reflecting and meditating what he will say and do. It is a refreshing change from before. This week I was trying to do the informs for all three stakes which would usually take Elder Behotas and I three hours. I was talking while Elmer got board and organize EVERY THING IN THE ROOM. That being said the room was left in a horrendous condition when Elder Behotas Left I will send you a photo and I will send you a photo now. He has been a huge blessing, However yesterday was to much for me the ward has not been pleased with the absence that the interviews. I did not know what to do being as president had given us the assignment also to work in another ward. I was ready to lose my mind. Elmer said that he noticed that I always took the responsibility upon myself and he did not know how he could help because he has never done any of these things. He encouraged me to pray and look for support from my heavenly father because if I am here in these whirlwind of tasks and preoccupations. I did exactly that and somewhere I was able to find the means to keep on going.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Mission Week 82, Tacna Peru






Guess what We had Emergency Changes. I am staying in Tacna. I will be sending my companion to Ilo He will meet up with president and the other assistant and he is the new assistant. It was time. Being a zone Leader is not the easiest thing to do. He was sure tired of being in charge of the zone. Supposedly the load of being assistant is not as demanding. As of right now president says that the mission lacks leaders and He is sending me a temporal because he does not have other zone leaders. This is the first time that I have seen a Zone leader with someone who was not another zone leader. It seems to me a very interesting concept. Divisions will be extremely hard as my companion is not quite yet a missionary. I also have to talk to three stakes and I am just one Zone leader... I am a little bit stressed but If thats what the lord wanted, its what I can do. 

General conference was great and yes I did see Abby. It was fun to see a familiar face. I liked the Saturday afternoon session and the morning session. There were a lot of talks about the lessons we teach as missionaries and in the afternoon there was a ton of Missionary talks. I think that my favorite talk was the talk about how we as saints can be joyful through whatever circumstances.The talk reminded me of the time we had the problem where the pipes were clogged and the basement bathroom was flooded.. I remember that when me and maddy started we were a little bit upset and we did not want to be cleaning any such thing😫. Then shortly after getting to work for a little bit we were able to have a great time just by looking at the chore differently. Pretty soon we were not dreading it but the fact that we were cleaning up something so gross made us laugh and smile😝.  It does not matter what we are doing or what circumstances we are in we can always be joyful through what ever difficulty we are passing.


Tell Benson and Kaitlyn that I said Hi. I miss them a ton!

Monday, September 26, 2016

Mission Week 81, Tacna Peru

Hey Mom and Dad,


This week has gotten better,  I have been able to really hit the pavement and give it my all. This week We had an emergency change, Elder Pintado was sent to the office so he could recover from the back problems that he was having. His replacement was Elder Hinostroza. President was not to excited to be sending Elder Jones a new trainer because he had only had a week but he determined that the best thing to do was send me for a week help Elder Jones get his feet wet and then send Him his new trainer. I was in Ciudad Nueva this week Training Elder Jones. Knowing that it was an area that had been struggling for baptisms for some time now I new that I had to start from the beginning. I talked to the bishop and arranged for a meeting with him the ward secretary and the first counselor. I found out that relations with the ward mission leader were not great so I arrange for a meeting with him and told him that we just wanted to get to work and needed to know where to start. We found ourselves having lessons with less actives contacting looking for directions and we were moving a ton in the area. I got to know a lot of the area and many of its members. It was amazing how at the end of the week I did not want to go. The Bishop told me that he was going to call president and tell him that I had to stay. It was a fantastic week and during that week my companion organized the baptism for Sister Evelyn. She was so happy to be baptized. She has come a long way and has truly repented for the past and she is excited to make good choices in the future. She asked that I baptize her and that Elder Behotas could confirm her. It was an amazing experience and Elder Jones and I were able to take a few investigators to the baptism and they want to be baptized in the fallowing weeks.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Mission Week 78 & 79, Tacna Peru



Elder Tanner did not write an email for Week 78.  Week 79 we were able to hear multiple voice recordings how his week went and a song they sang.  He is interested in extending his mission; learning tons; lots of new missionaries coming into Tacna this week.....is keep super busy.

Mission Week 80, Tacna PERU

Prayer really does work,


Hey mom! This week has been difficult but a great growing experience. 

This week was very hard. We spent most of our time visiting leaders and we had a hard time having visits with investigators. We did happen to challenge someone to baptism but that is based on the grounds that I baptize him on Christmas day.
Are there chances that I could stay here until Christmas?
We found two less actives this week. They are a hoot. We joked around with them talking about their mission experiences. Both are returned missionaries. We do not have a lot of experienced teaching Inactive married Returned missionaries but I am determined to help them get back to church.


Monday, August 29, 2016

Mission Week 76 & 77, Tacna Peru




This week... Oh my gosh. I have  never had such a stressful week ever. This week we almost lost one of the missionaries who we really need here. He is only eighteen and he is very stressed. He has had some health problems and the mission nurse did not help him a ton. The doctors here are super un organized and literally just told him to buy a hard bed and told him to leave. I was upset because I saw a missionary so stressed and confused that he just wanted to throw in the towel. Seeing him being stressed I went to the bank and took out around sixty dollars in soles and I told him we are going to go to the clinic and have them look at you know and they will tell us exactly what we need to do. I did it without asking for permission and I knew that the mission was not going to pay for it because they had already sent him to the clinic. I in that moment felt like I needed to have him seen. He went to the clinic had a few tests done and for the first time I saw him relax and the stress left. The mission will not be able to reimburse me but I knew it was worth it. If that is what it takes to help this missionary end his mission strong I will do it.


This week we have been able to work a little bit in the area but not a ton. A lot of the investigator did not make it to church however Evelyn DID GO!!! She is the suprise blessing of the week. She is making lots of changes in her life but is also the most determined. I was so happy to see her yesterday in the church. we had a lesson with her and she is not giving up she will take her time in picking a date but she is not going to give up.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Mission Week 75, Tacna Peru


The savior said to his apostles Follow me so many times in the scriptures. This week we had a special surprise visit from president Johnson he told us that he would like to take a little bit of time to talk to all the missionaries in the zone. After we all had gone to a church close to the entrance of tacna president started to share with us a large talk that was accompanied by lots of scriptures about humility and The Savior. I knew all along what he was going to tell us, I had felt it from the very beginning. The purpose of the talk was to prepare us for something that he had to tell us, Every time he talked about something related to this little announcement he started to cry. I could see the tears welling up in his eyes. It was extremely obvious how much this would cost him to say. After finishing an excellent talk and helping all of us feel the spirit and love he has for us he told us that many of us would probably be waiting with much anticipation for a special visit from an apostle. Elder Renlund would be coming to visit the mission but We, The missionaries from the Tacna Zone, would not be traveling to visit him. All of the missionaries had been given permission to travel the less than three hours to get to Arequipa, However Tacna is seven hours outside of Arequipa and we would not be traveling to meet the apostle. I knew that all the missionaries here would be extremely disappointing. President Johnson and Sister Johnson Cried and told us how much they had been fighting for us how much they wanted us to be there. I felt a heart wrenching pain as I watched many of the Sister missionaries in the Zone break down in tears. I recognized that this would be one of the only chances to see an apostle for many, if not all the missionaries who were from south america, and that they probably would never receive this opportunity again. President Ended by making promises to each and every one of us. Sometimes the bitter cup cannot be passed and we must accept the will of the lord. I know that President Johnson has been called of God. I know that this church is true and that Miracles exist. I love you all very much. Keep working!



Monday, August 8, 2016

Mission Week 74, Tacna Peru


Wow this week has been a amazing crash course of new things to do and to learn while doing them. We have had presentation with the stakes and lots of new oppourtunities to teach. The lessons that we have had this week have been few but the lord makes up for the lack of time! This week we have been able to find new investigators and challenge people to be baptized. It has been an amazing experience to see how the lord prepares people to meet the missionaries.

I have been adjusting to the climate in tacna it has been a little bit of a change but I finally feel like I am getting used to it. Its a lot more humid than arequipa and I like that a lot about it. I hope that I get to stay here for a long time.

This week we have had meetings with the stake president of Arias Araguez. We had a presentation with the sumo sacerdote who was in charge of la obra misional. It was a little bit difficult because the members who were assisting had been misinformed about the meeting and were told it was not going to be about the missionary work. It was a great presentation but the mood of those listening really made it difficult for us and Hermano Cornejo.

This week we have not been able to have a ton of lessons however the lessons that we have had were extremely beneficial. This week we were able to find new investigators and challenge people to baptism and three of them accepted. We have found that when we are dedicating all our time to the lord he is going to help us with the things that we need.


Some of my responsibilities are; Zone conferences. divisions with more than thirty missionaries. Training those thirty missionaries, Making sure that they have success. Meetings with stake presidents from three different stakes all of which have very different ideas and very different plans for the missionary work.  Making sure all of the rooms pensions and emergency supplies of the missionary are good.
They (Stakes) are all super close we can take a ten minute taxi to get to each one.
 
 
Got to go mom Love you!
 
 

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Mission Week 72 & 73, Tacna Peru


 
Ferroviarios:
 
This week we were having a tough week with my companion, We had passed many dificulties but we kept positive trusting in god. Before we left to go to church this sunday I felt the need to pray after reading Mathew 7 verse 7 pondering deeply in Knock and it shall be opened unto you. We needed the windows of heaven to open and I was determined to ask for a miracle. After a short fervent prayer I walked out the door expecting nothing less than a complete milagro. In our Gospel principles class I was giving the lesson and I invited an ancient investigator to talk to the bishop, She had expressed her desires to be baptized but had always had a few doubts. I told her that if she wanted to be baptized she needed to talk to the bishop. I do not know why that is what came to my mind. Later that day when the bishop entered into the consejo de barrio he said that the lady had fixed her doubts and accepted to be baptized latter this week with her two sons. Here in Ferroviarios we have seen the results of being obedient in the morning and Diligent in the afternoon and We are seeing the miracles!
 
Tacna:
 
its cold... super super cold. i have been freezing since i got here. i am here as a zone leader. Tacna is also a zone all by itself. It has 32 missionaries. 

My companion is elder behotas. he is a little similar to me but we will learn a lot together. He is a new zone leader. he only has one change as a zone leader. the two of us we be in a huge struggle to keep on top of all the things to do for the zone while still working with the area.
 
I was on a bus for seven hours.... I have no idea how cold it is but I am FREEZING
 

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Mission Week 70, Ferroviarios Peru


I had a very fun accident this week. I almost got run over by a car but All went well. I tore a huge hole in my pants. but I just ripped them down the seem and We have a member who is Called Mamita Lily She fixes all the clothes she stole my shoes once and had them repaired. She is awesome.


Its been a great week, There have been so many changes. We have not only experienced changes in companions but many of our investigators are encountering new problems and challenges in their lives. We found out that a recent converts dad has started to have problems with the word of wisdom because of marital difficulties. The amazing thing about the gospel is that there is an answer for everything. We want brother Jaime to go to church because I know that he would find the friends and support necessary. Its amazing how god lets us pass through adversity to help strengthen us physical spiritually and morally. I know that the adversity that we face in the mission is just a way of showing how much confidence the lord has in us as missionaries.
This week I have been studying adversity and how much it is related with patience. I love the definition in Preach my gospel for patience...

Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious. It is the ability to do God’s will and accept His timing. When you are patient, you hold up under pressure and are able to face adversity calmly and hopefully. Patience is related to hope and faith—you must wait for the Lord’s promised blessings to be fulfilled.

In these few days that I have been with Elder Otsuka, I have been able to see the great gift of patience that he has. He has never lost patience with me, but patience is not just responding to adversity with faith and calmness. I have always been able to control my temper but Admire greatly the hope that my companion has in situations that have little probability of realization. I am focusing a lot on developing more patience.

I do not know what awaits us in the upcoming change, however both Elder Otsuka and I will be prepared for whatever challenges the lord sees fit for us.

 
Love Elder Tanner

Monday, July 4, 2016

Mission Week 69, Ferroviaios Peru


This week we met the new mission president. Tuseday in the morning all the missionaries from arequipa went to the Church in Umacollo and we all sat nervously waiting for our new president to address us. President Johnson got to the church and the entire chapel went silent. He walked in with his wife and the two had giant smiles. I could tell that this president would have a large influence on my life. We listened to both the assistants. they explained a few things but when president johnson spoke he told us stories about his mission experiences. He told us about how in his mission there was an area that had not had baptisms for a long time. He with his companion prayed and fasted and decided to put the goal of 25 baptisms for the month. Through SO much fasting and prayer they accomplished the 25 baptisms the day before the end of the month. The fallowing months they continued to multiply thier success on the fourth month they spent a lot of time teaching more than fifty people at a time. They found a lot of success through serving in the fields with thier investigators and they baptized more than 200 people in that month. He exclaimed that we through covenants with our heavenly father could accomplish the same. I was amazed.

Afterwards we had lunch with president In a pizza place. I sat off in a corner with my companion. We ate some delcious pizza and right before we were going to leave I saw that President was talking to one of the Assistants and pointing at my companion and I. We walked out to leave and the assistants waved us over and told us that president wanted to go and visit the members and investigators that we were goign to visit. Close to the end of the day we drove with president to the lesson and It was amazing. We taught the plan of salvation and you could feel the spirit so strongly. It was amazing. We did not have much time to talk afterwards but It was an amazing experience for My companion and I. I hope that you all had amazing spiritual experiences this week too!

 

Monday, June 27, 2016

Mission Week 68, Ferroviarios Peru


Hey Mom,

 

This week was HARD! And fun! We had great numbers this week but We were not able to meet with the investigators that I wanted to meet with. We found two new people to teach. They are two friends from Bolivia who traveled to Arequipa on promise of work and in the end there was no job. They are stuck here and are just trying to make it along living in a room about the size of my old walk in closet... They have a game of uno and spend most of their free time playing that game. We have focused on them this whole week. They feel alone and need friends. I have also been improving my teaching skills because My companion does not have a strong background in the church. He usually shares his testimony and gives some advice which is perfect because he has a very strong testimony. He has had so many life experiences and he can usualy relate to the problems the members have and he brings so much experience to the table. Its amazing to see how the lord can take anyone and turn them into a grand instrument of change. I know that the lord did the same thing with me. He changed me. In my mission I cannot believe the things he has allowed me to see and the experiences he has allowed me to pass. I cannot explain with words the feelings and emotions one feels while watching someone come to realize that the gospel is true and they can be forgiven for the past. I know that The Gospel is true that this is the key to find peace in life. Sharing this has brought me so much joy and fulfillment I can not stop smiling! 

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Mission Week 67, Ferroviarios Peru


I am On And I have some news! It was changes today and we doubted that there would be a change because There was absolutely no reason that there should be a change. I had only been with my Companion Elder Soria for a month and a half. I was in the office so I asked president why he changed us and gave me a suprising answer. He told me that the first thing he did when he looked at the changes board was ask himself who needed to train. The first person that came to his mind was me and he said that i needed to train. After that the first person he put up as training was me. After that when he found out that my companion whom i was going to train went home He was going to leave me with elder Soria but he thought that If anyone needed to have the only temporal missionary that there would be in the whole mission for this change it was me. I will admit my response to my change was bitter and I was not happy with it at all. I was not ready to recieve a new companion and I did not sleep the night that I was told my change because I was stewing for all 8 hours.

 

After going to church and listening to a class on Sacrifice, I was able to take in all the things that were happening and SUCK IT UP!!! as dad would say. It was definately a suck it up moment. The name of of my companion is Hermano Paredes. He is going to have a lot of fun. I am excited for the new oppourtunities that await and I hope that I am up to the tasks the president sees fit for me. I also will miss president Zobrist. I have to say that he has put quite the dent in my life. He has caused a lot of stress and a lot of joy. I have  learned a lot from his leadership and I admire his ability to inspire.

 

I love you mom!

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Mission Week 65, Ferroviarios


 

 

This monday I woke up at three o clock in the morning with my companion so we could get on a bus headed to Chivay. Chivay is a city with a population of less then 5000 people. It was a long trip riding up to chivay. I slept most of the way. It was freezing the whole drive and all I had was my light jacket and a small fanny pack. Everyone said that I was going to freeze. I was sure that they would all be roasting when the sun finally came out. We were all freezing in the buss when we ate Breakfast we were all huddled together Eating our bread and butter with a little bit of jam! We got back into the Minivan.  We started our way back up the road we made a few stops along the way. Eveyone still was freezing and then a few minutes before we get to Colca BOOM! The sunh came out and Eveyone started to warm up. I was nice a toasty in my light jacket! While at Colca the Condors started to appear out of no where! They were gliding around looking for thermals. The Andean Condor can grow to have up to a ten foot wingspan. They are giant birds. It was amazing to see more than ten of the giant plane like birds gliding around a giant canyon. Colca is one of the deepest canyons in the world. It is twice as deep as the grand canyon. It has tons of amazing views and there are lots of little trinkets that you can buy! After that we went back down into chivay. We walked through the markets and looked at things that the people were selling. We found a lady who was selling the best ice cream I have ever eaten in all my time in the mission. She was an old investigator from Elder Malloy. After that we got to go to an all you can eat buffet! It was amazing to see so much food. It was not the best quality but all of us were so hungry we ate three or four plates. after that we got back in the car and started the long trek back to Arequipa on the way a few people started to become affected by the altitude and they found themselves with giant headaches and they started to puke. that was my trip to chivay.

 

 

Its hard in our area we are not having a lot of success. We have two investigators who are progressing one of them told us that her father who is a recent convert is a terrible abusive man and that she did not want anything to do with us ever again. It was hard and then the other Investigator Eliang said that her mom had told her that she could not get baptized until she talked to us which is reasonable.

We are focusing on working with the members to have more success we have lots of plans to help the ward become more missionary work pro active.



Monday, May 30, 2016

Mission Week 64, Ferroviarios


Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have joy. 

 

We are here in this life to do what makes us happy. That is our purpose and the lord has given us the path. The gospel or the Good News, Is that path. We spend all of our time testifying of the teachings of the prophets and the lessons we learn in the scriptures and I have never been happier. Its never easy but it is always possible! I have seen lives change, I have seen relationships and families saved, I have seen hope come into the eyes of the people who live here in peru. I have seen my life change. I am not the same Shaw Tanner that left on the mission a very long time ago. The lord has shaped me in so many ways. I declare that anyone who leaves themselves to be molded by the grand artist of everything they will find that their life and actions take a meaningful shape and they can find purpose in life. I cannot explain all the changes I have seen but I know that as we help other people change their lives we find ourselves changing as well. My invitation to you all is to find the things that make you truly happy and do it. I promise you that the gospel will be one of those ways to find happiness.

 

Con Animos

 

Elder Tanner

Monday, May 23, 2016

Mission Week 63, Ferroviarios Peru


Everyone here has the goal to fatten me up! THere is food in every lesson that we have with the members. Food without fail. The members are very accepting and everyone here wants the missionaries to be happy. The ward definately helps the missionaries feel at home.

Yesterday was fast sunday and I wanted goldfish and jerky so bad!!!

YESSSSS!!!!! BABY BARTCHI IS A LITTLE GIRL!!!!! YESSSS!!!!! I WILL SPOIL HER SO MUCH!!!! I am going to buy alpaca booties for the package!!!!



Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Mission Week 62, Ferroviarios Peru


New area new companion new assignment. 
 
 
This change was extremely hard. I found myself on my knees or on the verge of tears for days. It has been the hardest days and changes in my life. I was so overwhelmed and lost it was utter despair, HOWEVER, It passed. If you had talked to me on Wednesday I would have told you that I was going to go home because the mission was just something that I could no longer do. HOWEVER!!! I CAN DO IT!!! I loved the quote that you sent me and it is so true. I am going to write that on the wall. My companion when I first met him I thought he was extremely relaxed! I could not believe how casual he was with the members. He is from Iquitos like Elder Perez he is probably about 5 feet tall and he weighs 90 pounds. I want to call him JUB JUB (The little bear guy from star wars). My camera card reader broke so I will give my photos to elder Sharp so he can put them on my OneDrive. The members here are so alive and jovial. They are always telling jokes and teasing and having a laugh its amazing. The beginning of this week I thought I might die but now the only thing that is going to kill me is all of the laughing I do. We had a baptism and It was an amazing experience. Mercedes was baptized! She is a sixty five year old lady who loves the gospel and is super shy and nervous but loves her heavenly father. Our ward mission leader is my new best friend. I have never gotten along with someone so well. He also serves as the Young Mens president in the stake. He is an amazing leader. I love this gospel so much mom and I have such a fault of gratitude for the simple blessings. Every day this week has gotten brighter and brighter. I am not saying that everything is perfect but Everything is good! I love you so much and I am going to work as hard as I can so I can come back to my room at night Look at the photo of my family and tell you guys that I tried my hardest today. 
Love Shaw
 
 
 

Elder Soria, 

He has nothing in the eyes of the world but in the eyes of the lord he is a giant. He spends almost all of his personal money for the month on sending cards to his family in Iquitos. He came to the mission with a few shirts one pair of pants and a suit coat with a dirty old pair of shoes. I would assume that the support in terms of money that he gets from his family is nothing.We are going to head to the office to get the photos and other things to elder sharp! Love you MOM!!!

Monday, May 9, 2016

Mission Week 61, Ferroviarios Peru



I am still in Arequipa. I literally just moved a tiny bit to get into my new area!
 
Well I am here in a new area with Elder Soria. Our room is super tiny! We do have hot water in the shower and that was a huge relief. Our pension is amazing! About the alergy thing. It was not just a little skin rash I did have intoxication. That night after we talked to you I went home and took a warm shower but I found that about half of my body was covered in HUGE hives. It was terrible. I was not very happy. I thought I might be fine after a warm shower but then I felt and tightening in my throat and I had a hard time swallowing. We ran to the emergency room and They gave me and IV and I was being pumped full of medicine to stop the alergic reaction or whatever it was that was happening. After that they gave me some medicine to help me and I am going to have to go back to get my blood analyzed in a few days. I am doing great I just cannot eat anything super sketchy.



Papito our taxi guy who was a doctor took care of me and I was with Elder Acosta. We had a fun time though and took pictures... I did not get any pictures of the hives but I do have some in the hospital bed. Sunday we were all so tired during church we had an early morning and a late night... But everything is all good now! Do not worry to much It was not that bad! I was Just really uncomfortable for a few minutes, I am just really excited to get to know a new area, my new companion and the new challenges that the mission can present but i am super excited to get back to the work.

 
but as Joseph B Wirthlin said, "Come what may and love it" !!!
 
 
 

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Mission Week 60, Arequipa Mission Office


This week has been hard the investigators are getting really hard to get to. We are trying so hard to get in their doors and find new ones but it's just not happening. We are finding that there are a lot of members who have tons of references so we are going to start visiting the members and asking for lots of references. I was talking to president about the changes in the mission and he told me that he was going to close some areas and that we would need to get ready for that and I asked him which areas and he said come and see. He showed me and elder sharp the transfer board including my transfer. All I am going to say is that I am not going very far... I am going to be in the area closest to the office without actually being in the office. It is a great ward as well. I hope that I can make good use of the lords Time while I am there. 
A wealthy man is someone who can make a budget and live within that budget.
 Love you mom!

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Mission Week 59, Areqiupa Mission Office


Wooohoooo! Way to go Jake. I have been praying a lot for him. I sure do miss them a bunch. That is great to hear that Madison did well in her 800. I was always terrible at track and cross country.... I guess I was to lazy... Today is going to be a great day. Finishing off one of the best weeks in my mission. This week we have struggled to get into the doors of investigators but the members have opened up to us like never before. We were having lots of success on our own but now our focus is on the members. Helping them have spiritual experiences with their family members and their friends because it is extremely selfish of us not to invite them to participate. This week we had a lesson with the family Damiani, they are all members but some are not super active, However, they have two daughters who never stop sharing the gospel. Louisa is an amazing example of someone who does everything she can. She no longer sees but that does not darken her day. She enjoys teaching a primary class every single Sunday and always shares her testimony in every moment. She is constantly telling jokes and lightening the mood of all those who are close to her. I hope that one day I will be able to say that I will be able to develop and share the Hope and Joy that she has. Louisa has a little sister who has always been more of a shy person. This last Sunday she gave a talk and shared her mission call and took the whole world by surprise. She is determined to help her friends know the gospel before she leaves.

 

There is another Family that I need to tell you about. It is the Family of Karla Pacheco. Karla is the one of the strongest converts I have ever met and that is saying a lot because Umacollo is FULL of amazing converts. She and her son are members and they have not missed a single day of church since they got baptized. They are amazing examples for the siblings and parents. The assistants are teaching the family but hermana Karla always asks that the four of us go to the family home evenings and we always have an amazing time. They are the ones who own the farm and they have given me the nickname José Maria. The nickname comes from the father of the family who says I look like his cousin. He has offered the keys to his farm house to me many times saying "Stay here and work for me on my farm and you will live great" The Family says that they are going to adopt me, Especialy the Hermana Claudia and Mama Amparo. They are so close its going to be hard to leave them. Today we are going to go visit the farm but it will be very different because it will be my last time going to the farm of the Familia Pacheco. Today we are going to take pictures and I will get them sent next week do not worry I know I have been terrible about sending pictures. It will be very cool because it will be the first time Elder Acosta, the assistents and Elder Sharp get to go. Who is this Elder Sharp? He is my re emplacement. I am getting sent back out into the field. Woah. I have no idea what the lord has in store for me but it should be a lot of fun. I look forward to  getting back to the normal problems of a missionary and teaching all day long. I will miss the office and Umacollo will always be one of my favorite places to be but I do believe I am ready to leave.
 

Mission Week 58, Areqiupa Mission Office


Today we went to Chivay! Its a tiny little town. We actually went up yesterday night and we stayed the night in the missionaries old house. It was a ton a fun. It was a little bit not fun but we had a lot of fun moments. We went to Colca It is the worlds largest canyon. IT IS TWICE AS DEEP AS THE GRAND CANYON! I am pretty wiped out from the trip and I am glad to be back in Arequipa! I bought maddy a shirt made out of alpaca! Still have to send that package 

I did get some pictures I will be sure to send you some do not have them with me at the moment...

I want to talk to maddy! I feel UBER tired... I am wiped out from that trip.

I called my re emplacement today to tell him that he had an emergency change. that means in three weeks I will finally be leaving the office... can you believe it. It was like yesterday that I got here. The mission is just flying by. This next area will be my second to last.

Chivay is three hours away. It is probably one of the most dangerous roads in the mission... There were four TERRIBLE car accidents on the way back luckily we were not participants of those accidents. How are the HIghtowers doing? I have not talked to paul in over a year!

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Mission Week 57, Arequipa Mission Office


Hey Mom,

 

I want to say thanks again for that spiritual boost last week. This week was really hard... We have had a few emergencies come up and we have not been able to get out of the office as early as I would have liked too. I really miss Elder Holguín he changed my mission. I loved conference, I got tons of good notes! It was a lot of fun! I have lots of new Ideas for the new bulletin. I do not think that I told the family but I design the Bulletin of the mission. Its a laminate that has a list of all the people leaving and those who are coming in the changes. It also has a few spiritual thoughts and what the mission is focused on. They are going to have me design them until the end of my mission. I always thought that my skills in terms of art were nothing but it is a lot of fun and I enjoy it a ton! When I helped designed that one flyer I liked using the program! I could not believe how much fun it was. I will send you the bulletin so you can tell me how to improve also tell Maddy I want her to grade it and send me her remarks on how to improve it!


My companion loves to play chess, he thinks I know how to play chess hahahahaha. Funny thing the last time I played was in fourth grade in north star charter school. I beat him one time and the other time he beat me... He actually knows how to play chess... I guess I just have luck... I hate playing chess because I get super Nervous!!! I pit out!! Its so weird I can be Playing Paintball and I am completely calm not sweating a drop as someone is trying to shoot me in the face with a paintball that feels like a bee sting but I do not get jumped at all, HOWEVER playing a pointless plastic chess game MAKES ME PIT OUT!!!

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Mission Week 56, Arequipa Mission Office


Hey Mom!
 

I want to let you know this letter had me in tears. I was not expecting something like that. I have think of Maddy Daily. I wish I could just give her a big hug. I want to talk to her so bad too. I cannot believe that I only have ten months left in the mission... I will be home before I know it... I never knew that the mission was going to get this good and I did not think I could feel my family so close being so far away.  I pray for that one every now and then! I pray for Maddy A lot! She has gotten so grown up and she really needs a good friend in this time of change. I hope she goes to Weber so we can hang out and go to classes She would only be a semester behind me!
 

This week Elder Holguin left.... I will miss him a ton! He was the best missionary I have ever met... He did the right thing no matter what and he taught me the importance of doing all the things we can in the time that we are given. I am now with Elder Acosta he is a good guy! We are getting along while teaching. We have progressing investigators. I will really miss Elder Holguin. He was a completely honest person. Sometimes that honesty hurt but it was always the best thing I could hear. I will try to follow his example always. I hope that this next change brings change for the better. I am focusing on being a more positive person who loves serving.  This is a quote that I am going to try and apply especially in this change and live the rest of my life...

"I shall pass this way but once; any good, therefore, that I can do or

any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now.

Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

We do not have much time to do the necessary things in this life. I realize that being in the office. There are some things that we have to do (Work, Sleep, Eat) so we can get to the things we need to do (Read scriptures, Pray, Go to church, Serve others, Share the message of the gospel) even thought there are a bunch of things that we want to do (Relax, watch movies, play video games, build Giant Aquariums(I have made the decision to never have more than one fish)hanging out with friends) we must balance our lives and depend on god to guide our footsteps. I love the phrase that Elder Acosta uses to get people moving spiritually. "God cannot guide your feet if you are to afraid to take the first step" We can never stop moving. 

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Mission Week 55, Arequipa Mission Office


Well This Easter weekend has been amazing! We have had 25 Lessons in just five days and thats insane because we only have three hours to teach daily and we have had so many things to do outside of the office... It has been insanely busy! At times I feel like the world is just spinning and spinning so i just spin with it. This could be my last change in the office... I have no idea what I want to do before I leave. I just want to keep working... We have a Baptism today! Her name is Begy! She is super determine and super converted. She is one of the people who showed up to church and said Baptize me! I am going to give a small talk on baptism. This week is Elder Holguins last week in the office. Elder Acosta is going to be the new personal secretary. I will know if I am going or staying in a few weeks. I hope President drops another hint so I can know whether I will be staying or going. Who knows what will happen. One thing that the mission has taught me is to trust god with my life. I do not know what the future holds but I am not afraid either. I am ready to do what the lord needs me to do. "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves" -William Shakespeare

 

When we have confidence in god and believe that he will guide us that is faith. Martin Luther King Jr. compared life to a staircase and faith is taking the first step even though we cannot see the full staircase. I know that this staircase is going up because it is not easy. It will never be easy. We will continue our journey doing our best to fallow the footsteps of Christ and even when we fall he will be there to help us back up. I know these things are true and I love them. They bring peace to my soul.

 

Love you mom!

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Mission Week 54, Arequipa Peru Mission Office

We have another baptism this week. Begy came back from Camaná and said that she wanted to get baptized as soon as possible. She had basically disappeared off the face of the earth but she came back and had read the book of Mormon and could not wait to get baptized.

We have tons of investigators and they are all of different ages. Young people are faster to change however older people are almost always more converted and dedicated. Its amazing to see how the ward makes such a difference.


The other day we had an amazing time talking to Elder Montoya. He is part of the area presidency. He was very focused on the greatest commandment and the second greatest commandment. He told us that having love for god is the most important but loving our neighbor like yourself is the second. He talked a lot about serving our companions and that the mission is like the college of life. He said that the mission is Marriage Preparation 505 in college terms. He was an extremely happy person and you could feel the charity that he feels for everyone he meets when he talked. It was amazing He told us you share you testimony with the people of Arequipa because you love them. and then he burned all of us and he said how many of you share your testimony with your companion on a daily basis. Then he made everyone share their testimonies.
 




Missionary work is in the ward. like that one email i sent to you we must be ready to find prep and invite. It is NOT a missionaries work to knock on doors all day. Our president has made it very clear that he does not want us knocking doors for more than an hour. He says that we must always have the spirit with us and knocking doors is the equivalent of going duck hunting blindfolded. The most effective way to have a real conversion with an investigator is through the members!
 
 

Monday, March 14, 2016

Mission Week 53, Arequipa Mission Office


Today is definitely a gift! I have been learning so much it has been an amazing experience. I have had amazing experiences teaching this week! I cannot believe it! This week All the office missionaries (The Four secretaries and the assistants) Have been looking forward to a baptism filled weekend! Today there will be three baptisms in the Umacollo ward building. Hermana Alicia has been a part of a Mormon family since birth but when she was about the age to become baptized her family stopped attending church and she forgot all about it. She grew up and when she became overburdened with difficulties she asked her mom for help. Her mom asked her if she remembered the primary and the primary songs of the church that they went to a long time ago, Alicia did not. She then invited her daughter to come back to church as her mother had done. Her mom lives in Spain. Alicia has progressed a lot even though it has not been easy with the problems she has been having however she has found a great strength in Christ. She says it has to be true because I always leave the lessons we have smiling and I just cannot stop smiling.
It is going to be a good P-day.

Love Shaw

Monday, March 7, 2016

Mission Week 52, Arequipa Mission Office


I have been getting a lot better at doing my job in the office and I have a lot more confidence in myself. Yesterday and this morning we went on divisions with the zone leaders. Everything is going really well! I was able to learn a lot of things from Elder Malloy. He is from a converted family. His Mom has been a member but her grandparents were the first members in her family and his dad is a convert. He is the first ever missionary in his family. We have a lot of similarities. Neither of us have a TON of doctrinal knowledge which is considered to be the most important thing by most Latinos, but we both have super strong testimonies. I do not know where it says this exactly but I do know that it says it somewhere that we can be given the gift of simple belief. We do not need to know everything, every fact, every detail, every doctrine, but we can be given just as strong if not stronger testimony through the confirmation of god. We both are more spiritual teachers. I have spent my whole mission with Latino Companions who are master teachers in terms of basic doctrine. I Love them!! They all have so much more knowledge than I do they all have more profound doctrine than I do and they all know the scriptures and wield them like a sword in lessons! I have never been able to keep up with them in terms of Teaching Lots of deep doctrine in lessons but he helped me to understand that we do not need deep doctrine for recent converts. It was as if a HUGE weight that had been weighing me down for my entire mission just flew out of my hands. I knew in that moment that I was not failing in the lords eyes. I felt a lot better about the lessons that I had been teaching and my own progress. Being with very doctrinal companions has helped me to become a better doctrinal teacher and to use the scriptures more. I have learned so much from all of them and if I keep having doctrinal companions its because I need to learn more. I know that I am suppose to be here and I can testify of the truthfulness of the gospel and the fulfilling feeling we receive through studies of the book of Mormon, Prayer, and Church Assistance.
 
Love Elder Tanner