Having lunch with a General Authority

Sister Tanner had an amazing week. "I just love being a missionary every single day. It's incredible!", she says. Their week started off preparing for the Mission Tour that they had a possibility of teaching at. They also did a lot of tracting, and met awesome people! On Tuesday, Sister Tanner and Sister Asper received so much yummy fresh produce! It was from the garden of one of the branch members. Sister Tanner helped them plant this garden when she first got there on her mission. It was so sweet of them to think of her, and share with her in thanks of the hard work she put in. She said that their garden is "massive" now! "You reap what you sow", Sister Tanner said. She hopes that that the seeds of the gospel she's planted in the people she's taught will do the same.

Wednesday morning the Sisters volunteered at Bargain Boutique again. Afterwards, they had a lesson with the young man that came to church last Sunday, after being beat at ping pong. Sister Tanner helped him decorate for Halloween. Prairie du Chien gets really into Halloween, way more than in California. Sister Tanner said it was similar to people trying to outdo each other with Christmas lights and décor, but with Halloween decorations! After decorating, they taught him about personal revelation. They even made him a study journal to use. He loved it, and it ended up being an amazing lesson. After their time with him, the Sisters drove to Madison, WI and spent the night there.

Wisconsin's Mission Tour was on Thursday. They had the privilege and honor to hear from Elder Perkins of the 70.

 

The Mission Tour was split into groups of 2 Zones each. Sister Tanner is part of the Madison Zone. So them and another Zone made up around 100 Missionaries total. They received training from Elder Perkins himself, his wife, their Mission President, and his wife. It was incredible, and exactly the type of training that this group of Missionaries needed to hear. At lunch time, there was 1 open seat at Sister Tanner's small table. He came up to them and asked to sit there! Sister Tanner is proud to write home and say, "I ate lunch with a General Authority!" They had wonderful talks with him, and learned that he is quite the jokester! He had so many amazing stories, and told the Sisters and Elders how he works closely with Elder Holland daily. There has been a "rumor" in Wisconsin of them getting a temple! One of the brave elders asked Elder Perkins if there are plans of this. He answered by saying, "Well if there would be a temple here, I think they would put it somewhere between Appleton and Greenbay." This is the exact location of the temple according to this "rumor". So exciting! We are all curious to see if a temple is really in the works for Wisconsin! He also told them about more wonderful plans of using technology in the Mission field. After the training, the Sister Missionaries had a meeting just for Sisters with his wife. It was a very positive and spiritual meeting.

 

On their way home from Madison, Sister Tanner had a strong prompting to visit one of the less active members of their branch. She lives pretty far from them, but since they were driving far anyway, they stopped to visit her. It couldn't have been more perfect timing. She was going into the hospital the next day. She is battling cancer. Sister Tanner said, "I KNOW God prompted me to go there because she needed us, she needed the comfort and love we brought from the scriptures we read and the words we shared with her. I am so grateful for Heavenly Father always leading me to the people that need us at the very time they need us. What a blessing that was!"

 

The Sisters volunteered at Prairie Maison Nursing Home for the first time on Friday. They had been wanting to volunteer there for quite some time, so this was an exciting day. One of the inactive branch members work there, and another is a non member girlfriend of a branch member. The reasons they wanted to volunteer there so badly, finally all made sense. It was an amazing day! Sister Asper played piano for everyone, while Sister Tanner went around and chatted with all the people. One of the ladies told her, "I usually never come out of my room for lunch because these old people just sit and stare at each other, and I want to talk!" Sister Tanner was so happy to be there to talk to her, and so many others! It was an incredible experience!

 

Saturday was a special day! One of Sister Tanner's favorite families in the branch, had their 8 year old son's baptism. The spirit was so strong there, and many non members were there as well. The family whom Sister Tanner has been teaching was also there. The wife was very touched, and wants to be baptized. She wants her whole family to be baptized. It's so amazing! Afterwards, was the Relief Society Broadcast. It was wonderful having a dinner with all the other women and watching the amazing broadcast.

 

Sunday was a great day at church. It was all about hastening the work. Sister Tanner hopes it encouraged everyone to get more excited about missionary work.

 

 

 

Sister Tanner loves you all! She is so grateful for all the prayers, letters, emails, and support. She also wishes her puppy a Happy 2nd birthday back at home!

 

 

 

 

"Come Follow Me"

Sister Tanner has had another INCREDIBLE week in Prairie du Chien. However, she says that time is going by too fast! "Everyday I am just so grateful that I followed the Lord's plan for me to serve a mission. There's nothing else better than being here and doing his work everyday. I absolutely LOVE it."

Her week started off by getting a quick piano lesson from her companion on Monday. Sister Asper taught her how to play "Come Follow Me". Sister Tanner said she is so happy that she can now play 1 song on the piano!

 



On Tuesday Sister Tanner had a wonderful conversation with the wife of the family they are currently teaching. She was able to explain some basics about the Church, including the Word of Wisdom. They get along so well, and Sister Tanner just thinks she is the sweetest person ever! Their family is so prepared for the Gospel! Afterwards, they had a yummy member dinner. The Sisters were fed home made soup, which was perfect considering it was a very chilly day! They were also spoiled with Gluten free cookies! So sweet!

Wednesday, Sister Tanner and Sister Asper had a lesson with the young man they have been teaching. Sister Tanner says that he is flying through the Book of Mormon and is already in 2 Nephi! He has been reading and praying everyday. He told Sister Tanner that his prayers have become longer and more meaningful. She has seen such a change in him and his countenance. His work schedule has prevented him from attending church. The Ping-Pong game he has going on with the Sisters is that if they can beat him, he will make it possible to attend Church. Well the night ended in a victory for the Sisters! Sister Tanner beat him at Ping pong! It must have been the Lord helping her in order for him to go to Church!

After their ping pong victory, the Sisters volunteered at Bargain Boutique and priced purses for them! Sister Tanner's favorite task! That night, the Sisters went to Church to have an interview with a girl who is doing a school project on Mormonism. Sister Tanner said it was awesome! They basically taught her the 1st-3rd discussions. The girl came with wonderful questions, many of them about the Temple. Sister Tanner hopes that she felt the spirit while the interview was taking place.

Thursday the Sisters had a lesson with the family who they are teaching. Sister Tanner had the opportunity to speak with the wife earlier in the week, but this time was with the entire family. They went to their home, which is beautiful! She described it as a "huge red house by the river"! They taught them about the Plan of Salvation and more about the Word of Wisdom. They have already been reading from the Book of Mormon, and Sister Tanner just knows they will be baptized. This family sounds so wonderful!

Unfortunately, many of the Sister's lessons fell through on Friday. They basically had the entire day to tract, so Sister Tanner decided to go about it in a different approach. The Sisters made surveys about prayer and went around telling people they met that they were doing a survey. Everyone was so receptive to this! They were invited into many homes, and had the pleasure to meet a bunch of potential investigators!

Saturday the Sisters used their survey approach again, and found it so successful! They met a lady who has read the entire Book of Mormon, but said that the Missionaries never came back to talk to her. Sister Tanner said, "The lord is truly leading us to the people that are prepared for the Gospel." So amazing! After their successful day, they went to the home of the members that just moved into the Branch. They loved getting to know them better! The husband served his mission in Hong Kong, and he was able to share so many of his experiences with the Sisters.

Sunday was a very exciting day! The young man they beat at Ping-Pong, came to Church! Sister Tanner said she just about cried of happiness! It's amazing how far this young man has come! Sister Tanner and her companions in Prairie, really have changed his life!

Sister Tanner's week has been very successful and rewarding! They found out that they are able to volunteer and perform at the Nursing Home!  This is so exciting for them! They also found out that Elder Perkins of the 70 is coming to their Zone! Sister Tanner has to plan a 5 minute talk and a 10 minute training on the Book of Mormon. This is in case they get called on! They want the Missionaries prepared! Sister Tanner has wrote her talk, and is a bit nervous about the training. Can you imagine training 100 other missionaries, AND one of the 70? Wow! She can do it!

Prairie du Chien is starting to get very cold! She said it already feels like the coldest it gets in California in the dead of Winter, and its only September! It is beautiful there though, as all the leaves are changing colors! Hopefully we receive pictures soon! I'll leave you with a few words from Sister Tanner.

"I love you all so much. I wish you could be here and meet these amazing people that I get to be with and teach every day. This truly is the Lord's work and I am so happy I get to be an instrument in his hand. Being a missionary is the best thing ever. It's hard, no doubt, but the reward and blessings totally outweigh all of the hard days and hard times. Thank you for helping me be here and knowing that I could do this even when I didn't think I could. I will forever be grateful for following the Lord's plan for me."

A little LDS humor: "Come Follow Me"

Staying in PRAIRIE!

Transfer time is here again, and Sister Tanner is happy to be staying in Prairie du Chien with Sister Asper! The next transfer is Halloween. Sister Tanner will for sure be in Prairie du Chien until then. That means at least 1/3 of her mission will be served in Prairie. She knows that the Lord wants her there for a reason, and its exactly where she is supposed to be. She also said she wants to cry as she realizes how fast time is going!

 

Their week started on Monday as they enjoyed their P day by going to the local gym to play ping pong. Sister Tanner loves it! Afterwards they had a lesson with the young man who is just getting back into Church. They taught him about the power of the Atonement. He has been reading the Book of Mormon, and Sister Tanner said you can just see a change in him. "His countenance has changed", she said. After their lesson they enjoyed a yummy dinner and a game of ping pong against the young man, to show off their skills. The Sisters lost by only 1 point, which is a huge improvement!

Tuesday, the Sisters had a District meeting. Following that, they went to a new member's home to help with the Garden. They had dinner with them, and discussed them going to the temple for the first time to do their family's work. Sister Tanner has truly sparked a desire for them to not only do their family Genealogy, but to also go to the temple and do the work for them. She also encouraged them to try to read their scriptures for at least 10 minutes every day. The positive example she is to these new members is admirable.

Sister Tanner and Sister Asper were able to spend time volunteering at Bargain Boutique on Wednesday. They love the time they are able to spend there! Afterwards, they had a voicemail from the Mission Office saying they were on their way for a surprise apartment inspection! Luckily, the Sisters keep their apartment spotless so everything was fine! When they came to inspect they said, "Everything looks perfect! Now where are we taking you Sisters out to dinner?" How sweet! What a great surprise to their day!

After their weekly planning on Thursday, one of the branch members called to tell them that a friend of hers needed some help. They were told that she was moving stuff, and so the Sisters changed into their "grubbies", as Sister Tanner puts it. When they arrived, it seemed like an entire community event! It was a flood relief event for the people of Boscobel, which is a part of their area. The Sisters were so glad that they were asked to come. They were able to help a lot, by packing clothes into boxes for the people of Boscobel. Afterwards, the lady in charge talked to the girls and thanked them for all of their help. She was so impressed with them, and said everyone recognizes them as "girls bringing people closer to God". They were able to talk to her a bit about the Church and what their mission is all about. The woman will definitely be calling them again for future charity/relief events!

Friday was a bit of a tough day for Sister Tanner. Their goal was to visit all of the less active members of the Branch. But it turned out that NO ONE was home! Sometimes this happens, but Sister Tanner never gets discouraged! The Senior Mission couple took the Sisters out for dinner to end their day on a better note. They even brought Sister Tanner a cd that she has been wanting! Some of the Elders burned it for her! So sweet! It made her day, and she is so happy to have some new music to listen to! Music brightens any day for her! If any of you have any great Church music recommendations, please leave it in the comments below! Thank you so much!

Saturday is when the Sisters received the news that they were staying in Prairie du Chien together! YAY! The majority of the day was spent trying to meet new people, which was a success! They met a few potential investigators which was amazing! Afterwards, they attended a party for one of the Branch members. They just received a Foreign Exchange student from China! They had a welcome party in his honor! After the party, Sister Tanner and Sister Asper went with one of their Branch members to visit some inactive members whom she visit teaches.

Sunday was a wonderful day! The investigators whom are friends of members of the Branch, came to church! They even brought food for the Church potluck after. They had amazing talks in Sacrament Meeting. The inventor of Apples to Apples spoke along with his daughter. They spoke on making choices and choosing the right. It was perfect!

 

Relief Society also seemed perfect for their investigators as well. The potluck after was a great way for them to visit with each other a bit more. The woman asked them if they are similar to nuns, or if they can marry and have families. Sister Tanner explained that their mission is a short period of time in their life where they choose to serve the Lord and live only for him during that time. She explained that Apostles pray about where they will go. She was so impressed and responded with, "So someone here needs you to bring the Gospel to them!?" Sister Tanner was thinking, "Yea, YOU!". They scheduled a time for this week to meet again, and even want to feed the Sisters! Some of the branch members thought they were members that had just moved in, because they seem such a fit for the Gospel. They can't wait to attend Church next week as well! I can't wait to hear more about this family and their journey to the Gospel. Sister Tanner describes them as "future Kingdom Builders". "I am so excited to continue teaching them. The Lord really does prepare people for the Gospel, and working with the Members is the best way to find them!", says Sister Tanner.

Some days it might seem tough for Sister Tanner to get ahold of the people she wants to teach, or meet with. But the hard times are all worth it when they get to see a Family grow in the Gospel. Sister Tanner is accomplishing so much! Not only is she sharing the Gospel with everyone she can, she is also getting to participate in so many good causes, like the Flood Relief event. She is embracing every opportunity in Prairie du Chien to share the Gospel and bring happiness to everyone she can!

"I just love love love this work! I am so blessed to be here doing the Lord's work. I love you all so much! Hold strong to the Rod! Love, Sister Karlie Marie Tanner"

Thought I'd share a little LDS humor with you all. This reminded me of Sister Tanner!

"What Faith Can Do"

This song reminded me of Sister Tanner. She has such steadfast faith in the Gospel and in her work as a Missionary.

Sister Tanner had a productive and positive week in Prairie du Chien. "The work is finally hastening, and she can see the fruits of her labors", as she puts it. Their week started on Tuesday, by visiting with one of the women whom they have been teaching. She is leaving, and also going through a hard time in her life. The Sisters have been such a positive influence on her life. She started crying when she realized that Sister Tanner would not still be in Prairie du Chien the next time she returns. Sister Tanner was so touched, and will miss her very much. After saying their goodbyes, the Sisters returned home to amazing news! A member of their branch, who is a wonderful Member Missionary had invited her friends over for dinner. She was able to talk with them, and they are ready and wanting to learn more about the Gospel. Sister Tanner and Sister Asper are ecstatic!

On Wednesday, Sister Tanner had Zone training. The meeting was on increasing their faith, and not loosing hope on finding people to teach. Sister Tanner said, "I had this DUH lightbulb moment, that I just have to be true to the faith that I have, and Heavenly Father will bless me after the trial of my faith." It's amazing what faith can do! Just like what the song says above. After the meetings, the Sisters were able to go on splits with one another. Sister Tanner was able to work in Madison with another Sister. That means a busy day full of appointments, because that city has so many people yearning to hear about the Gospel! She loves being in Madison! At one appointment, she met with a man who is investigating the Church. He is so prepared, and already planning his baptism! He told the Sisters that he wants to tell his children and grandchildren about the gospel, "because the whole world needs to know." Sister Tanner said, "That's exactly how we feel! That's exactly why we are here!" What an amazing moment for him to understand the importance of Missionary work. The Sisters also were able to visit and teach a Muslim family. It was fascinating for Sister Tanner to learn more about their beliefs as well, and how differently they view Jesus Christ than we do. She did not know much about it beforehand. After their meetings, they went to Church and taught a lesson for the Young Women's Mutual night! Sister Tanner loved working with the Young Women, and hopes to serve with them more one day. When their day was completed, they spent the night in Madison with the other Sister Missionaries. She loved all the Sisters, and loved working in the city that day!

View of Madison, Wisconsin

 

Thursday was a very special day, because Sister Tanner got to see Sister Newton, her first companion! The Sisters drove to the city of Oshkosh for the 6 week new Missionary/Missionary Trainers meeting. It was so exciting to be in the trainers meeting with Sister Newton, as not too many weeks ago Sister Newton was training her! They missed each other so much, and had a great time being able to spend the day together! They will definitely be best friends after their missions. After their amazing meeting, Sister Tanner and her companion celebrated Dad's Birthday by going to Chipotle for the first time there! They found one on their drive home! Yum! =)

 

 

Sister Tanner has been feeling prompted that she needs and wants to volunteer at Prairie Maison, which is nursing home near them. After praying about it, she feels like she really needs to be there. So on Friday, her and Sister Asper went and took a tour there! She was able to talk to the Activity Coordinator, and got the OK to do crafts, sing, and talk with the residents. She is so excited! They are planning on having Sister Asper play piano, while Sister Tanner sings. They are all religious there, so the Sisters are allowed to perform hymns! She has an amazing feeling about this, and feels as if opportunities to share the Gospel will come through this.

 

Saturday was spent at a going away party for one of their Branch members who is going into the Army! Afterwards, the Sisters worked on their weekly planning. They currently have a Zone Vision, which are the goals for their Zone. And a District Vision is in the works. So Sister Tanner thought it would be a great idea to create an Area Vision for more area specific goals. They prayerfully made one, and she is so happy about it. Some of the goals they created are high, but she knows they can be achieved. She also thinks it will be helpful for her companion in case she is ever transferred.

 

Sunday was the best day of her entire week! "Seriously amazing", she said. One of their inactive members surprised them and everyone else by attending church! Sister Tanner had prayed that morning before church that some of their less active members would have a desire to attend church, and one of them came! "The power of prayer is REAL", she said. So incredible! Then after Church, the Sisters went to one of the Branch member's homes for diner. It is the family whose friends want to learn about the Church. They were at the dinner too! Sister Tanner said it went amazing! The family is so prepared for the Gospel, and have been searching for a Church. The spirit was so strong during their lesson about the Restoration. They even read a little of the Book of Mormon with them. They committed them to read and pray about it. The member whose home this was at, was so essential in the lesson. She explained how the Gospel blesses her family, and how important that is. They seemed very family oriented which is exactly what the Gospel in centered around! The lesson was amazing, and the Sisters can't wait to meet with them later this week!

 

When the Sisters returned home, they had received a text message from a number they did not know. It ended up being a guy they had met and gave a Mormon.org card to. They give out these cards everyday all day with their number on the back. No one has ever called or texted them from that, until now! He is interested in learning about the Church, so they set up a meeting with him this week! Sister Tanner was so excited, she said she was jumping up and down in their apartment!

 

This week was so successful for Sister Tanner. Her faith in God's work is incredible. Even when times get rough, she just tries even harder. She knows that miracles can truly happen, and she just has to have faith that she can achieve her goals as a Missionary. And she will!  The song above has a wonderful message about faith, "When the world says you can't, I'll tell you that you can. I've seen dreams that move the mountains, hope that doesn't ever end, even when the sky is falling. And I've seen miracles just happen, silent prayers get answered. Broken hearts become brand new, that's what faith can do." Such a wonderful message of Faith! Here is Sister Tanner's testimony for this week.

 

 

 

"We are seeing the harvest of our hard work. People are prepared in this area. I kept just praying for Heavenly Father to help me keep faith that we will find them and some days, I wanted to say "never mind, no one is prepared in this area" but I KNOW there are and that the trial of my faith is over. The fruits are here and the work is moving forward. I am soooo very grateful for all your prayers. I feel them and I know that miracles happen. Heavenly Father's timing is everything and I am sooo excited to be able to teach these people and continue to do the Lord's work. I feel more and more everyday like I am forgetting about myself and truly doing the work Heavenly Father needs me to do. This work is incredible. I am so blessed to be apart of it. I love being a missionary. It's the best thing ever. I am so grateful for the strengthening and enabling power of the Atonement that helped me endure the trial and the feeling of discouragement I had last week. Heavenly Father knows what he's doing and he will lead us to the people that are prepared. I know that. I know that everything I teach is true. The gospel can change lives, it makes us HAPPY. I am soooo happy! I love it, I love it, I love it! Life is incredible! Keep working hard and inviting all your friends to learn more. You never know who the Lord is preparing. I love you all soooo very much. This gospel is the source of eternal and everlasting happiness and I hope you each are able to feel that in some way this week. We also received a training on the importance of reading the Book of Mormon everyday and we are encouraged to ask investigators, members and everyone to read the book of mormon for at least 10 minutes everyday. Soooo, guess what, I am committing each of you to do the same... Will each of you read the Book of Mormon for at least 10 minutes everyday? I know that if you do, you will feel the spirit more in your life and you will feel happier and be able to know what God's plan is for you right now. The book of mormon will change your life as you allow it to."

 

 

 

 

 

 



The 4th Missionary

Beautiful song to listen to as you read this week's post.

Sorry for the late delivery in this week's post! Whenever there is a Monday holiday, the Missionary P Days gets moved to Tuesday. But better late than never, right?

Sister Tanner's week started by helping a family move out of the branch last Monday. She hates seeing families move away, but she was glad that her and Sister Asper were able to help. Apparently they had SO much food storage that it took quite awhile!

Tuesday was District meetings for the Missionaries. They were given an amazing talk  by Lawrence E. Corbridge titled, "The 4th Missionary". Basically there are 4 different types of Missionaries. Missionary type 1 goes out because he is "supposed to", and not because he wants to. He has a bad attitude, and either comes home or is sent home. Missionary type 2 serves a full mission. However he/she is disobedient and gains nothing from it. Missionary type 3 is obedient because "he has to be", and wishes to be doing something else. Lastly, the 4th Missionary is obedient because he WANTS to be. He wants to follow the Lord's commandment. He/she gives their whole heart and will to the Lord. Sister Tanner was so inspired by this talk. She wants to be the 4th Missionary, and give her all for this short period of time in her life. Becoming the 4th Missionary is the only way you return home a changed person. In a letter she sent me this past week she said, "I'm beginning to more fully rely on the Lord's plan for me. I don't worry what's going to happen after my mission. I have no clue, nor do I need to right now. I have no idea how many people I will baptize on my mission, but it's okay because I trust the Lord. I want to do his will because that will lead us to happiness, eternal life, and more blessings than we could ever know or comprehend." She already sounds like the 4th Missionary type to me. Not only will she return home a changed person, but I believe that she already is.

After the District meeting, the Sisters visited their great friends whom were recently baptized and married. After learning that her companion, Sister Asper was a music major, they all had a jam session on the piano and guitar. How fun! Sister Tanner surprisingly remembered some guitar, and has decided she wants to learn and practice more after her mission.

On Wednesday, the Sisters volunteered at Bargain Boutique. Sister Tanner loves it there! This time they gave her so many free envelopes! She was so grateful! She won't have to buy envelopes the rest of her mission!

Friday was a HOT day in Prairie du Chien! Over 100 degrees and very humid. Yuck! The Sisters taught a family that afternoon. They taught on the importance of the Book of Mormon. The family seemed very eager to read it, and the Sisters encouraged them to do so. Sister Tanner asked them to pray about. She is very happy to see this family progress in their understanding of the Gospel. After the lesson, the Sisters went to go help a woman paint the cottage behind her house. They ate ice cream, painted, and talked. It was a wonderful time!

Saturday was an amazing day for Sister Tanner! The Sisters tracted a bit, and had a lot of success. They found a potential new investigator, whom they later learned was the mother of one of their new investigators. Coincidence? Sister Tanner thinks not. She believes that Heavenly Father has prepared this family for the Gospel. The woman was so sweet to the Sisters. She invited them in, gave them water, and chatted with them about her life. The Sisters can't believe they met her and her son in opposite sides of town within a week of each other. Heavenly Father sure is guiding them in the right direction. At dinner that night, they ate at the Family History specialist's house. Sister Tanner was so excited that she showed her how to use the family history website more. She was able to help her to find more of her maternal grandmother's side of the family. She says she has become "obsessed" with family history. She can't wait to work on it all the time after her mission!

The holiday weekend made it tough for the Sisters to meet with their investigators and find new people to teach. In their town, everyone leaves for Holidays. However, they didn't give up. They were able to meet and teach many of their investigators and less active members. They even met a lady who is interested in learning more from the Sisters. How amazing! Sister Tanner never gives up, even when there are hard and challenging days. She is the perfect example of "The 4th Missionary".

I will leave you with her testimony this week.
"I am trying my best to increase my own faith that the Lord has prepared people in this area and that we can find people to teach and baptize soon. I'm not sure if it's just "the trial of my faith" week or what, but I feel as though when things feel like they are falling apart or when we feel like nothing is getting done despite our hard work, prayer has been the biggest source of comfort. Telling Heavenly Father that we need his help and to help us remain strong. He gives us the strength we need and we can feel his love. I know that prayer is truly the way we grow our relationship with him. I am so grateful that through something so easy that we can do anytime, anywhere, we can receive his help. We are never alone. How grateful I am for that knowledge."

Ether 12:27
"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."