Sister Tanner's week started off a bit rocky. On Mondays the Missionaries all play sports with one another. Sister Tanner got hit in the face not once, but twice! The first time she was hit with a volleyball, and the following time with a dodge-ball. Ouch! She prayed and prayed that she would not have a black eye the following day. Luckily, when she woke up Tuesday morning there was no mark! The power of prayer is real!
On Tuesday, Sister Tanner attended her District meeting. They focused on how they can work more with the members of their wards. They made goals and plans as a district on how they can uplift their wards! Sister Tanner is exciting about their progress! After the meeting, the Sisters received a surprise apartment inspection! Good thing Sister Tanner has become quite the clean freak!
Wednesday was a great productive day for Sister Tanner. In the morning, the Sisters helped clean a less active member's home. They also helped her take down all her Christmas decorations! In return, she sweetly treated the Sisters to lunch! It's amazing how helpful and caring the Missionaries and Members are to one another.
During weekly planning on Thursday, Sister Tanner started to feel down. She felt like she wasn't touching as many people's lives as she could. She also felt like some of her investigators weren't progressing. "I was just blaming myself and feeling like I wasn't a good enough Missionary because no one was progressing. Well, Sister Hancock gave me a great pep talk and helped me through my little meltdown. Then I went in the other room and prayed for awhile and just told Heavenly Father everything I was feeling. Peace just rushed through me. I knew that Heavenly Father knows how hard I am trying and I felt like he truly is proud of the work I am doing. I needed to remember not to compare myself to other Missionaries, or to think of the number of baptisms I've had, but to measure my success based on my hard work, diligence, and if I have the spirit with me. Missionary work is really hard. It's the hardest thing I've done in my life. It's spiritually, emotionally, and physically exhausting, but it's the most important work to do, and I know Heavenly Father needs me to do it. So I picked myself up, and we got back to work", Sister Tanner said. Not every day of Missionary life is easy. It can be a challenge, but it's the most incredible work you will ever do. Sister Tanner is a wonderful missionary, and she was able to reach out to her Heavenly Father for reassurance of that. Prayer is the ultimate way of having a relationship with our Heavenly Father. He is always there to comfort us when we are feeling discouraged.
"Friday was a superrrrr good day", as Sister Tanner put it! A sweet woman in their ward was able to drive them around so they could visit more people. It was so helpful for the Sisters! They were able to see so many more people than they would normally have been able to. The lady that went with them was getting into the "Missionary spirit"! Sister Tanner loved it! Every person they visited was at home! "Miracles", Sister Tanner said. She was able to teach 2 lessons to investigators. Both lessons went so well! Later that day, Sister Tanner had a wonderful experience! Here is what she said about it, "Then we were waiting at the bus stop to go to our dinner appointment, and this guy sat next to me. I had a strong prompting to just talk to him. Inside I was like, 'This is so awkward, but here I go'. So I awkwardly just started talking about the Book of Mormon with him, and he is super interested! He was like, 'I've never heard of this before'. So we got his info! Yay! It was great! The Lord blesses those that are just willing to open our mouths!" Sister Tanner is so blessed to be able to recognize the promptings she receives. This helps her to be such an amazing Missionary! After that wonderful experience, Sister Tanner ended the night with a wonderful dinner. One of her favorite ward members had them over for dinner. "She's HILARIOUS", Sister Tanner said of her. "She was baptized like 2 years ago, and she has such a strong testimony". Sister Tanner hopes she can teach her niece about the Church!
On Saturday, Sister Tanner had a scary experience! The Sisters went to have a lesson with someone who lived pretty far from them. It was in a scary neighborhood, and the woman ended up being out of town. As they were talking with her on the phone, a scary guy came up to them saying, "Lemme pray wit yall"! Then a scary van started to back up into the driveway where they were standing. Sister Tanner grabbed Sister Hancock's hand, and they ran! "We basically almost got kidnapped", Sister Tanner said. We are thankful that the Sisters knew to get out of there fast! We are all so happy that she is safe! Well the scary situation definitely did not put a damper on their day. They were able to have another lesson with a less active member. Afterwards, they went driving around with a member of the ward. They were searching for a man they hoped to teach, but instead ended up at someone else's home. The address was wrong, but led them to someone they needed to meet. The man told them how his wife stopped believing in God when their newborn baby son died. "It was really sad", Sister Tanner said. She was able to share the Book of Mormon with him, and show him scriptures about how "little children are alive with Christ". He seemed very interested, and Sister Tanner hopes she can teach them soon! She was definitely meant to go to that house for a reason! Heavenly Father always leads her to the people who need to hear her message!
Sunday was a beautiful Sabbath day! Two less active families whom Sister Tanner has been working with, came to Church! That evening, they visited another less active who is ready to return to Church next Sunday! Sister Tanner is so excited! She is working hard to bring the Gospel back into so many people's lives. That night, her and Sister Hancock planned their District Meeting that they are teaching on Tuesday, which is also Sister Tanner's birthday! Yay! "Pray for us", Sister Tanner asked! We know she will do amazing!
Sister Tanner's week may have started out with a bang or two to the head, but it quickly became a great one! She was able to contact and teach so many people! She is grateful for her overflowing mailbox this week, which was full of birthday cards every day! She is so thankful! She was also able to decorate her apartment this week for her 21st Birthday! We are so proud of her, and all that she has accomplished in her 21 years! Happy Birthday Sister Tanner! We all love you so much!
Birthday decorations!
Sister Tanner's Message:
"Thank you all for your constant love and support. I thank Heavenly Father for letting me come into this family 21 years ago. I couldn't imagine life without all of you. I am so blessed to have such great examples of the Christ-like person I want to become. Thank you for helping me be where I am today. I would have never thought I'd be spending my 21st Birthday here in Wisconsin as a Missionary, but now there is no other way I'd rather spend it. The greatest gift is being able to do the Lord's work. I love you all so much! Thank you all for your gifts and letters! They mean more than you know!"
Love,
Sister Tanner
(A joke Sister Tanner and Sister Hancock came up with:
"So we were trying to contact a guy named Juan.
Knock, knock...
Who's there?
Juan.
Juan, who?
noJUAN!")
Scripture of the Week:
Moroni 8:3 "I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end."
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