Tuesday was the perfect day for finding new investigators! Sister Tanner and Sister Reed were able to meet so many new people who are interested in the gospel. After tracting, it was time for exchanges. Sister Tanner stayed in Kenosha, and had Sister Vance come serve with her. Sister Vance was trained in Kenosha, so it was fun for her to be back there. She was able to see a lot of familiar faces from a year ago. On Wednesday morning, they had a lesson with one of their investigators who attended Church last week. It went so well! "She's so awesome and super prepared! She loved the Restoration and accepted a baptism date", Sister Tanner said. How amazing! Sister Tanner was also able to teach her more about prayer and personal Revelation. "She's super solid and she's so excited to learn more and learn about more commandments she can live", Sister Tanner said. She is so happy for her, and cannot wait to be there as she is baptized!
After exchanging back, Sister Tanner and Sister Reed headed to Institute. It happened to be Sister Hancock's (former companion) birthday! She serves in the Racine area, which attends Institute at the same place. They were able to throw her a birthday celebration! "We made her a cake and sang Happy Birthday! She loved it", Sister Tanner said. It was so fun to spend Sister Hancock's birthday with her. She will always be one of Sister Tanner's best friends.
Thursday was a beautiful day of service! Sister Tanner was able to help clean a family's home. They are putting their house up for sale, and needed some extra help getting things ready for the open house. Sister Tanner loved being able to help them. She also had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Relief Society service project in her ward. They made blankets for babies at the hospital, and put together care packages for people in other countries. It was such a blessing for her to be a part of this amazing service project!
Sister Tanner had a wonderful interview with her Mission President on Friday. "My interview was so good. I always leave interviews feeling like the greatest person in the world. President asked me a lot of questions about how the Atonement has changed me and asked me what goals I had for the last couple months of my Mission." Yeah, that was weird to hear. He told me how the work in West Allis has bloomed because of the work I did there and that we finally had a baptism and that changed the view of the Missionaries and the members there. That meant a lot to me. He told me I'm helping the Sisters we are over, because I'm so happy. He gave me some great advice for some specific sisters that are having troubles and also told me that the only way we are going to find families to teach is through the members. Yikes, we better work on that! It was so good though", Sister Tanner said. What an amazing and inspiring interview that was! Sister Tanner truly is leading the other Missionaries in her area. She is harvesting the fields in Wisconsin!
Later on Friday, it was time for more exchanges! Sister Tanner was able to go back to West Allis again! She was back with her amazing former companion, Sister King. They had the best time serving together again! Sister Tanner was able to visit a lot of people she loves, including the girl who was baptized that she taught. "We saw "S"! She's doing so good! I seriously almost started crying when she told me how good she's doing! She's gone visiting teaching and is getting her patriarchal blessing soon and she goes out with the Sister Missionaries all the time, and is determined to help bring back some less actives. She's so great! She was just as excited to see me as I was to see her! She said the cutest prayer of how happy she is she got to see me, and that I came into her life! If I came on my mission and the only person I was able to teach and see get baptized was "S", it would all be worth it! I know that I needed to have the experience of teaching her and seeing her change as much as she needed it. I'm so grateful Heavenly Father let me be a part of her journey", Sister Tanner said. These two will forever be such an influential part of each other's lives. Heavenly Father brought them into each other's lives to help and bless one another! Sister Tanner was able to have a lesson with her while on exchanges in West Allis. She taught her all about the Stripling Warriors, and how they were taught by their mothers. "S" will make such a difference in the life of her daughter. Having the gospel in their lives now, and teaching her daughter will bless their eternal life. Her daughter has even said how she wants to be a Missionary when she grows up! "AH! I can't even explain the happiness I feel knowing how well she's doing! It totally reassures me that there are more people like "S" that we need to find that are ready and waiting to change their entire lives for the gospel", Sister Tanner said.
"Saturday was a fun day in "Stallis", Sister Tanner said. She had the opportunity to teach old investigators and new ones as well. Serving with Sister King again was so amazing! She even got treated to yummy Wisconsin custard for lunch. Sister Tanner also was able to witness Sister King setting a baptism date with a new investigator! It was so exciting! "They are doing so well in West Allis and the work really has exploded there", Sister Tanner said.
On Sunday, Sister Tanner was back in Kenosha. It was a great day at Church, and her next door neighbors even came! "We didn't think they would really come, but they did and they liked it", Sister Tanner exclaimed! She was so excited! The twin Sisters they are teaching, and their family came to Church! Also, another investigator! Sister Tanner was loving life! After Church, a less active/part member family asked the Sisters to come over. They were happy to do so! The husband, who isn't a member, was asking them a lot of questions. He didn't understand if God and Jesus were the same person or not. "So we explained different places in the Scriptures where we know that people saw Christ standing on the right hand of God, and how we are created in his image and how the whole reason we came to earth was to get a body, because God had one and we needed one to become like him", Sister Tanner said. The husband finally understood and it all made sense to him! "We totally helped him understand God! It's moments like this that I'm like, Yay I'm doing my job and helping people understand these truths that we have always understood. I love it", Sister Tanner said. That evening, Sister Tanner found out that their District has a goal of giving out 100 Book of Mormons THIS WEEK! Their district is only made up of 4 companionships. He told them that since they get a lot of work done, that they are responsible to hand out 45 of those 100! Sister Tanner decided she can do that and more! "So, we made a goal to give out 50 this week! We will really really need lots of prayers to be able to accomplish this crazy high goal we have set! We are calling down the powers of Heaven and fully expecting miracles this week! So please pray for us! I know there are 50 people in Kenosha ready to start reading the Book of Mormon that we can find! We are flooding this place with the most precious gift! We may be crazy but we have faith! Please pray for us! I'll let you know how we do next week", Sister Tanner said.
Sister Tanner had a wonderful week! She is excited for another baptism in her area, as well as the progression she has seen in West Allis. The work moves forward in Wisconsin! She is excited to "flood" the streets of Kenosha with the truth of the Book of Mormon. We look forward to read about her success next week. Sister Tanner continues to encourage us all to keep up with our Book of Mormon reading and studies. Gordon B. Hinckley said, "Regardless of how many times you previously may have read The Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the spirit of the lord!"
Sister Tanner's Testimony:
"I love this work! Every day I thank Heavenly Father for letting me have this experience and letting a Mission be a part of his plan for me. I know the cost of discipleship is sometimes not always easy and there's many forces opposing this work, but truly nothing will stop the work from progressing. I am forever grateful I've been called to share the gospel at this specific time and here in this specific part of his vineyard. Thank you all for your prayers! I love you so much!"
-Sister Karlie Marie Tanner
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