The week started off with scary tornado warnings on Monday! There was also a severe thunderstorm, which made Sister Tanner scared to drive! Right when the Sisters were ready to leave, the rain and winds suddenly stopped. "The Lord is definitely protecting us", Sister Tanner said.
Tuesday was Sister Tanner's 14 Months on her Mission! "Ah, that's kind of scary", she said. Time really does go so quickly when you are serving the Lord. Her day started of well, as she met a few new investigators! Then it was time for her weekly district meeting. Sister Tanner and her companion were treated to a whole watermelon! It was their prize for reaching their Book of Mormon goal the previous week. How sweet! "Then we spent the rest of the night running around with appointments and teaching people. It was good", Sister Tanner said.
Wednesday was a wonderful day for Sister Tanner! She taught a lesson with one of her investigators that has a baptism date. "She's so awesome", Sister Tanner said. "She loves the gospel and has been reading the Book of Mormon every day." How amazing! Later that day, the Sisters had dinner at another investigator's home. They ended up teaching a room full of young girls that lived on that street. Sister Tanner taught them all about the Plan of Salvation. "They loved it and were asking us questions! It was so fun to teach them", Sister Tanner said. Then a miracle happened after that dinner appointment! Sister Tanner was able to have a lesson with a special family that she met 2 months ago! "This is the family that me and Sister Peterson met like 2 months ago and it was perfect timing! So we finally got to meet their kids and talk to them. They are the coolest family ever! The mom and dad were baptized like 3 years ago, but moved right after baptism and haven't really been active since. They never got new member lessons or anything and they have 3 kids who haven't been baptized, and who all want to be! I've felt so good about this family since the first time we met them. Tuesday night, I prayed to be able to get back in contact and start teaching them, and then we were able to on Wednesday! Prayers are answered", Sister Tanner said. The family is ready to come back to church, and the children are all so excited about this! The power of prayer is so real. Sister Tanner is so excited for this family, and so happy she never gave up on them! Heavenly Father never gives up on any of us.
Sister Tanner attended her Mission Leadership Council on Thursday. "It was so good", she said. The institute director for the Milwaukee North Stake came to speak to them. "He's like the next John Bytheway. He blew our minds! He was awesome! The whole thing was about sanctification and grace. It was really inspiring", Sister Tanner said. This man picked apart Moroni 10:31-32. He explained to them all the temple references in those scriptures. They are both all about eternal families. If you read verse 31 with that knowledge, then verse 32 makes so much more sense.
Moroni 10:31 "And awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes and enlarge thy borders forever, that thou mayest no more be confounded, that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto thee, O house of Israel, may be fulfilled."
32 "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."
What beautiful scriptures those are! Also during the Leadership Council, the Mission President told them all of his vision. His vision is that every area will have a baptism before the October General Conference! "Lots of prayers will be needed", Sister Tanner said. Afterwards, Sister Tanner approached the Mission President about possibly attending the temple. "He basically told me an opportunity will open up for me to go soon. Yay", Sister Tanner said. She is so excited and anxious to attend the temple again! After the Leadership council ended, it was time for exchanges! Sister Tanner went to Oak Creek for the night, and got a truck! "I had way too much fun driving a truck for the first time in my life", she said.
Friday was 4th of July! Sister Tanner spent the first half of the day in Oak Creek. She was able to go contacting at the parade, and found a ton of new investigators! It was so fun. Then once she got back to Kenosha, she attended a 4th of July bash with a bunch of members from the ward. Other Missionaries were there too! The family who hosted it, is moving in 2 weeks. Sister Tanner is going to miss them so much, so she was happy she was able to spend time with them for the holiday. That night, Sister Tanner went to Lake Michigan to try and meet people who were there for the fireworks. It was so crowded and impossible to find parking! Bummer! Sister Tanner made the most of it, and was able to still visit and contact a bunch of people. Happy Independence Day!
Kenosha, WI on the 4th of July
Saturday was an exciting day! A miamaid in Sister Tanner's ward contacted them, and asked if she could come out with them. "We brought her to a few lessons and took her tracting because she wanted to experience it, and she liked it! It was fun to get to know her more too. Hopefully we inspired her to want to serve a mission! Props to her though, when I was 14, the last thing on earth I would have wanted to do was go out with the Missionaries", Sister Tanner said. What an incredible girl! Sister Tanner had a lot of fun with her. Later on, Sister Tanner had a successful lesson with one of her investigators. "We asked her some of the baptism interview questions even though we haven't taught her much, and she knows the Church is true! Now it's just a matter of teaching her everything before her baptism, now that we have to teach Lesson 5 too. She's so ready for the gospel. Before we even started, she told us how she's been repenting of everything just because she felt she needed too, and that's totally what we had planned to commit her to do", Sister Tanner said. This girl is so ready for baptism! We are excited to hear all about her journey to the gospel. Another one of Sister Tanner's investigators is ready for baptism as well. Unfortunately, her family does not agree with her decision. She told the Sisters she is working hard to move out on her own, so that she can join the Church. "Dedication! She knows it's true", Sister Tanner said. What a great Saturday!
"Sunday was awesome too! We had 4 investigators at church", Sister Tanner said! How amazing! After a wonderful day at Church, the Sisters went to their appointments. They were able to visit with the 2 Sisters that are being reactivated. It seems that they have yet another Sister! This one has been active for a few years now, and is preparing to go to the temple for the first time! Sister Tanner loved getting to talk to her. She was also able to talk to one of the other Sisters about her son. He is of baptism age, and she is going to start teaching him this week! Sister Tanner is beyond excited! "I feel like we are starting to teach so many children and my setting apart blessing and patriarchal blessing are being fulfilled", Sister Tanner said. She has always known she was meant to bring young children into the gospel, and this is now happening! What an exciting and beautiful week this was for Sister Tanner!
Sister Tanner's Testimony
"I've been reading "Our Search For Happiness" and today I read about Missionary work and how most Missionaries think their 18 months or 2 years of service is going to give back to God for the blessings he's given them, but then how they find out that their mission brings more blessings than they could ever ask for. This is so true! Although, I knew my Mission could never "repay" God, I never anticipated the amount of joy and happiness and blessings it brings. A quote from the book says about the joy of Missionary work, "Weaknesses become strengths, challenges become opportunities, trials become triumphs, and adversity becomes an adventure in the service of the Lord- another fruit of gospel living." (pg. 104). I'm so grateful for the countless blessings my mission has given me. I know this is the Lord's work. I'm so grateful for every day I get to help others learn the gospel and in return, my testimony is strengthened. I'm so blessed to be born into an eternal family. I love my parents who made the most important decision 30 years ago today to be sealed for time and all eternity. Because of them, we can be together forever! Thank you Mom and Dad for your example to me and for all you've done for our family in the last 30 years! I love you both so much! I hope everyone has a wonderful July ahead of them! I love you all and pray for you every day!
Love always,
Sister Tanner
A video Sister Tanner wanted to share with you all! It's about the very first Sister Missionaries!
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