The 4th of July!

4th of July week quickly flew by for Sister Tanner! It was another wonderful week. "What a special day this is! Happy 30th Anniversary to my beautiful parents! We've had a great week that went by way too fast", Sister Tanner said.

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!

Miracles Happen

Sister Tanner had a MIRACULOUS week! "Happy last Monday in June! It's been an awesome week for us! Thanks for all your prayers for us to be able to accomplish our goal! WE DID IT! We gave out as companionship, 51 Book of Mormons, and our district hit well over 100! It was seriously only done because of Heavenly Father's help. There is no way we could have done that on our own. "The nature of the thing does not change, but our capacity and ability to do that thing can change." Our capacity has increased, our faith has increased and we have seen miracles! We have so many new investigators and lots of following up to do", said Sister Tanner.

Sister Tanner enjoyed another fun game day playing "chair soccer" on Monday. It has quickly become her new favorite sport! That evening, she had a lesson with one of the recently baptized converts in her ward. The Bishop's wife even came with them. It was wonderful! The Bishop and his wife are visiting Sacramento this week, since that is where she is from. What a small world! 

On Tuesday, Sister Tanner found an awesome new investigator! She is a 16 year old girl who is looking for a Church. "She's super prepared", Sister Tanner said. Tuesday was also District Meeting day! The meeting this week was focused all on finding and expecting miracles. "Just the pump of inspiration we needed for the week", Sister Tanner said. After district meeting, it was time to do exchanges! Sister Tanner was blessed to do exchanges with her former companion, Sister Hancock! She loves her to death! It was fun having her go to Kenosha to serve together for a day. "We had a blast and worked super hard. We were able to make our daily goal of Book of Mormons", Sister Tanner said. One of the Sisters in Sister Tanner's ward, gave her lots of referrals! Two of them are her nonmember Sisters, and another is a close friend. Sister Tanner and Sister Hancock were able to teach all of them! It was amazing! 

Wednesday was the 6 month mark until Christmas! Sister Tanner and Sister Hancock celebrated by singing, "Joy To The World"! It was a great day! Sister Tanner found new investigators and new potential investigators! One of her lessons she taught that day, was on the "Plan of Salvation". It went really well! Right after that lesson, she attended Institute which was also focused on the Plan of Salvation! What are the odds? "We definitely needed to learn something from it that day", Sister Tanner said. 

To learn more about the Plan of Salvation, visit www.mormon.org

"The Stake President was our institute teacher for the day. He is awesome! I had been feeling stressed out the whole week, so I asked him after class if he could give me a blessing. It was everything I needed! In the blessing it said that I would have peace in my heart and that I'd be able to work hard and follow the spirit at the same time, and that my path would be lightened for decisions in the future. After the blessing, I felt a huge weight just lifted from my shoulders", Sister Tanner said. The power of the Priesthood is remarkable. Sister Tanner was truly comforted from this blessing. 

"Thursday was a miracle", Sister Tanner said. The blessing she received the previous day, gave her the faith and determination to see miracles happen in Kenosha! She was able to accomplish her goal of giving out 20 Book of Mormons that day! She also was able to meet so many amazing people because of that goal! "God really does put the people in your path that are prepared as long as we are prepared to talk to them", Sister Tanner said. She had the opportunity to teach one of her investigators that attended Church the previous Sunday. He comes from a rough background and a hard life. "He wants to change his life, and he hasn't been able to stop thinking about Church and how he feels like God wants something different for his life", Sister Tanner said. She can truly see a huge change in his heart and his spirit! What a miracle! That evening, Sister Tanner let her faith take over. She didn't know where to go or who to teach. She decided to trust in Heavenly Father, and have faith that he would lead her to those that she was supposed to teach. That is exactly what happened! "Toward the end of the night, we were driving around aimlessly trying to figure out where Heavenly Father wanted us to be and where we needed to go to reach our goals and to help the people he wanted us to help. Then we saw this lady walking her dog and we both felt that we needed to just pull over and get out and talk to her, so we did and she is soooooo cool. She's going through a divorce, and just lost her job. She talked to us for awhile and accepted a Book of Mormon, and wants to talk to us more. When we were leaving she was like, "I know God put you in my path, thanks for making me happy today". Ah! It makes me so happy when I know we are being tools in God's hands to cheer someone up", Sister Tanner said. What an amazing story! This is what Missionary work is all about! If we can listen to those promptings from our Heavenly Father, he will always lead us to those who are ready to hear the gospel!

On Friday, Sister Tanner was able to volunteer at the Shalom Center! It was a great experience like always! Afterwards, she was able to visit an elderly Sister at her nursing home. "All her friends there want to come to church with her, but we can't seem to find a way to get them all there! Ah! If there is a will, there is a way, right", Sister Tanner said. How wonderful if she can find a way for them to all attend Church! The Sisters ended up running out of Book of Mormons that day! What a great problem to have! Luckily, they were able to meet up with the Elders and get more! That evening, Sister Tanner and Sister Reed helped decorate the gym at Church for a wedding! Then they taught a recently baptized convert. They taught her about Missionary work and helping her family learn about the Church. She then visited one of the Sisters in her ward. She watched "His Grace is Sufficient" with her and her family. "That talk gets me every time", Sister Tanner said. (This talk is featured in the June 16th blog post if you are interested in watching it.)

"Saturday we went to the lake and the farmer's market where there are thousands of people to talk to! We met lots of cool people again and the Lord blessed us", Sister Tanner said of her day. The Sisters also received a referral from the Elders of a girl who was ready to be taught. "We went there, taught the Restoration and she basically told us she already knew the Book of Mormon was true, and we set a baptism date with her. She's totally prepared and loves the gospel already", Sister Tanner said. What an absolute miracle! Sister Tanner is so excited and happy for her! Sister Tanner had a fun evening at the Wedding Reception of a Sister from her ward. It was "Lord of the Rings" themed! We cannot wait to see pictures of this wedding! "It was great", Sister Tanner said! Afterwards, her and Sister Reed were able to spend some time at a part member family in their ward. The husband is not a member. At first he was against the Church, but the Sisters have helped him progress. His heart has slowly softened. "He will totally join the Church soon. The priesthood blessing he received when he was in the hospital, has changed so much for him", Sister Tanner said. 

Two investigators attended Church on Sunday! It was amazing! The lessons were mainly centered on "Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy". That night, Sister Tanner had dinner with a wonderful family in her ward. "Such a cool family! Sister "L" is a Death Investigator for the FBI in Chicago, murder capital of the country. So she told us all about her job and the crazy things she deals with!  She also looks like a model! Brother "L" is hilarious too", Sister Tanner said. She is blessed to get to meet such amazing families in Wisconsin! That evening, the Sisters finished their day by teaching lessons. It was a great Sunday!

Sister Tanner had a miraculous week! We are so proud of her success in accomplishing her goal of giving out 50 Book of Mormons this week! She will truly be blessed for this! She has already seen the blessings of this, by meeting more investigators and being led to people who are prepared to learn about the gospel. 

Sister Tanner's Testimony:

"This week I have been able to reflect on the missionary I was at the beginning of my mission, the missionary I am now and how much I've grown and how much I still want to do to become the missionary I will be. I love the reassurance from the spirit after a long day of working hard when I am absolutely exhausted and the spirit confirms to me that I am doing exactly what Heavenly Father needs me to do. I know that Miracles are possible when you rely on the Lord and your committed to your goals and I know God is in charge!"

Romans 8:38-39

38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

"Nothing can separate us from the Love of God! I love you all so much! Have another amazing week! Happy 4th of July and 4 months until I see you all again!"

love always,

Sister Karlie Marie Tanner

50 Book of Mormons

Summer is officially here, but not in Wisconsin. The storms and rain continued this week. Despite the gloomy weather, Sister Tanner had an amazing week! She learned how to play "chair soccer" on Monday with all the other Missionaries. "I'm way into it! It's so fun", she said. That evening, Sister Tanner taught a powerful lesson to one of her investigators. The woman is struggling to overcome a strong addiction. Sister Tanner shared an uplifting message with her, and helped her adjust her way of thinking.

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

"Having Been Born of Goodly Parents"

Sister Tanner sure had an eventful week! "It's been a crazy busy week but it has been awesome! So many miracles happening here right now. I hope you've all had a wonderful week filled with peace and revelation as you've been reading the Book of Mormon", she said.

Monday was a fun day filled with sports! The Sisters and Elders played baseball and ultimate frisbee together! It's always a great time when they are all together. Sister Tanner had the opportunity to teach one of her investigators that evening. "She's waiting for an answer to her prayers", Sister Tanner said. "She's totally an honest seeker of truth." She hopes this amazing woman will accept the gospel in her life! She's ready for it!

Sister Tanner taught her Zone Training Meeting on Tuesday! "It went really well. Our training went great and I hope everyone was able to learn something from it. I think we did well at making it fun and not being like robot-missionaries. During our training, I was just praying in my heart, Okay Heavenly Father, I'm going to need your help, please help us say the things you need said and he totally helped us. The whole thing was inspired! We couldn't have done it on our own! The whole training was about becoming a covenant keeping mission. Even if no one got anything out of it, I learned a lot just in preparing for it", Sister Tanner said. We know she did an amazing job! After the training, it was time to do exchanges! Sister Tanner exchanged with a Sister serving in the Lake Mills area. She came back to Kenosha with Sister Tanner. They had lots of appointments and things planned for that day! Sister Tanner's companion accidentally took their cell phone with her. Sister Tanner was completely without a phone, and was unable to contact any of her appointments. While her phone was elsewhere, an investigator texted her to tell her she no longer wanted to learn about the Church. However, Sister Tanner never received this text. She went by her house for their appointment. The woman was confused and asked why she still came. "So she explained how she was feeling and we were able to overcome her concerns and she didn't end up dropping us! MIRACLE! Everything happens for a reason! She just really wants to find out for herself the truth. We taught her how to recognize answers to her prayers and she told us that maybe she's already gotten an answer, she just wasn't paying attention to it. She's so cool. I'm so grateful for miracle moments like that", Sister Tanner said. Heavenly Father needed Sister Tanner to be without a phone, so that she would still go to that home. What a powerful miracle! 

 

Wednesday morning was filled with a sweet visit to a Sister in their ward. "I love her", Sister Tanner said about her. "She always cries from the scriptures we share with her, because it's exactly what she needs. The spirit", Sister Tanner said. It seems that she always has the right thoughts and scriptures to share with this sweet Sister. The power of teaching  by the spirit! After the Sisters switched back from exchanges, they headed straight to work. Sister Tanner and Sister Reed had a lesson with one of the new converts in Kenosha. It was all about infant baptism and why we don't practice that. Coming from a catholic background, this lesson helped her understand the gospel more! It went great! After that lesson, the Sisters went to teach the twin Sisters who have been inactive for a long time. "They are soooooo awesome", Sister Tanner said. "We taught them the restoration. They don't remember much about the gospel, but they feel it and they believe it. They shared really spiritual experiences with us about times where they knew the Lord was leading them and guiding them to the Church and they know that us coming to their house was a sign from God that they need to come back. The spirit was so strong during our lesson with them. We left and I just had this overwhelming feeling that they are the "one". I don't really know how to describe it, but I felt it with "S" in West Allis too. Like that God specifically sent me to help them. I love it." What a powerful and spiritual experience. Sister Tanner knows she was sent to these Sisters to bring the gospel back into their lives and their children's lives as well.

]

Helping others makes Sister Tanner very happy. So there was a lot of happiness on Thursday! The Sisters were able to help a girl in their ward pack and move! Afterwards, they helped their neighbor clean. It took 2 hours to do her dishes, but they were happy to help. They also were able to teach her about the Book of Mormon! 



Sister Tanner volunteered at the Shalom Center on Friday the 13th! Missionaries that volunteer there are not allowed to proselyte, but they can answer questions that anyone might have. One woman that Sister Tanner was helping out, started to ask her a lot of questions about the Church. She even asked for their address and phone number. She told Sister Tanner, "Don't be surprised if you see us at Church one of these days". How amazing! Sister Tanner loved her and was so excited to be able to talk with her. After leaving the Shalom Center, Sister Tanner was able to visit a Sister from her ward at the Manor Care Center. It was the woman's birthday, and the Sisters baked her a cake! She was so happy! Sister Tanner and Sister Reed enjoyed the rest of the day tracting at the Lake. They met a lot of people, and even found a new investigator! The day ended with another Missionary exchange for the week. This time, Sister Tanner traveled to Elkhorn with another Sister.

"It was a fun day with Sister Wilcox", Sister Tanner said of her day Saturday. The two Sisters found a bunch of new investigators in Elkhorn! At one point in the day, they went to visit a less active who lives on a ranch. When they showed up, there was a huge Equestrian Show going on. "It was so fun to see. I'm basically obsessed with the equestrian outfits", Sister Tanner said. It was a super productive and fun day serving in Elkhorn! 



Sister Tanner returned home to Kenosha on Saturday night. She was excited for Father's Day at Church! Although she obviously wasn't spending the day with her father, it was a special day to celebrate him! "We sang "Love At Home" in Sacrament Meeting, of course! Dad's favorite song to sing", Sister Tanner said. It was also an exciting day, because the new investigator came to Church! The talks were all so perfect for her, and so many people were touched and in tears. It was a special day at Church! For dinner, Sister Tanner and Sister Reed were invited to the Stake President's home. "It was so fun! He reminds me so much of Dad, so it was kind of like being really close to home for a little bit", Sister Tanner said. Sister Tanner's favorite quote of the night was from the Stake President. He said, "I'm pretty sure canned peas are what they feed you in outer darkness!" He sure sounds like fun!

Sister Tanner had another wonderful week! She is becoming a pro at packing quickly, and traveling to other cities for exchanges. She is enjoying training the other Sisters on her Mission, and her love for them grows more every day. She is excited for the new investigators she found, and to progress with her current investigators.

Sister Tanner's Testimony/Thoughts:

"On Sunday, I studied about Father's from the Book of Mormon. I found some awesome examples in Lehi, Alma the older and Mormon. I'm gonna be a nerd and send you some scriptures I found! Lol. For Lehi, 1 Nephi 2:2-3 and 2 Nephi 1:19-21 for Alma the older, Mosiah 27:14 and for Mormon, Moroni 8:2-3 and Moroni 9:6 I love all these characteristics of what makes them great fathers. They wanted the best for their children, they were righteous examples and they prayed for their kids and never gave up on them. I am grateful I see all these characteristics in my Dad!  I'm grateful for him never giving up on me and always being the rock I could rely on. I'm grateful for Dad teaching me to drive, teaching me to TP like a beast and most importantly, teaching me how important the gospel is and setting an example for me to be a missionary. I always knew that Dad has an outstanding and solid testimony and I've always been able to see him serve others and care more about others than himself. So grateful to have the coolest Dad ever! "I, Sister Tanner having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father..having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God." 1 Nephi 1:1

I thank my heavenly father everyday for blessing me with such an amazing family. Families are forever! "

- Sister Tanner

Sister Tanner also encourages us to listen or read to the devotional below. "I read this talk this week and it changed my life! It's so good! You should all read it!" 

Flooding Wisconsin With The Book of Mormon

The life of a Sister Training Leader can be busy and even stressful at times. Luckily, Sister Tanner knows to turn to her Heavenly Father when times get hard. "This morning I was thinking about how the only way we made it through this week was with the help of our Father in Heaven. There's no other way! Elder Bednar said the following, 'Through the enabling and strengthening power of the Atonement we are able to perform beyond our own individual and natural capacities.' It's the Lord that has truly strengthened me to do more than I can on my own", Sister Tanner said.

Computer time was cut short on Monday, as there was a tornado warning! Luckily, everyone is okay! The Sisters still managed to get a lot accomplished despite the tornado scare! Sister Tanner played sports, went shopping, and even taught a few lessons.

Tuesday was a busy day for Sister Tanner! It was her companion, Sister Peterson's last day serving in Kenosha. They drove all over town, and tried to visit as many people as possible! Sister Peterson wanted to be able to say her goodbyes. They had a wonderful lunch with a recent convert to the Church. She even burned CDs for the Sisters, so that they could have each other's music. What a sweet thing to do! They ended their day by visiting a Sister in the ward. She happens to be a masseuse, and gave Sister Tanner a mini massage. Transfers can be stressful, and that sure helped! What amazing members there are in Kenosha!

Wednesday was transfer day! "Always a crazy day", Sister Tanner said. "We had to pick up Sister Newton and Sister King though, so it was fun to hangout with Sister Newton for awhile before she went home! I can't believe she's home right now! So weird! Anyway, then Sister Reed (new companion) got there and we hit it off right away! We get along really well! I love her!" Sister Tanner is truly blessed to have such amazing Sisters to serve with! Once they arrived in Kenosha, it was off to work! Sister Tanner and Sister Reed visited with a bunch of less active members. One home they went to was 2 Sisters who are both single mothers. One of the Sisters just beat Cancer, and the other works to support them and their children. It is truly an inspiring story. "They are seriously amazing", Sister Tanner said. "So as we sat there, they talked to us about wanting to come back to Church, and how one of them wants her 10 year old son to get baptized. We shared a message and the spirit was so strong as we taught their little kids about Christ and following his example. We walked out of there so happy and feeling like we found "the one family". They want us to come over to teach them every week and help them learn everything again! It was wonderful." Sister Tanner is once again touching the lives of young children, and impacting their eternal future.

Thursday was a spiritually uplifting day! It started by Sister Tanner receiving a bunch of referrals from a Sister in her ward. She gave her the info of many of her daughter's friends. She said that they are all ready to learn about the gospel, and they have parental permission. How amazing! "We can't wait to teach these young women", Sister Tanner said. After a bunch of lessons and appointments, Sister Tanner had a wonderful dinner with a family in the ward. The husband decided to give Sister Tanner a blessing. This blessing really inspired her. "In the blessing it said that I would be able to be spiritually, mentally, and physically strong, and that my mind will be able to be clear and free and that I'll be strengthened to do all that the Lord has called me to do. Also, that Heavenly Father loves me and is aware of the desires of my heart. It also said that my family would be blessed! It was EVERYTHING I needed. I know Heavenly Father truly knew what's going on and how I felt! I am so grateful for the power of the Priesthood and for blessings", Sister Tanner said. What a beautiful blessing that was! That evening, the Sisters packed up and spent the night with the Muskego Sisters.

Friday was a fun day! After staying with the Muskego Sisters, they woke up early and traveled all together to Oshkosh! They had the opportunity to attend their Mission Leadership Council. It was an incredible training! "President is a genius and it's seriously amazing the revelation he receives for our Mission. Everything is about the Book of Mormon and how we are going to flood Wisconsin with the Book of Mormon. We have this new goal of every companionship giving out at least 1 Book of Mormon every day and giving a powerful invitation to read every day with specific follow up. President was like, 'This is going to change our Mission.'", Sister Tanner said. She cannot wait to start this new goal, and challenge herself and Sister Reed to give out more Book of Mormons! The ride home was fun as always. A bus full of Sisters and Elders has more excitement than you might think! They all took turns telling crazy stories, and inspiring moments! What a fun day it was! When the Sisters returned to Kenosha, they headed straight to an appointment. They were meeting with a lady, but she wasn't there. They ended up talking to her brother who happens to be an Anti-mormon. By the end of their conversation with him, he told the Sisters that he would read the Book of Mormon and check it out! How incredible! Also that day, Sister Tanner taught the Atonement to one of her investigators.She invited her to be baptized, and she said yes! They are going to set a date this week! Sister Tanner loves her new companion, Sister Reed. She appreciates how well they teach together. "It's so nice being able to teach so well with Sister Reed already. We are already on the same page! I love it", Sister Tanner said. These Sisters truly are going to "flood Wisconsin with the Book of Mormon."

Saturday was the busiest of days for Sister Tanner. After a day full of appointments, she was able to go contacting at the Lake. She met 3 really amazing potential investigators! "It was a miracle", Sister Tanner said. Unfortunately, they ended up talking to a man who was completely against the Church. He said some really hurtful and awful things to Sister Tanner. However, none of it upset her in the slightest. "So I just testified of the Book of Mormon and how I know it's true and how it's changed my life, and we tried to leave it on a happy note and I asked if we could pray with him", Sister Tanner said. The man ended up being very cruel about the prayer. "We just walked away and laughed and I kept thinking of the quote, 'When our testimonies are strong, persecution will not cause us to deny what we know is true', and I kept thinking of Holland's talk from conference about the Sister Missionaries getting spit upon and what the cost of discipleship is. Defend your beliefs. That's what I get to do every day", Sister Tanner said. It takes a strong person to stand calmly and not phased when someone is insulting them and attacking them verbally. Sister Tanner will never succumb to the negativity that those people bring. She will always defend her faith, just like Elder Holland advises we do.

Sunday was a wonderful day at Church! The twin Sisters and both their families came! "We were so happy to see them there and they loved it", Sister Tanner said. Also at church, one of the women in the ward told Sister Tanner and her companion how great they are doing! Sister Tanner loves her! After church, Sister Tanner visited with one of the recently baptized Sisters in her ward. Her husband is not a member. He used to be against the Church, but now his heart is softening. "He said he notices a difference in himself since we've been coming over. He said he's not as angry or hostile as he used to be, and he said he's always super calm when we are there", Sister Tanner said. What a difference the spirit is making in this family's home. Sister Tanner hopes that one day the husband will have a desire to be baptized! 

Sister Tanner had a busy but amazing week. She wouldn't trade it for the world. She loves being a Missionary, and takes her calling as Sister Training Leader seriously. She is excited to have the opportunity to teach at her Zone Meeting this week. She is training the Missionaries in her Zone on keeping covenants, and becoming a covenant keeping mission. "I feel really good about it and am excited for it", she says. Keep her in your prayers this week as she helps lead all her fellow Missionaries in Wisconsin. We are so proud of Sister Tanner!

Sister Tanner's Testimony:

"I found a quote this week that I absolutely love!"

 "I never cease to be amazed by how the Lord can motivate and direct the length and breadth of his kingdom and yet have time to provide inspiration concerning one individual."

- President Thomas S. Monson

"Heavenly Father knows each of us perfectly! I love you so much and know that Heavenly Father is there to help each of you with whatever you stand in need of. Have the best week ever! I love you!"

love always,

Sister Karlie Marie Tanner