Letter #5

Halfway! Time flies by.

(Traditional half-tie on hump day)

The week was rather uneventful but I feel exponentially more focused. Time to get down to business. Our favorite district left yesterday for the field and the CTM will be somewhat darker for their departure. They were a great help in the first weeks and even put together a treasure hunt for my companion and I before they left. Clues were scriptures like holding onto the iron rod (handrail), drinking from living waters (water fountains) etc. They were all around the CTM and at the end was lots of candy: ) In other important news I counted the number of stairs I ascend multiple times a day: 90. Whew! Feel the burn. Nobody leaves here unable to climb a hill!

(Tanner arranged for a slumber party when his favorite district was leaving.)

We went back to the Sao Paulo temple today. That continues to be my favorite time of the week. Go to the Temple; there is peace and rest from the world. Our Brazilian wildlife list is slowly growing and this week's addition was the long (5 inches) black and very hairy caterpillars crawling around. They seem to be in season. It also has yet to rain here. Where are the deluges of legend??? Two months without rain in Sao Paulo.

The thought I want to share this week is small and consists of one question and one statement I have pndered over this week. Do we let the atonement of Christ work in our lives? Notice the key word "let," because Christ is always willing and ready to help. The decision rests with us. Second, a failure to use Christ's sacrifice for us stems from either a lack of understanding or knowledge, a lack of faith in its redemptive power, or an active decision to not change, to not progress, to deny ourselves the blessings that would come if we let them. So, are we letting daily, the Atonement of Christ work in us? He can take away all pain, all uncertainty and all guilt. I know that doing so will bring us joy and peace no matter the current physical, economical or spiritual condition of our lives.

This week's letter is kind of short, but don't worry they're not going to get shorter and shorter. It was simply an uneventful week, in which I continue to feel the Lord's hand in helping me grow as a missionary, bit by bit. I have a flash drive to save my pictures on and will put them on when I get into the field. I imagine that then I will be able to email them as well. In the meantime I hope you got the ones I mailed: ) I haven't gotten one of your letters yet, so the suspense is building!!! Will it come today??? It's like having Christmas multiple times a year but you never know the day it will come. 

I grew half an inch. . . Okay, just kidding. But I grew a little bit and am proud to announce the slightly ideal height and weight of 6' 2" 183 lbs. Oh yeah. There are two guys here from the BYU baseball team, kinda cool. Did you know Elder Koeliker's family somehow? For some reason I thought you did. But his grandson is here and we're good friends. For exercise here we can play volleyball, fun, or basketball, also fun, and there's an interesting small oval jogging track with sit up benches and pull up bars as well as a small weight room. With a little innovation you can work out well. Did they email the video of us singing? They better have. It was etheral: ) I love you all so much and the only thing better than being here would to be there. Are you all preparing to go on a mission? DO IT. It's the best. Hopefully I willl have a more exciting letter next week, but for now all is well, especially because I have you , my family. You are the best!

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Tanner: )