Letter #7

Dear Beloved Family,

Forgive me for a moment for a moment while I dispense with opening statements and substitute an opening mandate: If you did not watch Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's Sunday devotional, watch it. If you cannot watch it, read it. Let me tell you how we were blessed to watch it.

After dispensing with dinner and leaving our weekly choral practice and devotional, I realized that tonight was the CES fireside. I saw it on the front page of LDS.org which we use a lot. Excited, I gathered our district to establish a battle plan. Elder Crosland volunteereed to supply the movie treats, in grand style, and we also had our nightly bread and cheese and apple snack. We met in our classroom and were spiritually and physically treated to a banquet, thanks to Elder Crosland's neverending supply of chocolate. At the end, we surreptitiously slipped up 5 stories to our beds, just in time for the 10 o'clock curfew. Now, the short version on why you should stop, drop and roll to the nearest computer and watch this talk if you haven't already.

Now let me say I am the first to halt any glorifying of any single apostle. But. For pure punch, Elder Holland delivers and delivered again last night. It was notable for that alone. I have not seen such force as the moment he declared, "You never check you religion at the door!!!!" But more memorable than that was the unyielding clarity with which he declared these several statements, paraphrased as best I can: 1. The church of God will never again flee from Babylon. 2. Religious faith should be held up in the public square to the widest community we can address. 3. ( My favorite) We are not to flee Babylon, but attack it. Some principles are defended and some sins opposed wherever they are found because the consequences of these laws are eternal in nature.

There are many more, but remember, Attack Babylon, Share the Gospel Always. As he said, things in our day are accelerating and with that comes increased responsibility to be bold witnesses and examples that Jesus Christ lives, that his church is restored, and that nothing in your life can or will bring you such happiness as this, His gospel.

Well, I have endeavored this week to keep a better record of events for you all, to make sure not to forget anything. (Like Princess Lei towel hairdos.) So, notable moments: While ironing my shirts and chatting with a Brazilian elder in English and Portuguese he related to me the old Brazilian belief that the larger your feet were the longer you would live. I held my foot up on the hopes that my size 13 Reeboks would elicit some response, but I did not expect the wide-eyed, "You're Eternal!!" Good times: )

Friday was Brazil's independence day, and we feista-ed fantastically, with 50 pounds of assorted Brazilian ice cream and every imaginable topping. Can I just say I've been craving it for 5 weeks? This week we also taught our first Brazilian investigators? Hard but a lot of fun because it was more realistic and they varied their response from the often 2 or 3 word answers the Americans give. I'm singing in a another group this Sunday in a beautiful rendition of "I need thee every Hour." 

Misc. Items: Tanner "Sweet Shot Schenewark" is sweeping the courts of the CTM, taking name tags and ties (JK) in grand Hutchins fashion. Uncles be proud. And furthermore, finally got a haircut, sure to show in upcoming pictures! Its really short.

Surprise of the week, came during Tuesday devotional. I was preparing to relax and enjoy the talk, and was called to play the piano without any notice. Talk about scary moments in my life, but it worked out ok. . . I think they mixed up because I was supposed to play this Sunday.

I love you all and pray all is well. I hope all my letters are getting through, rare, signed and numbered as they are. Collect them all. Share the Gospel always in all ways.

Love Tanner

p.s. for Mom. Don't send letters through the pouch. They don't come to the MTC. This was discontinued for missionaries and goes to area office instead. And tell everyone we were told to let you know to start mailing letters to my Londrina address (below) - we leave October 2nd.

Elder Tanner Schenewark

Brazil Londrina Mission

Rua Higienopolis, 1100, Sala 61

Centro 86020-911 Londrina  - PR

Brasil

(His companion Elder Cummings' letter home included a few more details...)

"...Elder Schenewark and I had been craving ice cream for so long and we each ate like 3 massive bowls!!  On Sunday our district snuck down to our classroom with candy and food and watched the CES devotional by Jeffrey R. Holland! It was so amazing!! If you have not watched it, get on the computer on LDS.org and watch it (right after you are done with my letter, of course)! It was soooooo good! We are pretty sure that this talk will start a whole new era and standing of the church! It was monumental! On Monday... well to set up the story... The only good place to set my little travel alarm clock is on the windowsill, and I usually move it off in the morning when we get up. But this Monday I forgot to and when Elder S. threw the window open, the alarm clock went tumbling out six stories to land flat on the cement at the bottom. The amazing part is when we went down to pick up the rubble (the case exploded on impact) is that the alarm clock still works!!! The swinging door cover shattered pretty much (it is put back together with duct tape) but the main clock part has only one tiny, tiny scratch on it!! Not bad for a six story fall onto the cement, hitting at terminal velocity!!!

We FINALLY got some new missionaries going to Londrina!!! Now Elder S. and I are no longer all alone! There are 8 new North American missionaries going there, I believe, maybe one or two more!!! And we might get some Brazilians tomorrow!! We are super excited!!

Both Elder S. and I are getting cabin fever being here at the CTM. I am grateful that I get to stay here for another 3 weeks and get even more comfortable with Portuguese but at the same time both of us want to get out into the field sooooo bad!!! We are so excited for the field!!"