With All Our Love

Tanner,

These last couple weeks have gone by so fast! Hopefully you have gotten my last letter by now. Hope you had a happy birthday. Does it feel weird to be twenty? It feels strange to be 17. A lot of people at school, some teachers and some students, are always asking about you. No one in particular, but they like to hear what you are doing and how it's going. I'll write another full letter soon. We love you and miss you,

Hunter.


My Dear Tanner,

We so enjoy your letters! Please write more! What you do write is so amazing, we want more every week! Think of some small detail of your everyday life we don't know about, and share! Your talent for writing helps us to understand more fully what the life of a missionary is truly like. For instance, your CTM companion wrote about having preparation day time at a lake/park one week, and at a bird sanctuary another. Have you seen anything for fun on a P-day? We are eagerly awaiting details on your day with the president. _____ Congratulations!

Did your birthday package arrive? Did you love it? Have you eaten your cake? I tried very hard to find a nice tasting cake, with a yummy frosting. I meant to tell you that you could probably make your frosting in a bowl with a spoon...sorry! Here I am assuming you got the package. I might be ruining your birthday fun. Oh well. Your birthday is past, and if you haven't gotten your package, I'll help you dream about it. We assumed you would have been given some mail last p-day when the president visited...what else came in the mail delivery? _____

We mailed Dad and Miller's letters directly to your house address. We tell you because we're new at not using the mission home address. We've mailed your Christmas package to the address your companion uses for packages (Ana). I felt like I had missed the window of opportunity in getting your package to the mission home by the 3rd. I've also shared this address with Dad's sisters, the Duncans, and the Israelsens. I know I'll get to write you a few more times before Christmas, but while packages are on my mind, I'll share a few thoughts. Be sure to share ;-) Be sure to put them ALL away / hide them until Christmas, maybe in your suitcase. If you're really strong-willed, open the top of my box, and grab the bag of homemade granola out. Everything else is wrapped, except what's on the bottom of the box! I doubt the granola will taste as well if it's left there until Christmas. But I had a little hole to fill in the box, and had just made a batch.

You mentioned reading the conference Ensign while waiting for the baptismal font to fill...do you still want our extra copy for yourself? _____

Your CTM companion, as usual, had a very interesting letter to read. He relates, "We had a really weird encounter this week with a guy who was pleasant and nice with his words and was respectful but the spirit in his house was EVIL!!! Holy Smokes!! He was asking really weird questions, he only believed in the Old Testament, he had this gigantic German shepherd, which had this weird feeling about him as well. It was creepy, and a little bit into our conversation with him the phone buzzes and we look down and the screen says Pres. Monson... and it rings three times and then stops (we checked our phone afterwards and we didn’t receive any phone calls during the lesson...??). Weird, and then when I was trying to say something to wrap things up with him (I had been silent this whole time, letting Elder W. talk), I could not say a single word! My words were stuck in my throat. My tongue would not work...so we got the heck out of Dodge. On a related note it is weird to see gypsies and witches on the streets sometimes and they always say pew pew when we walk past, I try not to look at them and I haven’t stopped to ask them why they go pew pew, and I don’t plan on doing so." I'm sure you would have mentioned your really unusual encounters, but have you too passed witches and gypsies? Are they a part of the mainstream culture?

Your companion mentioned some interesting details that helps give us a more complete picture. Can we say how excited we all were to here about last week's baptism! Yeah! I love when a family comes together in the gospel. Anyway, he said, "We passed by there on Tuesday...but he was not open to us at all, he kept talking about how it's not his time and that God told him that he should actually stay in the church he's in. We passed by there on Thursday and he told us that the visit with Pres. Fabio really touched him so much so that he couldn't sleep that whole night. He went into the bathroom at 3 in the morning and started crying. He said that God said to him, " I am the Master and you are the servant, and when I show you the right path you do not take it? No, you have to take this path I have shown you because I am the Master." He was crying when he told us the story. We immediately jumped out of our chairs and gave him big hugs. It was a very tender and sweet moment. When he got baptized, he came out of the water shouting, "Glory!" "Glory!" and tears fell from his cheeks."

Your companion also said how much you love the United States . He thinks it's because you're from the east coast. He said, "I think they're probably really patriotic over there 'cause boy does he talk a lot about the U.S. and how it was divinely prepared to receive the restored gospel." Do you think your love of the United States has anything to do with your father and his love of history and traveling? It was fun for us to read that about you. Dad cautions that your discussions about the United States take place with your companion, and not those in Brazil.

One of the missionary moms had stake conference with Elder Ronald Rathband of the Presidency of the Seventy. He mentioned that in the past five weeks more sisters have submitted their papers than all the sister missionaries currently serving in the entire world. He also mentioned that next week the 300th stake will be dedicated.

In the news, a lot of people have generated and had signed petitions for succession from the United States. Texas is by far in the lead, enough so that the White House has to consider their request. The founder of McAfee and a bit eccentric, living in Belize, is a person of interest in his neighbor's murder investigation. Apparently McAfee has really obnoxious dogs, and this neighbor had complained a lot. There have also been a lot of rockets and fighting over in Israel, more than in a really long time. As you can see, the world news is mostly depressing. You're not missing much over here!

In our news this week, Hunter brought home the papers that list requirements for those interested in running for school board. He qualifies when he turns 18. There is nothing there about having to finish high school or having an equivalent degree. He attended his first board meeting Monday. To quote Hunter, "If I'm going to do this, I better find out what I have to do."

Tuesday I took the cub scouts to the local VFW for our yearly review in flag etiquette, flag folding, flag presentation, flag ceremonies, flag posting...It's always very patriotic over there. This time we came before they were gathering, so the entire building was full of veterans, watching, smiling, jumping in to help fold the flag, helping to play the national anthem...it was wonderful. I can't do 20 very busy nine year old boys all by myself, so any time ANY ONE wants to jump in, I'm all smiles. This was kind of a repeat for Sawyer, so it was nice to see him helping a lot of the newer boys fold flags. Tuesday was also the first basketball practice for Cooper. He enjoyed it more than usual because there's only six boys on his team, and they're all in his class.

Thursday was our last day of seminary. We read about Zacchaeus, a Publican, who wanted to see Jesus as he was passing by, and couldn't because he was short in stature, and the crowds were "pressing." We talked about how even though he wasn't liked, he chose to lift himself above the crowd (world), and to a higher place (scriptures, missionary work, temple, service) so he could see Jesus. In so doing, he was blessed, and Christ invited himself over to abide with Zacchaeus. Thursday was also the first quiz bowl meet for the boys, against Chesapeake. Hunter play the first two rounds, and Porter came in to replace him for the alphabet round and the final lightening round. Hunter was a little upset that he got pulled, as he played the entire game last year. They lost their meet by two points, and by the time school was over, Hunter was told he'd be playing the whole meet next time.

Friday evening Sawyer and Miller enjoyed their first basketball practices. It's actually at the same time and in the same gym, just different courts. They were both so excited to open the basketball uniform box, and pick out their practice uniform.

Saturday Porter had his first scrimmage. He started on the freshmen team, and not very long into the game, he was elbowed in the glasses, and his eye was cut about five times on his lid. It oozed all night, but eventually sealed, so we didn't bring him in for stitches. Sunday morning his eye was swollen shut, and very purple and red. He's had a few problems getting in his new contacts, especially when time is short and he feels rushed, so he didn't have them in at the time. He's been warned. Get them in and wear them, or we'll not be purchasing contacts but goofy sport goggles instead. Dad, Hunter and Cooper made a trip to the Louisville Temple. It was Cooper's first time. He thoroughly enjoyed his Penn Station sandwich on the way home. Unfortunately, Dad forgot the camera, so we'll have to recapture that wonderful day.

That's about all the news here! We surely still love you! We miss you! We find your picture all over the house, and talk about you. We hope you have a great week...thanks for all you write and share with us.

Love,

Mom and Dad

P.S. Dad wants to know if there are any signs of Christmas, in the stores, in the streets...We usually roll our eyes when we see signs of Christmas before Thanksgiving, but this year the stores were pulling out decorations before Halloween was even over. Ridiculous!

P.P.S. The internet mentions that Brazil celebrates Thanksgiving, that it might or might not be a holiday, but do you know of any thanksgiving celebration there?