With All Our Love

Dear Tanner,

What a week! Sometimes a week in review seems more like a month that has zoomed by, while other times it's like a really long day. What kind of week have you had? Mine is leaning more towards one really long day, doing it over and over again. Summer can be like that, very repetitive, quiet but in a good way.

Your father has been traveling with the three older boys this whole week, to Colorado for that national coaching conference. We have not spoken in length, just little hellos throughout the week, but I'm sure they'll have lots to report on tomorrow night. I'll apologize now for not having many pictures to share in the letter or on the blog this week. Your father took my camera on his trip. And the phone. Enough said.

In our little corner of the world this week, this is the news I saw and saw fit to share: Your friend Keaton arrived home this week from Panama. I would love to be a little fly on the wall and hear about his time on the island. He looks great! Julia said that her Japan is doing wonderful in the MTC, and commented that, "It seems like things are really going great in Brazil! Tell Elder Schenewark good luck for me!"

Elder D. Welch's travel plans were sent home this week to his parents...coming home the last full week of July...coincidentally when we're traveling to New England.

Your roommate's mother emailed a whole bunch of letters, so I tried to sum them up: "We went out to get haircuts. I like to have someone else do it every once and awhile because it is so hard to do the back by myself. We went to a Chinese barber and so it was cool to tell them how I wanted my hair cut in Chinese. :) My hair looks really good so at least I didn't mess up on my Chinese this time! That would have been really bad!...We went out to lunch as a District today and we had some Vietnamese noodles called Pho. When we got up to pay the lady told us that some other person had already paid our bill for us and that we were good to go. I have never had anything like that happen to me before so that was soooo cool and so nice!...I am the new primary pianist! HAHAHAHAHA! They must really be hurting for pianists because I am terrible at the piano! Pray that I can at least play the right hand!...President wants me to help do some training at the upcoming Zone Conference. We are supposed to train on how to help our investigators receive revelation through church attendance. Also, he asked if I could be in charge of the musical number!...My testimony has grown so much on my mission and I know that I am a son of God. He loves me and he loves you too. Everything that we go through is because he loves us. I love my mission and I am so lucky to be here in Toronto, Canada. It is the place that I am supposed to be. I know it...Enjoy life, because it is God's gift to us."

Your cousin Greg will be leaving shortly for Mexico, then Chile. Unbelievable! I'll share his address with you now, and the email when we get it.

His sister and your cousin-in-crime Naomi is tearing apart the MTC. Her letters are hysterical. I look forward to reading them weekly. Would you like me to forward them to your email, or just sum it up? __________ This week she said, "For our last gym time, the Elders all had to set up chairs and tables because we are moving things around for the missionary broadcast on Sunday. To all the General Authorities reading this, be aware, the MTC does NOT normally look like this. It's all a show for you. But I'd be surprised if you didn't know that."

I know you'll receive Grampy's letter eventually, but these comments made me smile. Typical Grumpy humor! But obviously he enjoyed seeing your smiling face last week as much as me: "Tanner – you are so good looking, how come you are not baptizing more girls? I imagine you have your little groupies following you around. Perhaps you should carry around autographed pictures of yourself to give away when someone agrees to be taught a lesson?? Just kidding!!!."

Our Marshall University Brazilian concert pianist back in Brazil has been posting updates on the protestors. He kind of summed it up by posting that, "This is what is going on in Brazil right now. We don't want investments in new soccer stadiums, what we want are investments in health care and education. The poor are tired of paying for the government's lavish living." Also in the papers were articles on the FIFA giving an ultimatum to the Brazilian government: Either the national authorities ensure the safety of the Confederations Cup, the players, committees and members of the international press who are in Brazil, or it will cancel the event...Italy being considered as an alternative location.

Another article talked about the areas affected by protestors. It was interesting to see the different cities that I recognized: "As well as Sao Paulo, in Brasilia, police struggled to keep hundreds of protesters from invading the Foreign Ministry as protesters lit a small fire outside. Other government buildings were attacked around the capital's central esplanade, and police resorted to tear gas and rubber bullets in attempts to scatter the crowds. Clashes were also reported in the Amazon jungle city of Belem, in Porto Alegre in the south, in the university town Campinas, north of Sao Paulo, and in the north-eastern city of Salvador." So, how has this affected your mission, and Londrina? __________

I shared your sweet thoughts about your mission president with his wife last week. She wrote this really sweet reply. I appreciate her taking the time to write me a reply...Having 225-ish missionaries is enough of a load, but add their parents as well, and I truly have nothing to think difficult. Anyway, she said, "Thank you sister Amy, It was very good to know how our beloved Elder Schenewark thinks and feels. He has been since the beginning of his mission an excellent missionary. Intelligent, focused, full of confidence in the mission. The President always praises him a lot to me. He is a true follower of Jesus Christ. We are so thankful for him to serve in the Londrina Mission and to have wonderful parents who support him constantly. We will miss all that very much. With love, Sister Tavares."

In the world of sports, and straight from Kathy's heart, the Stanley Cup updates. She called me and said although she loved me, she wouldn't let that stand in the way of her Blackhawks trumping the Bruins. Unfortunately, her call was predicative of the last game wrap. "Chicago's top line has been too much for the Boston Bruins to handle. Patrick Kane had two more goals in Saturday night's 3-1 victory over the Bruins in Game 5, bringing the Chicago Blackhawks one victory from their second Stanley Cup title in four years." And, some of Boston's key players are injured, so that's about as good as it's going to get this year. Speaking of hockey, ever since Hunter learned that hockey is the best "other" sport to play for those who want to be great golfers, he reminisces frequently about his hockey career on roller blades and grampy's driveway every day after school, all before second grade. As such, he had his brothers convinced they too should watch the Stanley Cup games.

Your Aunt Alana has been VERY busy! Between caring for four children who no longer go away to school, growing a fifth, packing to move to Fort Collins, feeding your ravenous Uncle Zach, and two bottomless pit cousins, she has managed to make EVERYBODY bow ties! What kind of a trend did she start? I would venture to say that little did she know just keeping the family wrapped and tied could be a full time job, never mind her paying customers. Porter put in his order a while ago, and had on the doorstep this week a package containing a bow tie in yellow (his favorite color), and one green with white polka dots. He'll be VERY excited to see them this week.

All week long Sawyer has had long all star baseball practices. So while he's playing in the dirt, Breyer has thoroughly enjoyed playing at the school's park. She mostly stares at other children playing, but thinks she has a few friends. I'm trying really hard to expand her world before Miller begins kindergarten, as she's in for a drastic change to her little "follow Miller" daily schedule.

Thursday Sawyer had signed up for a library program involving tye dying. He brought something for each of his siblings, and ended up sharing one tee shirt with a participant who had none (Cooper's), brought one wrong shirt (Hunter), and let Miller do his own. Perhaps you'll be the lucky recipient of his pillowcase ;-) It was nice that he thought of gifting his siblings, and took it upon himself to collect the white items.

Friday Sawyer had a "second opinion" appointment. Although Sawyer was to have seen the "best" of the tri-state area, this doctor not only scheduled his follow-up MRI three months earlier, he also found a second cyst. To say we were surprised is an understatement! It's much smaller, and in deeper and lower, and is more of a concern than the first cyst. The doctor concurs in that he also believes they've both been there since birth, and is also of the opinion that they both should be monitored for growth. It is my understanding that this new cyst in the frontal lobe could be responsible for some of the changes that precipitated my seeking a referral to a neurologist. Mainly, a little change in his personality, a little more irritability, a little more aggression and anger, and he mentioned a little difficulty speaking. The larger cyst in the temporal lobe might have contributed to his hearing loss, his vision issues, and difficulties in speech. Now, he's a perfectly healthy boy, and all that stuff sounds like he's a mess. He's not. Just unique ;-)

Yesterday we took Sawyer to a baseball scrimmage against the Chesapeake all star team. Sawyer started on third, went to pitcher, and finished as catcher. It was HOT. Hot enough to have all our water and gatorade depleted and leave us feeling like we'd walked through the Sahara. But Miller eats this stuff up! He went out into the backyard when we returned home to hit some balls with his bat. He does this a couple of hours every day. Just little swings of the bat that cause the ball to go from one end of the backyard to the other. He usually takes three or four balls, and then runs to the other end to begin again. He told me last night he wanted to be a baseball player when he grows up. This came out after we were having a discussion as to why sorting baseball cards on Sunday was not an appropriate Sabbath day activity. ;-)

Today was the day of the historic worldwide missionary president's training broadcast. I took your little siblings to the church and while they patiently played in a classroom, I was able to listen. I received notice Naomi and Julia were in the choir, and of course we tried to find them. I struck out on Julia, but if Naomi was wearing fuchsia, with her hair down, curled, on her left shoulder, I found her! If not, it was some other beautiful sister missionary singing away. While "I Hope They Call Me on a Mission" could be heard, Breyer was inspired enough to crawl over and under the pew, singing, "Oh yeah!" over and over.

The broadcast was superb. Elder Holland was in fine form. What a great man! I loved how he said the nature of missionary work must change! I look forward to listening to how this will apply in your mission as well as others. I wonder if Uncle Ben will be uber busy coordinating all those changes to come. Elder Anderson's investigator saying, "It's nice to be wanted," really struck a chord with me. Not having been an investigator of that sorts, confirmed the approach I've always thought would be most successful. Worked with your grandparents as well ;-)

In regards to more missionary work, Miller has had a friend show up at the door every day this week, multiple times a day. This friend happens to have brothers in Sawyer and Cooper's grade. I've thoroughly enjoyed having the boys here this week, as the house is quiet without the older boys around. Of course he came to the door today, just as we were heading to the broadcast. Miller told him he couldn't play, and why, and told him to come back tomorrow. After shutting the door, he says to me, "Mom, he keeps coming back on Sundays, and now I know if I invite him to church he won't have to stay away." So that's our plan. I told him how proud Tanner would be of him for thinking like a missionary.

And in closing, I leave with you a missionary's letter written long ago but oh so applicable to you my missionary in Brazil. May you know how much you're loved. And cherished. That you're where you are doing what you're suppose to be doing steadies my hands and heart.

With all our love,

Mom and Dad

"Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success. And now behold, we have come, and been forth amongst them; and we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world—not upon the mercies of the world alone but upon the mercies of God.

"And we have entered into their houses and taught them, and we have taught them in their streets; yea, and we have taught them upon their hills; and we have also entered into their temples and their synagogues and taught them; and we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God we have been delivered again. And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.

"Behold, the field was ripe, and blessed are [we], for [we] did thrust in the sickle, and did reap with [our] might, yea, all the day long did [we] labor; and behold the number of [our] sheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted. Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them."