Letter #102

Dearest Family...whom soon I will see,

I'm living in a dream right now. It's over, but not over, yet. . . We continue our rhythm of madness, traveling and training throughout the mission. Last Tuesday we welcomed Elder Jouinsse officially in as assistant to the president as he helped mount our zone conference training. I mostly spent the time preparing all of the necessary things to help him take over, training him on numbers, records, etc, etc, etc. We continued that training today. 

Early Wednesday, we were off to Maringá with President and Sister Genaro to begin our zone conferences. Maringá felt like Zion. The zones of Apucarana, Maringá and Morangueira, each with remarkable leadership. There was no poor in spirit among them, and the outpouring of joy and humility we felt there was amazing. 

Thursday was all day in the Hi-Lux with the President and his wife until we arrived in Foz. About six hours in the car or something like that. We worked with Elders M. Santos and McGaughy that night, which was enjoyable and also included a ward activity where I learned some fun games. I won't explain them now, since I'll be home in eight days. They'll be my wild card contribution to family home evening : ) One is called Chibutar, and the other is the poisonous snake game.

Friday, while the rest of Brasil geared up for the big game of Brasil vs. Colombia, we geared up spiritually with the conference of Foz and Cascavel. It started out panicky, literally. Just as we were beginning our portion of the conference, a sister began to have some sort of muscular attack, I'm not exactly sure what it was, however, it made her unable to walk and trembling. President Genaro called my name, and told me to carry her to the hospital, 2 1/2 blocks away, which I did, thinking, "Please don't die, please don't die!: She didn't and is all right, but I'm thankful for having the strength to get her there, and I'm thankful she was a "light" sister. Others would have had been thrown fireman style if they had any such attacks. : )

Brasil won the game against Colômbia : )

Saturday we geared up with a tropical colonial breakfast at the hotel, before another long ride back to Londrina. We spent a lot of hours in the car this week!

Sunday was special, with testimony meeting being the first time I was in the ward for the last month. We had several "miracle" investigators show up for church after we had invited them weeks before and they decided alone to go this week. Also, new member converts received callings in the church, 2nd counselor in the sunday School presidency and secretary of the Relief Society. Both attended leadership training later that night with the visiting Area Seventy Elder Cruz!

I bore my farewell testimony, crying. That's something I learned to do here in the mission : ) The spirit was strong, especially the spirit of love that I have for this imperfect, beloved ward. I was touched to see the majority of the ward in tears as well, and further touched when the Bishop stood to close the meeting and thanked me, in the name of the Bishopric, for the work that I had done,the converts I had converted, the growth of the ward and spirit of missionary work that he attributed to my patient work with the members. He, on the verge of tears as well.

Funny how going away makes people remember you more. I received a week full of dinner invites for this week : )

This week we finish conferences and have some divisions marked and then I'm home : )

I love you all. I'll keep going strong, but I'm worried about not speaking English. This week we met up with some American college students and I was not able to keep a fluent conversation going, always reverting back to Portuguese. Hey! I tried!

Keep some of that apple pie warm for me!

The gospel is true. I know it, I love it, I live it.

Love,

Tanner

The Great Escape.

With All Our Love

Dear Tanner,

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm counting down the days. I'm not. I just know when you'll be here, and I'm waiting until then. Next week might be a different story! I have a few messages I found on your Facebook this week. From your lovely Spanish high school teacher, "Thought of you this morning when a team of Elders boarded our plane in Panama to head home! Safe travels!" And from Woodmansee, "Exciting! Please tell him I'm proud of his hard work!"

Your last letter was wonderful! The news of your mission breaking its record is fantastic. You're right about it being a great way to leave. You also left me in tears with your last sentence, "There is no good way to leave a mission. It is a death, and painful, but just as death is not the end, and heaven is on the other side, I can't wait. It's the same for us here. You've brought many blessings into our lives by being on a mission, and we know you needed to go, and experience all the amazing things that have happened to you, but it does come to an end, for which we're very grateful.

The official title of your youth conference presentation, following their theme of "Catch the Wave," is "Life Guarding: A Search and Rescue Operation - Important Principles for being an Effective Missionary." I love it! We'll have to come up with some really cool take-away for them. The theme and title will make designing your prezi fun!

Your fireside is official as well. It was announced in church today, We'll be doing a pot-luck type lunch first, then the fireside.

What else is on your calendar? Garage sale on the 19th, proceeds for the "Tanner Needs to go to School Fund." Also, an eye appointment, and two dentist appointments (just in case you need more than just a cleaning!).

Miller finally lost a second game in the all star tournament, and finished fourth in the district, out of 16 teams. Not too shabby! Especially since they had 8 seven year olds, and most teams were almost nine year olds. He's playing in the Ironton tournament this week, starting tomorrow, and then he'll be done. Sawyer won his first all star game, and then lost the next two, so they were bumped out quickly. But, they were the first team to play under the new lights on the Fairland team. They stopped the game when the lights needed to be turned on, and had a quick ceremony to thank those who helped the league get the lights done.

Friday was the ward's annual Fourth of July picnic. We came loaded with potato salad, Boston baked beans with bacon, and a cut-up watermelon. Kind of sad you missed the shing-ding, but perhaps next year ;-) We played lots of silly games, my favorite the three-legged race where I ended up on the ground laughing. Hunter and Dad spent a lot of time at the horse shoe pit, Miller and Sawyer were everywhere, and Breyer was everybody's favorite lap child. She just likes to sit and chat. Enjoy the pictures! The state park had a swimming pool, so we stayed later than most others, and let the boys swim for a while before we came home.

Later, we found out that a local business man puts on a fireworks show at the ball fields (second year) as Huntington was charging him too much money to use their parks. It was a great show! Thirty minutes of continuous fire works! Again, we were only missing you!

(Hunter opening a hand-drawn card from Cooper, Super Hero style ;-)

 Last night Dad lit up the fire pit, and soon Larry's grandkids joined us. We love them dearly. The last few nights have been cool, so sleeping has been enjoyable. Today after church we had them all over to celebrate Hunter's birthday. Can you believe he's 19? I can't. I guess I thought he was turning 18! Can't believe he's such an adult! He wanted apple pie instead of cake. After church we had exactly two hours to get the pies made before the grandkids had to go home, but the boys were motivated. Twelve LARGE apples were peeled quickly, and cut up, and baked to perfection just in time. They brought the ice cream and ice water. We make a good team. Fourteen people make quick work of two pies, but everybody's tummies were happy, and there was a piece left over for Hunter's breakfast.

 

Today in church Dad was released from the bishopric. They actually released the whole bishopric (Mazon and E. Lewis), and called Jamie Wolfe as Bishop (after ten years in the stake), and Frank Kirby as 1st counselor. He'll be wonderful. Wish we were staying so I could work for him! Cooper was also ordained a teacher today. Hunter AND Porter were able to stand in with Dad. I am so looking forward to one Sunday when you're here, having all four of my eligible boys assist with the sacrament ordinance. That's what being a mom is all about.

That's about the week! You'll have to listen to your sister Breyer converse with Siri on Dad's work ipad. (The name is Norwegian, which means beautiful woman ;-) She asks such questions as, "What are you? How old are you? Okay, are you three, or six or seven?" Sometimes she gets a response, such as when Breyer says, "Goodnight" she gets a "Good night" back. Most times Breyer just confuses her. The younger boys go to the two free movies on Tuesday and Wednesday with Nathan Welch. The boys have been watching the World Cup when they can. We're still packing, mostly sorting, now.

I was thinking of you today while playing the closing hymn, "The Star Spangled Banner." The second verse always makes me stop and reflect...

On the shore, dimly seen thru the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream;
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave
But today I was thinking of an airport, seen through the teeming masses of people, half concealed, half disclosed, now in full glory, my missionary son stepping off the plane. What a glorious thought! It will be good. Love you! Have a wonderful, wonderful, last full week in your mission.

Love,

Mom and Dad

An All Star Moment

July 4th

 

 

Letter #101

Dearest Family,

I write to you one more time from the locura of traveling and now zone conference. We've had quite the time traveling, this week to Marília and back to Bauru. and now we're getting ready for zone conferences which start tomorrow. . .we got back last night and still had to close the month with its numbers. But I'm getting ahead of myself: )

LAST WEEK WE BROKE OUR MISSION RECORD, WITH 192 BAPTISMS AND 192 CONFIRMATIONS!!

That's just about the sweetest going away present I could have had, and also the chance to visit one more time all the zones during conferences. Last week was the epitomy of stress, as we were so close and it wasn't flowing as naturally as it had in past weeks because of the World Cup. Saturday we sent out a message to the all missionaries that we were 13 away from breaking the record, then 12, then 11, then 10, until about 9:15 p.m. That night we passed the record and could sleep soundly : )

Tuesday we received two new missionaries and CALLED a NEW Assistant to the President : ) Elder Jouinsse was called as my replacement and given a time with me so I could teach him the works of being assistant, working in the office, etc etc etc etc. He arrived Monday night, helped us receive the newbies and actually trained in my stead.

I opted to go to the doctor's but not because I was sick but to accompany the president as he received an injection in his foot. It was a bonding experience, and we also took the opportunity to do contacts with all the patients in the waiting room, parking lot and nurses : ) When we got back to the office, the training was finishing up and we went on to lunch one more time at the president's house, then on to the Rodoviária where we caught the bus to Marília for 3 1/2 hours. Bus=nap, extra study time.

We arrived in Marilia and the next day we had lunch in house. They give us $. There's a restaurant here called "Habib's" which is like an Arabian Red Robin. They sell 'sfihas for 50 cents a piece so we bought 40 : ) and ate 13 each! I spent the day in Nova Marília only doing interviews and BAPTIZING three. One of which was of special note, an elderly man, a friend of the bishop, who sat in interview with me two hours, after which we left fast friends and he, a newly baptized convert to the church.

Thursday we left early for Bauru. We arrived there a little before lunch and got right to work. I worked in almost all of the areas of Bauru this week but the best was once again Geisel with Elders Firmino and Barbre. 

We baptized three more and participated some in their annual Fest Juninha, which is like a celebration of country living and Catholic saints, except in the church's version there are no Catholic saints, just cultural fare and their version of square dancing, plaid shirts with jeans,beards painted on and freckles. Apparently freckles are caipira (redneck) : )

Saturday we had to stay in the house due to Brasil's game and we received bucko bucks for lunch so we bought snacks: açai, pringles, doritos...and enjoyed our momentary break. To be truthful it was a very anxious wait as we really wanted to be out on the streets due to the importance of the week.

Oh, I suppose there are lots of little details I could tell, but one really worth telling was my encounter with one recent convert who was found by Elder Alves (who I got to see) and baptized about a month ago. We struck up a fast friendship as well, and he helped us out a lot during the week, teaching inviting and going about doing good all at fifteen years old! Last week he baptized the rest of his family, which was special for him and for us. Just before we left yesterday he called asking us to wait and met us at the chapel where he gave me a soccer jersey. He's got a heart of gold and loves the gospel more than anything else in the world. His example taught me again that old lesson, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, might, mind, and strength." This is the first and great commandment.

Yesterday we had preparation day with the president and the zone of Bauru, as they had baptized fifteen the week before. It was EXCELLENT especially the game of dodgeball. I didn't have any clothes to play in so I went in, tie and all and we came off victor, 4-0. Simply put, Americans throw things better than Brasilians and catch better as well. We didn't divide by country but I think our majority American team helped us out.

We played some ping pong, took photos with the trophy and bandeira, and watched the film "Ephraim's Rescue" about the Martin handcart company. VERY COOL. I am psyched to get into family history work at home : )

Today was all day in the office! and tomorrow we begin to travel again, first to Maringá and then to Foz.

I'm thrilled with all the speaking engagements but I'll admit fear that I won't know any English. . . : ) Really! and I won't have any time to prepare basically until I get home : )

I love you all and am extremely excited that the end is near. There is no good way to leave a mission. It is a death, and painful, but just as death is not the end, and heaven is on the other side, I can't wait to run, or jump into your arms. The gospel is absolutely true, and I know that. Stay firm and faithful.

Love,

Tanner

Baseball Buddies