10/31/2011

Hey Dad!
>
> As far as my bike goes, its that $500 we had to pay, so I get to keep
> it. It's pretty nice, hopefully it will last a good long while. I
> still have the same companion, we get to work together for one more
> transfer. I guess I never explained it before, but there is a new
> program, where essentially I will be able to train at the end of this
> transfer. For 12 weeks each week is broken down with what we are
> supposed to study during companion study and what I am supposed to
> start doing, like leading lessons. My trainer went through the same
> program, so he has only been out three months longer than I have.
> It's a really great program, it helped me adapt a lot quicker.
>
> Sounds like you are all doing good and keeping busy. I'm glad Reid
> had a good birthday. That's really cool he was able to finish the
> Book of Mormon. He's farther than a lot of people are out here. He's
> going to have a lot of fun. Wow, so now you have a kid in all the
> quorums up to you. No wonder they made you young mens president, they
> need you to keep an eye on them and make sure they're not breaking
> into houses, haha.
>
> So I'm doing really well, there have been a lot of cool things going
> on. Yesterday President and Sister S came to the branch to
> teach the third hour. Everybody was pretty excited and Elder and I were running around like crazy. He offered to lead our branch council too. They showed the branch all the ways to use mormon.org,
> and all the cool new things to do. Now they allow everyone over the
> age of 14 to create a profile, which I highly encourage. There are a
> lot of people on there, even a few who are famous. I saw that Brandon
> Flowers even made one. Blake will know who he is. That's been one of
> the biggest things we've been pushing, and we hand out cards for the
> website like crazy. The website is just awesome. Another cool website
> he showed was youth.lds.org
>
> Along with mormon.org, the main point was Rescue, finding not just
> investigators, but even less actives who have wandered off. Some of
> the greatest missionary work comes because of less active work. We
> found our star investigator because of a less active member. He
> showed videos from Preach My Gospel (which you can also order, and I
> suggest that as well, they are amazing) and the video where President
> Hinckley talks about the three young men who helped the pioneers
> across the Sweetwater river. By the end everyone was ready to go and
> the Spirit was strong like crazy.
>
> After that was over he met with our investigator, T. She is the
> one found because of a less active. Its a cool story. It all started
> back about the first or second week I was here. One of the members
> took us to visit his niece, who is less active and was living with her
> three kids and boyfriend who is not a member. While we were meeting
> with them the less active said she wanted a temple marriage so we
> started teaching her boyfriend the lessons, and we thought he was
> golden. He was just soaking up everything we told him like a sponge.
> At one point he even asked us when he could be baptized. Then all
> sorts of crazy things happened and the boyfriend ends up getting
> kicked out of the house. Turns out the niece really isn't interested
> so we have since stopped visiting her, but the boyfriend wants us to
> keep teaching him. He was staying with some friends and they said it
> would be ok if we came over, and they wanted to know if they could
> listen in. By this point we are going crazy. Here we had J, the
> boyfriend, just ready for baptism, and he is handing us more potential
> investigators. So we get over there quick as we can. We start
> teaching J, but soon his friends end up dominating the conversation.
> T and H, the friends, had a lot of questions.  H is
> T daughter, and they have been through a lot in their life.
> Because of this T told us she was agnostic, she believed in God
> but had too much anger built up against Him. After several very long
> appointments T realizes we do have a lot of answers, and even
> better, she is finding a lot of her own answers in the Book of Mormon.
> What's more crazy is she had a big answer, as she calls it her
> revelation, and has been anxious to be baptized and hear what we say
> since. She is so excited to learn. She introduces herself to the
> ward members as an investigator, she hand sewed a skirt together
> because she has nothing else, and she will not dress casual for
> church. We mistakenly told her she couldn't take of the sacrament
> yet, and it tore her apart to think she wasn't worthy of it yet and to
> pass it on. We teach her the Word of Wisdom and first she says no,
> because if she gives up both her coffee and cigarettes she is not
> going to be the favorite grandma. But then she comes to church, and
> tells us that that morning she threw it all away. Even though the
> other two in her house still smoke, she is pushing through to make her
> baptism happen. Then she meets President S. In their
> conversation she mentions how hard it is to come to sacrament and not
> partake. President tells her she can, and no sooner had he said that
> than she broke down, I could see the relief in her. We then stepped
> aside into a little room. Sister S gave Tracey a pack of gum
> to help the craving. President S gave her a blessing, and then
> told her how she can help H come around, and how T can be an
> example to her. I can just see the Atonement working in her life.
> She has had so much peace come. Because of this she sets it up all
> the time so that her kids will visit while we are over. We have met
> all four of them now, and they all have so many questions, but are so
> willing to sit and listen. The gospel makes sense to them.
>
> So that's our crazy day yesterday. By next week I should be able to
> tell you when she is getting baptized. I imagine it will be before
> November is through. The Lord has a great plan for her, and it is
> amazing to see His love for her each and every day with all the little
> miracles that work in her life.
>
> We are still being fed well. I haven't had to cook anything since
> I've been here, and usually I only have to eat leftovers for lunch.
> The members just need to know what to do now. The branch council has
> been shown what needs to happen, now we just need to apply it, and
> focus on the people. Great things are happening.
>
> Well, I hope you have a great Halloween and a fun week. We aren't
> allowed out today so we are spending the rest of the day at the stake
> center having a zone p-day and a district meeting after that. We have
> been given a lot of candy though. Oh, which reminds me, thanks for
> the package! I'm going to be able to eat well for a while now, the
> granola is already almost gone.
>
> Have fun in young mens, you are going to do great. Hope everything is
> still going well at work and Mom stays legal. I love you. By the
> way, all of the gospel analogies and stories over the years have
> stuck, so that helps out with the lessons. I'm still waiting to
> describe the apostasy as the basketball smashing the glass table, but
> it will happen. Thanks for everything!
>
> Love
>
> Elder Tanner Newey
>