Thought that I’d just start off with my feelings on President Monson´s remarks about gratitude. I really loved it and have been thinking of many things I’m grateful for. #1 I’m grateful that I’m not at home right now to watch BYU lose to high school teams like Utah State, ugh. haha
This week was a difficult one to keep a schedule with interviews (no I didn’t get the package, but don’t worry I’ll get it someday) and General Conference. The hard part of working everyday is that if we don’t have our day perfectly planned and one thing goes wrong, it can affect the rest of our day. That’s what happened to us this week. Many of our appointments fell through and we were left without knowing exactly what to do. I pretty much have all responsibilities of running our sector, and sometimes I feel the pressure, but it’s good cuz it’s preparing me to be senior comp and train afterward. We’ve found some good families: Erica and Ariana, a mother and her daughter that have really taken to our message quickly. They’ve felt the spirit and know that the Restoration is true. Now we just have to help them realize how important that knowledge is and get them to church. It was kinda rough this week with Carmen and David cuz both their families have financial problems, so they weren’t able to take a bus and get to Curicó for conference, I was sad about that. It´s hard sometimes to help other people realize how important the things are that we teach, they have to find that for themselves, and many times they’re not willing to do the work to receive that revelation. We’re going to keep working with them and they are preparing to be baptized this weekend. We don’t know if we’re going to do it Saturday or Sunday. We have Stake Conference on Sunday, so that might be difficult again for them to get up to Curicó, but we’re going to do everything we can to help them get there.
We’re going to focus a lot on finding this week, and I hope and pray that I can leave the sector strong and stable for the next Elder to come in. It’s definitely hard to come into a sector where the previous Elder left it with no progressing investigators. The interviews with the President were good. We talked for a while and he told me he was thankful for the service I was giving, and then asked me how’d I feel to stay in my sector for another transfer.... my heart dropped haha. I told him fine if that’s what he feels that the Lord wants. Then he asked me how long I’d been here and I told him that I’d have 6 months by the end, he quickly changed his mind, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be transferred on the 19th, but we’ll see.
I’ve been reading a lot in the book you guys sent me of Jesus the Christ, and it’s been really great. I feel that I know my Savior more, and that is helping me gain a greater appreciation for the Atonement that he suffered for me, and for all. I really felt that love and appreciation for Him during conference as the Apostles and Prophets bore testimony of Him. It’s a very real thing, and the only hope we have. Repentance is the key as they said, and we should never feel unworthy or too far gone to begin repenting. That’s a horrible lie that so many people in this world believe. Like you said mom, it was a really great recharge and boost to hear their testimonies and receive their council. I love the Prophets.
We’re going to have two more baptisms this week, with David and Carmen. Pray for them and for us that we may have really spiritual lessons with them to excite them and inspire them to work for their salvation. This work is so important, but unfortunately many people forget that, including me sometimes. It’s a miracle that the Lord trusts 20 year old boys to preach His gospel, and many times I feel inadequate for the job, but I must work and do it.
I love all you guys and really hope that you can continue making those changes in your lives that you want, I really am so happy and have prayed many times giving thanks for such a blessing of having you all as examples to me. I love you and pray for you, and thank you that you do the same.
Love you tons
Tanner
p.s. I didn’t take many pics this week so I’ll wait until next week, sorry :)