June 24, 2013

 

Yeah 2 weeks left it's so crazy... the old guys leave tomorrow and then we are the big dogs on campus! 3 days ago I sliced two of my fingers on the chain nets outside after I dunked it, hopefully I don't get tetanus... haha I'm fine though. But it was dripping blood all over the court, so that's pretty sweet. But our mother of the district Hermana McGill went and got me bandaids. We call her the mother hen cause 5 days ago she gave me eyedrops cause she was worried about my eye and then gave me these bandages. We laughed so hard because after I washed out my cuts she was like ahhh that hurts doesnt it.. then we all started busting up. But she's great. Def the coolest sister here.

 

Yesterday we watched the worldwide leadership conference thing and it was really good. But earlier we watched a devotional from January given by Jeffrey R. Holland that was (if it's not bad to say) even better!! It was so great, he got us all so pumped up. He was chewing us out. He had this money quote in his talk where he was talking about returned missionaries that come home and go inactive. "If you're one of those guys, you better not cross me in a dark alley at night." So awesome. His talk was about how we first need to convert ourself before we convert others. So great. Anyways tomorrow we go on another tour, tomorrow is a tour of the city and we go to like a little market. Pumped for that.

 

Wednesday I get my first mission cut.... RIP to my handsomness. 2 weeks ago I gave my first priesthood blessing ever to an elder in my district, it was the coolest feeling I've ever had. I honestly didn't know what to say but I literally just opened my mouth and God put words in there. So crazy, I've never felt the spirit with me so strong in my life.

 

My watch band tan line is on the money. Me and Elder Dalton layed out and tanned during deportes on Saturday cause the volleyball went over the fence. It kinda sucks we haven't gotten to use our cameras yet, but it's chill. My teachers are so great. I honestly love them all. And the HEAT OH I COULDNT FORGET ABOUT THEM!! Rings for my best bud Bron! Met the Anderson's friends down here.

 

And last but not least, we had this lecture yesterday about stress and health and it was honestly the funniest thing ever. But it wasn't meant to be. This guy has the most monotone voice and he would just say the funniest stuff. He was like "if you use had sanitizer you hands will dry.... and " does everyone know what fecal is.... it's poop" all the boys were cracking up and the hermanas were acting all mature and what not! Anyways love everyone... peace!

 

-Elder Tanner

June 19, 2013

It's going so great! I'm rolling now! 3 weeks in and 3 weeks left! A crazy thing about the Hispanics is that they all call me John Tanner or Padre Tanner! They all know John Tanner somehow and every one of them asks me if I'm related, I think its hilarious! The new batch of elders and Hispanics are pretty great.

 

Oh yeah I have to renew my debit card. We get tons of rain here, but then it will be 80 degrees and sunny 15 minutes later, it's wild. I've been working hard on my watch tan line because I think those are so sick. 

 

I got so many good friends down here, every night we just all get together and do something. I lead a yoga session every few nights and we call it yogamos, meaning "we yoga." We kill it. Our district is like a family. We started a flag out of scarves and ties and we're making a district flag, first ones ever to do it! Everyone looks up to our district cause we're sick.

 

My teacher is getting married to one of the other teachers, what a baller. He is so cool, all of our teachers are so great, they teach us tons about the gospel and Spanish! We still shred on the volleyball court everyday, and I got a real nice email from Ben Patch and I told him about how I shred on the court and how I'm like almost as good as him.

 

Every Sunday we have to write talks, because they call you out randomly from the crowd, it's so scary. It's in complete Spanish too, but I haven't been called. Our zone pic is pretty money huh, this next one I mean mugged and I can't wait to see it. We got really into singing recently, we sing all the time. Come Thou Fount is our jam, or Mas Cerca Dios a Ti (Nearer My God to Thee). Anyway, miss and love everyone, wanna hear game 7 results!

 

-Elder Tanner

June 10, 2013

We will be writing on Mondays Tuesdays or Wednesdays! I'm having a great time down here, I'm learning Spanish pretty good! Me and my companion have taught I think 10 lessons in Spanish, it's really hard but it's good practice!

 

What's up with LeBron and the Heat?? Rainstorms down here are monstrous, I thought I had seen some bad ones, until I got here during the rainy season.

 

Tomorrow all the native companions leave.... its gonna be sad cause I was close with tons of them, lots of them got my email though to stay in touch.

 

The food here is so great and I know all the cooks, there's: Mauricio, Carlos, José, Fernando, Analee, Veronica, Cindy, Jerson, Maynor, Luiz, Jorge, etc..... they hook me up on food, the other night they were giving out three enchiladas, guess who got 6.... hmmm... that's weird! They also had me try this super hot sauce and I told them I wasn't afraid and because I'm a gringo they thought I would die, but I handled it and they were impressed.

 

The MTC is a lot better the second week, I've got so many great friends in here, we play volleyball everyday and we are getting dang good! 

 

I sent you a pic of my zone! Love these guys! Oh, tomorrow we get to go to WALMART!! Yes!! So glad to see some different scenery! Love and miss everyone

 

-Elder Tanner

 

 

Jordan's group at the MTC. He is in the middle, two rows above the Sister missionary.

June 4, 2013

I have had a great time so far in the MTC, but this place is also hell on earth. These 16 hour days are killing me. I got diarrhea on the third day and have had it since. It's a ravenous diarrhea though, never had it like this. On Friday night I got up 15 times to go to the bathroom, not the tightest. So the next night I slept in the hall to cut down travel distance and that was much better (I left the room door open because we stay sight and sound with our comp.) Anyway, that first day was literally the longest and hardest day of my life, but it makes these other days seem like cake.

 

I'm doing pretty good in the Spanish, I use Spanglish all the time when I don't mean to and I think a lot in Spanish. Every day we hear these big loud booms and my companion thinks they're gunshots, but they aren't, its gotta be like a shipping yard or something where they're dropping stuff. I think I'm right because I'm from Utah and my uncles have taught me well. 

 

I feel bad for an elder in my district, he has been super homesick and worried about his family this entire time and we were like everything is gonna be okay and then one of his best friends died the other day. So we all feel terrible and comfort him and tell him not to give up and everything. He's a really strong elder.

 

I'm super good friends with Andy, we're buds and see each other tons. Me, Andy, Elder Griffin, Elder Dalton and many other guys are super close. We roll together. We play volleyball every day and it's super fun. Our district is sick, we all love each other. There is an Elder Flake down here from Snowflake Arizona and I'm good friends with him too. He's a descendant of William Jordan Flake also, he's a classic Flakerton. Well, keep updating me with all the sports, I miss my baby LeBron, hope he's doing great. I miss you guys too, love you, bye.

 

Elder Tanner

 

Oh also the MTC isn't as bad as I made it sound. I like it too. And I have learned so much. I have never been this righteous for a whole week in my life. I feel like I could hang out with President Monson right now and feel worthy of his presence. It's awesome.

 

Oh and our district got a commitment for a baptism!! We've been teaching this lady named Candy who works in the kitchen at the MTC and she said she would get baptized after all of these lessons our district has taught her, she's great! But now I think we have to hand her over to the "real" missionaries which is dumb, but as long as she gets baptized esta bien. Hasta luego.

 

 

May 29, 2013

So I've only slept one and a half hours... the flight I didn't sleep at all.

Guatemala is wild, so many guys with guns and what not.

I saw James Harden at the airport, and I got some really cool kids I'm rooming with. I don't have like any time they gave us five minutes but I'm safe and just had the longest day of my entire life.

Dropping him off at the airport!