". . . because I love you tons." January 27, 2014

First off this week with Elder Cook was amazing!!! He taught us so much.  One thing I liked that he said was work hard and the Holy Ghost will clean you of your sins. He said that by working hard we can work off our sins. He also left a blessing on our missions. Also he told us we have one of the most successful missions in the world!! So cool. President Cordon translated for him and he did it so perfectly. Our president made the other presidents look so weak. This week we saw how cool our president is. And after he finished translating Elder Cook hugged him at the end, but just handshakes for the others! Also Elder Amado from the 70 talked and he told us that if we look at our mission as an obligation or something we have to do were gonna have a hard time. But if we look at it as an opportunity, we will see amazing blessings. Also it was really cool seeing the other missions in El Salvador! I saw Jonba's cousin, Andrew there and we talked for a minute!!

Also this week, we met a family. Their daughter was baptized like 8 months ago but the parents never were. But they just had a one year old die.... so we went and visited them for the first time and they have a 5 year old kid named Guillermo. He is the cutest little boy ever. (I'll get a pic soon) he started talking to me and at first he was just telling me about how he misses his little brother, but that he knows he's with Jesus. I was trying not to cry... he was so sweet. Then we had a family night with them at a members house and we had to walk like 10 minutes to the house and he just held my hand the whole time. But there is a part in the trail that gets narrow so I told him that I couldn't hold his hand for a second and he was disappointed, but then I told him I will fall if he doesn't and I asked him if he wanted me to fall. He said, "No, because I love you tons." So then I just threw him on my shoulders and we walked like that. I honestly love that kid so much. 

But this week was great. It went by real fast. Love you all.

elder tanner

"Already cut my hair and started shining my shoes for him!" January 20, 2014

This week was kinda sucky cause I was sick the whole week. and finally sat out a day Saturday. That was the worst, the first time I had to sit out.


But cool things,  last pday we were walking to buy our groceries and we were on interchanges and it was me, Elder Peck, Smith and Peru. All white dudes, and we saw these guys playing ball on the big court so of course we couldn't pass up a 4 on 4. We schooled them like 8 games in our church clothes then just left and walked by again with our groceries after shopping and they were just like, dang. We taught them what's good with ball and then invited them to church.


Also, last Sunday we were out on a ladies like porch of her house cause its way to hot inside, and all the sudden a cow jumps a small fence and runs into our lesson. haha. We all got up and ran off, the lady didn't even flinch, gets a stick and whacks it, and it goes back to it's side of the fence haha. Crazy.


Another cool encounter with an animal, we saw a corral snake, they're super dangerous, but it had been killed by a machete to the head like 3 minutes before we got there. But, crazy to see that big and venomous snake.


Since I was sick all week the nurse told me to go buy pills at the pharmacy. I walk in and first off the guy's wearing a shirt that says "BALL SO HARD".... and he was the pharmacist. I asked for the pill and he said do you want the 45 cent ones or the 10 cent ones. haha.  I bought the 10 cent for some reason haha. But, super funny cause I think about my brother-in-law, Chris who went to school forever to be a pharmacist, and this guy bought some pills off the street and he's already a Pharmacist. haha.


ELDER COOK IS ALMOST HERE!!!!!!! I'm so pumped to see him! already cut my hair and started shining my shoes for him!! anyways love you all!!

elder tanner

"she's not one of those baptisms just because she thinks we're cute." January 13, 2014

 

So yesterday we baptized Guadalupe!! She's super great. She's 16, but she's not one of those baptisms just because she thinks we're cute. She changed her baptism to before church so she could be confirmed that day and get her temple recommend to go to the temple on Wednesday. Then after church she went with us to work, also with some other members and she was just explaining how beautiful her baptism was and how she felt, and how she became to be converted. We knew her for three weeks. Super fast. I had the opportunity to baptize her.

 

Also I called all the people we've baptized and two of the families haven't missed a Sunday, and are preparing to get sealed in September and me and elder Ayala will get to go with them. Also, Wilfredo will get sealed to his wife in December and I'll get to go to that also!! So awesome. A bummer we cant baptize Leonitus cause his wife won't let him. He can't work so she makes all the money, so he doesn't want to like go against her will and if she leaves him and he has nothing.

To help us get more prepared to meet an Apostle, we watched a movie called, "On the Lords Errand"! It's so great, it's about President Monson's life. You guys should watch it! It's the best movie I've seen. He's such a great man!!

Also, this week we had a 5/5 hitchhike percentage!! 100%!! But this morning we got turned down once.... but we don't count that. One of the people that picked us up was a cop truck with its lights on! They stopped and picked us up even though they had someone in the back seat like really sick. But we flew back to our area in the back of that!

Anyways we had a good week! love you all.
Elder Tanner

 

[mother's note: Jordan assured us in our Skype conversation at Christmas, that hitchhiking was a "safe" and preferred mode of transportation.  The roads are so bad that most people have trucks and just have them pile in the back.  I don't know if that makes us feel better or not!]

                             A member lets all the missionaries carve their name in the wall of their home.

                                                At the waterfall with the Zone Leaders.

                                 I'm going to guess this is New Years with the Zone Leaders!

January 6, 2014 "We only have 17 days until Quentin L. Cook comes."

Nothing new this week really! Just lots of crazy fireworks and fun stuff. We went on a walk to a waterfall in our area thats pretty cool! We only have 17 days until Quentin L. Cook comes. I'm honestly so excited! I'll send lots of pics to update you all! love you all!