Jordan's last baptism, yesterday (May 10)

"This has been the greatest but also the hardest two years of my life." May 11, 2015

Thanks so much....

It kinda feels unreal.

I'm really excited to see you guys.

This has been the greatest but also the hardest two years of my life. I realized on the mission how easy my life is and how blessed I am. I have learned so many things here that I could never have learned doing anything else. I love El Salvador. I love the lord and have loved serving him and hope to keep serving him in the house. [I think he means, "at home"]

"Man, not gonna lie, super pumped to talk this week!" May 3, 2015

Thats such great news!!!! (About Ben's mission call to Detroit, leaving August 12!)

yeah im excited for you guys to come here!!!

man, not gonna lie, super pumped to talk this week i told dad at like 8 or 9!!!! see you this week!

 

this was last week!! (referring to the pictures, which we think are of Jonathan's baptism that he talked about last week)

 

sorry i am kinda done writing hahaha! love you all!!!

 

 

"He said, thanks brother "Tander" for helping my brother" April 27, 2015

This week was amazing. A perfect week.

We went to the temple for the last time on Tuesday and after we ate Mcdonalds. So that was really great.

We also had a baptism of Jonathan. He's a 16 year old who's really good. He is the only member of his family. His little brother is so sweet, he is 9 years old. After the baptism he got up to give his testimony. He said that he wants to be baptized to follow his brothers footsteps then he thanked us for teaching his brother and helping him out. He said thanks brother "tander" for helping my brother, it was so sweet.

Also I had my final interview with president already!!

He gave me some great counsels. I wrote some down.

love you all.

"Still just working hard and trying to finish strong" April 20, 2015

Dang that's too bad about Jonba, and wish him happy birthday!! I don't have his email!!

Everything is going great, I haven't been sending pics casue some elder on interchanges was playing with my camera and messed it up!

 

Still just working hard and trying to finish strong, sometimes it's kinda hard cause everyone in my area knows when I leave so they're always telling me how many weeks I have left and all that! But it's fine, I will be calling on Saturday the 9th of May by Skype! We will plan lots of things there haha. Love you guys so much!!

" Sometimes on Mondays its hard not to think about home and everything but during the week is a breeze, always working hard cause I wanna finish good." April 13, 2015

This week was great, we have a couple baptismal dates!!!

One with a 60 year old dude name Ricardo!! He's super cool, and super funny.

Also with a girl named Roxana, she's 15 and really smart and really wants to get baptized, the only hard part will be her older brother that's an evangelical. We think he talks bad about the church to her.

Everything is going great. Sometimes on Mondays its hard not to think about home and everything but during the week is a breeze, always working hard cause I wanna finish good. Love you all, sorry I'm writing so little, haha.

P.S. My comps name is Elder Villanueva he's from Peru so officially I never had a white comp.

                                One of many photos found on the internet, of Semana Santa.

"But It doesn't change anything, still trying to be focused and help all of our investigators." March 30, 2015

This week is gonna be an awesome week!

1. We are going to the temple on Friday with investigators, going to be great!

2. Conference is always amazing.

3. Semana Santa- this week is holy week and there is lots of cool catholic traditions. One was today and I wanted to go so bad. In a place called Texistepeque they have people that dress up like red devils and they whip people and supposedly its like the punishment for their sins. Look up Texistepeque semana santa and I bet you'll see some cool stuff!

4. And also I am starting my last change or transfer. Kinda crazy that I'm gonna be part of the oldest group here. But It doesn't change anything, still trying to be focused and help all of our investigators. We have some good ones right now. Lovin life.

-Elder Tanner 

                                                      A photo Jordan sent this week.

"I love Christ, and every time someone says that Mormons don't believe in Christ and only in Joseph Smith, it offends me." March 23, 2015

This week I was reading in the Liahona and there was an image that impacted me alot it's called "The Agony in the Garden" by Frans Schwarz (Danish) It's a painting that has Christ in the Garden with the angel. It made me think of the Atonement and also of the divine help that we need to be able to overcome any problem. Christ being the most powerful person and greatest person who has touched the earth needed comfort from the angel in the garden. When we think about the Atonement it really is too hard to understand all that he suffered. Christ at one point in his life fasted 40 days and 40 nights and in that verse it said "he was hungry." Imagine us after 2 days, 3 days, a week fasting!! We would be dead! But we see when he fasted he didn't even complain or feel pain. But in the moment in the garden he begged the father that he could pass the pain and take it away. But always willing to complete his mission. There we can see the sheer agony that he suffered. I love Christ, and every time someone says that Mormons don't believe in Christ and only in Joseph Smith, it offends me. He is our Savior and how the bible dictionary says "the capitan of our salvacion."

"I love that kid and he's a great example for me." March 16, 2015

This week was great... I wanna tell you guys about an Hermano named Adan.

He's 82 and a gardener. He's got a huge hunchback, he's so bad of health. And he works everyday all day still. He told us that he started to work when he was 7, he never went to school or anything. But he's a member of the church, sadly he's inactive. Because he's forced to work on Sunday or they will kick them out of his little house that's like a shed. But it's so crazy that he has been so long working 75 YEARS. He's an example!

Also yesterday I gave a class about Christ. In the class there is a part that talks of Christ-like people. I talked about Chris Moore. He's the best example of Christ. I talked about when he would help me turn down my music in my car that maybe wasn't the best, and wake up to study the scriptures when we lived together, preaching the gospel in highschool through playing basketball. And many other things. I love that kid and he's a great example for me.

love you all.

Montecristo Parque

"Honestly I would write more sorry, but these buttons are so stiff that my arms hurt!" March 9, 2015

Joint meeting with Becca will be great!!!

Sorry right now I'm on the worst computer, the keyboard is terrible, so I wont be able to type a lot. We're in Metapan right now today we are going to a wildlife park named Montecristo and supposedly its super cool. It borders Honduras and Guatemala. Honestly I would write more, sorry, but these buttons are so stiff that my arms hurt! love you guys!!!

"My new area is super cool, it's a branch." March 2, 2015

So this week was great.

My new area is super cool, it's a branch. Our church building is an old school. Haha it's super hot but super cool.

My comp is really cool.

Yesterday was the elections of the mayor... If Mario Moreira doesn't win I'm gonna kill myself.....

Something awesome happened the other day..... last Sunday we found a super good investigator that was a referral. On Thursday we visited him and we left him with the commitment to read and ask to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet. When we went on Saturday he told us he prayed and received an answer. He said he was taking an accounting test and two totals came out.... The first one was 1820... the second 1829. 1820 was the first vision and 1829 was when Joseph Smith received the priesthood. And they're the only dates that are in the pamphlet and he said he knew that was an answer to his prayers. It was so cool... he accepted to be baptized the 22 of March. His name is Wilber.

Love the mission...

"Everything is good, I'm in my last area!" February 23, 2015

Some pics from the last week!

Everything is good, I'm in my last area! It's called Santa Ana Norte. My comp is Elder Tapia from Peru.

 

I'm in the same Zone as Elder Kendall again... super awesome.

"We contacted 220 people in 20 minutes with all the missionaries and got like 45 referrals" February 16, 2015

Hey I just figured out that i got changes!! so i will be going to my last area....

I love my area but i got almost 6 months.... and it will be good for a change.

The zone meeting was super cool on tuesday the assistants showed up cause they wanted to see the meeting.... We contacted 220 people in 20 minutes with all the missionaries and got like 45 referrals so it was a really good activity and really fun. Ill send some pics of where we were.

Elder Smith goes home this week.... that makes me sad. Hes like my best bud... hopefully you guys can meet him.

love you

another pic of my graphic thing... we gave cards to the whole zone.

me and elder juarez my old comp.

and the zone in the restaurant... kinda a bad pic.. but whatevs.

"Siempre Tanner Fecha" February 9, 2015

So this week was good, except my comp was sick for Saturday and Sunday.  He's been throwing up a ton has diarrhea and a fever. They came to our house and put an IV in. But he's feeling better now. But we couldn't leave for two days and I was going kinda crazy. But the members in our ward are so good, they were there bringing us food always. They would just call and ask me if I had eaten (cause my comp couldnt eat) and then just bring me a ton of food. The last couple days I've eaten so much!

We got a super sweet zone meeting planned for tomorrow. Its a surprise though... so low key. But we are gonna take the whole zone to a restaurant in Santa Ana and have the meeting there. We are gonna do a sweet practice of contacting people in the street and all 32 missionaries are gonna leave and there is two big parks in the city center and were gonna split up in two groups and contact everyone. The goal for the 15 minutes is that we can talk to 200 people as a zone. Gonna be cool and after, the owner of the restaurant (isn't member) were gonna have 2 missionaries teach him in front of everyone, but its gonna be a cool practice cause he's a real investigator. And then after we're gonna eat there.

We're teaching a cool family that has dreadlocks. They are 27 years old and both have dreads... they are super chill (surprise huh?) but they have given us lunch in our first two appointments with them. They haven't really looked for a church their whole lives but the wife is pregnant so they're trying to be better. They're super cool!

Love you tons.........

ELDER TANNER

 

made this for the zone... gonna be dope. Tanner replaced the word "tener" so it says, "always have a date"... like for baptism haha

 

"I'm sorry to hear about Uncle Steve, he will be in my mind and prayers." February 2, 2015

I'm sorry to hear about Uncle Steve, he will be in my mind and prayers.

I got on really early today because today at 9 we got a soccer match with our whole zone against a neighborhood in our area. It's gonna be great.
 

Yesterday I was reading the Liahona a little and I came across a quote from.... I think Richard G. Scott. That said, don't fall into Satan's lie that there isn't time to study the scriptures everyday. It's more important than sleep, home work, eating and many other things. So this week I was thinking about scripture study and its importance, It's something not only to strengthen us daily and give us the spirit, but prepares us for eternal life. Eternal life is to live with God and Jesus Christ and know them perfectly. Through the scriptures we can know who Christ and Our Heavenly Father are. That's why it's so important to read. I hope to keep my study habits when I get home because I know it will be more difficult but it's not that hard.
 

We had a not too great week because nobody went to church.... But we will get better.

That's crazy Russ is home...
 

thanks for everything, love you all.

January 26, 2015

                                  
                                   Jordan with Elders Thorpe and Smith participating in some
                                                            ancient Mayan activity?

                                  Helping one of their recent converts rebuild their house.

"Everything is great here.... just trying to finish off strong my last few months!!" January 19, 2015

Yeah Exciting week for PHS! Tell Ben to congratulate them!

Yes I got the package thanks so much! I love pics... I never get sick of them!

So with Joel, the one who has a drinking problem, things are going great. He accepted a date to be baptized!! So hopefully for the 1 of Feb. he will be baptized if he doesn't drink again! But he's super awesome and he was telling us he wants to bring all of his friends to church and that's always a sign of conversion! We want to help him go on a mission in a year!!

Yesterday we had our monthly meeting with the stake presidency and the bishops and the mission president and it was really good. After our president surprised us and was like lets go visit. So he went to our appointments with us. That was really cool cause I had never gone to work with him... Sadly all the appointments fell through. But we got to visit some of the recent converts and President teaches with such a spirit. It was really cool to teach with him and learn from him.

The joint multi zone was sweet.

Everything is great here.... just trying to finish off strong my last few months!!

"the Lord wants that I learn and I have, so that's good." January 12, 2015

So this week is gonna be cool!

We are gonna have a joint zone meeting with Modelo. We are two of the biggest zones, There will be 60 missionaries there.... so I'm a little nervous, because you guys know me and I hate talking in front of people. But the Lord wants that I learn and I have, so that's good.

Ha a funny story I got on the bus to go on interchanges and there was an old guy playing the guitar on the bus, he was like 60 and a little drunk. I went to the back and sat down in a seat and he came up behind me and just started punching me in the back, yelling : "fuera, fuera" it's kinda like saying, "get out", and so I got up and sat in another seat and the guy just sat down. hahaha, everyone was just laughing, but it was kinda funny!

Sadly one of our dates fell because he's gone crazy. He's like schizophrenic, he started like stacking up bricks in front of his door and the neighbors said he will just be like screaming at night and the other night he left the house nude. So we have just backed off... its really sad cause he was good. But he lives alone and I think that's killing him.

We met a guy this week who was a little drunk... but he was listening good to us. He wants to change. He's 23 and hes been drinking since hes 10 so he looks like he's 35. But poor guy never knew his parents cause they are both dead and he just grew up with his grandma. But anyways we brought him to church and we hope that he can keep progressing and leave his habits. I know he can cause I've seen it lots in the mission.

Elder Tanner

                                           Dancing with machetes at the ward party!

                                                The latin Santa, Tonito

                                                    Jordan with a member family

                            Christmas dinner with familia Sanchez.  Bro Sanchez is the Stake President. 

"I'm not gonna share my goals but just know that they're good." January 5, 2015

Well I dont have changes.... Im staying!

That's cool cause I really love my ward!

But I've made some goals for this next year.... and your email reminded me when as a family we would write down our goals for family night. I'm not gonna share my goals but just know that they're good.

One sweet thing happened this week, we knocked on a door and the guy walked out and when he walked out his door slammed behind him and the keys were locked inside. So his keys were like 15 feet away from the door but his window was open, so he built like this huge stick thing and then gave it to me cause they were too short to see in the window and the keys, you couldn't even really see them cause his lights were off so I was just stabbing into blind darkness and some how the first time it just hooked on to the tiny loop and slid down the stick and we got the keys... he was super grateful and he really wants to go to church. We went looking for him the other day and we couldn't find him... but he will be a great investigator.

sorry cause I didn't write alot but love you guys. I'm doing great!