{I fEeL ComPleTe}

Whoa!

I´ve got a lot to write here. Elder Johnson`s first name is Derek...

Send this to matt jackson...

Matt...te quiero. Espero que sigues trabajando duro hombre. No dejes de orar y ayunar. El señor realmente nos da pruebas en la misiòn para que crezcamos. i love you matt. I know what it`s like to have a rough companion. But it all pays off in the end. I learned to respect and love the tougher companions and I`m really grateful that i had those super long changes with them. I`ll be praying for you. We`re in a great work! it all pays off. Be a good missionary! And don`t worry about the language and the teaching...it all comes with work.

Ok...this week was incredible. Saturday...we went to help a members mom with the gnarley grass in front of her house (i`m still suffering from the bug bites on my nalgas) and then we had such an incredible fireside. We started the fireside in the court outside the church building. The theme was `be like little children` we started by reading from the Book of Mormon about Christ`s coming to the Americas. And then we read in chapter 17 of third nephi when he blessed the children and cried. Afterwards we gave everyone a moment to write on a piece of paper what they were going to change to become more like little children...and what they were going to leave behind. Afterwards...everyone stood up, said what they wrote, and burned it in the fire. (it wasn`t raining because the whole branch fasted so that it would be an awesome activity) Then we had a moment of silence and played some really soft hymns. Everyone started crying. Afterwards they all bore testimony about how they had felt. It really was one of the best moments in my mission!

Tomàs and Cathy Salinas almost didn`t come for lack of money but i called them and told them the Lord would bless them if they came. They came and Cathy told me afterward they she felt incredible and the experience helped her with a lot of questions and doubts. Then she and Tomàs sang a song to finish the activity....SWEET!

The next day was fast and testimony meeting. Everyone talked about the activity. I bore my testimony and really felt like I have a family here. Teonila Rodriguez (one of our converts) bore her testimony about the first time she met with us and how she came to know about the Restoration. Tomàs blessed the sacrament. Cathy is talking about and excited to go to the temple. And Arnulfo Flores is solid! I feel complete. I feel like i`ve done everything i can in Santiago.

One of the members had a dream that i told her i had to leave. She told me not to in her dream, but said that i told her that there were people waiting for me in another area. I can`t wait to meet them! God works miracles for missionaries. I think i`m slowly beginning to understand why we do missionary work. I`m starting to get it. We`re here to save people.

It was hard saying goodbye. Teonlia and her daughter who will be baptized soon were crying and told us that there will always be a family in Santiago who remembers us. It was tough saying goodbye to the members. Really, I love these people. I love them. I know i`m going to have a lot more difficult moments on the mission, but it`s awesome.

Elder Chevez and i don`t want to split up. He`s been a good comp. I`ve been super strict with him and he`s had a rough two changes but i`m really glad he`s enjoyed it so much. He cried when i told him i have changes. He`s an awesome missionary and I know he`ll keep working hard in Santiago.

I`m happy. I really am. I feel completely satisfied with what we`ve done here. I know I wasn`t close to being a perfect person and much less a perfect missionary but i`m loving it. I know that God is watching over his work. I know that we have angels protecting us. Because there are some places in Santiago that aren`t safe. But God has warned us several times. He`s carried us out of bad areas and let us to good, humble people who were ready...

I love Santiago. I don`t want to leave but at the same time I`m ready for more. The mission goes by fast. Really fast. My ward mission leader talked to the president last week to see if i could stay here...but he told him that i`m heading out. And the President told me as well that i`ll be having changes. Pray for Elder Chevez and his future companion. His dad has been struggling.

I love you all! The church is true! hahaha keep going!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Tanner

ps tell the brewster`s i love them and I put Steve`s name in the temple. I`ll be praying for them. Oh and the temple was sweet! As usual. You should go to the temple! hahaha love you!