Tanner had been sick with a cough but an investigator gave him some medicine and now he is feeling better. I am glad that the members and investigators look out for the missionaries. This week they had three investigators in church instead of zero. Tanner was happy about that.
This year will be Tanner’s first time to vote. He received his absentee ballot in the mail and now he needs to vote and mail it back to the States. It is hard to vote for people when you are not hear to know everything about them. He only knows what we tell him and what the people in Mexico tell him Good luck Tanner!
Tanner asked me if he could ask us a serious question. He wanted to know if he returned for someone after his mission to bring her back to the U.S. would we get mad at him? Be honest. I was so shocked and did not know what to say. Then he sent sent a picture and said isn’t she beautiful? It was a picture of his zone leader Elder Gomez in a dress. his companion wanted Tanner to play the joke on us. Silly guys.
Week 99
Tanner turns 21 this week. Hard to believe that he is that old but this is his second birthday in the mission field.
Tanner did not have much to say this week. He is working hard until he leaves. Trying to plan what he is bring him and if he is going to bring both suitcases home or just one. I am hoping that he just brings one and leaves most of everything there.
He sent a cool video to watch. https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/bible-videos/i-have-kept-the-faith
Week 98
Only a few more week and Tanner will be home. This week he was able to attend the temple in Mexico City as a zone. He said that it was really cool and that he was finally able to go there.
Tanner is anxious to be able to go to some concerts when he comes home and to be able to play his guitars and listen to his music.
Part of Tanner’s email this week. I thought it was funny!”My companion says I talk every night in my sleep. Last night I was shouting with my fist raised in the air saying,”Si se puede” (yes you can) a bunch of my time. My companion said it was annoying haha. He also says almost every night I am talking in English but he can’t understand a thing. He will probably video tape me one night so I can see what I say.” I hope his companion videos him talking in his sleep, I would love to see it.
We received an email with Tanner’s final travel ITINERARY . He flies home on November 14, 2016 and his plane lands at 2:25pm. I can’t wait. Of course I am taking the day off so I can get the everything ready for him.
Week 97
It was a long but good week for Tanner. He was working in a trio since Elder Gardenhire was sent home. They were able to have 23 lessons between the two areas, which was alot of lessons for them. They are no longer a trio because they had transfers this week. Tanner did not get transferred and will finish his mission in Ventisca where he has been. By time he leaves he will have been in this same area for seven and half months. He was happy about it but scary to think it was his last area. Now Tanner is starting to see Elders, who he has served with his entire mission, start to finish their missions and go home. I think the end of your mission is as hard as the beginning. Leaving the known and people you love to the unknown and people you need to learn how to live with again. But we can do hard things. As Tanner gets closer to the end of his mission he is thinking about what he wants to do with the rest of his life. He said, ‘I am scared to get back to real life to be honest. I am still not sure what I want to do with my life. But I know that the Lord will help me to decide. I would really like to do something with music because that is something I know I would love to do, but it scares me because its not an easy career. But nothing that’s worth it really is easy I suppose. Who knows, the unsurety scares me I guess. ” I mentioned to him that maybe he could be a music teacher and he told me that they visited an old lady that is less active who was sad so to cheer her up he gave her a guitar lesson she’s been asking him for.Tanner said that it was cool. Again music being a good missionary tool.
Tanner was able to watch General Conference in the stake center in Spanish. He said that he really enjoyed Elder Renlund about repentance. I like how they mentioned missionary work and gaining our own testimonies to share them with others that was cool.
Tanner sent a picture of a training meeting. It looks like alot of the other ones but it is cool to see pictures of him
Tanner said that he also saw Herbie and I was not sure what he meant until he sent me the picture and then I understood. Herbie the Love Bug
Week 96
This was a rough week for Tanner. From Tanner’s email-It was a rough week, to be honest. Well the end of it was. Its cause Elder Gardenhire has been sick this whole change and was in the hospital at the beginning of last week and they found out he has diabetes. And they had him there till about Wednesday in the afternoon. and he worked a little on Thursday and Friday and he was fine, but since he goes home in a week they decided it was better to send him home early. It was sad. I am glad he is in his house now and he was happy to go, but I’ll miss him. He taught me so much in the mission. He honestly changed my mission by being a good example to me always. But I’ll see him again in about 2 months I guess. He says he is going to my homecoming. That would be cool. Then while we were in the offices to say goodbye I read a letter I got from you guys about how Emmie died, so that made me even more sad. But I am glad you guys told me at least. I don’t want to get home and have to hear,”oh by the way this person died, this happened, we sold all your stuff, etc.” I prefer you guys tell me it. So thank you for telling me that. I did not like reading that he had an extra hard week but I knew that he would have a tough time when he got the letter about Emmie. I was hoping that he would be able to read the letter in the privacy of his apartment not in the mission office with a bunch of people.
Week 95
Tanner had unsuccessful week this week because on Thursday and Friday they had to be home by 6:30pm and he said he was so bored. They had to be home early because of the Mexican Independence Holiday and it was not safe for them to be out. Glad that the mission president made sure that they were in early. But he did have a cool zone conference with Elder Valensuela ( first counselor of the area presidency).
I told Tanner that in our stake when the High Councilman speaks in Sacrament they ask a return missionary to speak with them. Tanner said that it would be interesting to speak with a High Councilman. He said that he and his companion spoke in church yesterday. Tanner spoke on faith and his companion spoke on prayer.
Week 94
This week Tanner said that they were getting ready for Mexican Independence Day. The stake had an activity of Noche Mexicana and it was cool. He said that there was music, dancing, food, and stuff like that. But they only stayed till like 9:30. But it went on until like 12 or so. He said that it would be cool to see them celebrate it one day though. Tanner said, “They do a shout for independence that I’ve never seen before.”
I ask Tanner if he was counting days until he came home. Tanner said, “I’m not going to count the days I’ll go insane. I am working hard. We are finding new people that are great but if I want to see any of them get baptized I need to get to work now. There’s no time to mess around or worry too much about coming home I have work to do. But I do admit that it is getting harder to work hard because I have in my mind that I will be home in 2 months and it excites me and scares me at the same time. But I am going to work hard and I know God will help me to give all I can in the end of my mission whether I see the fruits or my work or not.” It’s hard not to tell him each week how many days until he comes home.
Tanner told us of a time when they were contacting people to talk to. He said, “Dad will like this story: Sometimes when we contact people we talk to them about the clothes they are wearing or things we see that interest them so we can gain their trust a little before talking about the gospel. I contacted a guy wearing a Judas Priest shirt. I didn’t plan on talking about Judas Priest with him but that was the only thing that was coming to my mind to say so I asked him if he liked Judas Priest. and he did trust us a little more and at least excepted our phone number to call us one day. It may not have been a perfect success but he at least felt comfortable enough to talk with us. The weird thing is I actually felt like the Lord wanted me to talk about Judas Priest in that moment. it was weird haha!” I love how music is a great missionary tool, even rock and roll.
Week 92
Tanner is enjoying his time as a missionary trainer. He says that his new companion is a cool guy, bit crazy but cool. Tanner also said that his new companion wears him out some days. He has to wake hime up and remind him about everything. He said that sometimes he feels like his dad. Now he knows how it feels to be the trainer or dad and have someone to teach. Tanner said that he is not sure why they have trusted hin to do something like this. Not an easy job.
Tanner sent lots of pictures this week of service that they have been doing. Not sure what they did but they look like that they were having a good time while serving .
One of our dogs died today and I could not tell Tanner about it in a email because I did not want him to read that kind of email in a internet cafe. So we mailed him a letter and told him the news. I know that won’t be a fun letter to get but hopefully he will get it and read it the privacy of his own apartment.
Week 93
Tanner had a baptism this week. He sent pictures. So great to see the happy faces of everyone.
He sounds happy and seems to be doing well with his new companion teaching him the ways of the mission.
The Relief Society in our home ward sends the missionary letters every month. Tanner said that he getting letters from us from April, May, June and July. But he has received some from August but they are from the pouch mail system. I am glad that he is getting letters I just wish that they got there faster.
Our home ward each Fast Sunday reads a testimony from a missionary that the Bishopric writes and ask them for. This Fast Sunday it was Tanner’s testimony. It was short and wonderful. I loved hearing his testimony and I can’t wait until I can hear his testimony in person.
Tanner had a fun zone activity playing pool. Afterwards Tanner and his companion went to Burger King to eat. Tanner said it was about the same as here but he has heard the McDonald’s is worse than here.
Week 91
Monday came and we did not get an email from Tanner but we got one from Elder Gomez all in Spanish. Que gozo nos da informarle que su hijo, Elder Parada ha llegado a la misión. Nos sentimos muy bendecidos al tenerle con nosotros y compartir con Él el deseo de predicar el Evangelio a toda criatura. Es un misionero maravilloso y agradecemos por Él. Su entrenador es Elder Bundy; un excelente misionero que ayudará a su hijo a desarrollar su máximo y pleno potencial.
Saludos a la familia Parada. So we google translated it and find out what it said. What a joy it gives us inform you that your son, Elder Parada has come to the mission. We feel very blessed to have you with us and share with him the desire to preach the gospel to every creature. It is a wonderful missionary and thank you for He His trainer is Elder Bundy . ; an excellent missionary who help your child develop their full potential and full .
Stop greetings to family. So glad that we could translate it so we could know what it said and maybe tell us why Tanner did not email us.
On Tuesday Tanner emailed us. He was very happy to tell us that he was not tranferred and that now he was a trainer. His companion is from Mexico and just came from the MTC. Tanner said that he is going to work really hard with this companion because he thinks that this will be his last area and last companion because he only has twelve weeks left.
elderbundymexicocitymission 