Letter #65 . . . a lot of farm work and Mother's Day phone call!

Loved talking to you guys yesterday! It made me so happy! Miss you guys. 9 months is going to fly by! I'll be working hard out here!

Posing for pictures while on Facetime!

We've been doing service almost every day. Been doing a lot of farm work. Haha it's been awesome. This week we cleaned eggs, chopped up a rotten dead pig, fed some rotten milk to some pigs etc. I'm getting some nice sun burns! #FarmboyTownsend
  
Anderson is awesome. He's a laid back, funny guy and is a super hard worker. I love being with him.


I'm doing well. Thanks for the update on what's going on with ya'll!

Farm life in Missouri!

I'll have a longer letter for you next week!  

Much luv!  
 
Tan

Hey, there's Elder Reber!

Elder Anderson

Letter #64 . . . transferred, new comp, grave sites and more!

Hi All,

Said goodbye to Maryville this week! Sad Griffiths and I had to
finally part ways. Haha we're pals! 

Tanner and new comp, Elder Anderson from Layton!

Elder Anderson is my new companion. He's sweet and a super awesome dude. Super hard worker and is an awesome missionary. I'm in the Whitmer Ward in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. I'm still in the same zone/stake that I was in. The Far West Stake! Whitmer has a lot of sweet church history here! Richmond Missouri is where most of it's at. It's in our area! Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, David Whitmer, and 5 other people that were one of the 8 witnesses are all buried here. We visited their graves! We also visited the site where Joseph Smith rebuked the guards in a temporary prison in Richmond. This place is awesome!! I'll attach pics! (See below)
 
It's been funny, I've had like 3 families freak out right when they 
saw my name tag, asked if I was Matt Townsend's son, and they said
they know you or know of you!! You're a celebrity out here paps! 
One of them who've taken your classes about 6 years ago and read 
your books . . names are Brady and Hillary P. The other two didn't 
know you personally.

And another of Tanner and Elder Anderson!

Other cool things in the week . . . worked on a farm for the first time! Haha I guess we'll do a lot of that up here. We made a chicken coop! We have a recent convert in our area who is seriously one of the best musicians I've ever met. He sings country and is amazing at the guitar. I'll send a vid, but do not post it or show anyone because it's a song he wrote for a girl, and she doesn't know about it yet!! ;)
We went to the mushroom festival and talked to a ton of people! Yes, people are obsessed with mushrooms here. Haha Our ward is awesome. Our ward mission leader is AMAZING! I bore 
my testimony in Sacrament Meeting! We started teaching a girl named 
Ashlee! She is super solid and is super prepared. I'll keep you updated 
with her! 

Well hope ya know, things are great out here!  I love the Whitmer Ward! 
Life is good! :)


Love,
Elder Townsend

Letter #63 . . . Baptisms make all the hard times worth it!

Elder Griffiths and Tan!

Hey hey! 

Hope all is well! Thanks for the email. Miss y'all! It's been a great week! 
 

I read the first 20 or so chapters in the Book of Mormon this week. Man oh man that book is absolutely amazing. I tend to forget that over and over again. Then I start reading again and am so dang humbled. I'm seriously so thankful to have the knowledge and testimony of the restored gospel and Book of Mormon that I have. We can all have that testimony if we just read and pray with an open heart! It is amazing how perfectly worded it is throughout the book. It is so consistent, so simple, so powerful. No man could have ever written it. The Lord's hand is so evident as you read the words of that book. Where would I be without that book? Who knows! :)

Dalton's baptism day, April 28, 2017

Dalton was supposed to have his baptismal interview early on in the week, but everything started going wrong and getting super chaotic. So we ended up having to do his interview Friday night, the day before his baptism. Which isn't ideal, but it worked out fine. He passed easily and was ready to be baptized!! His baptism was awesome. His non member Grandma he lives with even came!! Matt Alonso, the guy who baptized Taylor also baptized him. We didn't do a musical number this time. That pic you saw, I'm still not reading music. ;) but just using the hymn book to read the words to follow along, to make sure I end at the right time. Haha! Baptisms are the best. They make all the hard times worth it. 

Elder G, Dalton, Matt and Tan!

I went on exchanges with our DL Elder Call this week. Mom, he's the Elder who's mom works at the preschool and you've mentioned her before..? Love Elder Call!! He's one of my favorite dudes I've met out here. They have a guy named Zach Mays that's on date. We did a super cool object lesson  with him with a jar of rice and 3 golf balls. The jar represents our time in a day, the three balls represent scripture study, prayer, and coming to church. The rice represents all other things we do to fill our time, everyday things we have to do, and even the things that may distract us from the important things. We showed how if you put the rice into the jar first, the golf balls won't fit in the jar. But if you put the golf balls in first, aka put God and his commandments first, all the rice fits in along with the golf balls. If we put God first, everything else will fall into place. 

Dalton's baptism!

He is a Junior in high school, super solid stud of a guy! It was awesome to see how sensitive and receptive to the spirit Zach was. He was getting all choked up, getting teary as we testified of the Savior's love for him, and as he told us how he feels like everything we're teaching him is true, and feels peaceful. Super awesome. We also visited a drunk guy riding a 3 wheeler w/ a popped tire... that he had no idea was popped. Hahaha I live for stupid moments like that. It was the funniest thing ever. #MeanwhileInMissouri

President Vest is done in July, our new President's name is President Love! They're from Layton! Transfers are this week. Griffiths and I think it may be best to take missionaries out of this ward for a while. So we suggested that to the AP's. Although we were able to baptize a few times in the last few months, to put it simply, ward support is not great, and not much member missionary work is going on. We feel like closing down the area is the only way we see them possibly gaining some motivation to step up and reach out to the 70% inactive members. I guess we'll see if that will happen! 
 

Tanner looks like he is reading the music but he is playing by ear and reading the words!

Love y'all! 

Tan   
 

PS. I'm writing a super cool song with Ukulele and Voice... I'll send it to you soon. :)

Letter #62 . . . missions teach you A LOT!

Hey Fam and Friends!

Good week as always! Weather is perfect these days. Gotta love it! 

Love hearing the update on the boys!! I miss those dudes. I know I say that like every week but it's SO TRUE! 

Bishop Graves Family

Dalton Carroll is getting baptized this Saturday WOOT WOOT! Matt Alonso is baptizing him. He's the same kid that baptized Taylor, our last baptism. 

Griffiths and I are best pals. We're pushing for staying a fourth transfer together. That never happens in this mission. BUT we feel like we have a chance!! :) Transfers are next week so we'll see what happens. Regardless I think I'll be staying another transfer in Maryville. I'm lucky, I've had all great companions. I've learned a lot from all of them and have became good pals with all of them! 

Missions teach you a lot! I feel like I've finally hit the point where I feel comfortable teaching. Early on in my mission I wasn't as confident, but now I feel like my testimony is stronger, I've experienced repentance like I never have before, and because of that I am able to confidently and effectively teach with the spirit. 

More photos from Easter Sunday Picnic . .

 
All ya'll should definitely go read and ponder your patriarchal blessings. I've been reading it more and more lately. When I first got it, to be honest I was a little 'bummed' out. Because I did not hear what I was expecting. What to do for a career, what kind of person to marry, and all that exciting stuff haha. My blessing was so simple, I overlooked it. But I'm realizing the simple principles it talks about are exactly what I need. "Seek ye the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added onto you." It's the scripture that's been coming to my mind a lot on my mission. 
 

At Adam-ondi-Ahman!

Simplicity is key for me! I'm so grateful for my blessing, for the Book of Mormon, and for the opportunity to come on a mission. I love this gospel. It has brought me so much true peace, knowing that God has a plan for us. It's brought me through the hardest times of my life, when I seek for it. 

Much Luv!!
 

- Tan

Letter #61 . . . Easter lunch at Adam Ondi Ahman!

Hey fam and friends! 

Beautiful Adam Ondi Ahman on Easter Sunday!

Time does feel like it's cruising by! Dalton, Taylor's friend that we started working with is getting baptized on the 28th! So that's super awesome. He's a cool guy. We taught the Plan of Salvation to him this week. We drew up a diagram of it on the board . . . it was fun to teach him. He was loving it!

Picnic at Adam Ondi Ahman on Easter Sunday, 2017

We had a wonderful Easter too! We had stake conference, went and had a picnic at Adam Ondi Ahman with the Bishop and his family! They had us over for dinner as well. We had an Easter egg hunt and all! 

Bowling on p-day!

My testimony is growing everyday! That's my favorite part of the mission. I love the people out here as well. Sorry for the short email! Just know all is well! I'm happy! :)

- Tan

PS. Here are a couple of short videos that Tanner sent . . . 
#1 Click here for a glimpse of Adam Ondi Ahman on Easter Sunday! 
And #2 Pitching some balls against the fence!

Letter #60 . . chance meeting of BYU coaches . . loving life in Maryville!

Things are great out here in Maryville!  Crazy experience . . last night we popped a tire, pulled into a parking lot of a restaurant, and put on the spare. 3 Giant dudes in BYU hoodies walk out of the restaurant with the head coach of Northwest Missouri football. Northwest is the college here in Maryville. These past two years, they have won back to back D2 NCAA National Championships in football and basketball!! The 3 BYU people were Ed Lamb, the assistant coach, one of their linebackers named Jan Jorgensen, and the defensive coach, Steve Kafusi. We chatted with them for a while and they were excited to randomly see two Mormon missionaries! We let them know our zone leader is Zach Katoa, who's playing for them when he's back. They couldn't believe it. They raved and raved about how much they love Katoa haha! We took a pic with them and he is going to send it to your cell, Dad! 

More cool stuff . . we had Dalton Carrol, Taylor's friend come to church this week! We taught him the first discussion and he wants to learn more. He and Taylor kinda have a thing for each other. So we are questioning his true motives in wanting to meet with us hahaha. But hey! Even a general authority said during conference that he took the lessons just because of a girl! So the Lord works in mysterious ways I guess! ;)

We got to have Zone Training on the grounds of Adam Ohndi Ahman! I gave a little training/ General Conference highlight, and talked about Thomas S. Monson's talk on the Book of Mormon. It was cool to be able to share my testimony on the truthfulness of that book, and the peace it can bring with the Zone! We have such an awesome zone. There is an awesome new Sister in our zone from Brazil named Sister Apolonio that's a super good singer. We've been jamming out on p-days! Stuff like that makes things fun! The Zone leaders are the best I've had my whole mission. Elder Zach Katoa is one, and he's the best missionary I've ever met. He is so talented, and all around is the most humble and balanced dude I've ever met. He's playing running back for BYU when he gets home! Go check out his highlight tape online hahah he's crazy! He was number one offensive player in Utah and #88 on ESPN's top 100 running backs! He committed to Oregon State, and then their coach came to BYU and so he's going there now. 

 

We played "Be Still My Soul" at Zone Conference Piano Guys style!! I'll send it to you. Here is the link . . click here to listen! I've loved being able to play so much music out here. I miss singing with Elder Amosa! Speaking of him, since he's been home he was in a car accident heading down to St. George. His uncle was driving, was going too fast, lost control of the car and rolled the car twice!! Luckily they are all perfectly fine...

Well, on the kinda scary side of things, Elder Griffiths had a seizure when he was on exchanges about a week ago, and another one with me LAST NIGHT. He bit his tongue really bad both times. It woke me up in the middle of the night and I had to pour water all over his face to wake him up. He has type 1 diabetes . . I don't know if I told you that. He's never really had seizures but he thinks it's caused by his blood sugar being too low in the night. Scary stuff!

I finished writing another song! Song writing has been one of my fave things to do in our few moments of spare time haha. I'll send you a recording of it! Click here for the link! We had the craziest thunderstorm ever this week, I love Missouri storms! Now everything is SUPER GREEN! I'm loving life here!

Much luv!!

 

Tanman

Letter #59 . . . loved General Conference . . God works in cool ways!

Hey mama, 

Thanks for the letter! Some highlights of the week . . . . .
we had interviews with President, we have a pretty cool relationship 
these days. I love him and his wife! I'm writing a new song, it's not done
yet. But it's pretty sweet! It's been raining non stop for like a
week, and because of that Missouri turned from an ugly yellow color,
to the greenest green ever. It looks super sweet right now. :) I feel
like I'm in Sweden or something.

General Conference was amazing as always! We were able to watch the
Sunday session with Abby an investigator, and Taylor, our recent
convert! It's a cool experience watching with other people, it totally
changes how you listen. I was listening with their perspective! I loved
so many talks, can't even name my faves! I know those men are called
of God!!

Cool miracle we had this week, in between sessions of the Saturday
conference, we had nothing to do so we went and walked around the
college campus. We were walking, and this Korean and Nepali guy walk
up to us, Shin Kang, the Korean asked if we were Mormon, we said yes!
He told us he was baptized in Korea like 10 months ago, came here for
his education, and had not been able to find the church again here in
Maryville. We got to know him a bit, took him to dinner at the Bishop's
later that night, and took him to Priesthood session! It was so cool
that we found him. He, like us, was just walking around campus because
he had nothing to do. God works in cool ways! We are going to be
meeting  with him regularly, and teaching him the lessons again. Oh,
to top it all off, he's awesome at piano and singing! Plays by ear
just like me! :)

Been studying he Book of Mormon a lot still, I just started Alma! I
love that book. It's true. I feel that more and more every time I read
it. I'm so grateful for this Gospel.

Much luv, till next week!!

- Tan

PS. Sorry no pics this week!