Tanner is doing fine!

Hey fam bam!

First I wanted to say a quick thanks to Trina and Julianne for sending me letters/Dear Elders recently! It's always fun to get mail apart from emails. Poor Julianne's letter had weathered many storms coming from Germany over 2 months ago. I'll send a picture of some of the letter so you can see.

I had a Dr appointment on Friday and got my 8 staples taken out of my gut. I'm able to move around more and even went out to work on Saturday with a wheelchair and on Sunday on my own two feet. I felt great until this morning, where apparantly my body is not as happy as I was with all the walking...haha. But I'm quickly getting better and able to do more each day. All is well! I don't know if I should actually send home a picture of my scar and the staples. I'd say it looks pretty stinkin awesome, but some of the other missionaries I've shown don't like seeing staples in human skin...haha. Mum, any insights of the medical differences between using staples vs stitches?

This week I was reflecting upon Christ-like attributes and our constant challenge to become more like Him. I thought of how great the Deaver family has been at doing simple acts of service like baked goods to help people feel loved and appreciated. I thought they deserve a shout-out for being such a great example. I've had a lot of time to reflect and people-watch lately and it makes such a huge difference when someone says a simple ''thank you'' or returns the favor. It's always a very interesting experience trying to help others come to that realization. So many church members are inactive because someone else in the ward offended them, yet if we just focused on serving others rather than filling our own needs, we are so much happier. I've definitely experienced that truth in my own life. Matthew 16:25 has so much wisdom that if we forget ourselves, the Lord will help us be happier. If we put God's children before ourselves, He will provide the rest for us (Jacob 2:18-19 Book of Mormon). What a marvelous opportunity the Lord gives us to serve others and experience the joy of selfless charity.

Thanks for all you do! Keep up the great work of helping the missionaries. Give them rides, feed them lots of food, give them dessert, and invite them to meet your friends/co-workers. Miracles will be wrought. Love you!

Elder Long :)