Hey Everyone! Just wanted to give a report on the past bit of mission! It has been great! I am no longer serving down in Vista YSA as I was transferred to Laguna Beach 2 weeks ago! My stay in Vista was amazing and since I have left 2 of the friends we were teaching have accepted baptismal dates and 2 more have said yes to baptism but are just working out a few things as far as timing goes! The one I am most excited for is a 26 year old YSA man that we met on an amazing path of following spiritual experiences. His name is Giovanni and when we met him after feeling that we needed to go by our recent convert Jay (who wasn't home) he didn't give us his number or address, but we left him with our number, and the next day he began texting us and we brought him to church and he has been progressing since then!

Anyways, Love y'all and please please please pray and diligently invite those around you to come to church, come to dinner with you, come to activities, come and see! 5 out of the 6 people that have been baptized so far from when I was in Vista for those 6 months were simply invited by a member to feel the spirit in one way or another! You have the power to make a real difference in the lives of those who surround you whether you realize it or not! Have a good week and see some miracles!

Love, Elder Tanner Lawrence

From where I serve in Laguna we can see the coastline for miles in each direction and north of us there is one of the largest trade ports in the world: long Beach. Because of recent events including coming out of the covid pandemic and a union strike at the Port, there are hundreds of cargo ships as long as 4 football fields anchored miles off shore. Because more is being ordered and there are less workers to get the cargo off the ships, they can't get the merchandise off of each vessel quick enough and there is a massive backlog.

I think about this in a gospel sense as well as the actions of others sometimes makes us feel as though we are not able to progress at the rate we should be. I firmly believe that one of the greatest lessons we are to learn from our time here in mortality is that of patience. Patience is why we live in a world with time and helps us do all things in the order God would have us do them in. A few verses of scripture have often returned to my mind since I reread them a couple days ago -

Alma 29:1-4

1 O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!

2 Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.

3 But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me.

4 I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction.

Love y'all and have a great week! Know that God is working everything for your good and that you can always rely on Christ (D&C 122:7-8)

Love,

Elder Tanner Lawrence