"You better be pretty convincing"

July 9, 2012

Dear Family,

I got my birthday package.  It was very nice and I could feel the love put into it.  I got a package from Kate too.  It was a Nothing Bundt Cake (red velvet).  We didn't do much on my birthday.  We went to Five Guys for lunch and I called a family to see if we could have dinner with them.  The dinner was good!  That was pretty much it.  We did missionary work the rest of the time and that night we were supposed to have a lesson with one of our investigators named John who wanted to change his life and was sober for 7 months but, we went over to teach him and he had been drinking again.  He was acting crazy and saying some inappropriate things about the member we brought with us.  I was really angry and told him that we were leaving and not coming back until he's sober and finds the truth for himself.  I could feel that that was the right thing to do and the Spirit assured me it was.   

It sounds like you had a good 4th of July.  We had to be in at 7 o'clock so I didn't see one single firework.  That was weird but it did give me time to write AJ back.  I sent the letter to you and you will need to send it to him. 

The Neilsen’s went to the Newport Mansions while they were in the east and the Mastracola’s went with them.  The Mastracola’s were telling me about their trip to Boston with the Neilsen’s yesterday and it made me think of how much fun we had on that trip.  I feel so blessed that we were able to travel all around the country and experience all different things.  It makes it easy to have conversations with people, haha.   

I am glad to know that you had a great time in California with Whitney and her family.  It’s cool that you were able to see John Steinbeck’s home in Salinas.  Dad, you don’t have to explain who he is.  I know who John Steinbeck is.  I wasn't born yesterday!  I am 20 now, haha.  

That is awesome that Roger Federer won Winbledon!  He is my favorite player and I knew he would make a comeback!  Maybe Tiger will make a comeback now? 

We had a really cool experience this week that might be the answer to our prayers.  Last week we went to go see a less active 19 year old girl named Haylie.  We drove to her house and she was sitting out with her brother and boyfriend.  We started talking and then the brother (18) asked what being Mormon was all about.  We started talking with him and he asked tons of questions that were scattered.  We said that we would like to come and explain everything through lessons.  He said, “ok, I will listen but you better be pretty convincing”.  Saturday night we decided to go see Haylie again because she wasn't texting us back or returning our calls so we went to her house.  We started talking to her and she said she had dumped her boyfriend which is a good thing.  As we were talking, her brother came out to smoke but I think the Spirit actually prompted him to come out where we were because he had been asleep.  Anyway, he came out and started asking all these good inspired questions.  So, the three of us started teaching him.  Having Haylie his sister there was a great strength and in the end he said that he would start believing in God again and that he would read a little and sincerely pray.  He then set up another appointment with us this Sunday at the Mastracola’s.  I really feel he could be ready and Heavenly Father has been working on him. 

I love you family!

Love Elder Tanner Mouritsen