Tanner's Letter Sent on January 31, 2012

Hello there! I hope that all is well:)

This week has been good, and I hope it was the same for you.

It is crazy that I am going to be on a plane to Cambodia in 3 weeks from today!!! 3 WEEKS! Wow, time is just a flyin'! It seems crazy that this is my 9th week here. The days can be really long, but the weeks just zip by. I swear it was yesterday that I was sending my last email. And I'll probably be thinking the same thing next week. The language is coming along really well, I feel so blessed and feel that I can say really most of what I want to say. The reading is still really tough and I can understand some words when I read the Book of Mormon, however, I have a hard time relating the whole passage and it still takes a really long time to try and sound it all out... But I can see that it is getting better and I am sure that it will only continue to!

Well today is the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the MTC so it is supposed to be quite the celebration, rumors have been flying around for months now about our devotional tonight. I have heard the 1st Presidency is coming and even that all or most of the Apostles will be there! We won't know for sure until the devotional though. Although our branch presidency was telling us that there are going to be a lot of guests and media so I can only imagine... Because of that there is going to have to be an overflow because they can't fit all of the missionaries in there with the guests(I heard there's gonna be like 700!) And the place only sits like 2100, and every missionary is dying to be in there. Plus the missionary quire(quoir quier?, can't remember how to spell that-maybe that is a good sign;) gets to sit in there so there will be a limited number of seats and the rest will have to watch it in the overflow. Well me and some other elders in my district were clever and decided to join the Missionary Qword! Haha, so we are going to be singing and get some seats:) But we weren't the only ones that came up with this smart idea but got to qword practice early enough to get a seat! They actually had to turn elders away because they didn't have enough qword seats for everyone. So we'll be singing tonight and we'll see who the speakers are. I'm really looking forward to it!

Since I have been here I have felt so much love for the people of Cambodia. Last week one of our Luukroos was testifying and telling us how great the Cambodian people are. He told us that as soon as we get there we will understand and regret it if we waste anytime here. I just felt so much love for the people of Cambodia and know that they are going to teach me so much and change me as I am blessed with the opportunity to serve them! I know that in a few weeks I am going to be experiencing culture shock times 10, and will be super confused-but ahh! I'm SO EXCITED!!:) I hope you know that I love this work and love being a missionary! I don't really tell about my hard times too much and this has all definitely not been easy, but I feel like I have already changed a lot. If I had to come home right now I would already be a better person-I can only imagine 2 years of this! I hope you know that I love Jesus Christ. I know that this is is plan and that he loves all of us. I know that the BOM is true and what peace it brings! I testify that Christ died for us and understands us. And that He lives for us now(Alma7:11-13). I hope you know that I love you and am so grateful for your support. Have a great week! Until then, "Mian so?phea?meangkual!"

Love

Elder Garlick

Tanner's Letter Sent on January, 25, 2012

Hey everyone how's it going?? Well I hope that all is well!

This week has been good, I feel like 100 percent better! I went to the doctor and he informed me that I was getting a sinus and an ear infection so that was not fun fun at all all.. But he sent me to go and get some antibiotics and whatnot and told me to take it easy and not workout at gym for the rest of the week, so I feel totally better now and felt better in a couple of days! Yay! Haha, except I started going to gym just a couple of days later;) Shhhh,.. But yeah thanks all I'm great, sorry to hear that some of you are not feeling so well-get well soon!

I don't think that I told you but elder barney and were actually in our room all by ourselves for like 6 full weeks until last week our streak was brought to an end. Bummer. Actually it's all good cause our roommates are really cool:) But I do miss having all the space I wanted and just murfin with Elder Barney. Their names are Elder Peiffer and elder Bangerter and they are going to down under to Australia English speaking! Cool huh? Yeah, they are both really pretty shy but I think this is a good experience for me and elder barney to learn to reach out to them and to maybe get them to open up. I was bummed at first but I think it's good for us to have roommates!

Things are going really great with Elder barney. It's definitely an adjustment being around someone for every second of the day, having a shadow. But I love him. We are really becoming great friends and I am so grateful for him. I love my district I have gotten to become so close to them, we are like a big family of brothers. We watch out for each other and it is great. I remember the first day or two feeling so shy and like I was never going to click with them, but I think that is probably how we all felt and we get along great now!:) It's crazy getting to know others and hear about different lives, I feel like I've had it really great and have been so blessed; It's eye opening to hear about others, pops the bubble a bit.

We learned in a fireside on Sunday about helping members and investigators learn how to progress. He made an interesting comment, the speaker said that sometimes we push investigators away by telling them that they need the church, instead he gave examples of how the church needed them. He gave examples of giving non members opportunities to serve and how most people want to serve and help out others and just don't know how! Giving them opportunities and invitations to serve can be huge and can help them see the joy that service and the church can bring. It was really good and the same goes for investigators usually they are interested and want to progress but just don't know how and we can't just assume that they do. I like something Elder Holland said he talked about going to their level first and understanding them before you can help lift them up. We watched the Testaments on Sunday and it was a big deal usually their are like 4 talks or movies to watch and almost the whole MTC stayed for testaments cause we've been waiting for like 2 months for it. We were all geeking out with excitement about it! I love it! We are all spiritual nerds:)

Anywho, things are going great, said bye to JJ yesterday and he is on his way to Hawaii! I'll miss him.

Thanks for everything and for your love and support, I don't think you realize how much it means to me. I love you! Take care, have a good week! Talk to you soon!

Love,
~Elder Garlick

Tanner's Letter Sent on January 17, 2012

Hey! Thanks for your emails and letters and everything they mean a lot!:)

This week has been good, last week we had the privilege of hearing from Elder Russel M. Nelson of the Quorum of the 12, So that was pretty neat:) He talked about the gathering of Israel.

We did a complete SYL Day yesterday where we would say nothing at all in English. As a district we decided to do this every Monday and Friday for the rest of the time here. We should be Syling as much as we can everyday but on these days we do 100% Cambodian and 0% English, we don't even talk to other missionaries who don't speak Cambodian in English. I was kinda excited and apprehensive about doing it, but we got through pretty much the entire day with only slipping in a handful of English words! Last night we did some planning and coaching from the teachers so we kinda used a bunch of English then. I really thought it went well, I can testify of the gift of tongues, I've been having a harder time listening than I have had speaking, even when I know the word sometimes I will have a hard time recognizing it when someone else says it. But yesterday I felt like I could understand the majority of what my teacher was saying which was really cool and I know that when we work hard the Lord will bless us!:) Oh and we got an investigator of ours, Som, to commit to baptism so that is awesome! Yesterday he was asking us about how long he would be under the water, i was having the hardest time understanding but peeked in my dictionary and was able to understand what he was asking!

I have been really pretty under the weather the past few days.. I have had a slight cold for the past couple of weeks but on like Saturday/Sunday it really has gotten a lot worse, in our zone leader meeting with the Branch presidency, my branch president told me to go to the health clinic if i was still feeling sick in a couple of days, I have a doctors appointment later today. Another elder told me I might have a nasal infection and to go to the health clinic too, so hopefully they will be able to help me out with that and so I can get working a 100 percent again! I got a blessing last night from some my companion and another elder in my district. I'm grateful for priesthood power!

Anywho, I am sorry this email isn't the most exciting but just know that the language is coming and so is my love and testimony of this gospel!

Love and appreciate you all and the sacrifices you make on my behalf, and the time you spend to shoot me a quick email or letter:) Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Garlick

Tanner's Letter Sent on Jan. 10, 2012

Hey hey hey!

How's it going?:) I hope all is going well. Thanks for all of the emails and letters I really appreciate it!

This week was really good-one of our lookruus left on Saturday to move onto bigger and better things-Lookruu Godfrey-he was probably my favorite and I really look up to him. He is so sincere and just has the strongest testimony and desire to serve, so he'll be missed! This week we had the opportunity to teach in the TRC which is where we teach volunteers who are just themselves and not acting or anything and we taught them about revelation through the Book of Mormon-that was neat and I enjoyed teaching them in Cambodian.

The language is really coming along well-although i know that it should be coming along better-we are told to SYL speak your language 100 percent if you know how to say anything in the language you say it. We've been slacking as a district and I have too, it's really easy to be lazy and just say things in English because it's much faster and easier. So that is something that I really want to step it up with this week and for the rest of the MTC-I really feel that this will be a blessing and help qualify me for the gift of tongues which I testify is real. It is insane how much we can already speak and use the language-truly a miracle-who knew that in just over a month I could pray in Cambodian and say a great deal of what I want to already and teach whole lessons pretty much without any papers to read off of. One thing that we've learned is that you have to work your hardest and study your hardest to qualify for the gift of tongues and so I really am going to try and do even better!

Elder Barney had one of his crowns on his tooth fall off and so we actually went to the dentist this week outside of the MTC via a Missionary Shuttle Van,which was really surreal leaving out into the "real world". We heard music at the dentist which was weird-Journey and Colbie Caillet:)-I was trying to study words while we were waiting and I could definitely tell that I was having a much harder time learning with the distractions and non spiritual music. But it was kinda neat to see provo a little, going past Provo high brought all sorts of fun memories of track back.

Okay quick spiritual thought 3 nephi 13:7-8 and pretty much the whole chapter, really realized that I need to be more sincere in my prayers and much more specific and just simple and humble. I definitely get too repititious and going through the motions and don't think of the fact that I am really having a conversation with my Heavenly Father! Wow, what a blessing and sacred thought-"Prayer" in the Bible Dictionary is also really good to read and has some great insights-I think we could all improve our prayers-I know I can! Just some food for thought.

Welp, Love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Elder Tanner Garlick

Tanner's Letter Sent on January 3, 2012

Hey Happy New Year!

Sorry it's taken so long to email you, I haven't been able to get back to you since last year! Haha-wow-It's great using that same joke we've all heard since 1st grade:) Original. bahaha! Anywho-hope you all had a Happy New Years Day! Here at the MTC we had quite the wild party! It was pretty wild-haha! Just kidding-no celebrations-well in my room at least. I hope that all is going well for you all!

The language is coming along really well-we are doing better at speaking it more and I feel that I can say a lot of what I want to say with just basic Khmer words and throwing in some english when i don't know what it is in Khmer. It's really crazy how much I've learned. I know that the gift of tongues is real. I remember being really frustrated trying to pray in just khmer because I felt really limited-but the other day I was asked to pray in class and I was able to say the whole thing in khmer and almost as fast as I might say it in English. It definitely takes diligence and work though-I have really noticed that when I work and study hard it pays off.

This week we now teach 2 investigators now-Phannat and Som. I feel that I am getting a lot better at planning and studying effectively. I firmly believe that the better you plan, the better you study, and when you do those things you become a much better missionary and are better able to teach to investigators needs and have the Spirit.

I noticed that eating 3 big meals a day and just sitting in class all day wasn't helping my girlish figure, and that I have been getting really out of shape-haha! So lately I've been trying a little bit to work at running and I've been doing some crazy ab workout and a pushup workout where you do like a 100 different pushups with some elders in my zone and eating a little more healthy so I feel like i'm getting back into pretty good shape:)

Elder Barney has a member of his home ward that works at the Provo temple and so today after the temple; Elder barneys friend was able to give us a tour of some of the temple that you don't normally see-like going on the roof and to see some of the construction and stuff, which was really cool!

This week we talked a bit about the Atonement and here are a couple of scriptures I love about it-3 Nephi 9:22, and D&C 18:14-I love it because it's Christ inviting us to humble ourselves and come unto Him-that's why he Atoned for us-Because He loves us and wants us to come back-Simple yet I love that!

Anywho-sorry that this email isn't too exciting..Just know that all is well with me, i pray that all is well for you too. I love you and hope you have a great week!:)

Srolan,

Eeldoo Garlick

Elder Garlick & Elder Barney

Elder Garlick's companion, Elder Barney, knew a person that works in the Provo Temple. They had the opportunity to have a tour around the Provo Temple where most people aren't normally permitted. Here are some pictures of them on the Provo Temple's roof.

Tanner's Name Tag in Cambodian