Ghetto Dance Moves?!?

Dear Fam,

So I was hoping for a white Christmas and it didn't happen, but the next day I felt like I was living in the North Pole. Partly because the people below us have a blow-up Santa and Elves in the yard, but mostly because there was a blizzard. We don't really know much of what goes on in the world outside of missionary work, and that includes the weather. We were at church and all of a sudden it was snowing like crazy. Then our members decided to tell us that it was going to snow all day and night, and it did. After church we went straight home and had to stay in. The next day was P-Day, and so it was super crazy trying to get all of our laundry and shopping done. The Library was closed so we couldn't e-mail, which is why I am e-mailing today. We were some of the few people who were crazy enough to go out yesterday, so we had a lot of fun at the mall that we basically had to ourselves. You don't mess with P-Day, I don't care how much snow there is, we're going out.

Christmas was awesome! We woke up and opened our presents, and then had breakfast at the church with our zone. After that we called home and then spent the rest of the day with three member families who all live in the same apartment complex. We ate a huge dinner and then they taught us all of the latest ghetto dance moves. It was awesome... I'm still sore. They laughed a lot, probably more at us than with us, but it was tons of fun. I think morning exercise will be a lot more interesting now. As weird as it sounds I'm kind of glad the holidays are over. No one ever wants to set up an appointment let alone talk to you during the holidays. Now, hopefully, we can be a lot more productive.

So a couple of weeks ago I told you I was going to tell you the story of why I had to take an Elder to the hospital, but I forgot, so I will tell you now. An Elder who covers Paterson in Spanish needed to go to the hospital, but his companion was throwing-up all night and was sick, so he called my companion and I and asked if one of us could go to the hospital with him while the other stayed home with his companion. I had seen this Elder at church the previous day and he was limping. The reason he was limping was because he had a swollen gland in his, how should I say this... manhood? I guess he passed out from the pain while he was in the shower and then went to the emergency room where they told him to go get an ultra-sound. So I took him to the hospital to get an ultra-sound. Everyone kept sending us to different parts of the hospital to see different people, and it was funny watching every one's face when they read his paper-work. I definitely will never forget it. I'm pretty sure everyone there thought we were like together, together. Oh well, can't care. so that's the story. I just talked to you guys on the phone so I don't have much else to say, other than I love you.

Love Elder Tilley

Always Learning

My Beloved Family,

I'm finally starting to get settled in here in Paterson. I still have stuff I haven't unpacked yet, and probably won't until I have to leave. Our apartment is a blast. Elder Turnbow and I live with two other Elders, Elder Roper and Elder Casper. We all get along really well which is great! Elder Roper is training Elder Casper, so other than him our apartment is really young. Elder Roper also served in Ledgewood, so we often talk about both the awesome and the crazy people we knew there.

This week, like the one before was really rough. I don't know what happened since I wasn't here last transfer, but our area is really struggling. I finally met our only investigator a few days ago, so that's good news. I've made a point of calling every active member in our area, so that we can work with them to find people to teach, but so far nothing has paid off. We've also visited a lot of less actives, since we don't have any investigators to teach. That's probably the only success we've had so far, which helps me see that we're making a difference in some way. We talked to a less active girl named Laura who we're helping to get back on the right path, and she really opened up to us. We also talked to a less active lady, Sister Bosket, who we hope will start coming to church as well. We're trying everything we can think of, and everything Preach My Gospel can think of, but so far we haven't seen much progress.

A couple of days ago we got three referrals from a member that we were super excited about, but then we found out that they all live in the other Elder's area. I know that our hard work will pay off eventually, I just hope it does soon. Elder Roper was a Zone Leader before he came to their area, and he was dropped and sent here as a special assignment because that area was really struggling. He has done WONDERS for their area, and he has given us a lot of great advice. They have 10 baptismal dates right now and most likely have a few more on the way. Last week they got 15 referrals and 11 new investigators. They're in the same ward as us so I know it's possible for us to have a TON more success. We're just going to keep praying like everything depends on the Lord and working like everything depends on us, and I know things will turn around.

Neither my companion nor I have much experience so we're learning a lot together. It's really frustrating trying to figure out how to be a good district leader when you can't lead by example. My companion and I have been presented many challenges and because of that, I feel like I have learned more in the last two weeks than I have my whole mission. I am so grateful for this opportunity I have to learn SO MUCH. Believe me, I'm learning a lot, especially what not to do. There has been a lot of trial and error the last two weeks but we do our best.

This week should be really exciting with Christmas coming up. We are also going to the temple this Thursday and I can't wait. Hopefully I'll receive some sweet revelation on how to fix this area. What I'm most looking forward to on our temple trip, is for the opportunity to relax and really have a moment for myself. I plan on having some good quality time to spend pondering on what I can do to improve myself and my missionary work. I feel like a barely have time to think anymore. I spend all my free time studying the area book (I hope we find some former investigators who are ready to keep commitments now) and making phone calls, or doing my District Leader duties. The time spent doing these things is important, but not always fun. I am happy though, so I can't complain. I don't know how you could be a part of so great a work and not be. Hard times or tough situations are prevalent as a missionary, but overall things are great if you're doing everything you should be if you're not happy you're doing something wrong. There are many things in life that bring about sorrow and pain. There are a lot of reasons to be sad, but none to stay sad. I know that a hard working missionary is a happy missionary. This is what I try to live by. There are so many things that we cannot control. Sometimes things don't work out. As a missionary I see so many people who just won't accept the Gospel because they are lazy or they let dumb things stand in the way of accepting true happiness. Most of the time there is nothing I can do about it, I just do my part and hope that they do theirs. In the end, those who are God's Elect will do their part.

Love, Elder Tilley

P.S. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!

New Area

Hello Family

The new area that I'm in is Paterson. We cover Paterson, Fair Lawn, Saddle Brook, Hawthorn, Elmwood Park and Haledon. It is definitely WAY different than Ledgewood, but I am loving it. My new address is 379 E 27th, 2nd floor, Paterson NJ, 07513. We spend most of our time in Paterson, and it's pretty ghetto. Almost every day we go visit someone over in the four 16-story project buildings. It's been quite an adjustment because we are working with a completely different type of people. My companion is Elder Turnbow, who has only been out one transfer. He's a really awesome elder though, and I've had a ton of fun with him. We had a baptism Sunday, which was really weird because I wasn't really apart of her conversion. Her name is Martha and it was so awesome to see her follow the example of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, now that she has been baptized, we have pretty much no investigators. Between going to a new area for the first time, being senior companion for the first time, being a district leader for the first time, the work in the area not going so well and having a companion that's only been out one transfer, I feel like I have a lot on my plate. The Elder who was here before me offended a lot of people too. I don't think I've heard one positive thing about him from anyone. I'm not quite sure what they were thinking when they decided to send me here with the current circumstances, but I guess there's a reason for it. For the first time I feel a lot of pressure to do well and succeed. I'm grateful for the challenge, I just hope I figure things out quickly.

Tomorrow I have to give my first training ever in District Meeting. I can't say that I'm looking forward to giving an hour and a half of training every week, but I know that I need it. There are eight elders in my district, which is very big, so it's hard to keep in touch with everyone and help them out. This week my companion and I are really going to focus on finding people to teach. I hope things start to look better here. This area has a lot of potential so things should be great in a few weeks.

I have had a good time getting to know some of the members here. We have two members, Shimaya and Keisha, who live right next to each other and they are awesome! They are really good at referring us to people to teach. Apparently Shimaya has been holding on to a few people until the missionary who was here before me left. Everyone here loves Elder Turnbow, so we shouldn't have any problems with gaining the members trust back. I really am SO EXCITED for this transfer! I'm really happy and loving missionary work. Sorry I can't write much because I have to take an elder to the hospital soon. I'll tell the details of that story next week. It's a funny one...

Love, Elder Tilley

Transfer Time

Hello my wonderful family

Things have been crazy with transfers being tomorrow. I got called as a district leader and am being transferred. It's really hard to leave but it's obviously inevitable. I have enjoyed my time here in the Ledgewood ward so much and I have learned so many things from the the missionaries I have served around, as well as the wonderful members in our ward. I have been blessed to be a part of so many special moments here and witnessed countless miracles. Elder Althouse and I really struggled to find people to teach for most of the transfer, however, the last two weeks we have seen the results from our hard work. We have begun teaching some truly amazing people. We were very excited for next transfer because it is set up so perfectly for success. It's tough to leave when the future is so bright. This of course happens to missionaries all the time, so I can't complain.

The very first day of the transfer Elder Althouse and I knocked a street and met an older man named Richard. As we talked we found out that he had known members
of our church throughout his life and even had an uncle who was a member. Someone had even given him a Book of Mormon, which he still had. We asked him if he would allow us to teach him, but he just wouldn't have any of it. We stopped by a few weeks later and he told us that maybe we could talk to him after Thanksgiving. For some reason something kept drawing us back to him even though he wasn't interested. Last Saturday we went over again and he agreed to allow us to teach him at McDonald's. I never thought that we would ever really get anywhere with him until we taught him. We had such an amazing lesson with him, and he told us about many experiences in his life that I know prepared him to meet us. At the end of the first lesson we taught him, he prayed and thanked the Lord for the prophet Joseph Smith. When we taught him again just a week later, he had read the first 19 chapters of the Book of Mormon! He asked us all kinds of amazing and in-depth questions about what he had read, questions I hadn't even wondered about until I came out on my mission. He attended church yesterday and said that it "felt like coming home". He also agreed to come to the First Presidency Christmas Devotional Broadcast and afterwards told me that "everything that was missing from other churches was here". I have really felt a great love for this man and pray with all my might that he will make the necessary steps in working out his salvation.

There are many people who I will miss working with. We also started teaching another youth aged boy named Richie, who has a baptismal date set for Dec. 19. I really hope that I accomplished all that I could have while I was here. I will miss so many of the awesome members and their example to me.

This will be the first time I have ever been transferred. It will be hard enough learning a new area, but being a district leader for the first time makes it even more of a challenge. Surely I will experience a lot of growing pains like I talked about a couple of weeks ago. I know that I will learn a lot and I take comfort in the knowledge that who the Lord calls he qualifies. I'm going to need a lot of qualifying...

p.s. I have a cold so it's hard to concentrate and write an in-depth letter. Hopefully It makes sense.

Love Elder Tilley

I can't believe it is time for Ryan to leave the Ledgewood Ward. As a mother I was secretly hoping he would stay there for Christmas, well lets just be honest, I wish he could stay there his whole mission. The people there have been amazing! I have been in contact with several of them and I know that I won't be this blessed in the other areas that Ryan will serve. So I guess it was selfish to wish for him to stay, I know that he needs to learn and grow from all the people and experiences that New Jersey has to offer.

Again I say thank you to the wonderful people of the Ledgewood Ward who have fed, mothered, taught, loved and been an example to my Ryan. We will be forever grateful for all that you have given him.

This one Broke my Heart

Hey how are things? I wish I could have heard from you guys this week...

Things have been really good this week. We were able to find three very promising new investigators. We also have a couple of return appointments with promising potentials this week. Our teaching pool is starting to look a lot better now. We saw several miracles this week and am very grateful for them. It's great to see your hard work start to pay off.

Hope to hear from you next week. It's hard to find the desire to write longer letters when I don't hear from you guys. Maybe you can try and write me on Sundays.

Love Elder Tilley

I promise I sent him a letter. I am not sure why he didn't get it, but I literally broke into tears when I read this. Luckily, as I have said before, there are some amazing women in the Ledgewood Ward looking out for Ryan, so I emailed them all and one of them responded telling me to send her the letter and she would print it out and take it to Ryan. So I was able to dry my tears and feel better knowing that Ryan did hear from us today! Thank You!

Learning Patience

What up Fam??

My letter this week is going to be a little short, due to the fact that we had to practice singing for our Christmas missionary fireside for like three hours. My throat is killing me and I don't think I ever want to sing again. Hopefully it was worth it and we sound half-way decent.

This week has been really tough and I have fought some serious internal battles with discouragement. With the weather becoming colder and the sun going down sooner, knocking doors just isn't very effective. We are desperately seeking for new people to teach. When we do find people willing to listen, our return appointments with them fall through every time. Times often get really tough before the miracles happen so we just keep working hard and hoping for better days. I've thought a lot about finding prepared people and I know that they are placed in our paths, we just have to recognize them. This week my companion and I are really going to focus on gathering the elect. We've come up with a few new approaches to our contacting and teaching, so hopefully things will start to look up. As a missionary you ride an emotional roller-coaster. Its never fun when things don't work out like you'd like them to, but that's just how life is I guess.

The Book of Mormon has so much power within it. The Lord has said that it's purpose is to gather the elect. As we use the Book of Mormon more effectively I know that we will find those who are prepared. There are people out there who are ready to be baptized tomorrow. All they need is to just read from this divine book, and they would practically jump in the water. There are people like that out there, you just have to find them.

I know that there are very bright days ahead and this is just a growing experience. Patience is key in times like these. President Uchtdorf, (I may have butchered his name) has said that "Patience is a process of perfection... [It] is abiding in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting, rather than the receiving, in which we grow the most." We are all in a process of perfection when faced with trials. If handled correctly, relying on the Lord for help, trials bring us another step closer to that ultimate goal of becoming like our Father in Heaven. So you go through some growing pains. In the end it is more than worth it. Every single one of us fought for the opportunity to come to this earth and be tried and tested. Who are we to complain?

Anyway, I don't mean to sound as if things are terrible right now. Overall things are good. I've never been closer to the Lord in all of my life. My health is great. I have all my basic needs provided for me, and I have the opportunity to serve the Lord full time. I am careful to never be ungrateful. I know that the Lord has blessed me beyond measure and in so many ways. I love you and am grateful for you. Thank you for your prayers and support. I could not do this without it.

Love Elder Tilley

The Haircut

Hey Family

OK so I have to start off by telling a very funny story about something that happened to me this morning. Every so often, just as everyone else in the world, missionaries require a haircut. Because we are limited financially, most missionaries just cut their own hair. No big deal, we're not really trying to impress anyone, so we try our best to look somewhat acceptable. This morning it was about that time for me to give myself a haircut. I usually just use a 6 all around and have one of the elders line me up and I'm good to go. It's usually a pretty easy process. This morning, however, I FAILED MISERABLY. As Elder Hannah was cleaning off the razor, I handed him the attachment and went in the other room to grab something real quick. When I came back and sat down to start cutting my hair I automatically assumed he put it on for me. When I looked in the mirror after one long stroke across the middle of my dome, I was surprised to see the skin of my head instead of a streak of trimmed hair. Long story short, I had to pretty much shave my head bald. I look pretty ridiculous right now, but it has been such a good laugh. I'm actually kind of surprised at how well I'm taking it. There's not much I can do about it, it's just hair and will grow back. Elder Hannah watched me take that first chunk of hair off and the expression on his face was priceless. It looked kind of like I had a racing stripe across my head. We had a lot of fun shaving the rest off. We experimented with a lot of crazy looks.

Other than making a complete fool of myself, things are great. I went on two exchanges this week which is always fun. On Tuesday Elder Hannah and I were together and we had a lot of fun. We get along really well. We were able to teach Robert, who is Sister Little's son, and we had an amazing lesson with him. After we talked about Joseph Smith's first vision he said, "that's real strong". We like to quote it a lot. The way he said it was really funny... you probably just had to be there I guess. He really enjoyed church and loved how family oriented it is. He also loved the feeling he had there and how kind everyone is. Another awesome thing that happened this week was seeing Maria's husbands heart softened. Maria is a recent convert and was baptized about a month or two before I got here. Her husband has always been very contentious whenever we are there, but we've had him sit down and talk with us the last few times we have been there and his attitude towards us has improved each time. Yesterday, the Gibsons, who are amazing members in our ward, went over and talked with them for an hour and a half. Afterwards, she called us and told us that Pedro (Maria's husband) wanted us to teach him, and that he was interested in coming to church. Hopefully things continue to move in the right direction with him. We're still hoping that David and Yohan will get permission to be baptized, but right now it doesn't look to good. Rob is doing amazing and really progressing.

With Thanksgiving being the focus of the month, I've tried really hard to be extra grateful and to make sure that I have an "attitude of gratitude". As a missionary there are so many things to be grateful for. The opportunity to serve a mission is itself something that I am so grateful for. I'm grateful for the strength and the guidance that my Heavenly Father gives me each day. I am grateful for the amazing ward that I am able to serve in, and for our members who never cease to amaze me. I am grateful for the miracles that I am able to witness each and every day. I am grateful for my Mission President and his wife who are so inspired. I am so grateful for this gospel and for it always being a part of my life. Most of all I am grateful for my family, for the support they give me, for their awesome example to me, and for the love I feel from them. I am grateful for all who have played a role in my life and for the difference it has made for me. I love you all so very much.

Love, Elder Tilley

Member Missionary Work

Hello Fam

Thanks for the letter I really appreciate it. Yeah I did get the tick out, and I took some pills for a few days that prevent Lymes disease. We'll see what happens I guess.

Things are going well, just getting used to having a new companion. I will say that we have taught some amazing lessons this week. Last Monday we taught Rob again and it went extremely well. It was without a doubt the strongest I have felt the spirit since I have been a missionary. We invited him to be baptized and he accepted. Just thinking about the experience, even a week later, brings tears to my eyes. That's one thing that I have grown to love about Elder Althouse. He has one of the sweetest, most powerful testimonies I've ever heard. After the lesson he told me that when he was set apart as a missionary he was promised that there would be times on his mission where he would feel the presence of Christ in the room. I am convinced that that was one such occasion. It was an experience I will never forget. We set Rob with a date on the 20th of November, but he was really worried about getting permission from his mom. We called him later and he told us that as soon as he finishes his Catholic Conformation he can get baptized. He won't be finished with that until late January so I probably won't be here for it. I'm just glad that he will eventually be able to be baptized, so I can't complain.

We also set Yohan with a baptismal date, and reset David with one. They too are held back by their mothers not giving permission. It's strange enough to be teaching three teenage boys who want to be baptized, but even stranger that they all have the same obstacle blocking that narrow gateway which is baptism. It's very frustrating when you have to deal with these circumstances, but three of them is extremely trying.

As I think I've mentioned before, we have struggled with finding new investigators. On Sunday we were blessed with new people to teach. Sister Little's daughter, son and daughter's boyfriend came to church. Apparently the Bishop helped them out with something and so they promised to come to church. We were also able to talk to one of our member's boyfriend, and invite him to play basketball with us on Wednesday. Hopefully this will lead to us teaching him. In all of these instances, members have been the reason for them happening. Once again I am reminded of how important members are to missionary work. I just read a talk by Spencer W. Kimball this week that talked about this. When members find us someone to teach, that person already has a support system. They have a perfect example of how the Gospel blesses families as well as individuals. Investigators need a friend who can show them how living the Gospel brings happiness. Everyone faces some sort of challenge, obstacle or concern when learning about the church. The greatest factor in them sticking with it, is the members who are there to lift them up and love them. I love it when I see our members fellowshipping our investigators. And for recent converts, it's a great feeling knowing that they will always have a family, because the ward can fill that role. I love witnessing the change of heart in so many people's lives. It's the greatest part of being a missionary. I love you all as well. Know that I think about you and pray for you often.

Love Elder Tilley

New Companion

Whats up family??

This has been an interesting week since I have a new companion (Elder Althouse) and a new zoneleader (Elder Christopher) living with us. It was very hard at first because I love Elder Larsen and Elder Taylor a lot. I didn't even realize it all that much until they were gone. The feeling in the apartment isn't the same and I didn't like it at first, but am starting to get used to it. I know it will take a little time but I will learn to love these missionaries as well.

Elder Althouse was serving in Newark before now. I don't think I ever told this story because I didn't want to worry you, but he was one of the Elders who got mugged in Newark. He was hit across the head with a lead pipe and had all his stuff stolen. He has like 6 staples in the back of his head and lost 20% of his hearing in one ear. His companion got pretty beat up too, and had to have a plastic surgeon fix his lip which was busted completely open. The Bloods protect the missionaries in the city, so for the next couple of weeks after that happened Red Dawg (their leader) had some of his gang members follow the missionaries all day for protection. We're pretty sure the kids who attacked he and his companion are dead now. No this is not a joke. I'm not exactly sure why the protect us, but I think it's because some missionary taught Red Dawg once upon a time. They call us the God Squad.

Anyway, just thought I would leave you with that fun fact about my companion. He talks too much (especially in the morning), but I can already see that I will learn many things from him. Elder Christopher is a convert to the church and used to be Jewish. I think he was only a member for a year before his mission, but he is an amazing missionary. We just got a new Assistant and everyone thought it was going to be either him or Elder Taylor (my former zone leader). It ended up being Elder Litzenberger, who was my zone leader with Elder Taylor my first transfer.

Things are going well with the work here, it's been hard to find new investigators lately but we keep working hard looking for prepared people. It's weird being the one in the companionship who knows everything about the area.

Oh by the way, I got a tick raking leaves the other day. I didn't think it was a big deal, but apparently it is. Everyone is freaking out about how I could get Lymes disease (I don't know if that's how it's spelled). I guess only time will tell. I love you all so very much.

Love Elder Tilley

- Poor Ryan, it really isn't his fault. His lack of desire to hear people talking early in the morning in an inherited trait. He is a Johnson after all and we are not morning people. He got it from me, and I got it from my Dad. Not really sure who my Dad got it from. Maybe this companionship will help him get over that! :)

I Wonder if They Know

This has been an amazing week. I received several emails and a phone call from members of the Ledgewood Ward where Ryan is serving. They just wanted to let me know that Ryan was doing good, that he was healthy and happy, and that they loved having him in their homes.

• I wonder if they know how much it meant to me
  I wonder if they know that it made my day
  I wonder if they know that it brought a tear to my eye
  I wonder if they know I had a smile from ear to ear for the rest of the day
  I wonder if they know how grateful I am

The best part was that one of them sent me this picture. This is the first picture I have seen of Ryan's mission. I can't get him to send me any!

So to the women of the Ledgewood Ward who have taken their time to get in touch with me, I say Thank-You. And to anyone reading this that has contact with the missionaries in any way, I say please take the time to get an email address or a phone number and let their parents know that their boys are healthy, happy and doing a good job. It will mean more to them than you will ever know.

I Guess Football is More Important Than a Letter Home! LOL

Family!

Whats up?? Thank you so much for sending the pics, I really enjoyed them. It looks like you guys had tons of fun! I wish I could have been there, but we'll have to do it again when I get back. It's also great to hear that Michael and Mariah are able to adopt now. I hope everything works out for them.

The last few days have been super crazy because of transfers. We found out last night what was going down, and Elder Larsen is being called as a zone-leader so he's being transferred. One of my zone-leaders, Elder Taylor is being transferred also. It's kind of a sad day because this transfer has been awesome and so it's sad to see them go. I'm really nervous about getting a new companion. I don't know what to really expect, I just hope that we get along and that he wants to work hard.

We have so much to do today and so my letter will be short but know that I love you. Not much has changed in this past week. We're still teaching the same people with not much progress from any of them. We were able to start teaching a former investigator named Jennifer which was awesome. The lesson we taught her went really well and I know it had an impact on her. I only hope and pray that she acts.

Oh, yesterday Elder Larsen and I had a lot of fun carving pumpkins with some members so now we have some Halloween decorations. Speaking of Halloween we aren't able to go out at night the day before and the day of Halloween. I think we're going to give out pass along cards to any kids who knock on our door. Well, I hate to cut the letter so short but we're about to go play some mad football!

Love Elder Tilley

p.s. I promise I will write a huge letter next week

I Love Being a Missionary!

Hey mom and dad and family,

How are you doing?..... good me too. This week has been a good one. I went on an exchange with Elder Wilbur again, which was good. Things have been very good in general. I love being a missionary and I love the Gospel. I have learned so much in the short time I have been a missionary and am eternally grateful for the opportunity I have been given as a missionary. I can see already how it has shaped me as an individual and how it will set the pace for my life. I love serving the Lord each and every day. I love the closeness that I feel to him as I give him all that I have. I am humbled every day. I have experienced hard times, even pain, but I know that it is for my good. I am thankful for these experiences that allow me to grow and appreciate all that I have in life.

As a missionary you see a different side of life. You are constantly in the presence of those who are miserable. Some of them don't even know it. I have been blessed with a knowledge that there is a better way, that there is a way to have peace in this life. I know where true happiness lies. I know what it takes to experience joy. I have the privilege to share this with others, to show them how to correct their errors. This is a task that cannot be taken lightly, in fact it is of the greatest importance. I am thankful that the Lord trusts me enough to be responsible for the salvation of every person in my area. This is a responsibility that is great, but so is the strength He gives me.

I feel closer to my Father in Heaven than I ever have, and know that his love for me is beyond any I could comprehend in this life. That love he has for me is shared with every one of his children. We all have divine potential. We are all his children. I am so grateful to be an instrument in His hands and will always look for opportunities to serve. I have decided that I don't want to serve the Lord for two years, I want to serve him my whole life. I owe that to him. All who are members of his church are blessed to play a role in building his kingdom. We are all individually unique and important. Of this I know and testify.

Love, Elder Tilley

The Day of the Spanish

Hey Family,

How are things going? I was excited to get on my account and actually have an email from you... It's all good though, I forgive you for the last couple of weeks. This week has actually been pretty good considering some of the disappointments and bad news we've received. Unfortunately David's mom did not give him permission to be baptized. It's so sad to see something like that temporarily hold him back from the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for him. Even though he can't be baptized now I'm confident that things will work out, I only hope that they do sooner rather than later. Our other three investigators with baptismal dates aren't looking too good either. There are a lot of obstacles in their way, but we're there to help them overcome them.

This week I went on a couple of exchanges, one of them being with Elder Puma who is one of the assistants. It was a great opportunity to learn how to be a successful missionary. Another great thing this week was being able to teach Rob. Rob is a 16 year old kid who is friends with the stake president's daughter. We had seen him at church, stake conference and a fireside before and so we were excited to finally be able to teach him. We even found out that he watched the Sunday session of General Conference. He is an extremely bright kid who has a real knack for recognizing truth. I can tell that he is searching for it, and is willing to do all that he can to have it. We had an amazing lesson with him at the Pettits, (the stake president and his family) and at the end of the lesson, he gave possibly the best first prayer I've ever heard from any investigator let alone a 16 year old kid. He, like David, may have a problem with his mom allowing him to continue to learn more. We will be seeing him again this Thursday, and am really hoping everything goes well.

This week we were also able to attend the "something something Hispanidad", which I think translates to "The Day of Spanish". We invited David, because he is Hispanic, and so we were able to go. They had booths set up for each South American country and served food that they eat in each of countries. Then they had a performance for each country. Most of them were dance routines of some sort, and it was a blast. I can't speak a lick of Spanish so I wasn't really able to communicate with half of the people there, but it was fun to enjoy some of their culture.

I can't believe how fast this transfer has flown by, It ends on Oct. 24. I don't really know what will happen so we shall see... One thing that's a challenge for all missionaries, especially new ones, is being comfortable with contacting people. You just have to get over yourself and not worry about what others think of you. Walking up to every random person you see and immediately striking up a conversation about the gospel is just not normal. The sooner you can realize that it is awkward, the better. There's not much you can do about it, that's just the way it is. I'm finally getting to the point where I truly realize this and am getting comfortable with it. I actually enjoy it at times and am really seeking to help others realize their divine potential.

I pray for Charity every day and can feel the difference in the way I view things, and the way that I think of others. Yesterday I had a neat experience with prayer. We pulled up to a street we were planning on knocking, got out of the car to do so, and I felt terrible. I was exhausted, I had a headache, and quite honestly my heart wasn't in the right place. As we began to walk up to a house, I looked at Elder Larsen and told him I needed to pray. And so I did. I put my trust in the Lord that he would give me the strength I needed to accomplish the work in front of us. I prayed for help and I received it. The interesting thing about it, however, was that it didn't come the second I said "amen". In fact, It didn't come soon at all. It came as I pushed through the pain and contacted everyone I saw. It came as I put forth all the energy and effort I had in the work in front of me. I showed the Lord that I was willing to do all that I could, and he did the rest. I felt as good as I ever have and truly felt the power of prayer. I know that it is as we act and do all that we can, that our prayers are answered. I am thankful for the many prayers that are given in my behalf and know that it makes a differences. I love you all and pray for your happiness and success.

Love, Elder Tilley

The Highlight of the Week was General Conference

Hello!

Another week has passed by and I don't know where the time has gone. I'm about to enter into the fourth week of my second transfer but it feels like I just got here. It's strange how that happens. This week we did a TON of moving. Two days in a row we had to help move people who had to leave last second due to sudden circumstances. It was good to be able to help them out, but hauling furniture gets old after a while. It was also slightly frustrating because we had to cancel a few important appointments.

There was a baptism this week for a little girl in the ward and we were able to get David to come out to it which was great. It really helped him to feel more comfortable with it and he told us he no longer had any doubts about being baptized. His baptism is set for this Saturday, however he has yet to tell his mom. He just moved here to live with his dad and step-mom and they are o.k. with it, but he hasn't told his mom who lives in Georgia. We have to have her permission to baptize him so hopefully everything will work out.

The highlight of the week was of course General Conference. I'm so glad that we live in a time where we are able to hear and see the Prophet and his Apostles speak no matter where we are in the world. As I listened to the council given I felt a love for the brethren like I never have before. I loved hearing all that they had to say and am sad that it is over. I can't wait until the Ensign comes out and I can read the talks again.

I wish I had more to say, but between conference and all the service we did this week not much else happened. There are a lot of things changing with how we do things in the mission. They're restructuring the way we do a lot of things for the better and I'm excited to see how they bless and benefit our work. I miss and love you all.

Love, Elder Tilley

Marcella's Baptism

Hello!

This week has ended on an incredible note with Marcella's Baptism and Confirmation. To see her enter into the waters of baptism and take upon her the name of Christ was such a privilege. The spirit during that ordinance was so strong that I wish I could still be there even now. Combine that with the love that was felt from the ward, who is truly a family, and you have yourself a perfect day in the mission field. It has been such a great experience to watch her grow and accept the gospel. As selfish as it sounds, I will miss looking forward to the days where we would teach her. It was always the highlight of our week.

We've had a really great week in other ways as well. We set three baptismal dates in three days, so we now have four baptisms to look forward to. Oh the tender mercies of the Lord! They all have a long way to go and a lot to learn, but through their faith I know they can overcome all odds and be apart of this marvelous church and eventually enter into the Lord's Kingdom. Their names are David and Yohan (brothers; 15and 12), Chante and Debbie. Chante is probably in her late 30's and Debbie is in her late 40's/ early 50's.

This week was also leadership training, which was from 9:00 to 5:00 on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The training was for anyone in a leadership position, so Elder Larsen went with Elder Walch, while I stayed with Elder Harrington. We were responsible for covering the Spanish and English area while they were gone. This is Elder Harrington's first transfer, which was weird because I was just there. It was a really great experience having to take charge and call the shots, but I learned a lot. We set one of my investigators with a baptismal date while we were together and it was the first time where I extended the commitment and it was accepted. We also got Chante to finally open up a little bit and think about how she was praying, which led her to recieve an answer to her prayer.

Last night we also had a fireside that was put on by the missionaries, where recent converts spoke about their conversion. It was such a wonderful meeting and I am glad that we had it. Our zone even sang a special musical number which was pretty cool. As I've already mentioned, the last few days have been amazing. I have felt the joy that Alma spoke of that comes from missionary work. There is no work that is more satisfying, and definitely no work that is more important. I continue to look forward to the constant opportunities to spread the gospel, to be a servant of the Lord, and to devote all my time, talents and resources to him. I love this Gospel and know of it's importance. Live the Gospel and magnify your calling. Truly take upon you the name of Christ and be his disciple. Be nourished spiritually every day, which leads to progression. Do these things and you will have your eternal reward. I am thankful for your prayers and words of encouragement. Know that I love you all.

Love Elder Tilley

I Did Get a Letter This Week

Hello!

First of all I'm sorry I didn't email yesterday, but we had an all mission activity so we didn't have time to really do anything else. They should rename it the all day mission activity... I know, lame joke. It was a great time though. We went to some place called the Highlands or something like that. I don't really remember what its called, but its the highest elevated point on the Atlantic Coast. At the top there is an old lighthouse with some story behind it. It was awesome to be able to look out at the ocean and was a beautiful sight. We went on a hike and ate lunch and just chilled for a while. It was good to meet all the other missionaries and see all my MTC Elders.

It was also Elder Larsen's birthday, so after the activity we went over to the Bishop's house and had a little celebration with a few other families and our investigator, Marcella. We've finished teaching her everything now and everything is set for her baptism this Saturday. It's an exciting time and we have really loved teaching her. She is as prepared as they come and has been such a blessing to us, and other members in the ward.

I don't know if I've ever mentioned David and Yohan, but they are brothers (15 and 12) that we started teaching a couple of weeks ago. They both came to church this Sunday and loved it. After church ended they were asking us about Mutual and whether or not they had a ride for next week. We have them set with a goal to be baptized on Oct. 9 and I'm pretty confident that they will be baptized. Yohan, the younger of the two, is always asking questions and wants us to come over like every day. It's definitely a different experience teaching young boys/teenagers than it is teaching adults. You have to handle it a lot differently but it has been going very well.

This week I've thought a lot about patience. Specifically patience with myself. I'm very hard on myself and expect the best. I'm lucky to have great missionaries around me and sometimes I become frustrated because I don't have all the experience that they do. I know that I will become a more effective missionary as time goes on, but I just want everything right away. I even feel selfish at times because I'm worrying too much about myself and not about what others need. So I continue to learn and try my hardest to be the best missionary I can be, even if it takes longer than I'd like. I wish I could write more but we have limited time to write today. I love you all!

Love Elder Tilley

I Didn't Get a Letter This Week...

But I did get this letter

Hi, Sister Tilley,

I'm so glad it's you! Elder Tilley wasn't sure he had your email address correct when he was over last night. He and Elder Larsen were expressing their concern at not having emailed home yesterday so I said I'd let you know what was up.

The entire mission went to the Jersey shore yesterday with President and Sister Bahr, so they left early and returned late with no computer time to write. I'm sure Elder Tilley will write and tell you all about the 'field trip'. He and Elder Larsen then came to our house for dinner as it was Elder Larsen's birthday and Marcella, whom I'm sure he's told you about, was able to drop by too, along with other ward members to hang out and eat etc.

You have such a wonderful boy! We love him here in Ledgewood and he's added so much to the missionary work here. He couldn't have a better trainer than Elder Larsen and we hope we keep both of them here for quite a while. The Ledgewood is a terrific ward. My family has only lived in New Jersey for almost four years, and my husband has been Bishop for three of those years. He works closely with the missionaries and loves them dearly. The people in the ward are very good at fellowshiping, members and non-members alike. Most of us are transplants and so our families are far away and we rely on each other for support. It's a great place for a brand new Elder to get started on his mission because he will receive all the mothering and attention he needs as well as getting some awesome priesthood guidance and leadership to prepare him for when he moves on.

Thanks again for raising such a fine you man, we love him a lot!

Sister Nielsen

It was so wonderful to hear from someone who has spent time with Ryan recently. It meant so much to me to know that there are wonderful people looking out for him (and feeding him). I admit it, I bawled like baby while reading this letter.

I just want to send a big thank you to the members of the Ledgewood Ward for all they do for the missionaries there. And a big thank you to Sister Nielsen for taking her time to let me know what was going on. I was trying not to freak out, but not very successfully!

Roaches, Brown Water, and Dog Bites

Hello!

So I've officially been bitten by a dog this week. We knocked on a door which was cracked slightly open, and so the dog was able to jump out and bite my leg. Luckily it wasn't too bad, the dog was pretty small and I was able to kick it hard enough that it thought twice about coming at me again. Just a day in the life... but seriously this week has been out of control! I went on two exchanges, it was stake conference, plus transfer facts came in yesterday. My companion and I are staying together so no changes there.

On Tuesday I went on an exchange with Elder Wilbur, who was in the MTC with me. Both of us are brand new, so it was a great time to gain experience. I got to drive for the first time in what feels like years which was nice. It was kind of hard because Elder Wibur is really quiet, so I kind of had to take control in lessons. Like I said it was a great learning experience. Neither of us really know exactly what were doing yet, so we figured it out together. The other transfer that I went on was on Thursday, with Elder Litzenberger who is one of my Zone Leaders. It was kind of crazy because he is a Spanish missionary, so I couldn't really contribute much, but it was still a good experience. At the end of the day we went to see one of his members named Cesar (he and his wife speak English). He joined the church when he was about 21 and I was really impressed by his story of how he converted. He's actually supposed to be in our ward but he was called to attend the Spanish Branch so they could have more leadership. As we talked with him, trying to come up with ways to improve their branch, through organization and better member involvement I couldn't help but love this member. He truly cares about building up that branch, and is someone who is truly living the Gospel. He's not just content with being baptized and showing up for church each week, he wants to grow and progress in the gospel. He knows the importance of magnifying his calling. It's something I've really thought about lately, especially as I studied this morning. I love more than anything members who work to build the Lords kingdom, members who are willing to give all that they have for the church.

Our Bishop is a prime example of this. He is constantly making sacrifices to help the investigators and members of our ward. He goes well beyond what is required of a Bishop and he makes such a difference. Unfortunately some members don't quite get it. Its sad to see those who aren't willing to help with the Lords work, but we all have our agency. Learning to be selfless is such a valuable thing in life. It's something that I am really making a goal to work on. When I forget about myself not just a little bit, but when I completely forget about myself, That's when miracles happen. That's when the Lord can will use me as his tool. In my opinion that's one of the most fun things of being a missionary. You don't have to worry about yourself. We live in humble conditions. We have a roach problem, and for a whole day we had brown water. These are things that would normally really bother me, but I don't worry about it at all. We live off of very basic foods, we don't have many possessions, but we always get by. As a servant of the Lord, I know that I will always get by. I have his protection as I do his work. It's a great feeling.

Love, Elder Tilley

Transfers Already?

Hello!

I have great news! Well, first of all early this week we got a call from the Bishop and he told us that Marcella was moving 2 hours south, and that she was already gone. This was really hard for Elder Larson and I because she hadn't told us, and it was really sudden. A few days later, however, we found out that it was just a big misunderstanding and that she was only going down to move her daughter to college. Our spirits were immediately uplifted once we found this out and so we set up an appointment with her right away. We had her over at Bishop Nielson's home and just like our last lesson with her, the spirit was super strong. The lesson went extremely well, and we set her with a baptismal date for Sept. 25!!! I am so grateful for her and her decision to follow the example of Jesus Christ.

Later that day we talked to Tony, but this time we took Bro. Meyer with us and it made a huge difference. With a fellow scientist around his own age, Tony opened up and was more accepting of our message. Member work is so important! If it wasn't for the Bishop and the Archibalds, I know without a doubt that Marcella would not be preparing to be baptized. It really makes all the difference to have that support system around you, and to know other members who love you and will do anything for you. My testimony of this grows each and every lesson we teach with a member present.

Transfers are coming up next week which is pretty crazy! I'll probably still be with my companion but you never know. Elder Litzenberger, who I live with, will be transferred unless some divine intervention keeps him here. He's been here as a zone leader forever!

This week I've really thought about how blessed I am to have the Gospel in my life. There are so many people in this world who are lost and don't even know it. Every day we meet someone who is living a miserable life, disguised in pleasure and worldly possessions. Everyone needs the Gospel. I only wish that more people would listen and that their hearts would be softened. Knowing what's truly important in life and how to get it is so important. I have even met people who despise God and curse him for the challenges and trials he gives them. So many people lack the wisdom and the foresight to realize that trials really truly are blessings. When presented with those trials in our lives, we can do one of two things. We can learn and grow from them, or we can let them destroy us. I know that through consistent and sincere prayer/scripture study we can overcome trials. Not only does that bless us in this life, but it blesses us in the next life more than we can comprehend. I love you all and am thankful for your prayers.

Love, Elder Tilley

Super Powers?

How's it going??

It's been a pretty good week as far as missionary work is concerned. One of the more interesting things that happened was meeting a 20 year old or so kid named Anthony. We went over to his house to teach his mom, Rita, but she told us she was busy but that we could talk to her son. Anthony is, for lack of a better word, strange. It started off really well as we talked to him. He seemed to really love God, and was nothing but positive about how he has been blessed by Him throughout his life. Then we dug a little deeper.... apparently Anthony receives revelation in the form of visions to do the Lords work. He has the gift to travel at super speed, and can, on occasion fly and has just about any other power you can think of. Oh yeah, and he can read minds and "go through peoples memories". He also goes through "trials and tribulations" in his room at night and has to fight off shadow monsters. And the icing on the cake is that he is a resurrected being who has been on the earth for thousands of years. We gave him a Book of Mormon and left. I don't think were ever going back.

Right after we left, however, we were able to meet David. David is a 14 year old boy who is looking for a church to attend and seems interested in ours. We talked with him and challenged him to read the Book of Mormon. He is a good kid and says he enjoys church because it keeps him on track and out of trouble. Hopefully we can get him to come to church.

By far the best thing that happened this week was our lesson with Marcella. We had her over at a members house (the Archibalds; former Bishop and his wife) for dinner and then taught her about the Restoration. The spirit was extremely strong, and she said that she believed everything and would read the Book of Mormon. She is really positive and receptive to everything we teach her, and is definitely prepared. I fasted specifically for her yesterday, and I feel very strongly that she will be baptized.

This past week my companion and I have felt that we need to improve on our diligence and we want to strive to be better missionaries in every thing that we do. It can be easy to lose your focus and hard to stay motivated all the time and so evaluating your performance is vital to your success. The other missionaries in our apartment were up really late last night, trying to figure out a way to be the best missionaries. It was interesting that we were all going through the same thing, so in the morning we had an apartmentship study and came up with a plan to do better. The work in our Zone has been really taking off lately, and we have gotten the shout-out the last few times. President Bahr said that our Zone was about to explode with success. We just set a record for most baptisms in a month as a zone for the mission. So we have been doing really well, but we have the desire to do better. The first thing our Zone Leaders said this morning as we planned together was that they had been pondering on how we could be the best missionaries in the world. We came up with a plan and a way to keep each other motivated and to magnify our calling to the greatest extent so that we can be the most effective missionaries possible. I love living with amazing missionaries, all of whom have great desires to serve the Lord and to progress his work. As we give ourselves to the Lord and as we put him as our main focus in life, he will give us what we need to be successful.

I love missionary work. It is exactly what Christ would do if he was on the earth. It is the lifeblood of our church, and it's central purpose. When the church was first organized, missionaries could stand out on the street and preach to anyone who would listen. In the 20th century, missionaries would tract for hours at a time looking for people who would come unto Christ. But now and into the future, missionary work hangs on the balance of what the members do. Member work is vital to missionary work today. It is not only suggested, but expected, that everyone do their part to spread the Gospel. Everyone knows at least one person who the Lord has specifically placed in their paths so that they can be exposed to His Gospel. At the day of our judgement the Lord will ask "If ye are my disciple, who have ye brought unto me?" Don't be one of the ones who has no answer. Forget about yourself or what others think of you. Have courage, for the Lord is on your side. Those who give all they have to help build the Lords Kingdom will be blessed beyond comprehension. Always remember your purpose in life....

Love, Elder Tilley

Baptism

Greetings!

This week has been very eventful. On Monday we had an appointment with a woman named Samira. Elder Larsen felt like we should get an Arabic Book of Morman for her even though She wasn't really interested. When we knocked on her door she didn't really want to see us, but her friend Jackie who was over at her house wanted to hear more about our church. We talked to her, and by the end of the lesson she even gave the closing prayer. She was so touched by our message that she broke down in tears as she prayed. She doesn't live in our area so we had to give her to some other Elders, but I hope everything works out for her. It's crazy how we were inspired to see a lady who wasn't interested in our message, all so that we could meet Jackie. If we went over there at any other time she probably wouldn't have been there. The Lord will take you on a wild path to meet people who are prepared.

On Tuesday I went on my first exchange with Elder Sandbakken. His companion Elder Wilbur, who was in the MTC with me went with Elder Larsen. It was fun to do something different and serve in a different area for a day. You learn a lot when you have a different companion. Wednesday we had basic training. It was extremely motivating and I learned a lot of things that will help me be a better missionary. Almost everything we learned about was something I needed to work on, so it should really help me. It was great to hear from the mission president and his wife again and have that renewed motivation to take on the world.

I had a really cool experience on Friday. It had been kind of a frustrating day trying to do a bunch of things to get ready for the baptism, so we hadn't really been able to talk to anyone. We went over to Sister Little's house and knocked on the door but she wasn't there. I then decided that I was going to talk to the next person I saw until we either were able to teach them or schedule a return appointment. As we walked back to our car, I didn't see anyone, until my companion had backed up and I opened the door to get in. As I was getting in, I saw this old man with a cane walking across the street, and I had an extreme prompting to go talk to him. I told Elder Larsen we needed to talk to him, so we went over and it turns out that he had a Book of Morman already, and that he had a neighbor who also had one and had spoken with missionaries before. We then taught both of them the Restoration and got return appointments. Theyr'e both kind of crazy so I don't know how sincere they are, or if we'll really get anywhere with them, but at the very least I showed the Lord that I was willing to follow his promptings through the spirit.

Finally Saturday came around, and it was time for the baptism. We had spent a lot of time and effort on it, so it was nice for it to finally happen. Elder Larsen Baptized her and I gave a talk on Baptism. It was an amazing experience, and I was glad to see Siste Little follow the example of Jesus Christ. On Sunday I comfirmed her with the Holy Ghost in sacrament meeting and I was really nervous because it was the first blessing I had ever given anybody. Not to mention that it was a homecoming so there were 288 people there. Oh and the mission president and his wife were there. So yeah, basically the pressure was on.

The comfirmation, with the homecoming talk given by Quentin Grillone made for a super spiritual meeting. Quentin served in Chile and talked about the earthquake that happened while he was there, and the challenge of finding out his dad died while he was on his mission. He had pretty much the whole congregation in tears with his experience and powerful testimony. It was an amazing Sunday and hopefully will turn into an amazing week.

We just started teaching a lady named Marcella that I really think will be baptized. Other than that, most of our investigators are really stagnant. We haven't been able to teach the family we met a week and a half ago, but hopefully we will soon. Things are pretty up and down right now, so I'm really working on being more consistant. I know that if I just lose myself in the work and give myself completely to the lord and always work hard I will be happy. It can be hard to always be focused and doing that, but I try my best to forget about myself. My companion and I are getting along great like always and we learn a lot from each other. Keep us in your prayers.

Love, Elder Tilley

I got a Suprise in the Mail

I got a bonus letter this week!!! When I picked up the mail today there was an envelope from Ryan. Inside were two letters, one for David and one for myself! It totally made my day. I often wonder if missionaries realize how much their letters mean to their families.

In my letter to him I had mentioned that I was teaching my Relief Society lesson on the Blessing of Scripture, so he sent me a page and a half letter telling me what the scriptures mean to him, and how they have blessed his life. It truly brought a tear to my eye.

Here are a few things that he pointed out:

• Reading the scriptures invites the Spirit into our lives
• If we want our lives and our families to be guided by revelation then we MUST study the scriptures
• There is nothing in life that can't be answered by the scriptures, specifically the Book of Mormon
• There is no other book as uplifting and positively influential as the Book of Mormon
• The Scriptures are the word of God. They also testify of Jesus Christ and his teachings

Those are just a few of his many thoughts on the scriptures. I can't tell you how amazing it was to read his words. He is an amazing boy, and I couldn't be prouder! Every letter he sends inspires me to do better and for that I am thankful.

Too Much Food

Hello!

This week has gone by so fast! I could have sworn it was just yesterday that I was writing a letter. Things are going pretty well over here in Ledgewood. It's crazy how the roads are designed out here. The best description that I've heard for them is that someone took a bunch of spaghetti noodles and dropped them on a map, and that's where they built the roads. Yeah, It's that crazy.

We are having a baptism on Saturday for Sister Little so were super excited! She is a 59 year old woman who has Diabetes and some sort of brain injury. She is a really sweet lady, and is fun to teach because we have to re-explain things to her over and over again. She often calls me and my companion revrun, or father, or on one occasion master. She knows everything we have taught her, she just needs a review every once in a while (being every time we see her). Yesterday in church her blood sugar dropped really low, so we had to scramble and find her some snacks to eat. She was o.k., but it was a bit chaotic for a while.

Our ward is amazing, and I appreciate and love it more and more as each day goes by. They take great care of us, and we never go unfed. Sometimes its actually too much. Last night, Elder Larson and I ate at the Pettits, and we had burritos (seconds and thirds) and a huge bowl of ice-cream and brownies after. I thought I was going to die. Then we got a call from the Bishops wife saying they made chilli for us. Elder Larson LOVES chilli, so we went over there and ate again. Then they also served us a large bowl of ice-cream. I can't remember ever eating so much food! For a second I really thought I was going to die.

This week we taught a really cool family for the first time. Right away we talked about baptism, and they said that if they found our message to be true then they would be baptized. This is amazing to hear from investigators, because most of the time they get stuck on the whole baptism thing. They know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet, and that the church is true, but they always talk about how they are already baptized and how they don't think they need to be re-baptized. Constantly we are explaining the importance of being baptized by proper priesthood authority, but people just don't seem to understand. I would say that of all the principles we teach, that is the most frustrating of all. People just don't understand. So anyway it was great to hear that from them.

Last week Elder Larsen and I focused on how to begin teaching. Learning how to get to know your investigators and having them open up is crucial to our process in helping them receive the restored gospel. Our goal is to have them do most of the talking. It's important that we present questions and commitments in a way that will get them to act. The more involved they are, the better the chances the lesson will go well. This week we also talked to a man whose mother just passed away. He has had an extremely difficult life and told us that if there was a God then he was a cruel God, and that he didn't want anything to do with him. We tried to explain to him how the Lord gives us trials and challenges in life so that we may learn, grow and reach our full potential. He agreed that trials can make us stronger, but he couldn't get over the fact that people had to suffer as much as they did, and believed we should only have to suffer a little bit. We talked to him about how the more we are challenged, the better we can become. It's like a marathon runner who makes great time. It's great that they did well, but they aren't just satisfied with that. They train even harder to do better next time. I challenged him to pray and to talk to the Lord about his trials and to ask if he was there. He told us that we couldn't tell him there was a God because there is no proof, and so I told him he couldn't tell me there wasn't a God until he prayed about it. So he said he would try it out and call us back in a few days. We'll see what happens. I could spend all day talking about each of our investigators but then nothing would get done. Peace out.

Love, Elder Tilley

Elder Tilley Arrives in New Jersey

Whats Up?!
I'm finally in the mission field!!! So, for those of you who don't know, our flight out to New Jersey was set for 10:00 Tuesday morning. However, while we were in class on Monday a voice came on over the intercom asking us to go down to the travel office, and that we needed to leave at 4:00 pm that very day. Seeing as it was like 3:20 we thought there was some kind of mix up, especially since we knew our tickets were for the next day. So we go down there and apparently our travel agent booked our flight for the wrong day, and our mission president needed us a day earlier. So by the time we figured all of this out, it was about 3:30. We thought there was no way we would be ready in time because we were expecting to pack that night and so we still had a lot to do. Somehow we were able to run back to our residence hall, pack everything we had, and change into suits in a half hour. It was SO CRAZY! All I had time to do was stuff everything into my suitcase, trusting that I got everything, and then book it to the bus. I don't think I've ever sweated as hard as I did in that half hour in my entire life.
So instead of flying on a direct flight to New Jersey, staying the night in the mission home getting to know our mission president and his wife, and having a day full of orientation the next day; we got to fly from SLC to Denver and have a layover until midnight, fly from there to New Jersey and arrive at 5:00 in the morning, drive to the mission home only to rush through the crucial points of the orientation, find out who our trainer was and attend transfer conference (I'm pretty sure that's what it's called), and then go out to work right away. All of this was done on about an hour of sleep on the airplane. All the other missionaries were saying how they felt bad about how we didn't get to enjoy the first day experience. I also wasn't able to say goodbye to anyone that I had become friends with at the MTC or get their mission addresses, which really stinks. I laugh every now and then when I think of our zone leaders trying to figure out where we went and why all of our rooms were cleaned out. Hopefully someone let them know what happened. Overall it was kind of a bummer, but what can you do? From the small amount of time we got to spend with our mission president and his wife, the Bahrs, they seem really awesome. Apparently the mission was completely turned around (for the good) when they came in. Oh and my trainer is Elder Larsen. This is only his 4th transfer, so he is pretty young to be a trainer, but he is a great missionary. The first day we got here, every missionary I met told me how lucky I was to have him, and that he was already one of the best.
We are serving in Ledgewood East, which goes from Denville to Hopatcong and Chester to Rockaway. We live in Dover. Hopefully that is enough information for you to figure out where I am in New Jersey. We live with Elder Taylor and Elder Litzienberg who are our zoneleaders. There are also two other elders, Elder Walsch and Elder Fielding, who live in our apartment complex. It can be kind of crazy living with zoneleaders and a prodigy missionary, but I am surrounded by excellent missionaries and great examples. This is something I am very thankful for and it makes it much easier to learn and to grow.
Our ward, the Ledgewood ward, is one of the biggest and best wards in the mission as well (We get fed more than anyone, which is AWESOME). My trainer is constantly pointing out how lucky I am to start out my mission in such a great situation. A great ward and area, with really cool elders to live with.
Overall life is good. I have a long way to go before I can say I am a great missionary, but I am constantly learning. I know that there is nothing more important than missionary work and that these two years will be a special time in my life. Sometimes it can be hard to deal with rejection, but it's always worth it when you find that one person who is prepared to recieve our message. In the end all one can do is extend the invitation for people to come unto Christ. The rest is up to them. It breaks my heart when you can tell that someone has felt the spirit, manifesting that what we say is true, and yet they still reject it. I only find comfort in the thought that even if they don't accept it now, they most likely will later, even if it's not in this life. You're always successful when you're planting those seeds.
One thing that I have had to get used to, is that it is usually only the meek and the humble who will listen to our message. Other than one family, I don't think we have a single investigator right now who doesn't have some brain injury or major stroke or some other major handicap. It can be frustrating teaching these people because it is hard to communicate with them or get through to them. Because of this I have found the beauty in teaching simply. It's something that we are really trying to focus on in our mission. Using short power statements full of the spirit is something I have really tried to work on.
New Jersey is pretty crazy and there are a lot of strange people, but each soul is as important as any other to the Lord. Anyway I love hearing from people, SO SEND LETTERS!


Love, Elder Tilley

The Phone Call

By 4:00 I had given up any hope of receiving a phone call from Ryan. Either he didn't have time to call or he didn't want to. I spent the day by the phone, jumping with excitement each time it rang. A few times Matthew wrestled it out of my hands in order to be the one to answer it. But, by 4:00 I decided he wasn't calling. They would never send Missionaries out that late, it was a six hour flight from SLC to NJ. The phone rang at 4:30 and the caller ID read BYU, I got excited but my hopes were quickly dashed when I realized it was probably my dad calling from work. I picked up they receiver and heard "Hey Mom!" I was so excited. He quickly told me that they had to leave in 30 minutes and he would call from the Denver Airport later that night. More waiting.

He finally called at 11:30. He explained that they were scheduled to leave on Tuesday. On Monday they were sitting in class and at 3:15 someone came over the loudspeaker asking the missionaries for the Morristownn Mission to report to the office. The teacher asked if they had time to sing a song and say a prayer and she said "I don't know, you have to leave at 4". Apparently, the booking agent had made a mistake and put them on flights on Tuesday but the Mission President wanted them there on Monday. They changed the flights, gave them 30 minutes to pack and they were on their way.

He also told us that his time in the MTC may go down as the worst timing to be in the MTC. The Temple was closed for most of it, they didn't get to hear from a General Authority because they all take they month of July off, the gym was closed for reconstruction, so no basketball, and the AC went out in the resident hall and the mess hall. Despite all that, he had an amazing time in the MTC.

He was traveling with a total of 13 Elders, 10 English speaking, 2 Spanish speaking and 1 Portuguese speaking, all heading to Morristown, New Jersey. It was so good to hear his voice. I am amazed at how much he has learned and how much he has matured in three short weeks. He gained a testimony of the importance of Missionary work while in the MTC and was very excited to get out in the field and teach.

He also told us that he looks forward to letters, so feel free to drop him a line! I know he would appreciate it. If nothing else, keep him in your prayers, I know he feels them.

Second Week in the MTC

We got our second letter from Ryan and of course he didn't answer one of the questions I asked in my last letter to him. Maybe next week!?!

Hey Fam!

Thanks for all the letters, it was great to here from you all. I'm just doing some laundry now which is always a hassle (Basically way too many missionaries fighting over way too few washing machines) Me, Elder Hayes, and Elder Christenson sat next to 5 machines that were done for 25 minutes before the elders came to get their clothes! I had to really try hard to exercise the Christ-like attribute of patience/love because I wanted to punch the elder in the face. Other than laundry things are going pretty well.
On P-days we don't have much to do, and any time you get a bunch of guys in a dorm type setting some really stupid stuff happens. Oh well, at least were creating memories. Some of these activities include turning our elastic exercise bands into slingshots, mattress surfing, and trash can basketball. I don't want to make it sound like were not working hard, but you go crazy in here after a while.
On a more spiritual note, today I am happy to say that we will be able to go to the temple! Our whole district is going as a group and we are all really excited. I've learned so much in the short amount of time I've been here and look forward to learning more. As each day goes by I feel more and more in tune with the spirit, especially as I am exactly obedient. Its amazing how you can wake up at 6:40 and be wasted all day, but when you wake up at 6:30 like your supposed to, you have all the energy you need.
Learning and teaching by the spirit is something that I am learning. Sometimes I get worked up about what to say to "investigators" but when I just trust in the spirit to guide me, everything works out. I am beginning to really love missionary work and know that if I give myself completely to the Lord, he will shape me into the tool he needs, and then use me appropriately.
This is such an important work and am honored to be a part of it. The Lord has offered us so much and it's important that people know that. I feel similar to Lehi when he partook of the fruit. It is delicious to me and I want to share it with everyone.


Love, Elder Tilley

Finally!!

Ryan has been in the MTC a week now and we finally heard from him last night. It sounds like he is adjusting and enjoying himself. It has been much quieter around here since he left, but we miss him like crazy.


Dear Mom and Dad,
How are things going? Things here at the MTC are going very well. I've learned so much in the past week, most importantly that I don't know anything at all. We have great teachers and other resources to help us become great missionaries. My companion is Elder Allen, a 26 year old kid from Jacksonville, Florida. Elder Allen and I have very different personality types and very different ways of approaching things. It's a daily struggle to figure out how to work together, because we don't have anything in common. Learning to love your companion regardless of who they are can be difficult however it's a lesson that must be learned. As far as the rest of our district, the elders are great. Our district leader, Elder Christianson and I get along very well and our district as a whole is pretty close. Our Zone leaders Elder Pelfrey and Elder Forrester (only 2 of 10 Laos speaking missionaries in the world) are really cool guys also. I met a return missionary here who just got back from the New Jersey, Morristown mission and said our Mission President was a great guy. It was nice talking to someone who had just gotten back from there, and it really got me pumped to go out there. In a Large Group Meeting we had the other day, we learned the importance of always believing you can commit others to baptism. It's the small things that make the difference; working longer and better. Being exactly obedient is crucial. If you're doing everything you are supposed to, even following the insignificant rules, everything falls into place and the Lord will bless you. I appreciate the prayers and the support

Love Elder Tilley

And He's Off

Ryan entered the MTC Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 1:15 PM. He will be spending several weeks there before heading to Morristown, New Jersey, where he will spend the next two years. He was very excited, and a little nervous, to go. I think he was ready for all the preparation and shopping to be done.

We spent hours trying to find all the right clothing. He is tall and skinny so it makes it a little hard to find his size, but we finally found everything he needed (I just hope I don't forget to have his bedding shipped to the mission home!)

The weekend before he left was a very busy and emotional one! On Friday night we attended the Temple. My sister Meleah and her family arrived Saturday evening. Ryan gave his farewell talk on Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon Austin was Baptised. Sunday night President Dorius came by to set Ryan apart as a missionary and on Monday afternoon we put Ryan on an airplane to Utah. I am so very grateful to those who were there to share in our special moments.

We are very proud of Ryan and his decision to serve the Lord. We are looking forward to hearing from him and hope to keep this blog updated. Thanks again for all your love and support.

I couldn't sleep at all last night!

I think that I may be more anxious than Ryan is. I just want to know where he is going already!! He is so relaxed about the whole thing. It amazes me.

I ran to the mailbox as soon as I got home. Not today...I really didn't think it would be here, it would be the absolutely earliest we would get it, but I was hoping. So we will wait another day with our fingers crossed.

The guesses are coming in, and there is still time to play along if you would like. Comment you guesses and I will add them to the chart.

Name	Stateside	Foreign
Breana Tilley	Ohio	Samoa
David Tilley	California	Germany
Matthew Tilley	North Dakota	New Zealand
Mikell Tilley	Texas	Russia
Austin Tilley	Tennessee	China
Cameron Tilley	Utah	Australia
Carl Johnson	California(non-English)	Mexico
Meleah Ferguson	Florida	Italy
Laresa Campbell	South Carolina	London, England
Nate Campbell	Farmington, New Mexico	Europe
Jackie Johnson	New York	Holland
Mariah Wickham	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Vladivostok, Russia
Anissa Olsen	Santa Rosa, California	Hong Kong, China
Daniel Ferguson	Ohio	Argentina
Patrea Heath	Washington DC(non-English)	Ghana
Kirsha Quigley	Idaho	France
Braden Olsen	North Carolina (by Duke)	Australia
Alex Campbell	Michigan	Italy
Talena Kerr	Fresno, California	Argentina
Jay Stubbs	Washington	Romania
Sherrie Johnson	Carlsbad, California	Australia
Janet Barton	California	Brazil