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
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
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
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
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
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
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
Monday, October 4, 2010
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
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
Friday, October 1, 2010
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
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
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