Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Are you a Slacker or a Stud?
Happy March 28! Thank you So much for the birthday shout-outs and for the package! The best thing a missionary can receive is a letter full of love and support. I am so grateful to have a family that loves me. I haven't received the other package you sent, but I will eventually. This week has been a good one. I'm really getting excited for General Conference, and to be given council for TODAY. How incredible. I love our prophets who relay to us God's will. What a blessing to live in this dispensation! I feel like I haven't done a very good job of writing you lately, especially about the people we are teaching, so today I will tell you about some of the awesome people we have been sharing the gospel with. First I have to tell you about B. I can't remember how much I have told you about her, but she is one of if not the most prepared person I have ever taught. She is the girlfriend of a recent convert here named J. After the first time we taught her she told J that she wanted to be baptized. She wasn't able to come to church because she had to work every Sunday. Her boss had been a jerk in the past so she prayed for help and was able to get Sundays off. Yay! She loves the gospel and tells us all the time that she can't help but bring it up every time she talks to someone. She talks about it with her family and her friends all the time! She loves temples as well, and wants to go very badly. She loves the message or rather the truth that families can be forever and looks forward to being sealed in the temple. That's the difference between people who progress after baptism and those who don't. The desire to progress, goal setting, and then taking massive action. SOOO important. That's the difference between the slackers and the studs in the church. Anyway, she is set to be baptized on April 10! I am always amazed at how intricate God's plan for us is. A member in the Plainfield branch introduced the gospel to his girlfriend K who was baptized. She then was an example to her friend J who was baptized. He then introduced his girlfriend B who will be baptized in a couple of weeks. All in less than a year. How incredible is that?! God really does have a perfect plan. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. Being a missionary is the best! T just finished his letter to the prophet, but still has a few interviews to go through before we can send the letters off. I wish you could meet him. He's one of the funniest little buggers I've ever met. You really learn to love the crazies as a missionary haha! For some reason they're usually the only ones that will listen. We also started teaching a lady named D who wants to be baptized. We set up a plan with her to stop smoking, so hopefully she will do it. She is very sincere in her desire to change and now we will find out how much real intent she has. She could be baptized in a few weeks if everything works out. Like I said, things are really good. I love being a missionary so very much! There are so many lives waiting to be blessed, so much to learn and gain, so much work to be done. I have learned so many valuable eternal lessons, and still have a lot of time to learn more. I have had experiences that will bless my life forever, and have gained eternal friends. I wouldn't trade being a missionary for the riches of the world, because the eternal rewards are too great. I don't know where I would be if I wasn't here. I know with out a doubt that this is where I am supposed to be, because there isn't a day that goes by that the spirit doesn't witness it to me. Full of love and happiness, Elder Tilley
Friday, March 18, 2011
It's almost Elder Tilley's Birthday!
On March 24th Elder Tilley turns 20! I can't believe how the time has flown by! I know how much he loves receiving mail so I thought that maybe anyone reading this blog could send him a little note with a birthday wish. I know that he will love it and that it will lift his spirit! Thank You for all the support you give him, he has mentioned several times that he feels all the prayers on his behalf. He is not real good at writing back, but I know he loves the letters and packages he has recieved.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Being a Missionary is Always Worth It!
Dearest Family,
This week has been another tough one. Since I've been here, I feel like nothing we do is right. Nothing we ever do is enough. sometimes I think it would be better to just not care because it hurts too much. Then I look back on my own words and I sound like a 13 year old school-girl. Haha! I'm not going to go into detail about the things that make me feel terrible, because I don't want to dwell on it too much. Just know that right now things are not too good. There are little rays of sunshine that penetrate the over-cast sky that is Scotch Plains, so can't complain.
We have had the amazing blessing and opportunity to start teaching J.D.'s (recent convert) girlfriend B. She has recognized right off the bat, the happiness that comes as she lives the principles that we teach her. After the first time we taught her, she told J that she wants to be a member. She is set to be baptized on April 3. She always tells us how happy and how much better she feels about herself since she has been meeting with us. For the most part her testimony has come from reading the Book of Mormon. She has felt it's power each and every time she has read it. We have met with her only 3 times and she already wants the rest of her family to be taught. When she told us this, I shared with her part of Lehi's vision, when he desires to share the fruit with his family. She has little religious background, but is so willing to exercise faith. She is truly one of God's Elect. T, who was supposed to be baptized about a month ago, is working on his letter to the Prophet, so he can get permission to be baptized. Being a missionary is such a blessing. Although times can get tough, it's ALWAYS worth it.
This past week we had leadership training on Thursday and Friday. On Thursday I was really sick and I had to give a training. I'm pretty sure I looked dead but hopefully someone got something out of it. It was weird to be there and be one of the ones running it. I feel like I learned a lot and I know it will help me be a better missionary.
It's starting to warm up out here which is really nice. I'm really excited for the spring so we can enjoy being outside a little more. Everyone says there will probably be one more snow storm, but hopefully not.
Love Elder Tilley
This week has been another tough one. Since I've been here, I feel like nothing we do is right. Nothing we ever do is enough. sometimes I think it would be better to just not care because it hurts too much. Then I look back on my own words and I sound like a 13 year old school-girl. Haha! I'm not going to go into detail about the things that make me feel terrible, because I don't want to dwell on it too much. Just know that right now things are not too good. There are little rays of sunshine that penetrate the over-cast sky that is Scotch Plains, so can't complain.
We have had the amazing blessing and opportunity to start teaching J.D.'s (recent convert) girlfriend B. She has recognized right off the bat, the happiness that comes as she lives the principles that we teach her. After the first time we taught her, she told J that she wants to be a member. She is set to be baptized on April 3. She always tells us how happy and how much better she feels about herself since she has been meeting with us. For the most part her testimony has come from reading the Book of Mormon. She has felt it's power each and every time she has read it. We have met with her only 3 times and she already wants the rest of her family to be taught. When she told us this, I shared with her part of Lehi's vision, when he desires to share the fruit with his family. She has little religious background, but is so willing to exercise faith. She is truly one of God's Elect. T, who was supposed to be baptized about a month ago, is working on his letter to the Prophet, so he can get permission to be baptized. Being a missionary is such a blessing. Although times can get tough, it's ALWAYS worth it.
This past week we had leadership training on Thursday and Friday. On Thursday I was really sick and I had to give a training. I'm pretty sure I looked dead but hopefully someone got something out of it. It was weird to be there and be one of the ones running it. I feel like I learned a lot and I know it will help me be a better missionary.
It's starting to warm up out here which is really nice. I'm really excited for the spring so we can enjoy being outside a little more. Everyone says there will probably be one more snow storm, but hopefully not.
Love Elder Tilley
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
More Elders
Dear Family,
Things are much better with more Elders in the ward! We have had some things finally take place this week that we have been waiting for the whole time I've been here. The Lord is definitely opening up opportunities for us now that we actually have time to accomplish the tasks the Lord has for us.
This Sunday I felt the spirit very strongly and it lasted all day. I had the opportunity to give a blessing to a lady in our ward, and it was the most powerful blessing I've ever had the opportunity to give. We also had a great lesson right after. I felt the spirit working through me very powerfully all day. It was super cool! Things are great out here and I'm so glad to be a missionary! It's the best and I cherish every moment of it.
My brain doesn't seem to be working very well and I don't know what else to say... We did figure out the other day that we're teaching like 6 people who would need the Prophets permission to be baptized. Anyway things are awesome and I love the work! Sorry my letter is so lame... LOVE YA!
Love,
Elder Tilley
Things are much better with more Elders in the ward! We have had some things finally take place this week that we have been waiting for the whole time I've been here. The Lord is definitely opening up opportunities for us now that we actually have time to accomplish the tasks the Lord has for us.
This Sunday I felt the spirit very strongly and it lasted all day. I had the opportunity to give a blessing to a lady in our ward, and it was the most powerful blessing I've ever had the opportunity to give. We also had a great lesson right after. I felt the spirit working through me very powerfully all day. It was super cool! Things are great out here and I'm so glad to be a missionary! It's the best and I cherish every moment of it.
My brain doesn't seem to be working very well and I don't know what else to say... We did figure out the other day that we're teaching like 6 people who would need the Prophets permission to be baptized. Anyway things are awesome and I love the work! Sorry my letter is so lame... LOVE YA!
Love,
Elder Tilley
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Inviting the Spirit
Dear Family,
I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to learn from Elder Bednar. One thing that was really reinforced was not only that I can receive the revelation I need, but that I need to seek it out. This is something that I really intend to make an effort to do. I need to act in a way that invites the spirit in more abundance. I've been so busy "doing", that I've forgotten to take the time to stop, think, and wait for inspiration. To teach is to touch a life forever. This can be done with the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the real teacher, and I need to make sure that He is the one my investigators are learning from. I can't afford to not have the spirit with me at all times. I am really going to focus on softening my heart and letting the Holy Ghost in. Elder Bednar taught many other profound things which have really inspired me.
I have never been let down and had my heart broken as much as I have this transfer. If I could sum this transfer up in one word it would be "struggle". Struggle just seems to surround me. People everywhere are struggling. One of the major insights I have had on my mission is that people really are so fragile. It's been very difficult for me to watch people turn their back on God and abandon him. It seems as if the odds are against people at times, but I know that is not true.
I've watched too many people fall away. This Sunday I had a great experience in sacrament meeting. As I watched a recent convert and a returning less-active speak in sacrament meeting I was filled with relief and joy. I felt the Holy Ghost confirming that there are those who make it. There are those who "press forward with a perfect brightness of hope". There are those who hold to the Iron Rod. There are those who come back. I felt the love of God so strongly that I couldn't help but shed a few tears. It was a great experience.
Nobody in my apartment is being transferred (first time ever for me) which is awesome because our apartment is a lot of fun. For the most part our whole zone is the same. We also found out that they are going to put two more elders in our ward (sigh of relief) so that will make our job A LOT easier. I'm excited to be able to focus on a concentrated area instead of just trying to hold everything together.
Blessings from above!
Love, Elder Tilley
p.s. Mom- the missionaries are not supposed to teach the new member lessons. That defeats the whole purpose of them. The missionaries teach the new member lessons because either no one else will, or no one understands the purpose of them. Yes, we do teach them when no one else will, but we already teach them so it doesn't really make much of a difference. The purpose of new member lessons is so that they can have their learning reinforced, but more importantly to make the transition of being a member smoothly. They need to be fellowshipped and they need to learn that they can rely on the ward for support. Missionaries come and go, but the members will always be there.
I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to learn from Elder Bednar. One thing that was really reinforced was not only that I can receive the revelation I need, but that I need to seek it out. This is something that I really intend to make an effort to do. I need to act in a way that invites the spirit in more abundance. I've been so busy "doing", that I've forgotten to take the time to stop, think, and wait for inspiration. To teach is to touch a life forever. This can be done with the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the real teacher, and I need to make sure that He is the one my investigators are learning from. I can't afford to not have the spirit with me at all times. I am really going to focus on softening my heart and letting the Holy Ghost in. Elder Bednar taught many other profound things which have really inspired me.
I have never been let down and had my heart broken as much as I have this transfer. If I could sum this transfer up in one word it would be "struggle". Struggle just seems to surround me. People everywhere are struggling. One of the major insights I have had on my mission is that people really are so fragile. It's been very difficult for me to watch people turn their back on God and abandon him. It seems as if the odds are against people at times, but I know that is not true.
I've watched too many people fall away. This Sunday I had a great experience in sacrament meeting. As I watched a recent convert and a returning less-active speak in sacrament meeting I was filled with relief and joy. I felt the Holy Ghost confirming that there are those who make it. There are those who "press forward with a perfect brightness of hope". There are those who hold to the Iron Rod. There are those who come back. I felt the love of God so strongly that I couldn't help but shed a few tears. It was a great experience.
Nobody in my apartment is being transferred (first time ever for me) which is awesome because our apartment is a lot of fun. For the most part our whole zone is the same. We also found out that they are going to put two more elders in our ward (sigh of relief) so that will make our job A LOT easier. I'm excited to be able to focus on a concentrated area instead of just trying to hold everything together.
Blessings from above!
Love, Elder Tilley
p.s. Mom- the missionaries are not supposed to teach the new member lessons. That defeats the whole purpose of them. The missionaries teach the new member lessons because either no one else will, or no one understands the purpose of them. Yes, we do teach them when no one else will, but we already teach them so it doesn't really make much of a difference. The purpose of new member lessons is so that they can have their learning reinforced, but more importantly to make the transition of being a member smoothly. They need to be fellowshipped and they need to learn that they can rely on the ward for support. Missionaries come and go, but the members will always be there.
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