I Couldn't Do it Without God's Help

Hello Family

Happy Mother's Day!!... in a week. I am SO excited to talk to all of you! I'm not sure when I'll be able to call yet, but it will probably be like Christmas. Hopefully I will be able to call you the night before and tell you when I'll call. We shall see. Sounds like you had a crazy/fun weekend. I didn't realize it was Christmas time already, but whatever. I know you love TSO (a little too much). Life is good out in Dirty Jerz. It's starting to get hot and it rains like every day. The summer will soon be here and then I get to enjoy the scorching heat. Yay. I'm going to send two memory cards and a couple of CD's full of pictures and videos, so get excited! I know it took forever and I feel terrible but I do what I can.

Things are not going too well as far as missionary work is concerned. Pretty much everyone we were teaching either moved, fell back into drugs or is avoiding us. When I say everyone I literally mean everyone except two people. It all happened in about a week so we're pretty much starting at ground zero. Oh well, we keep working.

B is having troubles with her family right now. They were fine with her meeting with us and even getting baptized, but Satan has worked really hard on them. She hasn't been confirmed yet, because her family hasn't let her go to church since she was baptized. Her mom told her that if she joins the church she has to leave and they won't pay for her college or anything anymore. She said they wouldn't have anything to do with her anymore and they will disown her. She has great faith and is willing to leave everything behind for the church, but that is kind of a last resort decision, so she's hoping everything will calm down and that her family will be reasonable.

"Everything that can go wrong will go wrong" should be the slogan in this area. Nothing surprises me anymore, and I automatically assume the worst. It REALLY stinks. It's nearly impossible to get referrals from members and they only get involved when asked. I have been here for quite some time and I feel as if I've tried everything I could and still nothing changes. The ward is still lacking excitement. and due to neglect by previous missionaries there hasn't been really anything recorded in the area book, so there is nothing to really work with. We need to find new investigators but all we can do is knock doors because that's the only option we have and are given. So we truck on doing the most unproductive thing you can do as a missionary.

Ward units not functioning properly is nothing new, but for as big as the ward is it should be run a lot better. It's hard to get along with my new companion, for some reason we just don't click. We are very different and because of the lack of success we are having right now, we have an even harder time getting along. Being here has been one of the greatest trials in my life. It's hard to have so many negative things going on and still stay positive. I know that I couldn't do it without God. When I get on my knees and talk to my Heavenly Father before I go to sleep, I feel his reasuring love. Very often that is the only good thing I experience all day. I find myself thinking often thinking of Moroni who watched a whole nation perish. He was constantly surrounded by terrible things and yet he always had his Father in Heaven. I hope you don't think I'm depressed or anything like that, because I'm not. I love life and I love being a missionary! Right now we're focusing on getting the ward excited. For whatever reason there are a lot of reserved people here. LAME. The root of the problem are the leaders in the ward. Just to give you a taste, our Elders Quorum President has us come home teaching with him every month and expects us to set up the apointments with the families he teaches. He literaly leans on us to do home teaching and he's the Elders Quorum President! One of the recent converts here is supposed to be home-taught by a member of the Bishopric but never has. This is not a recent convert who fell away and is avoiding the church. This is a recent convert who is more active than any of the members here. He wants to learn and continue to progress in the church SO badly, and hasn't ever been home taught. An active member of the Bishopric living beneath his Priesthood privelages. How sad. Anyway, I love you lots and can't wait to talk to you! Love you all!

Love Elder Tilley