I received this email from Ryan's Mission President yesterday:
NEW JERSEY MORRISTOWN MISSION
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Brothers and Sisters, parents of missionaries in the New Jersey
Morristown Mission:
First, let me tell you what a privilege it is to serve with your sons
and daughters in this great work of bringing souls to Christ. Without
a doubt, our missionaries are the very best in the entire church.
Thank you for your support of each of them.
As you may know, Hurricane Irene is headed in our direction and is
currently forecast to arrive in the New York/New Jersey area by late
afternoon and evening of Sunday, August 28, 2011, lasting into the
early morning hours of Monday, August 29, 2011. We have alerted all
our missionaries of this impending storm and asked them to prepare
accordingly, including identifying a location to go to for safety,
i.e., a member’s home or one of our church buildings.
Rest assured we are doing everything necessary to ensure the safety of
your missionary son or daughter. We are staying in close contact with
all of them. Please do not call the mission home, the mission office,
or your missionary. Following the passage of the storm, we will send
out another email confirming their safety.
Again, thank you for sharing these wonderful young men and woman with
us. We love them all.
President and Sister Jeppson
The Missionary Moms email group that I belong to is reporting that they are evacuating the missionaries on the coast. Ryan is currently serving 10 - 15 miles inland, so I am not sure if he has been evacuated or not. We are all praying for everyone's safety and we know what an amazing service opportunity this will provide our missionaries. As for my family, we will be watching the news very closely this weekend.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Spanglish?
Hey Family,
I am now in the Caldwell area/ward. I was actually wrong and didn't go to either of the areas I thought I would, because I'm a district leader now instead of a zone leader. It was really weird that I didn't get a call from president to be released or a call that I was being called as a district leader so it kind of threw me off. I'm also in a trio and we're spanglish. We have to cover a whole ward in English and Spanish which is crazy! My companions are Elder Tippetts and Elder Lopez. Elder Tippetts was a brand new missionary last transfer but is a good young missionary. Elder Lopez has only been out two transfers and is from Argentina originally. So I have two super young companions. Because Elder Tippetts is so young he doesn't really know what's going on so I feel kind of like I've just been doubled in. It's been kind of crazy trying to wrap my head around all the changes and figure everything out. Being a zone leader is nice because you always have a companion who is a skilled missionary and who shares in your responsibilities, but not as a district leader. I'm super excited for this transfer though, and this area is AMAZING! Elder Larsen (my trainer), who is now one of the assistants, was here right before me and he did some serious work! Everyone here is obsessed with him and unfortunately he baptized everyone being taught. We are going to have to find a lot of people to teach the next couple of weeks and focus on gaining the members trust. The ward is very supportive and we have some awesome leaders. I was surprised at how amazing our week was even in all the confusion. As far as numbers go, this was one of the best weeks in my mission. It's kind of weird trying to balance the English work and the spanish work but we're figuring it out. Only the three of us live in our apartment and it's a nice one. So far the cities that I know of that we cover are: Caldwell, West Caldwell, Little Falls, Linkoln Park, Montclair, Bloomfield, Bellville, West Paterson, West Orange, and that's all I can think of right now. I'm the district leader over the Paterson Elders so I can go back to my old area on exchanges now! I'll be doing a lot of those... My address is 19 William St (Fl. 2) Little Falls, NJ. Anyway life is soooo good. Most likely they're setting me up to train for like the next 4 transfers but we'll see what happens. Pray for my companions and I. So far we get along well. I'm really going to focus on being patient this week. I think my companions can tell I'm a little frustrated with their lack of experience and getting to know the area. I need to be outwardly positive so I can fill them with confidence. It's weird but I kind of feel like a parent...
Love,
Elder Tilley
I am now in the Caldwell area/ward. I was actually wrong and didn't go to either of the areas I thought I would, because I'm a district leader now instead of a zone leader. It was really weird that I didn't get a call from president to be released or a call that I was being called as a district leader so it kind of threw me off. I'm also in a trio and we're spanglish. We have to cover a whole ward in English and Spanish which is crazy! My companions are Elder Tippetts and Elder Lopez. Elder Tippetts was a brand new missionary last transfer but is a good young missionary. Elder Lopez has only been out two transfers and is from Argentina originally. So I have two super young companions. Because Elder Tippetts is so young he doesn't really know what's going on so I feel kind of like I've just been doubled in. It's been kind of crazy trying to wrap my head around all the changes and figure everything out. Being a zone leader is nice because you always have a companion who is a skilled missionary and who shares in your responsibilities, but not as a district leader. I'm super excited for this transfer though, and this area is AMAZING! Elder Larsen (my trainer), who is now one of the assistants, was here right before me and he did some serious work! Everyone here is obsessed with him and unfortunately he baptized everyone being taught. We are going to have to find a lot of people to teach the next couple of weeks and focus on gaining the members trust. The ward is very supportive and we have some awesome leaders. I was surprised at how amazing our week was even in all the confusion. As far as numbers go, this was one of the best weeks in my mission. It's kind of weird trying to balance the English work and the spanish work but we're figuring it out. Only the three of us live in our apartment and it's a nice one. So far the cities that I know of that we cover are: Caldwell, West Caldwell, Little Falls, Linkoln Park, Montclair, Bloomfield, Bellville, West Paterson, West Orange, and that's all I can think of right now. I'm the district leader over the Paterson Elders so I can go back to my old area on exchanges now! I'll be doing a lot of those... My address is 19 William St (Fl. 2) Little Falls, NJ. Anyway life is soooo good. Most likely they're setting me up to train for like the next 4 transfers but we'll see what happens. Pray for my companions and I. So far we get along well. I'm really going to focus on being patient this week. I think my companions can tell I'm a little frustrated with their lack of experience and getting to know the area. I need to be outwardly positive so I can fill them with confidence. It's weird but I kind of feel like a parent...
Love,
Elder Tilley
Monday, August 15, 2011
Transfers
Dear Family,
I'm being transferred! It's super sad but at the same time I am really excited! I've been here for so long I can't even remember being anywhere else so it's going to be really strange when I arrive at my new area. I'm still a zone leader, so there are only two possible places for me to go. The first place I could go is to the Hightstown area which covers part of the Princeton 2nd Ward. The area covers the cities: Hightstown, East Windsor, West Windsor, Hamilton, Robinsville, twin rivers, plainsborough, Cranberry, Monroe, Monmouth Junction, South Brunswick, Kendall Park, Princeton and Princeton Junction. Yeah... It's a pretty big area, at least for our mission. Elder Breur was there just before he became my companion, so that's how I know so much about it. It's the area that President Eyring lived in when he was young. It's a huge ward, about the size of the Ledgewood Ward. The other place I could go to is the Eatontown area which covers the Eatontown Ward. I don't know too much about that area, but it's down by "the Shore". Redbank is the only other city that I can think of that it covers. It's the zone that is farthest south and it takes forever to get to meetings and conferences from there. Elder Larsen (my trainer) served in Eatontown right after he was my companion. So you can check out the map and know that I'll be in one of those two places before you even hear from me next week. I thought that I was going to be dropped from my zone leader position and was hoping to train, but that's not what the Lord wanted. It's going to be really weird because now I'm one of the older zone leaders even though I still have half of my mission left. Tomorrow is the transfer conference and then I'll be off to a new area.
So how is everything? How's Elder Campbell doing?? I haven't heard about him for a while. He probably only has like one transfer left. Crazy! The mission goes by WAY too fast. I can't believe I already past my year mark. I try not to think about it too much. Anything new with the extended fam?
So this week was pretty amazing. The last couple of weeks we have found some really cool families (of course right before I leave...) The other day we were out walking and a lady named Q. pulled up right beside us in her van and asked, "Are you Mormons?" We responded and as we talked she told us that she loves our church and used to attend in East Brunswick. She was pleased to have us come by and she is interested in learning again. We went over a couple of days later and talked to her mother and her sister. They both said that Q. had nothing but good things to say about our church and they are very interested in learning as well. It was an awesome miracle. It really strengthened my testimony that the Lord will lead prepared people to us. I am grateful that his spirit not only guides us but also those who desire to find truth and happiness. I love all yous guys.
Love,
Elder Tilley
Monday, August 8, 2011
I am so Grateful to be a Missionary
Dear fam
This week has been a great week especially since we had 5 investigators come to church! it was super awesome. I can't believe Laresa met Carter out at the pageant! How did they even make the connection? I don't know what address to give you, because transfers are this upcoming week. I've been here forever so I'll probably get transferred... If you think it will get here before next Tuesday, you could send it to my apartment. I think you have the address. I couldn't really understand what you were asking/saying about it in your letter. It didn't make much sense to me... sorry. President Jeppson just approved the use of Mp3 players so it's a good thing that I held on to the IPod you sent out. I think I'm going to send it back out to you with a list of artists and songs that you could put on it for me. Would that be OK?
We just got back from Rio Rodizio's which is an all you can eat Brazilian Barbecue place. It was so delicious! It's all the way in Newark though, so we still have to go shopping and there isn't much time for me to email. I feel bad when I can't write in detail. Just know that I really love you all and I am having an amazing time being a missionary. I am so grateful to be a missionary in the New Jersey Morristiown Mission. I can't begin to tell you how great of a mission it is. Jay E. Jenson is the 70 over our mission and we received great reports from him about our mission's results thus far this year. Out of the 26 missions in the North Eastern part of the U.S. and Canada which he is over, we are 3rd in total baptisms, 2nd in baptisms per companionship, and 1st in retention. We have so many great missionaries and amazing leaders in this mission! When considering overall obedience, you won't find many better missions. It is such a blessing to be here. Pray for the people here in New Jersey, and pray that we will continue to have success. Many souls are finding light and are on their way to receiving salvation. I love you all!
Love,
Elder Tilley
This week has been a great week especially since we had 5 investigators come to church! it was super awesome. I can't believe Laresa met Carter out at the pageant! How did they even make the connection? I don't know what address to give you, because transfers are this upcoming week. I've been here forever so I'll probably get transferred... If you think it will get here before next Tuesday, you could send it to my apartment. I think you have the address. I couldn't really understand what you were asking/saying about it in your letter. It didn't make much sense to me... sorry. President Jeppson just approved the use of Mp3 players so it's a good thing that I held on to the IPod you sent out. I think I'm going to send it back out to you with a list of artists and songs that you could put on it for me. Would that be OK?
We just got back from Rio Rodizio's which is an all you can eat Brazilian Barbecue place. It was so delicious! It's all the way in Newark though, so we still have to go shopping and there isn't much time for me to email. I feel bad when I can't write in detail. Just know that I really love you all and I am having an amazing time being a missionary. I am so grateful to be a missionary in the New Jersey Morristiown Mission. I can't begin to tell you how great of a mission it is. Jay E. Jenson is the 70 over our mission and we received great reports from him about our mission's results thus far this year. Out of the 26 missions in the North Eastern part of the U.S. and Canada which he is over, we are 3rd in total baptisms, 2nd in baptisms per companionship, and 1st in retention. We have so many great missionaries and amazing leaders in this mission! When considering overall obedience, you won't find many better missions. It is such a blessing to be here. Pray for the people here in New Jersey, and pray that we will continue to have success. Many souls are finding light and are on their way to receiving salvation. I love you all!
Love,
Elder Tilley
Monday, August 1, 2011
Great Things are Happening
Dear Family,
This past week we some great things happen in our area. Although we only found 1 new investigator, we have found some great potential families. We hope to follow through with them this week and start preparing them for baptism and eventually a trip to the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity. There is still much work to do, but I feel that we will see a lot of improvement soon.
After many months of trying to get some support on creating a ward mission plan, we finally have our ward mission leader on board. We had a great coordination meeting and had an inspired brainstorming session. Hopefully the ward council as a whole will be supportive. The missionary work here in Scotch Plains would greatly benefit from a ward mission plan that is implemented. I see great things for the future.
One miracle that we have seen lately is a family that moved in from Utah into our ward. None of them are members, but they are very involved in the church. We taught the father of the family and the rest of his family will be moving here in about a week. We were also able to teach B. again and should be able to meet with her regularly again. She was the one who got baptized but then her family told her they would disown her if she joined the church. They are still not supportive, but at least we can meet with her.
It's the beginning of the month which means we have to set goals and plan out zone meeting. We never have the time we need to prepare as much as we would like, but that's just life I guess. The Mission President usually creates a training schedule each month, which is a basic outline of the things we need to train our zone on, but this month we don't have one. That will require us to take even more time planning it out. It's all good though, we have some great ideas already. Things are going really well. I love my companion, I love my new mission president, life is good. That really stinks that school is already starting back up again. I swear you just told me that school got out. time flies... Love ya all!
Love,
Elder Tilley
This past week we some great things happen in our area. Although we only found 1 new investigator, we have found some great potential families. We hope to follow through with them this week and start preparing them for baptism and eventually a trip to the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity. There is still much work to do, but I feel that we will see a lot of improvement soon.
After many months of trying to get some support on creating a ward mission plan, we finally have our ward mission leader on board. We had a great coordination meeting and had an inspired brainstorming session. Hopefully the ward council as a whole will be supportive. The missionary work here in Scotch Plains would greatly benefit from a ward mission plan that is implemented. I see great things for the future.
One miracle that we have seen lately is a family that moved in from Utah into our ward. None of them are members, but they are very involved in the church. We taught the father of the family and the rest of his family will be moving here in about a week. We were also able to teach B. again and should be able to meet with her regularly again. She was the one who got baptized but then her family told her they would disown her if she joined the church. They are still not supportive, but at least we can meet with her.
It's the beginning of the month which means we have to set goals and plan out zone meeting. We never have the time we need to prepare as much as we would like, but that's just life I guess. The Mission President usually creates a training schedule each month, which is a basic outline of the things we need to train our zone on, but this month we don't have one. That will require us to take even more time planning it out. It's all good though, we have some great ideas already. Things are going really well. I love my companion, I love my new mission president, life is good. That really stinks that school is already starting back up again. I swear you just told me that school got out. time flies... Love ya all!
Love,
Elder Tilley
Monday, July 25, 2011
Families are Forever
Dear Family,
For the second week in a row we have not had a very good week. I can't tell you how bad it feels to look back on the week and see that you fell very short of reaching your goals. We had some bad breaks again, but I'm not going to sit here and make excuses. We should have done better. This is the Lord's time and it must be put to the best use. Fortunately we do have some great things set up for this week, and with great effort and reliance upon the spirit, I am confident that we will have a great week. We need to set a better example for the zone and find prepared people who will progress and make covenants! It has been a struggle the last couple of weeks. I have never worked as hard or put as much effort as I have now in my entire mission, but we aren't seeing the success that we would like. I only pray that it's not because of my weaknesses and short comings that we aren't having more opportunities to build the Lord's Kingdom. It's been very difficult for us to find new investigators. I've spent a lot of time on my knees pleading with the Lord to direct us to the elect. I hope I don't sound too negative, because I don't mean to be. I love this area and I know that great things can happen here. I need to look a little deeper and figure out how we can improve, because we have to do better. There is nothing that will ever stop me from serving the Lord with everything I have. I love him too much and I can't bear to see my brothers and sisters miserable because they don't know how or where to find happiness. This week my companion and I have to kick it into overdrive. There is no room to waste time on good things, we can only afford to do the best things.
So those are kind of my thoughts and feelings right now. I received both the package of shirts and also the package of goodies. Thanks so much! I forgot to tell you that I wear tall shirts, but it's OK, they still fit... barely. How is everything? I haven't heard from you all in a while. I hope life is great. Lately I have pondered a lot about the blessings of the Gospel. They are to numerous to count and when I try I am overwhelmed with gratitude. What a blessing. I have a testimony of many things in the Gospel through experience, but the witness that has been borne to me the most in my life, is the eternal importance of families. There are many things that I don't understand about the gospel but the Lord has blessed me with a great understanding of how a family should be established: only on the principles of the everlasting gospel. There is NO OTHER WAY. You can not receive all that our Father is offering without a family that is sealed in the temple. Not in this life and certainly not in the next. There should be no greater effort put into anything you endeavor to do than the effort you put into strengthening your family. There is no room for anything other than parents who love righteousness. I am grateful for my family and I love you all. Families are forever, but only if you do what is right.
Love Elder Tilley
For the second week in a row we have not had a very good week. I can't tell you how bad it feels to look back on the week and see that you fell very short of reaching your goals. We had some bad breaks again, but I'm not going to sit here and make excuses. We should have done better. This is the Lord's time and it must be put to the best use. Fortunately we do have some great things set up for this week, and with great effort and reliance upon the spirit, I am confident that we will have a great week. We need to set a better example for the zone and find prepared people who will progress and make covenants! It has been a struggle the last couple of weeks. I have never worked as hard or put as much effort as I have now in my entire mission, but we aren't seeing the success that we would like. I only pray that it's not because of my weaknesses and short comings that we aren't having more opportunities to build the Lord's Kingdom. It's been very difficult for us to find new investigators. I've spent a lot of time on my knees pleading with the Lord to direct us to the elect. I hope I don't sound too negative, because I don't mean to be. I love this area and I know that great things can happen here. I need to look a little deeper and figure out how we can improve, because we have to do better. There is nothing that will ever stop me from serving the Lord with everything I have. I love him too much and I can't bear to see my brothers and sisters miserable because they don't know how or where to find happiness. This week my companion and I have to kick it into overdrive. There is no room to waste time on good things, we can only afford to do the best things.
So those are kind of my thoughts and feelings right now. I received both the package of shirts and also the package of goodies. Thanks so much! I forgot to tell you that I wear tall shirts, but it's OK, they still fit... barely. How is everything? I haven't heard from you all in a while. I hope life is great. Lately I have pondered a lot about the blessings of the Gospel. They are to numerous to count and when I try I am overwhelmed with gratitude. What a blessing. I have a testimony of many things in the Gospel through experience, but the witness that has been borne to me the most in my life, is the eternal importance of families. There are many things that I don't understand about the gospel but the Lord has blessed me with a great understanding of how a family should be established: only on the principles of the everlasting gospel. There is NO OTHER WAY. You can not receive all that our Father is offering without a family that is sealed in the temple. Not in this life and certainly not in the next. There should be no greater effort put into anything you endeavor to do than the effort you put into strengthening your family. There is no room for anything other than parents who love righteousness. I am grateful for my family and I love you all. Families are forever, but only if you do what is right.
Love Elder Tilley
Monday, July 11, 2011
I Love my New Mission President
Dear Family,
So transfers are tomorrow, but neither I nor my companion are being transferred. That means I'm starting my 5th transfer in Scotch Plains. At the very least I will be here for 7 and a half months. I'm very excited though, because we have a lot of great things happening here right now. I also really love working with my companion, so life is great! Today my companion and I have the special opportunity of meeting the new missionaries coming in and are going to be present at the "fear buster". We (experienced missionaries) will each pair up with one of the new missionaries and walk around in the middle of Newark and contact people like crazy! It's supposed to help them get over their fear of talking to random people and show them by example that we are here to work. When I came out I didn't have this opportunity because of the fiasco with the flight being booked wrong so I'm super excited!
The 4th of July was a regular work day for us. We were given the option to go watch fireworks and get back late, but it just didn't appeal to my companion and I. We need our rest so we can work to our full capacity. We did hear fireworks as we tried to fall asleep though...
Our trip to the Temple was excellent as always. I really have grown to love the Manhattan Temple so much. It's sad that we aren't able to go more often so we always cherish each of the 4 temple trips we are allowed to go on. It's so strange to walk through New York in all of its chaos and noise and then enter the Temple which is completely polar opposite. It's like walking from Babylon right into Zion with no time in between. It's pretty awesome.
This week we finally met our new mission president and his wife and they are AMAZING!!!! I was blown away. I've never been so empowered in my life after the meeting we had with them. I know that he's going to take things to the next level and we are going to see some incredible miracles! He's very funny, musically talented and a spiritual giant. He was in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and loves to play the guitar. He even played and sang to us at the meeting. I don't know if you know who Alex Boye is but their daughter is married to him. After his musical number he told us about himself and his life. It was really neat the way he taught us as he was telling us about himself. He and his brother were very close growing up and were about the same age difference as Matthew and I. When he was 17 his brother went on a walk and never came home. He assumes that he came across the path of "an evil one" as he put it, but whatever happened his brother was never found. while serving his mission he had a really neat experience with his mission president where he was able to find out that his brother had in fact passed on. Shortly after his brother's death, his father committed suicide. When he was finally about to serve a mission, he found out that he had malignant cancer in his leg and the doctors gave him 60 days to live. He opted to have his leg amputated and eventually was able to serve a mission. Later in life his second oldest son was stung by a bee at a church softball game. They didn't know that he was allergic and unfortunately he passed away. He's faced some serious trial in his life and the whole time he talked about prayer and how in each of these circumstances he prayed for a miracle or for things to work out and never did they turn out the way he would have liked. The whole theme of the meeting was trusting the Lord. He said that after his leg was amputated he was filled with anger and bitterness, but as he laid there for weeks and weeks he prayed over and over again to know if God even existed. Slowly he was able to see the light and gain a testimony that he had a loving Heavenly Father. What I've written is kind of all over the place and just can't do it justice, but it was so amazing. He was a Patriarch for 10 years which has allowed him to become so spiritually sensitive. He can look into your soul when he looks in your eyes. It's pretty crazy. Anyway I already love he and his wife sooo much.
I have so much more to talk about but unfortunately I have to get going because there is a member in our ward who has a Karate place and we're going over so he can train us. It's going to be a lot of fun.
Love,
Elder Tilley
So transfers are tomorrow, but neither I nor my companion are being transferred. That means I'm starting my 5th transfer in Scotch Plains. At the very least I will be here for 7 and a half months. I'm very excited though, because we have a lot of great things happening here right now. I also really love working with my companion, so life is great! Today my companion and I have the special opportunity of meeting the new missionaries coming in and are going to be present at the "fear buster". We (experienced missionaries) will each pair up with one of the new missionaries and walk around in the middle of Newark and contact people like crazy! It's supposed to help them get over their fear of talking to random people and show them by example that we are here to work. When I came out I didn't have this opportunity because of the fiasco with the flight being booked wrong so I'm super excited!
The 4th of July was a regular work day for us. We were given the option to go watch fireworks and get back late, but it just didn't appeal to my companion and I. We need our rest so we can work to our full capacity. We did hear fireworks as we tried to fall asleep though...
Our trip to the Temple was excellent as always. I really have grown to love the Manhattan Temple so much. It's sad that we aren't able to go more often so we always cherish each of the 4 temple trips we are allowed to go on. It's so strange to walk through New York in all of its chaos and noise and then enter the Temple which is completely polar opposite. It's like walking from Babylon right into Zion with no time in between. It's pretty awesome.
This week we finally met our new mission president and his wife and they are AMAZING!!!! I was blown away. I've never been so empowered in my life after the meeting we had with them. I know that he's going to take things to the next level and we are going to see some incredible miracles! He's very funny, musically talented and a spiritual giant. He was in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and loves to play the guitar. He even played and sang to us at the meeting. I don't know if you know who Alex Boye is but their daughter is married to him. After his musical number he told us about himself and his life. It was really neat the way he taught us as he was telling us about himself. He and his brother were very close growing up and were about the same age difference as Matthew and I. When he was 17 his brother went on a walk and never came home. He assumes that he came across the path of "an evil one" as he put it, but whatever happened his brother was never found. while serving his mission he had a really neat experience with his mission president where he was able to find out that his brother had in fact passed on. Shortly after his brother's death, his father committed suicide. When he was finally about to serve a mission, he found out that he had malignant cancer in his leg and the doctors gave him 60 days to live. He opted to have his leg amputated and eventually was able to serve a mission. Later in life his second oldest son was stung by a bee at a church softball game. They didn't know that he was allergic and unfortunately he passed away. He's faced some serious trial in his life and the whole time he talked about prayer and how in each of these circumstances he prayed for a miracle or for things to work out and never did they turn out the way he would have liked. The whole theme of the meeting was trusting the Lord. He said that after his leg was amputated he was filled with anger and bitterness, but as he laid there for weeks and weeks he prayed over and over again to know if God even existed. Slowly he was able to see the light and gain a testimony that he had a loving Heavenly Father. What I've written is kind of all over the place and just can't do it justice, but it was so amazing. He was a Patriarch for 10 years which has allowed him to become so spiritually sensitive. He can look into your soul when he looks in your eyes. It's pretty crazy. Anyway I already love he and his wife sooo much.
I have so much more to talk about but unfortunately I have to get going because there is a member in our ward who has a Karate place and we're going over so he can train us. It's going to be a lot of fun.
Love,
Elder Tilley
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