Incrível!!!

4/30/12

What a week!!!  SO many things happened!!!  First of all, Titi and Alice were baptized yesterday!!!!  AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!  A day I will never forget.  We have been trying to get Alice in the water for over a month- the whole transfer.  She knows the church is true, she has a testimony, she just didn´t want to change.  Saturday night she texted us at 11:15 saying `I want to be baptized tomorrow´.  I was half asleep and my comp. says Álice will be baptized tomorrow!´ I just grunted and said okay Irmã.  And she said No!  I am serious, look!  We squealed and laughed and couldn´t fall asleep for a little bit.  We have been teaching Titi for 2 weeks and felt really strongly that she would be baptized this week- our Revelado.  She looked like an angel in the white clothes.  I just felt an incredible amount of love for these women.  The love of God.  It was such a sweet, spiritual day.  We also had 10 people in church!!!

We also felt really strongly that Georgina would get baptized this week.  We went to her house almost every day but never could catch her.  She never picks up her phone.  We talked to her daughters and her cousin who lives with them, but we didn´t talk with her until Saturday.  We prepared like crazy.  We prayed and prayed and chucked our fear out and focused on faith.  And a miracle happened!!!  Her heart has been very closed up to this point, and during our lesson with her the Spirit spoke through us.  What really got to her was temples.  It wasn´t until we showed scriptures of temple work in the scriptures that she said One day I will be baptized.  Then we talked to her about getting baptized the next day.  She agreed to have  a baptismal interview on Sunday at least- because she didn´t feel ready, but she never showed and didn´t pick up her phone, and wasn´t home when we came.  But when we were at her house I felt peace and comfort that one day she will get baptized, but not now.  When we leave all doubt behind and have complete faith in the Lord, He can work through us and miracles happen.  It isn´t me or my companion that does anything to convert people, it is ALL the spirit.  I am simply a tool.  I am so grateful for this refiner’s fire.  I am learning so much about listening to the spirit and trusting in the Lord.  I don´t want to have one bit of fear in me.  I cannot think like the world, but see things from Heavenly Father´s perspective.  I want to be like Nephi and just go and do- with faith, never doubting.  

I am so grateful to have this small amount of time with President Torgan.  I am learning SO much from Revelados.  This is the work of God.  I am a literal representative of Jesus Christ.  I am so grateful for this privilege.  I can feel the power of my calling- the power of the spirit work through me.  I am working on being more bold- I am here to bring people to Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and helping them endure to the end.  Barri received the Holy Ghost yesterday!!!  It is amazing to see how much he has changed since his baptism.  Miracles.  He stopped smoking and using drugs in one day.  

Prayers:

Sonia- she will allow us to teach her and she will come to church this Sunday

Jade- read the Book of Mormon and gain a testimony of it

Nênê- she will want to change and come unto Christ

Ana- we can teach her

Lucia- we can teach her and have her come to church

Jorge- open his heart to what Heavenly Father wants him to do

Laurentinho- have courage

Angela- come unto Christ through repentance and change

Georgina- allow us to teach her and gain a testimony of authority

Transfers are next week!  CRAZY!!!  Okay, I thought mother’s day was this Sunday, but in your e-mails it seems like it is in a couple of weeks?  I will call on whatever day it is- I will ask and find out.  Anyway, I don´t know an exact time that we will be able to call, but if I call at a bad time, I can probably call again at a later time.  I have the number Mom gave me and I have Dad´s number and Ali´s cell.  Do I call home, Ali and B-ran, and Ben?  It is so weird- time is flying by!!!  Right now, I am in Odivelas, a suburb of Lisbon.  Portugal is so-so.  We don´t really have language study- we don´t have time, but that is something I want to change.  I talk to my companion all the time though, so that is good practice.  I love you all with my whole heart!!!!  Listen to the Spirit- amazing things will happen.  I absolutely LOVE the scriptures.  I love you love you love you love you!!!!

Irmã Tingey

WOWZA!!!

4/23/12

WOWZA!!!!!  Holy canoli!!!  Mother of pearl!!!  I LOVE THE MISSION!!!!  This week was sooooo HARD but so good. :)  I thought of the song from Man of La Mancha "Impossible Dream"; the part that says "To be willing to march into hell for a Heavenly cause" haha okay maybe a bit over dramatic, but we did in a sense willingly walk into hell this week to help save some souls.  And we/they were blessed!!!  My first BAPTISM was yesterday!!!  Okay, before I go into this story, I need to explain some things about my mission.  It was revealed to President Torgan that in every area of our mission at least one person can/should be baptized every week.  So we have what we call Revelados.  Can´t really directly translate that to English.  What we do is during our weekly planning we pray about who is/ can be prepared to be baptized that following Sunday.  We don´t know, but the Lord does.  So we find out who the Revelados are and we do something every day for them to come unto Christ and prepare for baptism- such as call, visit, etc.  I had been having some trouble understanding that lately but from Zone conference with President Torgan and the assistants this week; I am understanding it a lot better.  It is incredible and intense.  Barri was one of our Revelados.  I learned that if they are a true Revelado, you can´t just give up on them, even if it looks like they won´t make it.  We found Barri on the street.  I am pretty sure he was under the influence of some kind of illegal drug during the first lesson.  But we felt so strongly that he was going to be baptized.  We called and called and went to his house, but we didn´t get to talk to him until Friday.  It was on the phone and he said he didn´t want our help anymore, he doesn´t need help from Christ, etc, I was about ready to hang up but my companion made him promise to talk to us the next day.  The next day we had an INCREDIBLE lesson with one of the Bishop´s counselors.  The spirit was incredible.  Barri truly does want to change, and he has.  He accepted everything.  The spirit re-affirmed very strongly to me that he needed to baptized the next day, Sunday.  So we invited him and he accepted.  He came to church and passed the baptism interview and was baptized in freezing cold water and it was INCREDIBLE!!!!  He is a strong person.  Jesus Christ has touched his life.  I am so happy to have been a tool in the Lord´s hand to bring this gospel to Barri.

Remember that girl I told you about that we ran after to ask again for her phone number?!  That said she didn’t believe God exists, and she only gave us her e-mail?!  SHE CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY!!!!  My mouth dropped to the floor when I saw her.  I was on top of the world!  Ah!!!  Incredible!!!!  i just feel so close to her, like we are best friends already.  After Relief Society she (Sonia) talked to me about the Catholic church and how other churches are different and why ours is special?  In my mind I was wanting to say we can explain later this week to you, my Portuguese is not good, i don´t have my companion by my side (she was helping other investigators- oh did I mention SEVEN people came to church yesterday?!?!?!?!  woohoo!!!!  Opposition in all things.  Hardest week, biggest miracles!) yadda yadda yadda, but the spirit told me very firmly to delve deep and explain.  So i started in Portuguese and then she said she understood English (haha) and so I was able to tell her about the church in English and what we have and how she can find out for herself.  Turns out she read all of the chapter we gave her- Alma 32, and she told me all about what she remembered from it!  Anyways, she asked about temples- very interested in temples, and the spirit was there so strongly and it was simply amazing.  Turns out she doesn´t have any available time to talk to  us because of her job, she only has one Sunday free a month, so that opportunity to talk to her about the gospel was crucial!  She still didn´t want to give us her phone or address, she said she only uses it and gives it to her family, but we will e-mail her.  I have such a good feeling about her.  She wants to know.  She said she would continue to read the Book of Mormon and pray.  AH!!!!! I LOVE THE MISSION!!!!

Every day is an adventure.  Last week we went to go see someone we contacted on the street.  It was night time (Oh!  I haven´t told you, but our schedule is a bit diff. here.  We wake up at 7 and go to bed at 11 because everyone stays up really late and sleeps in.  We see families walking around at 9:30!)  it was night time and we went to his address and guess what?!  He gave us the address to a Jehovah´s Witness building where a meeting was in progress!  He led us right into the Lions den!!!  I laughed my head off.  

Last week I told you about Henrique, well we are not really sure what happened to him.  We called him this week and he was a totally different person.  It was the same phone number, I checked a 100 times, but he just totally changed.  really really sad.  And Georgina- we haven´t been able to really talk to her again.  She is NEVER home.  But we have been talking with the daughters and we are still trying.  the language is coming slowly but surely.  I can understand a lot, but speaking is still blech.  Keep praying for me :)

Fun things about Portugal:  Everyone talks over each other and is extremely bold and up front.  -Sorry if I offend you when I get back.  There are lemon and orange fruit trees EVERYWHERE.  you can park wherever you want, even if it is in the middle of the road- just put your blinkers on and your set.  Everyone hangs their clothes out the window to dry.  The milk comes in cartons and you don´t refrigerate it until before you use it.  don´t know how that works.  I love Portugal so much.

Love you love you love you!!!!

Pray for Georgina, aliu Casaman, Sonia, Titi, Angela, Aissa, and everyone to come to church!!!  (sorry, don´t have time for specifics!)

Tell me about what you are reading in the Book of Mormon! 

Love, Irmã Tingey

We are as the armies of Helaman

4/16/12

BLAST!!!  I only have 10 mins left!!!  THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR LETTERS!!!!!!  They meant soooo much to me, I cannot tell you!!!  I wrote some of you back, and I will write the rest o you next week!!  So many e-mails and pictures- thank you so very very very much!!!!

Okay, quick stories!  Lots of stories, but these are some of  my favorite!~

Henrique:  met him on the street.  had an enormous discussion/lesson with him on Saturday.  He is incredible.  As we were teaching him i thought this guy is the next Bispo!!  Okay, well for a while i was nervous.  He knows his bible extremely well and is so intelligent.  We were able to answer his concerns with scriptures in the bible- took most of the time.  it was necessary for him to begin to except the BoM though.  During the lesson i was extremely frustrated because I wanted to help and say things but I don’t have the vocabulary.  i was reminded by the spirit that this is God´s work.  so I prayed and asked what He wanted me to do, what i could do to help.  I was able to help with scriptures in the Bible and then I felt very strongly to have him read Moroni 10:3-5.  Until that point we had talked about the BoM but not read it.  He read it and.....couldn´t stop reading!!!  He read to vs. 15 or 16!  The spirit came into the room like a bull.  it was incredible.  the spirit and the BoM are the most powerful tool we can use.  He said he would read the book at least  5 times or so, it was amazing!!!  Pray for him!

Prayer list:

Henrique- listen to heart and spirit, not just mind. read BoM

Goergina- read BoM, find out for herself the church is true

Alice- make the commitment to be baptized

Edna-have time from work so we can teach her (ELECT!!!)

Titi- read BoM

Lima- Word of Wisdom

Aliu Casaman- read BoM

Bienvenue- join church for right reasons

Cleu- read BoM

So many amazing people!!! I LOVE being a missionary!!!! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!! I am SOOOO extremely HAPPY!!!!  I love the Lord so much.  Jesus Christ LIVES and loves us!!!!  The Book of Mormon is true.  We are all fighting this war, we as missionaries are on the front lines.  We will succeed.  HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!!

Irmã Tingey

He LIVES!!!

April 9, 2012

Well, Last week I felt like a fish out of water.  This week I feel more like a dolphin in a very small pond- not in sea water yet, but I can breath and move around a little.  The language is pretty frustrating, but coming fast.  Especially because my companion speaks it all the time.  I LOOOOOVE My MISSION!!!!  I am SOOO happy!  There is nothing better than testifying of Christ every day!!

Last Monday I realized I didn´t have enough love for the people here- that was the main thing missing.  <I prayed for love and WOW.  Love is a powerful thing.  It made ALL the difference in the world.  That night we met with Alexandra and her family.  She is eight years old.  Her father Antonio is the only member of the church in the family that was just re-activated.  There is the mother Georgina, sisters Aissa and a baby that I can never pronounce or even know how to say the name, and the mother´s sister who is Muslim- won´t listen to us, and they are taking care of a niece named Anita (her father is in Cape Verde i believe right now.)  I just fell in love with this family.  They are ELECT and ready for the gospel, but all of them just don´t know it yet.  Alexandra wants to be baptized, as does Anita but Georgina won´t let Alexandra to be baptized and Anita´s father in Cape Verde won´t let Anita get baptized.  Aissa is 18 and I KNOW she will get baptized, but I think she looks to her mother and is concerned about already being baptized in the Catholic church.  This family is amazing.  I pray so hard for them every day.  We have been teaching Alexandra, Anita and Aissa all week.  We finally were able to talk to Georgina alone on Saturday.  We taught her the first lesson and the spirit was soooo incredible- I hope she opened her heart to feel it.  I am not sure.  But we invited her to take the discussions for two weeks and set a baptismal date and she agreed she would try!!!!  If she is baptized, then I think the whole family is good to go.  PRAY FOR THEM!!!  I know that with the Lord´s help anything can happen, but they need to choose!!!  GAH!!!  It kills me that people won´t except this true church of God!!!

I want to hear all about the wedding!!  Congrats to Miss Alison Jane Tingey STEWART!!!  And B-Ran Gregory (?) Stewie. AHHHHHH!!!!  And I am going to have a NEPHEW!!!!!!  I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!  CONGRATS BEN AND JACKIE!!!!  I had a very special experience on Friday with the wedding.  I must admit (but don´t worry about me!) I woke up that day and I was sad.  I knelt and prayed and cried it out and then I felt like the Savior was kneeling beside me, patting my back, comforting.  Then I felt all of your love and prayers wash over me- hitting me like a big wave.  Thank you so much.  I am so grateful for that tender mercy.  I got up and I was so happy.  I was filled with joy for Ali and Brandon!  i am so happy we have a new member of the family!  Later that day I felt at total peace.  I was completely content and happy with being a missionary.  It was a special feeling- stronger than I am describing.  It was just peaceful and happy.  i realized later that it was during the time Ali and Brandon were getting sealed.  I KNEW it was the time because I felt it.  What a blessing.  Heavenly Father is watching out for me and helping every step.

Yesterday was wonderful!!!  Actually it was pretty much a roller coaster of emotions for me.  But it was amazing.  We invited TONS of people to church.  However, EVEN though it was Easter!!!!, only 1 came- and we just saw outside the church and invited him to come!  The members are incredible. a small group, but they welcomed me with open arms- thank Heaven.  I was worried about that.  The Bishop invited us over to lunch for Easter.  Long story short, when you obey the rules you are blessed.  For an hour before lunch we tried to find the elect.   We said a prayer and the first girl I saw we ran after.  She doesn´t really believe in God, but she said she would read the Book of Mormon because she didn’t-t feel the spirit that much while reading the Bible.  I know that she will accept this gospel either now or in the future.  She needs this knowledge So badly!  Her name is Sonia.  We asked for her contact info but she didn´t want to give it to us.  She walked away but I had this burning, urging feeling to ask for it again.  We ran after her again and just barely caught her before she went down the stairs to the metro.  We ended up getting her e-mail, but I told her that she was really important to us and God.  I am so glad that we followed that prompting- I know that we were supposed to do that.  We will see what happens!

I am learning to always follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.  It is difficult sometimes, but I urge you to try to do the same.  The Lord will use you to help bless others and what joy comes from that!!!  I have been reading again an MTC talk entitled Becoming a Consecrated Missionary by Tad R. Callister.  I might have mentioned it before, but it is mission changing.  It talks about putting everything you have on the altar of sacrifice.  Totally giving your self to the Lord, to do His will.  This is His work.  I want to do the will of the Lord.  Dad, that e-mail you sent me about sacrificing because  i think that if it hurts it is good, but instead to do the will of the Lord and just work to be my best- I still re-read it.  It helps me so much.  I know the Spirit helped you write it and I am so grateful you could. 

I love being a missionary.  I love testifying.  I know that Jesus Christ LIVES!!!!  HE LIVES!!!!  I testify that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  I testify that we are His children and that He loves us so much.  I am so sad whenever someone doesn´t want to accept the gospel-  how sad Heavenly Father feels when we don´t accept his love.  How sad Jesus Christ must feel when we don´t use His atonement.  I am so happy.  This is the best job EVER!!!  I love you all SOOOO much!!!!  Hurrah for Israel!!

Letters:

Sister Elizabeth Tingey

Portugal Lisbon Mission

Apartado 40054

1500 Lisbon

Portugal

Packages:

Sister Elizabetyh Tingey

Portugal Lisbon Mission

Rua Jorge Barradas 14C

1500-370 Lisboa

Portugal

Send Pictures of the wedding and the baby!!!! :)

Love you!

Irmã Tingey