Feliz Natal Para Todos!!!

12/24/12

FELIZ NATAL FAMILIA!!!!

Wow, I absolutely LOVE this time of year!!!  We were able to fulfill one of my Christmas wishes last night- caroling on the street-  in the center of the old city!  I was in charge of the pass along cards so anyone who would stop or I felt to talk to, I would leave the group and contact them!  It was SOOO FUN AND AWESOME!!! This one older woman sang with us and I think we made her Christmas :)  I was asked to give a talk yesterday for Christmas and I felt that I should talk about one of the experiences I had in Israel.  I talked about when we visited the shepherd’s field outside of Bethlehem and how we were able to find our own spots and sit and ponder.  I thought about how the shepherds were the only ones humble and worthy enough to receive the visit from the angels and how they accepted the invitation to come to Christ.  And then I thought about the angels and who they were.  And then it hit me- it was me.  It was us!  We were the hosts in heaven singing praises and glory to God!! Think of how excited we were that first Christmas- watching from Heaven the birth of Christ!  How we wanted to share our joy with the whole world!!!  Think of that joy and excitement- that the Savior was born and he would make it so we could return to our Heavenly Father again!  Think of that feeling and keep it and then share it with the whole world!  CHRIST WAS BORN!!!!!!  He lived and He died for us! I am so full of happiness and joy and gratitude!!!  I know that Jesus Christ LIVES!!!!  I LOVE this time of year!!!  I am so grateful to truly be giving Christ everything i have this year.  I am so grateful to be serving the people here in Portugal and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I wouldn´t want to be anywhere else and I know my family would agree- that this is where I should be and I am sooo grateful!!!!  I LOVE this work, I love the Savior.  Merry Christmas to all!!! I am so excited to talk to you family tomorrow!!!  It will be around 2 or 2:30.  Hope that works for you.  I have a phone card as back up. :)  I love you all with my whole heart!!! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!

Irmã Tingey!

sorry this is short, the computer place will close soon- but ill talk to you tomorrow!!! woah!!!!

Sagrada Missão, Precisamos Cumprir

12/17/12

Feliz Natal!!! almost!!!

We had our Mission Christmas Conference on Tuesday that was just incredible.  We woke up at 4:55 am and got on a train at 6:07 and traveled all the way to Lisboa- picking up missionaries all along the way.  By the end our train car was practically filled with black tags.  We got to Lisboa and then got on the metro to then get on another train.  We had our party in Oeiras.  The chapel was filled with the whole mission (minus the island missionaries- so glad I am on the continent for Christmas) and a Seventy, some stake Presidents and of course our beloved mission president and his wife.  The talks were amazing- I felt the spirit of Christmas, or the spirit of our beloved Savior- of whom we are here to testify of.  I felt His love for us and received some really amazing personal direction and comfort.  Sister Fluckiger had the parents write to their missionary and she gave us 10 mins to read our letters.  Thanks Mum and Dad!!! Of course I cried- I really appreciate your sweet testimonies.  It is harder to not think of home during the holidays- you are all in my thoughts a lot.  I sure miss you all, but I am so happy to be on a mission in Portugal-my home for this time.  And before I forget, thank you sooo much to the package sent from the ward!!! I think it might have been the YSA branch, but thanks soo so so much!!!  I especially love the Cadbury hot chocolate.  hmmm.  We at some delicious food- the Portuguese special baculhão com natas.  It was so fun to talk to all the other sister missionaries and elders from my districts and zones in the past.  We just lift each other up- we are all going through similar if not the same things.  What a big family!!!  I especially loved when we all stood in a circle and sang at the top of our lungs Called to Serve (Chamados a Servir).  I love this mission.  I love our purpose.  I love being a representative of Jesus Christ and testifying of Him all the time.  I am so lucky to be able to serve people 24/7.  This is the best work in the world!!!  I LOVE this time of year- peoples’ hearts are especially soft and open.  I can feel the Love of the Savior more and more for myself and for everyone around me.  Family- I was planning on sending you all personal letters for Christmas, but I won´t have time unfortunately.  You might get them a couple weeks late.  But I am excited to talk to you all!  

During my studies of the four gospels, I have learned a lot and have grown closer to my Savior.  A scripture that hit me and that I have pondered on a lot is Matthew 11:29- ´Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly n heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.´ This is a theme for the mission and for life.  I have learned more about taking His yoke upon me on my mission more than ever before.  When I read this scripture I first thought ´What does it mean to take His yoke upon myself?´ Thoughts that came to my mind was we meet Christ half way.  We give all we can to Him.  We take His yoke upon us when we comfort someone, teach someone, have patience with someone, forgive, love someone, humble ourselves, try to be our best and esp. repent- take His sacrifice upon ourselves- to use it.  In short we take his yoke upon us when we do something he would do and we try to follow him.  The more we take his yoke and do what he would do- have experiences like His, the more we learn of him- we are blessed to have trials and be chastened.  The more we draw close to him- the more rest we have in our souls.  Sometimes it seems harder to take His yoke and learn of him, but it is the only way to bring rest unto our souls.  He allows us to feel more weight sometimes because we get stronger and feel even more closer to him.  During this study of the four gospels I have come to see Jesus Christ in a couple of diff. lights than I had before.  I first focused on the kind of missionary he is.  And through that I saw his love in a diff. light.  I always knew he is loving, but he loves us enough to chasten us and to mold us.  He loves us enough to share the load- to share the yoke so that we can become strong and so that we can grow and learn with him always at our side.  I testify that Jesus Christ lives and he loves us enough to let us take upon ourselves his yoke.  Let´s do so with joy and gratitude in our hearts!  Like Dad said, if it wasn´t for the death, the birth wouldn´t signify anything.  

Just a fun story- yesterday at church I talked to our recent convert Cristina.  She said that she wasn´t feeling well that morning and didn´t want to go to church.  but her daughter, catarina, who also was baptized, said that she knew that Satan didn´t want them to go and she wouldn´t let him win- they had to fight and go to church.  So that sweet girl made her mom breakfast and got her our of bed and they walked 30 mins in the rain and got to church.

I love this work.  I love our Savior.  I testify that he was born, he lived, he died, and he lives again.  Feliz Natal everyone!!!  I love you with my whole heart.  Hurrah for Israel!!!

Irmã Tingey (Irma Peterson hasn´t gotten her tag yet, so we are the official last irmas in the world right now. haha)

FELIZ NATAL!!!

12-10-12

Well, in the Portugal Lisboa Mission, it is Christmas tomorrow- we are all heading to Lisboa for a big mission party!  woohoo!!!  Our train in Braga leaves at 6:07 in the morning and we will be traveling for four hours.  I am so excited to see all my mission buds and President and Irmã Fluckiger!!!

I can´t remember if I told you all last week, but the zone leaders who we shared the ward and area with both got shipped out for transfers and now the zone leaders are in a different area and we are just with the new district leader and his GREENIE!!! yes so much fun.  We tried to play a joke on them with some awesome members but the members couldn´t keep straight faces and burst out laughing.  Elder James, our district leaders is super cool- it is his last transfer- AH!!! He looks SOO much like Ben it is crazy!!!  And he acts a lot like him too- sometimes I feel like I am serving a mission with my brother. and Elder Beddes (greenie) is hilarious- he is from Wyoming and a total cowboy.  And the work is moving forward!  We (it wasn´t actually our baptism technically, but we helped teach him) had a baptsim yesterday of a guy named Paulo who is also hilarious.  He speaks a little English and is always dancing and singing ´They tried to make me go to re-hab but I said no no no!` hahaha.  What a hoot.  Cristina and Catarina were confirmed yesterday and it was so wonderful!!!  I am not sure if I have already said this too, but yes I like baptisms but my favorite part of the whole baptism package is when people receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Every time you can just feel the spirit woosh into the room and it goes through you from head to toe.  I LOVE IT!!!  This is so the true church its insane.  Last night we all four missionaries were visiting some members and we all four got into the tiny elevator.  the elevator got stuck.  Needless to say it was some good district bonding time. hahahaha.  

The Lord calls us and qualifies us for the work.  The Lord could call any of us to do things, but the fact is He chooses us for specific things.  He gives us opportunities to learn and grow closer to him.  Something that I have learned a lot about this week is service- how important service is.  To really forget yourself and go to work.  Small things make the difference.  President Fluckiger gives us scriptures to memorize every month and last months was Acts 10:38; ´How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with Power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.´  God anointed Jesus Christ for His work with the Holy Ghost and with Power.  And then Jesus Christ went about doing good.  Sometimes we are worried about doing our job right, if we are listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, etc., but if we are called to the work and we go about doing good- we will do what Heavenly Father wants us to do.  We just need to go about doing good.  This months scripture is D and C 6:33-34.  I also really like verse 36- ´Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not.´ 

My heart is so full of gratitude to be here serving the Lord.  I love this country, I love this people, I love my comp., I love this ward, I love my mission President and his wife, I love everything about this work.  I am grateful for my trials, i am grateful for the refiners fire, I am grateful to be able to watch the atonement change peoples’ lives.  I am grateful to testify about my Savior Jesus Christ every single day, I am grateful to serve everyone around me, I am grateful for scripture study every day, I am grateful for answered prayers, for covenants, for family, for friends.  I love the Christmas season.  I love my mission!!! I love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  I love you all with my whole heart.  Stay strong- everyday is a fight and we can´t let any big or small influence bring us down.  LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!!!! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!!

com muito amor, 

Irmã Tingey (I am guessing this is my last time signing off as Irmã Tingey :(  but sister is cool too I guess :) hahaha)

TWO BAPTISMOS!!!

12/3/12

WE HAD TWO BAPTISMS YESTERDAY!!!!!  Catarina and Cristina.  (mom and daughter)  And the Elders also had two baptisms so there were four people all in lovely white and it was soooo amazing!!!  The spirit was so strong!  I stood with Catarina and Cristina at the girls bathroom door that opens to the font watching the first two baptisms and we were in a group hug and I just felt so much love and absolute heavenly JOY!!!!  It was so special.  I love those two so very very much!  The ward was a great support and there was TONS of food!  haha.  Baptisms are the BEST!!!!  Such a piece of Heaven!  This is the baptism I have felt the most peace.  -because before every baptism we missionaries stress, well at least all the ones I have talked to- just to make sure everything goes well, etc etc. but this baptism I wasn´t worried about anything- I knew everything would be just fine.  It was actually crazy getting to the baptismal date- let me tell you about it.  So we had marked Cristina and Catarina for baptism last week, but the whole first part of this past week we haven´t been able to talk to them. So Thursday we finally talked to them, but the problem was we still had to teach them most of the lessons.  We talked to them about their baptism and they were SOO excited- so filled with fire.  We told them that we had to teach them a lot and we needed to make sure they understood and accepted everything and had a testimony so they could choose to have us teach them a ton in the next two days before their interviews or we could go at a slower pace and wait till next Sunday.  They were soo adamant and so excited about being baptized that Sunday it was incredible!!  ` NO, no, we want to be baptized THIS Sunday!!!´ So we taught and taught and talked and it was soo amazing- they have SOOO much FAITH!!!!  Probably the most faith I have ever seen in an investigator.  They are truly changing their lives the way the Savior wants them too.  So they were well prepared before the baptisms- they read and studied on their own also- they are just golden golden golden!!!  I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!!

We got the transfer call last night and me and Irmã Peterson are staying in Braga!!! YAY!!!!  But the Elders are leaving- a new elder is coming with a greenie heehee.  I have been reading a lot in the war chapters of Alma and I love them- they are all about strategy and using your best judgement and faith to do what is right and to follow God.  Those people and also the pioneers were tested so much physically.  One of my past comp. shared with me a story about a man that the Lord told that all He wanted him to do every day is to push against this huge boulder in his front yard.  So everyday from sun rise to sun down this man would push and push and push.  This went on for years.  After a while Satan decided to enter the picture and tell the man that he was never going to move the rock, that he wasn´t strong enough and he is wasting his time and he might as well quite now.  The man got frustrated and talked to the Lord about it.  The Lord said ´My son, you have pushed the rock- this is all I asked you to do.  And now look at yourself- your arms, legs, and back muscles are strong, you are lean and sinewed.  I never asked you to move the rock, and because you have done what I asked you, I my son, will now move the rock.  I love that story because we all have challenges and trials and we work so much on moving the problems out of our lives, when really maybe what the Lord just wants us to do is to accept them and find the happiness in the moment- maybe we can´t move it even if we try.  But if we turn to the Lord, and do all we can, He will move it for us.  

I am learning soooo much here on the mission.  It is extremely hard.  Sometimes I feel like I am pushing against a rock for no reason.  But I know that I am doing my best to do what the Lord asks of me and I have seen Him move rocks.  I am so grateful for these opportunities.  For these rocks- because I am a lot stronger than I was, and I have grown a lot closer to my Savior Jesus Christ.  I love the mission.  I love my Savior.  I testify that He lives and loves you.  I love you all so much!!! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!!

Irmã Tingey

BAPTISMO!!!

11/27/12

I am very, very sorry I wasn´t able to write yesterday, some emergencies happened, but they are better today.

Wow, Satan REALLY, REALLY attacks when something wonderful is going to happen.  This week was tough, I mean t-o-u-g-h.  Thank you so much for the letters!!!  I am so sorry I am behind in writing people back, but I promise I will!!!  Anyways, we had a baptism- Joaquim was baptized.  FINALLY!!!  He was so ready but Satan also attacked him and he wasn´t able to keep with compromisos so his date was set back and yadda yadda yadda but he was able to enter the waters of Baptism and make that amazing, special, sacred covenant with God.  He was SO HAPPY!!! And I was too!!!! hahaha.  The spirit was very strong.  Wow Joaquim was really a miracle.  Well, I want to tell you some things that I have felt this transfer.  This transfer has been the hardest ever.  But I have never felt closer to my Savior in my life.  I have never prayed so hard and so sincerely in all my life either.  It is so interesting that the Lord knows us so well, he puts us exactly where we need to be and doing what we need to be and with the people we need to be to learn what we need to learn to become who He wants us to become.  I have a testimony of that.  Trust in the Lord.  Give yourself to Him.  And how Ali wisely reminded me- sometimes we just need to give Him the wheel.  I am so grateful for all that I have been through to get to know the Savior better like I have.  I received an incredible blessing from my Zone Leader and in the blessing it said that Jesus Christ is my best friend.  I am glad that the Lord loves us enough to allow us to feel bad so that we can repent and change and come unto Him.  I testify that each and every one of us is loved, more than we can imagine, of our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. I testify that the Atonement is real.  Christ died and suffered all for us- not to only wipe our sins away but to take upon himself our sufferings and hardships.  I read an amazing talk from Elder Bednar in a Liahona entitled ´The Atonement and our mortal lives or something of that and he said that we can´t pray to change or circumstances, but we can pray to become strengthened to bear what we need to bear.  To shrug off the natural man and come unto Christ.  Pray always that ye may come off conqueror. (D and C 10:5- love it.)  I am very sorry that again, I have written a short e-mail, but I love you all with my whole heart!!!  We have a mom and her daughter marked for baptism this Sunday!  Please pray for them- Cristina and Catarina.  Also pray for Allan, Maria, Vivian, Bruno, and Joaquim.  Also pray for me and my companion.  LOVE YOU!!!!

Irmã Tingey

PS- we are going to be moving apartments so don´t send me anything to the old address!  Ill let you know what the new address is when we find out.  

Parabéms Benjamin!!!!

11/19/12

Parabéms Benjamin!!!!  You are so awesome!!!! I miss sharing my birthday with you, but I am glad Jackie and Ian are keeping you company. :)  Hope you got my card!  LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!!!!!

Okay, I haven´t read any of the e-mails yet because I wanted to make sure that I wrote a good letter this week- but I saw all of them and my mouth dropped!!! Thank you for all the e-mails and the cards!!! I have the best family EVER!!!!!  So yes, it was my birthday yesterday.  And seriously I kind of forgot about it the whole week until Saturday night and then I thought Óh, I turn 22 tomorrow... woohoo!!´ hahaha.  But Everyone in church was so sweet- I hadn´t told anyone except one family and my comp. but throughout all of church the word spread like wild fire and everyone wished me a Feliz Anniversario!  I felt very loved.  For lunch we ate at the ex-Bishops house and we ate cheesecake!  yum!  And at night we went to Jorge and Carina’s house- our family here- like our older brother and sister and they made me cake and the elders came (we have the zone leaders serving in our ward)  And they sang a birthday song which i guess is from the Simpsons and it was hilarious.  I opened my presents and they were WONDERFUL!!! I felt sooo loved and I was soooo happy!!!  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!  My birthday was quite a special one that I will never forget!

This week was full of miracles!!!  One night me and Irmã Peterson were sitting in the church- our appointment that we were going to meet there had just fallen through and we were really sad and frustrated but then someone called us- Alice- and she asked if she could talk to us. (no one EVER calls us!)  And we said how about right now?!  And she said tão bem.  And so we went over there and she is so ready for the gospel it is insane- she started crying and saying how she wants to have faith.  She doesn´t really believe in God, she doesn´t believe in Christ or the Bible and at first I was like uh....where do we start?  How do we help her get that testimony?!  But the spirit told us what to say.  A different day we were walking trying to find someone from the area book and we passed an apartment building with the main door wide open- unusual, and Irmã Peterson said it’s a sign!  So we went in, I picked floor number 2 and when we got there we said a prayer to find someone ready for the gospel.  Irmã Peterson choose the door and we met Allan.  Let’s just say he is golden.  The spirit told me EXACTLY what to say to him and it was incredible!!!  One thing he asked us was, why a mission?  And I explained that we don´t receive any money, we leave our families, school, friends, everything behind, and all this because we know for ourselves that these things are true and we want to share this message of happiness with the whole world!!!!  And he said tão bem, I need Jesus and happiness right now in my life.  YES!!!!!!  Another experience this week was with a member who was having a hard time and a scripture came to my mind and it made the biggest difference for her.  I am so grateful to be an instrument in the Lord´s hands!!! It is the best feeling in the world and I am SOOO GRATEFUL to be doing this work.  I LOVE being a missionary!!!  i love the Lord´s work so much and I am so happy to be here.  Something that we are always striving to do is become like Jesus Christ, is it not?  And in PMG it has this great section about the attributes of Christ.  At the end of the chapter it has a quiz you can take to see how you are doing with each attribute.  This time when I did it, I decided to star all the ones where I rated myself as a 3 or lower and I wrote one of those on each day of my planner.  I invite you to someone do this- work on one of these steps to gain these attributes everyday and I promise you will see a difference in your life and the Lord will help you and bless you to better in these areas.  Another adventure this week- we went to a recent converts house for lunch (she is from Angola) and she fed us chicken and rice.  HOLD UP!!!- the rice was cooked in chickens blood and she put a chickens foot on me and Elder Goviers plate- we were the lucky ones.  The rice was actually pretty good, but I was totally wigged out with the chicken foot and couldn´t eat more than a little bit.  The mission is just full of awesome adventures!!!!  We just had a Thanksgiving celebration with our district in our church building- so fun!  The cooking was not like mom´s, but we did our best.  We also had a ward party on Saturday night- a magusto- a Portugal tradition fiesta where they eat chestnuts.  It was a huge success!  We had 5 investigators there!  I had the impression at the beginning of the party to call one of our investigators (who by the way is AMAZING!!!  They will be baptized soon!  Cristina is the mom and Catarina is the daughter) and I went on a division with a member and we went and picked them up from their house and brought them to the chapel and the members talked to them a ton and at one point I was talking to Cristina and she asked me the same question as Allan- why a mission?  And I told her and she started to cry and told me what a difference we are making for her and her daughter and how she feels so good in the church and how this is the right path.  I was all HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!  I was SOOO happy!!! I was just walking on air after that party with all the members that talked to our investigators- everyone I introduced someone too were such great friends to them and now they had such a great support system and people that will help look after them!  Members are SOOO important!!!  I have really started focusing on working a lot with the members. It is the best way to go.

Well folks, now I am going to read your e-mails and I am so excited!!!  I love you all with my whole heart!!! Seriously I do.  And I do miss you more esp. around the holidays, but I really love it here on my mission.  There is no better place I could be.  I fit here.  This is what I should be doing.  Alice is another one of those special, rare people that I feel like I promised in the pre-existence that I would help her get the gospel in her life.  I am so blessed.  Jesus Christ LIVES!!! His church has been restored!!!!  We have a living prophet!!!  This gospel is SOO WONDERFUL!!!  The book of Mormon is true.  LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!!! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!!

Irmã Tingey

The God of Israel Leads the Camp

11/12/12

Hey Family- I am sorry, I feel like I failed you guys- I won´t be able to write hardly anything, but I’ll do my best with the time I have left!- next time I’ll write my e-mail for everyone first!

Okay please pray for Maria, Joaquim, Daniela, Catarina, Cristina, Rassura and her family, Adão

It has been a great but rough week of wonderful missionary work!!  We are getting more and more progressing investigators- we have talked to some wonderful people on the street!  Before I forget- Mom can you send me a family tree chart?  Okay, yesterday we had a neat experience- a member gave us a reference to a woman that is really struggling and that is searching for Christ right now.  We taught her and her daughter and there were lots of tears- I felt such a strong and wonderful connection with her and her daughter- they are so humble and ready for the gospel and I am soooo happy and grateful to teach them!!!!  We had a Porto North stake conference with Elder Teixiera and he talked about the satellites- 2 ways we feel the Holy Ghost- One is personal and one is through the Priesthood. The Lord is really blessing ad strengthening us here in Braga.  I love you so much!!!! and I read Elder Nelsons talk ´Ask the Missionaries! ´and if you have any questions please ask me- it would b e a privilege for me to study and pray for you more personally.  Jesus Christ LIVES!!! His church has been restored.  Read D and C 4 again.  LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YO!!!! Hurrah for Israel!! And always remember that the God of Israel leads the camp.

Irmã Tingey

We are changing to Sisters soon
We might move apartments- but keep sending to the same address unless I tell ya
LOVEYOU!!!