March 26, 2012

So this week has been pretty crazy. On Tuesday I found out I would be singing in the MTC choir for conference. We are singing in the Saturday afternoon session. I am pretty excited!!! Then Tuesday night Elder Dallin H. Oaks came and spoke to us, so that was fun to see another Apostle.

Tuesday night went to the airport and left at midnight. We arrived in New York at about 6, and we did not get much sleep on the plane. We then got picked up by a guy named chucky who is this big half Irish half Indian guy who was a pretty crazy driver (Typical for New York) He was not a member, but supposed any time one of the Apostles or any one like that come to New York he picks them up, so that is pretty cool. We drove to the Manhattan Temple/ Church and met with a senior couple. He took us to the second floor and took us to a back room so we couple sleep for an hour or so. That was really nice! Then we got up and walked to the Sub way and got to go to Grand Central station! That was pretty cool! We took the subway to the consulate, and we got there turned in some paper work got fingered printed signed something a left. Talk about a long trip for something so small. We then got picked up by Chucky and went to the airport and then flew home at 3:30 or so. We then got back to the MTC by about 10:45. So it was a really long day. New York was crazy thought! We were not even there for the worst time of the da, but everyone was going 100 MPR all of the time. It was crazy and to tell you the truth I got a little shell-shocked! I was actually really excited to be back in the MTC. The New York trip really helped me to appreciate the MTC more!

Thank you for fasting for me! It really means a lot! Thank you so much!

...We get $6 on a card every Wednesday so I have been trying to save up so I do not have to use my debit card. …I love hearing about all the stuff with Braden! It does remind me when Josh and Jalin were dating that is a lot of fun! I would definitely say the one in the green!! That is who I am rooting for!! I love you so much!!! Mom! Elder Tilley

Braden-Hey man I heard you were sick! Are you doing better now? I hope you are doing better. So I remember before I left that you said that the Lord will show me my weaknesses and He definitely has. It has been crazy to see how much I have learned in the past six weeks and how much I do not know. It has been really hard for me lately because I feel like I have really been shown my weaknesses, and because of this I feel like I am almost worthless and that I am not the confident/ happy self I normally am because I have all these weaknesses. I do not know if you kind of went through something like that. Yesterday I felt the Spirit a lot though and I felt a little bit more confident about myself, so that was good. I love you so much man! Keep it up with the ladies!!  Remember to keep giving me the play by play action.  Remember it took Josh awhile to convince Jalin to like him!  Haha just kidding…kind of. Love you man keep up the great work! Elder Tilley

…So there was an Elder here named Elder Tappen who left to Brazil a week or maybe two ago and one of the Elders here got an email from him that said his trainer in the Mission field knows me and his name is Tanner Peterson! Pretty crazy!! Anyways I will get back on in a little bit and see if there are any replys.

… I think I am here at the MTC the best time ever because one we got to here Elder Holland and Elder Oaks, then we are here for Conference, then we are here for Easter, which at the MTC is similar to Christmas except it is not as sad to be here, and a General Authority is going to come and we are going to have the Sacrament with him with the entire MTC also we get to sing in the Choir. I think I am in the MTC at the best time! I am not sure if anyone else is in the Choir I know or not. I am not sure…. Yeah it is so cool that I get to sing in Conference on your Birthday hopefully you will be able to see me! That would be fun!!

  

Yes Elder Whilhem the Carmichael’s nephew came to New York with me. Him and the other Elder, Elder Hansen are really good Elders and really want to share the gospel. It is going to be a lot of fun. I have to go now, but I love you so much! Thanks Mom for being sooooo Awesome. I love You!!!!!!

March 19, 2012

(My companions) are doing a lot better, we have had a lot of talks together with them and we have had some really good experiences. I am learning and growing so much it is crazy! So I still have the same companion.

So I put the SD card into the camera and I saw most of the pictures, but it said there was a reading error so I could not see all of them, also I could not see any videos on it either. Any way so I put it into my companions camera and the same thing happened. I then Put it into Elder Awbery’s camera…it pretty much froze his camera, made the screen go black, but then wouldn’t turn off. So it pretty much broke his camera. … Anyways to finish the story with Elder Awbery’s camera I felt so bad!!! I told him sorry and said if I needed to I would pay to get it fixed or whatever I needed to, but that night I prayed so hard that the Lord would fix his camera. I told the Lord that I know he could very easily and I asked the Lord with a lot of faith if you would fix it. I woke up in the morning and when I was saying my morning prayers I prayed again that his camera would be fixed. A thought came into my head that said “go look at his camera” I went to look at his camera, but could not find it. I went to the bathroom and came back and Elder Awbery said hey Elder Tilley look at my camera it works again! I was so happy and I was so grateful that the Lord answered my Prayers. It was a simple thing, but it meant a lot to me!!! I love the letter from Jailey so much!!!

First crazy thing! So last week the lady from a big Brazillian newspaper came here to the MTC to interview some of the missionaries here. She is not a member and there was about 9 of us in the room and she just asked us about the MTC and if we felt we are prepared to leave our families and things like that. It was really cool. I told her that I love my family a lot and because of the gospel I know I can live with my family forever and I want to share that gift and knowledge with others and that is why I choose to serve a mission.

Second crazy thing!-Elder Cardon (brother Cardon’s dad came and spoke to us) It was really good!!

3^rd Crazy thing!!-I am flying to NEW YORK tomorrow night!!! I am going there with 2 other missionaries to meet with the consulate of Angola and get fingered printed and get my visa. I am pretty excited. My flight leaves tomorrow night at 11:55 PM and we get back Wednesday night around 8 or 9 I think. It should be a lot of fun and I am pretty excited!

4^th crazy thing!! I went and saw a talk by Elder Bednar that he gave here at the MTC on Christmas called the Character of Christ. I have heard this talk was really good, and before starting the talk they announced it as one of the greatest talks ever given here at the MTC. I watched it and I would say this is one of the greatest talks I have ever heard in my life. He talked about so much and my mind was blown afterward, but if I can figure out how to really apply what was said and what the Spirit told me, it will not only affect my mission, but it will dramatically change the way I live the rest of my life. I will try and give little bits and pieces, but you probably wont be able to get the same affect as I did. He talked about Testimonies and conversion and how if we only have a testimony then in 5 or 10 years from now we will be in danger of falling away. We have to not only have a testimony, but we have to be converted to the Lord by consistently living what we know. He also said that the way we do this is by turning outward when we are in our deepest struggles. After Jesus Christ was fasted for 40 days and tempted by Satan, what did He do? He sent Angels to go minister to John because he was in Prison. After He was in the Garden of Gethsemane what did he do? He healed the guards ear! When He was on the cross He told John to take care of His mother and he forgave those that were doing this to him and was doing missionary work to the others on the cross. He said that to be converted we have to turn outward during our greatest agony! Wow how crazy is that! He also said that the way we find ourselves is by turning outward and helping others. I will have to tell you another story to go along with this later today, but his talk has been really turning in my mind. Love you !!! Elder Tilley

March 12, 2012

My week was pretty good, I saw Dalton Brough and I also saw Zack Brough. Oh and I saw Taylor Simons, so that was fun! Also I have seen Spencer Sarger as well. He is going to japan and he leaves today. He has been here for 12 weeks! Pretty crazy! So I have been worrying about my Portuguese, my teachers and my leaders have said that I have been picking it up really fast, but I still worry about, but last Tuesday we went to something called TRC and it is where we go and teach members a lesson, but it is in Portuguese, and one of the members we taught was from Brazil and I do not think she spoke English very well at all. So I started talking with her and then I said the opening Prayer and she asked me how long I had been speaking/learning Portuguese. I told her 3 weeks and she was blown away! That made me feel really good, and was a tender mercy from the Lord.  Also every Sunday the Branch President has 2 missionaries speak during Sacrament Meeting for 3 to 5 minutes, but nobody knows who is going to speak until he announces after the Sacrament. Also it is suppose to be in Portuguese. This weeks topic was on repentance and forgiveness. Anyways so about 10 seconds before he announces who is going to speak, I kind of felt like I was going to speak and sure enough he called me to speak. So I got up there and for 3-4 minutes I gave a talk in Portuguese, so that was fun! Also I got called as the Branch Music Coordinator so that will be fun! I pretty much just choose songs to sing and have someone do a special musical number.

I have not heard anything about singing in Conference so yeah we probably won’t J. So Our Music director likes to tell stories and different things that relate to the song that we are singing, anyways so he was talking about how a lot of times in Sacrament meeting we sleep through it or we give each other back rubs or play little different games (it was in a funny manor though, he is a way funny guy). Then he talked about the Savior and how he went into the Garden of Gethsemane and when the pain was so bad He looked for a friend and he found his apostles sleeping, and He says “could he not watch for an hour?” Our Choir director said that he realized that Sacrament Meeting was an hour also and can we not wait and watch and remember the Savior for an hour. I thought of this after, but I think the Savior comes out and tells his apostles this three times, and I thought about how church is 3 hours long. It really hit me.

So there have been some issues with the other companionship in our District and it has been pretty bad, and what I heard was that our President is going to do a companionship switch within our district if something does not change this week. We have been trying to help these other two missionaries in our district, but it seems like they just can’t figure it out. I hope we do not have to switch companionships though. My companion is great and I am learning so much from him. It has been fun to see how I have helped him to grow and how he has helped me to grow. He is trying to do the very best that he can I believe. He was definitely not raised how I was, but he does have a testimony and is trying his best with Elder Tilley always on his back pushing himJ IT is a lot of fun! If you could please pray for Elder Awbery and Elder Prenoveau that would be great! I hope they can start figuring things out!

Also Yesterday we had one of the MTC directors speak for our Fireside and he talked about goals and how sometimes we feel like we fail when we do not reach our goals and when we do not get baptisms. He then said in the Hall of fame missionaries in Heaven are we going to find Ammon because he converted thousands and not Abinadi because he did not convert anyone, (to his knowledge). He went on and talked about the Perhaps Principle. (Ex. Jacob 6:50 and Alma 29:9, I think those are the scriptures he used, but I might be wrong) but anyways it talks a lot in scriptures how God does something THAT PERHAPS his children may come unto Him. So he said God does what he does for a MAYBE. He does what he does that maybe his children will come back. Then this is what really hit me hard! He said that Jesus Christ went into the Garden of Gethsemane for a Maybe… that Maybe others would follow Him and choose to repent. WOW! That was awesome for me, and I felt that if Jesus Christ could suffer all the pains of the world for a MAYBE, then I will give all of my heart, soul, time and energy in serving the People in Africa, that MAYBE some souls will come unto Christ.

Yes I was able to talk with the other missionaries that left to Angola. They were in my zone so I got to know them pretty well and we pretty much live on the same floor in our Residence halls so I knew pretty well. I took a video of me introducing them to you (the fam) on my camera so you can meet them!

Elder Curtis the football missionary a week ago to Orlando Florida so that was kind of a bummer, but a new Elder came and he is really good! He is about my height, but a little bit thicker and he is a really good shooter! I saw him playing and Pride got the best of me and I felt like “who is taking over my court!?” So I played with him and pretty much stunk it up really bad! I could not hit a shot and it was pretty embarrassing! But it is all good now! I actually really like playing on his team because he knows how to play basketball so it is fun to pass him the ball and get some pretty sweet passes in return also. I love you I hopefully will be able to write again this afternoon! Elder Tilley

Braden-…Way to go on the Suns game date!! Are you going with anyone else or is it just you two!? Definitely let me know how it goes! Nice job on the 20 pointer that is pretty sweet! It is kind of funny because I look forward to Sundays and Preparation Days, but I have kind of grown to not like them as much because we spend a lot of time doing nothing which means my mind thinks of home and different things a lot and then I just kind of feel like crap, but it is all good!

Yeah so when did you typically say your morning prayers? I have been praying as soon as I get up from bed, but I am still normally half asleep so they are not very affective. Then I tried getting up and getting in the shower first, then doing it after shower, but then typically I run out of times to say my prayers before I go, or everyone is coming in and out of the room and it is hard to concentrate, any suggestions? Thanks for the letters bro they really mean a lot!

Rach-Thanks for the letter! I never really understood how much missionaries love letters. I knew a lot of missionaries say that they love letters, but I never really understood until now! So thanks so much! I think about you and Joshy Boy all of the time! I can’t wait for the letter that says you’re having another one! Maybe you can wait but I can’t!
…I know what you mean when you say I live this way because the Prophets have told me that this is how I should live. My companion is a convert to the church when he was 16, but then fell away and got reactivated right before he left on his mission, and I have definitely lived a lot differently than he has. I have not had to necessarily explain to him why I live the way I do, but I have had to show him a little bit and it has been difficult, but I definitely know what you mean! (I feel like I am supposed to give you some profound answer and tell you how to do it, but I am kind of drawing a blank right now because I am trying to figure out the same thing to). A couple of weeks ago I was talking with one of the Elders in my district and we started talking about Prom, and he asked me if I kissed my Prom date and I told him no, and he kind of freaked out and was blown away I left for a little bit and then started to come back and then he asked me if I had ever kissed a girl. I told him no and then he flipped out even more and at that point my whole zone knew that I had not kissed a girl, and I kind of got made fun of for a little bit. But then my companion gave me some props and then the zone leader gave me some props as well. So there have been things like that and also things like not watching PG-13 movies and stuff. I have not had to really explain to anyone why I do not do these things, but it constantly on my mind how I would explain it. I am not really able to pull the whole I am a Mormon thing on them, that wouldn’t work very well, and I do not want to say, well its because I follow the Prophet, I do not think that will go over very well either. So I have been trying to figure out how to explain that too. If you come up with anything let me know and I will do the same for you! I love you Rach keep up being an awesome Mother and Wife!!!

Pops!-Thanks for the letter they are always so uplifting and encouraging thanks so much! Keep up the hard the work and everything I know that the Lord is blessing you because of your hard work and discipline! P.S. You should have a companionship inventory with Mom! They really are helpful and I think one of the times I have felt the spirit the strongest was when we were having a companionship inventory but with our district! It was really cool though. You have to make sure that you do it right though or else it could turn out really bad!  You will have to get some better instructions from Braden but just remember to start with each other’s strengths and then end with each other’s strengths and it will be a great experience!!! Love you! Remember Pride is of the Devil!  Love you!!

Rebecca-So I heard you started Catz! It is pretty sweet huh?! Not being able to move for a couple of days is a great feeling! I am just kidding!:) Just think of all the Basketball girls that are on your team and that are on the other teams that aren’t doing a dang thing right now and how you will just stomp on them when next season comes! Just keep up the hard work and it will all pay off in the end. Something that I have realized recently is that the most memorable things in my life and the things that I have grown the most from are the things that were the hardest!  And it is interesting because now looking back some of my favorite moments in life were running my guts out in practice or working out harder then I thought I could and it was these experiences that have helped me the most! Just keep pushing though and think about how much better this is making it, not only in basketball, but in life as well and this experience will help you be a better wife and mother! Love you Becs keep up the hard work!!

YO P-Dog-what is up Bro!? Yeah that kind of stinks that you could not win a lot of stuff at field day. At least you had an excuse! I just lost because I was not very good! Haha just kidding… kind of. I hope you are feeling better!  Crazy story about the new dog! That is pretty crazy! Keep up all of the hard work man! I love you!

Eu amo voce, familia! Eu estou a fazer bem! Eu Amo O livro De Mormon e sou grato por meu Salvador Jesus Cristo. Eu tenho sentido o espirito muito aqui a o CTM. Eu amo voces e eu oro por voces cada noite. Eu amo voces!

Com AmorElder Tilley (Google Translate:) I love you, family! I'm doing well! I Love The Book of Mormon and am grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. I have really felt the spirit here at the MTC. I love you guys and I pray for you guys every night. I love you guys!

with Love

Elder Tilley

March 5, 2012

Mom… I have been trying to figure out how to send pictures, but I can’t figure it out. The MTC has some pretty heavy restrictions on the computer, so I have been trying to figure it out, but haven’t been able to.  … Are you going to do a blog or are you going email all those people?  Just wondering.

So this week as been pretty intense on our Tuesday devotional Elder Jeffery R. Holland came and spoke to us! He was so bold and up in our faces! A lot of people afterward said that it was so inspirational to them, but to me afterwards to tell you the truth I kind of felt like crap! Like I needed to have a stronger testimony and I needed to be a 10 times better missionary that I was. I definitely felt chastened, but it was good for me. One part that I really like though was that he said never go back to how you were before you mission. Then he said I do not care how good you were before your mission never go back to it! It was an awesome talk!

Then yesterday for our fireside Alex Boye came and spoke to us! He did a little bit of music but he is an amazing speaker! He was really funny and told us about his conversion story and it was incredible! It really got me pumped to be a missionary! So it was a pretty intense week with seeing pretty famous people! I was able to go do sealings in the temple today, I had never done them before and it was a really cool experience and I felt grandma Tilley was there with me! So it was way awesome! I just acting as a child and as a witness, and it was really good. Were you able to figure out anything with my visa? It is something that is just always on the back of my mind because there are a lot of missionaries here in general that haven’t got their visas and stuff! Love you a tons mom! Should be able to get on this afternoon again! Oh and next week on Sunday daylight savings starts so the time I email will change by an hour just so you know. I don’t know if you have sent the package yet but if you haven’t could you throw in Braden’s mission filter bottle. That is if he doesn’t need/want it! Thanks! Love you a tons!! Elder Tilley

  

Rebecca-The MTC is pretty good. It is kind of weird because it feels like the Days go by really long but the weeks go by really fast. It is kind of weird but I am learning a ton! Well it is not like I have a certain amount of class, but I will tell you a typical day. First we wake up and go to Breakfast at 7:10. Then we go to our classroom at 7:40 and are in the classroom for 3hours. During that time we teach our investigator and have a Portuguese Lesson for about an hour and then some other kind of training. Then we have personal Study time at 10:40 to 11:40, which is in our classroom. Then we go to lunch at 11:40. At 12:25 we go back to our classroom for another 3 hours and do the same thing we did before, but with our other teacher. At 3:25 we have personal Language study in our classroom for am hour. Then we go to dinner at 4:40 then we have gym time at 5:25. At 6:25 we go to a classroom with a bunch of computers and do an online course that helps us with Portuguese. We do that for an hour. Then we go back to our classroom at 7:45 to 9:00 and do Personal study time again. At 9 we do planning and at 9:30 we go back to our residence to get ready for bed. So I do not know how many classes I have, but I am pretty much in the classroom all day unless I am eating or at the gym! The food here is pretty much like cafeteria food. It took me a while to get use to it so it is not so bad anymore, but yes definitely cafeteria food! I have never tried the eggs or orange before because I have heard they do not do good things to the body! If you know what I mean My companion tried both of them and lets just say I believe the rumors, or at least I smelt them haha really funny with the whole spear thing!! Maybe I will learn how to be nice on my mission or something and I wont get angry any more! Good luck in Basketball just remember to work your very best!!!! Hmm we better figure out something better then (sparkle bun power) any ideas?  Love you favorite little sister! Elder Tilley

Preston-That is pretty crazy man! I am glad you are doing better. I have been praying for you every day and have been fasting for you and I know the Lord is answering my Prayers! That is so cool that Josh was able to get you guys a dog! I forget did he get you guys an Australian Sheppard or a Queensland heeler? I love you tons man! Keep up the hard work! And you are in my Prayers every day!! (my concussion?) … Lets see man, so right after I fell off the bunk bed (and got my concussion) I did not remember anything really, but after a while my memory started to come back. What I remember is that I was sitting on the bunk bed with my feet over the bars and I was saying the poem I memorized for school to mom. The next thing I remember is everybody around me in my room and I did not really know what was going on. Then I remember going and threw up in the bathroom except I do not think I made it to the bathroom the first time! :) So that is what I remembered! So I guess we are concussion buddies!! Except yours was a lot more intense! Love you man!! Just remember that the Lord is always watching over us and everything that we go through is for our own good!! Love you!!

Mom-… I need the water bottle for Africa I am not sure if they have them there. I just know that they are pretty expensive so if Braden did not need his then maybe I can just take his…I do not think I told you about my companion, but he does not really do any kind of music stuff, but there are a lot of guys that sing here so we have been harmonizing and stuff and he loves it!! It is so funny he loves to sing now! He is a big black football guy who now loves to sing it is pretty funny! And there is about 4 or 5 of us who sing songs as we walk around the MTC it is a lot of fun! One of our favorites we like to sing is Army of Helaman, some of the other ones you could say aren’t church songs, but I think it really helps us to become closer together it is really cool. We have some other songs too, We also have practices in showers! Probably one of the highlights of my day! It is kind of ridiculous but it is fun!! One Elder who is leaving tomorrow that I have never seen before came up to us and said hey can I hear one of your guys’ songs before I leave! That is kind of funny! My companion decided that we are going to be called the" Sons of Mosiah" I am in the choir and that is alot of fun we have sang come thou fount and be still my soul! I do not know if we are going to be in conference yet. I have not heard anything. I have definitely been feeling the spirit more in my personal study. Just today I was having my scripture study and I just felt so happy! It was awesome! Our district is doing a lot better, it is fun to see everyone including myself grow so much in such a short amount of time!

Pops!-I am so glad that Preston is doing better. I have been praying really hard and fasting that Preston would be able to play sports again. I know how much sports helped me and meant to me and I did not want him to miss out on those things. I am so grateful that the doctor thinks he will recover so quickly the Lord is definitely answering my prayers!

It sounds like you are cleaning house at work! And it sounds like things are going really well! My Portuguese is coming. Spanish has definitely helped me a lot. And it has been good for me because all of the rules are pretty much the same so I know how to conjugate and stuff. The conjugation endings are a little bit different, but it is not too bad. We are pretty much teaching lessons without having to read a lot of the stuff. The hardest part is understanding the investigator and figuring out their needs.  It is definitely really hard though sometimes with the language, it feels like we will never be able to speak really well in Portuguese, like our teachers, but the Lord is definitely blessing me! I feel like I can speak better Portuguese then I ever could speak Spanish so I know that the Lord is helping me. Our district on Saturdays from now is trying to only speak Portuguese, so we will see how it goes!

Would you be able to check on my visa this week! It is just a little bit stressful not really know what is going on with it! And if you figure out anything maybe just dear elder me it! Thanks! One of the district Presidents was telling us a little bit about the election. How is it going? I heard Romney is still the front runner, but that Super Tuesday is tomorrow? Let me know how it goes? I think there are two other missionaries in the other zone that are going to same time as me I only know the Carmichaels nephew I am not sure of the other one, but there are three Elders that are leaving on Thursday for Angola so that is pretty cool!

Love you!!

Braden…That is way cool about the girl with her trials! We are soooo blessed it is not even funny! Thanks man for the comfort it really does help!  For a while I felt like Hell was shaking me! But I am starting to shake Hell back!!! (quote J)

Thanks so much man Love you!! Love you family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!