October 29, 2012

This is a picture of me with Agusto and Rosalina. Agusto is standing by me and Rosalina is the lady in curlers. The rest are either their kids or their sisters.

The other picture is with me and their two younger kids!

Mom!

1.) Yes I flew out on Wednesday and it was really weird because I was all by myself traveling so it was really weird, but everything went well. Our apartment is really nice! We all most always have energy and running water, which is kind of a new thing for me. The past two apartments that I have lived in have been probably been the two worst in the mission, so getting into a nice apartment feels nice. But I am so grateful for the experiences that I had in the last two apartments because it has really just humbled me and made me grateful for what I have. It is really funny because not all missionaries have lived in the kind of houses that I have so someone will start complaining or something about something little like loosing energy for a couple hours, and I am just grateful that we had energy at all that day. Also I got the package you sent me! Thanks for that. It was funny because our apartment almost never looses energy but my first day I was there we lost energy! But don’t worry because Elder Tilley had is sweet new flashlight that pretty much lighted up whatever room that it was in!  Thanks so much!

2.) We got an email from President Thompson. (How we know when we are transferred)

3.) He (Companion) is a really good guy! We are both really excited to work together this transfer. He is probably 6 foot 3 and he loves Basketball too. He is a really hard working and really loves the people here. Also for right now we are walking in a three some with a Native. He is actually from Angola and got called to Mozambique. So he went to the MTC in Spain and then he has had Visa problems, so he is walking with us until he gets everything figured out, which could be from a few days to a week or two. He is a really good guy too and is helping us a lot with the language!

4.) I have not quite met everyone and this area is still in the growing process. One person that is going to be baptized on the 17th though is named Gaspar. I do not know alot about him, but he is really solid!

5.) (Lost tie found in mending drawer) Ha now that you say that I remember putting that in your Sewing Room before I left and I must have forgotten it! :)

Can I make another Music request?  Thank you so much for the ipod I use it a lot, but there is some other music too that I want. So I was thinking that you could just put it on a USB drive. I have a way to play Music from a USB drive so I think that should work.

I do not have this music so if you could put it on that would be great!

The Nashville tribute to the Prophet, Pioneers and Missionaries.

Also I only have a few EFY CDS on the Ipod so all of the EFY CDS that we have.

Also the reflections of Christ CDS

Any Christmas Music that the Mormon tabernacle Choir has and Forgotten Carols and anything appropriate for missionaries.

Any other Music that you think I would want (maybe ask Joe or Rachel or Braden)

Maybe you could have Joe and Rach help you because I think that might be a big thing to do. Also I put a bunch of Music (pretty much all that I just told you) on the kids computer before I left (its on Itunes) so that would probably be the easiest way to do it.

Thanks so much Mom for all that you do for me and for your love and support!

Love Elder Tilley

9:03

Hey Pops how are you doing!?

I hope that you are doing well! It sounds like this week at work was a little bit better than last week!

My new area is pretty good! It is a place called Cassaquel and it is right in the city! Alot of tall big buildings! And alot of cars and traffic! It kind of feels like I am in New York City sometimes but African style! (Not quite as crazy as New York but getting there) Also our area is right on the beach and so their are some really Pretty Views!!!!!! It just depends on the area, but there are some places that are here that are really nice and others that are not as nice, but we are in a nice apartment! 

Love you Dad keep of the great work as well!

Elder Tilley

Hey bec how is it going!? Good Luck with Tryouts this week and the season! It just kills me that I cannot be there to watch you tear it up. Not a crazy story but here in this part of Angola we have a few American families who work for the oil companies and yesterday we went to one of their houses for dinner and it was really nice house!! (It actually was not crazy crazy nice it was pretty much like a normal American nice house) Anyways I walked in and I felt really weird and I felt like I should not touch anything (Kind of how you would feel when you walk into a crazy nice house in the States!!!) It was really weird but it was nice to eat American food and speak in English! 

Love you Bec keep up the Missionary work!

Elder Tilley

(Rach and Joe) HAHA I Love the costumes!!! Joshy Boy looks so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (You guys do too but he is just so much more!)

Would you guys help mom put some music on a USB drive to send to me. I sent her a list of some music, but anything that you think I would like would be good too! Thanks. I put alot of Music on the kids computer too before I left.

Thanks

Elder Tilley

October 22, 2012

Thank goodness for E. Montgomery...he sent this pic to his mom...transporting groceries in the Violin's truck (The Violin's are the couple missionaries serving in Lubango with these 4 elders). 

Holly Cow Dad!!!! That is what I am talking about!!!!! Being bold and telling peoples whos Boss!!! I like it!! You are such an inspiration to me!! Keep up the hard work!! You really are my hero!!! I still hope in the future if everything works out right that we can still be Business Partners. Any time any of my companions ask what I want to do after my mission for work. I tell them that I want to go into business and work with my dad! I sure hope things can work out that way in the end, but I just want you to know that you really do inspire me and I am so grateful that I can call you my father!!

Love you!

Elder Tilley

Pictures from E. Montgomery... the "bug" problem in the apartment!

 Hey mom so here is some inspiration that I received that I wrote in my Journal (see below)

Also I am getting transferred which I am little bit sad because we marked a Baptismal date with Agusto and Rosalina and their family. Also we marked another baptismal date with a lady named Antonia. I think I told you about her once. She speaks English and is from Namibia. But they are all for next transfer.

Also my companion will be Elder Hanssen. He was in the MTC with me. And we are serving in Cassaquel, which is in Luanda!

Hey Braden how is it going. I sent mom some inspiration that I recieved!

So you can look at that! Let me know what you think!

Answers:

1.) I am doing well and I am healthy so all is going well!

2.) I sent that Journal entry about Faith, but also something that I have been learning recently is how related Conversion and Repentance are. IF you look at a definition of the two, they are almost identical.... turning about from the things of the world and sin and turning\ submitting to the will of the Father! Very interesting!!

3.) Your welcome (for the pictures) unfortunately none today, and I am not sure if I will be able to send any from Luanda.

4.) He did give (me the tie) to me for CHristmas and I guess I just forgot it. I think it should be in my room or actually probably at Josh’s house!! One of the two (not kidding about Joshes house)

Just I am leaving. Elder Montgomery is going to be companions with Elder Borden and Elder Hide is coming down and being companions with Elder Kelsey. Elder Montgomerys old companion. Did you see if I was registered for the draft?

If it were not for the batisms we had marked I would be really excited! I am still really excited to go and work in Luanda again with Elder Hanssen!!

So Yes I am excited!!

Bec!

Hey how is it going! Basketball tryouts are coming up soon right? A week and a half or soo? I hear that you are being a sick Missionary way to go!!! Keep tearing it up, in whatever you do, basketball, school, scripture study, missionary work and everything!!  Remember to be careful with texting and being on Facebook because it is really easy to get sucked in and once you are in it is really hard to get back out. How do I know? Because I got sucked into it to and I did not really realize it at the time, and I started to really loose sight of what really matters in life, family being one of the main things. Remember the things that matter most!! " Pres. Uthcdorf"  Being on a Mission obviously I can not do those things and it is here that I realized how trapped I was, and how much better life is when those things are not the most important things in our lives!!  I am not saying that you are trapped or anything, but it is just a word of caution, because I do not want you to fall into the same trap that I did!  Love you Bec and keep it up!! Hey are you doing the Book of Mormon challenge with me and Mom?! If not you definitely should!!

I am pretty sure I did (register for the draft), but I do not remember for sure, but I think so.  If you do not have to register for the draft then that is fine. I just thought that you did. so if by chance I am not and I do not need to be then dont register for me. I just thought I had to, but t I will stop worrying about it now! :) Thanks

Tell Bec that I miss her too!! Also all I am going to say about Dad is that he is a Champ!!!! Way to go Dad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love you all!! Signing off!!!

October 15, 2012

This is the front of my house!

October 15, 2012

Pops!

 I am doing well! Definitely the hardest thing I have ever done, but I am used to getting up working my rear end off and then coming home at the end of the day and just sleeping like a baby! Then waking up the next day and doing it all over again! It is hard but I can already see how this experience will all be worth it in the end and has already been worth it!

Yes I do remember the Coats! That is so awesome!! Thanks for being such a great example to me! I remember that she told us that she did not want to be in contact with us and I remember you would call her once a year just to make sure that was still the case and I remember that you always put her name in the Temple. I still remember thinking "I wonder why dad is doing all of that she said that she did not want to be in contact with us, so she probably is not going to change" Obviously I was wrong!!!  Thank you again for setting an example for me and showing me how to really care about others and be a good home teacher and magnify my calling!

Love you!! Elder Tilley

(Braden) The language is coming pretty well. I feel pretty confident. My companion likes to talk a lot during lessons so it is hard sometimes to practice, but because of that I feel like I can understand better because I spend a lot more time listening.

My Study Area

This is not so much inspiration, but I thought that is was cool that when Alma sees that the Zoramites (I think it is) are doing bad things (praying on the ramiumtim and things like that) he decides to go and preach to them but I can just imagine him thinking "hmmm I think I am going to need some back up on this one!! I think I am going to have to do some recruiting and get Ammon and Aaron and his brother to come with me because they are crazy good at the Missionary work thing!! they just converted a whole ton of Lamanites!! " It was just fun to put it into kind of a real life situation.

I have had some cool missionary inspiration, but they are kind of detailed so I will try and write them down and then send you a picture of them.

Keep up the great work Bro!!! Love you!

Elder Tilley

 (Answers)

1.) When I get sick I take oils that I have and I have been taking Vitamin C everyday, but I just ran out. Mostly stomach pains for me, my companion had a pretty bad cough for a couple of weeks!

2.) (Baptism?) Not yet, we had a lesson where we planned to give one to them, but we did not feel like it was right to give it to them at that time, hopefully this week, but we will see.

3.) Hopefully at some point, (I will be able to get pictures of those I taught who are being baptized) but I do not know.

4.) (I wanted to finish the Book of Mormon) in about 7 weeks, but I am a little bit behind too, Jacob 5, so maybe we can extend it to Christmas and we can read the last verse over skype or something! :)

5.) Yeah (someone brought me the letter, but not the package), a guy from South Africa who looks for new chapels and things like that came down to Lubango, but was in Luanda before so I am assuming that he just brought the letters and did not have room for the package (I hope).

8.) Haha yeah "vamos ver" (about staying with Elder Montgomery forever and not getting transferred)

(About deep cleaning the house) . . . Nice!! I am there in Spirit!!!

Right now We are all doing well!

(Josh)

Hey bro I heard that Jalin had her baby!!!! Congratulations!! Love you Bro

Jailey!!!

I heard it was your Birthday tomorrow!! I hope you have a fantastic Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Tilley In Africa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks signing off!

Love you fam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!