March 20, 2014 (London, England)

We have a dear friend who lives an hour away from the airport and got permission to take Elder Tilley and Whilhelm on a little site seeing tour during their 8 hour layover. These are emails from her:

Airport Arrivals

Look who is here!

Look who I found!

Trafalgar Square

Typical English Experience (London Fish and Chips)

Fish n chips

Spring has sprung

Buckingham Palace

Me with African necklace

Anything for my lovely friend!  I am really stiff (ha!) but I'm sure it's good for me.  Can't remember if I already wrote this but I haven't walked that much (two hours straight) since my accident in November.  They are just such nice young men!  I told them they would be glad to have a break from my talking (tour guide, asking questions, telling them stories).

Elder Tilley still has his Branch President skills...he was making sure of the details and such.  I did send them on the tube by themselves going back (I did go down and made sure they went on the correct train).  They will have two Oyster cards (transportation) that I will see if you can mail to my sister as she will be coming over.  I'll remind you later and give you her address.

Prayers were definitely answered today - I was praying so hard that we would meet up okay (their flight was on the board that it had arrived and that baggage was being delivered...and then that the baggage was delivered, but then it went off the "radar" even though there were flights before and after theirs listed.  I went and asked the information man and he gave me the number to call for immigration.  I said a fervent prayer and right after that Elder Tilley called my cell to let me know they were on their way even though it was taking some time).  The other prayer was that my leg would last through lots of fast and furious walking. ha!

It was a privilege to do this.  You've raised such nice children!!

Now enjoy this blissful time of life!!

March 18 (Tuesday...I day left in Angola)

I just re read the first 4 questions and thought... I don't know! :) I am kind of in Limbo land, but I will try to respond the best I can.

1.) I think I would prefer to go visit people instead of them come to me

2.) I am not sure, my waist is 30-32, but I think the last ones (temple pants) were 32 but they might have been hemmed,

3.) I dont know (what kind of socks)... white? and I dont know maybe short. Maybe just buy a few pairs (instead of alot)  and then I can decide when I get back

4.) I think they (Sunday shirt size) are 15 and 1/2 inch neck, but I have a couple of white shirts so maybe wait until I get back

5.) I am about the same size, but I think a little bit smaller

I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true! I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God and that Joseph Smith really did translate it by the power of God! I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and the Redeemer of the World and it is only through him that we can return and live with our Heavenly Father!

Love you Guys!!

See you soon!!!

Elder TIlley

March 17 (3 days left)

Elder Tilley didn't email today but his plane arrives home on Thursday night (3/20/14). He will be speaking in Sacrament Meeting this Sunday (March 23) at noon at the Gilbert Greenfield Stake Center on Frye and Lindsay Rd. (Frye is between Williamsfield and Pecos and the church is on the West side of Lindsay). We are REALLY excited to see him! Thank you for your support, thoughts and prayers! We have been so blessed the past 2+ years as Elder Tilley has been serving the people in Angola, Africa.

March 10, 2014 (10 days to home)

1.) If Preston wants to, then I am down for sharing my old room with him! :)

2.) Great thanks (Sacrament Talk on Service on the 23^rd at noon)

3.) Unfortunately no (more baptisms before departure) :( but that is alright... for all Abinadi knew he only had one convert... and look at the success that came from that!

4.) Well President Merrill came down to release me. So I was released as the Branch President and Elder Hyde was called as the new one. He is a great missionary so it will go well. This week I will kind of be showing him the ropes!

5.) Sister Merrill talked about hope and she talked about Mormon and Moroni and how they had reason to loose hope, but in the end they come out strong!

6.) I don’t know how else I am going to find a girl that is interested in me! :) Haha that was a joke! (Kind of) Sure you can put a message up (on FB Bec)

7.) Yes I did (write S. Catron’s contact info down for London)

8.) Elder Fontaine asked what my preferred schedule would be. I said go to Texas Road House and then go to Cold Stone afterwards and then I said Texas Roadhouse would be expensive so the main thing I care about is ColdStone :) We can go whereever to eat:)  After I get released can we play some basketball at the stake center? :)

I forwarded you a message from the Thompsons and it looks like they will be trying to do a reunion, soooooooooo... even if I have to go alone I would still like to go, maybe you and I can go have some Mother Son time and get caught up from the past 2 years :)

Fam.

This week was very interesting. I think I forgot to tell you guys, but Elder Hyde got transferred down here this past week and will walk in a three some with Elder Fontiane when I leave. Elder Whitaker went up to Luanda 2 to be a zone leader and Elder Rigby is Elder Tingey´s new companion.

On Sunday I was a released from being Branch President. I spoke for just a few minutes about Charity. It was a little bit sad, but more because of the realization that the reason why I was being released was because I will be going home and leaving these people.

Also this week was good. On Tuesday we spent most of the day helping guilhereme and florença paint their house. Also the Merrills came down and we had a good time with them! Anyways I Love you Guys and we will see you next week!

Love

Elder Tilley

Mom,

 I will try and email next Monday, but I will be flying up to Luanda on Monday and buy some souvenirs and start to visit people. We should email on Monday, but if something happens and I dont, you dont need to worry.

Love you Mom!

Have a great week!!!! 

Elder Tilley

March 2, 2014 (only 14 days left in Huambo)

Me as the Ref!

1.) I would really like to see Elder Ritcher as well in Provo.

2.) Thanks

3.) They love this Restaurant called the Pie. It is a Pizza place in Salt Lake. I mentioned how I was going to go to Conference and so I asked if I should go to the Pie while I am there.

4.) well normally they play half court, but they had a team come from a neighboring town to play and so they were playing full court. They really wanted us to play with them, but we had to decline, but then they asked me if I would ref! That was a lot of fun! There was like 40-50 people here and the court echoes a lot so it got really loud and pretty intense! It was a lot of fun! I decided that I need to enter into a tournament with Josh right when I get back on the reservation... or at least something like that if they do not have any tournaments on the reservation.

5.) This guy one day ran up to us during the week to ask if we were from the church. So we talked for a little bit and gave him a restoration pamphlet and invited him to church. He ended up coming and not to my knowledge he talked with a couple people and said that he wanted to say something to the congregation. Ilídio told him that things do not work like that and that he needs sit with the missionaries. So we sat with this man a little bit after church. Long story short it sounded like he had this vision and basically that vision told him that our church was false and that Joseph Smith was a false prophet. The lesson got pretty heated and then we ended up just standing up bearing our testimonies and explaining that he has his beliefs and we have ours. We were still talking as I opened the door to the room so that we could leave. He was a little bit out of the room and  he said "This Vision" referring to Joseph Smiths vision "did not come from God" At that point I got even more fired up and I do not remember if I was already gently pushing him or if that is when I started pushing him, but in the end I  was gently pushing him out of the church... thanking him for his time. Elder Fontaine and I were pretty fired up afterwards.

6.) We have one Domingos who’s baptism is for the 15th. We will see if he will be able to make that date though.

We are also teaching this woman named Tania she is really cool, but has to get married first. Her husband we have sat with a couple of times and he came the church, his name is Santos. We are also teaching Manuela and her daughter. She had a drinking problem and we almost dropped her, but she has stopped drinking and now is progressing. Her daughter Jandira has potential as well. Manuela has to get married as well though.

7.) I will probably leave Monday the 17th in the morning.

There Merrill’s will be coming down this weekend so that will be fun! 

(Mom) Sorry I could not write a lot last week. Pictures took awhile and I had some other issues with the church website I was using.

I have a few questions.

1.) Do you know what my Topic will be for my homecoming? Why is it on the 30th and not on the Sunday I get home? (To those reading…it was changed back to March 23 at noon… LDS church on Frye Rd.

2.) I am not sure what my facebook username and password is. Can you see if you can get on it? I think I left the information with Braden, but I dont know if he sitll has it. I dont want to give everyone my facebook name and then I am not able to get onto it when I get back.

Could you do the same with my email. I am not sure what email address I have at home either.  I think I have a cox account and two gmail accounts, but I dont know if they work anymore. So would you be able to get my email address for me and make sure that email address works so i can give it to people before I leave?

3.) Is there anything you want me to bring home with me that I went out with. I am planning on giving alot of stuff away, like the big rain jacket that I have that braden used on his mission, my umbrella, also my baptism\temple pants (they are Bradens I think that he took on his mission), and white tie, hangers, shirts and things like that. Are you ok with that? Is there anything you want me to bring home?