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