November 12, 2012

(What a blessing: Elder & Sister Hartman (missionaries visiting from South Africa) sent this to us this week...

6:57am

hey mom I am on! What is the ratio for water and rice?

(What are you cookin’?)  haha just rice and beans

(Josh)

Thanks man for the update. It sounds like things are going pretty well there!!  So I saw that this letter was sent from your iphone! What is this getting all rich and stuff!...Thanks Bro! Love you!

Elder Tilley

Pops!

I am so glad that you asked because I have really thought a lot about that very question. I remember asking the question to several people including a general authority "what can I do to best prepare for my mission" I received many answers of what I should do. Unfortunately I did not really figure it out until my mission. (I will give you the abbreviated version and next week I will send a picture of a Journal entry with more detail about why and stuff). The thing that has impacted me the most and helped me to be the most prepared was doing the small and simple things! The Basics! Personal Prayer and Scripture study! Church and Temple attendance. FAMILY PRAYER AND SCRIPTURE STUDY. Family night!  The things that helped me the most were the basics because that is what I am preaching to the people in Africa right now is to do those things! And how I am I suppose to preach, teach and TESTIFY about those things and invite and commit people to do those things if when I was in their (the people I am teaching) position,  I did not do those things!  You Cant!! That is the short version and I do not have a lot of time, but I will email a journal entry next week!

This week has been alright. I have been really bothered recently because for some reason a lot of people here have not been able to really understand me when I speak Portuguese to them and sometimes they turn to my companion, who has been out the same amount of time, to figure out what I said. It has really been bothering me because that has never happened before and it really has been hurting on my confidence with my languages skills. Beside that the week has been going really well!

Love you Pops!! Go Red Power!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Is it a red trait to want to be red and be proud of it!!) :)

Elder Tilley

Answers:

1.     They (The people that took the video of me) are a senior couple that are serving a mission in South Africa that are over health of all the missionaries in Africa. I think they travel around and do different presentations. He is actually a psychologist I think. He has written a couple of books on things like the color personality and things like that.  This was their presentation before they went home from their missions though.

2.    Yes we came at the same time with the couple from South Africa so they did a training and then he (P. Kretly) did one afterwards. So one of the big things that president Kretly has been pushing is that we do 35 qualified contacts a week. A qualified contact is a man who is married or has a spouse (and is not married) and wants to get married and wants to know more about the gospel. So 35 contacts is really hard to do. The first time that I have gotten 35 was this past week with Elder Hansen, which this is his first time too. Anyways so his training was just a little bit more on how the best way is to do these qualified contacts.

3.    Yeah you could probably put a movie on a USB…I should be able to watch it.

Mom,

So this week has been pretty good! We have been doing a lot of work and are really trying to find families and the elect here. It was really sad though this week because a lady in the ward gave birth, but her baby did not live. It was very sad and that is the second lady that that has happened to in the past few months. Also an older lady 85 years old passed away a week and a half ago. It was really sad to see her family members that were not of the church cry/yell hours on end. Because of that experience I have thought a lot about Grandma Tilley and about the Plan of Salvation and I am so grateful for the knowledge that we have about the plan of salvation!

It was really cool because this older lady that passed away had already been to the temple and had done several family names. The last time she went was this past June or July I think and for some reason she decided to buy Temple clothes for herself instead of just renting every time. So when she passed away she was able to be dressed in her temple clothes! So that was really cool.

We have two baptisms that are coming up. Both are on December 1. One of the guys names is Gaspar, the other mans name is Osvaldo. they are both doing really well and are progressing really well also.

Love you Mom!! I hope you have a great week!!

Elder Tilley

Bec!

Haha!!! I knew I was inspired to say those words!! :)  Just want you to know that the reason I said those words was partly because I wanted to be a super star, but I knew I wasn’t and I knew you were. So there was a little bit of Jealousy coming out of me! The other part of me just wanted you to be the best that you could and it sounds like you are doing that!! Keep up the great work bec! Especially with the missionary work!!  You are way better then I was!

The weirdest thing for food here is Funge! It looks like mashed potatoes but they arent and they were really gross when I got here, but I am starting to kind of like them now!

Love you Bec!!!!

Parkly Spuns Power!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Is that what it is !!:)

Elder Tilley

Thanks Love you mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

logging off

Elder Tilley

(no pictures, but we got a movie from the Hartmans)