The Sisters Tingey---Together as missionaries!

Pure JOY!

And then there was one......

Óla familia! Tudo bem?

8/13/13

Wow, what a week! Happy Happy Birthday to my incredible mother and the cutest little nephew in the world!!!! I have been thinking about you two all week and I hope you had the best of birthdays! (hopefully you've gotten my card!)

This has been a difficult but GREAT week! Seeing Elizabeth on Sunday was a little bit of Heaven! It was just what I needed to be reminded of why I'm here and how every sacrifice is worth it to be a missionary! It was the biggest blessing to be able to share that time with my sister while we were both still sister missionaries! Biffy - i feel for you as you are readjusting to real life! Know that i love you so much and think about you always and am constantly praying for you! thank you for you dear elders - they make my day everyday i get one! Seriously though family and friends, dear elders are the bomb.com and i only have a week left in the MTC which equals one week left of getting mail everyday! PLEASE WRITE! There is nothing better than getting mail at the end of a VERY long day! you da best.

This week was our first week as a tripanionship! It's been working out beautifully! A bit of tension here and there as it is difficult to get everyone's voice and opinion and feelings in BUT i see it as such a blessing! Sister Gold is wise beyond her years and has taught me so much about missionary work. She is also HILARIOUS and makes me laugh and smile all day long which i appreciate so much! My companions are the BEST! I love sister Colvin and Sister Gold so much, they are so dear to my heart and have made the first six weeks of my mission AWESOME!

Gah it's weird being the old ones now. It is my district's last week in the MTC!!!! Which means I GET MY REASSIGNMENT ON FRIDAY!!!!!!!! I am SO unbelievably excited! I will be able to e-mail you when i find out where i will be serving next week! it also means I get to call home when I'm at the airport so I need a phone number to call! This being my last week at the MTC is very bitter sweet! I have learned and grown so much at the MTC! It is such a special place! BUT i am SO excited to go out in the field and to teach everyday!!!

This week, the topic of gifts of the spirit has been on my mind a lot! we often forget the gifts we receive from the spirit. For example, the gift of a testimony, gift of weeping, gift of knowledge...etc. i have had lots of thoughts running through my mind about how wonderful gifts of the spirit are. But I have especially been thinking about how we are given gifts of the spirit so that we might use them to serve others. i am so grateful for my mission and the opportunity I have to focus all of my spiritual gifts on others and on  bringing myself and others unto Christ!

This week we began teaching each other in our district. This means that I am teaching Elder Fox (he's playing my progressing investigator) and i get to be an investigator! It is the coolest and most enriching experience to play an investigator! It has given me so much insight in what I need to do better as a missionary when i teach! It is really special too because we pick someone we really care about and we put ourselves into their situation and try to put ourselves in their head basically. It is really difficult to explain how it feels and what I'm learning but it is an incredible experience every lesson. The training they do here for missionaries is inspired! there is no better way to learn than to teach!

Another cool thing we have gotten to do at the MTC is skype Brazilians for TRC! It is a brand new thing they have been doing at the MTC and we are some of the first districts to do it!

This morning we finally got to go to the temple!!! What a blessing that was! It was so uplifting and it was just what I needed to boost me up for my last week at the MTC and to help prepare me for the field! Something really special I have felt and thought a lot about this past week is there is not an hour in the day that the missionaries aren't prayed for! I feel those prayers everyday! 

Apparently the devotional tonight is going to be a big one, but who knows, they say that every week. They will be broadcasting this devotional to all of the MTCs around the world, so who knows, maybe we'll have a general authority! I LOVE devotionals and I LOVE singing in the choir! The MTC choir is a choir of angels! What a blessing it is to be here and to be serving the Lord!

I LOVE YOU ALL!

Love,

Sister Tingey

Mais Fotos!

Jesus Minha Luz!

Oi Familia!       8/6/13

Wow what a week! First off, Savannah Clawson´s cousin, Elder Curtis Clawson, is in my zone!!! I´ve had to say goodbye to a couple of my good friends this week! One is off to Russia and one got his visa and is off to Brazil!!! More and more people are getting their visas! I´ve heard of a couple of missionaries who did their visas through LA who have gotten their visas. I still haven't heard anything about mine yet, but there's hope!

Sister Colvin and I had yet another very special experience with our investigator this week! I have been thinking a lot about Elizabeth returning home from her mission and how hard it is for her and how sad I am that I won't really see her for another 18 months. In my despair I had the opportunity to turn outward and teach one of our progressing investigators. I'm just going to quote what I wrote in my journal right after our lesson..."I never want to forget today! I am so grateful for these experiences that humbe me because in my humility I come closer to Christ, which helps me bring others closer to Christ. I know the mission is going to be hard, but Christ knows. He knows how I feel and He knows what I am going through! I'm grateful for my weaknesses and for my difficulties, because through them I am humbled and I come unto Christ. How great is my callin, to bring souls unto Christ, especially my own! I am so grateful for this work and for the opportunity I have to be apart of it. This is God's work! It is not about me, it is about His people who need His gospel! Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are so good to me. I feel their love everyday. I love them so much and I love the Holy Ghost so much! This work would not be possible without the Holy Ghost! How GREAT is my calling! I am humbled and overwhelmed and so happy to have the opportunity to be a representative of Jesus Christ and the share His happy message!"

Every day I am blessed! I love being a missionary so much! It is the greatest work on this earth! This week I have really felt the authority I have with this calling. In one of our lessons, I felt that authority when I was able to promise our progressing investigator that if he stops drinking, the Lord will bless Him because the Lord giveth no commandment save He shall prepare a way. GAH! I love this gospel so much! It is so true and it blesses lives! It has blessed my own so much and I can't stand to have people not know of the truth and of the love of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! I can't wait to share this happy message with the people in Brazil and with the people of who I will be serving in the meantime!

Devotionals were FANTASTIC this week! I mean, they are always great, but I really loved the last two devotional we have had. One was about being a Preach My Gospel Missionary! PMG is an inspired manual for missionaries. It was written to teach missionaries how to be the best missionaries they can possibly be! I am determined to be a PMG Missionary!!! On Sunday, Jenny Oaks Baker gave the devotional! It was so beautiful! She talked about gifts of the spirit and she played such wonderful music! It was so inspiring and uplifting!

In other news, Sister Colvin and I are getting a new companion tonight! Her name is Sister Gold and she is joining us because she has a foot problem and has to stay at the MTC for two more weeks before she goes to Brazil! She seem really sweet and I know it will be a challenging, but wonderful experience!

OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH ELIZABETH IS FLYING HOME RIGHT NOW!!!!!!! I can't believe Elizabeth is going to be home tonight! I have been thinking about her so much! Especially on Sunday because that was probably her last official day as a missionary! I can't WAIT to see her!!! What a joyous reunion it will  be! It will be a little glimpse of heaven!

The last couple of days I have really been trying to prepare myself for an emotional and difficult week. This week is going to be a tough one, but I am determined to make it the best week ever! (prayers are appreciated haha) But seriously family, thank you for all of your support and prayers and love! Know that it is felt and appreciated! I love you all so much!!!!

Oh and I almost forgot, Sister Colvin and I had the sweetest experience this morning with two international elders! One is from Tahiti, and the other is from Tonga. We asked if we could bear our testimonies to them in Portuguese, and in turn they bore theirs in English and then their native language, French and Tongan. It was so beautiful! The spirit was so strong in those Elders' sweet simple testimonies! It was cool to have that experience. Both Sister Colvin and I realized that that is probably how we sounded when we were first learning Portuguese. Very simple and broken, but even more heartfelt!

I love this work so much! I love being a missionary!!!! JESUS MINHA LUZ!!!!!! I love portuguese (even though it's hard sometimes, it is the most beautiful language EVER!) I love my family! I love this gospel! I LOVE YOU ALL!

Felizidades e Animada

Sister Tingey (Brasiliera)

P.S. Mom- thank you SO much for the package! Seriously made my week! You are so wonderful! I am so glad you are finally in the house! Wish I could be there to help but I think I am helping more by serving the Lord. He has blessed our family so much! I am grateful I can show my gratitude to Him by serving Him fulltime for 18 months! I love you all! 1 month down, 17 more to go!!!

P.S. The temple has been closed the whole time we have been here but it opens next week and we'll finally be able to go next week! I am so excited!!! Also, Let me know as soon as you set up and appointment for me to see Elizabeth! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HER!!!!

LOVE YOU!!!!

Spotted in the MTC

Our Park City friends, Mike and Lynna' Taylor are volunteers at the MTC and big missionary supporters.  Thanks for the fun picture and VIDEO of Sister Tingey and her companion Sister Colvin!

MTC Pics

OI OI OI!!!

Oi Familia!                                 7/30/13

 

WOW days and weeks are blending together! I'm at my halfway mark in the MTC, I can't believe it! This work is so amazing, how great is my calling! I am continuing to learn so much and coming closer and closer to the Lord! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!

 

OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH I can't believe Elizabeth is coming home in a WEEK!!!! GAHH!!!!! So exciting!!!! Mom: you need to call this number 801-422-2683. It's the number to the missionary office that can set up a meeting for me with Elizabeth! GAH!!! I can't wait to see her!!!! But it's going to kill me that mom will probably be waiting just outside and I won't be able to see her! But I love being a missionary and I want to be an obedient missionary! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Wow my thoughts are scattered today, but I hope I can convey my thoughts and feelings of this week well!

 

In the weeks I have been here, I have noticed a drastic change from being scared out of my mind to teach to looking forward to and being excited for every opportunity my companion and I get to teach! We have a happy message to share! A message of Jesus Christ and His love for us! The more I'm here, the more I have that desire to share the gospel with everyone I meet!

 

My companion and I had a really cool experience with our investigator, Francisco this week! Our lesson on Monday was kind of frustrating because I had a complete stupor of thought and could not figure out what he needed to hear! Then on Tuesday, Sister Colving and I both had the impression that we needed to share the story of Ammon and Lamoni with Fransisco. In doing this, we talked about the joy the gospel brings and true conversion and opening up your heart to the Lord. I honestly don't even really remember everything we talked about because it was the spirit talking, not me. We were blessed with the gift of discernment and reading that story with Francisco was exactly what he needed! He felt the spirit and has committed to being baptized in two weeks! The spirit is real! The Lord blesses His missionaries and helps them bring His people to Him.

 

This week I've kind of gotten sick and especially yesterday I was feeling kind of irritable and frustrated! It was the worst feeling and I didn't want to feel that way, so I decided I would CHOOSE to be happy and patient and I asked Heavenly Father to help me with that! Heavenly Father listens to prayers! We can choose how we react to trials and difficult experiences and if we turn to the Lord and choose to be happy, we will be! This week I have also really developed a testimony of how great my calling is! I am a representative of Jesus Christ!! I act in His name! Our Sunday night devotional was great (as per usual)! It was about Faith in Jesus Christ, hope in the Atonement, and Charity being the pure love of Christ.This week in my personal study I have been focusing on Christlike Attributes and studying up on them! I have also begun the New Testament and have been reading in Ether! Can I just say, I love the scriptures and I love Preach My Gospel! I am getting closer and closer to Christ as I read and my testimony is growing and strengthening! I've realized that if I'm going to be bringing others unto Christ, I need to bring myself unto Christ first. My personal study has really helped me do that! I feel so close to Christ, especially in this environment, in the MTC where the spirit is so strong all of the time! I'm going to have to bring this same spirit to all of the people I teach and serve in the field! It really is a privilege to be a missionary!

 

A great quote for the week that's helped me out: "Obedience is the price, Faith is the power, Love is the motive, Spirit is the key, Christ is the reason, Joy is the reward". How true all of that is!

 

I love this gospel so much and I love being a missionary! Every day I think to myself, "How great is my calling!" I am literally a representative of Jesus Christ and I act in His name! I get to help bring sould unto Christ!

 

On a less spiritual note, I've realized that I haven't really talked about MTC life at all. MTC life is wonderful and busy! Because we Brazilian missionaries are "visitors" (visa waiters) we get up half an hour before everyone (at 6 AM) and have a really odd schedule. We are in class 6 hours a day, the rest of the day we are usually studying or teaching! We spend literally all day with our district! We have become a family!

 

I am running out of time but I love my family, I love being a missionary, and I love this gospel! It seems like these 18 months are going to last forever but I know they are going to fly by! I want to Return With Honor, having been the best missionary I could have possible been, just like my big sister! I LOVE YOU!

 

Love,

Sister Tingey (Brasiliera)

 

P.S. Mom-- would you mind sending me tide-to-go square snap things? They work much better than a tide to go pen and you know how clumsy I am....getting stuff on my clothes...anyways, that would be awesome! Wish I could help you move into the house, I am so excited you'll finally be able to get settled! LOVE YOU! Thinking about you alway! The Lord blesses His missionaries and I'm so grateful he is blessing my family while I serve! LOVEYOULOVEYOULOVEYOU!!!!!