Carnaval time!!!

2/24/14

Oi Familia!

Another incredible week full of miracles has flown by! Work is exploding in Freguesia! We are helping 4 families now to get married and eventually baptized! The most difficult thing in Brazil in relation to the work is that no one is legally married and it takes a LONG time to get married and it is very expensive! But Heavenly Father is very mindful of His children here and He is preparing a way!

We had an INCREDIBLE experience with Lidiane and Ademeer this week! My goodness I love this family SO much! We were talking with them and following up on if they have been reading and praying and Lidiane got this big grin on her face, her face completely lit up, and she told us she got an answer!!! Both she and Ademeer kept talking about the blessings they have been getting from Heavenly Father since they began reading the Book of Mormon and praying as a family and going to church. They are recognizing the blessings and they are continuing to read and pray! What an incredible experience it has been to work with this family! I have truly seen how much this gospel and the spirit changes hearts and blesses families!

There is another family we have been reactivating and the change I have seen in the Father is incredible! We had zone conference this last week (which was AWESOME) and the main thing I got out of it is how we need to allow the spirit to change us. As we go about experiencing new things and learning and growing every day we need to allow the spirit to change us. Life is all about change! If we don´t change we don´t learn anything! I am grateful for everyday I have to change and to be better! I am grateful for everyday I have to serve my Heavenly Father and His children here and to witness the change as these people receive the gospel. 

I know that this is the ONLY true gospel on the earth today. It is literally the same church Christ established when He was on the earth. What good news we have to share! Eu sei que Jesus Cristo vive! Eu sei que ele fez um grande sacrifiçio por cada nós! Nós podemos voltar na presença de Deus com nossas familias porque ele fez isso por nós!

I Love you all so much! Thanks for your love and support and examples!!!!

Love,

Sister Tingey

P.S. Mom- we eat lots of rice and beans and chicken! Yum yum! :) The members usually feed us at least 4 or 5 days a week. The food is delicious!

LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!

The festas have already begun! It´s going to be a crazy week this week!

When it rains it pours

2/17/14

Hello Family!

Another week in Brazil has passed by! We have been basking in the glorious rain for a little while. It is such a blessing to have some clouds to cool it down a little bit down here! Last night with about an hour left of proselyting it started pouring and it felt so good to be out soaked in the rain! It´s so different down here and I love it! The reality of being in Brazil and a little bit of culture shock settled in this week but I am learning and loving it! 

Mom, to answer your questions; my companion is awesome! Sister Rocha is from Florianopolis and is tons of fun and very bold with everyone. She doesn´t let anyone give excuses and she is a really great teacher. She is just an all around amazing missionary! It is such a blessing to be serving with her. I am learning so much and we have a lot of fun together! My apartment is great! Every building in Brazil is just tile floors - a little different but real nice because of the heat. We share an apartment with two other sisters; Sister Araújo and Sister Sasine. Sister Sasine happens to have randomly been in my EFY group years ago when Catherine Howard and I went to Amherst! Crazy,small world. Our ward is great! Lots of fun. Very Brazilian haha. Everyone talks a lot and just has fun! The more Portuguese I learn the more I get to know the members. (still working on that haha) Portuguese is coming. I learn and understand and can speak more and more everyday! I still kind of get lost when people are speaking really fast but I can generally follow what is being said and I am speaking more and more. I´m learning to just speak and not worry about grammar. Mas tudo bom! Oh and also, sandals are awesome! They are saving my feet!

This week was great! Our zone did a `Casa Aberta` which means we all went around the church inviting anyone and everyone to come to the church and look around and see what it is like. We talked to SO many people and saw a few miracles! One in particular was a woman named Sueli. She said she has often walked by our church and wanted to know more but didn´t know when meeting where or how she could learn more. Sister Rocha and I `knocked` on her door and she was SO happy. She said she had been waiting and waiting for missionaries to come by! She lives in the other sisters´ area but she is wonderful!

We are working with a family now that are just incredible! Their names are Lidiani e Ademeer. They aren´t married (like the rest of Brazil) but they are so prepared! We taught them this week and as we were teaching them the restoration and as I was reciting the first vision Lidiani began to tear up! I was reminded that it doesn´t matter if I can speak the language very well or not. The spirit will teach, the spirit will testify. This is the LORD´S work, not mine. 

I feel so privileged to be serving a mission. Sunday was a beautiful day. Two families that we are teaching came to church!!!! It is really hard to get people to church and to have people follow through on their commitments but they came!!! And all of the members welcomed them in so warmly.

This gospel is truly the only true gospel on the earth today. We have a modern day prophet who leads and guides us today! We have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, the SAME gospel Christ established when he was on the earth! What a glorious message I get to share with everyone every day. What a glorious gospel we have! Heavenly Father truly loves His children. Living the gospel principles is the only way to have eternal happiness! I am so grateful to have an eternal family and i want that for everyone. I love you all!!!!!!!!!

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

Love,

Sister Tingey

P.S. People to pray for:

Juliana

Humberto, Silvia, e Camila

Barbara, Edgar, e fam

Elieza, Leandro, e fam

Marisa e fam

Lidiani e Ademeer

These people are so wonderful, I love them so much!!

hot, Hot, HOT!!!

2/10/14

Oi Familia!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Estou aqui no Brasil!!!!!!!! Minha nossa what a week it has been! I have had so many ups and downs it´s crazy mas ta bom thus is  the life of a missionary!

My first week in Brazil! I can´t even begin to describe how much  I love it here! The people are just incredible! My companion is Sister Rocha! She is from Florianopolis, Brazil and she is INCREDIBLE! She really is an amazing missionary and I am learning so much from her, not only in the language  but in the work a s well! The area I´m serving in is called Fregeusia! It is beautiful and crazy and fun! We have a very rich part in our area and a very poor part in our area and we spend most of our time in the poor part. The people here are so much fun!

I have had many moments of frustration this week with the language but I try to be patient with myself and remember that I have only been here for 1 week. The gift of tongues is real! I have noticed that it is more difficult for me to understand people when we are just talking but when we are in a lesson or talking gospel, I understand much more and I can say more as well! It´s also been a bit tough to get used to how this mission works and the goals they are working towards because it´s a bit different than Washington. mas tudo bom!

This week was filled with miracles! We are working with a lot of families with parents who aren´t married and here in Brazil it´s either too expensive to get married or it takes FOREVER to get permission to get married for free. It´s a big problem here! BUT we received a call from an investigator this week who has been waiting and waiting and waiting to get what she needs to be married for free and miraculously there is an office that is giving out permission for anyone who comes to be married for free!!! È realmente um milagre!  We ran around this week to all of the families we know that aren´t married to go to the office today and receive the certificate!

I really feel truly blessed to be here! I have been learning and growing so much! i have been extremely blessed with a wonderful companion, awesome roommates,  an incredible ward and amazing people in my area! I have met the sweetest families and am blessed to work with the greatest people!

This is the only true church on the earth today. Everyone needs this gospel! I am privileged to share this message with everyone around me all day everyday! I am so happy! Eu sei que Jesus Cristo  é meu salvador. eu sei que o livro de mórmon  é verdadeiro. eu sei que joseph smih foi uma profeta e ele realmente reestabeleceu o verdadeiro igreja de Jesus Cristo.

I love you all so much! Thanks for the love and prayers and support, they are greatly needed! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

Love,

Sister Tingey   

First letter from Brazil

Missão Brasil Rio de Janeiro

Feb 4, 2014

Good Afternoon,

Your child has arrived today in the Rio de Janeiro Mission.  His day of preparation is on Mondays. Attached is a letter that your child has written for you.

Thank you,

Elder J.Lima

Secretário da Missão/ Mission Secretary

Missão Brasil Rio de Janeiro