Hello -- April 12, 2010

Hello,

What a week it has been. It has been truly crazy. So to start the week I've gotten a new companion. His name is Elder Leakehe. He is Tongon and from Salt lake. He is an awesome guy and we have really bonded together over the last couple days. This week has been crazy busy and filled with service. The church is building a pavillion outside of the church building. The missionaries were asked to help. So we spent 2 days putting a roof on a pavillion (only 3 hours a day). It's turned out pretty nice. It was funny working there because all working had different degrees of knowledge. The first day we worked there there were to many chiefs and not enough indians. The second day we worked there it was just us. So I got to be a chief. Woot!!!! So, due to a silly census my host family, The Stewarts, were able to get my birthday. They politely put it on the dinner calender that it was my birthday. Now the whole ward knows. So I've had a few birthday cakes and cards and I know I haven't seen the last of them. Other news. I somehow became the choir director. One day a few weeks ago I got pulled into directing a song, because the lady trying to conduct couldn't. She saw me conducting to myself so asked if I would do it. I did the one song and conducted it during sacrament meeting. This week we are starting new songs and they gave them all to me. So after church every sunday I walk into a class of beeming adults waiting to be led. I find it funny. We have had some crazy wheather this week. One day it's 90 degrees the next it is about 60 degrees and raining. I can never figure out if I should take my jacket with me or not. Oh well. Overall it has been a wonderful week. I love my new companion and he has taught me a lot. He has only been out 3 months, but I've learned quite a bit from him. Hope all is well back home.

I love you!!!

Love,
Elder Tingey

Missed post -- Feb. 22, 2010

So this week has been filled with miracles and trials. Sunday was the last week of our transfer. We spent Saturday and Sunday locked in doors because my companion Elder Benyo got a fever. I thought I was going to lose my mind!!!! He slept most the time. So I cleaned the whole apartment. Top to bottom. Another trial, earlier this week we had a in active parent forbid here 13 year old daughter to be baptised. We were devestated as well as the daughter. During ward council sunday our bishop got word of the news and called the mother. The baptism is back on and will be happening wednesday!!!!! This happened while we were locked in an apartment. What this tells me is that God doesn't need us. As missionaries we are out as tools helping the work a long. It is a priviledge, but if we all disappeared God would still get people into this church. Next bit of news is that I'm moving. Tomorrow I'm moving to Simi Valley. A day before our baptism! No!!! I'm excited about the move. I'll be follow up training someone who has only been in the mission 1 transfer (6 weeks) less than me. Sweet!!!!! I'm so excited for the move. Well, I'm off to go pack and get ready for the move. Love you!

Love,
Elder Tingey

Missed posts -- Feb. 15

So it's been an absolutely crazy week!!! We have 4 people with baptismal dates and we have to fight to keep them. They are meeting so much resistance. Everything from their husbands having heartattacks to their mothers getting cold feet at the last minute. It's been crazy. We've done a lot of finding this week due to a smaller teaching pool. The Lord blesses us in our finding activities though. Saturday we had no scheduled appointments and decided to walk all day. After 6 hours of walking and no success we walked by an apartment. A lady came flying out onto her balcony and asked if we would come teach her latter in the week!! Crazy. Our first appointment with her is tommorrow. It's been a fun week though as well. One of the elders in our appartment goes home next week and I might get transferred! We'll have to wait and see though. So we've had a blast and have had some intense lessons. I've learned though that if you rely on the spirit then you don't have to worry about those intense lesson. No matter what we always get the guidance we need. Well, hope all is going well at home. I love you.

Love,
Elder Tingey

What a week. . .

Hello,

What a week it has been. It has been filled with some crazy events. First off, I would like to say I live with the Stewarts. They are awesome!!!! Their family consist of: Bro Stewart, Sister Stewart, Taylor (20 serving a mission in Mexico), Nate (18 preparing for a mission), and Pearce (17). I've become very good friends with them. Second, the Lord has blessed us with success this week. We were able to find 4 new people to begin teaching. It was a battle to get them but well worth it. Next, our fearless zone leader Elder Brewer is in the hospital. It seems every where I go somebody ends up going to the hospital. He got his appendix removed because it was swelling and about to burst. He had surgery at 10:00 PM Friday night and is still in the hospital recovering. He is recovering nicely though and should be let out today. The odd story for the day: Wednesday night we went to go see a less active family. Our ward mission leader, Bro Bondurant, drove us there. As we were getting out of the truck I saw a guy walk by us with a Molotov cocktail. It was roughly 8:00 PM and him and his girlfriend looked like they were up to no good. So I ended up calling the cops. Don't know if they caught them. Assuming so because no houses burned that night. Another odd story. Met a guy who was a Marine. He was leaving to go somewhere but said he wanted us to come back. His exact words were "I can tell you all about the people I killed can you tell me about yours?" Than he left. Odd guy. He also said he was an atheist. Anyway, I was on exchanges so I'll have to wait and see what the other elders do, because he wasn't in my area. Well I'm off to go work and such. So have a wonderful week. I love you.

Love,
Elder Tingey

About the Accident

Well hello from Santa Maria. Okay, because I've been asked over and over about the injury last week I'll tell you. What happened is we went to lunch and had a nice salad and pizza. Then we went to play some basketball because it was our p-day. While playing basketball I got food poisining. It was awful. Also, our zone leader is allergic to peanuts and apparently there was peanut oil in the salad. So he went to the bathroom to splash his face after playing a little bit of basketball. He turned around to leave the bathroom and he passed out. He hit his head on the sink and ended up in the hospitable getting 5 staples in his head. We are all okay though so nothing to worry. This week has been great. We now have 4 people with baptismal dates. After having a teaching pool of 0. We stayed faithful and went out and did lots of finding and the Lord blessed us this week with 4 investigators with dates. Woot!!!! Met a few crazy people this week. Talked to a guy who said "As Elders you should cast your crowns before the great Jehovha God and his twin rainbows." We said goodbye and walked away. Also, yesterday I talked with a guy who was stoned out of his mind. He said he was being punished by God and then when we said goodbye he gave me a hug. A big bear hug too. And he held me for like 2 minutes. It was rather strange. It's still raining here often. Friday and Saturday we spent the days soaked to the core. Thank heavens for my awesome rain jacket!!!! I love you all.

Love,
Elder Tingey