First week...

HOLA! BUEN DIA! First of all, I wanted to say PLEASE USE www.dearelder.com It's SOOOOOO great, easy, and fast and they print it in letter form. Mom, thank you SOOOO much for writing me with it! I love getting mail! I am SOOOO excited about the baptisms in Montreal!!! Tell Qadira and Adira and everyone I love them and are proud of the decision they made. Tell the Sisters, especially Sister Williams, that I love them! And thank Elder Jest for his example to me. Dad, keep it up! You're doing the Lord's work and he is so grateful for you and your talents! Mom, I love you and miss you! Thanks for being so patient with me that final stretch. It was all worth it!

Pues, I am at the MTC and LOVING IT! IT's definitely not easy and it is definitely not what I expected. I love my MTC teachers Hermano Quitana, Hermano Dallon, y Hermana Jesperson. Hermano Jesperson served in Argentina! I have two Hermanas in my district that are going to Bahia Blanca with me. They are the two Sisters I met at BYU! Mi companiera es Hermana Crosby. She is from Eagar, Arizona; she is hilarious. She's more of the sarcastic type and at first I was worried about getting along with her because she was very negative (and I was bouncing off the walls, smiling and excited! haha). But the Gospel and the Spirit has changed her the last few days and she is loving it here! We were also able to share our testimonies and a few of our life experiences the past few days, so we have made a strong connection. I truly love my companion; she is a daughter of our Heavenly Father and she will make a wonderful missionary in the Toronto, East (Spanish Speaking) mission! Plus, I've been able to find the balance of joking with her and teasing her back, and keeping my positive attitude and love for missionary work. She lived in Mexico and has beautiful Spanish. She should be in the Advanced Class, but I think she loves our district too much to leave. My district is hilarious! We have Elders serving in Las Vegas, Denver, Tulsa, Quito Ecuador and Salta Argentina, all Spanish speaking. These Elders are all so different - we have an "earthy" Elder, a California boy, etc. but we love them all. Our district bonded so quickly. We laugh during meals and have so much fun together. We are all working towards a wonderful goal and we are having fun while doing so. I have seen Zuster Holbein, Elder Spencer Sutton, Elder Landon Richards, Nick and Kasusha Klima, a girl from girls camp in Indiana, a few Elders and Sisters from BYU, and many more. I love how many wonderful people there are here that want to serve the Lord through a full-time mission! The MTC is wonderful!!!

I've been playing volleyball a lot with the Elders and even was able to spike it alright for the first time. There are also classes in the morning for the Sisters, so we did a step aerobics class and there are few others I want to go to. They're very fun and make the day interesting. My Spanish is struggling. If there is anything you want to pray for me about, please pray that I will be able to understand and speak Spanish so that I might bring the people of Argentina unto Christ in their native language. Everyday it's a struggle. Everyday I have doubts. But I know that my Heavenly Father loves me and wants me to succeed. I know that I can succeed because of the atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the restoration and that we have a living prophet today, Thomas S. Monson, who guides this church through our Savior Jesus Christ. And I can almost say all of this simple testimony in Spanish! :)

OOHHHH, I had the GREATEST experience at the Refferal Center, or call center. I was calling out and nobody picked up for a half an hour. Finally, I talked to a southern woman about Jesus Christ. I told her how I felt about Him and how I know the Book of Mormon is scripture that can bring us closer to Him. I asked her if she wanted a Book of Mormon and she said YES!!! I also was brave enough to try one in Spanish. Thank goodness I did that because I talked to a man who knew Spanish and ENglish! It was SO great! I testified in Spanisht to him about everything and he committed to a Book of Mormon. He said he was really impressed with me and wanted to know MORE!!! WOOOHOOO! I LOVE missionary work!!!!

Oh, I'm in the MTC choir and LOVE IT! Oh, and sister Janice Kapp Perry came to speak at Relief Society! She wrote a ton of the Primary Children's song book like A Child's Prayer, I Love to See the Temple, Armies of Helaman, etc. We all sang together as a Relief Society and it was SO wonderful! I realized I have always sung one of her songs before a major event in my life. I sang to myself I Love to See the Temple before I was in Endowed and the Armies of Helaman one before I was a missionary. It meant so much to me to have her there and to sing! Ok, I have to go! I have NO time left! But I love you all SOOOO much! This church is true and I am SO grateful and excited to bring the world His truth! ABRAZOS Y BESOS! Love you Dad, Mom, Ben, Jackie, Elizabeth, Abby, Jack, and Everyone else!!!!!!

Hermana Tingey

She made it to the MTC!!!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 1:15

Hermana Ali finally made it to the MTC. It was a long road getting ready and living by modified mission rules since her setting apart in Montreal ten days previously. But she had lots of fun along the way with her mom as her companion and chauffeur---going from dentist to haircut to flu shots. She also enjoyed her final tastes of Cafe Rio, Paradise and In & Out Burger. She was so grateful to see family and friends before her big missionary adventure begins.

Besides Mom, sister Elizabeth and soon-to-be sister-in-law Jackie gave Ali her last hugs before dropping her off at the MTC. You can just feel the energy, excitement and Spirit of all of the missionaries. What a special place!

I will be one of the Lord's missionaries to bring the world His truth!

This was one of the most special moments in my life, thus far!

I have been preparing to serve a mission ever since I was a little girl. I can remember singing, "We are as the army of Helaman - we have been taught in our youth. And we will be the Lord's missionaries to bring the world His truth." My family has set an incredible example for me. All of my aunts have served faithful missions - even those who married into the family! They served all over the world! Places such as: Taiwan, Spain, Russia, Peru, Denmark, Connecticut, Ecuador, etc. and even Argentina! My Dad served a faithful mission in Tennessee and my brother Ben served a faithful mission in South Carolina (Spanish speaking!).

For quite some time I have hoped to be able to serve a mission. A few months before I turned 21, I started to seriously pray about a mission. I prayed, fasted, and pondered about the possibility from June to August of 2009. At the beginning of August I made the decision to serve and prayed to Heavenly Father if that decision was the right one for me. I receieved a definite YES! I was SO excited! It took a while to get my interviews, put together my papers, and send it to the Bretheren, but the day finally arrived when I got my call. Thanks to a few tender mercies of the Lord, I was able to open my call with my extended Tingey family there.

Before I opened my call I prayed fervently to my Father in Heaven. I committed myself to serving the Lord and asked to be reassured that my assignment came from Him. I waited in great anticipation, my heart beating wildly, growing anxious to know where I was meant to serve. I opened my call - and began to read. My heart lept as I saw, "ARGENTINA," on the second line! I immediately felt a burst of joy, happiness, comfort, and reassurance that this is where the Lord has been preparing me to serve. I will finally serve a full-time mission, like I have been preparing to do since I was a little girl. It is a dream come true!

I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church on the earth because it has the correct authority and keys from God. I testify that Jesus Christ suffered and died for us, so that we would have a way to be forgiven of our sins and weaknesses, be resurrected, and return to live with our Heavenly Father forever. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet of God that assisted in the restoration of the gospel on the earth. I know that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon and that the Book of Mormon will help us come closer to Christ better than any other book. I know that in the holy temples of our Lord, we can be sealed to our families forever. This gospel of Jesus Christ makes me so happy!

I am excited to share this message with all of the people in Argentina! This blog is designed for all those who are curious to see how I am doing over the next year and a half; you can also see how the work of the Lord is progressing in Bahia Blanca, Argentina.

I love all of you!

Hermana Alison Jane Tingey
-Ali-

P.S. I also LOVE letters!