A week of Growth

I was so sad to hear about Bunny´s passing. I was sitting here crying because I can feel the sadness from everyone´s email and I agree with Ben, I think our family has a connection , across the many miles that we are apart, we still have a special connection. I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvacion - it´s times like these that test our faith in the Lord and His will for us. I am so grateful for the knowledge we have of eternal families! I have often contemplated how hard it would be to lose a parent or sibling or loved one, but I know that everyone happens for a reason. I am certain Bunny misses her family, but she is in a place so wonderful that we all should hope to go - a paradise to wait for the wonderful day when Jesus Christ comes again. And when He does, oh what wonderful things will happen! But for now, I will pray for Luke and the girls. Oh, I hope they will feel of Heavenly Father´s love for them right now!

This has been a Week of Growth! I feel like I´ve grown up a lot - I´ve heard about the horrible things of this world. I have seen a lot of suffering in the streets here lately. There are people who have nothing, NOTHING! They look at me with my clothes and bag ¨full of stuff¨ (with scriptures and folletos really) and they ask for help. Oh, my heart cries! I have talked to so many other people who have so many problems. We visited a menos activo family and talked to a 12 year old girl. Her mom left her dad to be ¨ a lady of the night¨ and this poor girl is ignored by her father and family. She´s 12 and smokes and I don´t think she gets to eat very much.

I don´t know if you all heard, but Argentina just passes a law that Gays can get married and that they can adopt children. Our investigator Rocio told us and started crying, ¨What has happened to the family?¨ she said. The Relief Society president also told us and started crying. These women understand the significance of this decision. Rocio is a lot like Mom - more than just the significance, she was calculating the cost of the government for this decision and the impact it will have on other laws... Aunt Adrienne heard about it too. Yes, it´s horrible! Rocio is sure there will be demonstrations because, ¨We´re Argentines, we demonstrate when we don´t like something!¨

Many people have told us lately that the law is very relaxed for chicos under 18 - they can´t get put in jail for hardly any crimes. That´s why there are so many gangs of chicos in this area - they all want to steal as much as they can before they turn 18. It´s their ¨job¨ so they can provide for their future family. There are have chicos watching us and even coming to the house. We are taking so many precautions lately. But don´t worry, they can´t mess with Princess Storm! :) Plus, we have the Lord on our side. And sometimes I pray for angels to accompany us - I trust in the Lord.

And after all of these horribles things, after I have learned much of the world, STILL I trust in the Lord! The more I learn, the more grateful I am for my family and background in this gospel! The more I see, the more I look for answers in the scriptures and in prayer. And the more I hear, the more I want to proclaim to the people here the PEACE and JOY this gospel brings!!! With Bunny´s passing, the more I want to testify of the Plan of Salvacion and the importancia de Familias!

We planned an activity for Pioneer Day (for next Martes) and I am REALLY excited! It´s Pioneer themed- we are going to tell Pioneer stories and sing! One of the brethern here plays the violin/fiddle and said he´d play for us! La Hermana Abarzua del Canto and I are going around inviting ALL of the menos activos on the ward list! ALL of them! Many of the addresses don´t exist, but we´ve talked to a few families who are great! And as we are doing so, I took the advice from Ben and Dad, and we´re trying to find the imcomplete familias - members who have family that aren´t members. and we want to teach and baptized THEM ALL!!!! :) Well, that´s MY goal! My comp has a much more realistic goal, but it doesn´t hurt to try and do miracles, right?

I have a quick question for returned missionaries and for those who have felt the Spirit (which I´m sure is all of you! :) ) How do I recognize the elect of the Lord? When I´m contacting and trying to get to know people, I sometimes feel the Spirit, ¨Go talk to Him!¨ and I do and he waves us away. OR, this happens all the time, I always seem to be drawn towards the people who are very religious. La Hermana Abarzua del Canto said, ¨Hermana Tingey, you ALWAYS find the Testigos de Jehovah! How do you do it?¨ haha Maybe it´s because they have the light of Christ shining - and I see it! But I need a little advice or direction with this.

I LOVE ALL OF YOU SOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!! Satan is working hard against us, but WE WILL TRIUMPH!!!! There WILL be miracles! And I always pray that there WILL be baptisms!!!! Because I know it will come in the Lord´s time. I just need to try my hardest and FIND THE ELECT!
Please, ALWAYS keep the commandments!!!!!! We will find peace, joy, we will be liberated from the cares and sins of the world. We will have salvacion through Christ´s name when we keep the commandments and we will be forever happy! I hope I can teach the people here in Argentina this principle - oh how they need it! Please pray for them!

Love always,
La Hermana Tingey