ARRRRRRIIBBBAAAA - MI CUMPLE! :)

I wish I could describe every experience I have everyday, but here
were three that came to mind that I would like to share: OSCAR, HNA.
OLSEN, Y UNA NUEVA FAMILIA!!!!

OSCAR- Our milagro! Our converso Oscar just received the Priesthood
last week. When we visited him this week, he was BEAMING! ¨The first
thing I did with my Priesthood was share the gospel!¨ He called his
family in Tampa, Florida and told them, ¨GO to the Mormon Church and
look for the Hermanas there!¨ Oscar also said that he was going to
call his family in Spain. I think I beamed bigger and brighter than
Oscar. I remember what Ben told me, ¨One baptism never means just one
baptism,¨ and now I see why. I haven´t felt very effective as a
baptizing missionary, but I hope and pray that Oscar´s family will go
and do what a new Priesthood holder recommended. His faith is
incredible - he is a miracle!

And that´s not everything! We gave Oscar the Temple Preparation book
to read for the next visit we had this week. We were walking by his
house doing contacts when he yelled, ¨HERMANAS!¨ We walked over to him
and he said he had stayed up until 3 o´clock in the morning reading
the book! He told me his favorite part was about the sealings. The
Spirit was so strong. I testified of the wonderful blessings of the
temples and how it has blessed my life. THIS IS MY GOAL!!! As a
missionary, my goal has been to help everyone prepare to go through
the temple and receive the blessings of the temple. I try to help
investigadores, menos activos, members, todos to come unto Christ and
receive their endowment and have an eternal family. That´s what I want
for them.

HNA. OLSEN - My capisima compañera! She has been having some trouble
lately (as do all missionaries) of getting down on ourselves. All
week she did not feel good enough - she did not feel like she was
changing anyone´s life. She kept saying, ¨What change have I made
here? Who´s life have I changed? No one...I´m not a good missionary.¨
We have ALL gone through that (myself more than anyone I am sure) and
I always try to say things to encourage and uplift her. ¨We just have
to have faith that the Lord will provide, even in our weaknesses...¨
¨Remember Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail? In D Y C we can read what
revelation he received...¨ I even pulled out a Lord of the Rings quote
on her the other day. She was down and felt like we can never find
ANYONE here in Babilonia (aka Mar del Plata! :)haha). I said,
¨Remember what Samwise says to Frodo when Frodo lost all hope?
¨There´s still some good left in this world, and it´s worth fighting
for.¨ Hermana Olsen, There´s still some elect here in Mar del Plata,
and they are worth fighting for.¨ She paused, looked at me and said,
¨You pulled out Lord of the Rings on me, Hermana Tingey?¨ I laughed
and said, ¨Yes, I am a nerd. But it´s TRUE!¨

So, she had been down for a few days, and the other day I had an ¨Ali
Moment¨ - the one´s I´m not proud of. I BLEW UP! It was raining
outside, we had had NO success, we were tired and frustrated and I,
specifically, had HAD IT! I threw up my arms in the calle in the rain
and said, ¨WHY ARE YOU SUFFERING LIKE THIS? I am TRYING TO HELP YOU!
LET ME HELP YOU! IT´S SOOO HARD! I KNOW IT´S HARD! IT¨S HARD FOR ME
TOO¨ Pobrecita! But we both stopped and just cried and cried together,
in the rain. Juntas - como compañerismo. It´s HARD; there is NO doubt
about it! The mission is just down right HARD! But we hugged and
decided to help change one more life that day. Right afterward we
found Miguel Richie, a Catolico, abogado, divorced man who´s mother
just passed away. He said, ¨No chicas, I´m Catholic and won´t
change¨!" But he ended up talking to us for a while and I gave him a
Book of Mormon to read. I hope and pray he reads it. I am so grateful
for the tender mercies of the Lord! Every small miracle, every person,
is important to Him.

La Nueva Familia - Ayelen, Jorge, Franco, y Matias. They are
WONDERFUL! There are a lot like the families in the Villa (ghetto)
with whom I served with in my first two areas. They are in a tight
economic situation right now, but still sat us down and served us
fresh fish that Jorge had caught that morning. It was fantastic! We
watched the Restauracion movie with them and part of the Testaments
because Ayelen is a very visual learner. Ayelen wants to get baptized,
but doesn´t want to ¨change¨ from being Catholic. She just wants to
get baptized in the same manner as Christ. We are working with lesson
1 over again and the importance of the authority of the sacerdocio and
everything. Please pray for her and her family! We want ALL of them to
get baptized!

I am SOOO grateful to be a missionary! I feel like this is the best
refiners fire - I am learning so much everyday. I know that Heavenly
Father knows me and loves me. He knows us all and wants us to have
eternal life and immortalidad. I know my Savior Jesus Christ loves me
because he suffered for me - and for everyone - so that it might be
possible to live with our Father in Heaven again. I know that the
Lord restored His church through the Prophet Joseph nuevement on the
earth and that His power, His Priesthood will never be taken off the
earth again. I know that Christ will come to rule and reign. I LOVE
this gospel!

Love you all so much! ¡Animo y adelante! :)

Hermana Tingey