Elena Got Baptized!

5/2/11

Familia Tingey y amigos queridos,

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡TUVIMOS UN BAUTISMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, what a special, spiritual experience on Saturday when Elena finally followed the example of our Savior and was baptized for the remission of her sins. ¡Qué gozo!

Hermana Alston and I were running around all week making sure Elena was ready, the Elderes could come in to do the entrevista without problems, that we could have enough sacerdocio (priesthood) for the baptism, etc.

I was privileged to give the talk before she was baptized and I decided to talk right to Elena. She laughed as I told her that we were passing her house, contacting in her area, and I said to Hermana Alston, ¨vamos a tocar esta puerta…¨ and she invited us in and said, ¨I used to always go the Mormon Church!¨ Teaching her was so fun – and I talked about how she just shines, having conquered a very difficult feat in giving up smoking. She teared up as Hermana Alston and I sang ¨Divina Luz,¨ the very first song we sang in her house.

We had just enough Priesthood holders – and Enrique, a new convert, baptized Elena! They were both trembling in the water! Enrique wrote the prayer up and had it taped to the side wall – not a bad idea. And Elena is a VERY old woman (around 74) with lots of health problems and had to be helped under the water quite a few times until she was successful.

A few investigators came to the baptism – including two neighbor friends of Elena – who are 12 and 9! Their family is part of the Jehovah´s Witnesses religion, however, they LOVED the baptism and clung onto my side at church the next day. I really really want to teach these girls.

Transfers!!

I am grateful that Heavenly Father listens and answers my prayers. I have been praying to get a companion who can 1. Work hard and effectively and 2. Will help me learn Castellano well and 3. Keep me from going too Trunky… and her name is Hermana Villegas from Chile!!! I picked her up EARLY this morning and we arrived in PRINGLES this afternoon (YES, I AM STILL IN PRINGLES!!!! WWWOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!) Hermana Villegas arrived with me to the mission waaayyy back when last year. So far, I can tell she is a neat freak, punctual, detail oriented and works hard hard HARD! So I have a GREAT deal to learn from her… and I couldn´t be more nervous and excited!

I love this gospel of our Redeemer Jesus Christ! I´ve been studying the Spirit World and other random temas and with the atonement of Jesus Christ, all things are made possible! I love my Savior and I am grateful for Him.

Love you all SOOOO MUCH!!!!

¡¡¡¡Ánimo, adelante, a BAUTIZAR Y MÁS ALLA!!! J

Hermana Tingey