Two years ago...

Today is the two-year mark or entering into a land---Chi-Town--- that I see differently than any other place in the whole world. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, I got out of the plane and onto a train, then handed a Book of Mormon to give out. Terrified. But over time, changed. Two years ago I look at that picture, and I want to just pull myself aside and say, “You got this.” (Maybe do a nice Parent Trap style handshake)I know the people I met, the experiences, frustrations, stresses, the fierce cold and the embarrassing moments as well as the glorious ones… were all apart of a learning process that the Lord needed me to see, and experience. I believe that when we have the courage to step out side of our selves, the Lord can truly show us our potential. He can prove to us that our fears are so much less existent than we imagined them to be. The Lord has always had my back, he still does, and during the mission I finally understood what it meant. What loyalty meant, and that I wanted to be loyal. I also know serving a mission doesn’t make you a member, it defiantly teaches you what it means to be one. Serving the Lord in any calling allows you to prove yourself that only with Christ you are successful, and humility shows even the proudest of heart that people out there can change when they give it to God, over and over and over again. My mission was for me. It was for improving my weaknesses and seeing my strengths, but most importantly it was for me to see that God works through the humble and the humble only. The people that were ready to change, I was privileged enough to see their process to coming to find Christ. To see His power, we have to be humble. This is true in anyway of serving the Lord, but a mission -- if given your all—will tell you something about yourself that you never knew, but have always wished you could be. I love the people of Chicago, and am so thankful the Lord allowed me to go. Thank you Chicagoans!!

This was my last week. It was amazing.

Hello Family, and friends!!! 

Wow!! What a week, first off, the weather! It was so great! I finally felt like hints started to get warmer. Haha it was 47 at times and me and sis, goff were like, "no coat! We're going free style!" We contacted some great people, we taught some awesome people, we just were surrounded by  AWESOME PEOPLE! 

Something I learned in my mission prep class up at BYUI before I came here that stuck out to me for my whole mission was the worth of every soul. My teacher was pretty funny. He would act like he would shake someone's hand, and then be like, "you're awesome!... You know why? Because you chose to follow Christ before you came here" 

It's SO true, these people everywhere we are, are our family we were with before we came here. We knew each other and we met them, and said, "you know we are going to meet back up down there and we are going to help each other get back." 

It's awesome to be surrounded by loved ones. And at really what this week was about. 

Oh my.... You'll never believe what happened. Elder. L. Tom Perry came to our mission to speak to us! That was so cool! Great things are happening in Chicago!!! Whoooo hooo

We met with a less active, and we are teaching her sons. They are super cute, and we got to teach them the plan of salvation. You know with the little cut out of circles and then arrows, sun, moon and star. And later we taught an investigator at a members home the plan of salvation. Which went good as well. These two experiences just helped me see, again, the power of having this knowledge. It's freedom really. But wow! The plan of happiness is given to us freely, we just have to follow the rules of the game. And we will win the prize. 

Mosiah 4: 27 And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.

I am so grateful for the gospel. 

Something pretty cool, on Sunday a lady from nigiria came to church. In relief society she stood up and told us how she got here, she was really happy and excited to share this story. She said she has been searching for a church to go to, she has been to so many, and one night she dreamed of this dream she then told it to her friend who said, "that sounds like the Latter-day Saints" she was like, "who is this Latter Day Saints? I have to find this." So she googled it and said she was looking for it and was up all night trying to find out. She said she had to find it because it was the Lord himself who told answered her prayer and told her about this church, she new she had to go and find it. So she found it the next morning... She said it actually just popped up on her phone! As she was trying to get there her friend wouldn't take her, she didn't know how to get there, she finally decided to get on a taxi and the taxi driver said it would be 50 dollars! She way like, "that's fine I'll do it! I just need to get to this church" after much confusion she finally arrived, the taxi drive dismissed the charge. She loved church she felt the spirit so strong, she was crying as he opening prayer was said, as the sister who gave it said, "thank you God for leading us to your church" her relief was real. Jesus Christ answered her prayer because of her faith. 

From that moment I realized the we need to pray not only for the people in our area to be prepared like we usually do, but for the people to have the courage and faith to act on the answers they have received. 

Well, I guess I should say it now.... This was my last week. It was amazing. I was truly humbled on my mission, I was changed for the better. Because of my mission I have not only learned who I am, but what I can become and it's all because of Jesus Christ. I learned how to understand and recognize the promptings of the spirit. 

I can't not express the amount of gratitude I have for God allowing me to serve a mission, and that he was patient enough to work with me and teach me, day by day. 

I know that this isn't the end of my mission, but really it's the beginning of my mission. I feel like The mission is like the MTC for our life, it strengthens, teaches, challenges and prepares us for what is ahead. 

When I think of the gospel of Jesus Christ my heart swells with so much joy, and the only words that come out is

 " I love the gospel!" 

That's it.... Haha that's not even like... A good explanation of what I feel about it! 

The reason why I love it is, it has the power to bring us over the mountains that may stand in our way and it encourages and inspire us.  It can teach us and give us knowledge to become better and live 

with joy and have success in life. And the best part it has the power to change us. When Jesus Christ taught and ministered to so many people, they were changed in miraculous ways. 

The gospel is true! The Book of Mormon is the word of God written for every individual and the atonement that it testifies of so often in it is REAL! 

The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is Christ's church again on the earth. I know this with my whole soul.

I haven't been more happier in my life then serving The Lord like this.  

If you want to serve a mission, just do it. Don't hesitate. 

One more thing

"Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work"

D&C 4:3

Just do it. 

I love you, and can't wait to see you soon!! 

Love, sister. Tincher 

we gettin on a bus!

Well for this week... Lots of things happened. 

Tuesday came along and we had a good mission meeting with a 70, Elder. Zwickau. He is a cool guy. He and Bro. Hemingway who is in charge of online proselyting came and told us about our iPads and about certain things we will be expected to do with them to hasten the work, and mostly... Obedience with them. For Pete sake, how many times does this subject of obedience have to be brought up! So many time, we has humans struggle. But it was really good, the spirit was very strong. I love these meetings because of that. And second it was good because I got to see all my missionaries, I love these people! 

Something pretty cool this week we were on the bus talking to people, and sis. Goff sat by this guy started to talk, and then introduces herself as a representative of Christ, he told her that as he was getting in the bus he felt like someone was going to talk to him. How cool!? The Lord totally prepared him for that moment to receive the word. I wonder how often that happens to us as we approach our friends and family or the people around us with the gospel... 

We had a pretty lucky week of catching our buses, so that was nice. Except for one time. It was up in the suburbs where the buses that come by are sparse... We had three hours before curfew and we planned on doing some stop bys. So we go to wait for a bus, 15 minuets go by its freezing by we are having a good time! We're good at that. Then another 15 go by we kind of slow down... Then another 15 and nothing still... We waited for the bus for an hour in the coldest windiest weather. Hahaaaaa no buses. 

We were both dying by then! 

As soon as we saw a bus coming the opposite way we ran across the street waving it down we didn't care what way it was going, we gettin on a bus! We were so thankful. 

So we are on this bus and we were talking to this guy, who was very nice! Then our stop comes and we get off, as we are waiting for our next bus I ask sister. Goff to get the map out as we turns to get it she realizes she didn't have her back pack! The keys where in there also. So we had no way to get back into our apartment hahaha too good, too good.

We called the senior sisters, they were sweet enough to pick us up and let us sleep at their house, the next day we called around and found it :) but it totally happened for a reason, the good thing about being a missionary or a member of the church, is when weird things happen you know it's because a marvelous work and a wonder is happening. So, yeah that was another adventure of the week. 

But this week was full of opportunities to teach, maybe not appointments but definitely in other places. 

I really love the gospel, it's the best thing! 

I know that God called Joseph Smith to be a prophet for these last days, and we were called to be Christ disciples for these last days. To carry this work forth, to learn and become better. There is a purpose for everyone that lives here, God uses us all to help at least one person come closer to him. 

I love you all, have a good week!

Keep on keepin on! 

Love, sister. Tincher 

Chicago pictures

it's perfect weather to do missionary work!

So if you have been paying attention to the weather, you'll notice that it's almost like Antarctica over here, or Russia.... It's really cold and so it's perfect weather to do missionary work! It motivates us to get into people's houses. 

We got to see a couple really awesome people this week and we had a lot of them come to church this Sunday!!!! Ah! 

We are working with a lot of less actives in this ward. What I love about it, is they already know the basics, they know what the Book of Mormon is and now we just have to teach, bring it back in and the spirit was already once there in there lives where it testified to them. They just need a reminder course! 

We went to a lady she is so cute, she is from Africa and when we came in she kept saying thank you, thank you haha and even like ten minutes later, "thank you" haha. She really wants her kids to come to church and experience the blessing as we were talking to her, her son came home from school. She kept talking about them and so when it came time to share our message with her we invited her son to join. And it was great! He has a super strong testimony of Christ and the atonement, we gave them a Book of Mormon to begin reading as a family and invited them to church they both her excited and ready to begin. Later that week we ran into her and she was just thanking us for sharing the message with her son, and how excited she is that he wants to start coming to church and going to the activities. Then she said, "now you just need to meet my other children!" Haha I love these people in Chicago 1st ward. 

We got to see Nina as well. She is just on fire, doing better and better. When went over this time she had a sheet of paper with what she read and the questions! Then she asked us what we are giving her next and when we told her she was like, "that's all?" Haha she then asked if we could start meeting twice a week! Whoo hoo!! She is just so great. She even came to church, she dragged her brother along, Gordon. And brought her cute baby. I am so excited to see the change in her. She has such a great gift of feeling the spirit, and also allowing the spirit to teach her truth, she also has a good gift of asking questions. I think the soul that questions is often the one that has more knowledge given to them. 

After church we stopped by a less active, her little boy let us in and we got to talk to her. As we sat down we talked and got to know her, and then we just asked honestly what is keeping her from coming to church and if she reads the Book of Mormon. She was honest with us, very sweet spirit. She told us she hasn't in a while and that she needs to, she continued to talk about experiences she has had in work and her conversion story that has lead her to the close relationship she does have with Her Father in Heaven. What I loved about this is that is was a good experience to remind me that, we are just there to bring the spirit in some cases and that they are the ones that need to talk, they need to remind them selves and relive their testimony. At the end she realized that this is what she needs in her family, she was dedicated to come back to church and begin reading the Book of Mormon. She told us her son has been saying how he wants to be baptized, so we said we can teach him the lessons. Now we have a set appointment every week to teach him! How awesome, is the spirit that leads others to choose Christ in their life. 

Every day is a good day though, full of hilarious moments and sometimes dark ones, like walking in dark cold Wind. 

Something pretty funny We were appt an appointment and there was a little baby there, when it was time to do the lesson I pull out my iPad to show the video, and sis. Goff is letting the baby play with hers to distract him while we are doing the lesson... Well on our iPads if you mess up the password more than four times then it shuts off and resets, so... That's what happened.. So now you can't use it anymore. So yeah that's what happened! So she can't use it, they had to send it back to SLC and she won't be getting a new one, because SLC isn't sending us anymore. Hahahaha!! So now, we just have one iPad, and soon no car. I don't know what goin on over here haha

I hope your week is a good one and that you continue to look for the joy in every moment! 

I love you. 

Keep on, keepin on

Sis. Tincher :)

It's been good.

Hello friends and family!! 

Wow! This week. It's been good, it's been one of those weeks where you just need to sit back, ponder, take things slowly and wait for a little something something to bring you back to grips. 

We had zone training so we focused on diligence and obedience. I don't know if I told you that our mission is reading the Book of Mormon and highlighting all the Christ-like attributes. It's good! The prophets in the Book of Mormon are very wonderful leaders, and you begin to see what it takes to be a true disciple of Christ.

This week we got to see the Lorbes family. We are working with them to reactivate them, the bishop said they haven't been sealed as a family so they wanted to work on it, but as we were there talking to them they brought out their family pictures of them while they were at the temple and they were talking about when they were sealed and all this stuff. We kept asking, sealed? So you and your family were sealed? Oh nice! When were you sealed? 

Like asking all these questions in a discreet way haha. But we showed them the video your potential, your privileges and them talked about patriarchal blessings, and committed them to talk to the bishop about getting one, so that was good! 

It was just funny to have our plans thrown out the window for a quick sec. 

we got to visit Lita a less active/recent convert she is a sweet heart, she has been struggling with coming to church because of depression and feeling like no ones likes her at church, but a cool thing is we showed her the "hope of Gods light" and she began to tell us when she was depressed and feeling hopeless she started to pray and then she said that went away. We got to just praise her for her righteous decision to turn to God in times where it seemed like Satan was over powering her. 

I think it's so amazing when we see these people in our lives and they struggle with life and the temptations that Satan puts in front of the,, but the use all their energy to choose God. That's where the hope comes, the faith lights the way and the despair is dispersed. I feel like that is where you have passed "the trial of faith" he wants us to choose him. 

Really I love this gospel, isn't it something else? Haha i am thankful for the gift of the spirit to be with us. It's truly a great gift I could be for thankful for that power that leads to do right, to choose God in all things and to appreciate the good in everyday live. 

God lives, he is there. He will always be, he always has and always is. 

I hope your week is one to remember, that you valentines was full of love and that you said I love you to more than the usually amount;) 

Have a good one! 

Love, sister Tincher 

This week

This week has been really hard with sis. B leaving. I got in a car crash... So I have been down lately, but trying really really hard to lift myself up. It's all in a state of mind! Right? I got a blessing on Sunday so that is good. 

One quote that has saved me this week is. Philippians 4:13 " I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." In the book it said to say this your self every morning you wake up and every evening. 

When we rely on Christ, he can heal us. He can strengthen our weaknesses. 

Love, Sister Tincher