Happy Thanksgiving!

Another week has come and gone! I can't believe how fast everything is flying by, this transfer is already almost gone! But we still have time here I love it in this area. It's great.

Something really cool I noticed this week was as we went to people houses that were either people we tracted into, former investigators or people we are teaching. Is that when these people have a relationship with God- they pray to him regularly and really think about him. When we go into their house and teach them are talk about things that are going on in their lives. That we are able to feel the spirit so much stronger. I love to point that out to them, because I think most people don't really realize that for themselves. When we take the time to get to know our Heavenly Father he will be able to discern our needs a lot better and help us along our journey. We went to this lady's house that use to be taught by missionaries she told us that she had come to the decision that she will not be "getting dunked" haha we asked her more about it and than Sister McClimans asked well have you prayed to know what you should do about baptism. And she was like "actually... no I haven't. I just came up with the answer myself. I never thought of praying to know what I should do."

We bore testimony of the power of prayer and that he does lead and guide us when we ask for guidance with a sincere heart. The spirit was strong and we could tell that her heart was softened to have another look at what being baptized and taking the Lords name upon herself could really do for her.

I love the Spirit and how much it teaches us without any words. God talks to us through the still small voice of the spirit to know the truth of things. When we are willing to listen we will hear.

I love this church, and I love this Gospel. I have had people that are against it tell me it is wrong and people that are for it  and tell me it is right. When you let your wall come down and simply ask to be lead, He is will not lead you astray. He will show you the way and bring you to a better place. Better than you could ever do on your own. I know this is Christ church, this is the way and the only way to eternal life and happiness.

Love, Sister Tincher

 

High Winds

Another week of intense missionary work. You know the biggest thing I love about being out here is that I get to talk with so many different people and see how their lives are and what has made them, them. It's so cute but a very humbling experience as well. The more I do this missionary thing the more I see how becoming like Christ is essential in our journey back to our father.

We visited this lady this week who is a less active in our ward. She was been going through so many hard things lately it's so crazy and I feel so bad for her She said that her faith disappears when times like this happen and I couldn't help but feel her pain and feel the need for my companion and I to stress the importance to never turn away from the Lord when trial and adversities come into our lives, but to turn out and grab His and that is so willingly stretching out for our grasp. We need to immerse ourselves in the Lord's unconditional loves. It will always be there never faded. you will never be forgotten in His eyes. For some reason that is hard for us to grasp but it is true and the book is blue. President Henry B. Eyring gives a top notch talk about this- called Mountains to Climb (look up the mormon message)http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages. I think he says is perfectly "If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing." With God anything is possible. I loved in Mosiah 24:14 it says  "And I will also ease the ^aburdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as ^bwitnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their ^cafflictions." It's cool how everything works when you put your faith to work.

 

This week we had an amazing investigator and it was so great the first lesson we had we committed him to baptism! Oh it was awesome he was so excited to learn more and it made so much sense to him. You could tell he was ready to learn more. When we scheduled another lesson with him he invited us to come by his house that same night so Sis. McClimans and I stopped by right before our dinner appointment and he had his brother there and his church leader. I was fallen out of my seat I couldn't even fathom what was going on. Right before we left we wanted to leave a spiritual thought with them so we pulled our a scripture. Introduced them to the book of Mormon and then they just started to ask us more questions. It was really cool and a good experience we got their information and everything was like sooo good then a couple days later when it was time to have our next lesson with this guy he never showed up... then we waited the next day, rescheduled.. then we get this text and hour before our lesson and he says this isn't for me. ohhhh this was so devastating, no, no, no this can't be happening. That's all that I was thinking. Like you don't know what your are turning away from! Stop in your tracks! but no it's okay really it is everything will work out the way the Lord needs it to and I trust that he will find it someday, somehow. So that was a little devastating of the week. but everything else it going really well I feel like things are coming along and we are going to find more people to teach.

 

There was a high speed storm yesterday I almost got picked up and blown around the church parking lot. But it's fine, I didn't. So usually when I am being overreacting about wind and saying there is tornado up in here... well when I was saying it this time it was for real... There was really a tornado going on. It didn't get close enough to us but of my it was so windy. I am loving being a missionary it's great and such a blessing to be out here.  I hope you all have a great week. God bless!

 

Keep on, Keepin on--- Sister Tincher :)

 

We are all missionaries.

This week just flew by, but oh my goodness the more I go on the more I am able to see how the Lord really effects our lives everyday. I can not believe how amazing it is to be right in the middle of this work. We recieved a refferal last week from the head quarters about a woman who really wanted to learn more we met with her on friday just recently and WOW it was amazing her and her husband are so absolutely and completely ready for the gospel to be in their lives. The way they lived before really prepared them for what being given as they are taught. I feel like I am in the middle or something like that I don't even know how to describe it. The investigators who are so ready to learn and want to know more and seeing the Lord answering their prayers and work with them; then us as missionaries just really show them where and how to get the answers. It's been such a blessing to see this happen right before my eyes.

 

We have had a lot of teaching experiences and chances to meet more people that are willing to learn more ans see what the "Mormons" are about. We run into a lot of Catholics here and it's a nice area so, so many people are already blessed by the Lord and it's hard for them to see the change and the blessing of what the Restored Gospel has instore for them. Our memebers here in the ward are really awesome they are all ready to help and want to know how to help. I love when I go to a members house and we ask them how their missionary work is going and they are like well I a gave out a book of Mormon the other day or I really want to talk to someone but I don't know how to do it. It like blows me away for some reason haha I don't know why but it's so grea that we as members and missionaries have the blessing and knowledge of this and are willing to share it with others to bring them the same happiness that we have found from it. I look back on my life and see how much I took it for granted, but the more my focus is on it the more I see how much it can really change a persons life if they let it.

 

When we were at stake conference one of the speakers were telling us about a missionary experience they had while on the plane. They were sitting by a man who was from Germany and as they were talking religion came up and he was mormon. The german man was like I have seen your missionaries an my country and why do you think it's okay for you guys to go around and tell everyone to join your church. The thing the speaker said was great he said that he didn't know the answer but as he spoke it wasn't his own words. He related the story to Saul and how once he was manifested of the truth he had no choice but to go out and tell everyone about it. and that is the same for us as members and missionaries we have had our own witness and realized the amazingness of this gospel and the Lord and feel the need to tell people about it. Perfect. that's all I can say.

 

I think one of my favorite things teaching is about prayers and that we have the opportunity and privledge to talk to our Heavenly father because he loves us so much and wants us to talk to him. He wants to hear from you and know how things are going, even though he is all knowing. He still wants you to tell him and ask him and thank him for the things that happen on a day to day basis. I know that our father lives and answers our prayers.

 

I hope all is well at home and that you are enjoying the Holiday season! I can't wait to hear all about this next week, I love and miss you with all my heart.

Love, Sister Tincher :)

Buffalo Grove

I can't even believe what has happened this week. but I am so grateful for every experience. I hope I can share what I have been wanting to without my mind going elsewhere and forgetting stuff, because that's just what happens to me when I sit down at the computer. 

 

So when transfers came around last Saturday President called and said I would be moving up north to Gurnee; well Monday night President called back and said he felt very strongly that I needed to be in a different area and with a companion who was actually in my district at the MTC. Now I am in the suburbs of Buffalo Grove! Haha let me tell you it is a lot different than the city but it is so amazing I have loved every second of it. The Lord knew exactly what needed to happen! My  new companion is Sister McClimans and we have both been out for 7 weeks in the field we are both training each other, but we both are hard workers and want to get things done in this area I am so excited I can't even tell you!

 

It was the best week of my mission. On Thursday, with this day we had a Zone conference with Elder Martino and his wife including our mission President and his wife. Let me tell you right now... I was spiritually fed it was flowing over the rim and I felt like I couldn't contain everything (but I did). We learned the major importance of member missionary work, in Alma 10 you will find the story of Alma and Amulek. Amulek was a less active that through the lessons Alma taught to his family was re-activated and than he became the greatest tool for finding and converting others to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It all starts with us the more we bring others into our homes to learn the lessons and be taught by the missionaries we will grow spiritually as well as the people coming into our homes. they will be more willing to listen to the message of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ because they can see through a friend how it really does influence a individual. The whole meeting blew me away and I just want you to know that I know this church is true. No matter what happens I know that His gospel is back on the earth, and it's time for others to know as well.

 

When we left that meeting we headed to our dinner appointment. We go in and it was real fun because it was Halloween and everything was you know festive central and I am loving it because I just got back from a great meeting and I am really feelin on top and it's holiday so I am just loving life. A whole bunch of people are in and out and because I am the new missionary members are greeting me and asking for my name and this one man comes us to me and says "Oh I know some Tinchers they introduced me family to the Church!"

I was like, "Oh where are they from?"

He said "Indiana"

"Oh that's where the Tinchers are from really, who were they names?"

"Ingrid and Bob Tincher"

(Ok, ok I just about fainted right then and there. but instead I gasped and it was so loud and so embarrassing.)

me- "WHAT! that is my grandma and grandpa!"

So it turns out that we was baptized with my uncle Jay Tincher and that he knows dad and Uncle Ken and everything than I was like I have always wanted to hear there conversion story, so he told me what he knew because His grandpa was apart of the study group that Grandma brought the Book of Mormon she found to. I am telling you right now I am still fainting over this. So he called up his sister and I talked to her a little bit. But The Lord knows what we need, and I needed it. Funny thing is, is I wrote you to Send me the conversion story of Grandma Ingrid last week haha but somebody told it to me instead! I still want it, but so cool!

 

Okay cool story #2 Then on Friday it was late but not late enough to go home so we were tracting at like 8:30 before we could head home. We are driving and I am really feeling it (the spirit) and we come to a stop sign and Sister McClimans is like okay what way and she started turning left and I was like NO, right. So we turn right and are going, going and she was like okay lets do this street. We get out the first house we knock on this man answers and he like you can come back tomorrow and we were like can we have a number or something and he was like I don't remember it. So honestly I was like he doesn't want to talk to us and my sister M was like so excited and we we go back the next day and right as we are knocking he pulls us into his garage and I am thinking on my this is so embarrassing he is probably going to like shut the garage and not come out or back out and try to run us over. But no this didn't happen he got out and he was in a hurry but we gave him a Book of Mormon and we said he would give us a call and he sounded like promising. I was still hesitant we you know I will take it! So now (yesterday) We are invited to go talk with two families and listen to a fireside after it was done they all made their mission plans on how to invite and have missionaries in their homes to teach their friends lesson, because they are so awesome! But one of the mothers was talking about inviting her friend she has been talking to , she says the name and we are like wait, is her husband so and so.... and it was. I was fainting, falling over and dying. This man we ran into has been reading some stuff about Mormonism because she gave them a book or something, but she has been like trying to introduce them to the church. You tell me that is not just a coincidence, because it aint. And I was humbled.

 

SO this week has been full of humbling and powerful experiences even more that I have wrote. I feel like Nephi when we is writing in the scriptures and is like well there is more I have to say but I can't fit it on this brass plate page. Trust me when I say... Pray for missionary experiences, pray for the courage to face them and to recognize when he places you in a situation. the Lord will always be glad to do so, people out their need this Gospel. I have found more happiness in my life as I have lived it than anythings else. that's why I am out here today, because more people deserve this kind of joy.

 

I love you all and I pray that everything is going well for you and that you find opportunities to share the gospel.

until next week!

Love, Sister Tincher :)