We have a new friend in town

Hello Family and Friends!

Wow what a week!

So I guess I will start with the beginning so I don't really forget to mention things. On Tuesday we had a meeting for all the trainers and trainees. While I was there President came up to me and started to talk to me about how he was in Valpo for Stake conference and how this man came up to him afterwards and was saying "That pulpit right there is the exact one Troy Tincher gave his farewell sermon." and then I guess his told him all about the Tincher history in coming to the church! I was stunned! Then another missionary come us to me that is serving in Indiana and said some members down there have told me to look for you. Haha  I am famous! Wow it never felt so good ;) haha no. But it was pretty cool to hear about my family during the middle of the week, in my mission, what are the odds? I don't know but I think it is great.

the next day we were tracting and trying to find some more people who would be interested in learning more about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, you know the normal missionary thing! Well when we were done with the street we were talking back to our car. We see this police car turn the corner and I was joking around saying, "Oh no someone called the cops on us!" When we get to are car the policeman drives up behind us and waves us over to come to him. He gets out of his car, he has on this heavy bullet proof vest on and is lookin all serious and is like "What are you guys up to?" Turns out someone thought we were looking suspicious and trying to sell things... But luckily we were able to introduce him to the book of Mormon and telling him what we do for 18 months. I guess... you could call that weird, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary for us. He let us go on and hopefully now we have a new friend in town! But obviously not the one that called the police on us!

One of the wonderful things about being a missionary we were able to talk to so many people and hear about how they understand the world around them! The two people we had the opportunity to teach this week were both pretty set in their faiths but they allowed us to come and teach them. One was Muslim and the other was a man who invited us over for dessert and his believed in God and there are many paths are allow us to return to Him! Many people we do come into contact with tell us do unto others and you would like done unto you, you just need to be a good person! Well man, is that true! Be a good person! But there is something the the Lord has put on the earth to make is easy to obtain the qualities to be and have good people on the earth. As we will the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives and families we not only become good people, but we allow others to experience the Christ-like love that He wants all of us to have as we go through out this life.

As we were able to watch the Women's Conference I was filled with the spirit. The spirit is the Love of God. When we feel His spirit it means we are feeling a foretaste of the life after this. When we are obeying God's commandments we are able to feel this whenever, and where ever! in Moroni 10:5 it says,"By the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

in order to progress through this life we must need a guide! This is the Holy ghost, and through out our life we will be able to feel is ever subtle promptings to help us know what is right.

Moroni 7:17 "the spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you that way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God."

Conference is coming up this weekend! This is the chance we get to hear from out Living Day Prophet and Apostles! these men have been choice by God, because of their faith and humility in coming unto and following Christ. What a blessing. I encourage you to watch Conference with a prayer in your heart to be guided by the Holy ghost on what changes you can make and need to make in order to feel Christ's light more abundantly in your life. He is there He lives, through the power of the Atonement we can be able to leave behind the past and look forward with a brightness of hope. Anything is possible when we endeavor with God.

I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week!!

Keep up the great work

Love, Sister Tincher :)

 6 months in March

 Happy St. Patrick's Day Fun

Another Week as a Missionary

Hello Friends!

 

So much happens in a week, and when I finally get here to tell you all about it I forget! but we had a meeting this week that we got a call from our district leader to go to. There were a few picked to go and I was one of them. Lee Donaldson came to our mission to train us on a few things and to better our efforts as missionaries for this mission. Our mission is the most missionary dense mission! I believe it! We have at least 2 sets a ward, some at like 4 or 5 it's super crazy. So Sister  Bishop stayed in our area with another sister, and I go to go to this meeting for the day! While there were here though they found a new investigator while tracting, so I am really excited to meet her! And they were able to meet with a less active who we have been trying to meet the last couple weeks. I am stunned it seems like every time I leave, something way cool happens! Every time! Some times I get nervous that I bring bad luck to the areas ;) haha no it's good I am glad things are happening!

When I got back from the meeting we had an appointment with one of our way cool investigators who I have been talking about a lot recently. Her husband was there and we were able to teach both of them!  They kept  talking about their past experiences with churches, and the horrible things that go on in them and the things they see in the people and all this stuff. Well since the wife was able to go to church and see and feel the spirit and the people. It was way cool! Because she was telling her husband all about the amazing people she met and her experience, and how "You have to come!" I loved it! It was like having member there with us! So they are going to come to church and we are way excited to be working with them and see how things continue to progress!

 

The other day we were tracting and we just weren't really feelin any of the streets we were tracting, we would like tract a street for a bit and then turn to each other and say "I am not feeling it", then go to another street and the same thing happened so we decided to pray for guidance to figure out where we needed to be and I remembered this street that I was feeling impressed to go to, and then this other street popped into my head. Sister Bishop turned to me and said what about  _____ and I was like oh my! that was the one I was thinking of, and the other street that I was first thinking of was at a cross with this one, so we went to this street and started tracting, and this man was outside so we went up to him and told him who are are and what we do and then we was like "I would love to have you guys come over again, and can I make you some enchilada and apple pie?" and then set up a specific day and time for us to come back. I was like whaaat.... haha its so amazing to see that when we really put our efforts with the Lord's then he will help us, if we have righteous desires he will work with us to fulfill them.

 

So something crazy happened to us this week, haha well... its probably not that crazy. But we were at this members home talking to them about how we can help them with their yard. And they were telling us about this story of how this tree fell in their yard and all this stuff. And a couple minutes pass, and I hear this crack. And my companion and the sister keep talking, then I hear it again. I look over to Sister. Bishop and am like did you hear that? Then it happens again! I look at the tree across the street where our car is parked under and we realize the tree is breaking! So I  have to sprint to the car the second I drive way the tree came down! Oh my goodness! It was serious, good thing it didn't land on our car. that would have been have bad day. haha

 

This week has been great though! Another day as a missionary and another week coming to serve the Lord. The most we strive to follow the Lord and keep his commandments the more we can find the fullness of life and our purpose!

 

I hope you have a wonderful week! I love you! and miss you!

 

Love, Sister Tincher!

The Amulek Principle

Here We are Again!

 

Oh. My. Goodness. The Heavens have been open, and the blessings have been pourin!

I don't even know where to start. But I guess I can say the Lord Loves and watches over every single one of his children. He is so mindful of us and wants us to succeed in this life. It's all about learning and progression when we turn to Him we are absolutely going to be guided.

 

So we had Zone conference this week, and I love these meetings. I probably say this every time, but it's something like... a good session at church. When the Spirit of the Lord is there. Well actually the fact is, it always is we just need to be looking for it. Because the spirit testifies of truth, so at church.... always... truth is being taught, if we are not feeling the Lord speak up to us. I suggest taking notes. He loves you and this is exactly where he can answer your prayers! But about Zone conference we learned so many things that we need to do better. I was feelin straight up overwhelmed and wondering "how in the world am I going to become this perfect missionary?" But it will come, little by little. That is the only thing the Lord expects of us, to try, try, try again.but we have been working on a principle in our mission called the Amulek Principle this is the story of Alma and Amulek.  Basically its where you have the members invite the investigator to their home to be taught in their home, it's very effective and a wonderful idea. We have been, trying to get in motion.

 

Speaking of The Amulek Principle we were able to have one. We didn't actually set it up, we were at dinner with a member and the sister got a call from her husband and he said he is bringing on of his friends over to be taught by us because he knew we were home. Oh... I was fainting. I was like are you serious!? But he was, and he brought her over. We taught her the restoration, she was a wonderful lady with so many cool experiences and has seen God so much through out her life, but was looking for the truth. She was in town for a couple days because she was house sitting a couple houses down the street from the members. And so that is how we got to meet her. We invited her to come to church and she said, "I don't know I was planning on going to this other church where." So she was really non commital. But the next thing we knew it on Sunday. SHE WAS THERE! And you have to just realize this individual. She is grand, but she is more like a free spirit. She studies so many religions. But at the end we went to go and talk to her, and she said, "I'll be seeing you again! And I am going to read some more of this book." my mouth dropped to the floor, my heart was filled with gratitude because of the Spirit and the truth brought to the service, for her to see and feel that what we were teaching her the day prior was true and will bless her life. So we will be seeing her again!   

 

 Oh that reminds me of something that happened at church we had one of our amazing investigators that we have been working with make it to church!!! AH! I just wanted to dance because this is exactly where the Lord needed her to be in order for her to understand that this is the Church of God, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. And you know what I never had to tell her that, the spirit it spoke it to her through out sacrament meeting, gospel principles as well as relief society she was tearin up the whole time. I couldn't stop thanking the Lord for guiding her here, to finally place peace in her soul. She is having us meet with her husband and family soon, and... actually her husband asked for himself when this would occur. We are excited and incredibly thankful.

 

So I will leave you with a spiritual thought. I have been reading in 3 Nephi this past week. And I can't express the amount of love I have for these chapters. I have felt so close to Christ this week. He. Lives. everyday through our lives. We need to look for him and we will be brought closer to him. These chapters are the chapters where Christ comes to the America's to meet his "chosen people" because of the amount of Faith they have in Christ and his power he is able to come to them and show himself as well as teach them his doctrine. One of the times he is with them just before he leaves he says, "ye see that I have commanded that non of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me." (3 Nephi 18:25) I love this because he never commanded us to go, he never will! Instead he gives a commandment to come unto him, to find him. This is a commandment.He explains how we can find him. vs 18 "verily, verily I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you.." This is how he find him in our lives, watch his example, follow and pray. "Pray always" vs 19.

 

I love this gospel, and you know what else I love even more? What this gospel has done for me because of the actions I have taken to follow him. The Lord, knows his sheep, I can testify of this. Because of the people I have come in contact with. He knows them, and he knows you. I love it! He lives! He is here!

 

I hope you all have a wonderful week, and I can not wait to hear from you later.

I love you! And miss you.

Keep on , Keepin on!

Love, Sister Tincher :)

Keep moving forward

Hello Family and Friends!

 

Wow what a week! They fly by like no one's business.  I can't even believe it sometimes! But its true, here we are again :)

 

One thing I have been thinking a lot about recently is Christ, My true and my personal Savior. Everyone here has a purpose in life and was foreordained in the Pre-Earth life to fulfill this mission they were called to. No one can do it just as good as you can, that is exactly why you are where you are today. God has a plan of you and for everyone around you.

I found this Mormon Messages we have been sharing with members:  

 

http://www.mormonchannel.org/mormon-channel-daily/222?v=1672986629001

 

There is going to be people with in our paths that are wounded, spiritually, emotionally, mentally or physically. We will be given the opportunity time and time again to help Christ heal these people. When we are baptized we all make a covenant with our Heavenly Father to bare one another's  burdens, and to stand as a witness at all times.

Satan uses the same technique over and over again. Just like wolves that attack a herd of animals. They go after the weak, babies, elderly, broken and lonely. Our father in Heaven is aware of this and that is why our church is built the way it is, we are under covenant to be our brothers keep to help them through the hard times and watch over those that may be weak, lonely, old or new so that they aren't in harms way of being snatched up by the beast it's self haha. I love our Savior and God's plan for us. He is so forgiving and so willing to let us continue to try and try again. As long as we are doing our best we can forget the rest, and keep moving forward with the utmost assurance that God is on our side, that He does care about our success in this life. And wants us to fulfill the mission we were foreordained to complete.

 

The Lord our Savior is your personal Savior, he will save you personally for the depths of dispare are heartache when we turn to him. We have the fullness of the Gospel back on the earth! This means we have the fullness of joy, the ability to experience of the fullness of happiness whether we are in times of challenge, or happiness. What a gift haha. I love it!

 

I think its soo cool to see how much aware the Lord is aware of us! We have been praying for one of our investigators to really understand how we can best help her, and she has a real hard time opening up to us, she just doesn't! So we decided a while ago to buy her a notebook, because she likes to write a lot and we thought it would be a good way to get to know her if we could like write to each other? I guess haha. We had a lady make a cover for us, and WOW it was so cool!  It was way good quality. Anyways we came by our investigators home and gave it to her, and she LOVED it!  She even gave us a hug, it was serious! Then we talked and talked and then she opened up to us and told us so much, exactly what we have been praying to know how we can help her come closer to Christ. What a miracle!  What. a. day!  We are going to keep working with her, it will be slow with her, but SURELY! she will come, she knows it, we know it, the Lord knows it.

 

So now that the snow is melting, well every other day really... like one day it gets warmer and then the next it snows again haha. It's supposed to snow tonight or tomorrow or something, good thing I learned to drive in it! I was made for this! ;)

But man it's so embarrassing I have been slipping like every couple steps haha but I haven't fallen yet! It's because of all that agility training I have been doing I am sure!  

 

Oh one more thing we got to teach one of our new solid investigators this week, it's one of those things when ever you leave the appointment you say to yourself, "THIS is why I am out here!"   She really wants her family to come to church, but she doesn't know how to get them involved.   I guess she is nervous her husband won't be willing to meet with us.  BUT while we were in the lesson, her husband came home from work and we got to shake his hand and invite him to come sit in with us, he said, " no, but I will next time if I get a heads up."  She turned to us a little later and said, "that is a first for him!"  This is me in my head, WHOO HOO! another prayer answered, The Lord is so mindful of us when we pray for missionary opportunities.  I would just encourage you to pray to have some as well. His work and his glory is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

 

I hope you have a wonderful week!

I love you and I miss you.

Keep. on. Keepin' On!!

 

Love, Sister Tincher

what doesn't kill you makes you stronger

Dear Family and Friends,

 

This week has been pretty good. We have been able to get a lot done and see some progress in the area. The sun has been out, and if any of you know me, when the sun is shining it's like tender mercy from the Lord that gives me an extra push out the door and on my feet.

 

We got to teach a new investigator that we have been working with lately. She is so great! You know its just best when you are talking to someone and you are like... "Wow, this person has been prepared".   Haha well this is what runs through my head while we teach her. We got to teach her the first half of the Plan of Salvation and it went wonderful. I love being able to talk about Adam and Eve and how be need opposition in this life to succeed and to become the individual that our Father wants us to become, and not only that but who WE want to become. This is as a person I think we all want to achieve, if it is in righteousness our Lord will be able to strengthen us in times of trial as we do put our trust in him. It is so amazing to see the miracles our putting Faith in Christ will build your foundation stronger, and that no matter what gets thrown at you by opposition, it will not phase you!  As a missionary we get to talk to so many different people everyday, and they tell us things that most people don't really talk about. And that is God and how God has broken them, and fixed them. But as we are talking with these people we see the absolutely amazing power and strength that they have. I always sing this phrase in my head "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." I can't help it, I love it. But what I love is seeing the strength that these people have because of the things they have gone through and because of the things they have gone through, you know the amount of Love God has for them. "For with God nothing is impossible" and He is the one that makes up the difference, he knows our true potential and will try our amount of faith to make it stronger. And that is exactly what you could see in this lady that we taught, and how far she has come because of what she has learned.

 

It's such a humbling experience to be in the presence of these amazing people.

 

So one thing this area is known for is members Dinner appointments, and tracting... haha and I can bear witness to that. It's so true, but I love being with the members. We got to meet with the cutest little family, there is a little girl named Eva and she loved me. I know I was surprised too ;) Haha the moment we knocked on the door she screamed "they're here, the missionaries are here!" So she stuck to my hip the rest of the night showing me all these things and dancing for me. I loved it so much; it made me miss Westley. But we were sitting on the floor playing with all the kids and the brings up this Nerf gun and points it in my face and is like "look watch what this can do!" I screamed and dropped, so embarrassing. She just wanted to show me that it lights up... haha of course I thought she was going to shoot me... I guess my "South Side Chicago" reflexes kicked in. Then that Sunday we had to help teach some primary classes and it turned out that I was helping her class! It was great. She drew a picture of me and her with a heart, I love little kids. They really know how to make you feel special... some times haha.

 

It was a pretty good week all together. I hope that you all have a wonderful week. Sorry this letter  is all over the place. You guys are great, I love you and I will talk to you next week.

Love, Sister Tincher