Merry Christmas!

Here is a bit of a letter I got from Sister Tincher this week.  We were able to skype with her on Christmas Day.  It was so fun to talk to her.  She looks happy and talks like a missionary.  We are very proud of her.  Thanks to everyone who writes to her.  That keeps her spirits up.   

Jana

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It was good to talk to you all as week, I loved it :) 

It sounds like you have a good week planned with lots of fun stuff. 

Christmas dinner was good, the Filipinos  Love to feed the missionaries, they make so so so much food, and hen sent it home with us, they gave a like a whole cake, I just don't know why people think that is okay! 

But they gave us ribs, spaghetti, macaroni, black rice, fruit salad, vegetables, this avocado coconut thing haha I don't know. so much though. They make you eat it all too, I was dying after.

This week we got to go to the temple with the whole zone and meet at the mission home. It was really good, I loved it. It helped me feel some comfort. And get some strength to keep going. 

Then we had dinner appointment on Christmas Eve, with the polish people. I love them they are sweet. Before we started the feast they had wafers that you would take to everyone and you each break off a peace, and wish them something for the new year. It was really cool, I want to do something like that. 

Then we had Christmas and we visited some lonely people and stuff, that was good. 

Then the rest of the week we have been working, finding and planning. Friday was kind of hard, because everyone we saw was just being rude, or told us what we believe in is crazy, or they don't want to meet with us so that was hard, but we go on. 

Our mission president wanted us to find someone by the end of the month, a new investigator, we are still trying to meet that goal, and also have a baptism.... I think we missed the ball on that one. 

I pray that things turn around. 

I hope you have a good day though, love and miss you! Keep on keepin on! 

Sister, Tincher 

Christmas Time

 Well!!! We are in a trio again!!! Sis. Bonvissuto, Goff and Tincher!  We will be working together two weeks until the new senior sister comes, she is 70 years old, and sis.b is training her. 

So it's been good to have her back, love that sister. 

Every week I serve this ward I just grow to love them more and more, it's so good to see these saints striving to do their best to do their callings and strengthen and support one another. I truly feel like the church was organized not only to bring us closer to God, but to help us have a family, spa support system and to draw us closer to Gods other children to help each other get through this mortal journey, wow what a good plan! 

This week we met with a a family we knocked into. We got an Arabian Book of Mormon for them. It was a mom and her two kids. They are 14 and 26 they are from Assyria. When we told them about the Book of Mormon the first time she said she didn't need another book, that she had enough. Well we showed the he is the gift video, ad asked how they keep Christ in their life, her son walked in and then we asked him, he told us to follow him to a stand he had with a picture of Jesus and he bibles, and a cross. He talked about how the Bible has blessed his life, and then we testified of how the Book of Mormon has blessed ours, along with the bible. The spirit testified, and he asked for a copy. 

So as we came back, he wasn't there, but we introduced it to his mom and sister. They just kept saying, " you believe in Jesus, we believe in Jesus, it's the same Jesus. God loves you."  Well as we turned to some scriptures for her to read, she couldn't put it down she kept reading, and would look up saying, "I like, I like!" The spirit was really strong, it reminded me of d&c 50: 22. It was so powerful as we spoke together as sisters, and rejoiced in our Savior. Such a powerful moment, and we are scheduled to see them again! 

 We met with a less active and her son who we are working with. She invited us over for dinner while we were at the ward Christmas party! Which is pretty cool. As we were eating dinner Nathan turned to his mom and whispered in her ear, "When am I getting baptized?"

We were like.... This goes right with the lesson we planned for you. 

We taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. And had the mom hold a temple and made foot prints with the five steps to get closer to his mom or the temple. Oh my! The spirit was so strong, and so sweet as this less active mother who is detangling her life and figuring things out to help her son and teach him! My heart was full. They decided on a date for them in January. 

We are praying for things to work out. 

The season of Christmas is special if you remember the real meaning, I know I know everyone is always talking about it, but really it true! It's the family with life. If we remember the real reason we are here then it will change things around. 

One member we were talking to said "You can say all you want he is the reason for the season, and this and that, but it won't mean anything if you're not doing anything about it in the home." I think this is true, He is the reason for the season! And you all are awesome, and I am thankful for all of you and for the gifts of service and love you have given me. Thank you! I couldn't ask for anything better then the people God has blessed me with. 

Merry Christmas!!!!! I love you!!!!!!!! 

Sister Tincher

Walnut Room at Macy's

Here we come a caroling

Hellllllo!!! 

This week we have been trying to get a hold of our recent convert, Jasmine. She has gone down hill quite a bit, we can't write her on fb, call her, she won't really chat with texting and she won't come to church. It just makes me sad to she someone who has had big changes in their life and you could see the change in her, the light and everything and then it is almost like Satan trips them, grabs them by the leg and then starts running way with them! 

we have been caroling as well around this time of the year with our district. President loves music so he encourages us to carol. And its was so great! A man stopped and just stood there and listened to us, a couple moments later he came back and stopped us saying, "I don't mean to disrupt you, but I didn't know Mormons believed in Jesus!" We told him we do and showed him the He is the Gift video. It was cool. He said this, "Religion is a way for man to reach out to God, and Christianity is Gods way to reach out to man."I LOVE that.  I think it's interesting with this new "He is the Gift" thing the first presidency wants us to use. We aren't testifying of Joseph smith or the Book of Mormon, but we are testifying of Jesus Christ and what he has done for us. 

I have faith it will help others gain a desire to learn more about the restoration as they see we do believe in Jesus Christ and all His glory.

Something I have noticed recently is that we are all learning, no matter how long we have been in the church, or how short. We all learn something new. The church is true, and the firmer our foundation the more complete the world becomes. 

Elder. Bednar said, " When we follow the savior and his teachings,  it will illuminate every aspect of               our lives." 

I know this is true, the gospel is light. Given to man by Gods son, so we may have ever lasting, hope, joy, peace and love for those around us. 

I love you guys!! I hope you have a great week, merry Christmas!!! 

Love, sister Tincher :) 

Share the Gift

Hi Everyone!  We just got Emily's release date this past week!  She will be returning on March 18.  We are really excited about that.  Here is her address if you would like to send her a card or something for Christmas.  Everything just goes to the mission home.  I know she would love to hear from you!

Sister Emily Tincher

Illinois Chicago Mission

800 Waukegan Road, Suite 203

Glenview, Illinois  60025

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Hey guys!

So this week again, We have been working on talking to everyone. We just stop people and ask they if we can share a video with them and usually they say yes, if they don't we just give them a card, testify of Christ and ask if they would like to learn more. People around this time seem to open up pretty good for the most part when you put Jesus Christ in the sentence. 

"Oh sure, yeah I'll take a card!"

We actually picked up a new investigator from Ukraine, he lives in Russia. I don't know how but he found me on Facebook back in April and I didn't notice until last week. He is really cool and so prepared by the Lord. We have been teaching him, and it's cool to see how much someone can see for themselves the correlation between the Bible and the Book of Mormon. When people actually know their stuff they can see more light, but also sometimes it causes more contention. 

In 1 Nephi 13:39 it talks about how the Book of Mormon will come for for the convincing of the Gentiles that the Bible is the word of God. I thought that was so powerful. When you put two and two together you know that there is truth, evidence and light coming through the same source, who is God. 

"And after it had come forth unto them I beheld other books, which came forth by the power of the Lamb, from the Gentiles unto them, unto the convincing of the Gentiles and the remnant of the seed of my brethren, and also the Jews who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, that the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true."

We have been working with Jasmine... She is a recent convert. She is struggling hard. Satan is just yelling in her ears, and her strength isn't the best right now to fight it off. So Bishop is working with her, and we are getting her home teachers involved. They are so great, and so willing to help and so patient. It helps me feel comforted that the ward cares about her. 

This time of the year is exciting for everyone. I love serving during Christmas, and lucky me I have two of them! I am thankful for the gift Christ gave me and his example of how to treat others. The atonement is real, and I am thankful for that knowledge. 

It's Christmas time, live. It. Up!!!!!! cheers to everyone ;) 

Love you all so much, have a really good week. And remember to serve someone. 

Love, sister. Tincher 

To Church We Go!

Dear family and friends, 

First of happy thanksgiving. I love you guys so much. 

Secondly, this week was really good. Lots and lots of holiday cheer goin around. 

The church has come out with this way awesome video and website to help us and others remember the true meaning me behind Christmas. 

It's: Christmas.mormon.org 

He Is The Gift

The Christmas Story - Discover the Meaning of Christmas

But we have been really using this as a source for contacting and talking to people, as well as tracking. We have been showing it and it's great! 

So check it out sometime! 

We had a pretty good week working with less actives and it paid off! They came to church on Sunday!! It's so good, and so cool. To turn around and see them sitting church! The Lord is really doing work here in Chicago, the percentage of less actives going back to church in our mission is at an all time high!! It's so cool! 

Something pretty funny, outside of our apartment is a dunk n' donuts. We go there some nights to get information on our iPads. Well this is where Peter John is also there, because he picks his wife up at night. Anyways so we get out of an appointment and are driving by this DD and the we are like, "hurry look and see if Peter John is there!" So we do and he was there! We hurry and park run in, and act all like,"oh hey! fancy seeing you here!" Haha so we are talking and then we is like. 

"How close is your church from here?"

"10-15 min" 

"Can we go there now!? Is it open? I want to see it" 

Haha so we were like oh! For sure, yeah... Haha so we drove to the church and gave him a tour. It was perfect. He loved it, the elders taught him that Saturday and he is on date to be baptized jan 10th! He wasn't able to come to church the following Sunday, but he had his nephew and cousins go including there families. So it was good! 

I am excited to be here and to serve, it's really great. I know the church is true, that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior and that God loves and looks out for us as His children. When we are truly thankful everyday for the things around us, it will change the night, to day. I love  his gospel and what's it's done for not only me, but so many others. It's true, it's real! 

I love you all!!! Good luck this week!! 

- sis. Tincher 

Sister Tincher and Santa