November 29, 2017 - I am Legend Chilean Style

Hello everyone how are you guys doing? This week was fantastic, all of the dogs just turned into zombies and attack machines, they must have been doing the drugs that the people normally do, the dogs were out of control this week. Sorry, do not want to sound like I am complaining, so lets jump right into it!

Fernando came to church with us on Sunday! He is one of the kids who we met playing soccer and he came with us on Sunday and he is very excited for his baptismal date in two weeks, we are so stoked for him! After 9 months with no investigators at church or baptisms, we are about to have one here in our ward woohooo finally! Everyone else is progressing very well as well, the power of the Book of Mormon is unbelieveable, people can be touched by the power of God that we can feel from reading the Bookof Mormon. Last week as well we were able to find a tonmore people to teach and we are able to help them learn more about Jesus Christ, and make convenants with Him, under the power of his Priesthood. Last week we were walkingaround in the heat trying to talk with people and no one was listening to us and no one wanted to hear from us. We felt like we should walk down a sidestreet and as we did we saw one person walking in the street. We went up and talked to him, and he let us in his house and we taught himand his wife the Restoration and they invited us back for lunch tomorrow, we were happy! I love the mission, helping God and His children is the best thing that we can do,and we can all do it we do not have to be missionaries, so go out and do something to make the world a better place.

Ok so story time. The other day we walked by a park and we saw these digusting, diseased dogs, I will not describe it here because I do not want all ofyou to ruin your computers by throwing up on them, needless to say they were nasty. They tried to come over and sniff our pants, but we had to keep them at a distance, the last thing I want to do is contract Chilean rabid dog leprosy. Then yesterday, we walked by the same park. A little two year old kid was playing in the grass and all of the sudden a massive German Shepard rose up on its legs and ran over to the kid and knocked it to the ground with its paw. The dad of the child freaked out (like he should) and ran over to protect his son and we saw a brawl between man and beast. The dad kicked the dog all over, got his kid and then ran inside his house, we left before he came outside with his gun to shoot the dog. We felt so bad for the little kid, but we trusted the dad to finish the job.

It was a great week, I love the mission, and I am grateful to be here and learn and progress everyday and everyminute of those days, love you all, have a great week!

Love,

Elder Tilghman

Dyc 107:18

November 22, 2017 - Gang Gang

Ok so this last week was pretty awesome. Elder Lindow and I have been working our ties off and our ward is doing great. We have a ton of progressing investigators, some baptismal dates, and as well the number of people who come to church keeps going up woohooo. I am grateful in this Thanksgiving season for the opportunity to serve the Lord and the people here in Chile, I know the Lord helps and guides in His work that we perform.

Ok so the investigators. So on Friday we went to go play soccer at our chapel with the other ward and Elders that we share the building with. On our way we went and talked to all of the kids that we could who were out and about playing soccer and invited them to go with us. Two kids, Hector and Fernando, said they would meet up with us at the church. We were a little bummed no one came with us, but towards the end, Hector and Fernando showed up and played with us, and then invited us to their houses the next day to teach them. On Saturday we went to Hectors house in the morning and started to teach him about Christ. He stopped us and told us that he knows our messge is true. He had been praying to God for many weeks to get help with strengthing his faith, and afterwards he felt prompted to go outside to go play soccer. And then we showed up. Boom baby, miracles happen just got to go and get them! So Elder Lindow and I were pretty happy and then we went to Fernandos house later that afternoon and we show up and he starts asking us questions about the church and Christ. We teach him and he says he has read the Book of Mormon a little before and then told us he knows we are people sent from God to teach HIs Gospel. BAM, two miracles within a four hour period, and on top of that we had hamburgers for lunch that day, so BOOM, three miracles in only four hours! We are also teaching the homies (The Haitians) and they told us we need to teach them english and spansih because they want to get good jobs and be able to understand people at church. This was also a miralce, but it was yesterday, so our lucky 4 hour miracle window did not cover it. Actually we have had a ton of miracles this week, no one in the ward got mad at anyone else, we only got threatened one time this last week, and the dogs did not bite us but the other people!

Ok so funny story of the week. Bueno, not so much funny as a little dangerous, but do not worry mom nothing happened to us. On Saturday night one of the gangsters got shot and killed by another gang in our sector, so on Sunday about a good quarter of our sector was having a good old La Pintana funeral. So people were respecting the dead by rioting, playing loud rap music (I did hear some english songs) and walking around drunk and high as freak in the whole sector! The funeral services lastes for 4 days, so that was fun.

Ok so other story, this one strengthens my testinmony that God protects HIs missionaries. So on Friday we went to go check on a reference at like 9 thirty at night. The reference was on this sketchy alleyway with only one way in or out, and just as we entered, I told my companion to stop. I heard voices from around the corner behind us talking bout..... us. They were talking about where we lived and how we looked rich, and all of the sudden footsteps started to come from around the corner. We hurried and backtracked and right as we left the alleyway and stepped into the light, two hoodlums came around and walked right at us, we walked away and they followed us, but we shook them off. God watches over us.

I love the mission, it is awesome, no other place I would rather be, I am definitely counting my blessings this week, Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

Elder Tilghman

DyC 46:32

BYU Bound

The boys that I live with

Typical trash field catches on fire at night time!

We celebrated my half birthday, hey when a good moment comes you got to celebrate it

November 15, 2017 - Tag, you`re it

Woooohooo ok so this last week was awesome. My companion and I arrived last week and the area was dead, the ward was super small and no one wanted to talk to the missionaries. In the past week we have had 14 new investigators, taught quite a few lessons and we have a couple of baptismal dates, and we got the normal ward attendace up from 11 to 27 woooohooooo! And on top of all of it, our sector is ghetto, so once more that means that everyday we have super funny stories to talk about and write down, pretty much life is awesome right now. 

Ok so lets talk about the people. Yesterday we were in the street and talked to a man that was washing his car on the side of the road, his name is Daniel. We started talking and he invited us back later that day and we returned and shared with him the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has been praying and studying for years to find the truth and the way to return to Christ, and then we showed up yesterday. Miracles exist, we just need to be worthy enough to recieve them. Last week as well we were walking in the street, and we passed by a house and tried to talk with the people there, but they were not interested, but we asked if they knew anyone who would be interested in our message and they told us about a house of Haitians on the same street. So of course, being me, I was super pumped to go talk to some Haitians, but they were not home. As we were leaving the street, the little boy of the family who did not want to talk to us came running around the corner to tell us the Haitians had just got home and were now in their house. So we returned and taught the homies about the Restoration and we fixed a time to teach them English and Spanish classes in our chapel. Once again, miracles do exist! We have been working and striving everyday to find more people to teach and to help the ward members return to church, regain their faith in Jesus Christ and come and enjoy of the blessings of the Sacrament. I do not think I have felt the Spirit any stronger in my mission than when I promise people the blessings and comfort that the restored gospel brings. How great is our calling!

Ok so lets talk about the funny stories this week. So on Thursday we were in the street talking to an older gentleman and then all of the sudden two dudes on motorcylces come speeding past us on a main street. They were chasing each other because one dude was mad at another one and wanted to hit him, so the other one was running away, back and forth through traffic. It looked like a Need for Speed version of tag.

Other story. Near one of the apartments we walked by the other day there is a big doghouse, but I have never thought twice about it. But, of course, we walked by it and this massive white dog came charging at us from inside of the shady doghouse. In that moment I knew that I was going to die and I accepted the fact that the dogs were going to be the ones who killed me, there was no way I was going to win this battle. But, the dog was hooked to a giant metal chain leash (probably for good reason) and was stopped before it took our heads off. Point Tilghman. So, we lived to see another day!

I love the mission, I know that this is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, the only one who can guide us back to the kingdom of our Heavenly Father, I wish you all a good week, and happy birthday Dad, I think you are likle 45, I do not remember, sorry I am a bad son!

Love,

Elder Tilghman

Mormon 7

Open Chapel

Soccer unites nations

BBQ

My hijo Elder Atkinson

November 8, 2017 - Its a Small World

Well everyone new week, new area, new companion and new opporotuinities! So the change calls came out last week and I am in an area with my companion Elder Lindow, we both are brand new to the area, which also happens to be the smallest sector in the smallest mission in the world! Basically the new area is a ton of super ghetto appartment complexes all squeezed together in an area about the size of my highschool! It is called Los Limoneros.

Well anyway let us get back to the people. Another part of our changes included changes with our last sector Maestranza, they called us and took both me and Elder Atkinson out because the Assitants moved into our ward. Something about it being a good ward and the assitants needing help in their work, our ward being a great ward with the best bishop, blah, blah, blah all I hear was complaints. They are the Assistants, they should have to work hard, but anyway it is what it is. So, they took us both out and all of our investigators were super sad, we passed by to teach them and say goodbye to them and they were all super confused and when we passed by the Haitians they almost made us cry. They did not understand why we were leaving and thought that we hated them, but we had to explain the situation, and then they were all sad did not want us to leave, it was one of the saddest days of my mission. It wa very hard to leave our last area, but it is the will of the Lord, so we will do what he commands us to do. 

With the people in our new ward, there are none. My companion and I got here yesterday and in all of the records in the entire area book of the people they were teaching there was one person they had taught three weeks ago and then went on vacation, so basically we have the fabulous opporotunity to start everything over from scratch! I am super excited because it means we are going to talk to every flite, or gangster, we see on the street and teach them about Repentance and Jesus Christ, it is going to be a blast. 

Ok so the funny story of the week happened today. So I am now back in a super flite area of the mission, so we are going to be having a ton more funny stories, and today we got on the bus and a teenage kid was rapping trying to get money. Basically all he was doing was making fun of people, and he saw us gringos get on the bus and his eyes lit up. Basically we were the center of a roast in front of the whole bus for about 5 minutes. We just smiled, and then just gave him a card with a picture of Jesus for payment and got off.

Overall it is all good, I am so grateful to be a missionary and to be serving on a mission, there is nothing else that I would rather do at this moment in my life, I know we are called to our area for a purpose. Love you all and have a great week!

Love,

Elder Tilghman

DyC 42:6

Argentinos

Best Street Art ever

This was sad

The Familia Zey

Elder Lindow

November 1, 2017 - Stingy Grass and Steaming Grass

Ok so some words of wisdom for future and current missionaries. Make sure you know what you are going to do for service before you go so that you can plan out your clothes you will where. For example, do not go cut some ladies grass dressed in shorts and a t shirt when the grass is actaully stinging nettle that reaches up to your face. Needless to say the shower was much needed so that I could scrub off the itch from my body. Ok so now back to the mission stuff. 

This last week was really good. We had some great lessons with some investigators and we were able to find some awesome people to teach, they live in a different sector, but they are still great! this week we went and taught a man named Luis who has been investigating for a few weeks now. We walked into his house and we were going to teach him about baptism, but Luis started to tell us about his brother who has drug problems, so we testified and talked about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that the Atonement allows us to overcome our problems and allows us to become better people. We talked with Luis about this and then talked about the 12 step program for addiction recovery that the church has. I am grateful for prophets in these days to lead and the inspired church and the programs it offers, because now Luis brother has a chance to access the atoning power of the Savior to turn his life around. This last week has been very peaceful for us as well. Elder Atkinson and I are teaching and testifying with the Spirit to the people that are in need.

Ok so story of the week. Down here there is a drink called mate. It is hot water that you pour this grass, and dirt mixture in, it is ok I do not like it but a ton of Elders drink it, basically it is dirty grass water. But my companion likes it and bishop gave him some of it on Monday right before we went to teach a lesson. We get to the lesson and the Haitians we were teaching saw the mate and thought it was marijuana. They all freaked out and Elder Atkinson tried to explain the situation by trying to show him putting a straw to his mouth and drinking, but it looked like he was smoking. The Haitians started to laugh and freak out, they did not understand him and thought he said he likes to smoke, and one of them came and gave us a high five. So next lesson is about the Word of Wisdom! 

but all in all I love the mission. I would not rather be anywhere else, yes we ahve crazy experiences and funny stories, but all of that pales in comparison to the Spirit that accompanies us. This is true, no doubt about it. 

For Pday today we went to the temple with our zone. The Spirit was very powerful and we were all able to have a great time together because changes are next week and it looks like the most of us will be getting moved around. The Temple is the house of God, a place of love and beauty.

Love,

Elder Tilghman

DyC 89