Oh What A Week!!!

September 9, 2013

Well, hello family! First and foremost, thank you all for writing me such amazing emails this week. I really do appreciate it. Makes me happy and helps me not get mad on pdays. haha But today I could not possibly get mad. Wanna know why? Because I just got back from and African SAFARI! Checked off the Bucketlist! So I hope that answers your question mom. Although, disclaimer: not as good as one in like South Africa but I don’t care I was satisfied! K, Flippen love President Merrill. He took us to the safari and then, on the way back we stop at a cool place called Mihadoro da Lua. (I’ve already been there) and then all of a sudden we’re driving and he just pulls off the road, turns around, and takes us to the beach! And it was a sick beach with awesome waves! I loved it! I love the Merrills! 

Okay so about my week... hahaha Oh this week was long. So our house was under construction/maintenance the WHOLE WEEK. And guess what? We had to supervise THE WHOLE WEEK! So, terrible week for numbers but a great week for our house! We got a new water pump! And a huge hot water heater! yes yes yes!!! And lights in all the rooms and all the acs fixed! ahhh I can live normally again and wash my clothes in the washing machine and take long hot showers... life is good. hmm what else. Oh emergency transfers. Elder Chandler and Elder Hobbs came to Cassequel so that’s cool, but threw off everyone’s week. 

On Friday night I was sitting in bed watching a church movie ( cause the workers were working still!) and I get a call and Elder Brown is like, “Elder Tingey, I’m sitting here with Leonel and he wants you to baptize him tomorrow can you do it? And I was like heck yeah, I can do it! So Leonel is an 8 year old kid. Sweetest humblest family I’ve ever taught. They are all members except the mom. They lack marriage. Anyway, Leonel lives in Benfica and was apparently really preoccupied that it had to be me who baptized him! It made me feel so good and I felt that I had set a good example and that he looked up to me. Greatest feeling ever! 

Oh so this week, Elder MontG and I were a little bored. We decided to do some in house surgery... on me; my wart on my arm. Yeah, it was intense. We had a surgery table, sterilizing material, all the tools, knives we were going to use and numbing stuff. Well, short story short I don’t have a wart on my arm anymore, it’s healing very well, there was a lot of blood :) and we have it all on video! hahahahaa Great stuff. I’ll send you all the pictures from this week, next week. 

Okay I love that story about Hannah reading scary stories to herself in the truck on Daddy/daughter! hahah so funny! I love you Hannah! 

So to answer some of mom’s billion questions: 

They have one train that carries people. Doesn’t do much though. It has two destinations: to the city and out of the city. And yes, they have buses but they are packed!!! Like crazy! So we take taxis. Yes, only 3 cities the missionaries are in and we won’t be expanding for a long, long time. Angolans have dogs and cats for pets; occasionally monkeys or parrots. Crime... tons of it. Stores get robbed all the time. But the crime is way under the radar because the police don’t do anything. This country is corrupt from top to bottom in more ways than I can explain. It really is basically a dictatorship and the Pres has a monopoly on EVERYTHING. When Elder C got robbed, it happened right under there apartment. if he didn’t fight back he probably wouldn’t have been stabbed but he would have lost lots of money money money; like $500 worth.

Well, I love you all so much! I can’t believe I turn 20 in 10 days. And I can’t believe the transfer is almost over! I just got here! And Elder MontG is all but confirmed to be transferred! NOOO! and ps we don’t stay up talking that late anymore. We go to bed. But, we think so much alike it’s funny! Well, I love you all so dang much! tchau! 

Elder Tingey

Hello!!!!!!!!!!

September 2, 2013

Hello family. Glad y’all got over your hangover from your Sunday night

parties! So this week was interesting. A full week. Robberies,

stabbings, you know the good stuff. So yeah.

Well, we started off the week good. We are working really hard. It’s

good. We’re busy. Ummm, so yeah we had lessons.

So Elder C and Elder G got robbed this week. Elder C

got stabbed a few times cause he resisted and fought them. So he had

to get stitches. I had a division the next day and went and walked in

the area that it happened in... sketchy area. So they got a curfew of

6 o’clock for the rest of the week. They are fine though. But Elder

C’s stab wounds are pretty gross, but that was a pretty interesting day.

Angola won the basketball championship for Africa. They are pretty

good. I watched a few parts of the games outside the bars with all the

Angolans. It was way fun. We were all getting into the game and all

cheering. Haha good times.

So we have a special needs girl in our branch named Julia. Her

grandmother was a member of the church who took care of her and

brought her to church every week. But her grandmother died, like, a year

ago. Julia is like 30 years old, but you know

still looks like she’s twenty. Anyway, she still comes to church every

week and she is so sweet and we all love her. But this week she had a

pretty bad seizure, she has epilepsy and she went unconscious and

everything so Elder Montgomery and I carried her home and gave her a

blessing. That was a pretty cool experience. It really is one of those

rare opportunities where I feel like I get a sneak peak through God’s

eyes and see how much love He has for all of us; especially his

special ones like Julia.

Grandpa Tingey, I got your package with the shirt! Thanks so much guys! It’s way cool and I love it! Troy, I got your letters and the pictures from

the ranch. Oh those were good pictures from the ranch! I liked the big

family picture, although I was a little bit upset that I wasn’t able to

be in it. Oh well.  Sorry Troy, I don’t think we have a pouch address.

If we ever get one... it will be a long time, cause you gotta

remember. T.I.A. (This Is Africa, or more specifically This Is Angola!)

Nothing moves quickly here, and when I say nothing, I mean NOTHING!

So I have a birthday wish list; if you guys will let me have

one. I want a handwritten, GOOD, letter from each one of my siblings

and my parents. At least one page per person. AT LEAST! Also some

F-301 BP zebra pens. I love them to death and they don’t have them

here. Blue ink preferably. A letter from the Tingeys (next door)

wouldn’t hurt either. So that’s it.

So did Mountain View win this week? How’s school for everyone?

Well, sorry its not much. I really wasn’t in the mood, but love you all!

Elder Tingey

P.S. Super Awkward. Yesterday, in testimony meeting, Irma Lasolet, who is a senator here and a big player for the church here and one of the

first ones here, Anyway, she made me stand up during her testimony to

show everyone that “we are so lucky and it is such a blessing to have

Elder Earl Tingeys "grandson" here in Angola.” Yeah... it was pretty

awkward. And then after, all the members were like, “Why didn’t you tell

us?!”psh idk(I don’t know) I don’t want to make it look like I’m special or that I’m the "Chosen one" or something. Well you know.... people do think I look like Anakin Skywalker...... maybe I am the chosen. Obione Kanobi : "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE CHOSEN ONE!" haha I miss Star Wars!