Cloverleaf!

Good Afternoon to the great void, and welcome to CLOVERLEAF! That is right, I've been transferred. After seven quick months in Broadway 2 Central I've now switched zones and everything and I'm working with Hermana Keele in Cloverleaf. And might I add, I couldn't be happier...thank goodness! But seriously. If President had come to me and asked me personally where I would like to go and who I would like to work with...this would have been it. So somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good. Hermana Warner is going to freak out! hahaha the only way this situation could get any better would be if she were here with us. Hermana Keele is from California, and this is her fourth transfer but her first transfer away from her trainer. She's hilarious, and a really good singer. Really sarcastic. pretty blunt too, and of course she's gorgeous. So that's good, because I'll be sitting across from her for hours at a time each morning. The area seems pretty cool but of course i've only been here a couple hours now. I do know that we have a walmart in the area so that's a good sign. We have a cute apartment with actual feminine touches here and there, as opposed to the apartment I flushed into after Elders. So that's a nice change. And it's pouring hot rain right now and I'm dead dog tired from staying up late last night to pack (seven months, you'd be suprised the nooks and crannies your stuff gets stuck in) so I'm sorry if this e-mail is subpar. Oh yeah, mom: it's a bike area. for the most part. Aside from the fact that we drive a malibu. (the first thing Hermana Keele said when I got it was, "tingey - it's just me, you , and the bu." haha) But I think we only have poquito miles. so bikes it is.

As for my last week in Broadway 2: It was a good one. Since it was the fifth sunday of the month, they had the ward missionaries do the program. So our Ward Mission Leader had all the recent converts either speak or give a testimony. Can you say pay day for Hermana Tingey? Oh my word. I was sitting in a little choir seat behind the piano trying desperately not to bawl like a baby. (i succeeded by the way! not one tear hit my cheeks. all in the eyes. So that means I have YET to bawl like a baby on the mission.) Claudia told the cutest story in her testimony of how one day she and her daughter Mariana were getting off the bus and her daughter stopped her and said, "Mom, this is my favorite spot right here." and her mom asked why and she said, "because right here is where we met the misioneras." Claudia isn't really open about her feelings but she was saying how she knew the church was true and that she has gone through so many changes since meeting us and she's so happy now. It was so good to hear it out loud, even though we've seen it in her all along. Then, as if that weren't enough, Noel gets up and gives a talk on the Holy Ghost that made him sound like he's been a member for twenty years! The ward was way impressed. Then, the bishop annouces that I'll be giving my testimony, along with Elder Ferguson, who was also being transferred (we found out sat. night.) So that was exciting! But it was fun to see some of the hermanas out in the congregation getting a little teary-eyed and realizing that they actually DO know who I am. haha no it was really hard to leave that ward. So many good experiences and it feels so unfinished to just get up and leave one day like that. But it was overall a really great experience.

We also had a woman come with us to church who was baptized in honduras but hasn't been in over fifteen years and she was here going through a divorce and feeling really alone and depressed and prayed asking God if he would help her and she opened the newspaper and found an ad for the finding faith in christ dvd, called the number, and the church sent us her information. Here's the catch, her phone got shut off like the day later so by the time we got the number it was disconnected, and she had been living at her friend's house but said not to meet her there because she wasn't a member of the church. So we finally decided to just chance the friend's house and they said she had moved out (the friend's kids opened the door) but that their mom wasn't home and they didn't know where she was. great. Well three weeks later we had gone by about five times and still coulnd't get any more info until FINALLY we found the friend, who gave us her new number and we FOUND her this past week and taught her and she came to church! She said she couldn't believe we had found her...she had been calling her friend and asking if we had come by. I can't believe we didn't give up, since she was a member and all. I thought she was long gone. But it was a really tender experience to meet with her. She said she had been going to her friend's church with her and thought about "accepting Christ" there, only she was worried because she just "didn't feel it in her heart" but when we walked in her apartment she said she felt something she hadn't felt in fifteen years. If that doesn't make the church true I don't know what will.

So I miss Hermana Warner but she's going to be great. spreading those little wings. She sang me all sorts of break up songs this morning. "waht about us, waht about everything we've been through..." haha but she's in a threesome! with my old companion hermana hansen and hermana cannon, who i came out to the field with and would love to serve with some day. So they'll have a party. seriously. This was a crazy transfer for the whole mission: 48 of 53 companionships changed, ten whitewashes. ahhh! We even got a new AP. So that's the thing. This transfer rocked our little missionary worlds. But that's alright. We'll be back at it proselyting by six, right? Anyways, I love you all, write me letters to my new address! take care!

Love Becca

NEW TRANSFER MEANS NEW ADDRESS!

Hi all! For those of you writing Becca, here is her new address! I've also updated it on the right hand side there...

Hermana Tingey
12800 Woodforest #2216
Houston, TX 77015

Birthday!

Hello Family!

So I'm just sittin here in my trendy new brown skirt. That's right, I said brown. Nope, it's not a black skirt from downeast. That's the thing mom, you WROTE about a black skirt but it never made its way into the package. . . guess you decided to give it to Jessica! hahah jk. But that was pretty funny. I was confused. But THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH for the Birthday package! It got here the day BEFORE my birthday but I was really patient and I opened it on my birthday right after our morning run. It was perfect! Everything is so cute and fit well so it was a success. I'm the trendiest sista out here now. haha thank you thank you. (LOVE the shirt. big points!) It was all nice and lightweight...perfect. And so fun to hear from everyone. So here's how the day went down: In the morning, when we got back from our run, there was a Tupperware on our porch with a big bow on it, full of candy and ramen noodles from the elders. They left a message on our phone singing a terribly off-key rendition of happy birthday. Then we opened the box from ya'll and played around for a while taking pictures, etc. We baked the cake during planning so that that night we'd be able to come back and blow out the candles and eat it! I got lots of calls from the other missionaries and lots of letters that day so it was awesome. We took the cake to district meeting the next day and everyone loved it. Hermana Warner was teasing me and she told some of the elders that I was turning 24 but they totally believed her and so then when I told them she had lied they were like, "yeahhh suuuuure Hermana Tingey." hahah so I guess I've got an old (fat) face! Anyways. It was memorabe. Oh yeah, President and Sister M. called and sang as well. Cute.

Speaking of President: We had some serious fire and brimstone from him this week! He called a "specialized training meeting" with the two spanish zones and then called us all to repentance! I've never seen him like that. He basically just said that the numbers in the Spanish areas have never been so low and he accounts it to our slacking off with the language. The rule is that you're supposed to speak only Spanish the second you set foot outside your apartment and any time you're on the phone, which we definitely weren't following. So we were feeling pretty guilty. Not fun. Anyways the moral of the story is that we are now speaking a LOT more Spanish than we were before so hopefully we'll see the numbers go up. We also cracked down on our Spanish study and a few other things that were getting slack. Next time we have a meeting like that I want to be able to sit there and listen, knowing that I'm not the one who needed the talk.

Anyways, next week is transfers so we're all getting nervous. NOBODY in our zone changed last time so we're all going to mix around this time we think. I hope I stay but. . . let's be realistic.

We met a cool kid on the street this past week. His name is Victor and he was just walking down the street that we were knocking so I talked to him and turns out he's totally interested. (he looked like a thug...I really didn't want to contact him because I was judging and profiling him but it just goes to show you not to judge a book by it's cover, or an investigator by his bling) But he asked if he could come to our church! (YES please do) We got him a ride with a family that lives near by that has a kid his age and they were chatting it up all through church yesterday. We love setting people up like that. We';re going to be queens of line- ups when we get back. We like to call it "man dates" because we're trying to line people up with potential friends. haha anyways, he's a cool kid.

We've met a lot of new people this week and knocked just about every door in this area that I haven't already knocked. (not true, there's LOTS more) but we're excited to see who starts to progress. Noel got the Priesthood last week and told us that every day is better and better. He has three names ready to take to the temple. Atta boy. He's amazing.

I'm doing great! really not wanting to leave my little home here on bellfort. Hope everyone is doing okay and loving the new school year! hahahaha i wish you all lots of long hours of homework. I"ve done my share. Love you! thanks again for the birthday stuff. You're the best!

Love,

Becca

I'm baking like a toasted cheeser its so hot here!

Holy cow! can you believe it's already August sixteenth? ahhh that's a little scary for me. haha how's everyone doing? I want to hear all about powell, and i'm assuming I will. So I'm sorry if this email is a little scanty and a little crazy, because i'm way distracted wanting to chat with ya'll. haha disclaimer. So this week Hermana Warner got a package in the mail. She's been asking her mom for a watch since she left the MTC and she just got it. Us poor missionaries are so at your mercy out there in the real world. it's hard for us sometimes. But in true mom flavor, her mom sent not just a watch, but a package full of goodies and cute things and fun stuff and gadgets and gizmos aplenty. So it was like Christmas for us! I never even noticed but I guess she snuck in a little Birthday present for me as well so that Hermana Warner could give me something. Isn't she cute? The best part is, we were doing our nightly planning and I was looking at our calender and noticing that Hermana Case's birthday is coming up on August 24th so I asked Warner what we should do and then I started saying we should sing a Jacks Mannequin concert for her cause she loves them and so I started singing some Jack's and all of a sudden warner throws down her pen and goes "i can't take it anymore!" so I started apologizing and telling her i'd stop singing that worldly stuff and recommit myself to signing mo tab but then she was like, "My mom sent you a birthday present!" and she ran and got it and made me open it! haha but it's really cute earrings. Little diamond studs with this cute design around them. so sweet. haha warner's hilarious. We had a pretty average week. Just dealing with stuff way beyond our maturity level... helping people commit to making changes with eternal significance in their lives. we're kindof a big deal. haha no but it was a good week. We had our temple trip! so that was probably the highlight. After the session, we had a meeting with all of us inside the temple and the temple president spoke to us which was really interesting. we were able to ask whatever we wanted. but at one point, while answering a question about sealings he made this lovely little comment: "for example, there are some sweet sisters who never have an opportunity come along to be sealed to anyone in this life." WHAT?haha warner and I started cracking up because i jsut said "ouch" out loud right then. You just can't say that to a group of sister missionaries - talk about SWEET SISTERS. if anyone qualifies for that group it's us. so I started laughing and then i said, "well it's nice to know we have something to look forward to when we go home." and that made the elders behind me laugh and then everyone started laughing and it was a funny moment. so i'm funny even in the temple. Other than that, i'm chatting now. everything else was boring. We have a baptism this saturday for our sleeping in church friend! i guess we believe in dreams as well as visions healings... etc. haha! but her name is jesenia so pray for her! Sorry this is so lame. hope everyone is doing well and ENJOY the end of your summer! we're counting down the days because we've heard that august is the hottest month. we're on the downhill slope! love Becca

Hey vamanos, everybody let's go!

That's from my friend Dora the Explorer. And it was inspired by the big poster that is next to me right now on the library bookshelf that says "Celebrate Books! Celebremos los libros!" That's the thing. she's bilingual. and so am I. That's the other thing. I'm sitting in a tiny chair in the childrens section of the library because all the other computers were in use. As if my skirt and nametag didn't make me look weird enough. haha. but that's okay because I'm writing to you all and so it's WORTH it, right? haha. I think I might break the computer next to me - a little kid is on there playing kid games and it keeps repeating the same theme song over and over. divine.

ANYWAYS. This was a big week! First item of note: I DIDN'T TRANSFER! so I'm still here on Bellfort with Warner and Ferguson and Gardiner. We are a family, like one giant tree...reaching up twards the sky...I mean. We're still the same district as last transfer. And everyone was WRONG about me leaving! they've been teasing me all week because I really didn't want to go so I'm just happy as can be to still be here. Let me tell you why:

1. I love Hermana Warner and I never wish to be parted from her from this time forward.
2. I want to see the follow-up for Claudia and Marianna
3. Noel!!!!!!

and that brings me to the story of the week: CLAUDIA AND MARIANNA DID IT! They actually went under the water and came back up and everything! haha It was awesome to see their baptism. I'm trying to attatch a photo of them so I hope it worked! (don't judge my round face) Ferguson is the blondie and Gardiner has dark hair. They're so cute! (claudia and marianna) The baptism went PERFECTLY. We had some awesome Hermana's from the ward who gave talks and then Hermana Warner sang "I like to look for rainbows" but in spanish of course, while I played the piano. Then the bishop welcomed them to the ward. They were a little nervous but they did great. Claudia even brought a friend to the baptism! Love that. Except for the fact that when our ward mission leader saw the friend there he asked me and hermana warner to speak on the restoration - on the spot! But that's okay. we teach that lesson about twenty times a week so it wasn't such a big deal. But here's the best part about the whole thing: That morning, before the baptism, we had gone to teach Noel. Our goal was to set Aug. 7 as a baptismal date for him. We taught the lesson and the spirit was strong and everything and so we invited him to set the date and...he said no! what? We tried to resolve his doubts and recommit him (sound familiar RMs?) but he still said no. So we had to satisfy ourselves with inviting him to the baptism that day. He said he'd try to come but...he'd call us. ugh. So I kinda figured he wasn't going to come, but then he called us at the last second and needed a ride so we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to find a ride for him but we finally did and he got there - he missed the first talk but he got there! After the service was over I was talking to one of the hermanas in the ward and I saw hermana warner go talk to him out of the corner of my eye. about one minute later she came walking up to me while i was still talking and said "he's getting baptized!" He told her that he was ready to prepare to be baptized on August 7th! hahaha so I had to be sure of course... I went up to him and said "how did you like the baptismal service?" and he said "It was really nice." So I said "when is your Baptism?" and he said "August seventh!" haha so I pumped my fist in the air and said "CONGRATULATIONS!" hahah it was a fun moment. He came to church yesterday and said he feels better about his decision every minute. Is that incredible or what? He said that he was worried to commit to a baptismal date because although he wants to change his life, every time he has gone to church in other religions he hasn't FELT it in his heart. So he was afraid he wouldn't FEEL it in our church either. But he said when he walked in he felt an "energy" and peace and so much love from everyone there. He said he knows that he can really change. We know he can too! Keep him in your prayers. We taught him the Word of Wisdom yesterday which we were kinda worried about but he accepted it no problem. August seventh baby! and that day is actually his birthday. So he's being reborn on his birthday. That's right Spence, born on his birthday!

We also had a bike day! so we're back on the bikes. watch out houston. It wasn't too bad, aside from the 103 degree heat and full humidity. haha

but hey! i hope everyone's doing okay. i love you and miss you all and i'm soooo happy that i didn't get transferred! I'll be thinking about spence these next couple weeks. Make him write me and tell me all about it. in detail. not the way boys usually tell things.

okay, i'm done here. love love love!

Becca

Dear Muggles:

Happy fourth of July! Hermana Warner and I bought stuff to make special oatmeal pancakes for a special patriotic breakfast and then we realized it was fast sunday! haha. so we saved it for Monday morning and then we had to satisfy ourselves with singing a patriotic hymn. Actually, the more correct way of saying that would be to say that I made hermana Warner sing a patriotic hymn with me and halfway through we both lost it and couldn't stop laughing. There's just something funny about two white girls in the middle of a sea of hispanic Texans, sitting alone in their apartment and trying to seriously sing a song about their country at eight in the morning. Feliz dia de independencia. But It was cool to hear our ward bear testimony about the religious freedom they have found here. I hope ya'll had a great celebration. haha. Lions club breakfast? and CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RUN! I es a so proud of my cute little family. We're just a happy little plaid family. And we're runners. that's the thing. Sarah, you DON'T hate running..."yes i DOOOOO." next up: climb Anapurna.

As for me and my beloved companion: we've been having quite the week. Most importantly, we set a baptismal date with Claudia and her daughter Mariana! They will be baptized the seventeenth of July! We're so excited for them. We called President afterwards to let him know and he and sister Moldenhauer said they want to come to the baptism because they met her at stake conference. That was the best phonecall I've EVER made. (aside from calling you guys ;) ) So far everything is just going so well with them that it scares me, so keep us all in your prayers.

Secondly, we've been on hurricane watch all week. Come on mom, you're supposed to be watching the weather and stressing about your sweet daughter all alone down here in Texas! Hurricane Alex was our first hurricane of the season and luckily for us it hit just south of us in Monterrey Mexico, so all we really saw was a lot of water, but I am telling you - we saw A LOT of water! The elders went out and took pictures and they were standing in it up to their knees in the middle of the street! As we were driving, the streets were flooding and I kept telling Hermana Warner that I just knew I was going to ruin the Lord's car! But we managed to avoid the worst of it and tried to be smart about where we parked and our car (which we have officially named Dover since there is a Dover street in our area and whenever we pass it we say "come on Dover!") is still running nicely. We had a couple close calls though. One time we were driving through part of the street and I looked over at the huge truck next to us and the water was up to the top of their tires! I dont' know how we made it out without getting stuck. The weirdest part about all of this is how hot it is. I'm used to rain bringing a chill but here it just brings heavier heat!

So we had our "baptism by water" all week long and then on Monday came our "baptism by fire." Except the fire part already happened a month ago: let me explain: Our elders have been teaching a man whose house burned down a month ago and he has been waiting for insurance to come and photograph so that he can clean the mess up. Yes. It took them one FULL month to come and photograph! So yesterday we went as a service project to help them clean up. Let me tell you. that was the NASTIEST MESS I've ever been in! Think of this: one month of food sitting in a refrigerator in this terrible heat. One month of mold and rain and cockroaches and ash EVERYWHERE. The smell coming from that fridge still hasn't left my nostrils. I almost lost it when they finally took it outside and started spraying it down with a hose - food and everything - just to make it stomach-able enough to clean out. When they moved it, there were HUNDREDS of cockroaches that had been underneath it. We were literally shoveling burned remains of everything they owned into garbage bags and hauling it outside to the trash. clothes, pictures, toys, dishes... you name it. Then, we went for the walls with axes. With every swing, two or three of the giant type of cockroaches would come squirming out of the wall. Hermana Warner and I were covered in dust and sweating through every layer and then some and hauling that trash around like the Hermanos that were there with us. Mexicans can clean out a house in two hours flat! They were awesome. But the Bishop was laughing at me and said "what hermana, you're not scared of cockroaches are you?" Then one of the younger guys punched a whole in wall, grabbed one out and threw it at us! We definitely earned our P-day this week. But I think there should be a special place reserved in the celestial kingdom for the brother that was cleaning out that fridge. We have a hurricane preparedness checklist hanging on our wall and one of the things it says to do is clean out the fridge and prop open the doors and unplug the fridge in case of an evacuation. I have been wondering WHY we would have to prop the doors open. now I know. gross. gross gross! i can't even think of it it makes me sick still. We were wearing masks and we still had ash all over the place. The hermanos were laughing at us because we looked like we had mustaches! The shower afterwards felt AWESOME. but anyways, you get the picture.

Other than that, we're just grateful for our nice little apartment! Hermana Warner and I have way too much fun together. The other day she was sitting on the couch and wondering out loud about a "special friend" of hers that hasn't written since she's been out here and she wondered what he was doing right then. Seeing as it was a Saturday night I said, as i was walking past her and into the bedroom, "well let's see...it's ten o clock on a saturday night... he's probably out on a date with some hot chick." hahah! she came running after me and tackled me on my bed! She said I was so MEAN! but we were both laughing pretty hard. She's hilarious.

So that's all folks! Hope you had a good holiday. "Are you on holiday Ginger?" "no patsy, i'm in solitary confinement!" name THAT movie! I love ya'll like a cockroach loves nasty refrigerator slime! Hope to hear from everyone soon. Thanks for all your support!

Love Becca

Busy week this week in the campo blanco!

Dear people I am related to who finally wrote me this week after three or four or seventeen weeks of nothing in the mailbox:

Como estan? I was so happy to hear from ya'll again! Dad, thanks for the thoughts. I almost fell off my bed when I realized you've been reading something that wasn't your little green book of investing or the scriptures and then I just shook my head that you didn't choose Pride and Prejudice but started off with Larry H. Miller's biography...(how could you? isn't the suspense just killing you about whether or not Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth will end up together?) but I guess that's okay. After all, you know that guy. BUT unfortunately I never got any time to sit down and think about what I want to say in this e-mail so it might be a little scatter-brained.

okay before I forget: good luck in your race! I will be thinking about all my little gu gu dolls running their hearts out on July 3rd. Go get 'em. And take time to notice all the puppies in front of you.... if you don't get that, ask mom. she's good at spotting them. Speaking of mom, HAPPY ANIVERSARY mom and dad! Hope your weekend wasn't too crazy and that you got some time to pat eachother on the back or something. I've saved up all the money on my blue card and I bought you something nice - it's a trip to Jamaica! so I hope you enjoy it. haha jk. but a little birdie told me you're going der widout me. So I hope you take your swet bottumms. Him obviously lub you. Just send me a t-shirt that says 'jamaican me crazy' okay?

Busy week this week in the campo blanco! We had zone conference AND stake conference so we were all over the place. But it was a great one. We are officially half way through the year 2010 - a miracle year in THE mission. So President did some motivating to get us excited to finish the miracle that we started in January (in case you don't follow these emails religiously and hang on every word, THE mission miracle of 2010 is to double our baptisms from 2009.) And he showed us clips from Remember the Titans to do it - so I rest my case that sister missionaries are doomed to listen to sports pep talks throughout their missions. He even told us a story about when he was a coach in high school and one of his athletes won state. Guess what my wonderfully tall, bald, lovingly inspiring mission president coached before his mission? If you guessed pole vaulting then you get a gold star. And for some reason the word "pole vaulting" makes me think of Young Frankenstein. Som varm milk perhaps? pole vaulting? okay okay you're all fine. i know it's "ovaltine." that's the thing. olvatine is gross. But actually it was an awesome story about how this kid just wouldn't give up and ended up vaulting 14 feet and cleared it easy. That's incredible. So Hermana warner and I are packing the poles in the back of the trunk to take proselyting with us. As for stake conference, that's always an exciting time because ALL of the spanish missionaries work in the same stake so we're all there together. I was playing the piano for the choir, which just about sent Hermana Warner over the moon because she's from a very musically talented ward and our stake sings with lots of heart and you've gotta have heart - all you really need is heart. When the odds are saying you'll never win, that's when the grin should start... We got laughing really hard during the conference though so I feel kinda bad. hopefully nobody noticed. But it's just hard for us to sit for two hours and listen to spanish without doing something naughty. And here's the thing: President makes us read the white hand book every day so by now i've got it memorized and so I always find special moments to incorporate quotes from it. And Hermana Warner wrote me a little note that said she loved me so I wrote back and said "will you be my companion" and she wrote back "claro que si" and so then I wrote back, quoting the white handbook "will you sleep in my same room but not in my same bed" and then we were just all giggles after that. Like, laugher chicks. But I really like the Hermanas in our mission. we have a lot of fun together.

We had an investigator bring her daughter to stake conference so we're pretty excited about them! Her name is Claudia and her eight year old daughter is named Mariana. She is progressing pretty nicely - no huge hang ups so far, just working towards confirmation that she needs to be baptized. We're also really excited about a guy named Noel. (not levi's dad. we're not excited about him) But this Noel is the son of a crazy lady. We taught his mom first and she was one of those crazy talk-during-the-prayer people that wouldnt' really listen to us because she was so busy amening so I didn't go back. Well about two weeks later I got a call from her asking for us to bring over the Finding Faith in Christ DVD. I was kinda groaning on the inside but we took it over and she was still crazy but she asked us to come back on a saturday and teach her son and husband. We did and her son is absolutely incredible. Midway through the lesson she pulls out some book of mormon from years ago with three hermanas names in the front cover (one was tate! but not lisa) and he grabs it and starts reading it right there. More on him later! he's really promising.

and i'm basically out of time so i'm sorry to end really abruptly but fyi it's pouring here. POURING. Love you all! enjoy your summer

Becca