Rodrigo the Baker- Email 2/23/14

Como estamos familia!

Thanks for all your emails and love. Sorry I couldn't write yesterday, we were traveling all day yesterday so I ended up not writing, but we are here in the office so we are taking a little time right now. We don't have too much time though so I'll make it fast! Anyway, I'm feeling so happy right now. It was a week of a lot of personal progression. I'm really trying so hard to take advantage of every second i have out here and it's helping a ton. This week i went through a lot of experiences that really made me think and I was really grateful for. So....

Alejandro got baptized! I was actually super grateful that I got to return back to Los Angeles this week and do his interview for him, because I happened to be in the city. He is that Dad that I had talked to the week before with Elder Watt and Elder Ehlen. He was 100% different. He had huge smile on his face, he had been studying his little pamphlets all day to get ready for the "interview" which is basically just a conversation where before someone gets baptized, we ask them if they really believe in the church and have the desire to get baptized and are willing to live by the commandments and stuff. It's super simple but he was so nervous because he wanted to pass for his baptism. Awesome guy. So that was cool to see the before and after for that. He mentioned that in a year of all that he had been listening, that day where Elder Watt and Ehlen and I went just touched him right in the heart - he said it got him "deep down inside me" but in spanish obviously. Very cool to teach him that the spirit does that and told us what to say because God wanted him to get baptized and stuff. SO cool!

Another experience was Tuesday. I was in a small little city called Mulchen with Elder Cruz (a Colombian) and Elder Shapiro, a rather new missionary from the states. It was a good day but we just hadn't had the results we wanted and were still looking for people to teach. So we stopped and said a prayer, asking for a family to teach that was ready for the gospel and needed it. We asked for some really specific things in the prayer (Also, specific prayers are the best thing ever. God gives us what we ask for. 100% sure witness of that. If we ask for "blessings" he gives us "blessings" in general, but if we ask for the ability to smile through all afflictions and be happy during trials, he gives us that. like he just WANTS and WAITS for us to ask. So incredible/sad to realize how little in my life i actually asked for things from Heavenly Father. How often have i just said "Please help, please bless." But like what does that even mean? Its so useless. I imagine he must be quite bored of me saying "please bless...." Anyway, try that. Be more specific in what you want from God and you will see wildly different results.) Sorry for that side note but the first house we knocked on, this kid named Naxon comes out, like 16 years old. Turns out he is a family of 4 (just like we had asked), his parents are married and already members of the church, and he and his 12 year old brother have no religion. But want to get baptized. We started teaching him and I almost started laughing because it was just too perfect, like everything he said was 100% true and perfect answers. He committed to being baptized and his brother did too, and this dad who said that no one had come by the house in 10 years said that he wants to baptize his two sons. Just seriously....such a miracle. They had moved houses so no one knew where they lived, but that day we walked by after having prayed and felt to knock there. God knew it was the right time! I'm super jealous that I wont be getting to teach them because it's not actually my sector, but I'll stop by another day to see how they are.

Last two stories....

Rodrigo! WE HAVE AN INVESTIGATOR! haha elder White and i have worked here in San pedro probably about 7 hours this entire month. Like we just don't have time to work here. We are always traveling and whatever time we have we do intercambios and help out other sectors. But this guy Rodrigo is a bread-maker who elder Townsend (elder whites old comp here) found with elder white. His wife Lorena is a member inactive and he has two kids as well. We are teaching them little by little (its a super slow process because they own a bakery and are always busy). but we are working with them. He is progressing a ton and we are doing a FHE this week with them so we will see how it goes! It was crazy how happy I was teaching him this week though. it was our only lesson the whole week in our own sector and we were just beaming happy. haha They are an awesome family and I have really big hope for them. Anyway, keep them in your prayers! Rodrigo, Lorena, Natali, y Raulito. Love ´em. 

And me. This week...I've realized how much i still lack in my own personal conversion. It's been a very interesting week to be honest. Because we travel alone on buses sometimes to get to other sectors, it's a lot different. Theres no companion next to you 24/7, so it's time to think more. and HECK I've got a lot of work to do. haha this week i started listening to talks more and i just realized how grateful i am for the restored gospel. We have prophets and apostles that talk to us in our day, people that tell us what God wants us to hear. This week i actually listened to the talk "Profile of a Prophet" by Hugh B Brown, the talk that Mom had listened to right before she became converted. It made me tear up as i imagined Sharon Propst 30 years ago, sitting and praying about whether or not to believe in this crazy vision of this "new prophet" Joseph Smith. Whether or not to join a church she had never been a part of. And as i listened to it i was just so immensely grateful for Mom and Dad for having the courage to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. I never feel as happy as when I live it. I've always been a part of it, but thats a lot different than living it. I repent of the times i didn't live it, and look forward with hope knowing there's a lot more people that i can help to not waste time like i did. But surrounding myself this week with talks, with articles, with the scriptures - really trying to make my daily life based on the gospel has made a huge difference. We have so much more available to us than we think. I thank the people that have been before me and have made it possible that i can live and be a part of the only 100% true church on the earth. Its not just about the name or the title - but about having access to all of the blessings available. As i saw this week, we are so often conformist to the things we have, and forget that God has so much more. I thank every day that i belong to this church and have the knowledge of modern prophets and apostles, of the restored power and authority of the priesthood, and that I know my potential. God is awfully nice to us when we let him in.

I love you all. You're amazing examples and I thank you for it! Lets all keep working until the end. And no telling me how much time i have left! I'm not trunky and you aren't allowed to be either!

Elder Tengberg

we went to a national park last p day in Temuco and i acted 5 years old the whole trip, there were big mapuche statues, there was a "friends of the trees" sign and i laughed, theres a picture of what the buses look like here (cool, huh? super comfy for long distance), and i think thats it. Love you all! 

What are you, a Primary kid?- Email 2/15/14

Ahh family! Such a good week. Thanks for all your letters. I am just so dang happy right now and this week was 10x better than last week. The week before was just all traveling and meetings but this week Elder White and I peaced out to Concepcion and just went and did intercambios (exchanges) with the missionaries all week. I was in Los Angeles and it was so nice just to work every day in the blaring sun again. Is blaring a word? Does that make sense there? Mom told me last week that capacitation is NOT, in fact, a word. I was under the impression that was the same in English. I meant to say like training or something. Like so they can learn more things? I hate English so much. Siempre les voy a hablar en español, no estoy ni allí si me entiendan o no. UGH is it bad that I'm more myself in Spanish now than in English? like Elder White and i try talking in English and it just sounds awful. Haha we always start laughing. Good stuff.

Anyway, this week I found out I love president even more. Elder Domínguez made more of that super spicy aji stuff, the spicy salsa, and I found out during the meeting with the new missionaries (after their first four weeks) that president is seriously 10 years old sometimes. He was challenging EVERYONE to put more spicy stuff on their pizza (Dad, he only eats hawaiian pizza. I respect that.). Like he kept challenging them and saying stuff like "oh c'mon, thats sunbeam level! at least do enough like the primary girls." or "You trying to eat the pizza or is that for your grandma?" like i was literally crying laughing. hahaha he is hilarious. then I finally got enough people rallied up saying "Presidente, presidente" that he put some on his and was seriously crying because it was so spicy. He is such a goofball. Also I taught Hermana Martinez the word goofball and she loves it. So fun.

But this week i learned a lot about the spirit. We are so quick to become prideful in things, even in TINY things, and it's really easy to forget that we are not the reasons for success. This week I had to do a lesson with this person that has been investigating the church for a year, and it was crazy because the missionaries were like "yeah, he doesn't want to get baptized but we think he can." So kind of a hard task. But it's just so cool to go in, to feel so lost, and then to say a prayer in my heart and have such a clear direction come to my head of what i need to tell him. He was a father, and i mentioned one little thing and then Elder Watt, my old mtc compánion who i was on intercambio with, took off running with it and just got straight to his heart. He talked about how as a father, it isn't personal salvation anymore. How its all about the others. Fathers go to work for their family - not for themselves. Fathers wake up early for their kids - not for themselves. And fathers stay firm in the gospel their whole lives for their ETERNAL family - not for themselves. Elder Watt and Edler Ehlen, his companion, were just awesome and the spirit was so strong. It was just what the man needed. He had seen for the past year the gospel as a personal thing and never had thought about the effect his joining the gospel would have on others. But the spirit knew  that. The spirit knew he had a tender heart and needed to think and act for his family. Anyway, I'm just so grateful for the spirit in this work and the strength it gives us to keep going and to help people. Our potential is much greater with god on our side than alone! If we just let Heavenly father help us, and we do that by being obedient to the commandments, he will always give us a better life. Faith is nothing more than obedience.

I'm happy as a clam! If anyone reading this has never met with the missionaries, do it. You'll never regret letting God speak directly to you and helping you reach your full potential.

Love you all!

Elder Tengberg

You Can't Beat The Fair- Email 2/8/14

Well hellooo family! I wish I had more news, but I feel like I just don't have much crazy stuff happening right now! But i guess thats better than having too much crazy stuff happening. Sometimes it's nice to have a nice relaxing week. But there were some funny stories this week in between all the capacitations and the interviews that we finished up this weekend...

Hermana Martinez (the mission president's wife)- I love her SO much, seriously. I didn't know her that well before because we were never really around Presidents wife but i just know her so much better now and i love her to death. This week we got talking about Elders eating habits and she literally DIED when she heard what we eat every day. We told her that the culprit of the elders never having money on the mission is that in every city all the elders know who has the best churrasco - its like a hamburger but the meat is thinly sliced and its a whole lot more meat, and guacamole and tomato and mayo (of course, its homemade mayo too. nice and thick! yummy huh? yeah stop gaggin everyone i swear its good) and its on a bread the size of a plate. for 4 dollars. and they deliver it free. Like we ALL know where the best places are...haha its hilarious. And she said "You eat that?! Elder! Oh my gosh....no. (her favorite english phrase is oh my gosh haha). What time do you eat it at?" and we had to tell her its always like 10 45 because right before we go to bed. Anyway....she about died. We wonder why we all gain weight here on the mission in chile and its kind of hard to see why huh? She told us to eat "all vegetables" at night if we want to be healthier. Like really? Really hermana? Do you think i would eat carrots or some broccoli when this cool guy on a motorcycle will BRING me a hamburger? The states need that. in n out delivery. I'm starting it up. Me and Andrew would be the biggest customers.

Other stuff....today we went to la Feria. Its just basically a farmers market but really really ghetto. They just take over the streets and they put out all of the most random stuff and put out fruit and vegetables. Its super cheap too. Literally i bought 6 kilos of fruit (thats about 12 pounds right?) for 7 dollars. Thats awesome isn't it? if not then don't tell me because I'm really proud of the deal i got. Anyway the funny story is that today elder white and i went to buy bananas. Thats all we wanted. BANANAS. i came out with 6 kilos of fruit, 30 eggs, a new jersey of the Brazilian national soccer team (very cool, great deal) and sunglasses for the car. The fair beat me. You can never beat the fair. I'm convinced of it....you cant beat the fair. 

But the sunglasses do look good. Elder White and i bought matching ones to use when we drive Margarita (our truck). Haha i love that kid so much. We are honestly such good friends and I'm loving being around him. He is a utah state fan which is kind of lame but its fine, ill convert him to BYU one day. He´s just a little lost.

On a more serious note, this was honestly a great week. I had a really cool experience Tuesday that just made me love being a missionary so much. I was in some random little city called Vilcún and i had a very good day with an elder there. I hadn't taught a lesson in like 5 days because of interviews we had with missionaries and traveling and random stuff like that, and then when i sat down to teach again after 5 days, just me and a companion and a family we found, i started crying because i know the gospel is true. As i talked to them, the words seemed so familiar to me and i just couldn't contain sharing every little part of my heart with them. Honestly...incredible. I love being  a missionary so much. There is no greater joy than sharing our testimony of the truthfulness of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and the joy of seeing when people realize that their lives can be immensely more happy with it. Im so grateful to be here and treasure every single day. I truly do. I treasure being here and treasure this chance that i have to be a representative of Jesus Christ.

Love you all.

Elder Tengberg

El Diluvio- Email 2/1/14

Well hello! Sorry this letter is going to be really short. We just have been all over the place this week and now P.day is just finally a day to calm down and relax a little bit. Thanks for all your emails, seriously. Its such a blessing to get them every single week. You are all doing so well. I wish i had some really cool new stuff to tell you all but not too much has happened.

One cool thing though this week was "El Diluvio". Really cool to see this whole process happen actually. Seeing the mission from a different perspective is helping me so much to see the role a mission plays in the life of a young man. We had this idea last week to try a random challenge and put it for the mission. So we came up with "The flood" and we had the idea to do 1000 baptismal invitations as a mission this week. We are still going but we have like 600 so we are doing much better than an average week. Revelation came little by little....which surprised me so much. SO many times we think we have the answer or the spiritual confirmation of something and then little by little the Lord makes it better if we keep diligent and not just pray once. Truly incredible to see that first hand and stuff. Anyway, the idea was that if the missionaries each do 10 baptismal invitations this week to someone they are teaching, they will find someone that will be ready to be baptized in February and March. The responses were incredible....like the missionaries who really trusted in the promise we made them and are doing it, are seeing miracles incredibly. Other ones started putting up excuses and saying it wasn't possible, and did it halfheartedly and aren't seeing anything to be honest. But its just been crazy to see that the mission teaches so much to have faith and to really exercise on it. Before the mission, i believed in the gospel. I really did. I believed it was real, i knew it was what i needed to do, and i knew that what i was going to do was true. But i guess i had never really put my faith to much of a test. But now I see any trial and i don't care how it looks, i truly have the faith and confidence that its going to work out (even if its not the way i want) because i have seen so many miracles time and time again. I am really grateful for this experience and so grateful that i am able to be here to learn and strengthen my testimony that God is a REAL being, with real power and really cares about us. Its 100% changed my life.

IN other news...we bought cool new jerseys! haha I've become the biggest fan of soccer. I am so excited because apparently the world cup starts in june right as I'm getting home. SO we bought these jerseys the other day and are loving them. Can i be chilean forever? Is that allowed?

One funny story - the other day we were at some interviews at a zone and president had asked us to do a capacitation with some missionaries. So he gave us his laptop and stuff and we were using it, and he had given it to elder medina so i wasn't too worried about it. Anyway at the very end, like 6 o clock, we start to leave and he asks "Oh elders, where is my laptop?" and i look at E Medina and he said "You gave it to both of us..." and completely throws me under the bus. So we start looking for it all over the church, and president was getting super mad at us. I was freaking out trying to think how much money that would cost and stuff....finally i ended up looking in Presidents bag and it was there. He watched me do it and said "is it there? Thats weird, who put it there?" and i was like YOU DID! and he said "ahh...don't lose my computer again elders." hahaha yeah. President is a goofy guy. Loves to play jokes on us and make fun of us and stuff like that, but he always gets the last laugh -_- i have a lot to learn!

But my favorite part of the week has been getting to know Hermana Martinez (the Mission President's wife). Literally every day this week i was driving to the south and got to know her more, and she is hilarious. She knows english so we have been teaching her fun words like rascal and goofball and stuff to say to her kids. But my favorite part of the week was when i got her crying laughing because some lady at a fast food place tried to give me my food without the extra guacamole. I muttered "I may be white but I'm not stupid" and she literally died laughing. Its been her new favorite phrase this week. Im content.

Loving life right now! Lots of stuff to be happy about :) Thanks for all you do.

Elder Tengberg

also, Concepcion is honestly beautiful. i love this city so much! We made tacos today too and elder Dominguez my ex companion had someone ship him chilies from mexico...i died. Chilean food is nothing to mexican food...so dang spicy! Here are the 6 of us that live together though. Elder Carlson, Elder Medina, Elder Jones, Me, Elder Dominguez, Elder White.