Ola!

Ola!

Ok I just wasted like 35 seconds trying to figure out how to use accents. But I couldn't. Ola has an accent over the a. It sounds like Hola but with the emphasis on the a. My lovely family, my lovely friends. This week has been crazy. There are not enough hours in the day. I'm convinced. It is really getting down to crunch time here in the MTC. I only have 4 more weeks left... CRAZY! I am more than half way done with the MTC and I don't know enough Portuguese! This week we start to speak only Portuguese in class. ONLY PORTUGUESE! It is a daunting thought. Because really I don't feel like I know any Portuguese. When I start to doubt my ability to speak Portuguese I have to remember that the Lord has called me to this assignment. It is not only possible that I learn Portuguese, it is inevitable. It is inevitable as long as I give it my all. I sure do try to give it my all.

I don't feel like I have a ton to say this week, I should have prepared better to write something. My brain has been frazzled because every thought I have in English, I try to correct myself and think as much in Portuguese as I can. I have learned so much, I just need to remember it all.

Ok thank you so much for everyone who has written me. I always say this, but there is nothing like getting mail at the end of the day. Clinton and Elisabeth-THANK YOU for the orange rolls and doughnuts, what a stinkin treat. Seriously. My district and zone and every elder on my floor appreciated them! You are so sweet to always write me and keep me posted. Bil, Stepper...Thank you thank you obrigada obrigadinha thank you. Amy, thanks for the letter the other day! Tell Brian I love him and that he needs to write me something, tell him that is a command not a request. hahahahha I think he will appreciate that. Also Amy I need your address!!!!

This week we had gym outside, did I mention that? It is great, four square has had a new dynamic. You don't care about four square.

Ok not only am I learning soooo much Portuguese and sooooo much about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the endless blessings it offers, I am making friends! I am making some really great friends with my fellow comrades here that I know I will always remember, it's really great. 

Something we were reminded of this past week in a devotional was our divine identity. We are all literally spirit sons and daughters of God. Did you know that? Did you know that is a fact?It is. It is a fact that we have a loving (amoroso) Heavenly Father (Pai Celestial) who loves us sooooooo much that he sent His ONLY begotten Son Jesus Christ to save us. He sent Jesus Christ to save us from Sin and Death, the 2 things keeping us from returning to live with our Heavenly Father. The Gospel is so simple my friends, God Loves us, we are on the Earth to progress and prove ourselves worthy to return to live with Him (Heavenly Father)  in ETERNAL GLORY (and our families can be there too) if we will find the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and faithfully obey the commandments found within, we get infinite blessings. These blessings are not just some far off hope or dream, the blessings that come from the Gospel are real. They are for the here and now. Heavenly Father wants us to be happy now, on this earth, and happy after this life for all eternity with the ones we love... Is this a tangent? No my dear ones, this is the real stuff. This is the stuff that matters. Heavenly Father has a plan for you. He has a plan for you. I know it.

Eu sei que o Evangelho de Jesus Cristo e verdadeiro. Isto e verdadeirdo. Eu sei que o Livro de Mormon contem o plenitude do Evangelho. Eu adoro este Evangelho.

I love you all. I really do. I wish I could express my feelings more eloquently. I will try to write as many letters as I can. Pray for me, I'll pray for you!

Forward, pressing forward....

con amo

Irmã McCrery

(Stepper here - Bill translated that Portuguese paragraph for me. He speaks Spanish, so...it may not be an exact translation, but we can all still stand in awe of his skills. The paragraph says: 

I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It is true. I know that the Book of Mormon contains the fullness of the gospel. I adore this gospel.)

As Promised...

The following pictures were sent in a letter from Lizzie last week.

The captions are what she wrote on the back of each photo.

March 24th 2010

Day 1

Irma Lors, Imra Joslin, Irma Me

(I guess I didn't get the memo about holding a gun)

First week. 

Taking obligatory pictures. 

 Everybody was doing it...

We're going to Portugal 

e Irma Lords to Cape Verde.

My district.

My classroom.

My life for the next 7 weeks.

Elder De Hoyos, Elder Wilder, Irma Lords, Joslin, Me.

First Sunday here. 

Temple Walk. 

look like I'm saying a prayer, haha!...

it was really sunny.

BOM DIA!

Ola! minha familia e amigos,

 

I love you all so very much and everytime I sit down to write my weekly e-mails I imagine you looking at this blog stepper is keeping up for me. I wish I knew what it looked like. Are there pictures of Portugal? anywho....

 

Ok there are a lot of things to write about. But first let me say... I'M A MISSIONARY, AND I'M HAPPY! The winds have changed here at the MTC for irma McCrery. I have past the point of no return. I'm in the thick of things. We learn so much everyday about who we are and how important the the message of The Resotred Gospel of Jesus Christ is for every single human being on this earth. It is for everyone! If you are reading this, let me speak directly to you... The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints really does have the fullness of the Gospel. What does that mean!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?! It means everything! It means absolutely everything to you. It means there is a way to find joy in this life and to experience joy FOREVER with the ones you love (including our Heavenly Father). What a blessing. This Gospel is real. Our Heavenly Father loves us and has given us a way to get back to him.

 

Also--- THANK YOU! Thank you so much for writing me letters and Dearelders. They are so uplifting. I received letters from a few dear old friends this week and it just blew me away that they are thinking of me! Also to my true blue faithful fan club who send me letters oft ( you know who you are) I love your words, I keep them under my pillow, I ponder them, I let them lift me, you're little angels helping me along my merry little way. Where is Aunt Shirley? Does she see this blog? I love her. Does she know that? I will write her. I have a long list of people I am trying to write letters to today. Let me give a little disclaimer. I recieve mail everyday but I am only allowed to write letters today. So I love you all keep writing and eventually my response will come. also Corinne Chidester.... You are amazing, there is a note for you somewhere lost between Rexburg and Texas! Keep waiting for it. Everyone else I love you too, your letter is coming! Also Stepper, Tyler Comrie wrote me a Dear Elder but I lost it and now I don't have his address or any of my missionary friend's addresses, if anyone has Tyler Comrie, Danny Orme, Alex Woods', or Jordan Rands address can you send it my way somehow?

 

Ok  We have devotionals every tuesday and firesides every sunday. BEfore I left President Mills (in my stake presidencey) Said that when singing in the large auditorium with 1500 other missionaries the song "called to serve" (insert lyrics here if wanted stepper) with have new power like never before. Let me tell you right now, I sing from the top of my lungs every single word of that hymn, with every fiber of my being and I know that every person around me is doing the same. It gets more and more powerful as time goes on.

 

When I got to the MTC is was a whole lot of "woe is me!, I know nothing, this is hard". Slowly but surely I have come to understand deeply the need for those moments of hardship when I first got here. I would like to think I'm pretty tough, but sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom before you can become a new creature through Jesus Christ. I love the MTC now. Here is the funny thing, it has always been great, from the moment I came in--But now I get it. Now I really understand the significance of my assignment to labor in Portugal on the Lord's errand. I am a missionary, and I am happy. Thats the truth.

 

I wanted to share another little tender mercy (sorry this e-mail is scattered)

Lately I have been thinking about my parents. I love them, you know? I know if you are reading this and you knew them you are thinking, "ya I know, I love them too".. Anywho I have just been pondering about what they must think of me bring on a mission right now. They are happy for me, I know that. I know my Dad is happy that I am learning how to work (something he was always so good at and I lacked), and my Mom is happy that I now only figured out who I am (am always have been) but that I am sharing it with other people because she would do the same thing. But last night as I prayed before i went to bed I asked my Heavnly Father if I could jsut FEEL their love, FEEL it strongly. Let me know they are there loving me from the other side of the veil, maybe just see them in my dreams. I woke up this morning and we went to the Temple, it was wonderful. The weather is gorgeous and the Temple brings peace. As we left the Temple my comp and I stopped to smell the flowers, the warm air made them so fragrent...When all of a sudden the warm air wofted the scent of distinct flower. One that my dad used to have in his yard. I started to cry. I had and overwhelming memory of my dad and his garden. It was tender. Heavenly Father reminded me throug hteh flowers, that my Dad loves me and is always watching.

 

I love you all time is short. I pray for you! invite the missionaires over for dinner. Seriously. find them. invite them over for dinner. All of you!

 

Love,

Sister Lizzie

HELLO!

(letter dated April 9th 2010)

My dear dear friends and family!

Another week already past? Time is flying by, but also slow moving. Any return missionary will tell you that in the MTC the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. It is so true.

First I want to say thank thank thank you for all of your love and support. As missionaries we are promised to have angels help and support us in our endeavors, and I can feel your prayers for me everyday while I'm here. Also I receive so much mail that people are starting to get bitter I think hahahah. But it is such a blessing at the end of a long day of hard work to hear the words of familiar friends.

Bil, thank you for being so diligent and for inspiring me, your words are powerful and continue to help me everyday.

Stepper, thank you for you beautiful words in your last snail mail and dear elder, you know me in ways that only a sister could, Also thank you for the Easter package and my own little creature, it is so special and sits on my bed right next to my pillow. 

Elisabeth and Clinton, THANK YOU for the easter package, yummy cookies and candy and also for your dear elder letters, your encouraging words are such a blessing. Clinton I'm glad you know where Portugal is. 

Thank to everyone else who continually writes to me despite my lack of response, just know that every letter is a tender mercy and that I treasure them. I will try to write some letters today.

Stepper- those pictures of wyatt.... are out of control. He looks like he is 16. Such a little teeny tiny cutie! Speaking of realy teeny tiny cutie, Daph makes me cry, she is so pretty, I love her.

I wanted to share a little bit about the experience here at the MTC as a sister missionary and how it differs from the possible experience of an Elder. Each day we wake are to wake up at 6:30am, and then usually we have gym. For Sisters we have to option to go to yoga, kickboxing, pilates, aerobics etc. at 6:00am each class varies by day. It is so cool. Believe it or not I love going to gym with just the sisters (although I really do love playing 4 square with the Elders). If you do go to regular gym and play 4 square with the Elders a sister is treated with so much respect. Anyone who pulls a cheap shot (like a slam) on a sister in the game will be shamed for the rest of the day... no one wants to carry the burden of 4 square shame...no one... so it's a real treat.

Also as a sister I don't know if I have opened more than 3 doors as I walk around the campus with my companions. Elders will go out of their way (almost shoving us out of the way) to open a door for a sister. It is so kind. By the time we make it into the doors at meal time, the real royal treatment comes into play... I walk to the end of the line for pulled pork sandwiches and I think to myself "I should have brought a sack lunch to eat while I wait for this line to hurry up, this will take forever" and then before I know it the Elder in front of me turns around and the instant he sees that he is in front of a sister he implores me to go ahead of him in line...I say obrigada (thank you) and wait again, now one place closer. As you might imagine this creates a chain reaction and before I know it, I am at the front of the line with every single Elder insisting that I go ahead of them. It is a beautiful thing. Especially for girls like me, who love to eat. As I walk back to the table to enjoy my meal, the entire table of Elders will then proceed to stand up and wait until I have settled into my chair. Chivalry is not dead. This treatment is not exclusive to Irma McCrery, oh no, every sister is treated with love and respect. 


It is something else.

Portuguese is beautiful. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm so grateful for high school Spanish, it is helping me soooo much with grammar. Muito bem!

Ok on a more spiritual note. Let me explain something very simply. Eu sei que this is the True Church on the Earth today, that through a modern Prophet Joseph Smith the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in it's fullness. I know that I have a loving Heavenly Father. How do I know? Because I am blessed every minute of every day with kind people, words of wisdom, letters from friends, whisperings of the spirit bringing me comfort, I'm blessed to know the Plan of Salvation, which is possible through Jesus Christ. This plan is for everyone. Every single one of our Heavenly Father's children. He loves you, he wants you to turn to him through Jesus Christ.

I Love all of you and I wish I didn't have to stop so soon, but there is work to be done. For we are all enlisted til the conflict is o'er happy are we, happy are we.

Love, 

Sister Liz

(A note from Stepper: Watch for pictures later this week! She sent some via snail mail. I just need to remember to bring them to work so I can scan them in and post them here!)

Minha Familia e Friends!

Hello Minha Familia e friends,

I miss you! Bil and stepper, thank you for writing me ever so diligently, it means soooo much to me. Tell Wyatt that I love him tons and tons and that he should draw me some cars.

I'm happy! The MTC is a blessing, sometimes it's a blessing in disguise but a blessing nonetheless. I hope last weeks e-mail was not too much of a downer. The MTC brings such a flood of emotions and I'm now writing you with a little more experience.

    I try everyday to humble myself and be more like Christ. Why be more like Christ? Because whether we lose faith in him or not, he has already atoned for us. It is through his love and sacrifice and ONLY through his love and sacrifice that we are able to progress and learn to be better. My faith is tested and tried everyday (somedays more than others) But it is when I remember the love that my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ have for me that I can press forward. I see little tender mercies that let me know He must love, he must.

  On monday I recieved 13 letters/dearelders!!!!!!!!!!!! Thats right! 13!!! Granted some of them were doubles from my little hun Clairey (she just wanted to make sure they got to me safe and sound) but still It was nuts, I actually jusmped up and down and squeeled with joy! So let me just say thank you thank to everyone who has written me so far....

Bil I love all of you real tender notes, thanks for letting me hear from Wyatt, Stepper thank also for you support and entertaining words to remind me of home. Claire keep em coming dearest!!! Also Corinne, Amy, Ev Dog, Mandy Peck, Jim Beaumont's lottery joke (Jim, if you read this, get a life-Love ya!), Bishop Sanborn, Eric Taylor, Russ, and Becca! Thank you for your support and words of encouragement. Letters from home (home means from all of you whom I love) are a tender mercy to me and keep me going whne times are tough.Dearelder is the most effiecient thing was to get mail here. It's free! hhahaha. My district leader distributes all mail at 9:30 everynight, never earlier. It helps keep us focused during the day.

   Bil and Stepper remeber that sister getting out of her car in front of us at the MTC when you dropped me off? SHE IS MY COMPANION! ahahah isn't that crazy? I forgot to tell you that last week. I just thought that was strange.

   My Portuguese is coming along. I saw Eric Taylor here at the MTC a couple days ago. I knew he worked here but it turns out he teaches down the hall and around the corner! It was crazy to see him. I was able to speak the minimal Portuguese I know, maybe he can tell you how I did.

   We taught our first lesson in the TRC (bill can explain what that is i think.) It went pretty well, my compnanions and I just need to trust eachother more and rely on the Spirit.

I have shared some of my talents with my zone at lunch, such as my robot voice and my uncanny ability to make ugly faces (if you have seen them, you know what I'm talking about). It is good for me to open up so that I'm not so serious all the time. Because the truth is, this work is so happy! I get to help other people learn how they can recieve that ultimate happiness that the Gospel brings. I'm not talking that fluffy junk, I'm talking real joy that can be ours FOREVER!

  I was able to attend the Temple today and it brought me peace and hope knowing that all is well when I'm on the Lord's side.

General Conference is this weekend. I NEED to hear the words of the Prophet and Apostles and I'll be frank and say that so do you!!!! The Prophet speaks the will of God direct fro mthe source, His words are not just for members of the church but he receives revelation frrom God for the ENTIRE WORLD! We are all Heavenly Father's children and he gives us Prophets so that we actually have a tangible guide to know who to return to him. So watch it and love it. Really. That means you! Really you! Watch general conference and you will understand why I am here in Provo, Utah learning how to be a disciple of Christ and preach his Gospel to all the ends of the Earth. Stepper will you give these3 kind folks some links to where they can watch or listen to conference?

It is my testimony that I know that our Heavenly Father Lives, so does his Son Jesus Christ. They Love us and have given us everything that we go through for our betterment. This mission is HARD WORK! But the blessing is in the work. I am learning how to work, can you believe it? I am learning how to work!!! I have never learned how to work hard before! What a blessing!

 Bil to answer your question, am I starving or stuffed (because it is always one or the other) Right now I am stuffed, I never want to eat again. But in 3 hours I will be like a starving wolf scavnenging for food in the forest of the MTC cafeteria. Food is good. Public Bathrooms aren't freaking me out anymore. I'm over it. I'm getting over all the little things slowly.

I lvoe you,

 please write me any time!

Irma McCrery




To watch the live stream of General Conference, go HERE.

A Request from Lizzie

Hi, friends,

Stepper here.

Turns out that Lizzie's friend Eric works at the MTC. He kept an eye out for her, and find her he did. He says that she is still adjusting to mission life, which is to be expected, and is still definitely Lizzie. He said that she constantly makes both of her companions laugh. So that proves it.

He also said that she wished to pass on a message. Do you feel kind of like a spy? I do.

The following message will self destruct in 10 seconds...

Lizzie asks that we please use Dear Elder to write her rather than send her emails. She gets a limited amount of time for emailing on P-Day, and can't get through reading everyone's emails in the time she's allotted (which is also the time she's allotted to write emails to us - so we want her to have as much of THAT as possible!).

Dear Elder actually prints the letter you write her, seals it in an envelope, and puts it in her mailbox for her to take and keep and read (and re-read) whenever she can.

If anyone needs further instruction on how to use Dear Elder, please feel free to ping me at stepperthemighty at gmail dot com.

Thanks, friends!

And thanks, Eric!

(self destructing in 3... 2... 1...)

The day she went in to the MTC...

Some pics of Lizzie the day we dropped her off with those two Mexico bound elders at the MTC: