Ola!

Boa Tarde minha familia e amigos,

Thank you so much Bil and Stepper for your e-mails this week and last week. I only have an hour for e-mail and i don't know how to print. So I was self and just leisurely reading your e-mail and I have a little over 30 minutes to write.

SORRY ABOUT LAST WEEK! It was a crazy day. we went to the neighboring city for P-Day. I found out my companion has a history here in Portugal, and most specifically this city. Her dad was the mission president here about 10 years ago!!!! She lived in Cascais (neighboring city) for 3 years when she was 10. Nuts huh? anywho, really really really long story short, she taught one of her childhood friends and she was baptized last month in Cascais. So we went on P-day to have lunch at her friend´s house (well actually it is a grand estate, the kind with a pool and tennis and 3 course lunch, marble floors and 5 pristine dogs running around the huge yard filled with old trees and statues. It was neat, but we ran out of time to e-mail....lame.

Well life is always busy here, were always going going. But we see miracles everyday. When I really step outside of myself and stop thinking about me, I am able to see them. Isn´t that strange how it works? Sometimes as we walk these streets, I get so lost in thought because most of the time I still don't know what is going on. When I get lost in thought, I sometimes forget why I am here in Portugal. I am here because there are people that Heavenly Father has prepared and is continually preparing to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ right now. We are hear to find those people that are prepared--whose hearts are open at this time, and sometimes don't even know it-- and teach them the simple truths of the Gospel, then we invite them to know for themselves. We invite all people to know for themselves that the knowledge we share is true, by praying and asking and when they feel it, when they really feel, they show their faith and are baptized. It is so simple, but when the conversion is real and people remember the truth that they knew before they came here, Its a beautiful thing.

We are teaching Chris from America. He really knows his stuff, but has questions like everyone, he just knows not where to find the answers. Heavenly Father has given the world the answers, isn't that great? Joseph Smith restored those truths, plain and simple.  So we are teaching Chris and I know that he has been prepared to receive the Gospel.

The miracles we see everyday are in the little things. Like when we don't know where to go and we decide to just go to an apartment building to knock, and we see Antonio (who we were teaching but he didn't want to quit smoking so he hadn't been meeting with us) We run into him and invite him to church, and he says yes I would like to go to church. So he came to church! We are just doing the best we can, and Heavenly father puts people in our path.

I can`t remember who said it, but a general authority probably Elder Holland said that not everyone is good for a mission, but a mission is good for everyone. Meaning that if someone comes out on a mission, and doesn't work and do their best, they may not be helping the work along very well. But no matter what, a mission is good for everyone because you learn things and grow and if you endure it well you will be blessed. I hope that I am good for this mission. Some days here it is a matter of getting through the day, trying to understand what people are saying and trying to figure out what I am supposed to be saying (whether in English or Portuguese). I know that as I try my hardest to be better everyday, Heavenly Father blesses me with a little more faith and a little more help. I know that a mission is good for me. I get choked up just writing about it. I honestly don't know what is going on 90% of the time, and it is frustrating and discouraging. But in that 10% of the time that I am really understanding my purpose and seeing the knowledge of the Gospel change people and change me, when I feel Heavenly Father´s love for me in subtle thoughts of encouragement, it becomes so clear. You know? I pray that as time goes on the moments of clarity will be more frequent and I can fulfill my purpose even more effectively.

Ok I wrote that I don't eat. Well now I have had a couple meals with the members here...let me tell you...It is sooooo good. Rice and Chicken, sounds simple but they do something good to it. So good. And the pastries, well my companion is kind of a health nut in real life I think. She is a twig but she eats soooo much food. She has gone her whole mission without really eating the doces (desserts) here but this is her last transfer. Which means she goes home in 4 weeks. So she said she will try one of everything before she goes. I have a feeling this will be rough month of self control for. hahahahah. Speaking of her going home in a month, you can imagine how talk of home might come up. She is really focused and doesn't want to think about home, but it happens, and then I think about home, and then we eat pastries. hahahaha.

The weather is wonderful! It really is beautiful, we have a ocean breeze always. It gets a little chilly at night. I will need sweaters in the winter.

Ok well this was a dinky e-mail. I love you all. To my brothers and their wives and kids- I LOVE YOU AND THINK OF YOU ALL THE TIME!

Thank you so much for everything! Pray for me and I´ll pray for you.

Love

Irma McCrery