To One and All...

Hello Hello again,

 

First and foremost I would like to give a giant shout out to THE CLIN-TON, Happy birthday in a couple days! or as thay say here in Portugal: EGUK WIUDDJAO UAHEUAIUOF!  Actually that is not all all what they say... they say,  feliz aniversario!

 

Well this week my e-mail will be short I think but I wanted to write about a neat experience we had this week...

 

As we waited for the bus, we sat a little taller, a little more alert, a little more nervous than usual. We had a task to do that day, no matter how daunting it seemed, we would do it because we knew it was what the Lord wanted. As our bus pulled up to the stop, we reluctantly arose and walked on, after showing our passes to the driver, instead of walking to the back of the bus to sit, we stood there. We stood there at the front of the bus looking at all the passengers, I looked over at my companion, she gave me a reassuring nod, and I began to speak to all those on the buss in a loud voice ´´ Bom dia, nos somos discipulas de Jesus Cristo, not temos uma mensagem da alegria e nos sabemos pelas escrituras que ha pessoas que estao preparadas para receber esta mensagem...`` `´Good morning, we are disciples of Jesus Christ, we have a message of joy and we know through the scriptures that there are people that are prepared to receive this message...`` My companion continued `` We want to share this message with those who are prepared to recieve it, we will come around and give our card with our information and if you think you are one of those prepared to recieve this message, we will get your information.`` everyone was silent. No one even knew what to do with us. There facial expressions gave away thier thoughts: Who are they? Why are they telling us this? Why is that one on the left so tall? What message?.... we went around giving our cards and my companion asked each and everyone, do you think you might be one of those ready to hear this message? By the time we got to our stop we were back in our seats with smiles on our faces. These people think we are freaks, weirdos, strangers. But now, they know they know who we are, and why we are always walking around, to share the good news of the Gospel with all of Heavenly Father´s Children.

 

My companion told me later that I spoke like a Portuguese person....perfectly.

 

What a blessing. The Lord was by our side that day.

 

time is up sorry.

 

Love you

 

Sister liz

The Clock is Ticking...

 

Minha quedida familia,

 

I love you all. Did you know that? Every single one. I think about you all the time out here on my mission. Not really in that homesick kind of way, but in that ´´helps me remember who I am´´ kind of way. I have a family that loves me and I love them. THAT is a blessing.

 

This week Irma De Almeida and I saw miracles. Thats right, I´m cutting right to the chase in this email, because I dont think I have much time left. 

 

We had a zone meeting last Tuesday, where we traveled across our zone to meet with the other missionaries in our Oeiras zone. The meeting was a kind of a remember our purpose and remember that miracles happen and that there really are people here in our mission that are ready, that are just plan prepared and ready to accept the Gospel into their lives, we are here to do EVERYTHING we can to find these prepared children of God and help them remember the Truth and get onto that path back home. 

 

It was a powerful meeting and my companion and I spent a long time on our knees that day praying about who, begging Heavenly Father to help us to know who, who was prepared to recieve the Gospel THIS week. All week we worked and prayed A LOT. I´m not saying that to be high and mighty...I´m talking we are so weak do not have the power or ability to do this work without getting on our knees to pray a billion times during the day for help and inspiration. It is a humbling feeling. It is a glorious feeling. We are not alone in this work, because this work is not ours, it is the Lord´s. 

 

By friday we were exhausted and on the verge of death (or so it seemed), when we went to an apartment building that I swear Irma Brinkerhoof and I had already knocked, we knocked the whole building now that I think of it and it wasn´t until the last door that someone let us talk for a moment. 

 

Gustavo. 

 

He is from Brasil. 25 years old friday morning and he listened, he really listened as we explained how the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the Earth today and how we have the same Church that Christ Established. We bore our testimonies, with power (not our own power) and left him an invite to come to church on Sunday. We asked him to say our closing prayer at the door, it was powerful, beautiful, simple and genuine. 

 

He came to Church Sunday (miracle) and by the end of the first hour of church he had made friends with everyone in the first class (miracle) and second hour he was participating in our Gospel discussion with his eyes fixed on the instructor soaking it all in (miracle). 

 

By Sacrament meeting he was already sitting on the other side of the room with his new friends and as we glanced over during the meeting to make sure all was going well, he was focused on the speaker (miracle). It was incredible. 

 

After Church he was exchanging phone numbers with all of the young adults and making plans for the week. Medium story short, we ended up teaching him every day last week, each time with a different member of our ward. He started to read the Book of Mormon and by the second day he was done with 1 Nephi telling us about Lehi and his dream. Wednesday we taught a lesson about the Plan of Salvation, and in the end we invited him to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptised this coming Sunday. He said he would pray and think about it. 

 

The next day he told us that he had decided to be baptised this sunday. 

 

He was beaming. I mean beaming. This guy is gold. Really. I mean he gets it, he gets the Gospel. After our lesson with Gustavo, Irma De Almeida and I left his sight and literally jumped up down in the street with joy, because thats what this Gospel brings, pure joy.

 

Something that is really important in this work is that people are truly converted, willing to make changes in their life to follow Christ, and are willing to follow Him for the rest of their life. I can see in his eyes that he is changed. Really converted. It is a blessing. The baptism was beautiful. I was getting teary all day. By seeing his conversion in just one precious week, I rememeber my own conversion so vividly, and I remembered that it is not done, I am being converted to the Lord every day here, these precious people are helping me more than they will ever know.

 

The picture I attached is of Gustavo, his friend, bishop, and Irma De Almeida.

 

This is the scripture that could sum up the week (stepper can you copy and paste to the page?)

Alma 29:9-10

 

I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do ^anot ^bglory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember ^awhat the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

 

I love you alll sooooo much. I wish I could have written more. But I love you and think of you all the time. Keep on keeping on. Never forget that you are not alone in this little old world.

 

Sister Liz

This Must Be the Place...

My nearest and Dearest,

 

Sounds like this are changing everywhere. This week I received a new companion, but mostly a new friend. Irma De Almeida. I know it is a little early (1 week) but my new companion and I are getting along famously. What a tender mercy of the Lord. Irma A is a native to Portugal she is from the North. Let me give you 5 facts that might sum up how well we get along... 1.She loves to cook 2. She likes good music (what?!?!?!) 3. She likes fashion 4.She speaks Portuguese and teaches it to me 5. I speak English and I teach it to her...ok well she is already pretty good at English but I help with pronunciation and little things 6. We both entered the mission on the same day March 24th and will end the same day (since she is native she went to the madrid MTC and has been in the field longer.)

 

I have a real feeling that we are soul friends, destined to find each other at this moment and help our fellow brother´s and sister remember the Plan our Heavenly Father has for us. Really this transfer is going to be so different. We eat well, (delicious Portuguese cuisine) and we are always learning together, asking each other questions about the language, praying together, contacting people in the street. It is incredible. It is like within a week my training wheels were ripped off and all of a sudden and can find my way around this town and use the bus system and the map like a pro, I can speak Portuguese more than I thought. I am learning how to teach in a completely different way than before. We sleep with the blinds open so the sun shines on our faces in the morning. We laugh and we work. Irma A has lots of family nearby in our stake, so that's weird for her. She knows all of the Young single adults in our ward because Portugal is like 1/4 the size of Utah. So the dynamic is soo different.

 

And get this, I have been teaching some of the lessons... start to almost finish.... WHAT!?!?!?! I don´t even speak this language. But I had heard Irma B teach so must that I understood what I needed to say and now I´m starting to teach!!!! It is really wonderful to teach the Gospel truths with people and see their eyes well up and get a bit misty, not because of anything I say, but because the spirit is whispering something deep in their heart ``this is true...`` I know that is why they get a bit misty, because that is why I get a bit misty when I recount Joseph Smith´s first vision, I think about how he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and they told Him that he would have to restore the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth, and what that meant. IT CHANGED EVERYTHING! YOU KNOW?!?! It changed everything, because of that first vision and the events after, the Truth would be restored and God´s children would once again be able to find the way to return home, mankind was reminded by a loving Heavenly Father and the Savior of the world, that they are alive and they love us and that they are rooting for us and want everyone to remember how to make it back. So ya, I get misty ok...

 

My new companionship is still requiring everything I have to be better and better each day, having a best friend of a companion does not make this an easy work. People slam the door in our face, people don´t even open the door to slam it in our face, people think we are peculiar, we are rejected, but Irma A says to me in her Portuguese accented English ´´You know, Jesus Christ was rejected, it was not easy for Him, and it will not be easy for us...`` And it is true. When we knock a door we introduce ourselves as Dicìpulas de Jesus Cristo. Not so often using missionaries, but disciples of Jesus Christ. We are, we are really His representatives, calling all people everywhere to come to Him and have real, good, undeniable, jump up and down on the roof tops kind of joy. It is not a calling of pride to be a missionary and to know all this stuff and tell people that we are right and they are wrong...it is the opposite. We get to humbly and meekly get down on our knees day in and day out and beg for help from Heavenly Father to find those who we can help, those who are ready to hear the message of the restored Gospel. We get to walk the streets and love every person we pass, we find those who are weak and show them their value as a divine child of God. We serve, we are sweaty and gross and some of us are not even speaking our own language, we are vulnerable, we are sincere, we talk with everyone we can. We pray with people no matter the location. We are so weak, but we rely on the Lord, this is His work, not ours. I imagine sometimes Jesus Christ walking through the multitudes and how he walked with kindness in His eyes, somehow uplifting those he passed with His Presence and His service. It was because he loved them, and they could feel it. Love them and they will feel it.

 

I fell on the escalator in the train station yesterday, and my legs got busted up, it was fun.

 

I had lots of different pastries this week, they are so good. This country knows how to whip up a mean pastry.

 

I would just go ahead and send any mail to the mission office, because I have not had anything in my box here and I´m gonna blame it on the mail system and not the lack of letters being written hahaha.

 

Oh my time is up... wow 

 

I love you all like you wouldn´t believe.

 

Irma McCrery

Happy Independence Day!

Bil,

you always know just what to say to me. The Plan of Salvation really is a bunch of new starts. I love that. In fact after I get off this computer it will be a new start again, pull up my bootstraps and get back to work.

Do I have a new companion yet you asked, well actually I´m sitting in the middle of downtown Lisboa (not my area) with Irma Nuxuti and Irma Joslin. We are on a division tonight while I wait for my new companion to come tomorrow.

Today Irma Brinkerhoff left to go home. Weird. She stayed so focused the whole transfer until the last week and she just started preparing me to take over the work. It was rough. I don´t feel prepared to be responsible for all of these people yet. Irma Brinkerhoff is a legend in this mission and as this transfer went along I found out  more and more    about her reputation... let me give you an insight on Irma Brinkerhoff her two nicknames are ``The machine`` ««The Elders say and Irma Nuxuti just told me that she used to call her ``Danger`` hahahahah. It was a hard transfer, but a good one. She taught me a lot, a lot and I hope I can remember it all...I have heard that my next companion is native to Portugal! WOo hoo! I´m excited. Maybe my Portuguese will improve more rapidly.

Right now it is at least 90 degrees and the humidity is out of this world. I´m am having a hard time typing because these buttons are so sticky....classic.

I think you have my most current address it is the same this transfer

rua porto alegra

N 2 5 RECT

2870-030 Oeiras

Portugal

so you can send letters there. But any packages I would send to the office. or both to the office. Either way.

Bill you asked if I am getting better at understanding what people are saying, Yes  I am! It is great. But really still it is so hard. Sometimes I just zone out and have no idea what is going on. Irma Brinkerhoff would cave and we would speak English, but now I will really only be speaking Portuguese with my new companion I´m sure. It will be good for me.

Today for P-day we went to Cabo de Roca. I don´t know if that is how you spell it.. But it is the most western point of Europe (continental) supposedly (says Elder Blair) you can tell me if he is correct... Anywho it was beautiful! I have pictures but I don't know how do put them on this computer. It was the first P-day we have gone to see something and it was amazing.

Then we ate gelato. Really really fancy Gelato. It was divine. I loved it.

Oh also you asked about 4th of July... HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN!!!! WOOT WOOT. Here they don't celebrate, but do you remember that I told you We were invited to a American Society of Lisbon 4th of July BBQ last week? I forgot to tell you about it. It was sooooooo funny. They had hot dogs and hamburgers and American music and balloons. They wanted the missionaries to come and help (the lady that put on the BBQ is LDS). So we went with 10 other missionaries. It was really funny. I say funny and not fun, because as a missionary it was very strange to be around all of it. But it was so funny to watch my companion (the machine) squirm at the thought of being around American stuff already.  it was great. let me just say we ended up participating in the tug of war competing against the marines...... we one. And then at the end we all went up on stage behind the US ambassador and sang the national anthem. cool huh? someone has pictures of that.

the world cup you mentioned. The world cup means one things to those of us in Portugal, no one wants to listen to us when the game is on. No one. hahhahah. I´m not kidding. When we find out a game is on we have to figure out where are best efforts can be put because no one wants to make appointments or answer the door. It´s nuts. Futbol is life here. It is quite the  experience. It is pretty funny when I think about it.

Somehow I can´t see how much time I have left to write. SO I will send this and then write another one just in case this cuts out.

para continuar.....

Ok here i am again.

Let me tell you about a really neat experience this week. Irma B thought that it would a good idea if we went to an area called Porto Salvo that I had mentioned that I thought we could go to. She said that since I felt good about that area, that we should go and try it out. I was in charge.... I didn't really want to be in charge because she knows better than I do... but we went. It took 45 minutes to walk there, uphill. We don't have a bus pass that goes that way. So she is just following me as I am looking at the map navigating us  up to Porto Salvo. We spent 2 hours looking up these old investigators and trying to find them, with no one at the doors. After a while I was really really really feeling overwhelmed because I felt like I wasn't following the spirit and was somehow wasting the Lord´s time because I didn't know where we were supposed to be. So we were knocking doors and all of sudden we get to one door, a man answers and we tell him who we are, expecting the door to be casually shut in our face, I was surprised to see how willing he was to hear us. Irma Brinkerhoff said (in Portuguese) we are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ, we are hear to share our message that Jesus Christ Lives, and that because he lives we can live again with our families forever. The man was taken back. He pointed into the back room to a bed where his wife was laying and described his situation, I couldn't understand it all, but as he was talking he began to weep. This middle age well groomed, well dressed man weeping in his doorstep. His wife was bed ridden and he had many difficulties. But he said he had not lost his faith. He had not lost his faith. my eyes got a bit misty to be honest, because I could feel the tender sincerity of his words. He was in pain. He didn't know what was going to happen. But here is the great part. WE DO KNOW! HE CAN KNOW! God has a plan for us, this life has purpose, and we can live again with the ones we love for all eternity. We were able to share our message and give him a pamphlet that explained to plan of salvation. we prayed to leave a blessing on his home. it was powerful. He can´t come to church because he can´t leave her at home. But now, he knows. He knows the plan. what a blessing.

All was not wasted, the day was not wasted. We helped one more of Heavenly Father´s children stay hopeful. We will have to figure out what to do to get Jose to church.

The Work is good. It is hard. I´m sweating like a mad woman right now, but at the end of the day, this is exactly where I'm supposed to be. The Lord makes up for my weaknesses. it is true, ask ether.... Ether 12:27

I love  you all soooo much. Ate proxima vez!!!!

Siister Liz