Letting the Days Go By! Water Flowing Underground!

This is something I´m learning on my mission. I´m less and less nervous to make big decisions now that I am gaining a testimony of kneeling down and begging My Heavenly Father for revelation, spilling my righteous desire guts as often as I can. He really loves me. He really loves your little family. He wants to bless us. I imagine sometimes that Heavenly Father is like an over eager Dad that already bought our Christmas gifts and wants so badly to let us open them because he wants to see us freak out about  Super Barbie 3000 and Mega Micro machines, but he has to wait until Christmas or it just wont be right. Heavenly Father has blessings stocked up that he is literally eager to give us, he would rip open the wrapping himself if he could and say ´´TA DA! DO YOU LIKE IT`?``...I can just imagine... And when we go to him, ask him worthily he will bless us with gifts that are so good and last forever and dont require batteries. All we have to do is have faith, obey the commandments, and never forget just to ask.

 

Ok listen. I´m on this Island Sao Miguel. My area is called Ponta Delgada. Our area is gigantic. There are three missionary companionships here on this Island. I am here with Irma Morrison, the area that the Lord has put in our hands is gigantic. It takes up one third of the Island and to get from one side of our area to the other takes at least 2 hours in a car (we dont have a car). Also the buses here are--well I think there is one bus. Haha. Dont get me wrong the Island is civilized, there are some tourist, a mall, and we even have an ´´american store´´ it has american products, like junk food and tents. We have a freeway and such, but the fact of the matter is, there is a lot of space to cover. What a blessing. The people here are so warm. The accent here  is wonky just like they said, to me it sounds like austrailian people are speaking Portuguese and it is all being said backwards and upside down....hahaha. But I know I will get used to it. The Island is calm. Peaceful. But at the same time full of life in some parts.

 

We walked 45 minutes to one of our appointments on friday and walked along the edge of the water, I´ve never seen water like that before in my life. Dark black rocks with clear blue water gushing over. I feel like I´m on the coast in Washington meets Iceland meets Portugal. The rains are coming. It has already rained a few days here. It is still warm but I can feel it, things are gonna get pretty blustery here in a few weeks... WOO HOO BRING IT ON!!!!! We´ve got people to find, and a little rain isn´t gonna stop us. I´ve been prepared my whole life to serve this mission in inclimate weather hahah, thanks Seattle!

 

Ok here is my address before I forget:

 

Rua Nova Da Misericordia

Nº266 1ºESQ

9500 Ponta Delgada

Acores Portugal

 

The postage is the same price to send mail to and from the Island. I think it should be cheaper because now I´m a whole time zone closer to the United states. I can´t tell you how awesome it is to recieve mail....so now you know. Also any packages can be sent to the above address...

 

I am excited to serve with my new companion. We will have our new set of challenges together, but I know we will have so much fun working hard. We are the only sisters in the Acores. We are the only sisters in the mission who are in a branch not a ward.All of the areas with sisters are where there are enough people to have wards and stakes. We have a branch. What does that mean? The Lords trusts us. I don´t know why, but I better get to work...

 

I´m no longer in Oeiras. But Bil you are right, I am a safe 4 days distance from that area and looking back it was the best. I miss our recent converts, I miss our members, I miss our investigators, and I miss Irma De Almeida. In the MTC the president´s wife told us that as we go along in our mission that feeling of homesick will change, you will slowly stop thinking about home and missing you home, but as you are transfered you will start to miss those people with whom you worked so closely, and by the end of your mission when you return you will be homesick for your mission... Well this just in I´m on that slippery slope... I love the people of Portugal. They are something else. I love the people of Oeiras and I am already growing attached to the people of this Island. I am here for them. I am here to love them and to serve them. I am here to help those who are seeking for the truth.

 

What a boring e-mail about weather and geology. But the Gospel is true. I am on the Islands of the Sea, helping to gather up those who will hear the voice of the Lord. How powerful.

 

We hear from our prophet this weekend in general conference. Don´t forget to watch and listen. Put the link on the blog if you would so people can find it! I can´t even wait I´m so excited......

 

Pictures in the next couple weeks....

 

Love

Sister Liz.

***Stepper, here! As per Lizzie's request, here's a link to where you can stream General Conference this weekend!  And you can see/hear past sessions from this site, also.

GENERAL CONFERENCE

You'll note that if you click the October 2010 link (that's this weekend's conference) all the info is pending. Check back there Saturday morning at 10:00 AM MST and you'll be able to stream it live!***

Gulligans Island.... AKA THE ACORES!

LIsten up,

I have a few e-mails in my inbox that I have not yet read as I write this E~mail... The reason that I can´t seem to even stop shaking is because I just found out 5 minutes ago from the office Elders that I will be transfered this week to THE ACORES!!!!!!!! (pronouced ah-sores, more or less). My hands are shaking and I can´t even remember what I was going to tell you in this email. Ok listen, the Acores are the islands off the cost of Portugal....In the middle of the ocean, separate from the rest of the world (like most islands I suppose) Only two sister missionaries serve there at a time. This week we have a special sister conference in Lisboa, and after the conference I will be swept up in a plane and off to the acores with one bag and whole lot of nerves. The Acores. Wow. They don´t speak Portuguese there. At least thats what people from the continent say. The Accent is soooo wonky out there that it is supposedly extremely difficult to understand even for people who speak Portuguese... WOO HOO, just when I was starting to get the hang of the language with Irma De Almeida, they take me to the other side of the world (mission). I feel inadequate and underqualified to serve there. I remember my first transfer with Irma Brinkhoff (nicknamed the machine, remember?) and she served in the Acores, told me stories, the kind of stories that made me say, ok good thing Heavenly Father only sends the tough ones there...I´ll steer clear and kick it here on the continent.....well well well. Look who has a plan for me that I didn´t expect...

Isn´t that how it goes?

I love it.

 

Ok Listen before I forget, all packages should be sent to the mission office now:

 

Rua Jorge Barradas N 14-C

1500 Lisboa

Portugal

 

Speaking of packages... today right before we left the apartment to go to internet I recieved a package from CLINTON AND ELISBAETH!!!!!! WHAT A TREAT!!!!!!!!! Irma De Almeida about had a fit with her excitement for the american goodies found within. We scarfed down a huge cookie before we came here. Thank you soooo much! Also now I have the recipe for Irma De Almeida.

 

Oh Irma De Almeida.... We will be separated. I can´t even explain in this email how much I will miss her. We learned so much. We worked so hard. The best part is that we became friends. True blue friends. I think the ultimate lesson I learned with Irma De Almeida was repentance, and humility. We are so weak, we had to kneel down and ask for forgiveness so often, start over, work harder and seek the will of the Lord every single day. I learned a lot about how to say sorry and mean it. I learned about patience. I learned how to trust the Lord a little more everyday. Now I will serve with Irma Morrison! She is from Colorada I think. So thats gonna be weird. WOO HOO!

 

Ok Bil and Stepper, I need  your address or the address that I can call ``home`` so that the mission office has it on file. Maybe it is already in the email from Stepper that I have not yet read.

 

Ok I will read them now and write more after I read...

ok read the emails, sounds like everything is still good and right in the world.

I am going to try to attach some photos.

 

Isabel was Baptized this Saterday night. She is the wife and mom of a (former)part member family. How incredible.

 

Ok pictures are of our trip to belem.

 

only have this card with me, but i will print pictures and send them later.

 

Iove you all. I´m going to the middle of the Ocean and who knows when I will return.

I will miss oeiras. this place has become my home. These people are my friends.

Until next week....

 

Love

Irma Liz

our pasta

our soup, the making of.