22nd Birthday...Mission Edition

HELLO!

     To one and all! Thank you so much for all of your birthday wishes! This Birthday has been spectacular. The funny thing is that is fell on a P-Day which means we have the day time free to take care of food for the week and do what we want... WOO HOO! So this morning I woke up to our 7 o'clock alarm and a perky companion singing happy birthday in Portuguese and then in English, then as we were getting ready Elder Blair (district leader) called and sang happy birthday, then 5 minutes later Elder Dias and the rest of the elders from the district called back to sing happy birthday in Portuguese at the top of their lungs. It was really something special. These elders are like my brothers out here on the island. But the fun didn´t stop there...... We did our studies until 11,00 and then went to  the centro comercial (aka mall) and ate lunch as a district (4 elders, Irma Speigle and I) and then we went.... BOWLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ya this isn´t our first time bowling on a P-Day, but it was the first time this transfer. It was really great. Birthday missionary bowling, you just can´t beat it. Then after we bowled, Elder Blair pulled a chocolate cake out of his backpack that they all bought just for the occasion. So now we are checking our e-mail, full of birthday shout outs (so good)! Tonight we have a family night at our branch president´s house with our recent converts Placido (slept on the couch) and Manuela. It will be an awesome way to end the day. 

      

       But the birthday fun didn´t start today, I would just like to give a shout out thank you section to Clinton and Elisabeth, i received your package last week!!!!!!!!! It was awesome. The Elders form the other island were here for a conference and I shared my spoils, they appreciated the sweet treats from the homeland. Have I thanked Aunt Shirley yet? I got your package more than a week ago. I was dead sick in my bed when the mail man knocked the door and delivered the package, it was a miracle. Corinne I got your lovely package with scarf!!!!!!! It is perfect! So soft and keeps me toasty. Bil and Stepper I got your package a couple days ago, everything was perfect!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU! Thank you for all of the letters and email from everyone else. There is nothing like hearing from home. Next P-Day I will devote my hours to responding to the many letters I have received.

        Next shout out section goes out to my Maggie Sanders and my Aunt Shirley who have BIRTHDAYS this week!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you both. I´m thinking of you and loving you both all the way over here in the middle of the ocean.

     Today I read a scripture and thought of you my friends and family. I can´t remember what it said now, but I wrote a note to self to include it. SO....D+C 31:6

    OK, so whats been going on here? Well last week we had a conference with the seventy authority of the church Elder Caussé. He is from France. It was one of the coolest conferences I have been to. It was just 16 missionaries, and this member of the seventy with our mission president and wife. It was a really spiritual meeting, and get this... he was speaking English! hahah. Well he doesn´t speak Portuguese, so he had to speak English, it was so special to receive training in our native tongue. He is truly a disciple of Christ and helped us with our teaching and really reminded us of the importance of this work. Also he gave us some BIG BIG BIG news. We found out that our mission the ´´Portugal Lisboa`` mission will combine with the ´´Portugal Porto´´ mission!!!!!!! Portugal will become ONE MISSION starting in July! WOW! OK even just writing about it makes me excited again. This is really big news for us. It is really good news, it means that the Church is strong enough and growing in Portugal. So the whole country of Portugal will be the Portugal Lisboa mission. This means I could go serve in the very most northern part of Portugal, Our mission president will continue as mission president. It´s really exciting, and who knows....maybe I will serve the final months of my mission in Porto (what used to be a completely different mission). Neat.

     Today we found out transfers. We found out that everyone on the island is staying except Elder Deus, he is leaving for the continent. Wow! So I will be here for 6 more weeks. After that it´s back to the continent. What a blessing! I love it here. But also after one more transfer I will be ready for a change. 

     How is the weather? It looks like spring, feels like fall. It´s cold but not as rainy, blue skies this week with only a few days of rain. 

I´m running out of time, but I want to say thank you for all of your letters, thoughts, prayers. I can feel ´em all the way out here in the middle of the ocean. I am really happy to be out here, to be learning so much, to be struggling, to be growing, to be helping others, and learning what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. The truth is He lives! He lived and died for us, and rose again.  Jesus Christ is central to God´s plan for us, it is only through Him that we have got a chance at Eternal Life. We are God´s children, and we have a purpose in this life, did you know that? Does that knowledge change everything? Yes. It changes everything, it changes how we think, act, it gives us hope, and comfort. It´s pure, good truth, that just makes you want to leave your life behind, hop on a plane, and tell everyone about it....

Hope this week is great for everyone. This Birthday has been like none other. Now I´m old. a big fat 22 years old. WOO HOO!

Sister Lizzie

DID YOU KNOW THAT?

Did you know that one my favorite things to eat here is rice and salad (they make it so good).

Did you know that there are 9 islands that comprise the Azores?

Did you know that here in Portugal we give Beijinhos? Beijinhos are cheek kisses, you know when you kiss each other´s cheeks on each side of the face? Ya we do that when ever we greet people. Did I already tell you? It was weird at first, but now it´s normal. (but I think it is why I got sick). Also as missionaries we only give beijinhos to women, not men. for obvious reasons.... come on we´re missionaries!

Did you know that last week we walked home from Claudia and Marcos´s house and it took 1 hour and 45 minutes?( actually wasn´t the first time)

Did you know that we drink bottled water, not usually water from the tap?

Did you know that in our mission we start our day at 7:00am and end at 11:00pm?

Did you know that there are 14 sister missionaries in my mission?

Did you know that I am happy here?

Did you know that they measure ingredients for recipes by weight with little kitchen scales?(like flour and sugar...its so smart!)

NOW YOU KNOW.

Ok really random facts, that I think are interesting. 

Can you make sure that everyone knows I love them? I don´t know why I am giving you that responsibility, but if you could just give everyone big hugs and if you guys (you and Bil) could call my brothers and their wives and let them know I love em, that would be awesome. and aunt shirley.

``Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and sleep on your couch tonight?``

I will never forget when Irmã Speigle invited Vitor to follow the example of Jesus Christ and sleep on his couch. 

What does that even mean? Well Vitor lives with Maria do Carmo, they are not married and are not keep the law of chastity. He has a strong testimony of the Restored Gospel and we invited him to be baptized, the only problem is he needs to keep the commandments to be baptized and receive the blessings of the Gospel. Maria is a member of the Church, but less active. 

So as missionaries we invite people. That is our purpose, to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel. So every time we meet with someone who is learning of the Gospel, we invite them to keep commitments so that they can gain a testimony of the teachings of Christ, so that they can truly come to know Him, truly come to feel His love, and so they can receive the blessings that Heavenly Father has prepared for them. We invite people to keep commitments that will give them the opportunity to put to the test God´s promises. We invite them to pray so they can learn for themselves that He responds, we invite them to read the Book of Mormon so that they can feel for themselves the Holy Ghost testify of the truthfulness. We invite people to sleep on the couch instead of break the law of chastity, so that they can witness for themselves the buckets of blessings that are poured out upon them for keep the commandments of God.

So when we invited Vitor to sleep on the couch, it was a real invite to witness for himself the blessings of  keeping the commandments. In the end, Vitor didn´t sleep on the couch. He chose not to accept our invite.

Vitor has been investigating the church for over a year, and it hurts to see him trapped. It hurt because I know that he is searching for happiness, he knows where to find it, he just isn´t willing to act.

I lost a bit of faith after a stressful week with Vitor. I felt like no one here wants to change, they feel the truthfulness, but they just don´t trust that God really will provide the way. It had been a rough couple weeks.

but then there is Plácido and Manuela...

We found Plácdio when visiting a recent convert a few weeks back. We marked an appointment to meet with him and his girlfriend that he lives with. We began teaching them and within the first lesson we realized how prepared they were, how the events of their lives had brought them to that very moment and very time to hear the Gospel. They have suffered tragedy, and heartbreak together, and were searching for relief. On Monday we invited them to keep the law of chastity, because it is a commandment of God and by living it they would receive so many blessings. They agreed. 

We invited Plácido to sleep on the couch, and marked an appointment to come back the next day to teach more and to follow up.

Unfortunately our appointment the following day fell through, and the next day fell through, which means we went back on Thursday, to follow up and see how it went. In the back of head I knew that they could not have possibly done it, why would he sleep on the couch? They don´t really even understand why it is so important to keep the law of chastity...it has been 3 days, they probably forgot about it. 

When we got to the appointment Thursday, they greeted us happily, ever eager to hear more. We stepped into the little living room and to our surprise we saw something that brought pure joy to my heart.

A blanket crumpled up on the couch.

What did this mean? That Plácido slept on the couch. He did it! We followed up and had an incredible lesson. They were beaming with joy and excitement the whole lesson. We knew that they had really kept this commandment from that day they learned of it. We invited them to be baptized this weekend. We told them that it wasn´t enough to sleep on the couch and that they would have to live in separate houses, until they got married. They agreed!

LONG story short: Plácido and Manuela were baptized yesterday!!!!!!

The night before the baptism Plácido spent the night at his friend´s house and as of last night Manuela moved into her sister´s house about 30 minutes away by car. There she will stay until the paper work is finished for marriage, the wedding should be within a month or so.

In the end it turns out that there is hope. People can change. They are a huge example of faith and sacrifice. 

I know that one day Vítor too will accept the invite to fully come unto Christ, even if it means first sleeping on the couch.

I love you all, and hope that everything is peachy back home. Life is really something.

Love,

Irmã McCrery

...and now you know the rest of the story.

Continued.....

Not only was the fate of this family resting in our hands, but the future of the Island of Pico.

We worked, we prayed, we fasted, we taught, we read with them, we spent every moment. But by the end of those 4 days (which felt like 6 years) They still had not accepted the baptismal invite.

Back up.... As we taught them about the Restoration of the Gospel and the importance of this news, the fact that the ordinances of Salvation had been restored and that revelation through Prophets had begun again. Their hearts began to change, they began to ask questions, they desired to read more in the Book of Mormon.

We had a lesson in which we explained the plan of Salvation and how our families can be together FOREVER. It was a spirit filled lesson that reminded me of when I learned of the plan of salvation, when the spirit is so strong you just get all filled up and tears start leaking out of your eyes....It was beautiful. They felt it, how do I know? Because their eyes were leaking too, and when the Spirit testifies, it is undeniable. 

Friday night (day before baptismal date) we still had hope, we knew that miracles happen with our faith that they could still have felt the confirmation of the Holy Ghost and be baptized the following day. We called and they did not attend. We had to wait until Saturday to return and to talk with them. We knew that things were not looking hopeful but that we had an order from Heavenly Father to do all we could do. Saturday night after a long day of pondering and praying and wondering what more we could do, and what more we could have done, we stopped by the house of familia de Pico. Our plan was to follow up and help them identify their answer. But when we arrived the apartment was full of visitors and music playing loudly. Zuleika and Antonia were sitting in the kitchen, and we invited ourselves in (haha).

 We entered the small kitchen and had a small lesson. We talked for only a few minutes, and Irmã Speigle and I felt the sinking feeling, they humbly told us that they did not feel prepared. They would not be baptized that night or the next morning before going back to Pico. But they looked at us and told us that they expected us to continue to give them ``trabalho de casa`` or ´´Homework´´ in the Book of Mormon. Zuleika said the closing prayer for us, and in her prayer expressed her gratitude to have learned of the Book of Mormon, and asked Heavenly Father for help that she could continue to learn more. After her prayed we raised our heads and I looked at her and Antónia and my eyes welled up. I looked at these woman that I barely knew, but had loved and served, and my heart ached for them, it ached for their happiness. We said good bye and left the apartment, walked down the stairs and stood at the bottom. The welling turned into big tears, and before I knew it I was crying, my heart hurt. I looked at Irmã Speigle and she felt that same feeling. 

We realized that we hurt because we really loved, and served and that now we would miss this family. Genuinely miss them, like long time friends. I felt like I was saying goodbye to my family. It was the strangest sensation. 

So in the end, they are back in Pico. Reading the Book of Mormon, preparing Pico for the day those missionaries step off the plane and start knocking the doors on that island just across the way.

I love you all. Sorry I didn´t write more about what happened this week. But just know that everything is peachy. We are learning, and growing.

Also... what is Claire Beaumont´s address, it is a mystery to me..

Lizzie

P.S.

Brian and amy I got your package!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To Be Continued...

To my loved ones who still look at the blog...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I just sat down to e-mail to find my inbox full of love. Thank you so much to everyone who sent me an e-mail this week, and i´m sorry if I didn´t have a chance to respond personally to your e-mail. 

This past week was probably the most intense week of my mission so far. I have been so spiritually drained at the end of everyday. The Lord is blessing us with miracles and with challenges that are alsmot too much for one little heart like mine to handle. 

Let me tell you about just ONE of the families that we were focused on this week. 

Familia de Pico. 

Now that is not their name. The family consists of Zuleika, Antonia, Leididiana, Devenaida, Zenaida... And no there are no typos. Yes those are their names. These 5 woman were the center of every thought, moment, and prayer of this week. They do not live on this island, they live on another island in the azores called Pico. (The Island of Pico does not have missionaries, the church does not exist there, there are no other recorded members of the Church there). But they were visiting their family here on São Miguel. So we started teaching them. The dad´s name is José. He came too. But he is already a member. He was baptized about a year ago. He was here for about a week, heard the missionaries, and was baptized and left back for Pico with a box of Books of Mormon. 

We felt really strongly that we needed to teach teh rest of the family this week and after our Christmas conference this past week (A whole other story), we knew that the will of the Lord was for this family to be baptized before returning to Pico. This was a grand idea. Completely unimaginable to the natural man. But we knew that when it is the will of the Lord it is possible. 

During Christmas conference we talked with our mission president and asked for council and advice as to how we could help this family understand, and really be prepared to make this covenant with God. How could we help them so that they could stay strong in Pico, without the church there yet. The conversation we had with our mission president affirmed in our hearts that this really was the will of the Lord, and that this family´s baptism was bigger than jsut their oppurtunity at happiness and salvation, but the fate of the Island of Pico. President Torgan plainly told us, that when this family is baptized, he will go htere personally, and he will send missionaries, and Pico will open to hear the Gospel......

Heavy, heavy stuff. 

Not only was the fate of this family resting in our hands, but the future of the Island of Pico.

We worked, we prayed, we fasted, we taught, we read with them, we spent every moment. But by the end of those 4 days (which felt like 6 years) They still had not accepted the baptismal invite.

AHHHHHHHH Time is up.....

I will have to write more a different day...

But just know that they are back in Pico, each with a Book of Mormon, with an understanding that they are daughters of God and with a fire and a desire to learn the truths. Their time soon will come. I´m sure of it. Because they are in the Lord´s hands. 

Wow. What a way to end an email, in the middle of a story.

I love you all. Thank you for your love and support. 

Clinton and Elisabeth thank you for the package!!!!!!!!

Love,

Irmã