New Area

HellO! 

 

Don´t have much time, turns out our internet place is closed on P-Day so we had to come today and we have an appointment in just a bit. 

 

My new area! Is great. Talk about huge change. My greenie still has not come. The hope is that within the next few weeks. I can´t wait to meet her. Right now she is serving in Montana while she waits. Cool! One time I had a flat tire in montana, so I´m sure we will have lots in common.

 

As for now I´m in a tripla. Irma Perez and her Greenie irma lima. Irma Lima is from Cabo Verde. She is really sweet, totally willing to work and get things done. It´s awesome. We all get along pretty well, with a couple cultural bumps along the way we are getting to know each otehr and already seeing miracles. Our ward is gigantic. I mean gigantic. like 110 people every sunday. Here is the scoop.... There will be a new branch in our neck of the woods, thats why they sent our two companionships here, to help open a new branch closer to our area. Right now the chapel is faaaaaaar away from us. We have to catch the bus, and then the train, and then walk to get to church....ya, I thought the chapel was far in my last area.

 

Anywho, I can´t believe that the Lord trusts us with this huge change. But listen, He really is in control (Bil reminded of that).

 

I´m having the time of my life. I feel like I started my mission again. Coming back to the continent has been so neat. I saw some old friends from past disticts and it was like the sons of mosiah meeting again after a long time and rejoicing because they were still strong itn the faith. Neat.

 

I miss the island, but not enough to worry about it. I have a work to do, it is the Lord´s work. He has called me to this area in this time and time is flying. This week makes 1 year in the mission. Now is the time to kick it in to high gear.

 

Maybe next week I will already have started working with my greenie and we will have split up our area. who knows.

 

Here is my address:

Alameda Salgueiro Maia, Lote 82 RC-C

2975-333 Quinta do Conde

Portugal

 

write me a line. I´m out of time!

 

Love Lizzie

Last Week on the Island...

Dear family and friends,

Well my internet was interrupted, and now I don´t have much time. This was my last week here on the island. I will miss this island like nothing else. I will miss these people. I will miss the accent. I will miss the ocean. This place has become my home. Today we got transfer calls. Last week we already found out who was leaving the islands, we just didn´t know where to. Today I received a lot of ´´Through the grape vine´´ calls as to where everyone is going. The most shocking call was for me. I found out where I will go, and who I will serve with...

I will be a trainer. I will train a new sister missionary coming from Holiday, Utah. Her name is Irmã Perkins. They are pulling the elders out of the area where I will be serving and we will move in and start working there. I am opening and area and training. Probably the two scariest things that could happen. But it wont happen all at once, I will serve in a group of three sisters for the first part of the transfer, because my ´´greenie´´ is waiting for her visa I think. It´s all a bit hazy. Everyone has received an official call except me. What an adventure. 

I will live in a house with a total of four sisters by the time my greenie comes. What a treat! Sleep over!

I feel inadequate and a little surprised that the Lord trusts me to train a brand new missionary. I feel humbled. That's just how it should be I suppose. I know that this is the will of the Lord. 

So here I go, leaving the island embarking on another chapter of this wild ride. I have about 6 months left and its flying by. Before you know it I will be back there, showing you my battle wounds and tell you old war stories, but for now I´ve gotta get back to work, this is a new start, fresh slate....I´m going back to the continent! I´m moving time zones!

Love Irmã McCrery

PLEASE NOTE!

Hi, friends!


Stepper here. 


Lizzie asked me to let you all know that she will be transferring from the Azores area within the next few weeks. To avoid any lost mail, if you are planning to send her anything going forward, please use the Mission Office address (now posted to the right). 

THANKSMUCH!

Some Pictures from Lizzie

Baptism of Daniela a couple of weeks ago.

Down our street and up on a hill

Morning sky outside our back window

One For the Blog

This week was great, thanks for asking! Diogo was baptized! He is Daniela´s friend. Daniela was baptized two weeks ago and this weekend Diogo was baptized.He is 20 years old. It was a miracle. He was so prepared to accept the Gospel before we entered the scene. It has been awesome to see him completely grasp the Gospel. We talked with him the night before his baptism and he expressed his desire to serve a mission, how cool is that?

I´m am trying to soak up my last few weeks in this area. I will be leaving the island within the next two weeks, and I´m getting those nervous little butterflies in my stomach, because I love this place. I love these people and I don´t know if I will be ready to say goodbye. But, life keeps moving, a new sister missionary will come here and I will go back to the continent. I will meet new members, new investigators, and love my new area. But what will life be like without the Açores?

Also, one day I will be home from this mission. I will leave Portugal and a new sister will come here and I will go back home. I have 7 months left on my mission. Time is flying. The clock is ticking and I am trying my best. The Lord has called me to do His work for a short season. I hope I can do what He needs me to do and be who He needs me to be. 

The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It is the reason I wake up in the morning. It is the reason I can get out of bed at 7am. The Gospel gives everyone the chance to change, to be better, to reach our potential. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He redeemed us from death, and only asks us to follow Him and trust Him. So I´m going do that.

Here´s to another week! 

-Irmã McCrery

Top o' the evening to you

Last Sunday(1 week ago) was fast and testimony meeting. A member named Claudia bore her testimony. Claudia has been a member for about one year. She was introduced to the church through her younger sister Daniela. Daniela met with the missionaries and learned everything, but in the end her Dad wouldn´t let her be baptized (she is only 17). But Claudia was baptised, so was her boyfriend, then they got married, and now Claudia is the Young woman´s president(jsut got released from relief society president last month). Claudia is so firm. As she bore her testimony the tears streamed down her cheaks as she related her morning struggle to get out of bed and get to church. For the first time since her baptism, she didn´t want to go to church. She was angy and frustrated with God for the things that were happening in her life. But in the end of her tesitmony, she said that she finally decided to just come to Church, and that she already knew that it was the biggest blessing. It was a powerful testimony.

 I didn´t know what Claudia would have to be frustrated with God about. But Irmã Speigle (my comp) with her gift of discernment knew. Claudia´s sister Daniela who introduced her to the church, but was not yet baptized, had been struggling the past year with lots of personal issues. In the past Daniela had tried to take her own life, and that weekend before testimony meeting, Daniela had tried to take her own life again. Claudia did not say any of this in her testimony, but Irmã Speigle knew from past conversations with Claudia that her sister had struggled with this. 

We knew that there was something we could do. Something that the Lord had planned. We didn´t know how, and we didn´t know when the time would be right, but we knew we had to help Daniela. 

This experience came at a strange week for me. The week of the aniversary of my dad´s passing four years ago. I had no idea how personal things could really become, until this week. 

Sunday after Church we went to Daniela´s house to see if she would receive our visit. She let us in and was there with her friend Diogo, we talked. We expressed Heavenly Father´s love for her. We followed the spirit, and we scheduled another appoinment the next day. We had prayed as a companionship and knew that she needed to be baptized this weekend, that that was the will of the Lord.

As we studied each day for our lessons with her we knew that this weekend was her date of baptism, we knew it was the will of the Lord, we knew that the way would be prepared and that everything would fall into place so that she could start a new life. 

Wednesday was a rough day for me, I felt the weight of the situation on our shoulders. We didn´t seem to be getting through to her the reality of the blessings that Heavenly Father had waiting for her. She wanted to be baptized but didn´t feel like she had received a response to her prayer about baptism. As we had personal study in the morning I read Alma 36:17-21(can you insert the scripture here) . As I read I felt sorrow for Daniela, I felt pain for her pains that she was suffering, and that no one but Jesus Christ could understand. But at the same time I felt hope for Daniela, I knew that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ she could be healed of EVERY SINGLE PAIN.

I thought of my Dad. How he hurt. How he must have felt alone. How he didn´t really know of that Jesus Christ who came to save us all. It hurt to think about. But like Daniela, I felt that hope. That real true hope. That my Dad has had and will have the oppurtunity to accept Jesus Christ as his savior and enjoy the unexplainable relief that comes through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us.

Sometimes we suffer and feel like there is nothing more, no hope, and no one that understands. But here is the good news, Jesus Christ Lives. He lives! He knows us. He knows Daniela, and he knows my Dad. Although I felt like I didn´t know how to help Daniela, I knew that Jesus Christ does. I am weak and know nothing of her pains and sorrows, but He does.

So we taught her that day, and for the rest of the week. And after many many miracles, including the permisison of her father, daniela was baptized yesterday, february 13th.

It was a joyous day in my mission that I will never forget. had the privilege of being an instrument in the hands of God, to help one of His children find access to the relief, peace and joy that comes through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

There is hope, and that´s the truth.

I love you all.

-Lizzie

One For All...

Hello everyone,

This week was just plain good. This Saturday we had a party for Placido and Manuela. They got married on Thursday and moved back in with each other! HOORAY FOR FAMILIES! So we had a party in the chapel on Saturday, just a little something with delicious treats and good friends. It was really awesome. To see these two transform in a matter of less than 2 months. They heard the Gospel, accepted it, obeyed the commandments, got baptized, and got married. What faith. Now they are set on going to the Temple in one year to be sealed together for time and all eternity. I will try to send a picture . I made deviled eggs for the party, it is totally something the Portuguese people would love. Turns out, they do!

Carla was baptized yesterday! She is incredible. She just gets it, you know? She agreed to having us over to talk to her about the Gospel and the Church, but she said from the beginning ´´I´m catholic, I´m not changing, but I will listen...`` But as time went on we invited her to find out for her self, to talk with Heavenly Father about the things she was learning and to read the book of Mormon to know for herself. She changed. She really came to know her relationship with Him. Within three weeks she accepted and was baptized yesterday. She is firm in her conversion. It is a powerful thing to see. 

I have tons more to say, but not enough time. I love you all...

Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHOUT FOR THE WEEK GOES TO MY ONE AND ONLY 

CLAIRE BEAUMONT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday!

Pictures: wedding party, baptism of Placido and Manuela.