The Gospel is Simple

Monday we had our Mission Conference/Christmas Party so we didn´t do internet. Then, Tuesday morning Irmã Walker had to go back to Lisbon to to visas so i was on a division almost all day with Carina Joaquim, a 19 year old awesome missionary full of love for the Savior and His gospel. I learned a lot when i was with her. I learn a lot every day, just that many times it takes me longer to recognize how blessed i am. As i was praying last night, i felt this peaceful feeling of the love that the Savior has for me, and that angels are all around me to help in this the Lord´s work. Generations of family and friends who have already gone, and generations who are waiting anxiously to come to this earth to gain a body, and be tested, to prepare to return to live with Heavenly Father.

I am learning a lot here in Portugal. I am learning to love in the Savior´s way. He knows every single one of us. Everything about us. He knows perfectly how to comfort us. All we have to do is look to Him and believe. This morning in personal study i read Alma 33. I really love the scriptures, and i love even more when investigators also begin to develop a love for them. In Alma 33, Alma says something so simple. Those who look unto Christ, and believe in Him will find true happiness.

The gospel is simple. It´s us who complicate things too much. I know that with my Savior by my side i can do all things.

We are going through the process of change here in Setubal. Last night we had a powerful meeting with our bishop Santos, who baptized every week of his mission. He shared powerful testimony about how the Lord knows how to do His work. We just have to ask, nothing doubting.

Mission Conference was spectacular!!!!! Elder Texeira of the seventy and his wife shared powerful wisdom with us. Every day we are representatives of Jesus Christ, every hour and every second. It is our responsability to use this time wisely, and follow the Lord in all things. Irmã Torgan sang a beautiful song about how the world would be if we were all more like Christ.

President Torgan shared powerful testimony about power, authority, and light.

This is the true church on the earth today. Christ is the head. This Christmas is going to be amazing and white!!!

I love you all. thank you for your love and prayers.

It´s so great to hear from Elder Maikolo again!!

Have a great week!

com amor,

irmã Michael

PS mom and dad, we will be at members house on christmas. i will talk to them to arrange how calling will go. either i will call, or you can call me on our cell phone. i love you tons!!!!

MUNDO FELIZ

Mundo Feliz nasceu Jesus! To start i want to share something that Douglas Silva wrote in my planner yesterday when we were at he house for dinner. We had finished eating and for some reason i had my planner on the table. I have a quote inside the front page that is from an article i read last week called "that we might have joy" that i really identified with. It talks about how we find true joy and happiness when we obey Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They are the ones who have given us our lives! The quote says something like..."We can feel joy thanks to our understanding of the Atonement of the Savior.... Our situations and circumstances don´t have a lasting impact to feel joy. In reality, true happiness comes through obedience to Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ and our belief in them, that They gave us this life and the future life so that we can have joy." I roughly translated it just now... anyway, so i told Douglas that the thing i least understand is the atonement of Jesus Christ. it is like my question of my mission. He then took my planner and wrote in the back: When we understand to love of the atonement, we are changed in a natural form as well as a spiritual form. This happens when we do our very best every minute of our lives. Therefore, perfect comprehension of the atonement comes when we are in the presence of God." I pondered on this a bit, and last night i was talking with Irmã Walker about how it all works. Honestly, i don´t understand many things and i feel like during my whole mission up until now, that i won´t ever understand everything that i want to, but isn't´t that really what it is all about. Learning a bit more each day, changing a little each and every day, falling down, but getting back up and moving forward, until we come into the presence of God and face to face tell him all that we have done in our lives. many times i look at what i have been doing with the name of Jesus Christ on my badge each day. Sometimes, often i feel like i haven´t done enough, almost always i feel like i haven´t done enough. But, still He has called me to do this work. I am here to be His hands. I have been learning a lot from our bishopric here in Setubal. They each strive to speak with the power of the holy ghost. this is God´s work that we are here to do. His children need salvation. There is one door that opens the gates to salvation, baptism. And it is just the first step. This week, we worked a lot with 2 girls Daniela and Ana Catarina (12 years old) they both are excited to learn more. Daniela´s brother and sister are already members. she wants to know and feel, but for some reason she has fear. her step mom goes to a baptist church and she is having a hard time making a choice to leave there. Ana is her friend and she wants to learn more. she has already felt that this is the true church, but she has a hard time making a decision on her own. she is kind of waiting for Daniela... we´ll see how it goes! Please pray for them, they need the angels to help them have courage to make the leap! Hope to hear from Jacob soon. i love you all! It is December! spread the joy of the restored gospel! This is the greatest gift we can give! com amor, Irma Michael

CONTA AS BENCAOS

COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS

They are many!!!

What a joyful time of year!!! I am so grateful to be in the full-time service of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Irmã Walker is so awesome!! She came in with Irmã Young and has been in the azores so everything here on the continent is new for her again! She reminds me of Rachel Cannon, a roommate i had when i lived in the german house. it is so great!!

So, 14 years ago tomorrow, I was baptized a member of the church! WOW! I am so grateful for the great blessings that Heavenly Father has always been pouring out upon me and my family! Yesterday, Jessica Perreira was baptized. She is a darling 8 year old whose parents have been less active for some time, but with the baptism of marta a few weeks ago, they started coming back. her dad baptized her, and it was such a sweet sweet moment!! He worked hard to quit smoking and make some changes so he could baptize his daughter! it was a really sweet service!

At church there were these super cute 4 girls: Daniela (brother and sister are recent converts), Ana Catarina (neighbor of Daniela) and Beatrice and Inês (twins, cousins of Ana). We have been teaching them this past week, and last night was the best when we were teaching all the girls and the spirit was way strong, and then the dad of the twins walked in as started to say that God doesn´t exist, and blah blah, and Beatrice said with all confidence, "Deus existe!" The dad couldn´t really respond to that! it is so true!! If we all were as humble and meek as children, what a wonderful world this would be!!!!

I love you so much and i am so grateful for our eternal family! I am grateful for the loving sacrifice of our Savior, and Redeemer. He knows us, everyone, and everything about us!!

Be cheerful!!

love

Irma Michael

FRIENDS

I love these people

Doce é o trabalho!

Dearest Familia!!
Can i just say wow! to Jacob´s letter!!  It really is surreal, seriously wow!   The experiences he is having! but i can just see him, with everything he does, he does it with that grand smile!!!  

Well, it is transfers again.  The time passes so fast!!  I will be staying here in Setubal but Irma Brown will be transfered!  She is going toPorto with Irma Thayer!!!!!  I am super excited for her to serve where I was!!! Also she was originally called to serve there(porto) so now she is going!!  she is super super sad to leave this ward! this is her first time being transfered so it is a little hard, but she is also excited to get to know another part of the country!  Tonight i will be staying with Irma Greco in Almada!!!!!!!!!  she has been in the azores for 3 transfers then went to madeira!!!  then she will finish her mission here in 3 weeks!!  i talked to irma young today and irma reis they were serving together in LAV and they will both be leaving!  lots of exciting things happening with transfers. elder teixeira will leave but elder knuth will stay.  i am so excited to serve with irma walker who was serving in the azores her first 3 transfers!  she came in with irma walker and i met her once!  her brother is also serving a mission in angola!!!!  wow! 
The work here has been slower this past week, there was a kid, Andre who was gonna be baptized but then he plays soccer on sundays and couldn´t give it up.  
Dad, sounds like you just keep going with the flow of the things Heavenly Father has in store for you! 
I love you all so much! have a happy thanksgiving! i love being here as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ!  he is the reason i am aqui!  he knows everything and he is my friend and my savior!  
i received a letter from Brianna Forman and, yeah i was just so super overwhelmed with gratitude and, what a marvelous blessing!! how awesome that she has done the work for her family!!!!   I just love the gospel and i know that it changes lives!!!!  

have a fabulous week!  This is God´s work!!!  And it must go forth!!!

all my love, 
xoxo
Irma Michael

PS mom, i haven´t got the package yet but it will probably come this week!  I love you sooo much!!!!  i will keep praying for Jacob!!!!!  

PRAISE TO THE MAN

*We were at Marta´s house and asked what song they wanted to sing, and they chose praise to the man... we haven´t sung it much in Portuguese so it was a bit rocky, well really rocky, and we started laughing in the middle, it was kind of embarrassing but we all laughed about it afterwards. Then we sang that song during the baptism, and it was way better with the piano and lots of people instead of just irmã brown and i. Well, you all sound great!!! Thanks for the news, crazy that Roxy is already home, and super great that she had such a great experience! Mom, dad explained the talk that you gave, it sounds so great! i am sure all the girls really loved it! can you send me a copy of your talk? Also, thank you mom for the scarfs and the other package that is on the way. Every time we see the youth here, they say, "did you ask your mom yet for those gummies and m&ms?" That was the first thing they asked about when i arrived here, but then i forgot for a few weeks to ask you... thank you!!! Dad, i emailed uncle Dave last week about Elder Weatley, as i couldn't´t remember who he was. But then during the week, i asked some elders and it turns out that he is in the Porto north zone. I met him at general conference, but i can´t remember really talking to him. I also asked uncle David some advice of what it was like for him as an investigator and a recent convert. I am grateful for the advice he sent. Another week full of miracles!! Monday night we were praying about where to go, then decided to go visit a less active family that had been in church the day before. I didn't´t even talk to them during church, but sat next to the dad during gospel principles class. After church, he talked to Elder Knuth (DL, we have elders in our ward) and said he wanted the missionaries to teach and baptize his daughter. We didn't´t know anything more about the situation. So after praying we felt we needed to go to their house, so we called and said we could visit. We taught them about the restoration and learned that the dad had been a member since he was 9 just that he had been on and off active all this time. the mom was baptized 4 years ago and same story. Marta, is the sister of the mom (Patricia) and she is 18 and hadn't´t been baptized yet! We felt really good about here and wanted to invite her to be baptized. we invited her to pray about Joseph smith and about baptism and she said she would! we were invited back on Tuesday night for the birthday of Jessica (daughter who turned 8) after singing parabens we taught them a lesson about baptism and invited Marta to be baptized on Sunday Nov 13 yesterday. she accepted and said she would read and pray about it too!! basically she just fell into our hands and was already ready to be baptized!!!! we passed by every day and taught her all the lessons, she was so super ready, and after her interview, Elder Knuth said she was `bem preparada!` She was baptized Sunday night it was such a great experience for this family! and the dad is preparing to baptize Jessica next weekend!!! Well, time is short as always... We had interviews with President Torgan, it was soooo good!!! President said i need to focus more, he said he and the lord have a lot of trust in me, and that i am always focused in good things, but that i need to focus more in Jesus Christ and come closer to Him. He suggested reading 3 Nephii 11-28 so i am working on that. also i have been reading the book of Mormon a lot more, i am so grateful for the powerful spirit that testifies that Jesus is our Savior and really I am here to help others feel of the redeeming love that comes as we let Christ into our lives! also, i am learning of the sweet sweet power of the atonement working in my life each day! i love you all and i know that the greatest love that we can give is the restored gospel! i am so happy to be a missionary!!! xoxo Irma Michael

Miracles

It´s true!  we are all children of a God who loves us so much!!

 

Mom, this week i was thinking so much about your questions and want to share what happened. This whole week, we were trying to get a hold of this young man, Miguel, who was baptized here last transfer. He is 18. Last sunday, we asked him to help us in a lesson with Dino, the brother of Elma, and son of Emanuel. (Dino was baptized this week!! on elma´s birthday!!!!)

And so, we were talking to Miguel after church and he said, he didn´t feel spiritually ready to help us. We thought, uh oh, did something really wrong happen? he didn´t want to talk about it in the moment so we tried to set up an appointment with him during the week, but it never worked. he wasnt answering our calls all week, it was unusual. Wethought something was really wrong. Finally, we got to meet with him saturday night. He explained to us that really he just has been feeling down lately, like he doesn´t have that much faith and he is going through lots of decisions about what he is going to do in life right now, mission navy, futbol, etc.  We just testified that he is a son of God, the son of a king, and that so many times in our lives we see ourselves as unworthy creatures to receive any of the blessings that He has prepared for us. During that lesson i realized that really all these people that we teach have so much potential and we need to help them see themselves the way that God sees us!!

 

This week, we saw miracles as Dino entered the waters of baptism!  Families that is what it is all about!!

 

2 Nephi 31:18-21

 18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.

 19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

 20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a ^clove of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and ^dendure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

 21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

Love,

Irma Michael

 

Dad, thank you!

HAPPY HAPPY HALLOWEEN

HAPPY HAPPY HALLOWEEN

We are making sugar cookies today, Irma Brown’s family sent some sprinkles so we are gonna make them for the bishopric and some members!!

Just a side note... Irmã Brown and I decided to run during the day today, so we ran here to the internet place and on the way we saw Antonio, who was baptized last week! And then as we entered the internet place we saw a lady we had contacted on Saturday!!  Things like this happen every day, the simple miracles that make al the difference!  I will continue to talk about these little miracles that have happened during this past week!

Well we have been working with the family of Emanuel and just to tell a little about them... Elma (15) and Palmira (9) were baptized a couple weeks before i got here, then when i arrived we started working with Emanuel. He was baptized last Sunday and yesterday received the Holy Ghost!  It was so great! His wife, Elsa, came to church last week, she wasn’t going to come, but at the last second she came!! Then, this Sunday we weren’t sure if Elsa would go to church again, but when we arrived at their house 15 minutes before church (they live really close) she was all ready, and so was most of the family. Dino, (20) Emanuel´s son, was still in bed, but he had told us the day before that he would go.  We knocked on his door, and he said, "ja vou" basically I will go right now, (but after)... :) ... so we left and walked to church with the family! It is such a great feeling to walk together with a family to church!!!!  And just as we were singing the opening hymn, Dino walked in!!! It was so awesome!!!

So here are some highlights of the week:

João - we were standing on the corner of a street Saturday night, we didn’t know why. We both felt we needed to be there. But I was getting anxious and wanted to leave. Irmã Brown, said just wait, the person is coming, so we waited probably a few minutes, we tried to talk to someone but they didn’t want to. Finally, this man was passing, and Irmã Brown just said olá boa noite, and he stopped and told us that he is a member. We then had a 30 minute conversation with him, about his life and basically what is going on now. He hasn’t been to church in probably 10 years. The last time the elders passed by was a year ago, and since then, he has seen missionaries, but they never approached him and he never felt like talking to them, until we approached him.  It was a "wow" experience!!  He explained that right now he is separated from his wife, and he is really passing difficulties. He has a daughter who is 7. He really is struggling a lot right now.  Irma Brown and I both just felt so much love for him! We are going got pass by this week with members, he knows the bishop and others. He was part of the other ward and just moved to our area.  Saturday morning I prayed, asking Heavenly Father to help me be an answer to someone’s prayer, and I know that that was the experience I needed to have, and Moreso, that João needed. He didn’t want to go to church yet, but we will keep working with him!!

Dino - basically, he is so awesome!! He is searching for the true church, and as he observes what is happening in his family, he also has the desire to be baptized!!!  He will be baptized this week, please pray for him!

Bolo João - every Sunday night we go with the elders who are also in our ward, to this member’s house. He makes the same cake every Sunday night and we have ot go there and eat it or else, well I don’t know what would happen, it is just a funny tradition that has been going on in this area for months.  Also, we eat dinner at the members houses here!  It has been a while, so it is great to get to know the members in their homes.  

EFY musical it was great 

Rita last week well I’ll write about her after...

Linda-A-Velha Guess what happened there?... cool things.. I don’t know if I wrote about it but have been meaning too.  First, Daniela was a reference that Irma Graf and i received, but never could get a hold of her. then we received ti again when i was at the end of the transfer with Irma Speigle, and finally contacted here with Irma Young. My last Sunday there in Linda A Velha we marked her for baptism the following week, and she was baptized!!  Then the next day, Monday, my last day in LAV we marked Clementino to be baptized the following weekend, and George Gouveia baptized him!!! (George was baptized when I was there!)  This was such great news to hear!  Then last transfer in Porto, Irmã Young called and told me that BRUNO VINHAIS was baptized!!!  That same day, NINO was baptized!!!!  Remeber them??  Bruno was living with a member and couldn’t be baptized, (this was when I was with Irmã Speigle) we worked so hard to help him, but it never worked out, but finally he moved back to his parent’s house and was baptized!!! that made me so happy to hear!!  Then, remember Nino?  Well, Irma Young and I were working with him a lot, but he just wasn’t ready, but he finally made the decision to keep the law of chastity and was baptized at the beginning of October (same day as Maria de lurdes, my last weekend in Porto) 

So, after hearing this great news after a few weeks, I began to realize that really no effort is wasted!  This week, Irmã Reis and Irma Young called a few times to ask about information on some other investigators with whom they are now working, that I and my other comps had worked. This was a great reminder that why I am here doing this work each day. Everyone needs the restored gospel; but everything starts with one act.  

So many times, I have forgotten the "why" during my mission. This past week I was reflecting a bit more of why we do all this. And really, it is because of the infinite love that the Savior has for each of us!  He wants us all to have access to His love. Through His grace and mercy, we all will overcome physical death. Because He chose to suffer all things for all of mankind, we have the opportunity to overcome, our small and great weaknesses, and we don’t have to suffer if we would repent. My comp and I were talking about repentance how many times we think repentance is a scary thing or something bad that we do. But really, we all should have the desire to repent many times every day. Because we are all imperfect, and we all know that. It is through Christ that we can overcome our imperfections, and repentance really is a beautiful thing. It is gaining access to the atonement.  He doesn’t ask us to be perfect, He just asks us to do our best.  And doing our best includes serving others and basically just living the gospel. I as a missionary am no different than the rest of the world. My assignment from Heavenly Father right now is to invite others to come unto Christ through baptism. It is the only time in my life that this will be my whole focus. 24-7, contacting, testifying, promising blessings, studying, receiving revelation for how to help others, discerning their needs, praying, serving, ... all of these things are just living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Eu sou grata pelo oportuniade a servir meu salvador durante este tempo. Finalmente, estou a começar entender porque... porque estou aqui, porque é que Jesus Cristo sofreu tanto por cada um de nos.  Sou grata pelo evangelho em minha vida e que agora estou aqui em Portugal para pregar arrependimento para que os filhos de Pai Celestial possam desfrutar as bençãos que Ele tem preparados por todos.  Sei que o Livro de Mórmon é verdideiro. Ele contém todos os principios e doutrinas necessárias para nossa salvação.  Sei que Josef Smith foi um profeta, chamado por Deus a restaurar Sua igreja aqui na Terra. Sei que através arrepindimento, nós podemos ser limpos de nossos pecados. Só por meio do batismo nós podemos ser salvos. Sei que as famílias possam ser eternas. Sou grata pela minha família e que nós somos uma família eterna.  Amo a minha família com todo meu coração.

Tenham uma boa semana!!!  E muitas milagres!!!

Com amor,

Irmã Michael 

 guinea Bissau 

Nino, Bruno, Clemintino- George baptized him!!!!, Daniela, baptisms!!!!!!  Irmã Reis and Irmã Young are still serving together this transfer and they called about some investigators they are working with that I had worked with each of my companions! It is just so cool to see how this is how it works!  

Letter written on Bus ride to Setubal

10-10-2011

Family!
I'm on the bus getting transfered again!  Shock!! Well, I get to see the beautiful countryside of Portugal again! I learned so much this transfer! Sorry that sometimes in my emails I don't appear happy.  I'm sure the emails are super dry...I don't have the talent in writing like ellen, or in speaking.  But, I know that God loves all of his children and now I know that I'm included.  god loves me.  He is my father.  I always knew this but I thought for long time that somethings happen to test us.  for some  reason I did not believe that Heavenly Father really trusts me, but I am starting to believe this.  He doesn't just want to punish me when I do a little thing wrong.  He is giving me the opportunity to grow and learn--thru trials we are tested but he is lovingly always there.  I was looking at the glass half empty for a long time.  Seeing my faults, and where I wasn't doing good instead of looking at the good and great blessings!  
I am so blessed!  I had an interview with a zone Leader who's from Cabo Verde (Z0one meeting authorized by Presidente).  He's been a member only a couple of years.  He said he and others look up to me and "us" who are born in the church-=-what a privilege to serve with humble people.
the gospel is everything for them.  Irma Fontes Too.  It is for me too but I wasn't showing it or feeling it like I should.
New, New begeinning--miracles will happen!  I'm greenie breaking in Setubal.


xoxo
Irma Michael

Faz Me Andar So Na Luz

Faz me andar so na Luz.

We sing this song almost daily with our investigators. 

Jesus Christ is the light!

 

well, it looks like fall finally came here in Portugal, it rained for the first time here ysterday and it is finally starting to get colder. It is warmer here in teh south than in the north though so that is way good! 

Sunday we left our house at 8:45 to get investigators up for church and we didn´t get back to our house until 10pm.  We thought that we had left the window above the bed open, but it was a blessing taht we had actually closed it. It was raining cats and dogs for the most part of the day!

Well another week of miracles!!

There are 2 girls in our ward who were baptized last transfer, Elma (15) and Palmira(9), and we have been working with their dad since i got here, Emanuel. Last week he told us that he doesn´t feel ready to be baptized yet, and that he wants some space.  We didn´t contact him at all last sunday, but then passed by and did a night familiar with the family. At the end of the atividade, as we were leaving he asked if he could call us tuesday morning to talk about something. We said sure, and stayed curious and anzious, hoping it was good news!  then he calld tueaday morning and asked to meet us at the church, (the capela is 5 minutes from our house!) so we met him, and at first he ahd questions about money, and our position in this, then we taught dizimo, tithing, and that it is through baptism tha the really receibves the great blessings that Pai Celestial has in store for him. We prayed with him, an dinvited him to be baptized on sunday!  He accepted!!  He said he is now ready to take this step in his life!  We were so excited for him!!!  That just made our day so exciting!

We also last sunday taught Antonio in the porta of his house, and we invited him to be baptized this saturday that just passed.

So basically this week we were teaching and helping Emanuel and Antonio prepare to be baptized!  And it all worked out! 

Saturday, Antonio was baptized, and his mom and grandma and sister and friend showed up! he was so happy to see them there. Antonio has had a rough past, and he really has a great desire to follow the Savior, he said he loves reading in the book of mormon about the great plan the God has for each of us!

Then sunday morning, we went to church!!  Holy cow!! there are so many mambers!  And families!!! there are tons of jovens and crianças and parents and older people! just so many people! it is so great!

the meetings were so good!  our professor of principios do evangelho is so amazing! he taught about the ordinance of baptism and how really it is so great to be a part of this great work!

There were 10 investigators at church too!  they just come! the members have friends and they bring them and they want to hear more! there is one jovem, Bruce, ellen it is really his name! :) and he is freinds with Miguel who was baptized a few weeks ago. Bruce also wants to learn more about why is it that everyone here is so happy!  

xoxo
Irma michael

Transfer to Setubal

I love singing this song as we walk the streets. I find happiness in singing hyms of zion.

Well, sorry i didn´t write last week... transfers happened and guess what...  I was TRANSFERED!!!! 

I am no longer in Porto, but i came back to the south! I am in Setúbal in a really really really great ward!

I recevied the call monday morning, and was told to get to setúbal as fast as i could. so i quickly packed my bags ( i traded one of my suitcases with irma fontes, gave her the bigger one and took the smaller one) and i got back on the bus for my 4th trip seeing the countryside of portugal back down to the south. But i am not training this transfer. Oh, but i am ´greenie breaking´ I am with Irmã Brown who started last transfer with irmã fontes. she is from logan, utah, she reminds me a lot of sarah leavitt so it is so great!!  She has so much love for the people and i am really excited to be wroking with her. THis ward is full of youth!!!  i don´t even know how many but there are sooo many youth! We just had stake conference yesterday, which i´ll write about in a second, but i am back in the stake that Almada is in!!!!  I saw some of the ward member from almada and i really searched to find Mario Barata from my first area, but didn´t find him. It was so cool to see the members and hear how they are doing!!! 

Okay about last week in Porto... we had a zone meeting on Tuesday and we talked about miracles!  Miracles really are happening every day!! I have seen so many miracles in Porto!  Including what happened after our zone meeting... We went home to pray about who was ready to be baptized that weekend.  We felt this lady Maria de Lourdes, with whom Irma Perkins had worked a lot last transfer, she was almost baptized, but then she changed her mind. We had passed by a few times during the transfer, but never wroked out.  So, we prepared then went to her house and invited her to be baptized, and she accepted!!!  Her son was baptized 30 years ago, and has since died because of involvement in drugs.  She has had a really sad life, her son who lives with her has a psychological sickness, anyway, she has known for a long time that she needs to be baptized, but just couldn´t see the light or make the decision. But she did this last week!  And we passed by with members who bore powerful testimony, great miracles! then she was baptized on saturday and received the holy ghost on sunday!  She was really so happy about finally making this decision!!!  Miracles really happen when you believe! Heavenly Father guided our every step. He helped us have the faith necessary to help this daughter of His find the right path and find salvation!!!

When i was transferred, it was a huge shock, i wasn´t expecting that at all, but the lord has a plan for me here in setubal. This is a really great ward who loves working with the missionaries. we have two elders in our ward too.  At stake conference president torgan spoke and bore powerful testimony that this is the church of jesus christ, and he talked also about the power of the love of the atonement of jesus christ.  there is only one way to find salvation, and it is through baptism. 

Irmã Torgan talked a lot about desire, and how this influences our families. when we have the desire to have a familia eterna, we will do all we can to make it happen. 

It is through desires that determine decisions that determine actions.  When we believe in Christ, we will act as He would act!!  

Yesterday Irma Brown were on our way to visit someone, when we saw about 15 boys playing futbol.  as we walked passed, a couple of them started asking is we wanted to play, we kind of laughed and said maybe next time. then about two minutes later, irma brown said should we go back? they all have families that we could teach!! we were really indecisive (pois) then she said jesus would talk to them! so we went back, and started to talk to them. they were kinda joking around, and em fim we said we probably shouldn´t play in skirts, but we invited them to an activity we are having at the capela this week, and also gave one of them our address of the capela (ita a small area and everyone knows wher ethe capela is)  we are gonna pass by one of the kid´s house this week too!  This just reminded me the little miracles that god has in store!

have a great week!!!

Juventude da Promessa

Hope of Israel

Hope is patient waiting upon the Lord. Faith brings hope. Charity is acting on that faith and hope!

I really loved general conference!!  The great topics that stuck out the most for me were the power of the Book of Mormon, Repentance, and the influence of the Holy Ghost.
Dad, thank you for always being a great father by loving my mother!  I thought of you during that talk, you have been a wonderful influence on my life. Your example is impressed in my mind! 
Thank you all of my leaders and teachers of my juventude, youth. Seminary, YW, classes at church and at school, all of the family gatherings. laughter and tears. I am and always have been completely surrounded by so much love. This is the love of the Savior. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. His infinite atonement, so that I can repent and move forward. 
Moving forward. At the end of everyweek, we give a report of our numbers, lessons taught, people baptized, investigators that are progressing, and so forth. On monday, President Torgan has a meeting with the assistants and they discuss what is going on in the mission. dad or russell, you may have been part of this process.  But they don´t discuss numbers, they discuss people.
It was interesting to me to hear one of the church leaders to talk about the number of members in a south american country, including argentina, where the growth of the gospel has been incredible in just under 85 years!  We had a zone meeting this week where we read a card from the europe area presidency that talked about the rapid increase of members in portugal in this past year. They expressed excitement for the magnificent growth. They also expressed that in order for this work to keep pressing forward, we need to work together with the members. Together it is possible. Alone, we can do nothing.  They attatched an excerpt from a talk by Elder ballard about the importance of the members in the missionary work.  He shared 2 stories of success where a bishop in a small branch in maine, through faithful prayer, and humility, and work, the small branch of under 100 people had over 400 baptisms in just one year.  The humble bishop simple said that he taught the members how to be missionaries. 
This had a great impact on me.  I have thought so many times and felt in my heart the importance of the members in this work. we cannot do this alone. And it is not designed to be so.  I feel a bit uilty because i do not yet know many of the members of our ward here in Porto. When i arrived, i was shocked by the great number of members. We had a reunion with the bishop, (who was called last week) and gratefully, he is fully supportive of our work, which we are really grateful for. 
Our problem recently, well, this transfer has been helping investigators progress!  We have talked to lots of people, and invited some to be baptized, but they have not been taking the next step, to act and keep commitments.  We are excited that it is a new week to help the people here progress so they can receive the wonderful blessings of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ!
I am so blessed to be here in Portugal, where the elect listen to the voice of the Lord, and have the desire to make changes in their lives and enter the waters of baptism!! 
Saturday, we assisted the first session of conference with an investigator from Ghana. His uncle is a member, less active in our ward. We talked with him on the street a week ago and invited him to hear more.  WE then passed his house another day and found his uncle there too!! It is so great how Heavenly Father is always guiding us to the elect.  After conference, the elders of another area had a baptism, so we invited Eric to stay. He enjoyed it greatly!
On sunday, none of our investigators showed up to watch conference, so we were a little sad, but we enjoyed conference the same. I am grateful fo rthe opportunity to make changes, as our leaders taught truths and principles that we are invited to apply in our lives.  I especially enjoyed Elder Matthew Richardson´s talk about teaching by the Holy ghost so that the Holy Ghost can carry the message unto the hearts of the people.  Elder Richardson was my D&C teacher at BYU, he always taught by the Holy Ghost.  We as missionaries are simply the vessel so the Spirit can teach.  Many times i think i was so worried about what to say, or how to say it that i often forgot that the most important words aren´t words at all. It is the feeling that each person has as they pray for themselves, or read the book of mormon for the first time to feel of its power in their lives.    

i love you all so much!! 
Have a fantastic week filled with the spirit of the Lord!

xoxo
Irmã Michael