* we sang this song this morning. Singing really brings the spirit super strong!
Well, after reading your emails, I just want to share with you all that this is the work of the Lord. I am so grateful to be here serving the people of Portugal. These people are special. The lord is preparing the people here for the temple, and also for salvation!!
That is so crazy that Jacob will be in the islad of Niuatoputapu, where the other side of heaven took place. He wrote me beofre he left and said that he found out that Tonga and Portugal are exactly 12 hours apart! Literally the other side of the world!! It is so amazing reading his letters and i will truly miss them. Maybe if you ever get a snail letter from him, you can send it to me after, or just let me kno wwhenever you hear from him. Tears came to my eyes as i read how he will be on a super small island, wiht no electricity, but what he said touched my heart deeply. We are all under the same moon, and he is in the Lord´s hands. This is so true. As missionaries we are literally being the hands of the Lord. I really felt this way this week. Just to share a few experiences:
first, we didn´t write yesterday because we had a huge conference with all the zones nearby (5) as the last week before transfers and the switching of missionaries from the north and all. It was an amazing conference. President Torgan is so humble and really he is here to do the Lrod´s work. He means business! When we don´t reach our full potential, he lets us know that we are here to do the Lord´s work and not our own. Everything that we do here is focused on baptism!! Every missionary here in Portugal is capable of having baptisms every single week! The assistants shared some incredible stories about how the Lord is really preparing the people and it is our part to find the elect who will follow the voice of the Lord. SOmething incredible that President Torgan focuses on is John 15, by their fruits ye shall know them. The fruits of our work as missionaries is baptism. He is a man of faith and dedication to the Lord. We as missionaries have a responsability to bring Christ to the people. He is such a humble man. Really, there are so many miracles that are happening here in Portugal. There are some incredible missionaries that humbly seek the Lord´s will through prayer, and then go and do!!
Here are some miracles that happened here in Linda-A-Velha this past week:
First, i have to tell you about Sidney. Here´s the story. Last thrusday, a week ago, we didnt have time to return to the house for jantar, so we stopped in a park to say our 10-minute prayer (we do this each day at lunch and dinner to seek revelation from the Lord for our area-it is so amazing!!!) As we ended our prayer, we opened our eyes, and pondered in silence for about 2 minutes. Then, there was a man walking past wiht his dog, Luck, and we opened our mouths and talked to him. It turns out that he ahd heard of the ´mormons´ and he had some questions.. I dont remember much of what we said, but we explained a little and gave his a restauração pamflet, and received his info, and invited him to church on sunday. He said he would, then we went on our way. We both didnt feel super great about the contact, but we just moved on to the next things we had to do. (his name is Sidney) Then Saturday night we called him and reminded him about church. He came! Along with many other people that we had invited durign the week. Irmã Speigle and i taught sunday school about baptism, intending to focus on George) it went well, and we continued on to sacrament meeting. It was dia dos testemunhos, and many people testified that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. (coisas basicas, pois) after Sidney had questions, we responded and gave him a book of mormon, and marked a time to meet with him. It was then that we felt there was something different about this man, that he really is looking for the truth!! Tuesday night we had a great lesson, we taught the Restauration, answered perguntas and duvidas and invited him to be baptized in saturday july 16th! He said he would have to pray, but if he felt, he would go forward with it!! then we called wednesday and he had already raed all of 1 nefi!! Thursday, we met with him again and he shared that he had a sipiritual experience as he was reading the book of mormon, and the book of Isaiah and pondering on this date of baptism. He said that he felt a confirmation that baptism is the right thing for him!!! He is receiving answers for questions he has had his whole life, and really is SUPER eleito!!! His questions are so profound and everything jsut clicks for him! Then, Saturday he assisted the baptism on George!!!!!! (YES George was baptized!) After we had a lesson with Sidney on the plan of salvation. There were 3 members present in the lesson. It was such a powerful experience!! On friday before, he had a question about the mundo espiritual, and when we were talking about the plan, he emotionally explained that his dad passed away 4 years ago and he just wanted to know what happens with people who dont have the chance to accept the gospel in this life, what happens after this life with them?? He was so touched that his dad has the opportunity to receive the blessings of the gospel after this life. it was such a powerful spiritual experience for all of us who were in that room!! Irmão Calisto explained batismo pelos mortos no templo, and it was just incredible!!! He is excited to be baptized this coming Saturday!! this experience is showing me that really there are people who the lord is preparing, and really, i had no idea that this would happen!!
SInce taht experience with sidney, i jsut want to talk to every single person because everyone has a story!!!!!!!!
Okay, George!!!!!!! I dont know what i´ve shared about him but irma speigle contacted him on the bus a few weeks ago, and since then he has been amazing! He has had a rough life, he´s from south africa, he was a very sucessful businessman, and then 16 years ago he was diagnosed with multiplesclerocis (spelling) ... (did aunt rachel have that?? ) and he had to retire. His personal life also was destroyed, he got divorced and so on, but anyway, it has been incredible to see the changes that have come over his with time. He was baptized on saturday, received the holy ghost on suday, and we met with him yesterday night, he said he doesnt know what he has done in his life to deserve this new family here within the church. He is an incredible man. in many ways he reminded me of Mario from Almada.
well time is up, i have to go!
I love you all! have a great week!!!
xoxo irma michael
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