Monday, March 19, 2012
Jelson, Ismael, and Bibiana
We just came out of a very spiritual lesson with a guy named Jelson. Jelson is a man that we contacted last Sunday when we were waiting for the train to take us to our lunch appointment after church. We missed the train with the elders and had to wait 15 minutes. We were standing outside the ticket box when this man looked a little lost. He said he was looking for someone, his cousin, who said would meet him at the station. We talked with him briefly and invited him to an activity Wednesday night at the chapel (night of integration). He said if it worked he would come, gave us his number and we wished him luck in finding his friend. I remember thinking, well maybe that lost person he is trying to find is God, then we got on the train and left. Wednesday came and he didn't´t answer our phone call nor came to the activity, none of the people we invited came. Saturday rolled around and Maria Reis with whom we had been working for these two weeks, was gone to a funeral, and almost all of our appointments we had lined up had fallen through. Well, i decided to start calling all of our references, including Jelson. And he answered! Originally i invited him to church, but then asked if he had time to pass the church at 5, and he said sure. We got to the church at 5:04 and called him and he said he had already passed by rang the bell and had left. We asked forgiveness for our lack of punctuality and he said he would come back. So he showed up about 20 minutes later. Before he got to the church, i was getting nervous thinking, well he´s probably not gonna show up and it is our fault for being late and blah blah blah and then he showed up. :) Irmã Michael is still in the process of learning patience and waiting on the Lord. So he came in and we gave a tour of the chapel, starting with the sacrament meeting room. We all felt the spirit strongly! Then we went to the baptismal font room where we also have gospel principles class. There we showed him the font and testified. Irma Stillman bore powerful testimony of her conversion 4 years ago and how it changed her life. It was awesome, we invited him to be baptized when he know that the is the right path for him and he said yes! He also said, "i was baptized when i was a baby but that´s okay right to be baptized again?" We said of course not! We also explained authority through Joseph smith and gave him a copy of the book of Mormon and he agreed to come to church!
So he came to church! When he arrived, Elder Silva greeted him then Ismael gave him a huge welcoming hug. Ismael is a recently returned missionary, he served in Porto and finished with Irma Speigle. We had called him to ask him to welcome Jelson. Ismael sat with him during sacrament meeting it was awesome!! We also had called a girl that we contacted super quick in the street one day after leaving our apartment. Bibiana, and we invited her to church and she said she would come! She only could stay for the first hour but she loved it too! we found out that she has three kids at home and she has a really busy life. Other people said they would come to church but didn't´t make it. Oh, and this other cool story, we met a blind man in the street the first week we got to mem martins, that Irma reis remembered helping when she served here a year ago. We had seen him various times since then, and early in the week we saw him again and had the opportunity to get to know him better. he told us that he is Mormon! and that 25 years ago he was in the bishopric!! But for various reasons, including being offended, he stopped going to church. We invited him to come and he came!!! He is so incredible! A very humble man and he is 81 years old! His name is Manuel Bernardo. The bishopric made sure to announce from the pulpit a great welcome for him. It was incredible! And there are 2 recent converts Sandro and Sandrina who are twins, 9 yrs old who haven´t been coming to church, but this week we picked them up and they had a great experience!!
Well, back to Jelson, we had a lesson with him and Ismael this morning and the spirit was incredible! Wow! He basically believes in God but he feels like he doesn't´t have that certainty that everyone around him seems to have. As he was leaving he said if he could he would stay in the church forever all day every day! He had a huge smile on his face too!! It was awesome!
Well, this week i feel like Heavenly Father was testing my faith in Him. It is after the trial of our faith that we overcome obstacles. I am so grateful to know with certainty that God is my father and he cares about me. He wants all of us to communicate with Him daily. I have so many weaknesses, but He still uses me as an instrument in His hands. There is so much more work to do!
Obrigada for your love and prayers and support!! Have a great week! Share the love of the Savior with someone who needs it!
com amor do Salvador,
Irmã Michael
Monday, March 12, 2012
OTHER THOUGHTS
Other thoughts in relation to the above...
I haven’t really made it a goal to specifically be a
PREACH MY GOSPEL missionary. I have always said in my mind, "Well I am trying..." but haven’t applied all the principles. It is now my goal to apply!
I am learning a lot with Irma Stillman - she is goal
oriented, and I really have been feeling a difference as I have been applying
more principles of the gospel into teaching.
Good thing I am still a greenie myself and have lots of
time to keep learning!!
I had really awesome personal studies this week, and I
felt the spirit working a lot more in our teaching and contacting. Speaking in
this, we had 28 other lessons this past week, but only 2 progressing
investigators and 1 in church (last week we had 0, it is super weird without
investigators in church!!!) Our district leader called us back and asked
how is that possible to have so many lessons and very few progress. It was a
good conversation and part of the conclusion we came to is that we are not
doing a good job in follow-up to know if our investigators are
progressing. It was another click moment that I really haven’t understood
that concept until now. Of course baptism is the biggest priority but it will
never happen if investigators don’t pray or read the Book of Mormon first or go
to church. I am very grateful for inspired leaders and companions who
understand this concept, so that we can make changes and help people
progress!! I am learning about the importance of priorities. In
many ways I try to run doing everything I can to help in the work of the Lord
but as someone once said I believe Elder Caussé the spirit likes
preparation. So when we prepare according to our priorities things will
work out.
...I didn’t really prepare this email or basically any
email that I write so it is usually just my random thoughts but hey, some
things don’t change or haven’t yet... :)
Anyway, it was a great week of learning! We had a
surprise Tuesday morning that Irma Reis would leave Tuesday instead of Wednesday
so we left the house immediately to do contacts instead of do our studies,
she was really upset that she had to leave a day early, but the last was
the best! We found some awesome people!!! Then an hour after she
left, about 6pm we received a
phone call that we would be receiving another companion!!! Irma
Thomas was in Vila Porto ) but was transferred
to serve with us!!! Some things happened in her area, she was in a tripla
too, and well, it worked out perfectly because we lost Irma Reis, and Irma Thomas
jumped right in!! She is from Canada
Great excitement! A reminder that God is in control
of all things!!
Obrigada for all of your prayers and support! I love
this work! It is the best!
Read the book of Mormon- there is so much power in that
book!!
Have a great week!!
com amor,
Irma Michael
PS song for this
week: Vonde ó filhos do senhor
Advice for a NEW GREENIE
Tell that mom that yeah... it is hot in the summer and
really cold in the winter :)
I have everything that I need here. You know me... I just
deal with it, but surprisingly everything has been working out, and Portugal
As for advice to a new greenie... well, OBEY the counsel
of your leaders. They are inspired and they know the "why" behind the
counsel they give. This whole time I have tried to apply what I have learned
from my leaders, but not literally changed my thoughts behavior and beliefs in
the moment they have invited us to change. It has taken me until now, and I am
still learning. We only can progress when we correct our errors in the moment. At
Christmas conference, Elder Texeira, talked about repentance- a change of
thoughts, behaviors and beliefs, (in PMG). Literally means change behavior. Don’t
go back and do the same thing over again. This is probably the thing I
wish I would have understood earlier on. Also, have fun! Make
missionary work fun as you proselyte, and make sure that the members and
investigators can see how living the gospel makes us happy people! I was
reading the book of Mormon this week in Mormon 8:38 ... I imagine
that Moroni
Also, all the answers are in Preach My Gospel!
In our zone meeting this past week, President Torgan gave us 2 challenges: 1-PRAY
with faith, Nothing doubting. 2-BE PREACH MY GOSPEL MISSIONARIES.
Well, maybe there is something out of what I just wrote
that you can give to the new Irma as advice...
BTW, I was in the office in January and saw the photo of a
girl that said she was from Downey , CA
Monday, March 5, 2012
Tao Humilde Ao Nascar
One of Irmã Reis´s favorite hymns :)
Well, this past week we had rain for the first time in a really really long time. It seems that the rest of Europe is getting water, except us, but no problem for missionary work here :) I enjoy the sun!
We had a wonderful zone conference with President Torgan and the zone of Lisboa. Desire, Obedience, Repentance, and Diligence were great focuses, and also the importance of teaching our investigators that the gift of the holy ghost really is the most important gift that they can receive - help in practical life now. It is so true the gospel is so simple and we have a responsibility as missionaries to help our investigators see that the gospel is simple and the best way to happiness. The simple truths are the best!
We have been working a lot with a lady, Sara, who has had contact with the misisonaries for over 2 years, and knows all the commandments, and knew that it was God´s will for her to be baptized this last sunday, but she wasn´t ready to make the promise wiht God yet. We will continue to help her feel the spirit so that she can not only feel but act.
Antonio who was baptized a few weeks ago received the Holy Ghost, even though he was really sick. I know that the power of the priesthood is real. The Holy Ghost works through those who are willing to listen.
Irma Reis has been really sick so Irma Stillman and i went on an adventure to know the area better, and we found a man who had contact with the mormons years ago. now he has 3 kids and invited us to come back this week to teach about families. we are excited!!
Follow the spirit and everything works out!!
Have a great week!
Com amor, Irmã Michael
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