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

General Conference

What a great adventure!!! i love you all so very much!
random thought... when president monson announced the 2nd temple in provo, i was like, àre you serious` by his really cheerful character i wasnt sure if he was really being serious, but indeed he was!  wow!!!!!! incredible!!
and 2 more temples in africa!  i have met several people here from various parts of africa, what an amazing stone cut out of the mountain that really is rolling forth to fill the earth!
i felt rejuvenated to press forward and preach repentance and faith in the Lord jesus Christ. i am super far from perfection, but the Lord has called me in my weakness.
I know that I am a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father!!

mom, about your talk in november, irma perkins listened to relief society conference when she was sick at the casal mcconkie´s house... she has pnemonia!!!!
anyway, the forget me not flower story he told.
knowing that we are queens means we are treasures to Him. help the young women feel like they truly are treasured by God, our Father.
Great talk about family history by elder bednar!! and a talk specific to the youth by elder packer!

ellen, that sounds soo cool about the mini´mission thing you are going to do!  remember no effort is wasted ~ your friend whom you gave the book of mormon!!!

xoxo
love you all tons!!

Irma Michael

ps i am sending a letter to Brianna forman in the mail can you give it to her.
also, i got your package today mom! thank you for the sweater and candy :)

irma fontes and i bought matching shoes last week! she says obrigada and olá!!!

when you hear from jacob next, can you send me news?  we are an eternal family!!!