Miracles

Last night Irma Urgiles called me and told me the great news that both Helder and Christina were baptized!!!  This is such exciting news to hear!!  Remember Helder?  He is the man 40yrs old who was drunk when we met him the first 2 times, but when we arrived in his house (his mom is a less active many years) my companion beared powerful testimony about repentance... basically just forget about what happened yesterday, it already passed, and focus on what you are going got do today!  Helder struggled for 20 years with alcohol and the mom was tired of it, so was all the family. They were ready to put him in the street when we arrived.  The mom was baptized 14 years ago with another son, and over time they went inactive. we found them because we were looking for another reference but couldn´t find the house so we knocked Helder´s door to ask if they knew the reference, Olga. The mom, Adelaide answered and said no, but then told us that she is mormon. (but now is Jehovah witness)  Anyway, it was a miracle big time and he was baptized yesterday!!!!  one of the greatest miracles of my mission!!

The other person Christina is another great miracle!!!  She has a daughter Rute, and when i was serving with Irma Brown we passed one or two times, (we found them in the Area book/a list of people that other missionaries had written) but with irma brown it never worked to enter their house.  Then with irma Walker, we made a list of all the people in the area book that had gone to church and prayed about who was ready for baptism.  We felt Christina and Rute. We went to their house, but cristina works monday-friday until 9pm, so our time was limited. We prayed at the door a few times but never were able to enter their house.  Then Cristina came to church on Christmas.  THen when Irma Urgiles Encalada arrived, Christina was our "revelado" ou seja, she needed to be baptized that first, or second week, i can´t remember... and we went to their house and they let us in. We talked wiht them and invited them to be baptized, (soft invitation) and they both accepted and said they want to be baptized.  (Oh i forgot to say this... cristina is the sister of a member, Isabel chagas martins in the ward of setubal. she received all the lessons 4 years ago and her sister was baptized but she gave up and wasn´t.  Her other daughter silvia was also baptized years ago but became inactive).  Ok, then we returned the next day to invite them to be baptized for that weekend, but they were in doubt, (and i struggle giving pressure to people, so i was doubting too) Anyway, after the lesson, we were all unsure if they would accept.  The next night, we didn´t feel that we could invite them to be baptized right in that moment, so we instead just expressed our love for them and that we are here to help them on their journey that will begin with baptism and that when they are ready they will know.  We invited them to church and left.  That sunday Cristina was going to come to church but the baby of Rute got sick so they didn´t show.  ...weeks passed... and we felt cristina and rute again so we went back to their house. Cristina expressed desire to stop smoking so we bought tons of Vitamin C and gave her `cigarros de cristo` that is, a bunch of scriptures rolled up like cigarretes, and instead of smoking read a scripture!  She loved it and immediately stopped smoking!!  We passed varios times that week and she came to church on that sunday! Then came the last week of the transfer and we passed their house to invit them to be baptized this sunday that just passed, but they were eating dinner and invited us to eat with them, so we did and didn´t get the chance to invite her.  then the next day was my second to last day, we passed by at 9:10 at night, i was nervous because we didn´t have much time and i didn´t know if she would accept and the baby was a big distraction and and and, then we just sat down, said a prayer with her adn rute, then we basically just, i don´t even know but the spirit did his work and cristina jsut said, you guys want to invite me to be baptized right? yeah we said this weekend. Then she said, "okay, yeah, i woke up the other day and the thought came to me, i am going to be baptized in the church of Jesus Christ! And then you are inviting me so yeah i will be baptized this sunday!" 

My face was like, jaw drop, what, and YES! and Holy Cow!! and Excitement!!!!  Wow!  it was awesome!!  Then my companion invited Rute to be baptized wiht her mom, but she didn´t have an answer still but said she would pray. 

So em fim, Cristina and Helder were baptized!!!!  Miracles!!

Tudo Bem Todo Bem

Tudo bem tudo bem

 

(The theme of a jovem in Setúbal)

 

Olá from Mem Martins!!!  I served here for one day with Irma Thayer in my 4th transfer when we were doing visas.  When i was here we had a ward council meeting so i had the opportunity to meet some of the members. And now i am serving here!! How cool!! It is a ward much like setubal... funcional lots of members, supportive of missionary work and eleitos!! 

I stayed in Setubal until thursday which was a great blessing for Irma Urgiles Encalada because she is now training 2 new missionaries!!!! (one from france the other from cabo verde)  She was praying that i would stay with her until thursday to help her organize a little bit, and then we received the call about ten minutes later that we would stay together!!! it was a great blessing!!  Also, during those days, we marked Domingos for baptism next week(i think he is still marked) and we also invited Christina to be baptized this week (yesterday) i was really grateful for that time to prepare the area to explode for when the greenies got there.

Las Tres Irmas

I love my new companions and this new area!! My fourth "daughter" is Irmã Stillman from Grass Valley, CA she is soooo cool!!  She is the only member in her family, and graduated from nursing school before coming because her parents weren´t very supportive of her interrupting her studies.  And of course i love serving with Irma Reis!!!  She is our GPS for these 3 weeks that she is here.  On friday she called an old investgator of hers from one year ago. he (Antonio) met with us in the chapel and we marked him fro baptism on sunday. then saturday we taught him a summary of all the lessons (to help him re-remember) and he was baptized yesterday!!

Miracles mesmo!!!

The training for the new missionaries was awesome!! There were 25 new missionaries!! and 15 are irmas!!! holy irmas!!  there are 3 or 4 irmas that are training 2 new missionaries!!

I love this work, even though i don´t always express my love. i also love my savior and irmao Jesus Cristo. This is the best work ever!!!

Have a great week, and remember, miracles happen every day!!

com amor,

irma Michael

ps i was thinking so much about the temple this week!  congrats aubrie!!! i am so excited for you!

Smile! 3 Nephi 19:25

Silva was a miracle that Irma Urgiels felt inspired to contact one night late before entering our apartment. i said to her that it was already too late and that we needed to enter our apt. When we entered, my comp said a prayer asking Heavenly Father to protect that rapaz, whom she felt was an elect.  A few weeks later, we found him again right outside our apt. We marked to meet with him, and then began to teach him.  He is so incredible!!!  He felt the spirit so strong when he enterd the capela!  we have been teaching him for these 2 weeks, and he was baptized on Sunday night.

Church was so amazing! We had 10 investigators in church and the elders had 12 investigators. a baby was blessed and friends came to support.  Our investigator, Helder accepted baptism for this next weekend so the Irmãs will have baptisms this weekend!! i will stay here until Thursday to help get things ready for when the new companion comes.

This was an answer to my companions prayer! she just wanted more time with me so that we can prepare everything, i thought that would not happen, but the Lord answers every prayer!!  another evidence of the miracles that just keep happening!!!

 

Here we go!!  i love you all and the Savior is the head of this work!!

 

Have a fantastic week!!!

Smile!  (3 nephi 19:25)
Irma michael

Count The Blessings and See the Miracles

*Hino preferido de minha colega Irmã Urgilés Encalada

 

Well, another transfer has come to an end, and an end to my time here in Setúbal has come.  I was praying for the last week that my comp would stay here because there is so much work to be done!  That prayer was answered, and she is staying!! She will be training a new missionary!!!  She is only going to start her 2nd transfer but she came pre-trained!  Maybe she learned a thing or two, this transfer, she has taught me a ton!!!  Especially to count the blessings and see the miracles!  It is all about the people here!  Everyone needs the gospel, and everyone deserves to hear the message!  i know i have not expressed much or shared even a part of the miracles we have seen, but they just always keep coming! Everyone is a special child of God who needs to feel the Savior´s love!

This area is incredible!  The ward so so awesome, the people are just amazing and have the desire to learn about the Savior.  Almost everyone knows about the missionaries which is awesome!  The bishop speaks with the tongue of angels.  He has a great gift to transmit the will of the Lord for everyone to hear.  I am so grateful for the time that i have had here.

 

I am being transfered to Mem Martins and i will be training again!!!  I will also be serving with Irmã reis who will finish her mission here in 3 weeks!  What a great blessing to serve with her again fo rthe 5th time! I love her!

 

The Savior lives and loves us, everyone, equally!

 

We had more miracles this week, Silva was baptized and is excited for his new life!

 

com amor,

irma michael

I Am Learning

Mom, how are you doing?? 

I don´t remember the last time that i asked that question to you or anyone at home. 

I think that my worst problem is always looking at my faults and not being able to look beyond them.  sorry that i always write home about the difficulties and not the miracles.  But really there are so many miracles happening every day here. This is a mission of miracles. 

Last night before going to bed i was talking with my companion and she is incredible!  i don´t remember where we started the conversation but it turned to trust in God. This is my greatest weakness. Let Heavenly father work through me. 

know and not do is sin.  The savior was always serving the people, working together. The Savior suffered the most when He was alone in the garden.  We suffer more when we try to do things on our own. my comp has helped me see that i am always trying to do things alone instead of together with my companion, or with the ward, or with the spirit.  yeah i get nervous, all the time. but the fears are less when i trust in the spirit and let heavenly father work through me.  i realized last night that i don´t trust that the decisions that i make are right, or can be good, but my comp always always is trying to support me and help me be better.

I am learning. Gratitude and service are the best medicines, just follow the Savior´s example!

Look outwards and help them, everyone needs the Savior!!

PS i am training again!! will be transferred thursday to Mem Martins (oeiras zone) my comp will train here in Setubal!

love you so much!  Thank you for always praying for me and the people we are teaching.
com amor, irma michael  (i will write more agora...)

3 Nefi 19:25

ALI EU ENTRAREI

Alí eu entrarei!!!!  

 

Obrigada for your love and support!  Jacob sent a link to a mormon message about the temple!  I love the temple and i am so grateful for the blessing we have here in portugal to prepare the people for the temple!!  we had stake conference, it was a transmission from SLC for all of Portugal and Spain!  Elder Uchtdorf and Elder Christofferson, Sister Dalton, and Elder Zwick spoke. it was marvelous!! Some of the topics were ESPERANÇA 2 nefi 31:20(my favorite word in portuguese); Virtue and chastity; 4 lessons from pres monson (1. Missionary service, 2. Rescue those that are lost, 3. marriage, 4. youth - work wiht them and help them stay active in the church; and President Uchtdorf shared 3 important simple things that will help us stayfirm 1. temple reccomend and for the strength of youth pamflet. 2. study the scriptures daily, 3. have a conversation with Heavenly Father daily.

These were all topics we had talked with our investigators that were present and i was really grateful that they were able to hear those words from prophets fo the Lord too! 

We have a few investigators that are progressing it is so amazing to see them grow in the gospel truths!!

 

Helder- maybe i already wrote about him, but he is the son of a MA. He had a big problem with alcohol, but is doing really well by not drinking this whole week!!  He really loves studying the book of mormon!! 

Silva- a rapaz that contacted us the other week; He came to church sunday and found out that he has a few friends that come to church here!!!  He also is progressing well, he says very time he enters the church he just feels so good, and he knows that this is where he is supposed to be!!!!  it is amazing to see and hear the testimonies of people who feel a physical difference in this church that is different than all the other churches!

Ramona - she only speaks spanish, she is from Guiné Ecuadoriano; she is here 5 months pregnant to have her baby. her husband is from here,. we have had a few lessons with her in spanish. It is so neat to see how closely related are spanish and portuguese!! Irmã Urgiles translated everything in conference on sunday for her.

Cristina - we have been working with here on and off since i arrived here in setubal. she is an amazing woman who is making lots of sacrifices each day for her daughter and grandson. Her sister, and other daughter are members, she just hasn´t made that step yet.  She started a program to stop smoking, we are helping her with that - lots of vitamin C!! :)

Domingues - a man who just made 25 years married, but is separated from his wife about one year. he is really sad with his life right now. he has been passing some hard times. we found him on the street a few weeks ago and have only been able to meet with him a few times. he wants to know which church is the right one... he has been receiving people from different religions and is confused. we keep inviting him to pray about Joseph smith and the book of mormon.  

This week we were teaching i don´t remember who, oh yeah, Helder and his mom who is menos ativa, tj, she said she is just confused and has lots of questions, and i remember just testifying that really the only question we have to ask is "is the book of Mormon true? and Is Joseph smith a prophet?"  If so, then the church of jesus christ has been restored!!!

 

I am learning so much each day!! 
We had interviews with President Torgan and he talked about how each day each of us attends a school. The proffesor is teh Spirit. It is our part to pay attention to the professor and apply those teachings so that we can progress.  He also said we as missionaries are here to do the Will of God and not the will of the natural man. Those natural habits need to go to the garbage so we can turn into spiritual beings that Heavenly Father needs.  Then in my interview i told pres. that i have lots of things to throw in the lixo (garbage). It is true. it is also a process. One step at a time, one thing at a time that we accomplish. us and our investigators. 

 

I love you all and i know that HEavenly Father is guiding our every footstep!  have a great week!!

 

xoxo

irmã Michael