OUPA FAMILY!!!!

OUPA FAMILY!!!! 2/7/12

Another amazing week as a missionary!!! I hope my letter makes at least some sense, chances are there will be zero flow. But here goes... Tuesday night we had an AMAZING devotional. Elder Holland and Elder Nelson spoke!!!! Elder Nelson was the main speaker so Elder Holland just said a few words to start the program. What he said made the biggest difference though. He said we as missionaries are OBLIGATED (He kept saying that) to be our very best. He challenged us to make a promise right this instant to be our very best self. He said he would make the same promise with us. Because it was the 50th anniversary of the MTC, Elder Nelson spoke a lot about heritage. He told of some amazing missionaries that have gone before us, especially focusing on the early church missionaries- Samuel Smith, Heber C. Kimball, Brigham Young, and Dan Jones. This whole week I have been thinking about them. I have been pondering and praying about what made them so effective. I have come up with a few reasons- their passion and zeal for the Book of Mormon, their character, and their hard-working work ethic. I want to be just like these missionaries. Any thoughts on why they were so effective/amazing?

Portuguese is coming wonderfully. We went to the TRC this yesterday for the first time yesterday and everyone we talked to and told that we had only been learning Portuguese for 2 weeks were completely astonished. It felt really good. :) Apparently they are shortening all the programs for future missionaries because we are learning so much faster. They have changed the program a lot apparently, you all would know more than I. :) Now we teach investigators (or teachers or friends that act as investigators) like they are real. We pray about them and study directly for them. It makes the biggest difference! Please pray for me to have the gift of tongues! I know it will come, but I need all the help I can get.

The BEST experience I have had yet was at the TRC yesterday. The first lesson we taught wasn't that great- it was to 3 RM's and it was pretty intimidating. Our second lesson was different though. We taught a young man from Brazil named Philippe. We really tried to get to know him and I was prompted to ask if he was a member or not. He said he wasn't! The spirit wooshed into the room like crazy!!! I know that everything I said was from teh Holy Ghost. He said he had learned english from americans in Brazil and he wanted to give back by helping us with our Portuguese. We talked to him about o Livro de Mormon and he showed us this HUGE dictionary he had been using to read it in english. He said he was having trouble understanding it. surprise surprise :) I was prompted to ask if he had one in portuguese and he didn't and my companion gave him hers. He was SOOO happy he almost cried! I just felt the need to testify testify festify of the power of the book. Irma Wilde was prompted to ask if he would be baptized once he knew the truth. He said he wanted to be but he wanted to wait to do it with his family in Brazil. Our teacher afterward said we should really work to baptize him Now. At the end of the lesson Phillipe told us all the times he would come back on mondays to the TRC. We told him we weren't sure if we would be able to teach him again, he was really sad. OUr teacher talked to him after and told us it would be good if we taught him every monday. He is legit! I know some of you may be thinking he was acting, but he was not. It was INCReDIBLE!!! We were walking on air coming out of there! It was the best feeling in the world. I know that we were able to have teh spirit with us because we have been working SOOO hard to be obedient and to learn Protuguese as hard as we can. My whole focus now is to be3 obedient and to work as hard as I can for Phillippe.

In mission conference on Sunday this elder sang a gorgeous song that touched me deeply. The words were something like this: "He can't. So He is sending you. To wrap your arms around them- shelter, laughter, warmth, see Him through you, gentle touch loving words, your laughter, -will know Jesus knows them and loves them so, as they look and listen to you." That is why I am here.

Heavenly Father is building us up because it is more about who we are then what we say when we are teaching the gospel. The spirit will guide our words, ut they must know that we know. Brother Hodges of our Branch Presidency is traveling to London next week and wants to give you guys a call!!! Can you send me a number he can call over there through dear elder?! Can you send me some talks of Elder Bednar? Especially about agency? I sent you guys a little pouch with a memory card. Can you put it on the computer and send it to me again? And possibly print some pics of my and my comps and district? Also they made two extra nametags for me, so I sent you guys one! :) I LOVE hearing from you!!! Thank you so much for the letters!!! They mean SOO much and really bouy me up at teh end of the day!!!! I have really been working on humility this week. I have been very hard on myself. Heavenly Father helped me realize though that I am not perfect. And that I will not be able to be perfectly humble on this earth. That was such a good reminder. That is why we repent everyday and take the sacrament every week because we are not perfect. Please write me more dearelders!!!! Just a couple of words are wonderful!!!

I love you with my whole heart. I am trying to do my very very best. I owe it to the Lord and to the people in Portugal and to myself. This means everything to me. I LOVE being a missionary. Heavenly Father is taking this raw material and qualifying it. I promise you all that I am and will continue to do my best. Like me and Elder Holland, will you do the same? LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!!!! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!

I only have a minute but: Eu sei que Jesus Cristo vive. Eu sei que Pai Celestial ajuda- me e tem muito amor para me e voces. O Livro de Mormon es verdedeiro!!!!

Irma Tingey