FOGO!!!

9-10-12

FOGO FOGO FOGO!!!!  WHAT THE HECK!!!  I AM BEING TRANSFERRED!!!!!  AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

oh my goodness gracious mother of pearl.  I am so excited and SOO sad at the same time!!!!  I am leaving Setubal.  I feel like I am leaving my home and my family.  I absolutely LOVE this ward and this area.  I love the people here.  My family is here!  Arlete and her family are here.  FOGO!!!  drat.  On the other hand I am going to the Algarve- the preferred vacation spot in Portugal- even hotter than here!  I might die.  My area is called Olhão and I will be serving with Irmâ Boshard- a rock star missionary that everyone wants to serve with!  AND it’s a pink wash!! Meaning both sisters that were there are leaving and we are going in blind- not knowing anyone or anything.  YAHHOOOO!!!  It’s going to be for an adventure.  Well, I prayed that this coming transfer that I can step up.  Prayers are always transferred. MAN!  I thought FOR SURE me and Irmâ Suzarte and I would be staying here together and baptizing Arlete and familia.  I am sooo sad to leave them- my comp. and my family.  I feel like my heart is being split in half. blast.

Anyways, about my week- Started off INCREDIBLE!!! We had family night at Arlete´s house with her family and they are HYSTERICAL!!!!  (We usually teach Arlete in her cafe)The dad is a big tough guy but really a softie deep down.  We joked and talked and all of us were just filled with pure JOY.  We shared a spiritual message about faith and even though the dad always is joking and laughing he kept silent and paid attention.  The spirit was so strong.  He said he would read the Book of Mormon...if there was a copy in the bathroom.  haha.  We ate dinner again at their house last night and it was a more intense discussion on religion.  The husband said if we were elders he wouldn’t let us in the house.  But the spirit is touching his heart and I know he will be baptized and they will be sealed and I will see the sealing!! I HAVE to!!!!  He hadn´t read the Book of Mormon yet because they hadn’t put it in the bathroom yet.  So before we left I took a BoM and put it in the bathroom for him. no excuses this time! hahaha.  I love this family with my whole heart!!  Sergio is baptized, and the Mom is a dry member- practically a member jus not baptized- knows the church is true, has felt the spirit like crazy with us and personally.  I can´t wait for letters from Irmâ Suzarte to tell me what happens!!!  I am dreading saying goodbye to Arlete tonight- there will be lots of tears.

Another AMAZING thing this week.  Elder Rasband of the 70 and Elder Teixera and Bishop Causse visited the mission and we had a huge mission conference.  137 missionaries (not all came) in a tiny chapel in Lapa with NO air conditioning.  It was killer, but the Spirit was there all the same- EXTREMELY strong!!!  I wish I could share all my notes but just can´t.  They talked a bit about how they have heard about our mission all the way from Salt Lake and Bishop Causse had a hidden agenda to find out how our mission has so many baptisms, but they said it is because of the fundamentals but we still can be doing better.  We can ALWAYS be doing better.  They answered questions and OH MAN the spirit was SOOO strong!!!  Afterward I wanted to run up and talk to every single person I saw and tell them that Jesus Christ LIVES and we have a prophet TODAY!!!!!  But we had to run to catch the train.  Did I mention we travel by train?  It is so awesome and beautiful.  OH m sandals broke in half this week.  Something Elder Rasband said that struck me was that Pres. Hinckley liked to ask him if his testimony of Jesus Christ is burning as brightly as it did when he was a young missionary.  And then Elder Rasband said if our testimony is not burning brightly to throw wood on that fire as fast as possible by studying him, praying, acting like Him, etc.  My focus for this transfer is Jesus Christ.  Making Him the focus of every single one of my lessons and studying Him like crazy.  I testify that He LIVES!!! The Atonement is so real and so incredible!!! I love my Savior Jesus Christ.  And even though I am so sad to leave this area, I know that the Lord has put me where He wants me and I will find yet more people that I promised I would find in the pre-earth life.  I am so grateful for this privilege to be here.  I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!  I feel the fire and I want to share it.  Give references to the missionaries!!  GO teach with them, invite friends to your house and have the missionaries there too!!! Members are SOOO important!!!  I love you all with my whole heart!!!! Fica bem/FIRME. 

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!

com muito muito muito amor,

Irmâ Tingey