The Second Coming is so Close

10-8-12

My heart is absolutely full.  I am just sitting here in this little internet cafe with a feeling of peace and calm and gratitude.  Yes, I am crying.  Conference was just more than I could have asked for.  I keep thinking of the missionary announcement and Elder Holland´s talk- `Do. you. love me.?´ I hope that the Lord doesn´t doubt for one moment that I love Him.  I was absolutely freaking out at the missionary announcement.  This week my companion and I were talking about how close the second coming is and how we thought the leaders would make some big announcement that proved it.  Well they did.  And I could not sit still- I was crying, laughing, squealing, you name it.  And all I could think of was the Lord needs more missionaries NOW.  I can just imagine the forces- the battalions of missionaries that are going to hit the world.  And I just get goose bumps all over and I am just OVER JOYED!!!  And I couldn´t stop thinking about my Abby.  Abby just do it!  Dad said you feel that you should go in the Spring and I don´t want you to think twice about it.  Yes, I am sad that I won´t see you, but it is worth it!  Go when the Lord tells you to and do not delay.  You are so special- you have been held for this time- this moment when the gospel is going to hit the world like it has never before.  I have no doubt that you volunteered for this before you came here.  The Lord needs your talents and your testimony- you have been prepared for this your whole life!  I dreamed -just in my head- that you would be called to the Portugal Mission and that I would be your trainer.  THAT WOULD BE INCREDIBLE!!!  Well I know we can dream, but I know that you will be called to where you need to be.  Keep me up dated on EVERYTHING- when your papers go in, and your feelings and everything.  I will do my best to help prepare you- as I am sure Ali, B-ran, Ben, Jackie and Dad will.  And as for you, Jack.  I know you have been preparing your whole life too.  Keep going. prepare prepare prepare.  Every scripture mastery you master will bless you and your future investigators.  Everything you learn- read Preach My Gospel NOW!!! I am SOOOO EXTREMELY EXCITED, STOKED for the missionary work!!!  I am so excited to see this work hit like a tidal wave!!!  I expect TONS more missionaries and I am so excited for the Second Coming that is SO CLOSE!!!  I just want Him to come!!!  I AM SO EXCITED!!!!  This is a chosen generation.  You can bet your bottom dollar that BYU is going to lose A LOT of its students next semester!!!  OH MY GOODNESS!!!  Was that Savannah who already has her interviews set up?  WAY TO GO!!!  The Lord needs us.  He needs every effort.  Every soul who has a desire to serve.  If you have a desire to serve- you are called to the work!!!  Don´t walk, RUN!!!

Okay, this week was truly incredible.  We are finally seeing the success of our labors!  The first three weeks were super hard, but the fruit and the miracles are coming!!!  So a couple of weeks ago I stopped this woman on the street because I swore I had already known her.  Well, I probably knew her in the pre-existence because she is from Hungary and hardly speaks any Portuguese!!  (and no English)  We saw her again and her husband on the street and they told us where there house is.  So we visited them one night and the spirit was just so sweet and so strong!!!  One of their friends speaks broken Portuguese so she was able to translate a bit.  But even though we couldn´t communicate very well, we all felt the Spirit immensely.  I felt so much love for them that I started to cry a bit!  They are So special and so humble.  We gave them the Finding Faith in Christ DVD that doesn´t even have Hungarian, but they watched it on  their own in Portuguese and said they loved it!  We were able to get Hungarian copies of the Book of Mormon and we printed some talks for them.  Every time we go over there are more friends and family from Hungary or Romania.  I just LOVE these people and I know I was supposed to find them here in Portugal!  Oh and Isolta -the woman- has one year here in Portugal.  I was filled with gratitude for the gift of tongues.  I only have six months in Portugal and I can speak and understand a lot- thanks to the Lord and my calling.  What miracles. The weather here is still like Summer- HOT.  Does not feel like October at all.

Another amazing miracle.  The Lord´s timing is just so perfect!!  One of our appointments fell and we walked through this  more dangerous neighborhood and heard a man call out the window ´Meninas!´´or ´Girls!´ And usually when this happens we don´t really pay attention because usually the last thing they want is the gospel, but then he called out ´Mormons!´  And so we turned back and talked to him from his window.  His name is Paulo and he is so golden.  We talked about the gospel, about Jesus Christ and the Atonement in just a few phrases and he said he has a desire to change his life, he needs help, he wants to change and he would ´adore´ to be baptized.  We felt the spirit so strongly with his sincerity so we prayed right there and marked him for baptism for this coming Sunday!!!  He is soooo awesome!!!  He told us that he smokes 6 PACKS of cigarettes a day- that is 120 cigarettes.  The next day he had only smoked 8.  And yesterday he only smoked 2 and he said he wouldn´t smoke any today!!!  The Atonement is amazing!!!  I LOVE this work!!!  He is so ready- so prepared by the Lord.  We just have the privilege to find and teach him. 

There is a mormon message that is in Portugal called ´Blessings of the Temple.´ You should watch it!  Irmã Fluckiger showed us.  We had Zone conference on Friday and it was so awesome.  I have had some trouble with what me and my comp. call ´The Fluckigan´complex- applying what we learned from Pres. Torgan but doing what President Fluckiger asks now.  They are SOO different, but I have been figuring it out and putting it together and have been blessed.  I love both of those men with all my heart and have the highest respect from them.  We were challenged by Pres. Fluckiger to read the gospels before Christmas- to save the scriptures of when Christ was born until Christmas time and to also read parts of ´Jesus the Christ´ in our studies- to really get to know the Savior and learn from His example.  So far it has been INCREDIBLE and I am so grateful for this challenge!  I invite you all to do it to- I really believe it will make this Christmas a Christmas never to be forgotten as we constantly focus on the Savior starting now- and then continue on even afterward!

I am so grateful for Conference- my questions and concerns were answered and I received so much strength, love, and yes, faca from the Lord.  It was amazing and I cannot wait to read all the talks!!!  I love you all so much.  I have no doubts that this church is Christ´s church- he is literally the head of this church.  We need to have faith with the revelations we receive and go forward with them, doubting nothing- that is something Pres. Torgan taught me.  IF you feel someone will be baptized a certain day- you do not doubt and you do everything you can to help/make it happen.  Let´s apply that- to have faith and trust in the Lord with our personal revelations and ACT NOW.  You are all amazing examples to me.  I have no doubts that the Book of Mormon is true and that President Monson is the prophet of God.  HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!!  Let´s prepare for the Second coming with joy and anticipation and think of how we will arrive at the judgement bar of God.  We must prepare today.  LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!!!!

Irmã Tingey

P.S. I’m a missionary.  Ask me!!