12/17/12
Feliz Natal!!! almost!!!
We had our Mission Christmas Conference on Tuesday that was just incredible. We woke up at 4:55 am and got on a train at 6:07 and traveled all the way to Lisboa- picking up missionaries all along the way. By the end our train car was practically filled with black tags. We got to Lisboa and then got on the metro to then get on another train. We had our party in Oeiras. The chapel was filled with the whole mission (minus the island missionaries- so glad I am on the continent for Christmas) and a Seventy, some stake Presidents and of course our beloved mission president and his wife. The talks were amazing- I felt the spirit of Christmas, or the spirit of our beloved Savior- of whom we are here to testify of. I felt His love for us and received some really amazing personal direction and comfort. Sister Fluckiger had the parents write to their missionary and she gave us 10 mins to read our letters. Thanks Mum and Dad!!! Of course I cried- I really appreciate your sweet testimonies. It is harder to not think of home during the holidays- you are all in my thoughts a lot. I sure miss you all, but I am so happy to be on a mission in Portugal-my home for this time. And before I forget, thank you sooo much to the package sent from the ward!!! I think it might have been the YSA branch, but thanks soo so so much!!! I especially love the Cadbury hot chocolate. hmmm. We at some delicious food- the Portuguese special baculhão com natas. It was so fun to talk to all the other sister missionaries and elders from my districts and zones in the past. We just lift each other up- we are all going through similar if not the same things. What a big family!!! I especially loved when we all stood in a circle and sang at the top of our lungs Called to Serve (Chamados a Servir). I love this mission. I love our purpose. I love being a representative of Jesus Christ and testifying of Him all the time. I am so lucky to be able to serve people 24/7. This is the best work in the world!!! I LOVE this time of year- peoples’ hearts are especially soft and open. I can feel the Love of the Savior more and more for myself and for everyone around me. Family- I was planning on sending you all personal letters for Christmas, but I won´t have time unfortunately. You might get them a couple weeks late. But I am excited to talk to you all!
During my studies of the four gospels, I have learned a lot and have grown closer to my Savior. A scripture that hit me and that I have pondered on a lot is Matthew 11:29- ´Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly n heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.´ This is a theme for the mission and for life. I have learned more about taking His yoke upon me on my mission more than ever before. When I read this scripture I first thought ´What does it mean to take His yoke upon myself?´ Thoughts that came to my mind was we meet Christ half way. We give all we can to Him. We take His yoke upon us when we comfort someone, teach someone, have patience with someone, forgive, love someone, humble ourselves, try to be our best and esp. repent- take His sacrifice upon ourselves- to use it. In short we take his yoke upon us when we do something he would do and we try to follow him. The more we take his yoke and do what he would do- have experiences like His, the more we learn of him- we are blessed to have trials and be chastened. The more we draw close to him- the more rest we have in our souls. Sometimes it seems harder to take His yoke and learn of him, but it is the only way to bring rest unto our souls. He allows us to feel more weight sometimes because we get stronger and feel even more closer to him. During this study of the four gospels I have come to see Jesus Christ in a couple of diff. lights than I had before. I first focused on the kind of missionary he is. And through that I saw his love in a diff. light. I always knew he is loving, but he loves us enough to chasten us and to mold us. He loves us enough to share the load- to share the yoke so that we can become strong and so that we can grow and learn with him always at our side. I testify that Jesus Christ lives and he loves us enough to let us take upon ourselves his yoke. Let´s do so with joy and gratitude in our hearts! Like Dad said, if it wasn´t for the death, the birth wouldn´t signify anything.
Just a fun story- yesterday at church I talked to our recent convert Cristina. She said that she wasn´t feeling well that morning and didn´t want to go to church. but her daughter, catarina, who also was baptized, said that she knew that Satan didn´t want them to go and she wouldn´t let him win- they had to fight and go to church. So that sweet girl made her mom breakfast and got her our of bed and they walked 30 mins in the rain and got to church.
I love this work. I love our Savior. I testify that he was born, he lived, he died, and he lives again. Feliz Natal everyone!!! I love you with my whole heart. Hurrah for Israel!!!
Irmã Tingey (Irma Peterson hasn´t gotten her tag yet, so we are the official last irmas in the world right now. haha)
We had our Mission Christmas Conference on Tuesday that was just incredible. We woke up at 4:55 am and got on a train at 6:07 and traveled all the way to Lisboa- picking up missionaries all along the way. By the end our train car was practically filled with black tags. We got to Lisboa and then got on the metro to then get on another train. We had our party in Oeiras. The chapel was filled with the whole mission (minus the island missionaries- so glad I am on the continent for Christmas) and a Seventy, some stake Presidents and of course our beloved mission president and his wife. The talks were amazing- I felt the spirit of Christmas, or the spirit of our beloved Savior- of whom we are here to testify of. I felt His love for us and received some really amazing personal direction and comfort. Sister Fluckiger had the parents write to their missionary and she gave us 10 mins to read our letters. Thanks Mum and Dad!!! Of course I cried- I really appreciate your sweet testimonies. It is harder to not think of home during the holidays- you are all in my thoughts a lot. I sure miss you all, but I am so happy to be on a mission in Portugal-my home for this time. And before I forget, thank you sooo much to the package sent from the ward!!! I think it might have been the YSA branch, but thanks soo so so much!!! I especially love the Cadbury hot chocolate. hmmm. We at some delicious food- the Portuguese special baculhão com natas. It was so fun to talk to all the other sister missionaries and elders from my districts and zones in the past. We just lift each other up- we are all going through similar if not the same things. What a big family!!! I especially loved when we all stood in a circle and sang at the top of our lungs Called to Serve (Chamados a Servir). I love this mission. I love our purpose. I love being a representative of Jesus Christ and testifying of Him all the time. I am so lucky to be able to serve people 24/7. This is the best work in the world!!! I LOVE this time of year- peoples’ hearts are especially soft and open. I can feel the Love of the Savior more and more for myself and for everyone around me. Family- I was planning on sending you all personal letters for Christmas, but I won´t have time unfortunately. You might get them a couple weeks late. But I am excited to talk to you all!
During my studies of the four gospels, I have learned a lot and have grown closer to my Savior. A scripture that hit me and that I have pondered on a lot is Matthew 11:29- ´Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly n heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.´ This is a theme for the mission and for life. I have learned more about taking His yoke upon me on my mission more than ever before. When I read this scripture I first thought ´What does it mean to take His yoke upon myself?´ Thoughts that came to my mind was we meet Christ half way. We give all we can to Him. We take His yoke upon us when we comfort someone, teach someone, have patience with someone, forgive, love someone, humble ourselves, try to be our best and esp. repent- take His sacrifice upon ourselves- to use it. In short we take his yoke upon us when we do something he would do and we try to follow him. The more we take his yoke and do what he would do- have experiences like His, the more we learn of him- we are blessed to have trials and be chastened. The more we draw close to him- the more rest we have in our souls. Sometimes it seems harder to take His yoke and learn of him, but it is the only way to bring rest unto our souls. He allows us to feel more weight sometimes because we get stronger and feel even more closer to him. During this study of the four gospels I have come to see Jesus Christ in a couple of diff. lights than I had before. I first focused on the kind of missionary he is. And through that I saw his love in a diff. light. I always knew he is loving, but he loves us enough to chasten us and to mold us. He loves us enough to share the load- to share the yoke so that we can become strong and so that we can grow and learn with him always at our side. I testify that Jesus Christ lives and he loves us enough to let us take upon ourselves his yoke. Let´s do so with joy and gratitude in our hearts! Like Dad said, if it wasn´t for the death, the birth wouldn´t signify anything.
Just a fun story- yesterday at church I talked to our recent convert Cristina. She said that she wasn´t feeling well that morning and didn´t want to go to church. but her daughter, catarina, who also was baptized, said that she knew that Satan didn´t want them to go and she wouldn´t let him win- they had to fight and go to church. So that sweet girl made her mom breakfast and got her our of bed and they walked 30 mins in the rain and got to church.
I love this work. I love our Savior. I testify that he was born, he lived, he died, and he lives again. Feliz Natal everyone!!! I love you with my whole heart. Hurrah for Israel!!!
Irmã Tingey (Irma Peterson hasn´t gotten her tag yet, so we are the official last irmas in the world right now. haha)
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