White washes

9-17-12

Okay, so I know I said all this stuff about how I love Setubal and how I am going to miss it- which I love it and I DO miss it, but wow.  I LOVE Olhão.  This area is INCREDIBLE!!!!  So white washes are insane.  We got off the bus and just kind of stood there like ´Where are we?´ We didn´t know anyone and it was so fun!!!  Our noses were in the map all week and it was such an adventure!  We had so much fun discovering this new little city- and what amazing discoveries we have made!!!  It is soooo beautiful and old here and it is on the water so we see the ocean and we can smell it everywhere and one day we found this beautiful dock with boats and ate sandwiches and Portugal pastries.  You just got to have little moments of felizidade and relaxation like this on the mission.  It is weird having an English companion.  I must admit I have been speaking a lot of English, but I will get back to speaking portuguese all the time.  One day I locked myself in the bathroom on accident and it was hilarious.  The handle just wouldn´t work so we prayed and we got it open and laughed some more.  Who locks themselves in the bathroom?!

Okay, this branch is OFF THE HOOK!!!!  I LOVE THESE MEMBERS!!!! OH MY GOODNESS!!!  I don´t know how in the world I was blessed to be here.  WOW.  Let me just explain.  First off our Branch President.  He is from São Tome- off the coast of Africa- and he has been a member for 2 years.  2 YEARS!!!  And he is INCREDIBLE!!!  He is so humble and trusts in us like crazy.  he gives us bones- or pounds us (fist to fist) all the time.  The first counselor is originally from Cabo Verde and is HYSTERICAL!!!  His name is Nato and He and President are hilarious together.  They are best buds and joke and laugh all the time.  They are truly happy in the work of the Lord.  They had a meeting with us our second day- just them two.  I have never had that happen before.  Bishops usually don´t ever talk to us unless we ask for a special meeting.  I am learning so much about the member I want to be and how the work should be- with members. They discouraged us to contact in the street- unless of course we are prompted to- but to just work with the members- that every one has references and are willing to give them and are excited about the work. EVERY MISSIONARIES DREAM!!!  They are just so humble and we shared some of our ideas and they got super excited and the meeting was so awesome- the spirit was so strong and I was prompted to just bare my testimony at the end and tell them that we are there to do the will of the Lord.  And then Irmã Boshard and Nato and President bore their testimonies and it was awesome!!!!  Sunday was INCREDIBLE also- I have never worked with members like this- who LOVE the missionaries and who want to give references and want to teach with us and help us.  We marked apts. with everyone we talked to- we are going to go to every members house a couple of times this transfer and just work through them- that is how the work should be.  This branch is teaching me for life.  There were only about 40 people in our little chapel- the norm., but we are going to visit the menos ativos.  Yesterday we walked with the Branch President and Nato and his wife who is the Relief Society President to visit a menos ativo.  They were laughing and joking the whole way and dancing- Nato took a hold of a stop sign and lifted himself parallel to the pole- like a break dancer.  It was awesome!!! hahaha.  I love these people so much!!!  We went to the menos ativos house and wow. THAT is how you re-activate people.  They were just friends with them- laughing, cracking jokes again and just speaking and testifying with humility and from the heart.  They asked if the missionaries (us, who were there with them) could come and visit them and help them out.  It was SO effective- they got to know us, people in the ward, they felt the spirit, our love, our friendship, it was just amazing.  I will never forget that.  I just love these members and the people here.  Oh and guess what.  I am playing the piano for the Branch.  yeah I know.  what the heck!!!  I don´t know what got into me- usually I hide the fact that I can play a bit and pretend I can´t.  But the Holy Ghost just opened my mouth and I told Nato I would play every Sunday because no one does.  And get this- there is a working key board in our apartment!!!  When does that ever happen?!?!?!  SO I practiced everyday this week before bed and I played Sunday.  It wasn’t horrific, but lots of room for improvement. :)  But I am determined to try and help this branch out as much as I can.  The small things make a difference.  

I have to tell you all about this amazing contact we made this week.  Actually first off I LOVE Irmã Boshard!!!  SHE IS WONDERFUL!!! So so so powerful.  She is helping me so much.  We are helping each other demand excellence in ourselves and we are both just invested in the work and are on the same page.  I just love her soo so so much.  I am so blessed to be with her!  Okay, so we were walking around with our nose in the map trying to find someone´s house and these three guys were sitting outside a cafe and called us.  You have to be careful in these kinds of situations but we felt okay with talking with them.  Two of them are recent converts- one of those RC had a beer in his hand.  The other not RC also had a beer.  So we talked to them, got to know them, taught a bit for the guy who didn’t know anything about the church and then I asked if I could take away his beer (but actually I messed some words up and I actually asked if I could take some beer like if I could drink some of it, but Irmã Boshard saved me hahahahaha - for those Port. speakers I said tomar instead of tirar. it was pretty funny)  but he dumped his beer and the recent convert dumped his beer and we helped them decide to not drink again.  It was AWESOME!!!!  I love this work.  I feel Heavenly Father´s love for these people.  and for me.  I am so grateful for these members.  There are some young adults who are giving us tons of references and drive people everywhere and bring us food and I want to be just like them.  They are rocks in the gospel.  The architecture and scenery here is just breath taking.  Portugal is so gorgeous!  I am so blessed to be here!!!!  

Pray for: Gomes, Nuno, Claro, Marina and Marcus, Familia Moreno, Carlos, Eugenio, Grandma of Maura, Paulo´s friends, and these members.  

I learned so much from Pres. Torgan, and I am learning so much from Pres. Fluckiger!  i LOVE working through the members.  I am curious mom, what did that women say about Pres. Torgan?  I love you all with my whole heart.  Sometimes I think ´How can I feel more love than I am feeling now?´ But my heart just keeps growing and makes space.  I LOVE my mission.  I LOVE Olhão.  I just love this.  This church is true and it is worth everything we have- every sacrifice.  The Lord is with us in everything- make sure you open the door and ask for help.  The Book of Mormon is true.  The Lord will use our talents, like he used Ammon´s. We are in the places we are in for reasons- there are people we need to talk too, there are hands and hearts we need to lift.  Ask Heavenly Father every day how you can help someone.  How you can help build the Kingdom.  Nato, a couple of years ago made a goal to get to know 2 people each day.  at least.  I want to make that goal.  And whenever we walk with him pretty much every other person talks to him, waves at him, shakes his hand, honks there horn, it is awesome.  He is off the hook.  Work with the missionaries in your ward.  Feed them- have them in your home.  Make a list of 20 people you think are ready for the gospel and then ask Heavenly Father who you should focus on.  Give references.  If every member did this the earth would explode of missionary work and I personally think the Second Coming would come right afterward.  Let´s do it!!!!  HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!!

com muito mutio amor, 

Irmã Tingey

PS-we could get our sister plaques any day now.  so relish the time you call me Irmã. haha

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

Called to serve him

9-3-12

Mais uma vez, Eu vos-amo!!!

First of all, ABBY!!!!  I am so glad that the boys at BYU are recognizing the treasure before them. :)  but....Okay, I can miss Ali and B-ran´s wedding because they already planned it and couldn´t wait, and I can miss the first year of Ian´s life because this is the time I need to be here and the time he needed to arrive, but I put my foot down with missing Abby´s wedding.  You are just going to have to wait.  B-ran and Ali- if things get too crazy get the baseball bat out for me because I can´t just travel to BYU and scare all the boys away until I am done with my mission.  Abby- cuidade. :) hahaha  

I LOVE MY MISSION!!!  Yesterday for Sacrament meeting I brought two questions for the Lord.  They were: How can I better use the Atonement?  and How can I better help my investigator use the Atonement better?  Well, the personal answer for me was while I was taking the Sacrament.  I felt the spirit testify to me once again the Jesus Christ died for me and that these covenants I am making are real.  And I truly felt the cleansing affect of the Atonement.  I truly felt changed and that I was forgiven and  that the Atonement is real.  I realized that when I focus so much more on repenting throughout the week then I prepare the whole week so much better for the Sacrament and the Sacrament becomes the experience it needs to be.  Sanctifying, renewing of covenants, and feeling clean again- just like baptism.  And as for the question for my investigators- I felt extremely strong to bear my testimony.  I felt that someone needed to hear something and that the Lord would tell me what to say.  I bore a simple and clear testimony about the Savior and About the Atonement.  I testified that the Atonement is real and that we can really change.  But I don’t really know what else I said.  Something amazing happened when I was speaking.  I didn´t have to think about the Portuguese grammar or words.  It just came out.  I really don’t know what all I said- but it was all about the Savior and I felt so much fire from the Spirit and so much power from the words I said.  It was amazing.  And one more time the Spirit testified to me of the reality of the Atonement.  That I have changed personally and it doesn´t matter what people have done- there is NOTHING the Atonement can´t heal.  This is the whole reason I am here.  To testify of Christ.  I know that my Savior lives.  I know He died for us.  Please use the Atonement.  Repent every day.  This is what He wants us to do- to use His sacrifice the most and best we can.

Okay funny story.  But I promised that my family would not call the office in an outrage, tão bem?!  It all started Thursday night.  Me and Irmã Suzarte travelled to Quinta da Conde to spend the night with other Irmãs- me and another Irmã were to travel the next morning to Lisboa to renew our visas and get residency cards.  I had a dream the night before that I was back at BYU talking to my freshman guy friends about our missions.  But I knew that if I had talked to Alexandre one more time she would have been baptized.  And I was so sad that I only had 10 baptisms because I knew that I could have worked harder and had more- helped more people.  In short, I didn´t feel like I finished my mission.  So in the place to renew our visas Elder Kindt was talking to a woman at the desk and we knew something was wrong.  The woman was waving my passport in the air and elder Kindt looked like he had had a stroke.  I knew something was wrong and I remembered my dream and thought ´oh my goodness I cannot be sent home early because my visa isn´t working!!!´ Finally Elder Kindt returned but he didn’t tell us anything.  Come to find out my visa had expired- I should have come in earlier- and i was in the country illegally and I was going to be deported!  But because the Lord watches over His missionaries- their hearts were softened and they renewed my things all right.  hahahaha.  WOW!!!  Almost deported to the US.  but don’t call the office, okay?! hahahaha

We had zone conference!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGE!!!! I LOVED IT!!!!!  HOLY COW MOM YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!  I LOV EYO USOOOOOO MUCH!!!!  I felt so special and so loved.  You made me soooo happy!!! I cannot thank you enough!!! thank you thank you thank you!!!!!

Something about the Children of Israel- the Lord didn´t just choose random people to make a covenant with and to bless- the people choose Him.  We choose to be chosen sons and daughters of God.  God doesn´t chose us.  I am sorry I don´t have much time- don´t know where the time goes these days!  But I love you all with my whole heart!!!

Hurrah For Israel!!!

LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!!!!

Irmã Tingey

Heart full of love

8-27-12

OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS!!! I just love you all soo so  SOOOO much!!! My heart literally feels like it is going to burst.  I really want to express my love for you all but I just can´t.  Because words just can´t describe.  frustrating. haha.  But just know that I love you all.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your e-mails.  They fill my reserve for the week and give me strength to fight- don´t worry- fight for good. =)  

As we taught Arlete this week we talked about how Sergio, her son, could serve a mission.  And then I saw the fear in her as she realized that she wouldn´t be able to talk to him for 2 years and she asked us if the church was so focused on families, then why can´t missionaries call home every day or see family?  As we tried to explain that we need to focus 100% on the people we are serving, she made the point that doesn´t it help just to talk to the family for 15 minutes each day- we can still be focused but at the end of the day talk to our family and receive comfort ourselves and give comfort to them and share our experiences that we have every day.  As she was talking I was thinking ´hmmm, maybe that would help. Why can´t we talk more with our families?´ but I explained that we trust in our leaders that they receive revelation and that these rules are for the best.  That we really can´t focus on the work 100 % if we always talk with our families.  But then a thought came into my mind that i had never thought about before- We aren´t allowed to have lots of communication with our families because we need to learn to communicate with our Father in Heaven.  If we talk to our families, than we don´t talk to Him.  We need to learn to rely on Him for everything.

This week was tough- as every week on the mission is- but as always worth everything.  Maria Grassiete simplesmente decided she didn´t want the church anymore.  That life is good now and she doesn´t need help anymore.  It was heartbreaking.  We did everything we could, but she lost her desire and didn´t want it back.  triste.  But we had lots of amazing lessons.  We are teaching a women named Alexandra- don’t remember if I already talked about her, but she was a drug addict and prostitute but she is totally changing her life around.  She is truly incredible.  It is amazing to see the Atonement of Jesus Christ touch her life.  Her desires and actions have changed.  She is off drugs now and she is reading the Book of Mormon like crazy!  She takes notes of the scriptures we read in the lessons and she is so positive even though lots of things in her life right now are super hard.  What an incredible example of faith and desire and repentance.  

Yesterday was super hard and me and my comp. were really sad.  We had plans to do a division because we had so many people planning on coming to church.  But in the end no one came.  It was awful.  And our baptism fell through and it was just knives being twisted in our hearts.  But I received a call last night from the Irmãs in Odivelas- my first area.  Two sisters who I love dearly and who are incredible missionaries.  They asked me if I remembered a woman named Fatima.  I didn´t, but I looked in my old agenda and asked if it was maria fatima fernandes.  And she said yes and that she was baptized yesterday!!!!  Me and Irmã Dos Santos ran after this woman to talk to her and we prayed with her on the street and felt so good about her but we could never talk to her because she didn´t have time or something or other.  But she was baptized!  And Irmã Baer said it was all me- but clearly it was not.  But she showed up in church one day and has just thrived and was baptized!  And Carlos one of my recent converts is preparing for the temple!  And I wrote a note for Irmã bear before I left Odivelas telling her to baptize Antonio and she did!  Antonio was another person I felt SO strongly to talk to on the bus and he was progressing so well before I left.  SO MUCH JOY FILLED MY SOUL!!!!  I am so grateful for that phone call- that tender mercy that I am following the spirit and making a difference.  This is such a privilege to serve a mission and be a part of people´s lives- and help them come Unto Christ.  We really don´t do anything but follow the spirit- and do the Father´s will.

A talk in general conference said something like we need to start being the book of mormon- actually following the example.  I heard something like this this week and loved it:  we need to serve like Ammon, be humble like Abinadi, be courageous like Samuel, have faith like Nephi, pray like Enos, lead like King Benjamin, fight against evil like Captain Moroni, and love like the Savior.

An interesting thought that another missionary shared with me was about the different missions in the world.  That each has its one flavor.  That we all learn to come unto Christ but there seems to be an overlaying theme for each mission and each part of the world.  In Brazil there are lots of humble people ready to hear the gospel- you could baptize 500 people if you wanted (I know it is not true in all areas, but these are general assumptions) but you learn to love and be good parents.  In the States, you learn to be a Preach My Gospel Missionary (again we all learn to be PMG missionaries, but it is hard to describe- but this is true of the states) and you learn obedience.  In Portugal and prob. other parts of Europe, it is super hard to find and baptize so you learn to follow the spirit and are trained to be leaders.  Each of us have things we need to learn- each of us have our own mission.  And we are put in situations to help us learn these things.  I am so grateful to be here in my mission.  I know this is where Heavenly Father wants me.  I love my mission. I love serving the Lord and am so grateful for the joy I receive.  I love you all so much!!! Read the Book of Mormon.  I know it is true.  LOVE YOU LOV EYOU LOVE YOU!!!!

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!

Irmã Tingey

The Atonement

8-20-12

Wow, thank you all for being instruments in God´s hands.  Dad, Mom, and Ali- you seemed to all feel or know that I needed help.  I am realizing more and more exactly what are my greatest challenges and I am facing them at this time and your words have helped me start to conquer.  Mom, thank you for the faca you gave with lots of love in your letter.  I needed to hear it.  You asked me if I could accept my best efforts.  And sincerely, I realized that I couldn´t.  But this week through scripture study and prayer I have been able to start accepting.  Even my mission president wrote me and told me that I need to be kinder and gentler on myself.  Heavenly Father always uses other people to help us when we need it.  This is why we always need to be in tune with the spirit.  My huge challenge that I am facing right now- and that I have realized I have had my whole life, but never really pin-pointed is that I expect perfection out of myself.  And that just ain´t gonna happen anytime soon.  And then when I am not perfect, I beat myself up mentally and drag myself down thinking I am a horrible, stupid person that never changes, etc.  Yes, I know this is bad.  But that is why there is repentance.  I am always taking myself down because I feel like when I do that I am getting what I deserve before I can repent.  But Jesus Christ already suffered for me.  I don´t need to- as long as I repent and change my heart and habits and thoughts and actions.  I can´t run faster than I am able.  I can only do my best with the knowledge and abilities I have now.  But I can have the help of the only perfect person- Jesus Christ.  His grace is perfect.  I try my best and then place the rest in His hands, having complete trust in Him.  Jesus Christ died for us because we are not perfect.  Heavenly Father didn´t send us here to be perfect, He sent us here to learn and grow from our mistakes.  When I am beating myself up, I am not using what the Savior is offering and that makes Him so sad.  I know that my Savior loves me.  I know that through Him my sins can be as white as snow.  I can change to be better- not perfect, but better.  He is always there to lift me up.  I know that He lives.  I know that the Atonement is perfect.  I am eternally grateful for it.  I cannot express how grateful I am for the Atonement, or how much love I have for my Savior, Jesus Christ.  Thank you family for sending your love.  I can feel it.  

I literally feel like P-day was yesterday.  Time is FLYING.  And I don´t want it to!!!  I will have 7 months on the mission this week- I feel like I just arrived in Portugal last week!  I am learning so much- the refiners fire is amazing.  I am so grateful for this privilege I have to be here.  I LOVE my mission.  I LOVE being a missionary.  I love that I can feel the Savior´s love for everyone I talk to.  I love the spirit I feel that tells me to talk to a specific person or to knock a specific door.  I love that I can receive personal revelation to better myself and to know how I can help specific people come unto Christ better.  I am so grateful for the members of the church and their amazing examples of faith.  We have been struggling to work better with the ward, and I was getting super frustrated.  But then I got a letter from my great friend Irmã Barlow and she reminded me to be grateful that we even have mission leader in the ward.  And that part of our role here is to help train the members to work with the missionaries better and to be better missionaries themselves.  We have been giving lots of ideas etc etc but we really need to SHOW  the members and train them.  This is a very new ward.  I am so grateful to see them grow and learn.  I have been able to help members prepare for talks and lessons and it is so great!  I am so grateful for my lifetime experience in the church and the knowledge that I am able to share with others- about how a ward can better function, etc.  Preach my gospel is incredible.  It has everything we need to know.  If every missionary was a pmg missionary and every ward a pmg ward- WOW!!!!!

HELENA WAS BAPTIZED!!!!  She is 70 years old and SO cute!!! haha.  She has been taught for a couple of transfers and we were just blessed to see her baptism.  She was what we call a ´dry member´- pretty much a member but not baptized yet.  She has been coming to church forever!!!  Me and Irmã Campos da Silva marked her for baptism last transfer but she was sick and she was marked before that too.  This time, me and Irmã Suzarte just decided to tell her she was being baptized this Sunday and she said ´okay, but I want to use my own white clothes.´  Another testimony that really, we don´t do anything- it is ALL the Lord.  We just need to be worthy and have faith.  Her baptism was SOOO happy.  I got to peek into Heaven.  The American cookies were a hit- as always. =)  haha.

Pray for Alexandre, Arlete, João, Alice and Fabio, Maria Duarte, Maria Santos, Rosimere, Cátia, and Maria Grassiete- she is marked for baptism this Saturday but hasn´t stopped smoking yet.  Please pray extra hard for her!

I love you all with my entire soul!!!  seriously though.  PLEASE remember that you are loved by me and especially our Savior Jesus Christ.  LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!!!!

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!!

Irmã Tingey

HOLY SMOKES EU SOU UMA TIA!!!!!

August 13, 2012

I AM AN AUNT!!!!! AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I AM SOO HAPPY!!!!!  PARABÉNS!!!!!  Jackie and Ben and Ian Craig- I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Wow family what a WEEK!!!!  We received a package August 9th from our Father in Heaven- a reminder that He loves us and that we are here on this earth to learn to become like Him and to have families and to love one another.  I love my Father in Heaven and my family!! Thank you for teaching me to love and for loving me.  Ben was so kind and wrote me about details- about what happened!  What a miracle.  I am SO excited for the pictures!!!  I could be wrong, but in the pictures it looks like Ian Craig has Jackie’s chin and in one picture it looks like he has a similar nose that I have!  Everyone give him a squeeze for me!!!  And tell him that his crazy red-headed Aunt loves him and can´t wait to see him after she serves the Lord for a year!  But that she loves him so much and felt his presence with her during the mission.  And that she is kind of sad that she won´t feel his spiritual presence anymore, but she is happy he is here in body and safe and sound.  

Okay I am going to type like a fiend- super fast because i have SOO much to say so sorry for all the typos.  Okay so this week was incredible full full full of miracles!!!!!  We had 8 people in church yesterday, we met our goal of 18 new investigators and we had a BAPTISM yesterday!!!! But I need to explain some things beforehand.

Okay, first of all- Ben you are so right and thanks for reminding me.  We feel Satan the hardest before something incredible will happen- just like the first vision.  I was super low last week and the beginning of this week.  So I asked for a priesthood blessing- my first one here in Portugal.  Don´t ask me why I waited so long.  It was SO incredible and SOO special.  It was in English- my district leader from America blessed me, but the other missionaries didn’t understand because they are Portuguese and Brazilian.  haha.  I won’t tell everything that was said because it was very sacred to me, but the Lord said he loves me and that He is proud of.  I can´t tell you how much that meant to me.  And He said that my family was kneeling in prayer for me that that they love me and that I need to remember that and share that love with other people.  Family, thank you.  Thank you for praying for me and for loving me.  Thank you for your strength.  The love I have from my family is a gift I need to share.  That blessing comforted me SOOO much!!  After the blessing I shot some hoops with some brothers in the ward rapidemente and felt a lot better.  =)

This week our Revelados were Sergio and his mom.  Sergio went to EFY this week. We have been visiting his mom everyday and she is INCREDIBLE- Arlete, I wrote about her last week!  She is incredible.  She asked the Lord if the Book of Mormon was true and she received an answer- she cried.  Normally we mark people for baptism with a specific date the second lesson, but we didn´t feel to mark Arlete until Friday.  And the Lord´s timing is really perfect.  The night before Sergio called and said that he had a huge spiritual experience and wants to be baptized Sunday.  So we talked with her about her being baptized also and she said she already thought about it.  She still had some doubts but in that moment a security man entered her cafe- this was at night- and said to listen to the sisters because everything they say is true.  Arlete said ´don’t tell me you are a member too!`´ and he said yes I am a member and I served a mission!  And we all talked to her about the gospel and more about temples and the spirit was SOO strong and she didn´t have any doubts about being baptized.  I will NEVER forget that lesson it was INCREDIBLE!!!  Unfortunately we found out that they aren´t married civilly.  So she couldn´t be baptized on Sunday.  BUT  we also talked to her husband this week and she said it was a miracle that he stayed in the cafe and talked to us because he doesn´t like anything to do with the church.  We became his friends and I showed them some pictures of you all form the beach and they were awed at the huge family and that we are united.  They want a family like that.  We have talked to arelete sooo many times about temples and being sealed as a family in the temple.   Irmã Suzarte and I have felt lots of times this week- spiritual impressions that this family will be sealed together in the temple.  We will be there to see it.  It is one of our mission goals to baptize a family and then see them be sealed in the temple and because we both have this goal- the Lord is blessing us.  The husband came to the baptism yesterday and the spirit was sooo strong, I know he was touched.  afterward I asked him when he will be baptized.  He laughed and said he was already baptized- the answer of all catholics. uhuh.  no siree but we will keep talking! I LOVE this family.  This family is SOO special for me.  Satan was working on my so hard, and now look at the blessings- this family.  Arlete and João will be baptized this transfer.  

Another thought I had was with the questions people have before baptism- for the interview before baptism to makes sure they are ready/worthy.  And I thought about how with the sacrament every week we renew our baptismal covenants /or we are baptized another time essentially.  And how if we don´t pass these questions ourselves every week, we are not worthy to partake of the Sacrament.  If I am not following or doing what the Prophet has asked, if I am not paying tithing, if I am not keeping the Sabbath day Holy, etc.  I want to be better at keeping these commandments so that I can take the Sacrament more worthily.  I want to read the Prophets message every month and act on his words.  I want to pay tithing immediately after I receive money, I want to have the Lord´s day be more holy for me and more special- to really prepare for this day.  

I know that Jesus Christ lives and that miracles occur.  I am so blessed to be here.  I am so grateful to be here.  I love being a missionary. This time is precious.  I know that the Lord has comforted me a lot with family and with Ian.  I love the Book of Mormon.  Keep reading it.  I LOVE YOU LOV YOU LOV EYOU!!!!

Irmã Aunt Tingey

I have not come to bring peace, but the sword

July 30, 2012

See Matt. 10:34  (Apparently this is my new theme scripture)

Então familia!!!  Como vocês estão?!?!  I LOVE all your letters!!!  Thanks so much!!!  I dreamed this week that I will receive two letters in the mail and I was SOOO excited!  And so every day I checked... but I still have faith that my dream will come true :) haha  Mom- thanks for sending my mailing info!  You all are the bestests!!!

This transfer I will be staying in Setúbal!!!!  YEAH!!!  I am SOOO happy!!!  Irmã Campos Da Silva, my wonderful French comp. will be going to Madeira!  My new comp. is Irmã Suzarte- her family is Brazilian but she grew up in Portugal so my Portuguese accent will be ALOT better after this transfer!  I am SOO happy that I haven’t had an American comp. yet.  Not that I don’t like Americans, clearly, but it is SO fun to be with comps from different countries- I am learning SOO much from all my comps and I am SOO blessed to ALWAYS speak Portuguese!!! I made a goal yesterday that even if I get an american comp I will only speak Portuguese.  ONLY.  muahahahaha
Our district this past transfer was made up of the Líderes de Zona- Elder Pilz from Germany, and Elder Justiniano from Bolivia.  And Elder Way and Elder Fry are Americans and Elder Agosto is um Portuguese.   I am so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing missionaries from all over the world!  I am super sad to say goodbye to Irmã Campos da Silva, but super excited for this next transfer!

In reference to the scripture in Matthew- my district called me ´the sword´ or á espada´.  Because I am becoming really sincere and really bold.  I learned it from President Torgan.  I will say what the Lord will have me say.  Sometimes I am really tired of giving ´faca´(in English- ´knife´)  But it has to be done and when I feel the promptings I will follow.  Many time people are too lazy or too soft to follow through on compromisos or make commitments, but Like Elder Holland, we need to be up front and honest and speak from the spirit and not mince words.  This is something I have been wanting to be better at- being more honest and up front with people. not beating around the bush. And Heavenly Father is helping me over come this weakness.  I don’t want to be too lazy to follow through on the Lord´s errand and I hope someone will be kind enough to tell me to step it up when I need to.  This week our líder do obra missionario in our ward didn´t show up to our meeting we usually have Tuesday nights.  So we called with 20 mins to spare and he said sorry but can we have it the next night. okay, tão bem.  But the next night He was an hour late.  So in the meeting the elders looked at me to give the faca and so I told him that today and yesterday was 2 hours that we didn´t do the work of the Lord, that this isn´t our time but the Lord´s time.  And that that can´t happen again. and now we are working better with the ward. Mom, I know that in your other letter you said you were worried about stepping on peoples toes- but you go on ahead.  Tell them exactly what you and the Lord expect- because we are in this together  and we need to help each other.  I love when people tell me I need to change something or work harder at something- because I than I realize it and can become better.

CARLOS WAS BAPTIZED THIS WEEK!!!!! BEST EVER!!!!! Oh my goodness gracious what absolute joy and happiness filled my soul.  Carlos has been so hard to see because he doesn´t have a phone or a watch.  But his member friend Hélder has been so loyal and helping him so much.  We finally saw him Thursday night and we brought the District leader for an interview, but he was a bit tipsy.  It broke my heart.  So we needed to give faca.  He has such a huge desire to be baptized, but it is so difficult to give up smoking and drinking.  So I read John 3:3- that we can´t enter the kingdom of God unless we are baptized.  We talked more about the word of wisdom and he said he would stop those things that very minute.  We prayed and prayed and the next day when we talked to him he was going strong and SOOO excited for his baptism.  We prayed with him and he gave the most sincere prayer- he said he has been looking forward to this time for a long time and for everything to go well.  The spirit was SOO strong at his baptism.  He cleaned up so well- he shaved!  He cried.  The next day when he received the Holy Ghost he was blessed with the strength to continue to withstand tobacco.  He said that when he decides to stop he will stop.  With Carlos I realized that realmente nos estamos a planting seeds.  Carlos first spoke with missionaries in the Açores, and then 3 transfers ahead of me here in Setúbal.  Many missionaries worked with him, but we were just privileged to see his baptism.  What a blessing.

Some things I learned:
- A return-missionary said that missionaries are blessed in that we see people as there spirites- we don´t notice the outside, we just see and feel their spirits how God sees them.  This is so true. When I ´seek´ on the street to talk to people I don´t look at bodies- who is beautiful, young, etc., but I feel the spirits that are ready.  Interesting.

-We were teaching a recent convert and he is having financial difficulties.  We talked about tithing and fast offering.  He said he would pay tithing when he returned to Cabo Verde- when he will have more money.  We talked about how he actually he needs the blessings more now and that even though it is difficult, we still need to follow the commandments of the Lord.  I thought about how in my life sometimes I do things just when they are easy.  But how much more important it is to keep the commandments and do good works when it is hard.  Bispo Santos spoke about this on Sunday.  That we will only serve others when we have time or when we don’t have anything else to do.  He said thank heaven that Jesus Christ didn´t think this way.  He served ESPECIALLY when it was the hardest.  And think if He stopped because it was hard.

-I read in D&C today 3:3 ´Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men.´ When we follow the promptings of the Spirit, when we do the work of the Lord, we will always have success.  What will stop that success is us- when we have selfish desires or do things that aren´t right.  A quote in the Priesthood Session of General Conference said that whenever we keep the commandments and follow the Lord we will ALWAYS be right.  Even when the world says we aren´t.  

Thank you SOO much for your prayers for me and my investigators.  This is a war.  We can fight for each other, but sometimes we have to fight alone.  Fica FIRME!!!  I love you all!!!  Keep doing the simple things.  When we do the simple things, that is when the Lord will trust us with bigger things.  I know that Jesus Christ died for every one of us.  I am so grateful for that sacrifice.  I testify that it is real.

Hurrah for Israel!!!

Irmã Tingey