Milagres

11/26/12

Milagres

Did you eat the piece of pumpkin pie?

You better have.

Well helloooooooooo familia! It’s been a wonderful week. Hard, but wonderful.

Primeira, Our Thanksgiving celebration was the most legit thing ever. Irma Patterson made turkey legs that were enormous and we had pretty much everything but the stuffing. And pumpkin pie. But we had so much fun and it was definitely what we’ve needed as a district. Irma Patterson and I basically just talked the entire day and got to spend time together so it was really great. It was also Elder Herycz's birthday so we had cake for him and everything. That kid is spoiled. Well, ok, both of our Elders are spoiled because they have a district of four Irma’s. They get way more baked goods than they deserve at meetings. But after our Thanksgiving celebration we had all been invited to a member’s house for dinner and they also had cake for Elder Herycz ha-ha so we ate a lot that day. It was really nice to feel a little bit like home for this time of year and we’ve been listening to a bunch of Christmas music too.

Segunda, We had interviews with President Fluckiger. It was.... interesting. It was hard medicine that I definitely needed. I got put into my place and then some. But, I really needed it. I didn’t realize how discouraged I’d gotten because of the work and my physical therapy but it’s had a really big impact on me, my companion, and the work here. So we talked for a while and at the beginning he was not very happy with me. And then some things were said and then he felt really bad for me (I think) because he just kind of looked at me FOREVER and then asked, "Sister Dean, Would you like me to give you a blessing?" I was kind of like, “Uh... Yes President, that would be wonderful.” Even though, in my head I was like, “Why in the world did he feel prompted to ask me that?” Then he talked a lot about his responsibility as our leader but mostly as a priesthood holder in general and said, "You know, it’s hard sometimes to know if you’re fulfilling your priesthood responsibility.” “ I’ve never walked on water or raised someone from the dead, so sometimes I have moments of questioning if I do enough" and then he read a scripture about priesthood calling being that of "doing good" and said that he found comfort that as long as he was doing good things to help then he could know the Lord is happy with him. And then he said "let's find out what the Lord has to say." Poor thing, I think he genuinely just doesn’t know how to help me and its worrying him. Because I’ve been really blessed to be out here for so long with the back condition I have. The fact that I’m still here and haven’t been sent home or reassigned yet is HUGE. The fact that I’m allowed to travel outside of my area for half of the day, three times a week and do physical therapy while on the mission is not normal. It puts him in a hard position and I know he wants so much to do what is right, so after our interview I’ve been trying a lot harder to show President, but most importantly, the Lord that I appreciate this blessing and that I still want to be here. Our leaders are definitely called of God because they are exactly who we need!

Terceira, After said interview and change in my effort level, we have seen so many miracles! We found ten new investigators the next day and are so excited to work with them. We kept finding more people all through the week and we had a ward activity that the missionaries were in charge of and it went so much better than we expected. Also, in church there were so many lessons and talks on missionary work and afterward we got so many invitations for meals. Almost every single day this coming week we have lunch and dinner with members! That is huge! Last transfer we ate with a member twice the entire six weeks!

Quarta, Are you aware that fasting works? You should all try it and have a lot of faith and gain a testimony of it, because mine was definitely strengthened this week. On Friday during our planning, we prayed and felt really strongly that we needed to have this one man, Simões in church on Sunday. Like it was vital. Only problem, that’s the only thing we know about him. We’ve seen him at the train station and bus stops a bunch and he’s always saying hi to us and asking about church but EVERY TIME we try to get his contact his bus comes and he doesn’t have time to give it to us. We had no way of getting a hold of him. The only way we were going to be able to invite him to church was to have miracle and happen to see him somewhere on the street between Friday afternoon and Sunday night.

I started a fast immediately after physical therapy that afternoon and I prayed so hard the whole time that we could see him on the street for two minutes, invite him to church, give him the address, and remind him what time it starts.

Then Saturday after I broke my fast, the day was getting really hard and frustrating and it was pouring and my boots broke. Both of them. So I was walking with puddles in my shoes and just saying over and over in my head, "I love my mission". I ran around like a crazy trying to find a pair of shoes that I could use and couldn’t so I finally had to go buy super glue and just try to do the best I could until I can buy some new shoes today. I was getting really stressed because with the shoe issue, we were going to miss our bus and be later than expected to prepare for the activity. When we could finally go to the bus stop to leave for the chapel, we sat down on the bench to wait, and thirty seconds later Simões came walking across behind us and said hello to us. I freaked out. I was so excited. We invited him to church and he committed to coming and literally shouted “Yes! I want to come! I will see you tomorrow!” As he ran across the street to get on his bus that was arriving. So we still didn’t have his contact, and I’ll be honest, he didn’t show up to church, but that’s not what I fasted for. I fasted and prayed for a chance to speak with him long enough to invite him and I got it! It was amazing. We’ve seen him around before but seldom long enough that we really needed a miracle for it to happen. I have no doubt that the Lord constructed that and he answered my prayers and he will answer yours as well.

I love you all, hope your Thanksgiving and Black Fridays were great. Have a great time in Hawaii Mom and Dad, go to Haleiwa Eats for me and get some yellow curry and papaya salad.

Love you all!!!

Irma Dean

Happy Thanksgiving

11/19/12

Happy Thanksgiving

Dear everyone, Please eat a slice of pumpkin pie for me. Thanksgiving obviously doesn’t exist here, but, today we get to have a district p-day and have a Thanksgiving celebration!

We’re excited.

This week went alright, physical therapy has gotten a lot more intense so I’ve been crazy sore all week but I’ve also been able to do more work. We’ve had a ton of tender mercies this week and I know that Heavenly Father is helping us get a little happier. Next week we have interviews with President and I’m really looking forward to it. The work is still hard but we have some people who are starting to progress and I really feel like there are people who are ready to be baptized in this area before the end of the transfer. We are going to do a lot of finding this week!

Pray for the pure in heart to be guided to us and for us to recognize them! Gosh, I’m sorry I never really tell you guys anything about how it’s going lately but I don’t have a ton of time because I had to write my mission president in Portuguese and it took me like half an hour to type it. Writing in Portuguese is hard!

But really I just wanted to take the little time I do have right now and tell you all how grateful I am for you. You are so incredible and I love you so much. On my mission I have realized that one of the biggest blessings in my life has been the family and friends I have.

I’m so grateful to have an eternal family and even though holidays are a mess and we fight, we love each other. I want you guys to know, Mom, Dad, Colin, Jen, Ryan, Evan, Stuart, Brooke, Ocean, Maple, and Katie that I love you all so much. I miss you something awful this time of year but I love telling my investigators members and other missionaries about you guys. Thank you so much for the support, letters, emails, pictures, packages, prayers and EVERYTHING you guys have done for me in my life and right now during the mission. Thank you for the example you all are and for loving me even though I’m the annoying spoiled brat youngest sibling. You guys are the best part of my life and I’m so grateful for you and so sorry I take you for granted so often.

And to any friends reading this I want you to know that every single one of you have touched my life. Otherwise I don’t think you’d be reading this. Ha-ha but really, the blessing if having such incredible friends in my life is amazing! Thank you for your letters, emails, packages and love and prayers. I pray for you guys just as much and I miss you so much! I’m so grateful that Heavenly Father has placed you in my life and for the influence you’ve all had on me.

I’m sorry but I really do have to go. I promise next week I will have good mission stuff to tell you!!!

Please remember you’re grateful for me and therefore forgive how short this email is.

Here we go again....

This week's scripture is Alma 41:10
Because being disobedient kicks you in the face.
Not worth it.

It’s been a little bit of a rough week.
We found out Bruno is only 8, so he is a ward baptism and not a missionary baptism. I’m not upset that he won’t count for our numbers or anything. Because of the situation with his mom being inactive, she is now having some doubts, and we have to schedule an interview with the bishop for him to be baptized. So it’s been pushed back at least two weeks. We just really don’t want it to keep getting delayed and then him slip through the cracks.
Also we are just really sad with the ward because Sunday was the primary program and they wouldn’t let Bruno participate because he hadn’t been at all of the practices. He sat with us in the congregation and sang along to every song and it broke my heart. It really made his mom upset and she thinks it’s because the ward thinks he behaves badly and therefore doesn’t think he’s acting well enough to be baptized.
I had my consult on Wednesday and I was really stressed about it so I got a blessing (those are pretty frequent if you hadn't caught on yet) and in it the Elder said I needed to be 100 percent honest with the doctor and that he would know what I needed and it is what Heavenly Father wants for me.
So I went to the consult and he asked some stuff and checked out some pain points in my back and legs and suggested I do ten more sessions. So I’m not done yet, and I’m working on being ok with it. It’s just really frustrating. But I’m glad my physical therapist is so nice. Today he asked me very seriously about the difference between the words "inclusive" and "included" as though it had been bothering him FOREVER and he could finally have it answered. It was cute. I always seem to go into the appointment stressed and frustrated and just a little discouraged but I always, always leave laughing. So I’m really grateful for that. Irma Palmer is always commenting on how she’s out in the hall and can hear us cracking up in the back.
Then last night we had a companion inventory because I thought something was bothering Irma Palmer and instead it turned into a therapy session for Irma Dean. It’s fine. Whatever. Apparently I’m holding onto a lot of sadness and discouragement form our lack of success in my last area. Then my companion told me that three days ago she received revelation that I needed to talk to President about what’s going on and that she didn’t have anything else to say to me until I called him. Awesome. She’s bold that’s for sure. But I’d kind of been feeling the same thing all week so I called him and he and I talk for half an hour and it was really helpful. I need to apply the Atonement better and not be mad at myself for things I can’t control, like not being able to work as long or as hard outside of the house as other missionaries can. I felt a lot better after talking to him though.
And really, here’s the cherry on top of a crap sundae.
Our nametags are being switched to Sister instead of Irma.
STUPID. I’m not happy.
But you know what works for every moment of anything bad in our whole lives? The scriptures.
This week's real scripture is D&C 84:88
He lives and He is by our side, and He sends our family and friends to help us out so we can better feel His love.
Dad I got your letter in the mail today and it was just what I needed. Thank you!!
I love you guys, have a great week, and know I love you and I'm praying for you guys!

Keep Praying for me

Keep praying for me
Apparently I will need it...

This week was so great you guys!

First, on Wednesday I went to my last physical therapy appointment and he said that I would have a week with no treatments to see how that goes. I will come back in on Wednesday and see if I still need more treatments or not. But, he said he’s really happy with my progress. and I’m so glad because I just need it to be over. I know without a doubt there was purpose in me meeting Pedro and introducing him to the Church and me getting my back better, but I’m ready for a miracle and to get back to work. I’m so sick of having to travel there and take so much time away from the area. And all this week my back has been doing so well! I only had pain on Sunday and it went away in a few hours. That is some serious progress.

Second, we committed Bruno to be baptized this Sunday! He’s nine, and the son of a less active recent convert, and he is so excited to be baptized. His mom just wants to make sure he really knows what he’s doing with it because she felt like she was baptized too quickly, but pray for them! He is so smart and knows so much about baptism and why we need it!
Third, I’m sorry family; we are literally at the last like ten minutes of p-day so I have zero time. We had to bake a cake at the church because it’s Bruno’s mom's birthday! We are showing love to let her know God loves her and she should come back to church and let her son be baptized.
Fourth, I got a blessing from an Elder in my district this week even though I was feeling fine. My companion needed one and the spirit prompted me to get one too so I asked for one after and apparently God had A LOT to say to me. That blessing was the longest I’ve received on the mission and maybe ever in my life. But he said multiple times that the Lord wants me to be an example for my companion and my future companions and be a strength to them, and that the Lord wants me to put myself in situations that are out of my nature and will stretch me. He wants me to "place yourself out of your comfort zone" and be willing to show faith and learn how to do more things. I think the Lord is trying to prepare me for something and I don’t like the sound of it.
Pray for me.
Really.

I love you guys tons I hope everyone is safe and sound. The Church is true!
Also, my companion and I are writing a song about all the creepy men on the mission that say things like, "Irma, quero um beijo seu."
Look it up.
Love you guys!