That this transfer is going to be epic. Really.
So family bo bamily. I’m really tired right now. I apologize if anything doesn’t make sense or is typed wrong. I have three stories for you!
This week has been incredible! Seriously amazing. During emails last week we got a call from the ward mission leader in Mem Martins (my first area!) and he said he had a reference for us and wanted to go there with us at 5:30. We said NO PROBLEM. And met up with him to go to the appointment. So he introduced us to his cousins, Beta and Fatima. Beta just had a baby and has never been religious but over Easter watched the miniseries thing on TV about Christ and told her member cousin that she wants to know more about Christ.
We went over and started teaching her and she is so cool! Just like earnestly seeking truth and direction in her life. On Wednesday and they had not only read the book of Mormon but had written down questions like, “What does omnipotent mean?” , and “What is the law of Moses?”, and “What is the organization of the plates of gold and the plates of brass?”. They said they had prayed about the Book of Mormon and felt that this was the right path for them to take. We invited them both to be baptized on the 28th of April, and they accepted and were really excited. We had another lesson on Friday and confirmed that they would come to church on Sunday. Saturday rolls around and Betas phone was off or something so we weren’t getting a hold of them, and so she calls us at ten that night and says "Hi Sister, it’s me, Beta. I’m just calling to confirm what time you will be here to come with us to church." For anyone who hasn’t served a mission, that doesn’t happen all the time. Like you’re lucky if three of the ten people you've committed to coming show up.
So Sunday morning, we go over there at nine. Stake conference started at ten. Portugal standard time is about 20 minutes later than when you arrange for. THEY WERE READY AND WAITING. But that’s not it. THEY WERE IN DRESSES. Like they looked NICE. THEY HAD GOTTEN READY and had LOOKED UP THE BUS SCHEDULE. This is a missionary's dream. At least in our mission. We went to Stake Conference together and they LOVED IT. Beta said she really loved the music and the speakers and Fatima was even paying really close attention. At the end of conference a bunch of people came up to them and it turns out they have other cousins who live in our stake and were saying stuff like, "yeah Beta mentioned that she’s getting baptized, please call us and let us know the details so we can be there."
It was amazing. And they just fell into our laps. I love it. That’s when you know it is right and that’s when they’re going to stay firm. References who have friends and have expressed desire! Don’t get me wrong, there are elect people waiting for their door to be knocked, but really member references is the way to go. Heed the advice of our leaders in General conference and talk to your friends about the gospel and give references to the missionaries!
Also this week we had a miracle with Dean! Dad thank you so, so, so much for your letter with your testimony written in Chinese. I gave it to him in a lesson on Friday and he was so excited. I even took a video of it which I will try to attach to the email. He translated it into English for us and the spirit was so strong that my companion was starting to cry. After he read it he just kept smiling and saying thank you and asking me to tell dad thank you. He said, "This is real gift. This is from the heart. I am very touched. Thank you much." (mistakes intended on that one). As we continued to talk to Dean about what he’s learned and the responses to his prayers (the two dreams about Christ) he said that in his dream, Christ reached his hand out to him and that he wanted to grab it but he woke up before he could. As we talked to him about how he can reach out and take the Savior’s hand through baptism, the spirit was so strong. Dean said he still wasn’t sure that these things are a response for him to be able to pick this path. We invited him to, if before that date feels that he has received his response from God to take this path, be baptized on May 4th and HE ACCEPTED. The first time we brought up baptism he was extremely firm that he was neither ready nor willing to think about that yet. This is an amazing step for him. Everyone please pray hard for Dean to receive recognition of the responses he is getting from the Lord. I know that prayer works and it would be awesome to have your support in this. He needs it!
Also. Being Lisbon and all, it has been my dream to meet Mormon tourists and take a picture with them. That dream came true this week! We got on the bus and a couple started talking to my companion and me. Turns out that he had served his mission here in Lisbon 30 years ago and they were here for just three days before meeting up with their son in Spain who just finished his mission. It’s their first trip back and they were really excited to have run into us. As we were talking they asked where I was from and when I said Maryland, the wife mentioned she had family in the Frederick area and I said that’s my stake! She asked what ward I lived in and when I said Westminster, you should have seen her face. She said, "My sister lives in that ward!"Susan Knouse! I about had a heart attack. We were so excited and I told her I had been Kristina’s camp counselor and that I love their family! We took pictures and it was amazing! The Lord blesses us so much in life and on the mission. He knows when we need a tender mercy and he WANTS to give them to us! So cool huh!
This week is going to be wonderful for me and I pray that it will be just as wonderful for all of you! I love and miss you all!!!
Irma Dean
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