Today is the first day of my last transfer.
Yep. Weird.
I don't have much time today, so I copied some of what I wrote to President.
Ola President,
This week has gone well. Today and this past week I am just grateful. Very, very, grateful. It’s been a hard adjustment coming from Lisbon to Santarem, and I have had moments of not handling it well. But I reflected a lot yesterday during the sacrament on the chance Heavenly Father has taken on me here. Here in Portugal, here in Santarem, here as a missionary, and here on Earth. As the bread and water were passed I read and pondered the words to the hymn, Assombro Me Causa (I stand all amazed), and really understood how incredible it is that God was willing to take such a big chance by letting me, an extremely flawed, 21 year old who never really had a testimony until half-way through the mission, be an instrument in His great and marvelous work. The mission is hard sometimes, but we wouldn't be able to become like Him if we didn't endure hard things. I know struggles will continue but I feel like this next (my last) transfer can easily be the best I've had on the mission.
Fam-bamily, I just want you guys to all know that I love you so much and that even more I love the Lord. I love His incredible work. I am excited to see you all again soon, yes, but I have sent way too much time letting myself think about that. So today I am done with that. So, mom and dad and others, please no more writing about all the fun stuff we will do when I am home. right now, I have some really fun stuff to do like see the Atonement change people's lives, eat Portuguese pastries, teach my greenie how to perfect her Portuguese, and help the district become a stake by the end of the year!
Time to work!
Please, everyone pray for Orlando if you can, he lost his job and moved back to Lisbon and is pretty discouraged.
I love you all, have a wonderful week!
Irmã Dean
Monday, June 24, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
Seven
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
You guys, God is good.
So Santarém is definitely not like any other place I've served. The work is very different and a lot more difficult. They cal this zone the Refiner's Fire of the Portugal mission because you basically have to suck it up and develop every Christ-like attribute and know Preach My Gospel like the back of your hand to be able to have any success here. We have definitely felt that. I came from the most successful zone in the mission to one of the least. And it has definitely been a rough adjustment.
But God is good. Two weeks ago we worked so hard and only found one new investigator all week, while the mission standard is ten. This past week we studied harder, prayed harder, worked harder, fasted more,and humbled ourselves to ask for help from all our leaders, and we were blessed to find six new investigators. We're still not there yet, but it was a big leap that's for sure.
Also, our investigator Paula said that she has finally been able t go more than a week without smoking and doesn't feel the withdrawals so badly anymore that now she feels like she can mark a baptismal date for herself and her daughter!
Today while we were getting groceries, Elser and Sister Rose, the senior couple in our Branch, called and asked if we wanted to spend some time with them and go see a nearby castle today. After five p-days in the house it was a huge tender mercy! We had a ton of fun and went to a place called Óbidos. I'll try and include pictures. So the Lord looks out for us and knows when we need a little reminder that He's there and that He loves us and that things can still be fun even when things are getting hard again.
I love you all so much and the next time I write you I will officially be in my last transfer on the mission. Pray for me please ha ha
Have a wonderful week!!!
love
Irmã Dean
You guys, God is good.
So Santarém is definitely not like any other place I've served. The work is very different and a lot more difficult. They cal this zone the Refiner's Fire of the Portugal mission because you basically have to suck it up and develop every Christ-like attribute and know Preach My Gospel like the back of your hand to be able to have any success here. We have definitely felt that. I came from the most successful zone in the mission to one of the least. And it has definitely been a rough adjustment.
But God is good. Two weeks ago we worked so hard and only found one new investigator all week, while the mission standard is ten. This past week we studied harder, prayed harder, worked harder, fasted more,and humbled ourselves to ask for help from all our leaders, and we were blessed to find six new investigators. We're still not there yet, but it was a big leap that's for sure.
Also, our investigator Paula said that she has finally been able t go more than a week without smoking and doesn't feel the withdrawals so badly anymore that now she feels like she can mark a baptismal date for herself and her daughter!
Today while we were getting groceries, Elser and Sister Rose, the senior couple in our Branch, called and asked if we wanted to spend some time with them and go see a nearby castle today. After five p-days in the house it was a huge tender mercy! We had a ton of fun and went to a place called Óbidos. I'll try and include pictures. So the Lord looks out for us and knows when we need a little reminder that He's there and that He loves us and that things can still be fun even when things are getting hard again.
I love you all so much and the next time I write you I will officially be in my last transfer on the mission. Pray for me please ha ha
Have a wonderful week!!!
love
Irmã Dean
Monday, June 10, 2013
Eight
Hey, Guess what?
My companion and I got hit by a car this week.
Not kidding. We are fine. Don't worry. ha ha
We were in a crosswalk and it had rained that morning so the guy tried to break and the car wouldn't stop. He didn't like slam us or anything, it was like a... firm bump I guess. It didn't hurt or anything and they were definitely worse off than us. They were terrified and the guy's wife looked like she would burst into tears. They were really happy we were missionaries, that's for sure.
Other than that, the week has been pretty normal. I'm still not quite sure what to do here in this area because the vine is completely different than anywhere I've served, but Irma Austin and I are trying to figure it out ha ha. She keeps me laughing, that's for sure. She is a full on kook. Dad, you would love her sense of humor.
Speaking of dad, if I'm not mistaken... Happy Father's day!!! On Sunday... I have a card for you in the mail, so I hope it gets there soon!
We had interviews this week and mine went well. President encouraged me to use family history in proselyting more but I'm really not sure how to go about that. If anyone has tips, hit me. I also got to talk to Sister Fluckiger for a bit. She said she missed me! ha ha That made my week. I missed her too. She's pretty much precious and such an awesome example. I really love her.
Hey, do you wanna hear something cool??
So, Orlando, right? He's awesome. Did I tell you that his nephew, Gui, the one we originally visited when we found Orlando, was baptized two weeks ago and invited a friend to be there? He received the Holy Ghost the next week. Yesterday he received the Aaronic priesthood and baptized the friend he had invited to his baptism.
THIS FAMILY IS GOLDEN.
This work is amazing.
I love it so much.
And, I love you all so much.
I'm sorry I didn't have time to respond to individual emails this week, we were low on computers. but I promise I still love you all. Have a wonderful week and go share the Gospel with your friends!
Love, Irma Dean
My companion and I got hit by a car this week.
Not kidding. We are fine. Don't worry. ha ha
We were in a crosswalk and it had rained that morning so the guy tried to break and the car wouldn't stop. He didn't like slam us or anything, it was like a... firm bump I guess. It didn't hurt or anything and they were definitely worse off than us. They were terrified and the guy's wife looked like she would burst into tears. They were really happy we were missionaries, that's for sure.
Other than that, the week has been pretty normal. I'm still not quite sure what to do here in this area because the vine is completely different than anywhere I've served, but Irma Austin and I are trying to figure it out ha ha. She keeps me laughing, that's for sure. She is a full on kook. Dad, you would love her sense of humor.
Speaking of dad, if I'm not mistaken... Happy Father's day!!! On Sunday... I have a card for you in the mail, so I hope it gets there soon!
We had interviews this week and mine went well. President encouraged me to use family history in proselyting more but I'm really not sure how to go about that. If anyone has tips, hit me. I also got to talk to Sister Fluckiger for a bit. She said she missed me! ha ha That made my week. I missed her too. She's pretty much precious and such an awesome example. I really love her.
Hey, do you wanna hear something cool??
So, Orlando, right? He's awesome. Did I tell you that his nephew, Gui, the one we originally visited when we found Orlando, was baptized two weeks ago and invited a friend to be there? He received the Holy Ghost the next week. Yesterday he received the Aaronic priesthood and baptized the friend he had invited to his baptism.
THIS FAMILY IS GOLDEN.
This work is amazing.
I love it so much.
And, I love you all so much.
I'm sorry I didn't have time to respond to individual emails this week, we were low on computers. but I promise I still love you all. Have a wonderful week and go share the Gospel with your friends!
Love, Irma Dean
Monday, June 3, 2013
Nine
Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello.
Hey, guess what?! Remember Orlando? He bore his testimony yesterday! He talked about how he knew God had sent me and my companion to Lisbon and the Elders here in São Domingos to rescue his life.
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat??? I almost cried.
Church was just incredible yesterday. Everything. It was awesome.
I can be so stressed out and just crazy because we have to worry about investigators or recent converts and so many other things, but there is just so much beauty and peace in taking the sacrament and having a few minutes not to worry about anything other than your own personal relationship with God. It's a much needed few minutes; because then it's back to worrying about everyone else and you just don't have time or desire to think about yourself.
I have a greenie to think about! Ha ha ha, she is awesome. We literally are different in every way except for like five random things. All of which Dad will be pleased about. Dad and Katie would love her just as much as I do, because:
She loves Les Miserables also
She likes Shakespeare
She has seen "Whats Up Doc!" can you believe that?!
It's very exciting stuff. That's pretty much everything we have in common.....
It's been super fun teaching her the language especially though. I feel like I'm back at the Reading & Writing center and I love it. It's making me feel really good about my Portuguese too. Not because hers is bad or anything, just because I'm realizing how much I know. Even though our work is going pretty slowly, she's picking up really fast on teaching skills and I'm realizing that even if we aren't teaching an investigator in that moment that I am still teaching her every second of every day. No pressure.
It's taught me a lot about the kind of example I need to be after my mission as well. To my friends outside the church but also to people thinking about serving a mission. The mission has changed my life so much and I don't want to go home and have people see my example and say, "That it doesn't seem like I'm any closer to Christ." I have also learned that I want so badly to be involved with church service or maybe even work for the church. I have no idea what I would do, but a girl can dream.
I'm gonna wrap up now. The work is a little slow right now so I don't have a ton to report about people we are teaching but I'm gonna paste a story I sent to Presidente and remind you all that the Lord hears and answers our prayers! I know he does, He loves us and wants to help us. He wants us to be happy and wants to use us as instruments in his hands if we will just follow his Holy Spirit and the guidance it gives us.
As far as miracles go, we did a district fast to have more investigators in church. We had four people committed to coming to church and on Sunday morning none of them answered the phone or showed up to church. However, at the beginning of Sacrament meeting the Elders said there was a man there who lived in our area named Jaime. He is an old investigator from about a year ago and we had stopped by his house a few days before. He wasn't home so we said a prayer and left a card with his mother. He said that he had already thought about maybe coming to church and then got home and saw the invitation to attend church and figured it meant he should come! We have an appointment with him on Tuesday and are very excited. It may be differently than we expect but God answers our prayers!
Love you guys!!!
Irmã Dean
Hey, guess what?! Remember Orlando? He bore his testimony yesterday! He talked about how he knew God had sent me and my companion to Lisbon and the Elders here in São Domingos to rescue his life.
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat??? I almost cried.
Church was just incredible yesterday. Everything. It was awesome.
I can be so stressed out and just crazy because we have to worry about investigators or recent converts and so many other things, but there is just so much beauty and peace in taking the sacrament and having a few minutes not to worry about anything other than your own personal relationship with God. It's a much needed few minutes; because then it's back to worrying about everyone else and you just don't have time or desire to think about yourself.
I have a greenie to think about! Ha ha ha, she is awesome. We literally are different in every way except for like five random things. All of which Dad will be pleased about. Dad and Katie would love her just as much as I do, because:
She loves Les Miserables also
She likes Shakespeare
She has seen "Whats Up Doc!" can you believe that?!
It's very exciting stuff. That's pretty much everything we have in common.....
It's been super fun teaching her the language especially though. I feel like I'm back at the Reading & Writing center and I love it. It's making me feel really good about my Portuguese too. Not because hers is bad or anything, just because I'm realizing how much I know. Even though our work is going pretty slowly, she's picking up really fast on teaching skills and I'm realizing that even if we aren't teaching an investigator in that moment that I am still teaching her every second of every day. No pressure.
It's taught me a lot about the kind of example I need to be after my mission as well. To my friends outside the church but also to people thinking about serving a mission. The mission has changed my life so much and I don't want to go home and have people see my example and say, "That it doesn't seem like I'm any closer to Christ." I have also learned that I want so badly to be involved with church service or maybe even work for the church. I have no idea what I would do, but a girl can dream.
I'm gonna wrap up now. The work is a little slow right now so I don't have a ton to report about people we are teaching but I'm gonna paste a story I sent to Presidente and remind you all that the Lord hears and answers our prayers! I know he does, He loves us and wants to help us. He wants us to be happy and wants to use us as instruments in his hands if we will just follow his Holy Spirit and the guidance it gives us.
As far as miracles go, we did a district fast to have more investigators in church. We had four people committed to coming to church and on Sunday morning none of them answered the phone or showed up to church. However, at the beginning of Sacrament meeting the Elders said there was a man there who lived in our area named Jaime. He is an old investigator from about a year ago and we had stopped by his house a few days before. He wasn't home so we said a prayer and left a card with his mother. He said that he had already thought about maybe coming to church and then got home and saw the invitation to attend church and figured it meant he should come! We have an appointment with him on Tuesday and are very excited. It may be differently than we expect but God answers our prayers!
Love you guys!!!
Irmã Dean
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| Every companion I've ever had. We were together for a training meeting. |
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| There are olive tree orchards here! |
 Sister Austin with her first pastel de nata (famous Portuguese pastry) |
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