Ugh! It’s so close! I’m excited and devastated all at the time.
Guess what!
There is nothing to write except.....
PAULA GOT BATIZADA!
SHE GOT IN THE WATER.
It was glorious.
Here’s the skinny on how it happened.
Tuesday she called us after not having been able to see us for two weeks. She was really upset and having like a panic attack about some family drama and just needed to vent. She asked if we could come over on Thursday so we did.
We got there and almost immediately she asked when I was going home. She then apologized for the phone call and freaking out and thanked us for listening to her. Then she said, "I don’t have work on Saturday morning or Sunday morning. I want to do it before you go home."
I was so surprised that I didn’t even understand what she was talking about. So she had to be all... Baptized. I want to get baptized.
It was so fast and so epic and so perfect. Literally everything fell perfectly into place and it was incredible. I still can’t even believe it happened.
The members helped us so much and showed up to support her and us even had investigators attend! The baptism was perfect. Seriously. One of the strongest times I’ve felt the spirit my whole mission. She received the Holy Ghost on Sunday and this is the best part: a recent convert and a returning less active who we have worked with both received the Melchizedek Priesthood last week and participated in giving her the Holy Ghost! How cool is that?! She cried and I cried and the spirit was so strong.
Ahhhhhh! The Lord blesses us when we are patient! Ha-ha it was awesome.
Love you guys! HAVE A GREAT WEEK! Remember how incredible the gospel is and how much it blesses our lives!
Ok got to go, I love you!!
Monday, July 22, 2013
Monday, July 15, 2013
Three
What up, What up, What up?
Guess what happened yesterday?!
SURPRISE.
President Fluckiger was at our branch for church. ha ha ha yeah. awesome.
No, it was actually much better than I expected it to be, especially because of two people: Fernando and Maria.
Here's Fernado's story.
Basically he is the husband of a member and has been taught missionary lessons since like 2007. He is just really stubborn and doesn’t want to listen to the missionaries or come to church ever. Well the Relief Society asked that we go and Rosemarie, the wife, ad perk her up because she’s struggling a little right now. We went over and had a message all planned out and when we got there Fernando was home and came to sit in for the message. I felt very strongly at the very beginning that we needed to scratch the original plan and sing "Love at Home". We did, and it was fine, and then we were just talking with Rosemarie a little when she started to cry a bit. She talked about how things are hard right now and she had originally wanted to cancel with us because she was really tired. But, she accepted the visit and she knew it was Heavenly Father trying to tell her He is watching over her because we came in and sang that song after she had just fought with her husband. (awkward but really cool!) So anyway, we get to the end of the lesson and ask Fernando, "Will you come to church on Sunday to hear your wife's talk?" and he just straight-faced stares at us and says... "no."
Well, well, well. something changed because we walk into Sacrament meeting yesterday and look who was sitting there next to his wife looking somewhat uncomfortable but supportive! FERNANDO. it was really exciting.
Then there’s Maria.
We were walking to get lunch and Sister Austin said we should contact a woman sitting on a bench. We went over and she was really nice and everything and the contact went well. We prayed with her and gave her a Book of Mormon and read Mosiah 18:9 with her. She talked about how people flock to her for advice, even strangers, and how she just wants to be a good person. We found out she lives in Lisbon (my old area!) but that she’s here for about a month. We gave her the address of the church and she said "I WILL BE THERE"
Well, all week we couldn’t get a hold of her but we called on Sunday morning and she said "Hello! I’m already getting dressed, see you in a little bit" she had some trouble finding the church but she made it and stayed for all three hours and loved it! The members were so wonderful too! They did an awesome job at fellowshipping and helping her read the hymn book. It was really cool. She's elect.
Anyway, life is good. And my time is getting short.
I’m really excited to see you guys soon but for now things are picking up well here so I’m really grateful for that.
Love you guys! Have an awesome week!
Irmã Dean
Guess what happened yesterday?!
SURPRISE.
President Fluckiger was at our branch for church. ha ha ha yeah. awesome.
No, it was actually much better than I expected it to be, especially because of two people: Fernando and Maria.
Here's Fernado's story.
Basically he is the husband of a member and has been taught missionary lessons since like 2007. He is just really stubborn and doesn’t want to listen to the missionaries or come to church ever. Well the Relief Society asked that we go and Rosemarie, the wife, ad perk her up because she’s struggling a little right now. We went over and had a message all planned out and when we got there Fernando was home and came to sit in for the message. I felt very strongly at the very beginning that we needed to scratch the original plan and sing "Love at Home". We did, and it was fine, and then we were just talking with Rosemarie a little when she started to cry a bit. She talked about how things are hard right now and she had originally wanted to cancel with us because she was really tired. But, she accepted the visit and she knew it was Heavenly Father trying to tell her He is watching over her because we came in and sang that song after she had just fought with her husband. (awkward but really cool!) So anyway, we get to the end of the lesson and ask Fernando, "Will you come to church on Sunday to hear your wife's talk?" and he just straight-faced stares at us and says... "no."
Well, well, well. something changed because we walk into Sacrament meeting yesterday and look who was sitting there next to his wife looking somewhat uncomfortable but supportive! FERNANDO. it was really exciting.
Then there’s Maria.
We were walking to get lunch and Sister Austin said we should contact a woman sitting on a bench. We went over and she was really nice and everything and the contact went well. We prayed with her and gave her a Book of Mormon and read Mosiah 18:9 with her. She talked about how people flock to her for advice, even strangers, and how she just wants to be a good person. We found out she lives in Lisbon (my old area!) but that she’s here for about a month. We gave her the address of the church and she said "I WILL BE THERE"
Well, all week we couldn’t get a hold of her but we called on Sunday morning and she said "Hello! I’m already getting dressed, see you in a little bit" she had some trouble finding the church but she made it and stayed for all three hours and loved it! The members were so wonderful too! They did an awesome job at fellowshipping and helping her read the hymn book. It was really cool. She's elect.
Anyway, life is good. And my time is getting short.
I’m really excited to see you guys soon but for now things are picking up well here so I’m really grateful for that.
Love you guys! Have an awesome week!
Irmã Dean
Monday, July 8, 2013
four
Ok, sorry. I don’t know how but I got a little excited and sent that early. The week went really well and we had some cool miracles happen. Here’s what I wrote to President:
This week went very well! We had an awesome miracle with a less active family. We have been visiting them since last transfer. The mom loves having us over and is returning to church, but the 14-year-old daughter refused to even come out of her room for the closing prayer in our first visit with them. Over time she started coming out to talk with us a little, then participating, and then agreed to read some of the Book of Mormon. She left on Saturday to visit her father in Austria for the summer, and at the end of our wonderful lesson the day before, she asked, "I think I want to try going to church while in Austria. How could I find out where the chapel is? Do you think it would be ok for me to go even though I don't speak German?" We were blown away at her question and arranged to email her instruction on how to use the chapel locator and keep in touch with her while she is gone.
We also have an investigator, Natércia, who has accepted everything except the law of chastity. While trying to take away those doubts we continued teaching everything and she is making progress. She called us on Saturday, out of the blue, to confirm that it was fast Sunday and ask if she could pay her fast offering and said, "I feel like God expects it of me." Now we are focusing on getting her to feel that about chastity as well!
Also, we went and taught the 16 year old daughter of a recent convert and the lesson was awesome! She’s so confused and curious and just doesn’t know what she believes but she is golden. And she is obsessed with the band 30 Seconds to Mars, so we became friends real quick.
Also, last night we had a really cool lesson in which an investigator made me do some really weird meditation stuff which was really sweet. She told me all the psychological reasoning behind my back pain.
Good week all in all.
Love you!
Irma Dean
This week went very well! We had an awesome miracle with a less active family. We have been visiting them since last transfer. The mom loves having us over and is returning to church, but the 14-year-old daughter refused to even come out of her room for the closing prayer in our first visit with them. Over time she started coming out to talk with us a little, then participating, and then agreed to read some of the Book of Mormon. She left on Saturday to visit her father in Austria for the summer, and at the end of our wonderful lesson the day before, she asked, "I think I want to try going to church while in Austria. How could I find out where the chapel is? Do you think it would be ok for me to go even though I don't speak German?" We were blown away at her question and arranged to email her instruction on how to use the chapel locator and keep in touch with her while she is gone.
We also have an investigator, Natércia, who has accepted everything except the law of chastity. While trying to take away those doubts we continued teaching everything and she is making progress. She called us on Saturday, out of the blue, to confirm that it was fast Sunday and ask if she could pay her fast offering and said, "I feel like God expects it of me." Now we are focusing on getting her to feel that about chastity as well!
Also, we went and taught the 16 year old daughter of a recent convert and the lesson was awesome! She’s so confused and curious and just doesn’t know what she believes but she is golden. And she is obsessed with the band 30 Seconds to Mars, so we became friends real quick.
Also, last night we had a really cool lesson in which an investigator made me do some really weird meditation stuff which was really sweet. She told me all the psychological reasoning behind my back pain.
Good week all in all.
Love you!
Irma Dean
Monday, July 1, 2013
Five!
Boa tarde família!
I just love you guys. This week was wonderful.
Here’s what I told president
Our investigator Paula has been having a really hard time committing to a baptismal date, so much so that our last lesson was a "do or die." We prepared the lesson to every detail we could think of, practiced, and prayed a ton to be able to have her accept a date so we wouldn't have to drop her. When we started the lesson she said, "Ola Irmãs, na segunda-feira vou saber meu horario para trabalho, e na primeira fim de semana que tenho o sabado e domingo livre, eu quero ser batizada e receber o Espirito Santo."(Sisters, I’m going to know my work schedule for the month on Monday, and the first weekend I have a Saturday and Sunday off I want to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost.) We hadn't even said the opening prayer. We are joining her in prayer and fasting that she can have this Saturday and Sunday off to be baptized because she wants to receive the Holy Ghost on the 7th, her wedding anniversary.
At church we were greeting a recent convert and asking how her children were doing. She said that her son was doing well but her daughter had failed her exams and would have to stay back a year in school. She said that she was thinking about and hoping maybe we could talk with her daughter and help give her some direction. We went over for dinner a few weeks ago and loved her daughter, who is clearly in the confused teen years, and we got along with her very well so our recent convert hoped we could use that as a way to get her interested in the gospel and have better values. We are so excited to go teach her on Thursday.
So yeah, basically really great things are happening. We are finally seeing some pick up in people. We have started to get references and meet people that are progressing faster and more deeply.
Also, did you all watch that broadcast, the Work of Salvation? I loved it. I was a little bit of a mess in the musical numbers. Hymns in English are so different that Portuguese ha-ha you feel the spirit a lot stronger. Speaking of which, we actually watched the broadcast twice. Once during church in Portuguese and again after in English with other missionaries. I’m very glad I got to see it in English. I’m still really blown away by how much I can comprehend Portuguese, but the second time I watched it I felt like I received so much more inspiration on how to be a better missionary right now and even more when I am at home.
it’s really hot here, my companion and I are having a good time together, everyone likes making comments about how I am "dead" and "starting to smell" because I’m so close to finishing. But the ward has been so sweet and loving and trying to spoil me because they know I’m ending my mission here.
I love you guys tons!!! Have an awesome week!
Irma Dean
I just love you guys. This week was wonderful.
Here’s what I told president
Our investigator Paula has been having a really hard time committing to a baptismal date, so much so that our last lesson was a "do or die." We prepared the lesson to every detail we could think of, practiced, and prayed a ton to be able to have her accept a date so we wouldn't have to drop her. When we started the lesson she said, "Ola Irmãs, na segunda-feira vou saber meu horario para trabalho, e na primeira fim de semana que tenho o sabado e domingo livre, eu quero ser batizada e receber o Espirito Santo."(Sisters, I’m going to know my work schedule for the month on Monday, and the first weekend I have a Saturday and Sunday off I want to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost.) We hadn't even said the opening prayer. We are joining her in prayer and fasting that she can have this Saturday and Sunday off to be baptized because she wants to receive the Holy Ghost on the 7th, her wedding anniversary.
At church we were greeting a recent convert and asking how her children were doing. She said that her son was doing well but her daughter had failed her exams and would have to stay back a year in school. She said that she was thinking about and hoping maybe we could talk with her daughter and help give her some direction. We went over for dinner a few weeks ago and loved her daughter, who is clearly in the confused teen years, and we got along with her very well so our recent convert hoped we could use that as a way to get her interested in the gospel and have better values. We are so excited to go teach her on Thursday.
So yeah, basically really great things are happening. We are finally seeing some pick up in people. We have started to get references and meet people that are progressing faster and more deeply.
Also, did you all watch that broadcast, the Work of Salvation? I loved it. I was a little bit of a mess in the musical numbers. Hymns in English are so different that Portuguese ha-ha you feel the spirit a lot stronger. Speaking of which, we actually watched the broadcast twice. Once during church in Portuguese and again after in English with other missionaries. I’m very glad I got to see it in English. I’m still really blown away by how much I can comprehend Portuguese, but the second time I watched it I felt like I received so much more inspiration on how to be a better missionary right now and even more when I am at home.
it’s really hot here, my companion and I are having a good time together, everyone likes making comments about how I am "dead" and "starting to smell" because I’m so close to finishing. But the ward has been so sweet and loving and trying to spoil me because they know I’m ending my mission here.
I love you guys tons!!! Have an awesome week!
Irma Dean
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