Monday June 11, 2012

Well this week is just going great. Elder Rose poorly chose to trust me and had me cut his hair, needless to say Elder Way in the Coimbra 1st ward came to the rescue. I blame it on him moving his head, and me not knowing what I was doing. . . . good thing it grows back!

 

Elder Neilson and Elder Fry called me and let me know that José and Olga finally got baptized in Setúbal. They called and asked me to baptize them, I couldn't because I am really far from Setúbal, and it would take more than 5 hours by public transport to get there if I wanted to, but there are 2 more baptisms!!!

 

Elder Rose and I also baptized 2 people. One was named Virgílio and the other is Luis. Virgílio was an eternal investigator that was about 65 years old, that we found in the area book. The elders before us taught him and invited him for baptism 4 or 5 times and he never would accept . . . don't know why. So elder Rose and I decided to go in and give him the sunday as a date and see what he says. He told us to wait until July and he would be baptized in July, and then we said that it would be better for this weekend, he said, What time? we told him right after church, and then he said, If I can get done by 2:30 I'll do it, because I have an appointment at 3:00. So we baptized him. Frankly put, I don't know what his problem was, we never had any problems marking him for baptism, and all the elders in the past have been teaching him and said he won't get into the water. I don't know, he was more active than our bishop even though he hadn't come to church until we told him he was getting baptized. You should have seen the look on the members face when his name was announced, they couldn't believe it. The bishop bit his tounge to keep from laughing at the expression of the members, and the bishop asked us if we were serious.

 

The other guy is named Luis. I don't know why he was never baptized either. He just hadn't been to church in a couple of weeks and is the brother of a Recent convert from last transfer. He wanted to get baptized, so we helped him out. We have a guy named Moroni in our ward that is 18 years old and is a lazy bum all day. So we just do divisions with him all day, about 2 or 3 times a week. He taught and we let him baptize Luis. He came to church on nothing but adreneline. You could tell, because right after the baptism, he couldn't stay awake. It was his first person to baptize, and he didn't sleep last night because he was so excited. His mom told us how proud she was of him to baptize someone. He deserved it. We have so many youth in our ward that we have a goal that each one that can, will baptize or confirm at least one person since coimbra is a college town.

 

your friend,

Elder Hope

Tuesday June 5, 2012

Ok, so yesterday we had a zone conference in which Sister Torgan was crying because it was the last time she would see us, and president torgan said that he was really dissapointed because only 6 people in the old porto mission were baptized on Sunday, and that it needs to be better, but on the positive side, one of those 6 people was named Job. We baptized Job. He found a book of mormon and started reading it. He really liked what he read, and then the elders contated him a little while later. On sunday, he was baptized. He was marked earlier, but he was having problems with work on sunday, and didn't want to live the law of tithing, but wanted the blessing from it.

 

We had 2 really cool lessons this week, one with a guy named Virgilio, who we will baptize this transfer, and we talked about the atonement, and how he makes christ suffer when he sins, and then we told him to stop sinning and be baptized, he accepted the date, but aparently, he always accepts the date, and then flees right before.

 

We had another deep doctrine lesson with a recent convert, that has been comparing the book of mormon, with the bible, and the bible, with another version, it is quite interesting, I learned the the Lords prayer is translated differently in other bibles, so I am sort of curious how the catholics choose which lord's prayer to use, since they are both catholic bibles that this guy was using, his name is Jonathan.

 

I can't think of anything really cool that is going on, except that elder Rose got his ingrown toenail fixed, and they wouldn't let me watch the surgery, because I am not married to him . . . yes they think that way in Portugal.

 

a couple interesting notes from zone conference

 

if we follow up with another area, but don't try to help them, then there was no point to follow up.

 

the way for the church to prosper is through baptism (Helaman 3:26-30), it is clearer in portuguese though

 

we need to live up to our message, our message won't come down, so we must go up to the level of our message.

 

Love,

Elder Hope

Monday May 28, 2012

Dear family and friends,

 

This week ended really well. Our numbers were actually really good. We managed 21 member present lessons this last week!

 

It was interesting because we were doing really bad at church, we only had 2 investigators there and preisthood had already started. (sacrament is last). So we get there and our buddies from Nepal aren't even there. We have been teaching some hindus about baptism and the gospel. We marked them for baptism the second time we spoke with them, because that is what we are instructed to do. And they come running into the chapel and said, sorry we are late, we missed the bus, so we walked!!! So they came in. They are marked for this next sunday, but we will see, they said they don't want to be baptized yet . . . I think they are just scared, anyways that put us up to 4 people in church which is pretty good. Anyways, a guy named Job comes into sacrament meeting and says he wants to be baptized next week, so we are set up for another baptism next week, we also baptized a kid named Gonolo yesterday!!. We have a goal of 6 baptisms this transfer, an average of 1 a week.

 

I went on a division this last week and President Torgan has gotten onto us about marking, and that we need to be following what Jesus tells us to do in Preach my gospel and mark on the first or 2nd lesson. Elder Rose and I are trying so hard to do that, but anyways I went out to figueira de foz and we had a lesson with a guy named antolio. It was obvious that he had been taught a lot, but he asked us to cast out an evil spirit in his house. So we went in, and the elder I was with just wanted to cast it out, get him to church, and leave, I on the other hand, wanted to mark him for baptism. So I told him that the evil spirits are satan and the opposite of satan is Jesus Christ, and if he had the Holy spirit with him, he would never have to worry about evil spirits again because satan can't be in the same place as Jesus. He agreeded. So I told him that I wanted him to prepare to get the holy spirit and be baptized on the 3rd of June. We prayed he felt really good, and we left. The elder I was with was sort of frustrated that I marked his investigator for him since antolio smokes and drinks still. I simply told him that he can quit before his baptism and everything will be alright. It is interesting to see the faith of missionaries. Because it is by our faith that god prepares the people. If we feel something, and try do what is right, god will do his part, and Antolio hasn't smoked since he was marked, even though he was smoking 3 packs a day.

 

Abel got the preisthood yesterday!!!

 

I don't know where my time goes.

 

Elder Hope.

Monday May 21, 2012

Dear family and Friends,

 

Well, it was a long and fun week at the same time. Elder Rose and I had a lot of fun trying to figure out the new area, we did manage to mark 2 Hindu´s for baptism though on the second lesson that we had with them. President Torgan said that our baptisms will increase if we use the ´soft mark´on the first lesson and the date on the second lesson. We found 2 Hindu guys and taught them. The second lesson was during Gospel Principles class. They only speak English, so we translate everything for them, but during the second hour the stake president came in and taught with me in English while Elder Rose took care of the other investigators at church. He was surprised that we would mark someone with so little knowlege about Jesus Christ so quickly, but was very suportive and was also surprised that we would mark them during church, but I figured, what better time than during church? We have them planned for the 3rd of June. He later was speaking to me and asked me how we prepared them to accept the date on the second visit, and I simply said we didn't, the Lord prepared them, because truly that is what Preach My Gospel asks us to do.

 

We also went out to a less active house, and our GPS wasn't working, so we had to call some members to find out where they lived. The members wouldn't give us the address because they said that we don't know the situation and will make things worse. After insisting, they finally gave us the adress with a disclaimer that we are not allowed to tell the less active that this member gave us the address. . . . . . Long story short, we were well received and they were very nice people.

 

The other Elders called us and told us that one of "their investigators" actually lives in our area and has been going to church for the last several weeks and wants to be baptized. So, we are going to go and talk to him tonight to see if he wants to be baptized this weekend, he just has to quit smoking and breaking the commandment of chastity with a member, but hey nothing is too hard for God.

 

Faith is a hard thing to learn and build. It takes faith to tell someone they need to repent in very blunt words. It takes faith to talk with someone in the street and the first day you meet them tell them they need to be baptized and invite them to do it, but then again, it took faith for God to send Jesus into the world to die for us, and it took faith for Christ to ask forgiveness for those who treated him badly and then tell the parasises and sagesies that they were corrupting the law of Moses. It took faith for Jesus to give his mom to John, in all of those examples it took other christlike attributes, but it is interesting to see that what we are asked to do is nothing compared to what Christ had to do. It is hard, but it is worth it.

 

with love

Elder Hope

Monday May 14, 2012

Dear family and friends,

It was a good weeek that ended with us speaking to our parents for 1 hour and 4 more baptisms.

1. Sonia and her daughter Mariana were baptized. They are a family we found in the Area book in Setúbal and she called me to see if I could come back to see her baptism. She was super excited to speak with me and offered to let me and my family stay at her house if my family comes to pick me up from my mission.

2. Fabio was baptized in Setúbal as well. He was an eternal investigator that wanted to get baptized, but also wanted to break the law of Chastity. Finally, after a couple of lessons, he made the decision to move out until August, when he will be getting married to his Girlfriend. Fabio is someone who will be a great leader in the Church and understands the commandments.

3. Elder Rose and I got into Coimbra with challenge to baptise the first weekend after a whitewash. Well, we marked a guy named abel on Wednesday with only one problem . . . he smokes marijuana, so we told him to quit by Friday. On Friday we got there and he said that he was completely healed and doesn't want to smoke more . . . and he also didn't have any money to buy it, so he decided it was a good time to quit.

The lord has richly blessed us in all of these efforts.

It is true that the best gift we can give anyone is the gift of Salvation.

We love y'all tons

Elder Hope

Monday May 7, 2012

Dear family and friends,

 

Unfortunately, I don't have much time today, but I am being transfered to be a zone leader in Coimbra. I will be whitewashing. . . again. I am really sad to say that I am leaving 5 baptims this next week. Sonia and her daughter Mariana will be baptized, as well as Fabio, and Jose and Olga should be getting married and baptized (the parents of Viviana).

 

My new comp is elder Rose. He is from Seattle, WA and has been known as a really good missionary since the beginning of time, it will be a good transfer.

 

This morning I gave the tripla dad gave me to Sonia, it was a really cool time. I was saving it for someone really special. I found her in the area book and felt like I should call her, and so I did and she didn't want anything, but later that night, she called me, and told me that she felt like I had something imporant to say to her and invited me over to her house the next day. We went over there, and she asked me what the important thing was that we had for her, We told her that we were there to bring her eternal happiness through baptism, she listened and then told me that baptism wasn't for her, but she would go to church. She want church and then to the ward activity the next week and I just went up and asked her what is impeding her from being baptized, she said that nothing was and that she would talk to me about baptism the next time. I went there on a split with the members, and we marked her for the 12th of may, and now her daughter will be baptized too. It is interesting to see the spirit prepare the people. In a two week time, I have grown to love her as I loved Marta and Arlindo in Ermesinde, and gave her the tripla dad gave me before my mission. The only thing is that she doesn't speak english like marta and Arlindo.

When president called me to be a zone leader he said that he is proud that I always leave the area stronger than I found it. In the last year, in the area of Palmela (my area) the highest number of baptisms in a 6 week period was 2, I baptized 3 and have 3 more marked for this upcoming weekend that I will miss.

 

We hit a new record of member present lessons . . . 19!!!

 

Elder Hope

Tuesday May 1, 2012

Dear family and friends,

Yesterday was interviews so I will be writing a short email today of 2 cool things that happened.

Carina was baptized on Saturday and was confirmed on Sunday, she asked me to baptize her. It is cool to see how the lord prepares her heart. She said no to baptism that first day we met her, and then called us back and said she wants to be baptized, so we obliged.

Setubal really has turned out to be a place of miracles, since I have gotten here, the lord has prepared Sandro, Rosa, Viviana, Adriano, and Carina and we are working on 2 more this upcoming week for baptism.

José and Olga are supposed to get baptized this saturday coming up, if they will go and get married. They were supposed to go yesterday, but showed up late, so we are going to go with them tomorrow to see if they can still get married since today is a holiday in Portugal. Yesterday they fed us a very interesting sandwinch with Chick Peas, Spicy Sardines, Canned Hot Dog things (worse than SPAM), LOTS of Mayonaise on a little bread roll thing . . .YUM!!, they are so ready for baptism, it is hard to tell them they had to wait since they didn't keep the commandments of god. Viviana is their daughter (a recent convert)

we didn't have a lot of time, so have a good week.

Elder Hope