Monday August 20, 2012

First off, there will be NO spelling corrections in this email. I am writing without glasses or contacts since I have a really inflamed right eye, and I left my glasses in Viseu on division. I am going to get my glasses tonight.

So the week started out really good. On Tuesday we had an oportunity to speak with Natercia, and a friend of hers that has the exact same poblem as her, she is a drunk, and wants to find god. So Naterci, but she is also a Postitute and a homeless woman, so it is a little more extreme. We talked with her and I decided to mark her for baptism. Elder Alsoton is a good elder, he just never will bring up baptism. He is really good at getting people to pray and read though, so we work well together. So we marked her for the 3rd of September, and since that time she has never gotten drunk, she has drunken, but hasn't gotten drunk. So we prayed with her for a date, and she stood up, and siad, I feel so alived. I feel like god loves me and wants me to come to him. To be honest, I don't know whay she wouldn't pray after that, but he accepted the date, and she prayed in the next lesson. Natercia has lived the word of wisdom for the last month now and is one of becoing a very strong member.

Tuesday we had interveiews with President. I told him my biggest pet peeve was that the assistants would call us and talk to us for about 30 minutes during perssonal studay. He said, well Elder hope, you need to learn Patience, but they haven't called us during personal study anymore. We then went on a division with the AP's and Elder Carvalho was able to get permission from parents for us. We could never talk to the mom or dad. A little girl would always answer the door, but she would never lest us past her, saying her perents weren't home. Elder Carvalho said that there was a very important matter to speak with them about their son in a loud voice. The Parents weren't fooling us, we could see them. So they came to the door and the dad asked us to leave. Elder Carvalho said th Ramiro wanted to be baptized and we needed the daads signature for that to happen. The dad tood the letter and signed it and then told us to stop annoying him. Ramiro called us the next day and asked if he could be baptized the next sunday (yesterday), and then we lost contact with him for the rest of the week. He showed up to church on time (shocker) and said he was ready to go. We were nervous because we know that he smoked, but we also knew that he hasn't been to church for the last 5 or 6 years, so he knew the commandments. We decided to interview him anyways, and he stopped smoking the minute he found out that he could get baptized. He also has been working on his vocabulary and isn't cussing at all. He changed!!!

Friday and Satruday I was in Viseu. I did 2 baptismal interviews for them and had fun seeing all of the members I grew to love. Not all of them remember me, but there are the ones that I really liked, that still remember me. I taked to my buddy David Di Pillo. He had avoided the missionaries for about 6 months, and since we got new phones and a new number, I called him, and he set up a time to meet with me. We met with him, and it was just like old times, but this time, I knew what he was saying in Portuguesse and he didn't have to translate for me. He came to church last sunday!!!

In these 2 and a half transfers I have been here we have baptized 10 people. Our bishop is loving it, but he is having problems giving them callings. He understands that is a very important part of the church. He did the following, and I really liked the idea. He prayed and prayed about it, and felt the lord wants to reactivate the less actives (we have 600+ people on the records, and a frequency of 90 or so, since we are in the summer, it has been about 65 or so just because of vacations and stuff), so in Ward councel meeting he asked us what we did in the states to reactivate. . . to be honest I didn't know, I just knew that most of it was with home teachers. Together he decided that he would form reactivation committee. The took the 2nd councelor of the elders quorumn presidency and called him to be an assistant ward mission leader under the ward mission leader reponsible for this reactivation, and a guy that just got the melquesideck priesthood was put into be the 2nd counceslor. So he called a few recent convers, and some old members (filling their spots with recent converts) and every week they send an email out to the whole ward (including less actives) and then they invite everyone out the activities, and give a recap of sacrament meeting, and then some of the "seasoned members" go with the recent converts to go and visit the ones without the capability of receiving emails or anything. In just 1 week, a lady came back to church and brought her non member husband with her. She traveled 1.5 hours to get to church leaving her house at 6 am to catch a bus at 6:30 so that she could get into coimbra and then walk 45 minutes to the chapel, getting there way early. Next week, she will take the later bus and a member will go and pick her up at the bus station.

Elder hope

Tuesday August 7, 2012

Dear family and Friends,

I have 5 minutes.

Elder Alston is from a military family and the majority of his life he lived in Wititah Falls Texas. He claims he is from Utah, but I tell everyone he is from Texas.

We had a meeting yesterday with President Fluckiger and President Teixeira (Area President) and they are working on making us a much more obedient mission. With President Torgan, he gave us so much leeway and so much permission to do stuff that we are actually having fun following the rules. For example, we are no longer allowed to travel alone, we are no longer allowed to get permission to stay out of the house late, we have to do a division with every district leader every transfer as zone leaders, we can't take investigators to church in mission vehicles (I haven't had one yet, so I didn't have a problem with that). Things like that. President Torgan would give us permission for that, but President Fluckiger said No, so we won't do it. The most annoying one is that Zone leaders can no longer interview people who had an abortion, which is really rough because it seems like everyone and their dog has had one here, but come what may and love it.

Elder Whitaker is living in the house with me!!! (He is my district Leader, and I am his Zone Leader)

last couple days,

Light explodes in our apartment, then a cat shows up in our house randomly 4 times, our entire building was invaded by ants, elder Alston cut his finger on a tuna can and got blood all over our meal (he ate it, we made more food),

Elder Hope

Monday July 30, 2012

Well, for a really quick rundown, I don't have a lot of time because it's transfer monday and we don't know what is going on yet, we are going to save a little bit of time to send an email at the end of the day to let y'all know.

So for a rundown this last week we had two baptisms.

We baptized a little girl named Miriam. She is the daughter of a less active family that we have been working on reactivating. They have come to church for the last 5 weeks in a row and I was asked to do the baptism. The bishop took advantage of it and called her 13 year old brother to be Deaconºs quromn President and now he has come working with us this last week. They are becoming really strong now.

The other baptism was a little more stressful, it was a lady named Natercia. She has depression and about 10 days ago she went from smoking a pack of cigarrettes a day and drinking herself to sleep every night to being baptized yesterday. So she stopped us in the street two weeks ago and asked what she needed to do to get baptized. We had marked her about 4 or 5 times, but she never progressed, so we dropped her. Her son went to prison and she got even more depressed. We told her that we had to meet with her every day, several times twice a day and we would be calling her during each day to work with her. So she said ok. We had a lesson everyday on the word of wisdom and taught another lesson generally too. We scheduled a lesson where we had 6 members present to show her that she has a family. It was neat to see that those were the people she said she wanted at her baptism and asked several of them to be present and participate in the program. So yesterday was a disaster trying to get her baptized. We had called her at 8:30 and she was in bed and going to sleep. We were pleased, She said the alarm was set for 8:00 but she didn't wake up and when we went to get her for church at 9:00 and she wasn't awake. She said that she would get up and be ready by 10:00 and just miss the first part of Releif Society. We went back and she was still asleep. At 11:00 we went there to get her for sacrament meeting that started at 11:15, and she was taking her jolly sweet time. We ended up paying for a taxi and just barely missing the sacrament. Our bishop came up and said Elders don't miss the sacrament again, but you two can go and bless it at home, but don't miss it again, but good job on the baptism, everyone gave up on the baptism except you two, we thought, we almost gave up too, but we made it happen!!! The brazillian and Angolan members brought treats and a lunch!!!

I went to viseu again for an interview, it was cool to see all of my people: i.e. Felipa, Marco, Ana, Nela, Miguel, Telma, and Lucia. Nela and Miguel (a couple that I became close to in Viseu came to our baptism in Coimbra.

That was my week, taking care of Natercia

have a good one.

Elder hope

Monday July 23, 2012

Dear family and Friends,

For the record:
1) Mom, I was not chastized by you because I send this email to Bishop Young as well.
2) We have transfers next monday
3) Bishop Young has still not responded to me.
5) Bispo Furtado (in Coimbra) was sort of chapped with us last week (I will explain)
6) Good Job Megan for your adventures . . . When did you get roller blades?
7) Congratulations Jessica on your baptism!!!!
8) Did you notice I skipped number four?
9) Did you look to make sure that I skipped number four?
10) And thus begins my letter to my family (and bishop young) . . .

so to begin with my justification of the story. We called Bishop Furtado in Coimbra and told him that Celeste would be baptized on thursday, and she was, but the bproblem that we had was he said that he didn't know her at all. . . In our defense she had already been to church 5 times, and he taught a lesson with us to her about following the will of god and not her own will. Needless to say she was a miracle baptism. She was a member reference and we taught her the first time last transfer. She didn't like us because we were two 20 year old boys that wouldn't accept her excuses nor have sympathy with her when she didn't go to church because she was resting (I wanted to tell her that the high priests go to church to rest, but I decided not to). So after 2 sundays at church and refusing to speak with us, she asked everyone how she could get baptized. Everyone kept saying that she had to meet with the elders, but we are Americans that don't understand the portuguese culture. Finally we went up to her at church and said look, we just have to meet with you for 1 hour and you can be baptized. She agreeded on the grounds that she was baptized on Thursday during her work break . . . don't know why, but that was her stipulation. So, on Tuesday we met with her with our district leader and he interviewed her and taught her what she needed to know, and she was baptized, the weird part is that she asked me to baptize her.

Another interesting difference that I noted between Jessica's mission and my mission is that with question 4 that talks about grave crimes and such is treated by the zone leaders, the zone leaders interview those people, unless president gives you special permission as a district leader (which I had when I was in Setubal).

This last week I had the privilege of going to another church. They said that we could have free lunch if we went to their church, so we did. Elder Rose didn't want to go, so I took Elder Gooch from Coimbra 1 with me. They explained that when we have the light of christ in our lives, it purifies our soul. . . . and I can agree with that until they sat us down and told us to not say anything and just focus on our feelings. So we were sitting about 1 meter away from another person and they pointed their hand at us with their palm open and shut their eyes. Jo, the member we brought with us and Elder Gooch and I were curious to figure out what was going on. They then told us to turn around and they did the same thing to our backs. This is called Johrei. It is a japaneese word that means light of God. They apparently transmitted light of god into us through their palm with in essence purified our souls. The leader of Portugal was there to answer any of my questions, so without being rude for being part of a frankly ridiculous ritual, I asked him if Jesus Christ saves us. He said yes. Then I asked if Meishu Sama saves us (some japeneese guy that they really like) they said yes. I then asked why we need to be saved twice, and he told me my soul wasn't pure enough and I needed to do more Johrei so that I could feel how they both save us. And then he and another guy which is the leader of Coimbra started debating on why it was necessary, so I think it is interesting that I completely confounded their equivalent of an area seventy with a simple question, and I was actually just curious, I wasn't trying to argue. We then had a really cool lesson with them about the restoration and gave both of them a book of mormon.

So that about sums up my week, my soul was purified this week by a japaneese ritual and we baptized Celeste.

Elder Hope

Monday July 16, 2012

Dear family and friends:

So I don't know where to start, so I will give you a rundown of the week. . . I know, this will look like one of Jessica's letters

On Tuesday, We did a division and I got Elder Packard's greenie named Elder Rentaria, he is a mexican elder that is really cool. We tried to teach two romainian families in a Portugeese english mixture because they spoke very little english an even less portugueese and they spoke romanian . . . needless to say, it was fun to watch him try and teach them. He already speaks the language because he speaks spanish. I also had him contact a member.

On wednesday, we were to recieve 4 more elders from a city named Portalegre in preparation for the conference on Thursday. The problem was that Elder Rose was with Elder Packard, and I was with Elder Rentaria. So, we sent 2 with the other coimbra elders, and the other 2 were sent to help our bishop move houses (he is staying in our ward). It was great until 2 members called us for a division, so I sent elder Rentaria into an area without a phone for 2 hours with a member with a stack of references from the Area book, and I went with the other member, so that was fun to send the greenie into an unknown area, but he found a really cool family from Moçambique.

On Thursday, we had Zone Conference with our new President. He spoke mainly about the Doctrine of Christ, and tried to get to know the new missonaries. He then called Elder Rose and I into another room, sat us down and said, ok, I need some help, Which of the elders in your zone will be ready to be leaders this transfer, so he spent time talking about the different missionaries. We have 5 zone leaders, 1 branch president, and about 3 or 4 district leaders that are ending their missions next transfer. That night I had the oportunity to go to Viseu, back to my old area to do a baptismal interview for a man who had been to prison and was involved in an abortion ( of his wife ). The mission president sends the zone leaders to do those interviews because there are so many problems here, he can't do them all. With president Torgan it was the same way, but it was funny because when he called me in Setúbal to be district leader after being Zone Leader, he told me that I was alowed to keep doing those interviews because he trusts me.

On Friday, I set off to do something I had never done in Viseu . . . Mark someone for baptism . . . so before noon we had marked a young man named Carlos for the 29th of July, he went to church yesterday and told everyone he was getting baptized.

On Saturdy I did a division in Coimbra 1. I went with an elder named Elder Gooch. I asked if he had ever marked anyone on the road with a date, he said no, and I said neither have I, so we went out to look for the elect. It is interesting to note that in just 3 hours we found 8 new investigators and marked 3 of them. What a blessing! (generally in a day we find 2 or 3 new investigators)

All in all I only spent Sunday and monday with elder Rose last week, and I am really tired.

I have noticed very many tender mercies and the love of all.

Elder Hope

Monday July 9, 2012

Dear family and friends,

So Peter was a stud in the bible, when he gave a sermon and then right after he baptized 3 thousand people. So, we were teaching a man named Bhim from Nepal who goes to church every sunday but refuses to be baptized because he is Hindu and all of his friends gave him problems and talk him out of it. We had marked him a lot, but then flakes out on the baptism day, so we had a lesson with him and he was ready to be baptized, so he asked when, and Elder Rose and I looked at each other, and then at him, and said "in 20 minutes". So we ran downstairs and started up the font and started calling the members while the other one went upstairs and helped him get dressed. (Our chappel has 3 floors). So we can't get any members there, so we call the other elders in Coimbra and they come down. So we marked and baptized a guy in the same night. It was Tuesday night after I emailed the bishop. What was even better is that he brought 3 friends to his confirmation that don't speak Portuguese, only Nepaleese and English. So there are several members that are learning English so they can speak to these men. they are learning Portuguese too though.

I got my haircut today by a black guy from Guiné Bissau that has huge muscles, it worked, because we wanted to talk to his brother. A member cut our hair, but his brother is wanting to go to a church right now, but he doesn't know which. He is leaning to go to a catholic church because it is later in the day.

President Fluckiger is coming on Thursday to speak to our zone, it should be really good.

Elder Rose and I managed to have very few moments together this week. We went on a division with the members every day. So it is interesting that we have a lot of investigators that I don't know.

We are doing great here, God loves us and we are immensly blessed.

We had a really cool lesson with a less active lady named Luisa. We told her that Jesus suffers when she doesn't go to church, read the scriptues, or pray every night, and she said she would go to church so that Jesus doesn't suffer more. It is cool because in Portugueese, it says that Jesus suffers, and in English it says that he suffereth, which is old english, but it translates better.

Elder Hope

Tuesday July 3, 2012

Dear family and friends,

So I only have about 10 minutes or so to write all of y'all, but it was an interesting week. We have 5 people we are teaching that are really close to baptism, but they just are having that hard time taking that step of faith, it is interesting that the lord has given us the same problem with each of the investigators until we get transfered, or figure it out.

We had a zone leader counsel meeting yesterday and me the new president. He is great. He is a lot like President Walton, and is full of excitement. His portugueese is a little rough, but other than that, he is cool. He is teaching us the means that we must use to reach the ends. His approach is a lot better.

Well, we don't have much time, but I am still alive.

Elder Hope

Monday June 25, 2012

Dear family and friends,

In a nutshell, I don't have much time, but we have a very interesting week. We had the last zone leader council meeting of President Torgan, and we will have one with Elder Flukinger next monday, with that being said, I will probably be emailing here in 8 days. I get to be one of the first missionaries to meet Elder Flukinger, as he will be coming in Friday night.

Elder Packard is one of the District Leaders in my zone and he is Training!!!

Elder Rose and I were sad we aren't in a Tripla training, so we called two of the youth and told them that we are training them to work with us for the next 5 weeks, so it is close to training.

An interesting phenomenon happened this last week. . . The mission ran out of money because they sent home 24 missionaries and had to pay for their flights and bags, so we were completely out of money because we had an extra 100€ trip of going to lisbon that we were supposed to get money for on the 15th, but didn't get the money because the mission was out, so we ran out of money for food and everything. It is interesting to note that god loves us. On thursday we litterally had stretched ourselves to the max, and this group of Hawaiians came up and gave us food, they were members that were going to spain, but we found them in the train station, it was really cool, and gave us all of the leftovers, so then on Friday and saturday we ate the leftovers and sunday we had lunch with the members, and got our money today, so we are ok.

don't have much more time,

Elder hope

Monday June 18, 2012

It is transfer week again, and Elder Rose and I are staying together in Coimbra.

We didn't get the baptism this week that we worked for. There is a lady named Celeste that wanted to be baptized and we marked her for baptism. She fled from us the entire week, or so it seemed, but she was never home, but was always really nice on the phone. We finally got a lesson marked with her on Saturday, and we marked her for the following sunday. Everything was great. We taught her Tithing, which she accepted easily, the word of wisdom, which she said, but I drink a lot of coffee, but if god wants me to quit, I will, and so she promised to quit, and the law of chastity hand in hand with the restauration, which she already knew. So what happened is that she was super excited to be baptized, and was ready to go. Sunday she got to church, and said, Elders I lied to you, my boyfriend lives at my house, it was sort of a heartbreak, but at least she was honest. We went and spoke with the boyfriend, and he has agreeded to move out by the end of the month so that she can be baptized, it is pretty cool.

We are going to Lisbon tomorrow as Zone Leaders for the final, or the second final meeting with president Torgan. There is a rumor that an apostle will come to release President Torgan since he is in the seventy, and will have a meeting with the assistants and the zone leaders before he leaves, so that would be cool, but as of right now, it is a rumor, it hasn't been confirmed or denied.

I had an opportunity to go on a division this last week in Viseu. It was really weird to go back to my old area. I remembered a good part of the city, and where some of my old investigators lived, unfortunately, no one was at home, but they had a ward council meeting that night, so I got to see the majority of the members. I got a picture with Nela, the lady that bent over backwards to teach me portugeese, and dona cassilda was so happy to see me, but somehow, I missed another picture with her. I also saw one of the young women that went proselyting with us, her name was Ana. So I called her over, and told her she had 20 minutes to arrange a new investigator for us, so she looked through her phone and called one of her friends, and had him meet us at the chappel in roughly 20 minutes. He is actually a cool kid, and I hope Viseu will baptize him here soon.

Faith is a decision of action. When we pray we decide to trust god or not. We decide to do it our way or not. We decide to act or not. With faith we can move mountains or not. So it is interesting because we have spoken about how we can figure if we have faith or not. The first step is to look that the opposite of faith is fear and doubt, so in other words, if we doubt, or if we are afraid, we don't have faith in that principle. Doubt is unbelief, and it is interesting that in Doctrine and Covenants Jesus calls a man to repentence for unbelief. So, if we decide to do it our way, it is first off, dumb, but secondly it shows an untrust in the Lord, which too, is condemned in the scriptures. It is interesting to learn, that if we don't have faith, we are sinning, and if we sin we don't have the promise of the spirit. In all of my years as a member, this is the first time, I am truly understanding the principle of faith, it has taken countless discourses on faith from President Torgan, and several times in which he rips us apart for the little things, but it is what I am learning. I will miss him, but he told us that he will write us a letter of recommendation when he is Governor of Forteleza Brasil, for whatever thing we need, what a cool guy.

 

With love,

Elder Hope