Happy New Year

A Happy New Year to all of you out there in my readerland! This last week was a little different, but it was great! We helped the people in São João da Madeira get the spirit of Christmas by singing at every single opportunity. In fact we got a lot more lessons in than usual because at every door we asked to sing to them, and then we taught them after that. Hardly anyone will say no to a Christmas hymn. It was awesome. We also got an opportunity to sing for the patients in our local hospital on Christmas Eve. The first floor we went to, the nurse and security guard weren´t too overly excited about our proposal to sing to the patients, so we asked to sing to them. They then got the spirit and we sang to many other patients. On another floor, the nursing staff was really excited to have us sing to them and they gave us chocolates. It was a wonderful feeling to be spreading good cheer. The patients really lit up and so did the nurses (which has an even longer lasting effect on the patients) So we felt pretty good. Christmas eve we spent in the house of a member with the Elders in our branch. We have a brand new one from the states who doesn´t understand very much at all and so he was struggling a bit. We had bacelhau (traditional codfish) and potatoes and rice and finished it up with all sorts of sweets...Bolo de Rei (traditional fruitcake that everyone except the missionaries likes), puddings, and brownies (that we brought to spice up the party a bit). Then we enjoyed a few rousing hands of UNO. Everyone was cheating unashamedly and it made for a very enjoyable game. The winner couldn´t really take any credit because he/she had inevitably been hiding cards up the sleeves or practicing some other type of deceit. It was really quite enjoyable. Then we taught them how to play speed with Barbie cards. They were really cute and reminded me of all of my little princesses.
Christmas day was also great. We had some great talks on the Savior and it is always wonderful to sing Christmas hymns. I really love it. I also really appreciated being able to partake of the sacrament and think about the Savior on the day the world is celebrating His birth. I felt really bad for all of the people who missed out by sleeping in and forgetting the real meaning of His life and sacrifice. We then had an amazing lunch in the house of Isabel and Joaquim Moreira. I have decided that Isabel is the best Portuguese cook I know, and there are a lot of good cooks here. She made the only bacelhau that I have ever asked for seconds (This makes sense to all of those who know of my extreme distaste for things that come out of the water--or all types of fish and sea food) It was wonderful, as was the rice(I haven´t yet gotten the recipie, so I don´t know how you can make rice different, but it was great) the potatoes and even the meat. Then she brought out the deserts, rebanados, cake, pudding, everything was not only beautiful to the eye, but also to the mouth. I´m really excited for Sunday when she has promised to give me all of these recipies.

After lunch we taught a couple of lessons and then got to talk to our families. This conversation with our families almost didn´t happen, as we have been experiencing difficulties with our phone. A couple of weeks ago we arrived home and discovered that we had no idea where our cell phone had gone. We then spent an eventful night and later discovered that the phone had been in my jacket pocket the whole time (sheepish grin) I felt pretty dumb. However, this was by no means the end of our telephone adventures...On Thursday, we went to Porto for transfers and Sister Schneiber who had been treating an issue with customs about a package sent to her forgot to return the phone and so took it with her to Viseu. She sent it in the mail to us and luckily it arrived on Friday as that was the number we had given to our families to call and the mail isn´t delivered on Saturday. Then that night, in an added moment of stupidity, I dropped the phone and it hit the heater on the way to the floor, making it unfit for use. We were sufficiently worried that we would not be able to talk to our families, but a kind youth in our ward lent us his phone and we transfered the SIM memory card from ours to his and luckily were able to complete the transaction. We then got to take an extra trip to Porto to arrange a new phone which we are treating with the utmost care and caution. Bit of excitement there, but in the end we were able to have great conversations with our family and to feel of their love. THANKS!!

So, things are going well here. I am teaching a lot more in our contacts because I know the area better than my companion, so it is a different feeling. You feel a responsibility and a weight and more involvement in the work in that way. My language has been improving a lot because of this extra exercise. I was reading the Ensign the other day and I am just struck sometimes with the Global nature of the Church. This really is the kingdom of God on the earth. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that this is His church that I am representing. You may ask, how is it that she know these things. I have received a witness of the truthfulness through the Spirit after much prayer and fasting and now I can say for a surety that I do know. It´s a great feeling. Love you all! Keep up the good work!

Beijinhos!!(the only ones Samuel is allowed to receive from a Sister missionary)

ellen

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Transfers....and...I´m.....still here

So we had transfers this week and I lost Sister Schneiber to Viseu. I will miss her, but I did get Sister Phillips from Braga. She is from Orem Utah and is really funny. We are really excited to be able to serve together. So, that´s the exciting stuff. We also got to see all of the sisters together because we all transfered and Sister Landro and Sister Toler are going home today. It was a good time.

So, exciting things that happened this week... We finally got in touch with this family that I´ve been dreaming about for weeks. Julietta was the Relief Society President that when she was released went inactive. She and her family are not happy and I want so much to give them the happiness that they can have. Sometimes we lose sight of why we do what we do in the church and with this comes discouragement and overwhem-ment. The activities and parties and missionary work, and everything that we do is really aimed at helping us understand the Atonement. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is central --o ponte central-- of the plan of happiness that our Father prepared for us. All of these other things are to help us be more like Him, to help others come unto Christ, to help us be perfected in Him. They are important, but are appendages.

In this time of Christmas spirits there are many things we can think about. The first level is the Christmas lights, trees and presents, the outward signs of celebration of material things...these things pass. Then there is the second level, the baby Christ child, the Christmas story, carols. However, the third and last level is the most important and that is the Living Christ, our Savior and Redeemer who lived and died and lived again so that we could follow His example. I´m so grateful for His love for me, for his patience and guiding hand in my life, thoughts and actions. I am also so glad for my forever family! Thank you also to all of my friends and family (future and present) who have remembered me in prayers, cards and packages. I am so blessed. Merry Christmas in all levels to all of you--especially my favorite Brasilian trainer Élder Thompson. Love you!!

ellen

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Samuel: ários--Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ--

Oi Família,
This time of year is a very special time to think of why this life is important to us. Only because of the birth of Jesus Christ and later his atonement can we have the chance to return to our loving Heavenly Father again. The atonement makes this life meaningful and full of purpose. I am so grateful to have the privilege to celebrate this wonderful day and also the day of the Prophet Joseph Smith and all that he did to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ. Truly the words of John Taylor ring true--Joseph has done more save Jesus only for the salvation of man than anyother man that lived (D&C 135).

I am so very grateful for all of my blessings of knowing of these things and having the blessings of the Lord poured out upon me. Just through a few simple righteous choices, the windows of heaven are opened and the bleesings come pouring down. With those blessings come the hardships of life that we go through in life. Those hardships are for our good and for our profit because the Lord seeth fit to try his children in all things. I love this gospel and I love the opportunity I have to share that love with others. I am trying to do what is right because of the will of God and not because of the will of others or of myself.

Obedience is the first law of heaven and benefits you. The second is the law of sacrifice which is in benefit of others. The third is the law of consecration which is done because of the will of God. The third is my goal.

I love you family and am excited that the Lord is blessing us so much. May the windows of heaven continue to be opened as we do little things in our lives like reading the scriptures (finished with the Book of Mormon?), praying daily, and going to church. The Lord uses simple things to bring about the salvation of many souls (Alma 37: 6-7). The Lord loves us and it is up to us to show him that we love him.

Martha-I absolutely love those pictures. All the girls look like you especially the freckles and Charles looks like the spudster. Thanks so much.
Mom-You will be calling between 2:00-2:10. I will there at that time. This is the phone number again (012) 3939-1632 or (12) 3939-1632. I don´t know if the zero goes in there or not. I absolutely love the make your own tree. That was so awesome and my companion did too as well as the Trail to Bethelem. Thanks so much.

Merry Christmas to you all--Its the birth of Jesus Christ and the remembering of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Com Amor,
Elder Thompson

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Samuel: Life Goes TOO FAST!!!!

Oi Família,
I am very sorry about not having a chance to email you all last week because my email account was not working and especially on the most exciting week of my mission. December 4, Elder Ackerman and I were privileged to have two of our investigators baptized. YEAAAAHHHOOOOO!!!!! Johnson and Neto are our investigators and they are both very strong in the faith. It was very very special. On Tuesday the 6 there were transfers. Elder Ackerman was going home as his two years were up and I was somewhat anxious about my new companion. I did not expect what was coming.

I am now the district leader and a trainer. I was floored. I only have six months and am still a long ways from learning the language. I am training Elder Rodriguez from Sandy, Utah. He is American even though the name is hispanic (his grandpa is from Mexico). I am dealing with my responsibility and am learning very quickly to put my trust in the Lord. I can´t do it all alone, I would go crazy--leading a district means I need to have good numbers for other missionaries to follow and being a good example as well as being a trainer means you do most of the leading, paperwork for the first little bit. I like to call Elder Rodriguez my son. Yep, I am the dad. Hehe. So much is happening all at once that I just have to pray hard and then hold on and enjoy the ride. This last week I confirmed Neto a member of the church and that was a very special occasion. The work is great, the challenges are greater, and the rewards are the greatest. I am happy to hear that happiness and busyeness abound in our family, it wouldn´t be our family w/o those things. I am going to make this short as I have limited time today but I wanted to let you know that I love everyone of you very much. I am finishing reading the Book of Mormon in Portuguese outloud. I am pretty excited about it.

Com Amor,
Elder Thompson

Martha-It is easier to use the address of the mission and here it is
R: Caa-Açu, 229
Belenzinho-São Paulo-SP
03171-020
BRASIL
I am very excited to see the pictures.

Mom- This is the number (012) 3939-1632. I don´t know the code for Brazil which you will have to use to call internationally but it should be easy to find. I can only talk for 30 minutes as that is a rule for all the missions in the world and It would be good to call at 2:00-2:15 in the afternoon as it will be 7:00 here. I think that will work with Ellen´s schedule. Let me know if that will work. I did get two packages, card for Thanksgiving and a card for Christmas and that awesome trail that leads to Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary will always be rightside up so there Ellen, oh excuse me, Sister Thompson! hehehehe. Thanks, Mom for everything that you do.

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Perpetual education help

So, I forgot to write about a favor.... We have an awesome sister in this branch named Paula. She is the young womens president and is the divorced mother of two boys. She is working and going to school at the same time so that eventually she can become a family therapist. She and her husband are both members and they went through a hard time. They tried to find counsellors, but here in Portugal the pickings are slim and none of them had a gospel base, and in the end they got a divorce. Her dream is to be able to stop this kind of thing happening to other people here in portugal. She is in the process of applying to BYU and/or LDS Business College and doesn´t know anyone in the United States. So what she really needs is:
A place to live close to BYU or LDS BC (cheap, but nice)
A Sponsor
A good job that she can make enough to support the three of them on the 20 hours a week that a student visa allows

I was thinking that perhaps if we can´t find anything closer to BYU, she could maybe stay in Grandma and Grandpa´s basement, but I don´t know what they would think about that. If any of you have any great ideas, I would love to hear them. aka...little old grandmas whose children don´t visit often enough and need someone to cook a meal once in a while in exchange for a place to live...ect. Let me know ASAP. We´re working on getting her admission papers and everything in order. She is a smart cookie and she speaks English well (she got 239/300 on the TOFFEL) And she is a strong member of the church who wants to come back and help the church grow here in Portugal. Basically she is doing what the perpetual education fund does, but they don´t have it available here in Portugal yet. So yeah.... Love you!!

ellen

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Happiness

Well, this week I´ve been learning a lot about happiness and how it is that we can have this wonderful gift in our lives. On Monday we had a wonderful district meeting that treated the subject. A couple of the scriptures Elder Murphy used (he is the son of the baseball player Dale Murphy) were in 2 Nephi 4:15-35 and Alma 24:29. In 2 Nephi, Nephi is feeling real great and riding high and everything and then he thinks about all of his weaknesses and drops into the "pit of despair" and loses sight of his objective, but then remembers that it is the devil that wants us to be sad, and he picks himself back up and keeps on working.
^^^^^^^^^^_______^^^^^^^^^^ (nephi´s happy line)
In Alma, he is talking to his missionary son (which had special significance to us) and he says not to worry about things, or to worry about them just enough to change things for the better. In this case there is the happiness and the pit of despair, but in between in a godly sorrow line that is just low enough for us to repent and then bounce back to our happy line again.
Like this: ^^^^^^^------^^^^^ (instead of ^^--______--^^^)
Anyway, it´s hard to explain in type, but we can´t linger in the valley of sorrow.

I also was studying in 1Nephi 8 and found some great happiness advice/counsel...verse 4 Lehi is in the dark and dreary wilderness (in portuguese it is translated dark and sad) and he´s really bummed out, but then he finds the solution to this sorrow in prayer and in response to his prayer in verse 10 he sees the tree whose fruit is desirable to make one happy. That´s great fruit! So, what is the fruit?? it is the love of God (1 Ne 11:21-22) or in other words charity. There is then a direct link between our happiness and our love for other people, and we notice in Lehi´s dream that his first thought is to share this happiness he has found with those around him (especially his family). Anyway, it is a great study..(other great references, Alma 5:26, moroni 7:45-48, 1 Cor 13) In the end really it seems as if all that we do in this life must have direction in order to be worth anything. The power that gives faith, knowledge, and patience direction is love. In this manner we give without expecting anything in return and our giving is focused by the pure love of Christ that we have in our hearts as a gift from the Father. This type of giving gets in return happiness, which is the perfect reward because we can only receive when we give without expecting anything in return.
As a result of all of this happiness studying, my week really was a lot happier because I remembered what the steps were. It really was a good week, nothing to overly exciting happened, but it was really positive. Sister Scheiber and I are absolutely sure that one of us will be transferred on the 23rd (we don´t know which) because we are getting along so well together and we´ve been here for a while, so in response to your question Mom, I don´t know what my number is to give to you, but I will know next thursday ( it is difficult when transfers fall three days before christmas) I´m thinking a call at 11:00 or noon would be good because it will be 7-8 here, but it also depends on when Samuel gets to call, let me know when his call is and if you want to hear from me before or after...It will all work out Also, thanks so much for the advent calander... Mary and Joseph are having fun going to Bethlehem upside down without Samuel to turn them into their upright position. Also, thanks a whole bunch Martha for the pictures and the package which arrived on the same day. It made me all warm and toasty inside and out. (ha ha ha) So, basically that´s it for today--BE HAPPY (have love) which means I have every right to be the happiest girl on earth because I have so much love for so many people, not the least of which is my HUGE family (in comparison to the one or two children families here). Also a very happy birthday to a very cute boy Caleb! And that´s the end.

ellen

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nothing to report..except exciting stuff

We´ve been keeping ourselves really busy and we have had some great experiences this week. I did get a package this week and a great little Christmas tree from Mom. Thanks so much for your love and thoughts. Martha, I will be at this same address:
Ave Dr Renato Araujo 369-3ºfte 3700-244 São João da Madeira
at least until two days before Christmas, and in the event that I am transfered at that time, the sisters will make sure that I get the pictures. I´m so excited to see all of my beautiful girlies and my handsome lad. Also, I still do want them, thanks a million! Anyone else who wants to send me pictures would never be turned away to be sure. If they are sent in the mail I can keep them in my album of love as it is difficult to find somewhere to print photos off the internet, but either place, it is wonderful to see pictures of my family/friends...

So, on to the happenings of the week that flew by...We had a great Christmas conference on Tuesday and were greatly fed. We got to see the First Presidency Christmas Fireside which was amazing and shows you that we really have a prophet on the earth today who guides and directs the church and is not swayed by anything man can do. I always love hearing the prophet speak because I can feel the truth of his words. It is watching scriptures be written. Then we had a great chillie lunch and then listened to the words of President and Sister Green. It was absolutely amazing. They talked about being prepared, about making room for the essential things, choosing the best and not just the good. There are 2 daily, 2 weekly, and 2 monthly things as well as 1 every 2 years. The 2 daily things are to pray and read our scriptures. Whenever anyone is really miserable (which misery comes from sin) the things they have faulted are these two. They are not just helpful, but neccessary for our day-to-day functioning. The 2 weekly essentials are to partake worthily of the sacrament and have family home evening (on Monday if at all possible). It is good to be with our family on other days as well, but Monday has been set apart and unless we really cannot get out of another commitment (such as mandatory work, ect) we should meet on Monday. The monthly essentials are to pay a full and honest tithe and to go to the temple (even more often if possible) He said that even here in Portugal with the temple 8 hours away it is not only possible to go once a month, but must happen. The every two year essential is obviously to renew our temple recommend, and to always be worthy during this time. Doing these things first, we will then have room for many other good things, maybe we will have to give up some at certain points of our lives, but we can have the peace and rest now in this life that is talked about in Moroni 7:3.

Antonio,one of the investigators marked for baptism is really finding his testimony. He has been talking with the sisters for over a year now I think and all of that time, really was only convinced that this was the right way, now he is having trials and being humbled by them. With these trials he can no longer just be convinced, he has to tap into the power of the atoning sacrifice of Christ to be able to stand. It is amazing to me how the Lord works to help His children truly come unto Him. There comes a point when one has to choose. President Greene also talked about the Atonement and how we really need to make sure we are helping our investigators gain that help and comfort that is only available through Jesus Christ. In the end, all that we teach is secondary to the all important gift that we received from Christ. This is why we´re here in Portugal to help these beautiful people come unto Christ and through His atoning blood be sanctified, purified, and perfected. This is what life is all about.

The Book of Mormon is true!! Congratulations Dad on your successful completion! We have been extending this same challenge to just about everyone we work with. One less-active we are working with Kázakõ is discovering for herself the joy and peace in that book. She has to read 5 chapters a day to finish, but is finding more faith, fewer doubts and a greater desire to keep the commandments--which in turn is bringing greater happiness that she felt before. It doesn´t mean that she is free of problems, and of doubts, but she is closer now, and there is an inner peace that is irreplacable. I love that book and the more I read it, the more it has application to me and the more I love it. It was written for us to help us in our day to grow closer to Christ...to utilize His atonement. The gospel is so simple!!

Hope everyone is feeling the Christmas spirit. We put up the little tree that must have been left from the sisters last year. It´s pretty--and makes us think of Charlie Brown. I feel very lucky that for Christmas this year, my gift to people will be salvation and eternal life through the gospel of Jesus Christ. It´s a great feeling. Love you all and thanks for your love and support!

ellen

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The novel that is my mission

Mom tells me that my experiences sound like a novel. If a novel, than this week sounds like Jane Eyre. We came home on Tuesday, smiling up at our Christmas lights as we headed down the hill. We saw a stir around the corner from our apartment and like the obedient missionaries we are, avoided large crowds and went into the building. Stepping into the elevator we were greeted by smoke--not an uncommon occurrance as half of the population here smokes and some uncurteously do so inside the public parts of our building. However, during the ride up to our apartment we decided that it didn´t smell like the varieties of cigarrette smoke we had become accustomed to. Opening on our hallway we were met with a haze of the same unpleasant smoke. We then put two and two together and decided that the hub-bub outside accompanied with firetrucks must have been gathered outside the garage door that leads under our apartment complex and that something there must be on fire. We knocked on our neighbor´s door and she was unaware of any happenings and so we headed back down to ´see what was the matter` On the street the smoke billowing from the afore mentioned garage entrance was blacker and blacker and, during the twenty minutes we waited to see if the situation would resolve itself, more firemen and engines were arriving. We decided after consulting with our district leaders that the best thing to do would be to wait out the night in a safe, smoke free place. We then headed back into the smoky building and gathered the few of our few possessions that we could not replace and headed to the house of a member who lives nearby. It was all kind of surreal, and a bit liberating to leave our building with the few things with us that really matter in the world (scriptures, pictures, letters) and an extra skirt. Your really see what matters in life. Anyhow, we had a great pajama party at Ana´s house and during our studies in the morning we received the following text message from the district leaders:
Blue tiger to mother bird, blue tiger to mother bird, come in, do you read? Is everything alright?

to which we replied:
Mother bird to blue tiger. All the hatchlings are safely under the Ana-wings. Studies are flying high. No word yet on the charred nest-tree. Will send word by sparrow.

and then returning to our house later that day:
mother bird to blue tiger. Nest-tree still intact. Happy day, all is well. Smooth sailing and clear skies.

Our house which had a bit of a haze when we came in to retreve our belongings the night before was clear and only with the faintest trace of smoke. So, not to worry, we still do have a house and our lungs are still relatively clear, or no worse off than normal, and we have been getting our exercise by walking up and down the stairs as the elevators are still a bit hazy. Just another day in the life of the novel missionary.

This week I also finished the Book of Mormon again and it is still true... in fact to me it is even more important than the last time that I read it. That book is really a marvel and I´m so excited that members and non-members the world over are changing their lives and turning closer to Christ by reading it. I´m so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and for the love that I feel daily. I´m also grateful for the opportunity to share the happiness that I have with the lovely people in Portugal. I love you all!

ellen

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Samuel: From Brazil With Love

Oi Família,
and how was turkey day? Sister Thompson even had turkey day. That´s really cool. I can say that we remembered but noone else in Brasil did-Thanksgiving is only an American Holiday. Missionaries don´t have a lot of money and so we couldn´t buy really anything to celebrate but as long as we remember what Thanksgiving is all about, that´s what really matters.

This last week was a tough one in the life of the missionary because the investigator that we were preparing for baptism broke the Word of Wisdom the night before his baptism. We helped him get married and he decided to have a party after it but his friends who are not members of the church celebrate in the ways of the world and he joined with them but the story isn´t half bad. I think this event had to happen because he was very sad after it and he is repenting a lot. This made he very humble, more than he was before. It has prepared him even more for baptism and hopefully we will have two baptisms this next week. I will tell you how it turns out. I did learn that the Devil will fight to the end and attacks only on the fronts that are the weakest in our lives. It is our decision to make a stand when that temptation or storm hits and its good to make that decision before the squall arrives. I am so very grateful for the experiences that I am having on my mission. I am learning patience, love, humility, diligence, time-management, planning, and how to be like Christ. That is truly amazing and wonderful.

This is the last week before transfers and my companion will be returning to his home in Logan, Utah honorably. Next week, when I write I will have another companion. It means I will be starting another adventure and I will be learning many new things. I am very excited about that. I love you all.

Elder Thompson

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Thanksgiving Feast

Happy Thanksgiving to you my beautiful family! I am so very very thankful for all the many things that I have been given. Especially for my family, my many friends, and for the gospel and its influence in my life. I have so much!

For the last couple of weeks we have been planning this great Thanksgiving feast and this week we realized our plans. It was really great. We had all the missionaries in our zone (18 in all) and each companionship had a different task. In the end we had a great amount of food and plenty of leftovers to take home. I got to make three apple pies in our little convection oven and made kits for the elders to make three pumpkin pies which turned out pretty well, their mothers would be proud. It was pretty fun and we all ate a little too much and listened to Christmas music. It´s great when a plan comes together. (reference??)

Other exciting happenings this week included an awesome zone conference on Monday. We talked about making contacts and did a practice where we all had to leave the chapel and all 18 of us had to contact someone on the street in the next 15 minutes. Normally I am a very shy person on the street (yes, yes, I know--you don´t think I could be shy) Anyway, I always have a really hard time iniciating a conversation in Portuguese, especially in the middle of the road when they don´t want to have anything to do with me. So, we had this challenge to perform and I was praying my guts out that I would have the guts to talk to someone. So, I approach the prey...a middle 30-40´s lady who looked in kind of a hurry and walking the opposite way. She glanced at me and our eyes met and then she quickly turned hers away and down, but Sister Schneiber had already done her contact and the minutes were ticking, so with a great big prayer in my heart I started talking to her and started walking alongside. She at first said she wasn´t interested, but then since we were already walking with her and keeping pace she listened a bit. It was a great contact and she was pretty interested in the end, even though she did have to go to work. We gave her our number and a pamphlet and let her go on her way. The important part of that contact, in addition to helping one more person find the happiness, peace and joy that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has to offer, was that I was able to speak and have a conversation, responding to questions and doubts with few if any pauses in a manner easy to understand--and all of this without fear of any kind. I was calm as a summer´s morning. It was a marvelous answer to my pleading. I am so thankful for the love and concern my Father in Heaven has for me. I am thankful for the atonement of Jesus Christ and for his authority and power on the earth today. I´m thankful for my beautiful family, for my amazing friends, and for the opportunity I have been given to represent the Savior on the earth to help bring souls unto happiness in His influence. I´m thankful for the great food that I just finished eating and for the opportunity to learn Portuguese. It is a beautiful language and a beautiful culture. Love you all and know that I am thankful for you and my prayers are with you.

ellen

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Excitement---always

Yes, we are always excited to have such a great brother as Aaron. He´s getting older by the minute, growing like a weed, before long he will be talking about laying his gray hairs... Happy Birthday brother!

And now for the real excitement--a story of life and death, and the sisters in São João saving the day.
I don´t think I´ll ever have just a normal week with no happenings at all. I´m destined to have a life full of novelties and things to "write home" about. So, we have an investigator of long duration who is clinically depressed. His condition has worstened since we first met him as his daughter who lived with him and cooked for him moved out to live with her mom. A member who was living in a small room is now living in his apartment, but was gone this week to the temple in Madrid along with practically every other active member (there are only two priesthood holders within a reasonable distance --30 minutes by car) Anyway, he called us yesterday sobbing uncontrollably asking for the number to the elders quorum president (one of the two who is still in town) We then called him back after our appointment (about an hour later) and he had not stopped crying and hadn´t gotten a hold of anyone. We luckily were with our amazing Aida and so we went right over as fast as her bum leg would go. When we got there we were really scared to go in. The doors to the apartment building, as well as to his apartment were open and there wasn´t a sound. We were terrified that he had done the unspeakable and were so greatful for the presence of Aida,the fearless lady nursed by a monkey. We walked solemly through the house calling his name and were unsettled even more by the picture of his family which is usually carefully displayed in a prominant place, but was overturned in disarray. We got to the back of the apartment and heard him sobbing in his bedroom. We were so releaved to not find him dead and I sang hymns for about an hour while Sister Schneiber made phone calls and Aida made soup, as he hadn´t eaten in more than two days. The elders then came over and gave him a blessing and we finally got a hold of the two priesthood holders who happened to both be at the chapel in institute class with their cell phones turned off. Anyway, he stopped crying and is doing better, I am so glad, however, that the missionaries found him months ago and continued to visit him because I´m sure that he would have died crying in his bed without our watching out for him. It´s a sad story, but sometimes that is also the role of the church, to comfort those who stand in need of comfort. We were explaining to our investigator Fátima the family of the church in all the world. A person can go anywhere in the world and find a reliable family environment simply by finding the church (this also aided by the web which has the addresses of all the chapels in the world and most of the phone numbers as well) Anyway, just another example of the true church on the earth that makes life better for those who are part, and for the world through their influence for good.

Joaquina, Rui and Miguel are still reading the Book of Mormon although they have to do it in secret so the dad doesn´t destroy the book. We talked to her the other day and her faith is amazing! She said that she will continue to hold on to what she knows is right regardless of the opposition and is constantly looking for opportunites to come to church when her husband leaves for a little while. She also said that even if she can´t go, she will make it so her children can attend. I´m so amazed by her courage and faith. This is true!!!

Anyhow, it has been a good week and we have been greatly blessed, I´m seeing more every day how much I have. Mom, thanks for the recepies and don´t worry about the filling, there will be enough. Also, for all of those people who want to send me packages (which I´m sure includes everyone reading this) either the mission address or my address here in São João da Madiera will work:

Avenida Dr. Renato Araujo
Nº 369-3º fte
3700-244 S. J. da Madeira
PORTUGAL

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Another Week in the Life

So, we had a good week, not everything went the way we had hoped, but we are still here and the work is moving forward. We have been teaching a lot with the members and it is really a joy. The one thing that comes with working with members is that they feel that they have to feed you at every opportunity. We hardly have to buy any groceries at all this week thanks to the members.

There is one little old widow who is especially dear. She is 70 some odd years old from Angola. She had 13 children 7 of which are still living. She has lived a rough life with the war in Angola, an abusive husband, and her spit-fire and vinger attitude and her poor little body showes it. She hadn´t come to church for years because of her health, but she has been coming for the last couple of months and she says that she has much more energy and less pain because of it. She really likes our visits, even when she can´t understand what we are saying because of our accents and her hearing (affected by an inoperable tumor in her brain) She had started to do divisions with us, which is helpful because she happens to know everyone, and because she loves the way she feels when she is with us. She can´t read because of an accident when she saved a child from getting hit with a car and her glasses shatterend into her eyes, but we are working on finding the Book of Mormon on CD so that she can listen on the days when her hearing is good. The spirit that that woman carries makes you happy just by being around her. In her is a simple testimony of the truthfullness of the gospel of Jesus Chirst. She likes to be around us and she likes to go to church because she feels good. She who has every excuse to lay on her bed and be catered to is out walking every day trying to help others. She is already planning opportunities to have a get together and cook for people and she always has a little treat for us when we go on visits with her. What makes it all the more endearing, she has absolutely no money because of debts her husband left and she still is always giving. She is a wonderful lady.

Thanks Deann for the notes! I did not get any pictures in either, perhaps because my mailbox was full. I have since deleted some things, so maybe it will work. This account only has a 10 MB space, so I have to be selective about the pictures I keep and I like to look at them every so often. What would also be good is to print the pictures off every once in a while and send them to me (just wallet sized on printer paper, and I can put them in my photo book) Not every internet shop has printing capabilities. Also, congrats on the great news! Things always have a way of working out for our good. Thanks also for your thoughts. I did read that article in the Ensign not to long ago, and it is always good to have a refresher.

Things are going well and I am feeling like I can speak more and more (as long as I am humble--because when I´m not it all flies right out the window) We are teaching a lot of really great families with a lot of potential. I just want to offer them the world, which is what the gospel does have to offer, but must be done in short bits and little by little they will obtain everything.

Mom, I have gotten a few letters from Janie and have been replying as soon as I get one. I am probably due again to write one. I may have time today as Sister Schneiber is feeling a bit down and will be sleeping most of today. The weather really has turned cold, even when the sun is out it is really chilly. Oh, thinking of cold and fall and all of that. We will probably have a little Thanksgiving dinner for just the missionaries in our zone. I, of course, volunteered for the pie making. However, I didn´t bring a single recepie with me. Could you therefore send me the Apple, Pumpkin, and Lemon M. (i forget how to spell), as well as the crust--I almost remember, but not quite. Thanks!

So, love you all! Hope you´re doing well and my prayers always are with you.

ellen

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Weehoo!

Howdy there missionary fans! This week has been miraculous, and fun. We had stake conference on Sunday which was attended by 4 of our investigators and we followed it up with 10 new investigators by the end of the night. Our numbers for the last week were awesome, and the results were uplifting to say the least.

The exciting event coming up this week is the baptism of Joaquina, Rui and Miguel. Saturday promises to be a great day, and full as well. In the meantime we´re inviting everyone in the world to attend, and many people have said that they would, so it should be spectacular. Sister Schneiber and I have been working on making our communication even better and it´s working, we are able to teach together better and we feel more productive. We also found a great family from Moldovia that has a lot of promise. Elvira and Andrê are well versed in the Bible and are looking for the truth. It is so exciting to find people who have been so well prepared. We had 14 new investigators this last week and they are all of the highest caliber. It´s really exciting to be a missionary in times such as these. We are also trying really hard to use the members as well so that these people have friends and a support system in the church, because that is what the church is all about: A support system to help us all know more of Christ and to learn and grow and perfect and help one another.

Another thing in the future is transfers this next Thursday. SIster Schneiber and I are really hoping that we get to stay here. This area is really opening up and we are having fruits. We are also part of a bigger movement as the branch here is mobilized. Our ward missionary leader Vasco is amazing. He is really getting things organized so that this great program (Preach My Gospel) will work. It is really exciting to see things get organized because it means that the success we´re having won´t have to stop, but can continue to grow because of the help of the members. Like Pahoran and Moroni, when we work together much more gets done and it is longer lasting change and improvement. It is really exciting to be a part of it.

Now, for the thanks....Thanks so much Mom for the package and the Halloween card. I really appreciate your support and prayers. Thanks Martha for your response. It is exactly what I needed. Thanks to all of you for your love and support. My prayers are also with you all. Keep up the missionary work where you are and I´ll do my best here. All of my love..
ellen

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great week

So, I´m sure you were all on the edge of your chairs waiting to hear about my fun adventure in the rain last week. It was an adventure for sure. We went by bus to the middle of nowhere and then walked for another half an hour to this beautiful waterfall, the only problem was that it was really raining hard. We, since we were already soaked, had a bit of fun taking cool pictures which I´ll get developed some time and send to you all. The real adventure was that we hadn´t checked when there would be a bus returning to where we had come from and so after waiting an hour decided to find out. Another bus wouldn´t be passing for another couple of hours and the 6 tired, wet missionaries needed to get back so they could work again. We then called a friend and he made the long trek and picked us up in his van. One problem is that he doesn´t like to obey any traffic laws and I´m sure our legion of angels earned their wings in our protection. It was a fun little adventure.

Sunday was great! We had our investigators again in church and Joaquina, Rui and Miguel are really getting excited for their baptism next week. Joaquina officially graduated from the stopping smoking program with a gold star and the statistics say that she will never smoke again. Maria Manuel came to church and she is marked for baptism on the 19th. We´re pretty excited. We also have a couple new investigators that reacted just like the textbooks. Elsa felt the Spirit during the opening hymn, prayer, and first vision. It was really neat. Also, we taught the 1st lesson to Margarida and Rúfino and she taught the apostacy better than I could. The section in Preach My Gospel about the Light of Christ and the way that people recongnize truths is really true. This is the church of Christ here on the earth!

Oh, I also got to use my nursing skills on Monday. We had a zone conference and I gave everyone their flu shots, including myself. It was kind of fun. I think I´ll have a picture of that too, we´ll have to see how it turns out. Interviews with President Greene are always awesome as well. All in all a good week. Love you all!

ellen

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quickie

So, this one will have to be quick. We are going on an adventure to see some really pretty fall and the bus leaves at 11:00 (it´s 10:30 now) so this will be short and sweet.

Thanks Mom for being so spectacular! I did send Dad a birthday letter, but it will arrive late, so let him know in the interim that I love him. Also, happy birthday to Marah--she´s already two, crazy. Mom, it is true, you can buy nylons here, but if you want to wear them more than twice, it´s nice to have nice ones from the states that don´t run on the first day. They are easily enveloped if it is easier to send them in those global envelopes.

This week we had investigators in church!!!! Joaquina, Miguel and Rui were at church and they loved it. Also another investigator Maria Manuel got up and drove to church, but she couldn´t find it and so she turned around and went back home, we´ll help her find it this week. Other great things...the fleas are dead, or we haven´t had any bites to indicate otherwise. Our mission conference was really awesome. I´ve decided that they get better every time, and it isn´t them that changes, it is me. We are helping both Joaquina and Maria Manuel to stop smoking and they are doing wonderfully. We had an awesome family home evening last night with Joaquina, Miguel, and Rui in the home of a stalwart member Catarina and then we had Carla and her daughters Sophia and Catia who were given a ride by Vasco. It was a party and they all really liked it. It is fun to teach fun lessons. We are really working hard to have at least 1/3 if not 1/2 of our lessons every week with members. That means that we have fewer lessons, but they are more powerful. It is so important to have them meet real people who are living in the same community, even if they are not the best teachers. The testimony that comes from a real person living and loving the gospel with the hardships that everyone faces and the trials of daily life is so powerful. I love bringing this happiness to the people of the world. That is what the gospel is all about, it is the plan of happiness here and eternal joy to come with all of our families. Oh, and we had district meeting in the bat cave. It really looks like a bat cave and it is even accompanied by this rustic bridge...pretty cool, I´ll send pictures when I get them back. We also found a wonderful restaurant that serves real Portugues food and that is always full. If any of you come to Portugal it´s a must eat type of place. So, time´s up. Love you all, the gospel is true and the Lord does miracles every day. Keep up the good work! Love you all (especially any missionaries named Elder Thompson in Brasil)

ellen

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small miracles

We have had a great week here with many small miracles. I have been having great studies and am always a little disappointed when I have to stop reading the Book of Mormon. I love the simplicity of that wonderful book of scripture. It reminds me of otello "a minute to learn, a lifetime to master" I know that the prophets were speaking to us now. So, for the miracles. On Monday someone called us asking for a book of mormon...that never happens. Someone with whom we had left a pass along card actually was interested and requested her free copy with we ran over as soon as possible. She had two days off and planned on spending them reading--what a great idea. Anyway, then we have been having some really great lessons and as I struggle to keep myself humble I am able to teach with the Spirit, and He speaks perfect portuguese, or at least well enough that no one is focusing on the language, but on the message. It is amazing what the Lord can do with us if we let him. I have been reading in Alma 40-42 which explains yet again the plan of salvation and really it is all about our desires, I am trying to modify my desires so I can say that like the people of King Benjamin in Mosiah 5 that I have no desires to do evil but to do good continually.

Thanks for the pictures Deann! They are really beautiful girls and they´re growing up so fast. Nephi, thanks for posting those pictures and my very witty remarks about them. (or not so witty) I have an awesome family for sure. Mom, my favorite scriptures for the first lesson are James 1:5, Jacob 4:4, JSH 16-17, Mosiah 4:9, and Moses 1:39, 2Cor 1:13, Amos 3:7, and 2 Thes 2:3. They are all pretty short and yet powerful.

Oh, our challenge for this week was fleas. I have a sad flea-bitten companion. The other day the count was about 50, but I´m sure it has exceeded that. We enter just about every house that will let us in and talk to every one, so it is not too surprising that we come in contact with little bugs that plague the human race. Fortunately for me, I must not be very sweet, but I only got one or two bites. Maybe my blood is like the goo in bike tires that just fills in the holes and they go away quickly. Anyway, for whatever reason, here, like in Matosinhos when Sister Landro was afflicted by mosquito bites, I have not been affected to horribly by Sister Schneiber´s fleas, although I surely have been doing my best to help her combat them. It´s fun.~

Oh, I almost forgot about our crazy day this week. There has to be at least one day of crazies every transfer. We taught this one yound man named Miguel Angelo and marked him for baptism. That doesn´t sound overly strange, the thing that was crazy is that his mom was present. Still doesn´t sound too out of the ordinary??? Well, she happened to be absolutely dripping... when she gave us bejinhos (kisses on both cheeks) she gave us raspberries unintentionally(the sound that you make when you blow on a baby´s belly). I smelled like table wine for the rest of the night. Every once in a while I would get a whiff of myself and feel a little tipsy. Oh, but it never stops with just one incident. Next, we went to an appointment we had made with a contact, but she couldn´t entertain us in her house because of her husband and so we taught her in a cafe nearby. The only problem is that the cafe was filled to the brim, but this isn´t all...there was a soccer game playing, and in Portugal soccer isn´t just a game, it is a religion. For a person not to support a team is like being unfaithful to the country. Many people have died over the results of games (and during them). We did however manage to teach a pretty good lesson and have made a return appointment for a different local. To add to this excitement (and fear for our safety during the drunken cheering for the game) Sister Schneiber found a flea in her hair, which is very thick and very curly. We then made an emergency trip to the pharmacy and bought lice shampoo which hopefully kills fleas too.

So, exciting week--and our fight with the fleas marches on, or jumps on. The number of bites per night has decreased, but there are still new ones that arise with the morning light. Hopefully we´ll conquer before the week is up.

The week to come: tomorrow we´ll have mission conference with Elder Baxter of the Area Presidency. Random fun fact: our new Area President is none other than the writer of the Work and the Glory books, Gerald Lund. Just thought you all might enjoy knowing that. Thanks so much for your love and prayers (for me and my flea-bitten best friend) I know we are involved in the work of God. That this is the final gathering, the Lord is hastening His work and I´m so thankful to be part of it. This is the Lord´s church and Kingdom on the earth. Love you all!
ellen

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Pictures from Portugal

My trainer Sister Landro and I in front of the chapel in Matosinhos. One of the only signs in Portugal that says: Visitors Welcome


The rooftops of Porto -- pretty aren't they?


Some pretty gardens in Porto (at the end of the season so the flowers aren't at their best)


Bridge linking Porto and Gaia across the Douro River (River of Gold) -- look closely to see the helicopter


Looking across the river to Gaia


A cool Catholic church in Porto complete with "dead men's bones" in the basement


Knocking every door -- even the doors of "saints" who have already gone on -- And behind door #7, bones.


Outside of the police station in Matosinhos where I was arrested twice. Very inauspicious, não é?


In Matosinhos are a lot of fishermen. This statue is right outside of the chapel and I fear I may have found my fisherman. Ahhhh.

Conferência geral!!!

So, got to love that we have prophets here on earth and that we have the blessed opportunity to hear from them every six months. We got to attend most of the sessions which was truly magnificent. I really loved the spirit that I felt there, and the knowledge that I have. I am so thankful for the Book of Mormon and for living prophets.

Other exciting news... we have marked two investigators for baptism on the 29th of this month. Joaquina e Rui are excellent, and they really have a thirst to read and know and do the things of the Lord. Joaquina is in her 30´s and Rui is her 12 year-old son. They are really excellent. We had an amazing visit with them on Tuesday with a couple of members. Working with the members is the way to go. We just have to teach a little bit and control the conversation and the members bear testimony and help to teach them in perfect portuguese. The Spirit is able to bear testimony of truth in a manner more complete than is attainable with just two little missionaries.

I thought of Aaron yesterday as someone in one of the apartment buildings we were in was practicing Yesterday on the violin. It made me smile.

Congratulations on the nearing completion of the house! It is exciting to be nearing the end of such a big project. I have no doubts that you will not let any time go by before plunging headlong into another of even grander proportions, but that is the way life goes.

We have been teaching a lot this week and we really have some good investigators. The thing that is most noteable about them is their hunger for the scriptures. They just can´t get enough and during our lessons--they want to read the whole time and more verses even than we are teaching from. It is great to watch the light in their eyes as the eternal truths make connection with their immortal spirits and they remember. Our work is like that of a doctor helping someone with amnesia in place of teaching, we are reminding.

The Book of Mormon is the word of God. From the time of my mission call until the end of this month I will have read that marvelous book of scripture four times. 3 in english and once in portuguese. Every time I read it I feel better. When I don´t think I can do any more I can open it up and read even a few verses and the spirit and energy that come from that exercise give me the strength that I need to keep going. I have a little english pocket sized version that I keep in my bag all of the time and I think I´ll have to do it for the rest of my life. It is fun to have 5 extra seconds and fill it with words of love and counsel from my Heavenly Father to me.

Speaking of letters, I´m having "mail depression" because all of the letters and things from Matosinhos have not made it to me yet, and I haven´t been to Porto in a while so I haven´t gotten the ones from the office either, but we are having a conference next week, so hopefully I be swamped in letters, or at least have one or two. It does make a difference. Por esta razão meu querido irmão eu mandei quatro cartas esta semana em só um envelope com muito amor. Obrigada pelas muitas cartas que já mandaste para mim e não te preocupes sobre so mandando uma carta cada mes. É suficiente. Es um élder espectacular! Eu sou tão grata que tenho um exemplo tão forte.

Well, that´s about it. Love you all! If you want to know anything specific drop me a line and I´ll do my best to respond. Give all of those cute munchkins my love and kisses!

ellen

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Down to Two

So, our tripla is now a dupla. Sister Schneiber and I are staying in São João da Madeira and Sister Medeiros is off to Gaia. So for all of you who wanted to send letters, packages, ect and didn´t know where to send them:
Avenida Dr. Renato Araujo Nº369-3ºfte
3700-244 S. João da Madeira
I´ll try to stay out of trouble so I will be at this address for the next 6 weeks at least (hopefully) We´ll have to see.

PARABENS to the entire crew there in Kaysville! I´m so excited for our little Charles Nathan. Thank you so much for the pictures. I am struck by how much he looks like his sisters. Great looking family for sure! I also like that he came in the middle of the afternoon and a nice big healthy baby too. Congratulations and all of my love!

Mom, I think the key to prioritization is found in yourr recent study of Preach My Gospel. It´s all about following the Spirit. Also when doing one thing, devote all of your thoughts to that one thing and accomplish it in the scheduled time (or if it doesn´t get done, plan to schedule more time the next day) and then move on. It also helps here in the mission field to schedule every activity and then to have a backup plan in case the original doesn´t work. Then use the Spirit to help you decide in the moment and at the end of the day make plans for the next day. It helps to make the day run more smoothly and to help you feel more satisfied with the work you accomplished in the day. Communication between the people with which you are working is also essential.

So, I´m having a great time here in Portugal, we have been teaching some great investigators and are trying to help them through the trials that they have in their lives. The more I see of life, the more I am sure that it is only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that we can find happiness and peace. I am so grateful for my Savior´s love for me. I am also so greatful for the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and it´s application in the day-to-day. I know this is true gospel because it is true with the laws of nature, physics, mathematics, history, music, and every aspect of life. Everyone can gain a testimony of Jesus Christ in Book of Mormon according to their passion in life. Those who love language will gain a testimony through it´s syntax. Those who have a love for history will recognize trends alike in all civilizations. Those with an eye for numbers will find that it all adds up. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God through His holy prophets.

Love all of you and give all of those darling children kisses for me. That is probably the hardest thing for me, not being able to run around and visit you all and spoil all of your beautiful children. Keep on keeping on down there in the opposite side of the world Samuel. You´re a great example for me. Love and my prayers.

ellen

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Great week!

Well, got to tell you there is power in a tripla. We teach so well together and we´re having a great time. At times it is hard, but we get along very well together. I have advanced in my language skills. I am only corrected every 5 words instead of every other, so that is improvement. We are kind of anxious for next week to find out who will go where for this transfer. At least one of us will be leaving for sure.
This week we have been practicing to be senior companions because both Sister Medieros and I are of that "age" where we could be training someone or at least be seniors. I complete my "training" at the end of this transfer, although the last three weeks haven´t been very much training. I really had a good day of leading yesterday. We had a very productive day and my very first contact of the day was absolutely golden. She really was searching and when she heard the truth it all made sense to her. The only bad thing is that she is in the Elders area and so we don´t get to teach her. I really like her and she has a lot of potential. We have had a really great week as far as numbers and quality of numbers are concerned. On Monday we only taught 4 lessons, but they were strong and we have 4 new investigators who have mounds of promise. It is really exciting. The end of the summer vaction is a welcome friend. We also got to brighten an investigators day yesterday. He is a man who lives alone with his 16 year-old daughter and he struggles with depression. We had bought a sunflower to give to his daughter, but she wasn´t home, and it really must have been meant for him in the first place. I love that I was able to hear the Spirit and follow it´s promptings. We really made his day and were able to teach a great lesson with the flower and it´s following of the SON. Anyway, it was good.

Sister Schneiber and I have decided that we are going to be really good for each other. We get along famously. Sister Medieros is also growing a lot. She struggles with self-esteem at times, but is improving amazingly on a daily basis. It is amazing the progress that we can have here on a mission when the Spirit is able to magnify our efforts 24/7.

Oh, I almost forgot our fun experience of the week.... I got to practice my nursing skills on Sister Medieros. She was doing chin-ups on a bar that was wedged between the doorposts when it ceased to be suspended. She fell and sprained her thumb and broke open her chin. The hospitals here aren´t especially adept at doing things in a rapid fashion, and seeing as we didn´t want to lose time working I played doctor, doing surgery on her chin and thumb. The cut on her chin was about 3cm wide and at least 1cm deep and bled sufficiently. It was nearly impossible for her refrain from talking so we eventually cleaned it up really well and superglued it shut (NOTE: don´t do this at home) Anyway, now it looks beautiful and isn´t bothering her at all. The thumb we splinted a bit and now we´re icing it daily and she does exercises in warm water at night to make sure it retains it´s movement. Then we wrap it to take down the swelling and it is healing beautifully. Sometimes it´s fun to be a nurse, but it is a bit stressful to have President and Sister Greene trust me with the health of another of my fellow servants. It is quite a responsibility.

Anyhow, I think that is about all that is happining here. I do want to thank Bethany for the cute picture of our little Ethan. Anyone who feels the urge to follow her example and send pictures would be welcome. I have been feeling a bit cut off from the world because I wasn´t sure how long I´d be here in São João and I´m a little farther away from the office so I don´t get my mail from the mission office as often as I did in Matosinhos. Anyway, that picture was just what I needed to feel part of the world again.

Also, I´m so glad that everywhere in the world my family is helping to make it a better place. Thanks for your example Aaron in helping the people affected from the hurricane. It´s a good feeling to help brighten someone´s life.

So, the Book of Mormon is great. We gave a couple of lessons this week in enjoying the Book of Mormon. It really feels like it was written for me in my life from day to day. When ever I start feeling overdramatic I like to read the dramatic words of Jacob and Lehi as they are about to "lay down in the cold and silent grave from whence no traveller can return" and I have to laugh at myself. It´s the best literature I have ever read. It makes you laugh, makes you cry, and changes your life for the better. I can´t think of any book I´d rather read every day for the rest of my life. For a taste of it´s literary power read Mosiah 25:7-10. Try and tell me that these aren´t truly the words of God and I´ll bear my testimony of the happiness and consolation that I´ve found on a daily basis that helps me continue to do my best. I know that the Book of Mormon is a true book of scripture. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and I´m where the Lord wants me to be, as much as the advesary would like to dissuade me, and maybe especially because of it.

Love you all! Next week I´ll let you know where I´ll be for the next 6 weeks, unless something unpresedented happens, which isn´t unpresedented. Stay tuned to the drama of.....Portugal--a mission-- impossible??? Never!

ellen

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Where in the world is Sister Thompson???

Mom had a very good question in her last letter. (Ellen--where are you?) My companions and I got a good laugh. Yes, you heard right, my companions. They needed two sisters to keep track of me because obviously one wasn´t enough to keep me out of trouble. I am now in São João da Madeira, a cute little city in the middle of the hills about an hour and a half south of Porto. We were transfered on Saturday from Matosinhos, just to be safe and to make sure we could work without the police looking twice at us whenever we walk down the street. At first I was really worried about all of our people and how they would progress, but then I realized that really the Lord is more worried about them than I am and that helps a lot. I do have some great stories to tell my grandchildren.

So, my companions are: Sister Medieros from Angola (yep! a native speaker who speaks in Portuguese all the time) and Sister Schneiber from Connecticut who speaks probably the best Portuguese of the sisters, having spoken French fluently before learning Portuguese. I feel really blessed to have the opportunity to learn correctly this language so early on. This time with them will be short, but we do speak 24/7, and that helps. I really like being in a tripla, it´s really fun and we can enter anywhere. The very first door we knocked on Saturday was the house of two young men of about 20 years and the marvelous thing is, with three sisters, we can enter, which we did, and teach, which we also did, with power and it was great. We do teach very well together and we get along smashingly. Sister Schnieber is fun, we joke around a lot, and another cool thing is that she wants to learn how to quilt by hand, having loved machine quilting. She is also a great teacher and I love that every door that is opened to us, we teach. We end up teaching a lot of people who don´t want to hear, but they at least have a little idea about what they are rejecting. I am excited to learn all that I can from her. Sister Medieros is very good at teaching simply and at keeping me humble, which I always need. She also will have my language perfected if it kills me, but I really am enjoying our companionship.

On Tuesday we had a zone conference and got all pumped up again. Our new goal is to do even 10 contacts more per person than we would have otherwise so that we can really talk to everyone and teach at every single opportunity. Yesterday we contacted this girl Carla in the city center. She was just sitting on the park bench and we went and talked to her and the message of hope and faith that we shared with her made her cry and really was an answer to her prayers and to ours. It was yet another testimony to me that this is the Lord´s work, that He is really gathering His sheep here in the last days and those who are really seeking with hear His voice.

This area is one of the only ones in the mission that only has a branch. I get to play the piano for sacrament meeting on Sunday and that is always fun. We will be spending a lot of time with the members helping to strenghen and fortify their testimonies and knowledge of the gospel as well as working with our great investigators, of which there are many. I´m not sure if I will still be here in three weeks, but I really do love it here and am so thankful for the opportunity to be here, even if it did mean that I had to be arrested twice to get here. This really is the Lord´s work and His kingdom on the earth. I am so thankful for the knowledge that I have and for my testimony. I know that God is really my Father and that He loves us in the same way that He loved His children in the past and for this reason has blessed us again in these the last days with a prophet, as was profecied by Christ and all of the other prophets of ancient times. A prophet always receives the gospel by revelation and then teaches this gospel to others and also bears testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve the Lord in this manner, to be part of the gathering of Israel for this the last time. There is a great work going on here in Portugal, it will go on with or without me, but I am trying to be better every day so that I can help it go forward.

Happy Birthday little Ethan! Parabens to Emily Palmer and also minha sogra LeAnn Halgren (I think this makes 50--chuckle--) Love you all, thanks for your support, and Samuel, thanks so much for your testimony, it really helps in those hard days.

Oh, my address is: Avenida Dr. Renato Arujo Nº 369-3º Fte
3700-244 São João da Madeira
ellen

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guess what...

So, my life is like a comedy show sometimes I think. Sister Landro and I were doing contacts in an apartment building. We have had a hard time of it lately and were finally seeing little glimmers of hope and we finally contacted people for the second time after teaching them a first lesson and then they went away on ferias. So, we finally had some teaching appointments and it looked like things were really turning around (and probably still are) So, we are here talking to a woman in the door who is really excited about us returning and bringing her a Book of Mormon and she can´t believe that we´re giving them away for free when all of a sudden... Her neighbors come home and find out that they were robbed. Not wanting to bring suspicion to ourselves by running away from the scene (which is precisely what we wanted to do) we stayed for a bit to se if there was anything we could do to help. As we were backing out slowly..the police arrived and we took yet another trip to the esquadro where they took copies of our passport copies and let us go. They really don´t think we are the ones that are robbing people, but they are starting to think that maybe we might be in a ring or something. Anyway, I am certain that we´re doing a lot of good in this area or we wouldn´t have so much opposition. I love the scripture in 2 Nephi 31:20 where it uses the word press. That means to me that there will be opposition and as is says in 2 ne 2 there must be opposition in all things, it is a law of nature, of science, and of God. Anyway, it is a sure sign that you´re doing something right if you have opposition. The other road is much slicker and easier. I also really like the next verse that talkes about the only way and name that is given to Eternal Life in the presence of our Father. There are a lot of people here that are very confused and disillusioned about religion because when this country opened to other religions 30 years ago, there were a lot that took advantage of the neitivity (spelling) and did wrong in the sight of the Lord. I am so glad that I have the unshakable knowledge that it is through Jesus Christ and only through Him and His proper ordinances and convenents that we can gain this reward.

Anyway, I might be transfered from this area...we´ll have to see. President Greene is working on it with prayer and fasting and he should be talking to Sister Landro today, we have to be down in Porto to renew her visa.. So, I don´t exactly know what I´ll be doing in the next little bit, but I have no doubts that it will be according to the will of the Lord. Thank goodness for revelation over stewardships! So.. that´s my funny story for this week. A funny thing about this time at the police station, we preached to the guards. Well, the officers asked us about what our function was here in Portugal and we basically shared the sacrifices that we make to be here and threw in what our beliefs were and the restoration of the Church that Jesus Christ organized on the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith, and that we have a prophet today. Oh, for a step by step analysis of the role of a prophet...Jacob 1:5-7, 17-19 great stuff. I love the Book of Mormon!!

I´m so glad that everyone is doing well there. It is great to see the spiritual growth of my great little missionary example and my parents. I will send pictures to Nephi soon that he can post on the blog for anyone who care to see them. Love you all! Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and my friend more and more each day.

ellen

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September

So, it´s already September, hard to believe isn´t it? It´s been a quick little month August has, and a hard one. We got to go back to work on the streets again on Tuesday, and it´s kind of like opening a new area. It´s going to take a little bit of time to get it going again, but I feel good about the work we´re doing here.

So, in response to Mom´s question: My companion is Sister Landro from unincorporated Salt Lake. She is great for me. She and I both like to sing and we know many of the same musicals which can be good and bad at the same time. We have similar tastes in music and movies and similar desires for the future. She is going into speech therapy. It seems wierd to me, but I´m older than her and she is my trainer. I am older than her in some ways, but not in others. She will go home in December. We have already made plans to hang out after I get home. She´s great!

The town I´m in is Matosinhos. It is right next to the ocean and just a smidgen north of Porto. It is and has been a fishing town for a long long time, but is a fairly modern city compared to Porto. The downtown is only about 10 blocks by 3 and this is our principle area to work. At the moment we don´t have tons of investigators, but we have some great contacts that have a lot of potential. Our little ward has a goal to separate in December, so we are working on strengthening the ward in addition to adding new members. The cities of Senhora da Hora and Matosinhos split this ward, and most of the leadership lives in Senhora da Hora, so it is our job to help reactivate and bring souls to Christ in our area that can help to strengthen the ward when it splits.

Fun things that happened this week include:
Our water was almost turned off this morning, but through a series of little miracles and tender mercies, we were able to get it all worked out and we still get to take showers. Yipee! ( you should see me after our half hour of exercise in the morning...we run for most of it and I am dripping afterward) Anyhow, I am getting quite the calves with our runs and 12 hours on my feet on cobblestones. Truly a sight to see underneath my skirt and nylons!

Monday was zone conference which kind of boosts your spirits everytime. We set some great goals and received strength from one another. Anyone who says you don´t need a church to worship the Lord is missing out. Daily life is a battle and gets tiring, it is so nice to get reinforcements as often as possible. Scripture study and prayers are great, but sometimes it is just wonderful to have someone share new insight. Anyhow, it was a great meeting.

Also, I got 15 letters which was very nice (4 from Samuel, what a great brother I´ve got!) Thanks so very much. I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers through other people and He knew that it would be a little hard to go back to a clean slate and so sent some reinforcements. Thank you thank you thank you!! It really meant a lot. Oh, Samuel, Janie says hello and the Halgrens really liked your letter and are sending one in return. Bejinhos to all! Tchau!

ellen

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IMPRISIONED!!!

how do you like that blaring title???

So, not really, but Sister Landro and I felt a little bit imprisioned this week. Just to be on the safe side, our mission president had us stay inside unless we were with members or had set appointments with investigators. He just wanted to make sure that the people who gave our description to the police were not doing it out of dislike for missionaries or Americans, or anything like that. It turns out that we just happened to be in that area and, as we stick out like a sore thumb, they gave our discription. However, we did find things to do with the members this week and that was good. We didn´t really spend too much time in the apartment at all. The time that we did spend was very productive and we are implementing a new program to help the members give references in our area. It is a program of revelation, where the members have a sheet with 10 names of people/families that would like to hear the gospel and pray about which one the Lord is preparing. We coupled this program with my favorite four indicators that the Lord really has some people prepared: Birth/death, marriage, recently moved, rebellious children. Then, this week when we have a bit more time to spend with members, we presented basically the restoration section of the first lesson to invite the Spirit and then extended the invitation to make a goal when they will invite one of these people to their home for us to teach. It was really neat to watch the results. One family, we had only a short amount of time and the part about the restoration was cut short. The difference in the Spirit was apparent when they were reluctant to share. We are going back to follow-up with that family next week and will strengthen their efforts with the Spirit. It was a testimony to me that it really isn´t me that is doing the teaching, even with members. I don´t have any skills of my own. Even the few little statistics that we included on the sheet did nothing to convince them. Goes to show that we cannot even convince the members. The only thing we can do is invite the Spirit and that will have more influence than we ever can. I am just so greatful for the opportunity we have had to really put this plan into action. We also with some of the families tied it to the war chapters in Alma. (62: 3-5,14,33,38) and the influence Moroni (missionaries) and Pahoran (members) had when they joined forces. We´re really excited about it, and already we have teaching dates with three families (each with specific friends in mind). It really is neat.

Mom, I don´t really need anything, I´m just fishing for mail. It was a ploy, but if anyone would like to send anything, I wóuldn´t be sad, I promise. No, I´m really doing well and I love my time to study each morning. I´m also going to be done with the Book of Mormon again this week and that is always fun. Then I get to start over!!! I start getting anxious to read it some mornings and sometimes make a few minutes to read during lunch and dinner. What a great blessing we have in a textbook for life that is so small and compact, but so packed with counsel and wisdom from our Heavenly Father. I´m thankful that the prophets wrote down their revelations for my benefit.

Oh, happy birthday last week Nephi... I will sing you your song:
parabens a você, esta data quierida
muitas felicidades, muitos anos a vida
hoje é o dia de festa, canta as nossas almas
para menino o Néfi, uma salva das palmas

Also, happy anniversary Aaron and Bethany two weeks ago (time flies when you´re working hard). We are all amazed that one person could put up with him for that long. No, he´s nice, really, don´t know how we could live without him...

Love you all, keep up the great work Samuel. I couldn´t be prouder of a little brother.

ellen

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a tough week

We had a really tough week this week. Our great investigators, actually our only investigators, Vasyl Paula e Cleber stopped taking the lessons this week and asked that we don´t return. This just after finally making a goal for baptism. I won´t tell you that I didn´t cry and I won´t say that it didn´t rip our hearts out. They said that they felt a difference in the spirit of their home as a result of the message that we brought, and yet Vasyl is fighting the urge to believe. It is almost like he is scared to have faith. We still pray for them every day that they will choose the road with more light and hope. Paula really wants an eternal family and all of the blessings that the gospel brings, but doesn´t want to do it without Vasyl, so we´ll see. We still have hope that when their home returns to the place it was with all of the fighting and unhappiness that was in it before we started teaching them the lessons, they will see the difference that the gosple can make in their lives and return. I think the Lord just has a different time table than we had and maybe Vasyl isn´t quite ready. Anyway, we still hope and pray, at least there is a seed there if nothing else, and all of them have expressed at one time or another their little baby testimonies.

The Lord really is merciful unto His missionaries. We lost our only investigators, but He didn´t leave us without hope. We encontered another investigator Elisabete that we hadn´t been able to get a hold of that same night and we are now teaching her and her friend. Funny little story about her friend. A couple of years ago were really hard for her and who should show up to her door, but two young elders from the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints. She didn´t have time to listen to their message, or didn´t have the disposition, but they left a pass-along card with a picture of the Savior on it and this started her search for God. She has been studying the Bible with different faiths and I think being prepared for the fullness. She was excited about having a Book of Mormon of her own, having read the parts that we marked for Elisabete. We have a lot of hope for these two. Elisabete reminds me of you Martha in a lot of ways. She´s cool. Anyway, we have a lot of hope for these two.

Oh, another big happening this week, this one a bit strange, and kind of funny. We got arrested yesterday. Actually we weren´t really arrested, but apparently someone gave our discriptions to the police as people that were in or near a predio that had been robbed. We, only just arriving to our area to proselyte, were asked by a couple of officers to accompany them to their car, and from thence to the police station to be searched. To our relief, and surprise ;) we didn´t have anything of earthly value on our persons, although we did have a bible, triple combination, and two copies of the book of mormon in our bags. They then took us back to where they had picked us up with apologies and everything. We had sent a message to our mission president when these things began to happen (he was in a zone conference with the general authorities in London) and we got all sorts of calls from his counsellors and the assistants to the president that afternoon, as well as one from him and his wife as soon as they got out of their meeting with Elder Uchtdorf. The bishop of the ward here was outraged for us and basically I´m very sure that we will not have to worry about anything as the Lord, through His servants will fight our battles for us. They said that there would not be anything to worry about and I´m excited to be able to tell my children in the future that I am in the same class of missionaries as those greats: Paul, Ammon, Aaron, Alma, Amuleque, Omner, Himni, etc. No prison could hold us.

Actually, this week has been good despite all of the hard things that have happened. It was really great, my testimony has grown in leaps and bounds. I know for sure that I can really trust in my Savior with my all and He will direct me for good in every aspect of my life. I know with all of my heart and soul that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings happiness and joy into the lives of ANY person who will let it, and the sorrow that comes from watching others choices is just a small taste of Gethsemane that enables us to love even deeper, to feel even more the love of Christ in our lives. I am so greatful for the prophet that we have here on the earth today, for that link with God here on the earth to help guide and direct us in our day-to-day.

Now, on a different note. We saw some pretty gardens in porto today during our quick preparation day trip. I also love the tiling on all the buildings here. It is absolutely gorgeous! There are also quaint little chaples everywhere with beautiful tiles and beautiful statues and artwork all around. The human mind can come up with the most beautiful things and has the capacity to tame and interact with nature in amazing ways. I can´t wait to show you all these pictures that I have taken, of course many of them will bore you, but trust me, you will get to see each and every one of them, like it or not. So, it would be better to like it and be excited about it.

Oh, Mom, thanks for the programs for Grandpa´s funeral and Keturah´s baptism. I really enjoyed them, I got them today.

Oh, another note, just in case anyone would like to send a letter... which I´m sure is just about everyone in the world... We just had transfers and apparently I´m going to be in this area for at least another 6 weeks, so, now would be a great time to send that package or letter that you´ve been thinking about:

Rua Teixeira de Pascoais Nº139-5
4450 Matosinhos PORTUGAL

Love you all, and especially you Samuel, I couldn´t ask for a better little brother. You´re my favorite little brother, and my favorite missionary in Brasil. Tchau!
ellen

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