To Samuel

Hey there my brother, and the rest of the family!

So, sorry that I have now turned into a writing slacker. It's kind of
different when you don't have a schedule to follow. Being a real person
is good, but it is also a bit wierd and different. I'll get normal soon
I'm sure. Anyhow...life is going well: I have an apartment (actually it's
a house and I have the basement room in the corner); I have everything
lined up for a very full year of portuguese study at BYU and am currently
in the middle of some "light reading" borrowed from one of the professors;
I got today an offer for a part-time night position at Utah Valley Medical
Center paying 21.17 hour, I may accept this, but I'm kind of waiting for
the American Fork people that I also interviewed with to give me an offer
and then I'll accept the best of the two.

Other news...I don't think that there is any. It's fun to be able to
live. I'm so grateful for the Lord's continuing blessings. Everything is
just falling into place, which can only mean that the Lord is watching out
for me. I love you and hope everything is going well in the greatest two
years of your life!

love you!

ellen

I'm home!!!

Hey there all of my good friends!

This is just a little note to let all of you know that I am back in the
states safe and sound from my mission in Portugal. I had an awesome time
and I can't even express how much it has made me happy and how much I have
been blessed and have learned. I love the Portuguese people and could
spend my life there happily. I am absolutely loving also the opportunity
to see all of my 14 nieces and nephews and their pregnant mothers, and
expecting fathers and I know more than ever that the Lord lives and He
loves me through my family. I don't think that there is space in an
e-mail to really express the depths of my feelings, so this will be short.

Plans for my life at this point: I plan on attending BYU in Provo, Utah
this January and working toward a masters in teaching (history, languages,
arts, musics and nursing) I will be working as a nurse to support this my
school habit as I love school and I can see me spending the rest of my
life studying. I am extremely excited to be able to do this.

I would love to see and talk to you all! I am going to be spending this
month of December galavanting around the country and would love to hear
from you and talk to you all when I am in the area.

My location schedule is the following:
Dec 1-8 Georgia
Dec 9-14 Utah
Dec 15-20 Denver (I will be speaking in the Arvada 4th ward on the
17th and you are all invited)
Dec 21-28 Home in Austin CO.

I do not really have a phone at this point, so the best way to reach me is
by e-mail which I will do my best to check regularly. Hope all of you are
finding yourselves well and do forgive if my english is rusty at best. My
mind now thinks in portuguese. Love you all and wish God's greatest
blessings on you and yours. I am excited to come and see you all.

ellen

the last day

So, the last day here in my Portugal....I am the mission president's wife's companion to keep me out of trouble (they thought I would do something bad on the last day of the mission) No, actually I am feeling really lucky because I asked her last week if I could help, because I knew I needed to do something of worth, and I was the first one that asked. Since then the rain came down and all the other sisters are wishing that they had the same opportunity...I get to make pies and everything, we're having a blast, and it's good to serve. I said goodbye to Portugal on the train ride here by humming the national anthem a whole bunch of times. It has been hard to say goodbye to all of the people that I love so much. I LOVE PORTUGAL!! I am nonetheless very excited to see all of you and love you all too. But for now, back to the kitchen with me...

ellen

Fw: Energizer

Hey there family,
Another week has gone by and the work goes on. In missionary work the same thing happens again and again but it never seems to get old. You are always finding new people and trying to baptize them. It is very enjoyable work. What is even more neat is that you change so much as well as the people that you teach. It is really a lot of change. We are planning to have another baptism in two weeks. João Gabriel is a great 15-year old boy. He is a great example to his family. He is intelligent but also has a lot of talent. We are very excited about his baptism. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I know that through my diligence and faithfulness many people will come to a knowledge of the truth. We have to endure to the end. It is the hardest thing to do but it is needed. It is just like the quote of President Hinckley. Put your trust in God and move forward w/ confidence and faith in the future. The Lord will not forsake us...He will never forsake us. We are to Go Forward w/Faith.
Well, my sister is coming home I just can´t believe how much time has gone by. It really is incredible. Happy Homecoming to you Ellen. May your days be lovely and bright. I love you all.

Elder Thompson

another busy week

So,the work continues at an ever increasing pace... This week was a full one for sure. We had a funeral yesterday of a little 4 year old boy. He was really a joy and the way in which he went showed the family that it was Heavenly Father calling him home and so they were comforted. I also tried to translate what I remember of your butterfly poem Mom and I gave that to them, I hope it helps a bit. The day before that we had a great zone conference and I found out that on my last day here in Portugal I will be helping to prepare our Thanksgiving dinner, so that makes me happy. It's good to be doing something of use. Also, our music lessons and english lessons are going along lickety-split and it is like the people have come alive again. It is an encouraging feeling. This work is the Lord's and really He will do miracles. I really like the passage in Luke 5:5 and it is helping me to give my all to the end.

Hopefully I have been admitted to BYU, I still am not sure, but am working on it. If all works out as I hope I will be a student there in January, which will be all sorts of fun. yep, so that's the news from here. The Lord's plan is perfect and He cares for His children. Of this I am certain.

Love you all!

ellen

Fw: Here Comes the Sun

Hey there,
What a fast week this is. It is already the middle of November. I can´t believe that the time is just going by so fast. Sometimes I just wish that I could stop time.
It has been a great week. We received some outstanding referrals this last week and we have some baptisms planned for the first of December. We are so excited about it. João Gabriel is a great kid. When we first taught him and his family everyone rejected us except him, his mom and his brothers. He stayed firm and said that he would read the book of mormon. Now he has already been to church three times and we are planning his baptism. We are also teaching another family that is outstanding. Some years ago Heloide would run to the other side of the street because she had fear that the Mormons would get her as they were walking down the street. Now, we are talking about baptism with her. We are planning to mark her and her daughter´s baptisms this week. It is interesting to see the change that comes over people. I really feel that with we have faith in the Lord and we work hard following the spirit. We will have success. Part of our success here is that our investigators have a friend who is a member of the church. It helps so much because the friend can follow-up when the missionaries can´t, they answer questions and give support. The key to having a lot of baptisms is working with the members to baptize their friends and family. It is just like President Hinckley said. A new member needs a responsibility, a friend, and nutrido by the word of God.
I am so excited about the work and know that trusting in the Lord is how I will receive the blessings that he has in store for me. I love you all and know that if we do what is right(read the scriptures and pray everyday and go to church every Sunday) we will always be blessed.

Love,
Elder Thompson

Yeah! Yipee! Yahoo!

CONGRATULATIONS AARON, BETHANY and MICHAEL ANDREW!!! I'm excited to tell people that I have 13 neices and nephews. I am a blessed aunty! Health and all of that to you and to all of the other expecting mothers in our family!

Another week full of stuff... fun, funny, and hilarious. We got to do a division on monday to tuesday...I got to teach with Irmã Andelin who is serving now in Matosinhos and we really had a blast talking and stuff. She is an amazing missionary and I'm greatful for the opportunity that I had to work with her. She has a lot of qualities that I would like to emulate. It was good for Irmã Karren too. She had never seen the way anyone else worked and so it was a good experience. We are really having a good time together and the work is moving forward because of that.

We also at times become a hinderance, like on Monday when we brought a huge slug to district meeting. We called him Babe Ruth the Grand Slugger because he was about 7 inches long and quite large. We needed a little something to spice up our lives and about which we could giggle incessantly. The elders were quite impressed, and we did use it to teach an object lesson, so maybe it was alright.

Other fun things for the week...I picked up nits from an otherwise respectable looking dog owned by one of the members and Irmã Karren had fun picking them out...when the shampoo from the pharmacy didn't have the immediate results I wanted I just decided to get it over with quickly and dunked my head in bleach, killing all of them as Irmã Karren can attest. Hopefully I did not kill all of my hair follicles and I still have hair the next time all of you see me. However, it is a quick way to kill the nasty things. That is probably the most nauseating experence that I've had, including having to eat the recognizable heart valves and lungs of the ox in s.j. da madeira, which was pretty bad. Yuck!

Samuel, recebeste já a minha carta? Parabéns no sucesso vocês estão a ter lá. É sempre bom ouvir. És um missionário espectacular! Porta-te bem e tudo. Continuação con um bom trabalho!

Mais coisas....acho que não há nada.. amo vocês todos...oi english! Nothing else to report for right now. Love you all and a big love and a squeeze for Michael!

ellen

Subject: It's a Boy!

Subject: It's a Boy!

No name yet but working on it--probably today sometime. 8lbs, 6oz----20 ¾” long. Bethany is doing well and both should come home today. Enjoy the pictures but remember they are copyrighted and can be reproduced or sold as much as possible with a 10% royalty.

Love you all,

Aaron

I forgot the date but most of you would’ve figured that out. November 2 @ 2:40 pm.

Quick November

Today a quickie...spent all sorts of time on a letter to Mom (aren't you all jealous) No really, we have had a great week. We had a cool experience this week where our neighbor contacted us by way of the window and asked us to come and visit her, she had been impressed by the way we live and could see a 'light' as it were radiating from our apartment. Good thing we don't let down our guard even in the house. A good missionary is a missionary always. We now have special care with how we act and things. Anyhow, other great things from this week, we have more family nights planned than we can ever accomplish and invites coming out our ears. We have a great english class going and now have started a music class to help the members, and anyone else who wants to attend, learn the ins and outs of music, especially as found in the hymnal. It is going to be really fun I think. Yep, and otherwise it's work as usual. It is amazing how it gets better all of the time, just when you think it is too good to be true, you go through another trial and get even more blessings. I love the letter I got from a friend of mine that said: I have definately come to see that His blessings come in greater abundance than our pains, and way beyond anything we could ever deserve. This is the Lord's work and He is inc charge. Love all of you and Happy November!

Update on the Hayes Family

Well,

For the big news! We're expecting #5 in April. That
has us going through a lot of changes right now. We
are re-painting our house, 2 rooms at a time to fix it
up in order to sell. And that means a lot of
de-wallpapering, which is a lot of work. We haven't
even come to the kitchen and dining room yet which
will be even more work. We've just outgrown our
little house. Charles is still sleeping in a
port-a-crib which rotates room to room depending on
where we're working.

Charles is now not just walking, but running
everywhere. His favorite toy is the phone. He's
always talking on it - the real one of course is
preferred, but remotes and other flat, retangle
objects also work well - sometimes they're by his ear
and sometimes on the top of his head, but he's talking
on the phone. He also loves reading books. His
favorite birthday present was the board book from mom.
He carried it everywhere and had the binding broke in
less than a week.

Marah was finally potty trained the 1st of September.
We kept trying to convince her it was a good thing,
but when Grandma Hayes got her some cool big girl
underwear that's all it took. No diapers ever since.
She's even a lot better than the other girls had
hardly any accidents. We did have one when we were
hiking in Zions a couple of weeks ago along the
Riverside walk and that wasn't much fun. Marah loves
to read books as well -- I could spend all day on the
couch reading to her. She always has to go if
anyone's going anywhere. She just likes to try to be
like her big sisters - she loves to play computer
games when they're at school. It's hard to believe
that I will have 3 years let before she goes to
school.

Alaina is in 1st grade and is learning to read even
more. She is our drama queen - already at age 6 - we
have our hands full when she gets even bigger. This
was her 1st year of soccer and she did really good.
She was always right on the ball and very much in the
middle of things. Alaina is very responsible and
always makes sure her things are in her backpack for
school, her library books etc, I don't have to ask
her like Keturah, she takes care of it herself.

Keturah is in 4th grade this year. It's hard to
believe. She has a male teacher which is kind of fun.
She still struggles with math - it seems to be her
fate and she often has a lot of homework because she
daddles or daydreams in class so has to do it at
night. One night this past week we were up until
10:30 getting all her assignments done because it was
the last day of the semester. She is enjoying piano,
though. Her favorite song so far as been Edleweiss.

Blair is enjoying his work. He's been setting up a
webserver. He had it all finished and then they
wanted it set up more user friendly so he had to
re-program things and make changes. It's been hard
but he's really enjoyed it and is getting a lot better
at it.

I've just been helping everyone with their stuff - the
kids with homework, Blair with fixing up the house. I
did get some canning done though, 66 quarts of
applesauce 1 weekend and 36 quarts of pears another
weekend with tomato sauce another.

Hope everything finds you families well.

Martha

information...

Interesting tidbit that you might want to know...It appears that I am flying to frankfort, then to Denver, and then to grand Junction...Or at least that is what I hear from one of the elders who is leaving at the same time...I guess his mom called the travel company and got his itenerary. Anyhow, I really don't know much about what is going on when and how..I'm the type that doesn't like to meddle too much or get too organized--It's bad for your heart. I like to take things as they come so then everything is a welcome surprise--Or something like that. Anyhow, I'm not sure if I'll be giving a homecoming talk or if I'll get to see any of my family, or what is going on...the best bet is to plan it all out with my Mommy. She knows what's best. Take care and love you all!

ellen

Re: Wednesday? Already!

Well family!!!
This was a great week in the life of sister missionary Irmã thompson. We had some really great teaching moments and the work is really going forward. We have been really working hard to help the members and everyone with whom we come in contact feel that we really love them and have prepared a message especially for them. Yesterday during my studies I studied the topical guide entry about families and it was really great. Then we were able to really have some great lessons with some people who are the only members in their family (which is about everyone) What I learned is that the gospel really does bless families and makes it able for them to really be eternal. The gospel is constructed in generations and each generation is so important. For example, even though Joseph Smith's great-great-grandfather did not have the fullness of the gospel, he made choices and tried to do what was right which helped his posteirity be prepared to make choices and with every successive generation the restoration was closer and more possible. Anyway, just that our choices really do influence those before and after us and that the Lord has prepared a perfect plan whereby all of our families really can be made eternal. THE PLAN IS PERFECT. Anyway, sorry to run, but we have to catch a train to Porto today...luncheon for the sisters :) I made ginger cookies last night too...Thanks Janie...they'll be so yummy.

Love you all and I promise that one of these days I'll write a nice long, thought out letter. I just know that the gospel of Jesus Christ really makes people happy (ie. me) and it brings so much hope, responsibility, but hope and joy. Take care and keep warm.!

ellen

Samuel....há uma carta a vir para ti...Sê amado! oro por ti sempre.

Fw:wednesday! Already!

Came in to send my weekly, Tuesday, email and found Samuel's email and then knew that I had missed Tuesday and today was Wednesday. Where do the days go?

So that week we were able to get the conduit into the shed floor on Thursday and then we found a new Cement guy to poor the floor on Friday. It started out cloudy even though it was supposed to be sunny but the pour was good. It did take 'til dark to get the back set up so they could finish it off. It looks great. We do have cement blankets on it so it won't get too cold before it cures. So we had a couple of sunny days--Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Tuesday was supposed to be cloudy but we had sun most of the day. Dad and I were able to set up four high of ice blocks in the cellar. Then we started putting up the braces. At dark we covered the top of the blocks so hopefully no moisture would get inside. Today, we bent rebar braces for the brick ledge. We hoped tomorrow would be sunny so Dad took me out to lunch for our anniversary and bought me a pair of insulated coveralls. It was sunny then but by the time we got home, the clouds had rolled in and now snow is pr!
edicted this evening--"the coldest front of this season" accordingto the weather man--one to three inches of snow predicted for the valley. So do we get to pour cement into the ice blocks on Monday? We'll have to see. So I hope all of you are keeping warm and dry and I hope we can continue building our house dispite the wet and cold weather. Love, MOM

Wet rats

Hello family dearest!
Well, the work goes ever forward! (usually with me, but sometimes despite me) It is such a blessing to have this look at eternity and the importance and vision that the gospel has. I am constantly amazed by how little I know and how much I have to learn. We are teaching a lot of great people and getting thoroughly wet. The fall rain is absolutly drenching because of the strong wind that accompanies it. I think we are also having an exceptionally rainy year also. We show up on people's doorsteps and I can understand why they let us in for a 'warm by the fire'. I'm sure we look like drownding rats at times...we left the house looking beautiful, it's not our fault that the wind took the umbrella away. Chuckle. Yeah, so we're keeping busy and out of trouble and dry when we can. Love you all!

ellen

Me here

Hello all my faithful e-mail watchers...Irmã thompson here giving you the down-low on the week that left as a thief in the night...

I AM THE SURVIVOR (A SOBREVIVENTE)
Our district for the last 6 weeks have been having an informal competition including scriptural knowledge and knowledge of useless facts and things. During this last district meeting I squared up against the district leader in the final episode. He was a worthy opponent which made the victory all the more sweet as I won the best of 3 questions (the quick-death tie breaker). All those scripture chases in seminary paid off.

I am staying in Braga until the end.
We waited and waited for transfer announcements with baited breath...not knowing what would happen, knowing that the sky was the limit, and then found out that nothing would happen. We get to stay together for the next six weeks until Thanksgiving. We're excited about that.

And the work goes on....
Other than those little news flashes, it's work as usual for your two favorite sisters Karren and thompson....the church is true and the book is blue!

Love you all, take care!

ellen

Great stuff!

So, conference was absolutely amazing!!! I really loved the Women's Conference and also really every single talk given in General Conference. It is awesome how they promised peace, happiness and security in this world by just doing what we already know we should do: study the scriptures daily, pray with heart, and increase daily in faith. The simple things are what bring happiness. I am so everlastingly grateful for the opportunity that I have to be a member of this church and to enjoy the blessings that that membership has to offer. Of course we want to baptize people... we want them to enjoy all the blessings that we enjoy: Visiting and home teachers weekly, friendships with the best of the best, general conferences and revelation from inspired leaders that we receive on a weekly and monthly basis. I was studying in Preach my Gospel this morning and I loved that in the section about how the Gospel blesses families it mentions so many blessings that we can and should be enjoying now there were about three paragraphs on it. Then in one sentence it talks about how our families can be together forever. I really love that we don't have to wait to be happy, we can and should be enjoying the many blessings that the knowledge of the fullness of the gospel has to offer.

Today we have the great opportunity to help a member of the ward here in Braga. She is the one that had a fire in her home a couple of weeks ago. We have been cleaning and scrubbing the walls and everything and getting it ready and today, because it is a holiday here, the ward has organized a big painting party. The bishop was already on his way there when we headed out to do e-mail, and there are a lot of other members that are also on the way. It is such a blessing to be part of this great organization that takes care of us in more ways that one.

The work is going well, Maria dos Remédios and her friend Albina came for the Women's Conference and absolutely loved it. We also had an amazing zone conference on tuesday and learned a bunch of great stuff to organize our work better. It is going to make a huge difference! We are really excited to make the changes we need to make to do the work how the Lord wants us to, because His is a house of order.

Anyway, time is ever so short....Hope your anniversary is great Mom and Dad. 33 years flew by just like a dream with all of us great kids didn't it. You never even had to work very hard....Just joking! Thanks for all the back-breaking work you have done! Coming up soon some old man will be turning 62 if I'm not mistaken... Happy Birthday to the old geezer! Good thing he still maintains the figure he had in high school, it helps him to look much younger..if only he had retained some of the hair...

As you can tell I'm in a bit of a funny mood today. I sure do love all of you and pray that you're doing well.

ellen

What a Time

Oí Família,
Conference was absolutely wonderful. It seemed as though there was a theme to this conference-using the atonement and keeping the commandments. Almost all of the talks called people to repentance and talked of the need to repent constantly. I really thougth that this was the best conference yet. I am sure that the next conference will be even better.
Missionary work is going great. We meet new people everyday and teach new investigators everyday. It is a pleasure and a blessing to be here. There is so much to do and say and I sometimes feel overwhelmed but I know that I can only do so much. Just do all that you can do and control and don´t worry about the things that you can´t control. It works like that. Go and do and learn and grow. This is the reason for us being here and we should use each day to its fullest. The one thing that I need to do is thank the Lord for all that I have and then smile to all the world. Be happy that another day has come that you can go and do and learn and grow or in other words become like our Heavenly Father. What a great time it is.

Love,
Elder THompson

this week

Hello my beautiful Family!
So another great week and so much to do! We are really very excited for the general conference this weekend and the blessing of hearing the prophet's guidance for us in our day. I get to also attend the Women's Conference on Saturday being as everything is a bit delayed. It is such a wonderful blessing to be a servant of the Lord, when we do His will, and use our time as He would have us do, we have miraculous days. Our big push this week is to plan more effectively so that we can use the time to the best efficiency. By ourselves we really don't account for much and can't really accomplish very much, but when we let Him into the picture, the results are nothing short of amazing. I'm so grateful for the blessings that I have and for my amazing family. Sure do love all of you. Thanks Aaron for your sage advice. I completely agree. take care!

ellen

Fw: When the Sun Goes Behind the Clouds

Oí Família,
Today I was reading a quote book. I really like quotes and I read some inspiring words. I will be making some new goals and plans today of how I can be a better missionary and be focused in the work. This past week was good. We are working hard and finding many new people to teach. We pray that they will be baptized and that the work in this area will begin to be strong. In the past, this area has had some missionaries who did not work hard and put forth a lot of effort. Now I think it is the other way around. We are working very hard but the branch is struggling. I am not sure exactly how to help them. I think that prayer and mediation are needed in this regard. Recently I read something by President David O. Mckay. He said that we should try to solve our problems with prayer, scripture study, fasting before we go to another source. Our first source of help should be our Heavenly Father and then other sources. Everything really comes down to prayer and scripture study. If you don´t do those two things everyday, you will not be strong in the storms of life and you will be very weak spiritually. I think the following. It is not a question that you will or will not fall, but when you will fall. We have to be prepared for the storms of life. In April, I think that Elder Henry B. Eyring talked about this. He said that we have to start early and be steady. That is the ticket-be obedient and be diligent.
I appreciate the prayers of all of you. Aaron, thanks for the wonderful words of encouragement. I love you all and am very excited for the end of this month when we will be able to hear the words of our Beloved Prophet.
Love,
Elder Thompson

It's raining, it's pouring!

Torrential rains. Well, we are feeling the effects of what once was hurricane Gordon that moved between the Açores and now is a tropical storm that is losing all of its moisture over the north of Portugal. Luckily today is p-day and we get to stay in our apartment during the afternoon and write letters with a good pot of hot soup. (Well, it would be a wonderful pot if there was a way of reproducing Mom's magical tomato soup)

Oi Missionário meu! Eu estava a ler uma boa citação de Presidente Hinckley e ele disse: Estás feliz? Diga a tua cara! Eu gostei emenso e escrevi no planeamento para fazer-me lembrar sempre de sorrir. Ainda quando eu não me sinto como sorrir, eu lembro-me que todas as pessoas estão a me ver e estão a pensar sobre mim como representante de Jesus Cristo e então faço um esforço maior pensar em coisas mais positivas e ajuda-me sorrir. Também as vezes eu sorro só porque eu não estava e agora e tipo um jogo para mim. Faz muito bem e faz-me mais feliz. Já recebeste a minha cara que mandei para lá? Tem algumas boas ideas em trabalhar com o ramo.

Well, yep, not much to report. The work is going well and we are going to have a fun activity this Friday to help our investigators feel comfortable with the members and it is also a great opportunity to bring friends. Anyhow, we're really excited and it should be great. We have been having some great experiences with our teaching and things are really going well. It is hard to believe that fall is already here. the kids are already back in school, the hot days are over, the rain has arrived, and September is almost gone. Our lives passed as it were a dream....(a good one in this case) Yep, and that's it besides saying that I love you all so much and hope all is going well.

ellen

Fw: The Blue Skys

Oí Família,
I am writing today because we had interviews w/ President Wilkins yesterday and we moved our p-day to today, just for this week.
This week was a good week. We are working hard and doing all we can to find the elects of the Lord. I am very grateful to my companion for the example he is to me. Everyone says that he is always smiling and that he is always happy. I really don´t understand why I am not happy all of the time or that I don´t smile. I know that it is something that I need to do and should do. The gospel brings peace and happiness but yet I don´t understand or I am not feeling that joy. I guess it is my attitude but I don´t know how or what I can do to change my attitude. I want to do what is right and I try so hard everyday but yet it seems that a lot of the work that I do is for not. I am trying to use the little time that I have to do all that I can to serve the Lord.
We have a great area, we are having great temperatures, there was a lot of potential here and I am excited to be a part of it. I love you all and am grateful to be a part of this family.

Love,
Elder Thompson

Thompsons in Georgia update

Family and friends,

I am sending out my once in a while update. Life is setting down a bit.
We are in to some what of a routine. My only thing is now I am extremely
exhausted most of the day. You know how that happens those last couple
months of pregnancy. Your brain is telling you all the things you should
be able to accomplish but your body is just not on the same page. It is
funny. I am getting more and more excited for the baby to come and can't
wait to have my body back also. I am enjoying teaching the Young Women.
They are just so loving and fun. The Lord knew I needed this calling. I
love teaching the lessons except for the problem that as soon as I get
started my face is red and sweating and I am short of breath(this of
course is due to being pregnant). I come home after church very wet from
sweat. My sweat glads are very active.

Naomi is getting better at reading and enjoys every chance she gets to
read to somebody. She is also looking forward to loosing her second tooth
and her molars are coming in. She is just growing so fast and is such a
sweet girl.

Rachel has such an imagination and it is hard to get her to do anything
right away because she is so easily distracted by things and then she
just gets playing. It makes me laugh how much she reminds me of my sister
Heidi. They are a lot alike in personality. I enjoy having her home
during the days it has given us an opportunity to bond and get to know
one another.

Ethan is growing and gaining weight finally. We went for our second
doctor appoint with the Gastroeneologist and he was amazed at how much
weight he has gained(He is finally on the growth charts in his weight)
and that he did it with out the appetite stimulant(Yepee! We contribute
most of his success to the fasting and blessing he received). He is still
growing the same on his height so he is still below the growth curve but
the Hormone specialist said not to worry he will probably make up for
this when he hits puberty. We are finally done seeing the specialist and
know that Ethan just needs a lot of extra fats and calories right now.
What a blessing to finally have a resolution.

Aaron is working and looking at the yard and getting very antz to get it
done. The hard thing is getting it done correctly. He still does not have
a calling but have heard that one is in the works.

We have been camping and picnicking and it has been fun, relaxing and
enjoyable. I love the cool temperature of the fall.We love you all and
hope this wasn't to long.

Love,
Bethany

Giggles and girlies

It's been a great week. Sister Karren and I are having way too much fun I think. We are really alike and get along great which means sometimes we collapse in giggles in any and every place. We do really work hard also, which gives us the good disposition to be able to joke. So I've really been learning more than ever how to feel and respond to the Spirit and really how to surrender my whole heart and soul to the Lord's work. As I do that I have been having wonderful studies!!! The Spirit really just comes and sits on my heart. It is such a marvelous feeling. Everytime I think that I am absolutely happy, I do the Lords will and that absolute joy increases. I am learning so much! It's such a blessing to be a trainer (during my interview with President yesterday he told me that I probably won't be training for the whole three months, that maybe I just will have the next 4 weeks with her and then one or the other will be tranferred--other lessons to learn other people to love)

Oh, another cool thing this week I learned how to eat with chopsticks and ate an entire meal with them (very well says my companion) It was fun. All sorts of chinese things you wouldn't think I would be learning here in Portugal. I also can sing two songs in chinese. they're pretty.

Thanks for your letter and good news Bethany!! I'm glad to hear Ethan is doing well and that the girlies are such good eggs. I sent a letter last week that should reach you this week.

As for the care package you want to send... I never really know what to tell you. For sure peanut butter M&M's, a couple pairs of nylons (size B-I'm tall), if you happen to see some Burt's Bees Hand Salve (it's a yellow tin), and a letter from Dad (if he wants to). I've got pretty much everything I need. Oh, and the address is:

Rua Padre António Viera
Nº91- 5º trás
4710 Braga
PORTUGAL

Yep, it's wonderful to be the Lord's servant. He's the best boss for now and for eternity. The payment is awesome and the benefits are out of this world....hem hem hem. Yea...so love you all and keep on keeping on!

ellen

It's all Chinese to me

Well, we've had a good week. Irmã Karren is cool and we get along great together. We are great friends and also like working, so it works really well. One really cool thing about her...she speaks chinese. For that mere fact alone she gained all sorts of respect points. She taught English in China for 14 months and so although she cannot express every little thing she wants to say, she can understand and communicate actually quite well. I wouldn't know, but that's what the two chinese girls in the store said, who are excited about reading the chinese book of mormon we gave them. It is really awesome because there are so many chinese here who run their little stores and now we can talk to them. Most of them understand portuguese very well, but the fact that we can communicate in their own language makes a huge difference in the way they respond to us. Hopefully this weekend or next we will be able to attend their little church meeting. There is a group of Chinese Christians here in Braga and they have church services on Sunday nights. We're really excited. Oh, and I have a chinese name now..ke fang fang ...which means something like happy flower ou assim.

Yep, and there are tons of things going on, it's great to be a servant of the Lord because He always has something going on, never a dull moment in His service, especially when your heart is truly and fully dedicated to Him, which is what we are working on.

As melhores o irmãozinho! Felizemente não passamos mal esta vez no jejum então ainda estamos vivas e tudo. A última vez foi um pouco assustador ao entrar em shock (ou quase). O próximo dia eu estava com febre porque o meu corpo não tinha aqua suficiente para regular a temperatura e estave muito quente fora. Paciência, o que não nos mata, ajuda-nos crescer. Não é? Então, basicamente é tudo.

So, love you all and pray for your continued happiness (which you and I both know is to be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ)

ellen

Fwd: Carry On

Oí Família,
It has been another week for me. It will say that it was great to have a baptism. I am excited that Tania is really going forward and is excited about the her future. She has been great blessed by the Lord.
I got a little sick again this week. It is never fun to get sick. Getting sick in Brasil is very strange. It is not like getting sick at home where you stay home for a day and than after a week you are generally perfectly great again. When you get a cold here, it stays with you-it doesn´t put you out of comission for a day but it torments you for a week. You generally can still work but you just never feel good and then after a month you are completely well. It certainly is a new experience.
We are certainly trying to do the best we can. I will say that sometimes it gets discouraging and you think to yourself what is the point of all this but then you just have to keep going and trust in the Lord that he will bless you and prosper you. I just have to keep going and know that the Lord is happy with what I am doing. I will say that I really have been feeling down this week but I have to keep going and know that the Lord really does love me and will help me. That is our call: carry on always carry on. I am grateful for my family and for the blessings that the Lord has given me. May the Lord bless you all and keep in the right path.

Love,
Elder Thompson

Training again!!! (Eeeeek!)

Congratulations Gina and Nephi on the new expectation! (Although I think I may have forgotten to say happy birthday on your respective days, I assure you that I did have a moment or two on those eventful days where I did remember and say happy birthday...and Happy Birthday still)

Glad the work is going well for you Samuel! A missão está a fugir de nós! Porta-te bem!

So, my new companion fresh from the states is Irmã Sarah Joy Karren (funny that my other trainee was named Sarah as well...) She is from Vernal (the poor little thing is subject to all sorts of Vernal jokes) Her parents names are Mike and Joyce. She is the 3rd of 5. She has a brother who served in Chezch and a sister that served in Switzerland and her little brother just got his call to serve in the Ukraine. She is a great sister and I'm really excited for this new opportunity, although it always is a bit- or much more than a bit- scary. The responsibility is heavy, and eternal (as we were reminded this morning by President Henry). I really like her. I think we'll get along very well.

Oh, and Sister Tanner and I had an amazing last week. We worked our hearts out and it was exhausting, but exhilerating to finish out her mission with her. She fought the good fight, she's a great example for me and she helped me a lot.

Love all of you and pray that you're doing well.

ellen

Princess Elena

So this week we had a great preparation day adventure. We went to Guimarães and toured the Castle and the Palace of the Dukes and a couple of other touristy sites. I thought about my darling princes and princesses. The castle really wouldn't be that fun to live in because it is so dark and really the rooms are quite small. The Palace on the other hand was beautiful! It really looks like all the storybooks. It was crazy to be in a place that was built before America was discovered. They first constructed the Palace in 1420 or something like that. It is also cool because they still use the palace to hold events. The president of Portugal has some special rooms in the top and they have special state meetings in the upper rooms and the grand banquet hall. We really felt like princesses. It was neat.

Other things, I am just having such a good time. We are working like crazy, and the work is progressing. We are working a lot with the Young Women...Oh, which reminds me...If you could send me any ideas of activities that really were great as young womens (service, games, anything) Our young woman really need a lot of support and growing up. they are a bit spoiled in this ward. We are planning on doing a type of highway clean-up with them. They won't know until they are there on the side of the road with a bag....Really, any ideas you could send would be great. (I will then send them to you also Bethany)

Thanks Martha for your ideas on the piano lessons. Oh, Samuel, eu tenho um discurso tão bom para ti! Um amigo meu me mandou então vou mandar para lá também. É sobre como trabalhar mais com os membros e receber referências deles. É muito poderoso mesmo. Mandarei esta semana se eu tiver tempo.

This week has been really great also. We have been working really hard and therefore can have the Spirit with us. The Spirit is a wonderful teacher and the feeling of working is exhilerating. I am just happy, really and truly and thouroughly. I'm finally figuring out a little bit what I'm doing, as we exercise our faith miracles just happen.

Love you all! Kisses to all my fellow princesses! (and handsome princes)

ellen

Time! Stop running away!

Darling Family,
Well, this week really flew by in a hurry, we were just writing e-mail yesterday and all of a sudden it is preparation day again. Just not fair the speed things fly...

Glad to hear you're enjoying the nursery Mom, it's fun to be able to teach on a fresh slate so to speak. It seems like Mom and Dad have really moved into retirement: no job, a great calling, and Dad's got all sorts of toys to play with. All you need now is to finish up all of those projects, houses, ect. so you can go on a mission. Is that still the plan?

Sounds like you'll have a lot of fun Samuel, training a native will be great, even if his Portuguese is even more different than yours, just think of the great accent you'll have (e eu terei que gozar contigo, infelizmente!!) . It's also awesome that you and Elder Costa got along so well, you will have that friendship your whole life I'm sure. Sister Tanner and I are having a lot of fun and doing a lot of work here in Braga. She only has two more weeks and so we are pushing to work our hardest until the end. She's a great missionary!

oh, Martha, I have a question for you...we are teaching a couple of the kids the basics of piano and I was just wondering how Keturah's teacher did the group lessons. If you could give me some ideas it would be great. The first couple of lessons we have to teach them individually where the keys are and everything, but here soon we'd like to start giving them together.

Well, we had a couple days of rain here, it was a nice break. We here in Braga very often feel like chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Braga is surrounded by hills and so all of the heat stays inside, I hear that the winter gets really cold too, so I should enjoy it while I can. Luckily we have a good cold shower. Since we got here our gas water heater has yet to function properly (or function at all) We are really grateful that it's hot so cold showers are a blessing and we have still a little bit of time to get the pilot light fixed before the winter cold hits with a snap. Really I do love this area. This is the city of Padres and there are cathedrals and seminaries all over the place. A few of the bishops and great names there in the Vatican were taught here in Braga, and still have family and friends here. It's like living in a time capsule in some ways. I absolutely love the people here in Portugal, they are the greatest!!

Oh, there is this great woman in the ward here. She is 78 years old and full of spit fire and vinager. She lived in Angola since she was 3 until 50 or something. She is white, but marched with the black guerilla against Portugal. She showed us some of her pistols and trappings. She is in the middle of writing a book about her life. It will be a book worth reading. She really is hillariously funny, and also a bit scary at times. One halloween they had a costume party at the chapel and she went dressed in her guerrilla garb, ALL of it: the razor-sharp machetti and bow knife, and 4 fully loaded pistols along with two full ammunition belts, with the live ammuntion. I think the bishop just about died! Our dear, sweet, lethal Avó Manuela...

Mom, a tip that might save you a bit of time, before trying to reconnect to the internet you should highlight all of the text you have written and then press (ctrl + c) to copy and then after reconnecting you can push(ctrl + v) to paste. Another way to write e-mails without losing everything is to write it in a word document and copy and paste in the same way. It means that you're connected for a lot less time, and you don't lose all of your work. Anyway, it's something to try.

Sure do love all of you. Portem-se bem, especialmente aqueles que estão treinando!! The scriptures are true and full of great inspiring truths. I love this work and the opportities that I have been granted. Love you!

ellen

new beginnings

Oí Família,
This week has been great. Transfers were yesterday and I was made a district leader and a trainer again. I am still in the same area as I was and my companion Elder Costa was transferred but was made a district leader as well. I am very excited for him. He and I became great friends and we tried to help each other. My new companion is Elder Salviano who is from Brasilia, the capital of Brasil. He is outstanding and I believe that what Elder Packer said about the greatest group of missionaries is true. He is much more prepared than I was I think and he has great desire to serve with his all. It will be a great experience, of that I am sure. It is great to be a trainer because you have to start with the basics again. I think that it is very important to every once in a while return to what is simple and basic and you learn so much.
These days, the weather is becoming very hot. It was so great the past several months because it wasn´t very hot but not very cold either. It stayed just right, but now it is really changing. I think it will be a very hot summer.
We are teaching an outstanding person Tania who is overcoming drinking coffee and is making good progress. She was planned to be baptized this week but we plan to have her baptism next week. Sometimes we just need to have patience and have people prepared. Her life is moving and all that thanks to the healing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is the master healer.
I love you all and know that the Lord is blessing you.

Love,
Elder Thompson

another note from your favorite missionária

So, good week...good stuff going on. We found an interesting quote by Joseph Smith to one of Samuel's anscestors. He said "relax or you'll die" Ainda bem que não há osso sério no meu corpo. Bem, eu posso estar séria quando estamos a ter uma lição e naquele momento dentro da lição que precisa, mas o resto de lição e o resto de tempo estou a brincar porque é muito mais agradável, sabes...Realmente um dos assuntos da reunião de distrito desta semana foi para ser à vontade, para ser pessoas normais, ser nos mesmos, e desfrutar dessa grande oportunidade que fomos concedidos. As pessoas são muito mais receptivas de alguém que brincae está a gostar do que faz. Sim, precisamos "spiritual giants", mas pensa nos teus professores do evangelho preferidos. Foram aqueles que brincavam até aquele momento para prestar testemunho e depois sabias que o que estavam a dizer era verdade e que fez-lhes feliz a seria. Mas, foi um bom reunião. Eu gosto de brincar...

So, I will be coming home in November Mom, and here soon you'll probably get the paperwork, etc. My release date is Nov 24, Thanksgiving day, at least sometime around then. You will probably know more about when I'll be getting where and what I'll be doing then, but that's how it should be and I don't really want to know about it. It's much more fun to work my heart out here and think about that next step when it comes.

So...the good stuff that's going on here: We are teaching some great people and really enjoying being here together. We both like to joke quite a bit and our witty humor keeps us thinking about things other than all the water that our body possesses dripping down our noses. One thing for sure, I have got some pretty legs! whoooooweee! We also are just constantly amazed by the tender mercies and little miracles that happen daily. For example, the other day we were in Viana do Castelo, a city we don't know hardly at all. We were going to have to walk up a million stairs (really 2 km of stairs) to get to the top of this hill and they are building a lift to get there, but unfortunately it wasn't yet functioning. We saw some signs to direct us to the store accompanying the lift and they were closed, however we encountered the store of a memeber that we had been trying also to find, and it just so happened that she was on her way to portuguese lessons (she's from Norway and also speaks english, but no portuguese) She had to leave anyway and so took us up to the top on her way. it was so cool, because we only had about an hour to get to the top, do what we needed to do and then come back down. If we hadn't "by chance" happened on her store we would not have had the opportunity. just one example of a million little ways that the Lord is able to bless us so that we can accomplish what we need to..(is 1 Nephi 3:7 coming to mind, because it should)

Yep, and stuff....Thanks for all your notes and I'm sure Dad will win his battle of the Wasps. Fires and carbonator fluid sound like a lot of fun! I'm glad to hear about Cedaredge's new nursery leader. That's one of the best callings! I was always really excited to be able to help teach music in nursery when I was in primary. They are just so darn cute. Speaking of children, congratulate John Pyle for me, he'll be a good dad, he's a good apple. So, that's about it. Martha, good luck keeping your eye on your girl, and glad to know that the little spudster thinks he's cool, don't know where he would have picked up that characteristic(wink).

Love you all! The work goes on and miracles never cease!

ellen

Fw: Wasps

Well, I just spend 30 minutes writing an email and it disappeared when I tries to get back on line. So I'll give you the shortened version.
The first paragraph was about wasps. They know that fall is coming and they are building nests everywhere--truck door, scaffolding, sheds, etc. Dad has let them alone until they stung him. Now it is war and he will probably win with the carbinator fluid that he sprays them with or he burns their nest.
Dad is also spraying goatheads. He can't believe that everyday he finds more. But he sure laughs when he sees that they had died. I hope he wins that one!
I was sustained and set apart as Nursery Leader on Sunday. So now it is official. I found out that Sis.Marilyn Bates has been using the old nusery manual that I used 20 years ago and not the Primary I manual. So I will be changing that. I hope I have enought energy to do it like I would like.
John Pyle was sealed to Chelsea Lyons, of Kansas City, on Friday, August 4th in the Denver Temple. They met in their student ward at BYU. She's graduated and will continue to work while he finishes up in Comupter Science.
They had a reception at the Pyle home Saturday--outside and it didn't rain. Next week they have one in KS.
I appreciate the good work of our missionaries! It is wonderful to spread the "good news" to those who are seeking.

Love, mom

Our happy family

Hello guys,

We've had a couple of fun weeks. On Sunday, July 16th
all of Blair's family was over at his parents house
(except Reed & family) to plan our camping trip to the
Uintahs over the 24th of July weekend. All of us
adults were inside planning and the kids were in the
front yard playing. At 8:30 we went out to load up in
the cars, and we couldn't find Marah anywhere. I
guess she had been playing with a little girl in the
neighborhood (a girl who is always wandering) and I
guess the two of them had gone for a little walk, down
the street over to Main Street and some lady had seen
them trying to cross main street and called the
police. We were looking everywhere to try to find
them. Finally it was getting dark and there was no
sign of them anywhere so we called the police and they
had them over at the police station. We we got their
to pick up Marah, she just ran up to us all full of
smiles and it was like nothing had happened. I don't
think she comprehended what happened. Now I make sure
I watch her extra good and don't let her out of my
eyesight, which is pretty hard because she is so quite
and it very good at getting out the house and always
wants to be going somewhere. Denice calls her our
juvenile delinquent.

Well our camping trip was a resounding success -
everyone enjoyed spending time together and it was
good to get out of the 100 plus degree temperatures to
high 80's. The hit of the trip was cliff jumping at
Wall Lake. It was just like swimming in our pond.
The cliff was about 25 feet and it was a lot of fun.
We just put lifejackets on the kids and they jumped
off the side into the water. Keturah got a fish hook
stuck in the top of her 1st 2 toes when she was trying
to skip rocks on Trial Lake and Blair had to push the
barb through her skin so he could cut it off and
Alaina got some big scraps on her stomach and arms
from a bike wreck and we got eatten alive by
mosquitoes - we can to go by the expensive mosquito
spray that was almost 100% deet - but other than that
it was great.

Charles is crazy man now. He likes to make his hands
in fists and tighten up all his muscles, clench his
non-existent teeth and make his face all red. He is
alos very vocal now and has an ear-piercing scream.
He screams and then laughs because he thinks he sounds
cool. He is very much into noise and loves banging on
things - he pulls the pans out the cubboard to bang on
them or the metal chairs at church so everyone turns
around and gives disapproving looks and he loves to
drop things off his highchair to hear them hit the
ground. He does have his 1st tooth - Nicole
discovered it up at camping. It's on the top so we
didn't even know he had it. He can also stand by
himself for a 1/2 a minute to a minute.

Blair is liking his new job. He's doing a lot of
programing to get a web-based server going. It's just
nice not having to do carpet all the time.

We will get our new windows put in our house this next
week so that will be exciting. We got a nice rain
storm on Tuesday that was quite a downpour - nothing
like the flood that went behind Mom & Dad's place but
a blessing no-the-less and it helped to bring the
temperatures down. We've been able to open the
windows at night again and actually be able to go
outside in the middle of the day w/o sweating.

It's exciting to hear about your house Aaron. Wish
Naomi luck w/ school starting on the 14th.

Love Martha

Flood?

We brought muggy California home with us. On Sunday night about 9:00 we heard the rain and lots of noise. When we looked out, we saw water--Lots of water going down the draw behind the house. When I say lots of water I mean 2 foot deep and 100 feet wide. It was a local cloud burst. We were glad that we lived on the top of the hill!

They tell us that it rained everyday that we were gone and it hasn't missed a day since we've been back. Most people can't remember it doing this ever before. The goat heads have sprung up over night looking better than they have ever looked. So that means that we have to get to work so they don't take over the farm.

Dad is reading in Alma chapter 4:19 where Alma the younger has given up the chief judgeship and is going out to bear down with pure testimony. He looked up in the topical guide and was quite interested in the references about testimony. It would be quite the thing if as members of the Church or even members of our family "flooded" our friends and neighbors with our testimony of the Book of Mormon. In the topical guide under Book of Mormon there are some great references. Dad and I are now studying chapter 5 in Preach My Gospel on The Book of Mormon. Let me know what you are doing. We love you all. We had a great time in California and are looking forward to a trip to Georgia in December.
Love,
Mom

Yep

Another great week here in the beautiful country of Portugal! We went to girls camp last Friday, oh and then yesterday we walked to an investigators house that just happened to be farther out of town than the camp site. It was pretty funny. Anyway, the camp was really good for the girls. They weren´t really roughing it very much and they only camped for two nights, but at least they were in tents and were together. This is the very first year they have done a girls camp in this stake and they still don't have much clue what it's all about, but we did teach them how to make a fire. They did roast marshmallows. They did learn camp songs and prepared a camp skit. They learned how to get along a little bit better with one another and with their leaders, and they all loved the experience so I would say it was a smashing success. The stake camp leader--stake young women's president Lynda Marinho lived through it and showed us all how amazing she really is. It was great!
Other great happenings of this week included the baptism of Luís Ribeiro. He is a great man (in size and in spirit) The two zone leaders both suited up in white and on the second try he was successfully baptized by immersion. He then received the Holy Ghost on Sunday and felt the burning in his bosom that was the Spirit's way of touching him. It was a great baptisimal service and a great opportunity to be able to teach a man so humble and just good. He'll be a great leader.
We have been teaching a couple of other great families as well and really we are seeing miracles here in this area. We are having a lot of opposition, but that is how we know that we're doing the right thing. It's pretty darn cool.
In my studies I'm in 1 Nephi 1:4 where I have been for the last couple of days. I am studying the Book of Mormon again and looking up every single reference in the footnotes. It is a really great experience and I am learning a whole lot. I also am in Ezekial in the Old Testament and have really developed a love of the Bible. It is my goal to read through all of the Standard Works during this brief time I have here as a missionary. I am on track to get it all done and am learning so much that helps during the teaching. In Preach my Gospel I am really focusing a lot on the lessons in chapter 3, especially because our ward encouraged the families to encorporate a study plan that starts by studying chapter 3. It is amazing how something written so simply can contain such profound truths and so I'm studying along with them and deepening my understanding of the basics. Oh, and one great exercise in Preach my Gospel Chapter 5 is in the Mission President section in the back where it says to compare 1 Nephi 1 with the experience of Joseph Smith. It was a good couple days of companion study there. One thing I like to do in companion study (or couple study as it applies to Mom and Dad) is to practice teaching each other just like you were teaching someone who knows nothing about the gospel. It helps me to understand better what i have learned because I have to put it into words...also it helps me speak better Portuguese...
Então o meu missionário...agora é o tempo de ti...Eu realmente estou a desfrutar esta experiência. Uma coisa que a minha zona está a fazer que acho que está a me ajudar é decorar os subtitilos, os compromissos, 2-3 frasas e 2 escrituras(local e tema) de cada subtítilo. Foi uma coisa que recebemos no início da missão, mas nem todos acabaram. Estou agora na 2ª lição e faz muito bem lembrar de todas dessas coisas. Vamos acabar antes de fim de Agosto então é uma meta que faz me crescer qual sempre é bom. Um, sim isto é tudo...Amo-te e porta-te bem!!
Love you all! Thanks for all your love and packages and letters and prayers and stuff like that! (até da minha sogra, wink!)

ellen

The Work of the Lord

Oí Família,
What a great week it has been. We are teaching a lot and we are trying to do our best to teach by the spirit and invite all to come unto Christ. Everyday, we can work on one little aspect and be a little bit better each day. We were a little disappointed when Antonio decided to stop investigating but we know that he has his choice and that the Lord will prepare a little bit more before he gets baptized. We keep right on working because this is the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no other way to get to heaven, only through Jesus Christ and living his gospel. I love the work that I am doing and I can see that sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven. We have to focus on our purpose and prioritize, leaving the things that don´t really matter to the side. Everything that we do needs is done for a purpose and we need to learn something from it or we are just using our time. I am learning that-as a perfectionist I want everything just so so and sometimes it really doesn´t matter. It is so great to be on a mission. I love my companion, he teaches me everyday how to work, be patient, speak the language, love the people, etc... I thank the Lord for that. Well, I hope all continues well in your lives. Enjoy the summer and I will enjoy the cold weather that we are having here. I love you all,

Elder Thompson

Great stuff

We had a wonderful zone conference tuesday with some great folks from Colorado. President and Sister Boss from Boulder and President and Sister McKonkie from Colorado Springs spoke with us. It was a great conference and we learned a lot. Sister Tanner and I are really enjoying each other and working hard. We will be helping with a baptism this weekend. Luis the husband of Conceição is so excited to be making this step. We also get to help a little bit at girls camp tomorrow. They are camping right outside of Braga and we get to help them learn how to put out fires, cook food on a fire, and basically how to have fun.
To all of those who have ever participated in girls camp there in the united states you should all thank your lucky stars that it was there and not here. The poor stake young women's president is the only one who knows more or less what she's doing and she has to organize everything. When I mean everything I do not exaggerate. She got a couple of phone calls from bishops or young womens leaders of different wards (many hours away) asking her how she was going to get the young women from their chapel to the camp site. She's just about pulling her hair out. It's a good thing she served a mission and has all that craziness training to help her through. She'll be sainted afterward I'm sure.

Speaking of saints, we got to see some great sites here in Braga today. We went to a cathedral called Bom Jesus and climbed all the stairs and saw all sorts of pretty gardens and cultural masterpieces. We then walked to another temple 2 km away called Sameiro. That was a very interesting experience. I bought a couple of post cards that you'll all enjoy.

This week we have had quite a few trips to various parts of our zone, and to Porto during the which we got to have a bunch of great gospel conversations. We had a great one on Monday. We were headed to Póvoa do Varzim and taught a Bulgarian named Tamar Nicoleta. We were in the back of the bus and it took a lot of curves. Sister Tanner was just about to relate the 1st vision when Tamar started heaving. Luckily she didn't have anything in her stomach, but that's going to be a great teasing opportunity for years....poor Sister Tanner teaches in such a way that her hearers reach for the Barf Bag... We really do have a great relationship and enjoy poking fun at one another, and at ourselves. Usually however, our contacts are much more positive, and for example Martinho, our contact from last week, showed up at church where he enjoyed immensly the meetings and is excited to return.

Anyway, that's about all that's going on here...A whole bunch of great stuff. Oh, and we had a great Fireside Sunday night. Sister and President Henry came and spoke with the members. They are now following a schedule of study for family night that will take them through the lessons in Preach My Gospel in about a year. It's really a great program and the members are really excited.

Oi Irmão...há tantos brasileiros aqui em braga. O bispo e a família e provávelmente mais três famílias são de várias partes do brasil. É um sotaque bem legal, ouviu? Faz me sempre lembrar de ti...É um grande privilégio servir na obra do senhor. tenho saudades tuas e porta-te bem. Tens sempre as minhas orações.

Love you all! hope you're spoiling all of those cute kids for me Mom. All my love!

ellen

fw Good Work

Oí Família,
What a great week it has been. So much has happened. We are teaching a ton of people and having a lot of success. We have to work hard, trust in the Lord, pray sincerly to him, and thank him for all that we have. We have found some new great families and are looking forward to helping them receive the sweetness of the gospel.
The weather is perfect here as well. It stays in the 70s and seems just like spring when in reality it is the middle of winter. I love my companion. He is such a great teacher and he learns very quickly. I also am learning that I need to work a lot more on the language. That all comes with diligence and hard work. I will get there. Well, I have very little time again today. There is always a lot to do. I love you all and know that all of your lives are very busy. We have to remember to be sure to put the gospel and Lord first and then if we have time add other things. That is what I am trying to do. I am simplying my life. I will surely have a lot less stress because of it.

I love you all,
Elder Thompson

IMPORTANTE!

Oops! I forgot the all important address for packages, letters, mimos, and otherwise great stuff:

Rua Padre António Viera
Nº 91 5ºtrás
4710 Braga
PORTUGAL

From Braga with love

Well folks, thank you so much for your email, prayers and love. Here in Braga the church is going strong. This ward really is incredible with people fulfilling their callings and the things just functioning as they should. It is an amazing area. Sister Tanner and I also have a whole lot of freedom here, which is a little scary. We can go anywhere throughout the whole zone to help the work in many areas. We are therefore working in the whole city of Braga and also the city Guimarães (where Portugal was born--the castle there is beautiful) we also will be working with some of the other units in the north like famalicão, povoa de verzim, and/or viana do castelo. This means that we travel around quite a bit, but also that we have the great opportunity to help the work in a lot of different areas in a lot of different ways. Right now our big focus is on service, especially working with the members to help them help us. We got to do some house painting on Tuesday( good thing Sister Tanner is a professional painter-or anyway she did it for 4 years saving up money for school/mission) We have been having some really great lessons and the work here is really getting ready to explode. I feel so very fortunate to be able to serve here during this great era.

Yesterday we had a zone conference and got to know Irmã and President Henry a little bit. They are awesome!!! I am really going to like them. They are just so cool and Irmã Henry reminds me of a lot of my great (crazy) friends in Arvada. This is going to be a great 6 months! I am so excited to work my tail off in the Lord's service here in Portugal.

Samuel, não tenho palavras para exprimir o meu animo. Este trabalho tem tantas bêncãos! Uma coisa que aprendi durante uma lição é que muitas das vezes a Bíblia explica o que não devemos fazer enquanto o Livro de Mórmon diz o que devemos. A maior parte da Bíblia é dedicado ao castigo e o Livro de Mórmon é muito mais positivo. A diferênça entre a lei de moises e a lei maior. foi uma coisa fixe que eu aprendi esta semana. Eu também tenho uma outra coisa para te mandar, então vais gostar! Amo-te! Porta-te bem!

Love you all, have a great week!

ellen

third time is a charm

welp...had a great letter written, sent it, lost it, cried about it, wrote another one...lost it...this time much shorter and sweeter.

We have a new pres. Pres. Henry, I have yet to meet him and his wife, but will love them.

I go tomorrow for Braga (north a ways) I will be serving with Irmã Tanner(Horray, a dream come true!) I will be missing my great companions and all of my great friends here in Gaia, but will gain more. I do not yet know my address there, but anyone dying to send me something ( I know there are many! ) can send to the office.

We celebrated 4th of July by wearing red white and blue. July 5 Portugal lost to France 0-1. We cried, but then we slept well, uninteruppted by car horns and happy people shouting in the streets all hours of the night. They play for 3 or 4 place against Germany. At least we beat Brasil (wink) and the Dominican Republic (ha ha) and a lot of other countries.

Samuel, Porta-te bem e leia Jeremias 7:18 ( Nossa Senhora ) Just a funny note from my studies this morning.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KETURAH!

Love you all!

ellen

great stuff

THis has been a great week full of growth, prayer and wonderful faith confirming miracles. The Lord is at the head of this His work. I absolutely love what I am able to do here in Portugal and the love that I feel for these people! The Lord has richly blessed me in so many ways. We had a wonderful mission conference yesterday to hear our president and his wife give their support for the work and their last words of advice and council. It was just the boost I needed. This is such a rewarding time and I am so very grateful for the way the Lord is able to speak directly to me through His servants. I also have been reading lately in the book of Isaiah during my study of the Bible to accompany the study of the book of Mormon. I absolutely love the way that Isaiah paints pictures in my mind. He really did see our days. There was one chapter where he talked about debt that was so great. Round about 35-50, I don't remember the chapter. THere is no doubt in my mind that the Lord inspires prophets and gives them council to give to us so that we can be successful and happy in this life, and that continually throughout eternity. I am just so happy! I feel like I'm just starting to barely understand a little of what the Lord has planned for His children. All of us whom He loves so much. Anyway, just that, that the Lord knows what He's doing and does it so well.

This week will be a bit different. I get to be with Sister Call for three days because we are renewing our visas. It is really fun to be able to work together. It is fun to see our progress that is in some ways very parallel, but in some ways completely different.

Samuel, mandarei-te aquele puzzel quando eu acabar. Acho que estamos a ensinar uma mulher de Morumbi. Vou ter que lhe perguntar para ver se ela tem quaisquer familiares que deves ensinar. A oposição nesta área é muito forte, qual quer dizer que estamos a ser como José Smite disse 'destroyers and annoyers'. Realmente esta é a obra do Senhor e sou muito grata pelo amor que sinto durante as tribulações. Porta-te bem e quem sabe, é capaz que eu vá ter que te buscar na fim da tua missão. Seria fixe não seria? Bem, realmente não sei se é possível, mas procurarei saber. Tá? Então, até já porque nossa vida só é um sonho e a missão um secundo.

Love you all and pray that all is going well!

ellen

Great stuff!

So, we´ve been having a great time...I love what I'm doing. We had a great experience yesterday: we were working in Valadares, which is out of our area and we only know a limited number of people. We had a space of time that we tried to fill, but it just wouldn´t work with any of our known ways. It ended up that at that hour (about 3:00pm) we had not yet eated lunch and so we went in search for a cafe that was not absolutely filled with drunken men watching the world cup game between Portugal and Mexico and that would serve us lunch. We passed quite a few and we´re about to despair, but then happened upon 'Mommy's Cafe' and it looked well-lit, clean and like it might work. Our hostess noted our accent and she began to speak with us in English. Turns out she is from South Africa and is passing a difficult time in her life at the age of 45. She has ideas about life that are very correct and is looking for the truth. Anyway, it was our immense pleasure during our lunch to talk with her about the Book of Mormon and the joy that it brings to our lives. Also about the guidance and direction we have as a result of a living prophet. It was a great conversation and we left a copy of the Book of Mormon with her. When we passed the cafe on our way home it appeared to me that she was reading. She is such a darling woman! I am so glad that the Lord was able to place us in her path so that she could have the help and direction that she needs to encounter the difficulties in her life. I know that this is the Lord's work and am so grateful for His grace in letting me be a small part.

Ótimo! Estou entusiamada que recebeste a minha pacote. Gostaste daquelas coisas metidas lá dentro? Espero que sejam úteis para ti. As vezes esta obra é um pouco dura, mas é também gratificante mesmo. É uma grande pena que O Brasil não vai ganhar o Mundial...mas traz me algeria para saber que vai ser O Portugal até o fim! Vive Portugal! Tens aquele puzzel do plano de salvação? Se não eu vou te mandar o meu quando eu acabar, se sim darei para alguem aqui. Porta-te bem! Fiques feliz!

Love you all!

ellen

Fw: Here Comes the Sun

Oí Família,
Surprise. I am writing an email on Tuesday and not on Wednesday because transfers will be next week (one week early due to the arrival of the new president). Our president is doing all of the interviews this week and our interviews will be tomorrow thus our p-day is today. We are working hard and we will have a baptism this week. I am very excited about it. Our investigator Tânia is very excited as well. She shows everyday how the gospel can change anyone´s life for the better.
Manys times I think where has the time gone. There is so much to do and the next time you turn around the time is gone. I guess that´s why it is so important to have goals and be focused so that you use your time to its fullest potential. I always think the mission is only two years long and it is a once in a life experience. You won´t have the mantle or the spirit with such force and intensity as you do on the mission because of the importance of the calling and the separation from the world that you make. It is the the World Cup here right now and everyone gets excited. They paint the roads, put off fireworks, and party during this time. Everyone invites you to watch the games and it is quite the temptation. We really have to be focused during this time.
I was reading in 1 Nephi 10:19 a couple days ago. It says that we will know of the mysteries of God if we will search diligently. It comes down to our desire, faith, and diligence. If we really want something. we will certainly work very hard to get it. We should seek after the good things of the world and the mysteries of God. Our purpose on this earth is ultimately to be a god and so it is important to start to learn about his ways on this earth. I have to always remember the reason for me being on this earth. It gives me so much more desire to go and do what is right.
Thanks everyone for everything that you do. Ellen, eu recebi seu pacote. Foi uma surpresa mas eu estou tão feliz. Eu sei que tu me amas.

Love you all

Elder Thompson

Fw: A Snake Story

Last week Dad parked the blue Olds upstairs. We were talking to some people inside and when we came back outside there was a large gopher snake under the car. The lady that was with us moved closer to see the snake and scared him so he went up into the car.
We couldn't see where he went but we weren't going to wait for him either. He was big 4-5 feet and may have had a bump in him from a mouse or whatever. So we drove up the road. The other people were behind us but didn't see the snake come down. Well, we had a few other stops to make and then took the car over to the ramp to see what we could see. Dad finally spotted the snake's tail on top of the gas tank. He got a stick and touched him to see if he was still alive. He was. So Dad parked the car back at the house under the tree. That was a bad idea. The next dad the snake was still there on top of the gas tank. Later in the afternoon, Dad parked the car down below. But he did not park it in the garage. The next day the morning sun must of made the snake too hot so he moved out. We are glad! We like the snake to do his job of catching mice. But Dad says, "Our snake is the best traveled snake around."

Thursday Dad came to the school and loaded up his pickup with most of my stuff. I guess I've been the librarian for over 10 years so I've collected a lot of things. Then on Monday I came up to clean out my desk. So all I have left is to do the final inventory and I will probably put barcodes on the new books that came in. Then I will be done. I'm not even sad. I guess it's time for me to get on to something else--like keeping Dad company.

Last week Dave Spitzer, a teacher at the Cedaredge High School had a stroke on Tuesday. They took him to St. Marys and they operated on him. He was doing well. Then on Friday morning he had a massive stroke and died. He was 52. So you never know what will happen next. So have a great week ! Make you time count.
Love,Mom

technical difficulties

Due to technical difficulties I will not be writing a very long letter today. I haven´t yet seen the picture of Aaron pregnant, but I am so excited to see it. Congratulations to Bethany and thanks for the great laugh! I did receive your pictures and letter Martha, Thanks so much! You have some cute kids for sure.

The work is going well. I love these sisters that I am working with. With three of us we get to better our communication which is really good for me, seeing as I sometimes am a bit faulty in that area. It´s been really good for me. We have had some really great lessons lately. With three of us and the Spirit, there is nothing that we can´t do. It is a marvelous feeling to be part of something so much greater than myself. I know this is God´s work on the earth and am so priveledged to be a part of it!

Thanks so much for the words of encouragement Mom and I love you! Love to everyone! E especialmente para ti o meu missionário lindo! Eu fico tão animada para falar contigo!!! Esta é uma experiência inesquecível!

ellen

ellen

June 13

June 13. Is that a lucky day? Well, I got a call today from the school library asking if any of the stuff on the floor is to be thrown away or what? Maybe I should let them throw it all away--but that is hard for me to do. They are going to start on the wall in the middle of the library and need to move everything 12 feet from the center line. So I'd better get this stuff organized quick! But I have been doing my Church work--Humanitarian Monday--Horizon's Care Center on Tuesday--Substitute Visiting Teacher on Thursday. Where does my time go?

But I always have time to send the Missionaries and Family an encouraging word or two. It is important to have the Spirit to guide, to prompt, to teach, and to testify. So do what ever you need to do in order to have the Spirit. It also can bring peace. And although things seem a little up in the air for me, I do feel peace and know that things will be alright! I feel sorry for those who do not know or have never felt this feeling. I testify that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us. Jesus Christ is our Savior and he provided the atonement because He loves us. The Holy Ghost does help and guide if we are worthy and will listen. Everything else is not that important. Things are not important. But People are important. I love you all. You are important to me. I hope that I can be an example for you to follow and that I can help you when you need something.

Have a great week!!
Love, MOM

Yea!

OLA!!!
Well, glad to hear from all of you...I did have a wonderful birthday and I got mypart of the quilting done and gave it to sister schneiber to do her part. It turned out really well given the conditions under which I was working...what I wouldn´t have given for some ´stitch witchery´or rotary cutter or a machine that winds the bobbin...however, seeing as time is limited and resources far away I did it without all of these luxuries.

Thanks MOM for my birthday package. I went and got it from the post office on my birthday and so I didn´t even cheat and open it early. I love the pen and I loved sharing the Reeces. The peanut butter M&Ms are just about gone. I shared a few, but not very many. Oh, and I love the card. Irmã Blocker also really liked it. I really had a great birthday. I got three different cakes from members and friends and my companion is just really sweet. I enjoyed myself and we taught a whole lot. That´s the part that really made me happy, that I was able to be useful and help the work move along, people are more receptive to 'the birthday girl'.

Oh, and today we had transfers...I didn´t move, so anyone still wanting to send a package or any type of letter can still send to:
Vereda do Espírito Santo
Nº12-2º esq-traz
Canidelo
4400 Vila Nova de Gaia
PORTUGAL

Although we didn´t move areas we did receive another companion, so now we are three.. Irmã Christianne Carter is from Orem, UT. I'm really excited to serve with her because I got to know her mom in the MTC and I wanted to serve with her then, so now my wish comes true. She is really a great missionary and we are going to have no end of fun and work here in Gaia. We are working a lot in Valadares recently and have been able to help some great people. I don´t know how I could be more happy...Really this is the life!!
I´ll send a picture when we get the quilt all finished. I think will be having a conference to change presidents here in a couple of weeks and we will present our handywork to our querida Presidente Greene e Sister Greene.

Dad--Eu percebo perfeitamente o que estava a dizer. Are you learning Portuguese? How did you know how to say that stuff? It is a beautiful language and I love trying to speak better every day...My goal is to leave this mission as a portuguesa...it will take CONSTANT VIGILANCE, but it´s possible...

Love you all and thanks for your love and prayers...I can't express how very much they help in my daily efforts. Oh, and happy birthday\anniversary to all those lucky people with celebrations in June. Especially to Martha, Blair, and Naomi. Really, June is a great month!

Oh, one last thing...do any of you know any basement apartment or little old lady in Idaho that would be economical, but practical for a mother and her two sons (7 and 13). Paula from São João da Madeira will be attending BYU-Idaho and will arrive august 14. Any information you have you could send directly to her (she understands English if it's not too complex) pjk_magalhaes@hotmail.com Thanks for your help and support for her.

Samuel, eu amo-te e sei que os teus esforços estão a contar...Tu és um bom missionário mesmo! As vezes a tua fraqueza mesmo é que és tão duro com ti mesmo. Eu gosto muito das palavras do Salvador no assunto. Ele disse para aquela mulher que realmente tinha feito asneiras: Ir e não faça mais. Então ele não condena ninguém. Ele sabe a nossa potencial, mas ao invez de castigar ele sempre vai ajudar nos a andar em frente a limpar o pó das nossas calças e a fazer melhor. Eu também gosto a escritura em Alma 42:29. Então não te preocupes com as falhas, mas confia no Senhor. Ele já te salvou e vai continuar. Só tens de pedir. Força! sempre em frente, sempre em cima, e sempre com fé!

Love all of you and you're always remembered in my prayers!

ellen

sorry

Well... didn´t write and won´t because i´m too busy quilting....We´re making a special thing for pres and sis greene for when they leave at the end of the month and therefore will be using all extra time..or all time not working...doing that . Love you all, write when i´m not...

ellen

It´s great to be a missionary!

So, we´ve had a great week and I´m learning bastante(a lot). Mom, my blog site is: ellenshome.blogspot.com Give Janie my love! Oh, I received from Sister Couey the announcement for Abbie´s wedding, looked like a lot of fun, especially the honeymoon in Alaska(wink). THANKS for the letters I have received lately! (wink, wink) they gave me just the energy and animo that I needed! It is a great experience to train because its like being able to see all of your caracteristics in a big magifying mirror. The ones that are good make you feel good and the ones that need refining, well, you get to see just how you can refine them. It´s humbling, but very productive and I´ve been learning a lot!

We had a marvelous conference this last week with all the stakes of Portugal and Spain. President Hinckley and Robert D. Hales spoke and it was so great . They really are prophets who receive revelation for us. They know just what will help make these people more happy and more able to live fulfilling lives. It was great to hear them pinpoint just the exact problems that we see daily and give us solutions for them. I´m so grateful for the opportunity to listen to a prophet´s voice. We then had a great zone conference on tuesday and I left a new missionary. On the ride home I participated in a great lesson on the train. I just had a great conversation with the lady sitting next to me, and because of the love that I felt for the Lord and the gratitude I had been feeling, I was able to talk and we both learned things as the Spirit touched both of our hearts. I was on cloud nine. It just feels so great and you are so happy when you are feeling the Spirit. That is what this plan is all about, having the happiness that comes from God in our every day life. Anyway, it was an inspiring conference and I am doing my best to apply the things that I learned. We also are making a grande force to plan well so that we can be where the Lord wants us when He wants us there. It´s good.....I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! and that´s it for today.

Oh, Samuel...Eu amo bater portas porque é sempre uma supresa, é como abrir um ´suprise package´ no outro lado de cada porta ou há uma pessoa douro ou uma daquelas que te expulsará do prédio. Também as pessoas as vezes são mesmo loucas quando estão na porta. Eu gosto muito, e tento bater pelo menos algumas horas cada semana porque faz me lembrar das necessidades das pessoas. É bem bom! É difícil pensar que tu já estás na missão há um ano não é? Parabéns! Espero bem que estejas a aprender tudo que O Senhor quer que aprendas. Eu amo te e esta oportunidade que temos de servir. O plano de nosso Pai Celestial é perfeito! Obediência realmente traz as bênçãos dos céus incluindo felicidade, tanto pelo missionário quanto pela pessoa que está a receber este novo conhecimento. Estou feliz e espero que também estejas feliz. Amo-te!

ellen

lost transmission

well, I had a nice note written, but the computer ran out of time before I finished and so I lost it all...Too bad! Anyhow, great to see the pictures Deann, and to know that Samuel is safe and to hear mom´s dulcete voice....and I love you all!

ellen

Grandma Thompson

Thanks for the note Mom! I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have and I know without a shadow of a doubt that Grandma is happy. I know where she is and that she is happy. I had a feeling that she was gone...I couldn´t explain it, but it gave and gives me a lot of peace. I am just so grateful that our family is sealed, that as long as we are faithful to our covenants, we have the right and the assurance of a life together in the kingdom of God. I can´t describe the utter peace and joy that I have. I was reading in 2 Nefi 2 this morning and was just struck with the wisdom of our first parents, even without really understanding every single detail. They allowed us to have joy...real and indescribable and eternal. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to choose to be happy every day of my life. I especially liked verses 23, 27-28. That we have joy because of their choice (through the grace of our Savior and Redeemer) also, that we are free and can choose freedom and eternal life and joy if we want to. If we choose, we can also suffer captivity, death, and misery. It is a lot like the kingmen vs the freemen in Alma. They who wanted a king were willing to give up their choices, their freedom...we cannot serve two masters. The Master´s choice gives us freedom, the other side doesn´t have any freedom to offer. I love the opportunity that I have to make choices, to be the ruler of my own destiny...if I so choose. Anyway...I don´t know how well I´m expressing myself...it makes more sense in Portuguese. Love you all, and give my love to all my aunts and uncle. God lives and loves us! His plan is perfect!

If you need to call earlier or later depending on Samuel´s schedule that would be fine. We also got the information that we could receive calls from you on Saturday if that would work better for you. On Sunday we get home from church at about 12h30 (I think it´s 05h30 your time)...anytime after that would work. We can talk for 1 hour. My companion also does not know when her parents will call...so it might be exciting. They are on a trip and hopefully will get the message... If you would like to call them and organize better the time...801.301.7780. Oh, and maybe you´d like the number...011.351.918.101.418. until Saturday or Sunday! Love you!

ellen
E Samuel...espero que tudo esteja a correr bem contigo. Eu estou a desfrutar a experiência humilhante de treinar. Eu estou a aprender tanto. Provavelmente eu esteja a apprender mais ainda que ela. Aliás ser uma prova da minha fé sei que estou a aprender porque posso sentir as mudanças em mim que são tantas. Tudo de bom! Amo-te irmãozinho!