well at least I had shoes....

Tania and Diolinda made it to church

Inspired Continente run: There is a grocery store called Continente, it's like target or Safeway. Well because it was transfer week, we had to buy food during the week because Elder Barton didn't get here until Wednesday. Well, we decided to go to Continente during the morning right before lunch. As walked in, we ran into a member called Paulo Tavares who was there with his family. We talked with them for a while. Then, as we were in the produce aisle, we ran into Carlos who was actually there with Paulo. They were all buying groceries at the same time! Then, we went to the meat section. As we passed by there, we ran into a less active Mariano. Elder Barton has the opportunity to meet all of them at the same time! while buying food! What efficiency! I felt like that part from the Best Two Year «How'd you know to come here? Indigestion. It was inspiration ain't it? Humility, humility is the key to inspiration.  Can I write that down?»

Tania Raposo: She's crazy! But really cool. We have been working with her since I arrived. Before I arrived, the members had little faith in the less actives coming back to church. I don't know why or how aside from the Lord's timing (because it definitely didn't come from me).   She made it to church for the first time in a long time. We had talked with her on Saturday and said we would call. Elder Noad called her in the morning but she didn't answer. I was standing outside waiting for people to come. I had the phone with me when I received a call. IT was from Tania.  She told me «elder I'm on my way!». And she came. The attitudes of the members changed a little.  They thought «well if Tania can come back, any one can come back». Maria de Paz, a member that is very active, started calling her and others and this week for the first time in year Diolinda came to church. We didn't even plan that. Tania showed up late and when she walked in Diolinda walked in too! It was crazy! I was so happy! I felt like jumping up and down celebrating! (but we were in the middle of the sacrament so I decided not to). Now Tania has the goal of going to the Temple this next year! Last week in gospel principles we had a lesson on missionary work.  We talked about how we need to be the examples sometimes keeping the commandments to help others make and keep covenants. She said she had never paid tithing.  We invited her pay tithing. Start now. This week, I saw her with her tithing slip! Inviting people to changes and seeing them make changes in their lives is incredible! It's great seeing the happiness that she has now. I know that when we follow Jesus Christ we are happy.

Pics

Miracle

This week was really rushed. We were helping the other areas this week because it was the last week of the transfer. We did an exchange with the Elders in Ponta Delgada after the District Counsel. It was good helping them. We also had to an interview for the Sisters there as well. The couple missionaries picked us up in their car and took us there. It was great, one of the people didn't show up to be interviewed but the other one passed. They gave us Lazanha afterwards, best interview ever!

Transfers are happening. Elder Noad is leaving and I am receiving Elder Barton. He's a great guy! He started his mission when I was in Amadora, so I did a couple of exchanges with him. Since then he's grown a lot. He's served with Elder Davis (from my MTC group) and he's trained. It's going to be great. He had to wait for his visa and when he was waiting he served in Boise. Now we'll serve together! It's going to be great!

 

Miracle:  We have been working with a less active member called Tania. She has come to church a couple times while I was here. Usually we have to call her until she picks up or a member does. This time no one called her and she showed up on her own. It's incredible seeing the progress people make in the Gospel.

Élder Fogg

Pics

Very sweet moment and a great day!

Well this week was very long. We met with our new mission President, President and Sister Fillmore. They are very good people. I like both of them. They talked with us about how we can have more revelation and how this is OUR mission. That the mission isn't theirs or mine but ours with the Godhead so we need to do the work in the way Christ would do it. Very simple message but it was powerful. Had the opportunity to talk with them personally, expressed their love and thankfulness.

This week was very long because of our friends Luana and Fabio who are the children of a less active Lília. We spent the entire week really just trying to talk with them for a little bit but we never caught them at home. Then we visited their house one more time to do the baptismal interview and it seemed like they weren't home. As the four of us were brainstorming outside their house, Elder Lewis was playing with the mail box. 3 minutes later the door swung wide open and Lília was standing there. I was shocked and scared that she was made at us. We talked a little bit and made an appointment for later that night. We were able to finish teaching them everything before Sunday. President Fillmore did the interview with Elder Lewis and decided to come to the Baptism on Sunday. It was a good service. Sunday was the first time in a long time that Lília went to church and she was able to renew her covenants, the same day her children were able to make that covenant she made a long time ago. It was a very sweet moment and a great day! 

Élder Fogg

Big Miracle

Well Portugal lost. That really sucked for us because it destroyed our night on Saturday. Nobody was at home and everybody was really sad and in shock. I was extremely surprised at how hard everyone was taking it! It was kind of funny because we visited some members that night and in Portuguese you say «tudo bem?» or «is everything good?» and they all responded «no». 

Church was a mess this week. We had a couple investigators at church.  They were all children under the age of 10. The members did miracles and brought these kids.  They are all kids of less actives that have parents that couldn't make it yesterday, but the members pulled through and brought them to church anyway! Big miracle! It was great that all of them came. But, because their parents weren't there, some of them acted a little wild but besides that the members were really happy with our work.

We worked with this older couple here called Familia Oliveira, Bernadino and Maria de Paz. They went to a family home evening with us and gave us dinner. It was really cool to see the fire that they have. Missionaries usually aske for references of friends and stuff, but with them we asked for names of less actives that they knew. We want to reactive a lot of people here, and they really want to help with that. Even at dinner we were talking about missionary work and they talked about there own family and how they needed to become active. It really cool to see how much pure desire they have to help.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY (D&C 101:77,80)

 

Élder Fogg