Batismo

Olá,

A  great week full of lots of work and success. As my Dad said "long days, short weeks" describing the mission is true. Tuesday after district meeting we left to teach a recent convert then passed the house for 30 min to eat real quick then had to leave to an appointment and worked like crazy until coming home at almost 10. Those kind days are fun! We rarely eat dinner, usually just when somebody offers us something.

Our Pianist was working yesterday so i subbed in at the last minute and tried to do my best with some hymns that i played for the first time.

Beatriz read until 2 Nephi 31 before being baptized Saturday. I baptized her and it was really special. Elder Webb confirmed the Gift of the Holy Ghost on Domingo.

Luis is truly converted to the gospel, they watch "Joseph Smith, the Prophet of the Restoration" as a family he told us that every day he finds more happiness. They will be baptized after they get married. It seems the majoiruty of couples or families are not married. The is a couple in the ward who has attened for 30 years and whose daughter served a mission but they are not baptized because they have not done a complicated marriage process with documents from Angola. I´m thankful for the Law of Chastity!

Carolina read the testimony of the Prohpet Joseph Smith 3 times and explained it all to us, she told us everytime she prays she feels more and more stronger that the Book of Mormon is true! Her husband Alexandre is (was) athiest but has felt the spirit and is opening up.

We went to Cascais 3 times this week, for an interview baptismal, the baptism of Barcelos and to give Armando, the Dad of Patrícia a blessing. He said when he gets better he will go to church with us! They saw him on the side of the bed on his knees, he said he was praying to Heavenly Father. Patricia said she never had seen him do that before. I love to see the differences in peoples live as they open their hearts to the Gospel.

I finished my jornal this week, I have written everyday except for about 10 of the 600+ days.

The "Book of Mormon Play" (Anti-Mormon, speaking negativley about the church) helped us enter a house and teach Pedro and Ana the Restoration. We told them the Book is always better!

During the baptism there was a seminary gradutaion from the 3 stakes and 1 district in the mission. I saw lots of members from Santo André, Almada and Montijo. It was fun to catch up with them.

Elder Webb taught Gospel Principles about Repentance. It is such a hopeful topic knowing that we can truly become clean and pure again through the Atonement of Christ. The Gospel in the way to a happy and joyful life.

Tchau,

Elder Anderson

 The chapel in Cascais

Milagres

Bom dia,

This week was interesting and incredible. We had 2 trips to Lisbon for Elder Webb to get his drivers license, during our 4 and a half hour wait Elder Stewart and Elder Mann, the Senior missionaries took us to a super good Sushi Buffet. Someone put bread in the microwave during church, it burnt, had a lot of smoke at set the fire alarm off during Gospel Principles.

Everybody is crazy about the Mundial, or World Cup. Ronaldo marked a free kick at the end of the game to tie Spain 3-3. I think Portugal has a good chance to take it all!

The biggest miracle of my mission happened this week. 2 Saturday´s ago we felt to knock a few more doors after a difficult morning on the way back to lunch. We rand a doorbell, then soon a man came out looking at us in surprise. We briefly explained the Restoration then he had to go to work so we marked an appointment for Monday evening.

We passed and taught the Restoration to Luis and his daughter Beatriz we had a super spiritual experience telling the first vision, during the lesson he told us that Saturday he was having a hard time, closed his eyes and prayed to God to help him. The moment he asked God he heard the doorbell rang and we were standing there. Miracle. We invited them to be baptized if they came to know that these things are true and he said "com certeza!" or "for sure" We saw a lot of wine bottles and smelt smoke so we taught the Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity. He said "well i guess i´ll have to give this wine to a friend, but wait that would put him in Sin, lets take it out!" so we dumped 30+ bottles of wine down the sink and brought them out to the trash. Teaching about praying to ask God if these things are true Luis said, "I already have my answer."

Our next visit we were able to also teach his wife, Mariane and her daughter Carolina. The 4 of them came to church Sunday, Beatriz has already read from the introduction to 2 Nephi and wants to be baptized this Saturday an hour before a 3 stake youth event. They all loved church, so great! A truly Golden Family!

Patricia came to church with 3 of her kids, Isabella, Caettano and Isadora. Leia also came. A record for me with Investigators at church!

Feels good to be a servant of the Lord, working to help his children come unto him. I know that this Gospel is true.

Até o próximo,

Elder Anderson

 There were a lot more below and in the fridge

 When the train workers have a strike...

Ensinar quando Encontrar

Olá,

Oeiras is great! The ward here is big and strong, the biggest I have yet served about 70 people active, a new Bishop was recently called, Bispo Tognini and he is full of energy and excitement of the work. I bore my testimony yesterday and met the Gois Family, I was in the MTC with Elder Gois who is from this ward. Pretty cool.

Imaculada, Petricia and 2 of her children Isadora and Caetano came to church yesterday and are progressing towards baptism. Petricia needs to marry and Imaculada is working to cut off relations with another church that she has a position in. We found some great new pesquisadores this week with lots of potential. We have found the "Teaching when you find, finding when you teach" in PMG to be really effective. In stead of briefly presenting us and marking an appointment, we immediately begin to teach and testify such as,

"Joseph Smith was called of God to be a prophet to restore the gospel with the authority of God to Baptize again to the earth, because of this we have knowledge of God´s plan of Happiness and know that families can be eternal. The Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ is proof that this message it true, you can read it and ask God if it is true to know for yourself." Doing this we have found a lot of new people to teach.

Elder Webb was a State and National champ wrestler and wrestled a year D1 before coming to the mission. I will never pick a fight with him. haha

Realizing the importance of our message and that plan of Salvation, it takes all fear or insecurity out of opening my mouth and preaching the gospel. I am simply working to bring my spiritual Brothers and Sisters back to our Heavenly home. I have come to know to trust in the Lord and his plan, his will is a way much better for us that our will.

Boa Semana.

Elder Anderson 

Tchau Terceira, Bem-vindo Oeiras

Olá,

Well Elder Tanner and I left at 7 this morning to Lisbon, I´m back on the mainland in the Oeiras Ward close to Lisbon Serving with Elder Webb who is from Lilburn Georgia. The first time I have been on this side of the river. I will likely finish my mission here. I am excited to get to work!

Presidente Tavares spoke in his letter about the Lord Testing our faithfulness by trials of faith. We sure felt that this week and happily we endured.

What an incredible 7 months I had on Terceira island. I have many good memories from my experience there. It was sad to say bye to the members who I worked with and came to love. 

Sunday we had a West Europe Conference. Elder Hallstrom from the seventy, Joy D. Jones, Elder Kearon and Elder Uchdorf spoke it was really good. They talks were about relying and trusting in God. I especially liked Elder Uchdorf´s talk about converting our hearts to Christ and the incredible blessing of peace, happiness, spiritual power and deepened testimony that we recieve doing so.

Boa Semana!

Elder Anderson

 I did my grocery shopping here for the last 7 months

 the start

 5 minutes

 10 minutes

 it was completely dark

 30 minutes

 Thanks President Paulo Cabral!

 Last District Meeting

 Margarida went from a non practicing Catholic to an active member with a strong Testimony. I have hope that her other children will one day too accept the gospel.

 Marco

 Carlos, Elsa, and Laura from Praia

 Carlos

 Pull-ups

 I Used this jacket from the china store for a year and a half

 Our house