The Music of the Gospel

Olá,

A few weeks ago Isabella, daughter of Patricia sent us a message saying that she did not want to be baptized or doing anything with the church. Yesterday she came to church fasting to know if the gospel was true. Irmão João who teaches Gospel Principles taught about gifts of the Spirit and talked to her after about the Spirit. She called us Sunday Afternoon and said that she received her answer that the church is true and that she should be baptized! Such a miracle! she will be baptized Thursday!

I passed the sacrament Sunday. Fun to remember the days as a Deacon and Teacher. The longer I´ve been on my mission the more I have come to realize the importance and sacred nature of partaking of the sacrament weekly to renew our baptismal covenants. The Sabbath day is truly a delight!

Carolina and Beatriz are doing fantastic as new members! They explained to us how much happier and peaceful they feel after receiving the gift of the holy ghost. Beatriz has read to Mosiah 15, over 200 pages and Carolina has read about all the questions of the soul. They are awesome!

I went to Amadora with Elder Rogers for a division. That area is pretty much Africa haha so many people from Cape Verde and Angola and Guiné. Elder Rogers told me his conversion story 5 years ago. Pretty neat to hear. A pass along card of baptism fell from my Book of Mormon on the street, a man picked it up to give it back to me I told him to stay with it. We talked and walked with him to the chapel, he told us about the hard and sad life that he has had and we explained how Christ suffered for him and is there to help him through all his difficulties. It felt great to help him.

We saw "The Music of the Gospel" a mormon message with a few members including the Gois family.  Watching other people live the gospel and obey the commandments doesnt make sense until we individually and purposely stop and listen to the Spirit of the Gospel. "The joy of the dance will be experienced only when we come to hear the music" 

I love this gospel.

Boa Semana!

Elder Anderson

 Buffet

 Elder Gois (Dallin knew him in the MTC and this is in his home!)

 (Here is Elder Gois above and below with Dallin at the MTC)

 Amadora

 Cascais

P-Day Excercises

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart..."

Olá,

We had our last Conference with Presidente and Sister Tavers, they have been incredible I have learned so much from them, We had an hour question and answer time about their missions, then Presidente gave his last training about Trusting in God and his power to qualify us for this work by his spirit Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." I am so thankful for them.

Carolina was baptized Thursday because that in her husbands day off of work. It went so well. There was a special hymn arrangement of "Come thou fount of every Blessing" with Irmão Rafael on the piano, Elder Webb on the flute and Sister Restopo singing. The spirit was so strong and Beatriz gave a talk about baptism, and looked like she had been a member her whole life. They will be incredible members. Luis and Marion are excited to be baptized soon after they get the papers to marry. Luis went from smoking 60 cigarettes per day to 3-4, 15 coffee per day to 0, never more touched alcohol and is willing to change jobs to be able to go to church all Sundays for 3 hours. Alexandre who was Athiest is reading the Book of Mormon and now has the desire to be baptized, but is still working on Sundays so it will be a little while longer. We had dinner with them all last night and watched a video about temples. This Family is incredible!

We all ran to the beach one morning, we could see Cristo Rei and the 25 de Abril Bridge. The river is really cool at sunrise.

Walking back for lunch from helping a member I stopped and looked at 2 roads we could go then Elder Webb said, the first door on the left, so we knocked it met Guilherme (William) and taught him the Restoration. Pure Inspiration. I love seeing the difference in how someone looks at the Book of Mormon when we give it with 2 hands and wait until they receive in with 2 hands.

Saturday we had a Sardinhada, Fish Cookout with the Ward And of course there was a projector to watch the game. Well unfortunately Portugal got kicked out of the World cup losing to Uruguay. On our way we felt to knock one more Door, met Elson, Rosaline, Asaf and their baby Isaac, a Brazilian family. We taught the Restoration and they all came to church Sunday! Imaculada, Patricia and Caetano, Luis and Marion and Beatriz, Carolina was confirmed and her baby was blessed by Bishop. It was a great Sunday!

President and SIster Tavares and back in Brasil and President and Sister Fillmore are here in Lisbon. I´ve heard great things about them and am excited to meet them.

Boa Semana!

Elder Anderson

 Thanks Alexandro!

 Papi e Mami

 My comp, Élder Luis from my 3rd transfer in Santo André, returned from his mission and got married a few months ago

 Elder Angulo my comp in Vasco da Gama

 Elder Rogers! A convert of 5 years

 Presidente and Sister Tavers

 ​22 months from the MTC to now

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