Dear Everyone,

 

This week was tiring, but really great! Thank you so much for the prayers and support; I have been really feeling of your love. Last Monday we had interviews (I am pretty sure that I already mentioned that) and as a result We got together as a district to see how we can help the ward become more united. We started out by: planning a pancake party, giving compliments to members and helping the Bishop calm down and feel loved. I am so excited about these plans because they are already starting to show results! We threw the pancake party on Saturday, which was a hoot! We had way too many pancakes and way too few toppings, and then there was a revolution because we didn´t have enough cups. But it was fun all the same and the ward liked it. We have been giving compliments (both direct and indirect) to the ward members and it has really made them feel appreciated and noticed. It´s kinda fun! I got brave and called up the Relief Society President. Oh my gosh I was so scared, but it turned out great and in ward council she gave me a compliment in return! Woot, woot! We are still working out how we can help the Bishop. If you have any ideas, let me know.

 

Things have started to improve in our area too. Three people came to church and we marked 2 people for baptism:

Amilton!- We have been taking things one step at a time with him. He prayed for repentance of his sins, about which he said that he felt `relieved.´ He is marked for this upcoming Saturday, but has been sick lately with migrane headaches. The Elders and Ward Mission Leader, Nedgar, came with us to give him a blessing of health, but he still isn´t feeling 100% better. We are going to fast for him this week.

Jorge- He was a door contact last transfer whom we came back in contact with two weeks ago. In the doorway we asked him if he would be baptized when he knew our message was true and HE ACCEPTED! He is from Cape Verde and is on kidney dialisis, plus has diabetes. A few years ago his left leg was amputated, and a few months ago the toes on his right foot got amputated as well, so he walks like a pirate. He has very little religious background but really wants to be ready for the next life. The last lesson we had was on the Plan of Salvation and I honestly had the feeling that he is going to die shortly after being baptized and confirmed.

 

This week we went on a division to Lapa again, which was fun. It was funny because the Sister I went with was on the Azores, so I already went on a division with her last transfer! She is Sister Riveros, the 39 year old spit fire from Peru. Seriously, she has more energy than me and I am half her age! I´ll have to send a picture of us next week. Man, divisions are tiring as is, but doing a division without having a P-day was exhausting. When we got home we thought that we should make a sitcom because we were acting so ridiculous. On Thursday morning I got up and dressed to do yoga in the front room but ended up lying on the tiles for 20 minutes. We called up the Senior Sister over our health and these are the exact words that she said, `Your bodies are in a state of exhaustion. Take a nap. Now!´ Then we called Amilton, marked him for baptism while on the phone and rolled around on the ground because we couldn´t do victory laps. Then we took an hour nap. At least today we have a real P-day!

 

Tomorrow is our Mission Council, which we are really excited about. For every Mission Council, Sister Training Leaders from other areas sleep over for the night, so we decided to make our apartment `Hotel Odivelas´ To help them feel at home! Normally they come really late at night when we are cranky and tired, so we thought that if that happens again, they can at least be greeted to a mattress with sheets and a sweet on the top with a welcome note.

 

Thank you so much for everything. I appreciate all that you guys have done and are doing to support me.

 

Sister Derrick

Dear Everyone,

 

We ended the first week of the transfer with a fresh view of things and ready to battle our problems! I am really excited because we are coming together as a district to come up with a vision to help the ward. We have really been blessed with two really great Elders that are new to Odivelas. Our District Leader, Elder Bluemel, is especially a great missionary and a huge support. We had interviews with President Fluckiger today and President said that he specifically picked all four of us to help solve the problems in the ward. It´s just what we need! I am so excited!

 

Recently I have been thinking a lot about faith. In Ether 12 verse 6 we learn that only after the trial of our faith the Lord will bless us. I hae really been thinking about why we had so much success in Setúbal and not here (aside from internal problems) and I think the answer is faith! You know, as a new missionary the fact that you got up in the morning is an act of faith and the Lord blesses you for that. But now missionary life is `normal´ for me and it is a habit to get up, exercise, study, speak Portuguese, talk to people that may or may not like the Church, bear your testimony, and walk 3-8 miles a day. So I have been thinking about how I can show more faith? Or in other words, how can I go the extra mile? So far I have come up with better study techniques, learning to respect my leaders and inviting people to be baptized as soon as we can. I am still trying to think of other ideas. If any of you have some good suggestions, let me know! I would rather humble myself than be compelled to be humble and learn things the hard way!

 

Deep unfortunately is moving to Belgium tomorrow and will stay there for at least 3 months. It was a bummer, but I don´t have a shadow of a doubt that he won´t have another chance. We invited him to be baptized on Saturday, but he didn´t accept it. However he made huge progress! We had a really powerful lesson about the 10 commandments and the Word of Wisdom. By the end he took all his cigarettes for the week and flushed them in the toilet! It was a powerful moment. We are taking over half of the Sisters´ area, so now our area is gigantic! We get to meet the people that they were helping, which is really fun. We had a fabulous lesson with a man named Amilton yesterday (that´s Hamilton in Portuguese). We tried to mark him for baptism and he said that he would think about it. I think he´ll get there.

 

I just want to wish everyone a Happy Easter! In the Portugal Lisbon Mission we have what are called `lições poderosas´ which are simplified lessons meant to bo used when we don´t have time or we need to help our investigators understand the message better. I thought that a good way to help each other feel of the Lord´s love for us, I would share my favorite simplified lesson. It´s obviously adapted for people that have already been baptized.

 

Jesus Christ is our perfect example. Through His example of Faith, Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the End we can become cleansed from sin. Jesus said, `Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.´ Through these 5 things we can allow Him to come into our lives and give us comfort.

 

The first step is Faith, or trust in God´s plan for us and a belief that Christ is our Savior. However we must ACT according to the will of God in order to have true faith. Such actions include prayer, church worship, service, reading the scriptures, keeping the commandments, etc. What can you do today to show your faith?

 

One way that we must show our faith in Christ is through true repentance. Repentance is an honest change of heart to leave sin behind us and follow willingly the Lord´s way of life. This can only happen when we 1st recognize what we have done wrong, 2nd STOP IT!!!  3rd Confess what you have done wrong to the Lord and anyone who was involved (as appropriate) 4th Do what you can to fix any damage caused 5th Keep the commandments and 6th Recognize that the Lord knows how to help you. I know that repentance is real. IT IS REAL. Through Christ´s sacrifice, our sins and weaknesses can be wiped clean. When I repent I feel relieved and loved. Tonight, will you confess your sins to the Lord and repent?

 

Christ was also our perfect example in baptism. According to the account in Matthew 3, He was baptized out of His own free will and choice (He was old enough to know what he was doing.) He was completely immersed in the water and He was baptized by John the Baptist, A MAN WITH THE PRIESTHOOD AUTHORITY TO BAPTIZE. Baptisms are ONLY valid when done with this authority. This authority was lost, but restored again through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Priesthood authority to baptize for the remission of sins only exists in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. How has (or how would) baptism by proper authority blessed your life?

 

Baptism is a promise to follow the Lord and to keep His commandments. The Lord wants us to be successful in our quest to follow Him. After baptism we receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, or a constant companion to help us stay on the right track. With the guidance of God given by the Holy Ghost we can successfully stay on the way of righteousness until the end of our lives. To endure we need to take of the Sacrament worthily to recommit to keep the Lord´s commandments every week. Will you prepare to renew your baptismal covenant by taking the Sacrament this Sunday?

 

Happy Easter! I hope you like it as much as I do!

 

Sister Derrick