This week was wonderful. The mission conference with President Kearon was spectactular!!! He is an awesome leader! I took some notes, but I am going to use this email to write out my thoughts and feelings. It'll be a little differnet than what I've written in the past, but still full of energy! :)
The conference took place in Porto and on the Island of Madeira. It looked like the mission didnt want to send everyone from the island to the continent, and then back, so Madeira had their own conference on Wednesday, and the rest if the mission gathered in Porto on Thursday. It was soo much funny having basically the whole mission together! :) I basically saw everyone from MTC group, past comps, and other friends that I have made here in the mission.
Wednesday, we decided to work in Entroncamento, and then leave that night to stay in a hotel in Porto, oh ya, I stayed in a European Hotel! Definately not a Marriot, but it wasnt terrible! :) And it had carpet!!! It was the first time I walked barefoot on my mission. IT WAS SO NICE! So weird too. So basically, everyone outside of Porto, just ove half of the mission, stayed the night in this Hotel. The employees were making sure we stayed quiet. haha, oh poor hotel. :) The next morning we get up, get ready, have breakfast, and then leave, and take the Metro (the "subway" of Porto. Part of it is underground, and part not. It is pretty legit) and a little bit of walking to get to the chapel of Porto 2. A real chapel! First time I've seen on of those in a while. None of my areas have had one, and the one in Coimbra was a chapel, but not like the states. This was a classic mormon chapel! :) We had a little bit of deadline to get in the chapel, and then the Assistants were ordered to close the doors. We got in time, and think everybody else did too. :)
OK, notes. I actually didnt bring them with me, so I am going to go off pure memory, but it was very inspiring that it is still in my head. Sister Amorim spoke for a little about learning by example and learning how to work. She gave a story of a mama bird that would get food and then feed her chicks. Then there came a time where she had to go away, and what would this baby chick do. Well, the baby chick had to follow the example of the mama bird, and got food the exact same way that the mama bird did. It was a cool story, but I am still learning POrtuguese, and I think I am still getting used to Sister Amorim's accent.
Then President Amorim spoke, and basically compared PMG and D&C 18. It was cool comparison to show how the Lord has always been preparing missionaries. He then showed us his vision for the mission. It was a cool graph thing that had a triangle up top, three vertical rectangles below it, and the one long horizantal rectangle underneath the other three. At the top was the phrase, "Build the Kingdom of God here in the North of Portugal." That is the goal and focus of President Amorim. The three "pillars" were, find families, teach as Christ, and Baptize, Retain, Reactivate. Then the bottom was the formula: Hard Work+Faith+Obedience+Charity. More or less like this. :) Again, I am going from memory. He really pounded in obedience. And also building up the kingdom. :)
Then President Kearon gets up, talks alot about how much he loves Eurpope, Portugal, President and Sister Amorim. He called them Powerhouses. WHICH THEY ARE! :) Of course, everything sounds better in a British Accent, so it was pretty inspiring. During his comments, his wife shows up, who came in from a flight from Germany. SO that was pretty cool.
His wife is American, but they met in London while she was doing some exchange thing at BYU. She then talked about how they met, and other cute stuff like that. Then she told the story about the young rich ruler, and putting everything on the altar. Always make sure we ask our self, "What more do I lack?" The young rich ruler had followed the commandments from his youth up, he has been a good boy, but he couldnt quite put everything on the altar. When Christ gave him the commandment to sell everything he has, he went home. She then talked about how she hopes that he went home, thought about it, and then went back to Christ, a week, or a month later, and tells him, "I am ready. I've pondered and prayed nd prepared, I am ready to put my all on the altar." You know, we dont have the end to that story, BUT there is always something more we have to give. Really, in the end, our all, is a small payment for Christ's all.
President Kearon gets up again, and gives some training on finding, teaching, and other stuff, but what I remember that stuck out was we talked abou becoming the mesage. Becoming what we have to offer the world. HAPPINESS! :) People arent really going to remember what we say in the first contact, but they will remember that first impression, and if we are happy, truly happy, they will remember that for a long time. So he challenged us to be happy, truly happy in our contacts.
Then we had lunch. McDonalds :) Haha.
After lunch, oh boy, get ready. President Kearon gets up, gives some final training and then opens it up for some questions. He had told President, who then told us that we should come with a question in mind. I came with, "WHat more can I put on the altar. What more can I do for my 40 day fast?" So my question was basically answered by Sister Kearon, so that was kinda cool :) Anways, one Sister asks something along the lines of, "How can I get better at challenging people to be baptized? How can I make it less awkward?" Recently, President Amorim has challenged the mission to invite someone to be baptized, with a date, every week. I fwe come to the end of the week, and we havent done that yet, then he challenges us to do it in road contacts or hitting doors. What he wants, and part of his answer to this SIster was that he wants us to pracitce this. He said he only baptized one man from his mission when he marked him in the street. But he wants us to get good at marking people. We have been doing alright with us, and recently, we have been using this as a way to get into buildings. We will knock the outisde doorbell box thing, tell people that we have an important invitation for them, walk up the stairs and invite them to be baptized in their doorway! Haha! It hasnt worked so far, so I still need to practice more, but it has been fun! Anyway, so President Amorim answered her question, and then President Kearon put in his two cents.
This is when the whole spirit of the meetin changed. From that question he somehow got to the topic of baptizing in Europe. And he called out some people, members of the church who say to missionaries called to Europe, "Oh, have fun, but good luck with baptizing." He got fired up about this. He called these people faithless! He was livid. Like, righteous anger livid. He then said, "Do you know where the Church gets its strength? Do you know where most converts during the early years of the church are from?" Europe! He then asked, "How many of you have European ancestors?" Nearly eveyone raised there hand. He was like, "Exactly. If you tell me that we dont baptize in Europe, well, then your telling me the chuch wouldnt exsist." He was so pumped up, you could just feel it in the room. Then Presidente Amorim got up, and just kept the ball rolling and talked about how he is here in Portugal to prove those people wrong. AHH! So cool! He then was like, "These people that say we dont baptize in Europe have this man (and then he points to President Kearon) to answer to. He is the Lord's Representive for all of Europe. Imagine how the Saviour feels? Imagine how the Saviour feels about people saying that." I, honestly, didnt get any of that before my mission. In fact, my MTC teacher, Irmão Lemperle, really got us pumped about serving in Europe and Portugal! So I am happy that I didnt. But I know that there are some that do. I want them to know, that there is no rather place I would have served than here in Europe! We really are building up the Kingdom here. We are in the Catholic's backyard, slowly bring these Portuguese people home, to the heavenly home. We are building a temple here in Portugal!!! We are building a temple in ROME! :) Presidnete Amorim then continued, "I feel bad for missionaries who are called to Provo. Or Salt Lake City. They aren't doing what you guys are doing out here." Ok, side note, I, and I am sure President Amorim, appreciate and know of the work that they do. The Church needs missionaries every. Including Salt Lake and Provo. My dad got called to Salt Lake. So his commment was not undermining their committment. I feel that it was more for us, and how we have an AMAZING oppurtunity to be in Portugal during this time. We are building a temple! :) He was so happy about that.
President Kearon continued some of his thoughts of baptizing in Europe. He really made sure, and pounded the fact that we baptize in Europe! It was really inspiring, and I wish that all the missionaries in Europe could've been there. If anyone is offended, well, you can choose to be offended or not. But, I am glad, and honored to be here, serving in Europe. And, if ever meet a missionary called to Europe, get him pumped! Tell him/her that some of the best are called out here!! :) I'll take 1 missionary called to Europe, over 50 that are in Brazil. ;) And, I take responsibility for my words, and I am sure that President Kearon and President Amroim do too. Europe is the best place to be! :)
Ok, I off my soap box now. This week, we talked with Edmar again. It has been awhile, but we finally answered his question he gave us. He asked us,"Why do people reject the word of God?" Me and my comp came to the conclusion, independently, that it was preide. We gave him our answers. Then he gave us his answer. He said that it was people didnt know where to find it, and because of false prophets. Then he asked the golden question, the best question a missionary wants to hear, "How can these people, and I, figure out who to follow?" AAHHA! :) I loved hearing that from him! So we re-taught/went over the Restoration and the Joseph Smith story. It was so cool, and we challenged him to really pray about this, and that he would receive an answer. I love Edmar.
Other than that, got doors slammed in my face, people just straight up ignoring us, and just about every other aspect of missionary work here in Tomar. One week down, and another to go! :)
I love you all! Keep reading your scriptures and saying your prayers! Happy Birthday, one more time to my mother!! :)
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| A heart attack i got in the mail. That was pretty nice, so thanks for all those that particiapting in that. My mom even got some RCs from Aveiro to write me!! THAT was awesome. |
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| picture of the hotel room. It was kinda small, but nice :) Haha |
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| This one is a thing called, "Francesinha" a specialty of Porto! :) It was +rettyyummy. It is some meat, in between some bread, and melted chese on top with a certain sauce, which apperently is a "secret." |
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