Elder Lindquist 10/26/09

So this week was sick! We're busting out some big accomplishments here in Caldas; we broke two of the pattern of excellence goals for the mission so we'll keep on working to fulfill the others. The baptism went really well, she was just happy to get baptized she was sick of waiting. It was a really peaceful atmosphere; the place where we went the water wasn't very deep so Christophe, (our Branch mission leader) and Joana had to walk around for a while to find a place deep enough. It was kind of like a lake thing that split off from the ocean called lagoa de óbidos. We are working with a couple other people to get them baptized as well. Going to the baptismal service really got them excited about baptism. In fact half the people at the service were investigators and then yesterday we had 9 investigators in church! This branch is small but it has a lot of potential. This last week we had interviews with President Torgan and this week is transfers. I don't want to get transferred I love this place, but we'll see what happens. Yesterday Teresa showed up at church to visit. She brought a bag full of treats, oh by the way I went to the mail place the other day and picked up the package it was just waiting there for me. Thanks for the package. The shoes are really nice. Well p-day last week was really fun but I was really sore from all the ping-pong, B-ball, and ultimate frisbee. Then that night we had a street meeting and we all sang for people then got their information after the hymn, it was sick. Today I think we're going to go bowling with one of our Brazilian investigators, (the one that almost burned my face off). Well have a great week I pray that all is well with you, thank you for the support.
-Elder Lindquaisties (as pronounced by a few people this past week.)

p.s. I forgot to mention the other day we went to teach a reference that was given to his dad and us was a pastor. Well let’s just say that was a fun experience. After calmly listening to us explain the restoration to his son he started yelling a bunch of crazy nonsense that had nothing to do with anything. ugh I'm so dang sick of these crazy evangelical churches they are so distorted and all they want is your money. I'm glad I have the truth it's a very big blessing for sure. Oh and yesterday we were doing some finding when I hear drums coming from a third story window. My dream finally came true! We knocked on the door and a man answered I asked him if he was playing and he explained that his daughter was the one playing I asked if I could try and he invited us right in. I had a good 5-minute jam and they were really impressed, (even though I'm really really rusty). I know it was the Sabbath but I've been studying the Law of Moses and I found that it's just within the law to play if you get two new potential investigators. They were really cool he made us tea and we had a good visit with them. They said we could come back any day to talk about the church or to jam out. I just thought I'd share that because it made my day yesterday.

Love Elder Lindquist

Elder Lindquist 10/19/09

Hey so sounds like your week was almost as busy as mine was. Well we're working hard here in Caldas and meeting some of our goals so that's always really fun to see and feels really rewarding. Our baptism is this Saturday and we're all really excited, especially Joana. Wow she is electissimo (ha the way you say really elect but used at the end of an english word). And we hope to have some other people marked here pretty soon. I love hearing investigators bear their testimonies on the Book of Mormon, it is really is a powerful tool in the conversion process. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God and the keystone of this church and it's so sick to be able to give someone a copy of it in another language and bear my testimony of it. This week I did a division in an area called Carregado with Elder Ellis it was fun, I did a baptismal interview for them there and I also re-learned how to play Egyptian rat screw, (a card game that I had only played once and forgotten how to play). Today will be sick, our whole district is in Santarém and we're going to have a nice P-day together including a ping pong tournament, B-ball, ultimate frisbee, and a little bit of kings cup as well. Tomorrow we have interviews here then I have a division here on Wed. so it will be a little while before I get back to Caldas but oh well. What are your plans for Halloween? Halloween doesn't exist here. (The carnival is the closest thing to Halloween that they've got) I don't know what we'll do because transfers are a few days before Halloween. Since we can't dress up we'll probably do something like wear each others nametags or something just to throw people off. Well I love you guys and pray for you everyday. Have a great week!
~tsiuqdnil redle

Elder Lindquist 10/12/09

Oi minha familia tá tudo bem convosco? How was the week sounds like it was good. Ours went well also some crazy stuff went down. The other day we were teaching a Brazilian dude named Allyson, (I know that name is completely a girl name but in Brazil anything goes with the names.) He's a way sick dude. So anyway I asked if I could use the bathroom and so when I walked out of the bathroom he was standing on the side of the doorway with an air freshener and a lighter. All of the sudden I just felt a huge flash of heat by my head and I look over and see him with this homemade flamethrower. It was funny but it was pretty close to my head I don't think he estimated how far the flame would go. Luckily it didn't singe any hairs! So Joana is doing well and we're making all the preparations for the baptism our branch mission leader will baptize her in the ocean, (we don't have a font closer than an hour and a half or so). So we're excited for that and so is she, as a matter of fact she bore her testimony in church yesterday. Oh my goodness speaking of yesterday, we had four investigators in church and things were going good and sacrament meeting was almost over when a member gets up to bear his testimony and says brothers and sisters I know this church is true and the book of Mormon is true but this is the last week I'm going to come to church. Guhh sometimes I get sick of these small dysfunctional branches. He continued to list a few reasons why, none of which had anything to do with the church but that's how people function here.. I think he just wanted attention and was using the wrong way to obtain it. Yesterday we ran into Teresa in the street. I guess she came up to Caldas to visit a few people and track me down to say hello. It was weird but cool. Well the work is going fairly well here in Caldas. The companionship isn't the most fun one in the world but patience is a virtue right? Well have a great week I hope you all are doing well and all strengthening your testimonies daily I know that is happening to me. Bem, valeu meus queridos. -Elder Lindquist

Elder Lindquist 10/5/09

So this week went great. Conference was awesome! However, I must say it was a huge stress getting everything going for the members and investigators who were waiting to see it. Our Branch President is out of town so that means the Elders do everything for a couple weeks, (we usually do anyway) so we spent a while running around on Saturday trying to find a way to get internet so we could start watching conference, it could have been a fiasco but we ended up getting everything to work. And the sessions worked out well yesterday as well. Fogo pá Elder Holland laid down the law I hope to be able to preach the gospel like him by the end of my mission I also liked a bunch of others but too many to name. This morning we came to the chapel with our branch mission leader to watch the priesthood session on his laptop it was great as well. This week went by really fast now that I've been in Caldas a couple weeks I'm getting used to how things function here and things are going good. I know that Thomas S. Monson is our Prophet today and our church is led by modern revelation, our church is the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth. I know without a doubt this work is real and it will progress until it fills the whole earth. Even though our branch is small and at times very dysfunctional it will eventually grow to be a stake. Portugal is an amazing country, it has amazing people here. I know if we will work hard the Lord will bless the people here and with a little help from our Heavenly Father, (maybe the fall of the great and abominable church...) this country will accept more fully this gospel. Portugal is already the highest baptizing mission in Europe and will continue to grow. Have a great week I love you all and I love the Lord and his work, Love Elder Lindquist