Elder Lindquist 12/28/09

So it was really great to talk to all of you guys I hope you are doing well and that you had an awesome Christmas! I was super happy to talk to ya and hear your voices again. Doesn't sound like a lot have changed, however; a lot is changing here in Portugal we had another baptism yesterday and a bunch of his family members came and they loved it. This = new investigators:) So we will keep working our magic and following the spirit and every thing will be good. I can't believe that Ryan is already 13! Holy smokes, before you know it he'll be on a mission. I'll eventually send you guys the package I have here I just haven't had that much time to run it to the place. Well we had a fun week with the Christmas conference with all the missionaries in the mission. We had good trainings, good food, and a good white elephant exchange. We had a crazy Christmas Eve where all we did was run around and eat at member’s houses all day long. And it was basically the same thing on Christmas. We could feed an army with all the left over food that was given to us from Christmas and this baptism. I don't know what we'll do with it probably give it to the poor people here or something. Well the work is going good here we have a bunch of people that are ready for baptism but they want to "wait until the time is right" which is frustrating sometimes when you know they are ready and they want to be baptized but they decide to wait for some reason. But we'll keep working with them and they'll be baptized here pretty soon. Well the work continues onward and I'm so happy to be a part of it, this last year has been sick and I am excited for the New Year and to see what it holds in store for all of us. I hope everyone is good and know that you are in my prayers. Thank you for all of the support! Love, Elder Lindquist

Elder Lindquist 12/21/09

Hey gang how's it going? Hope you had a great week ours went well here in Corroios we had a baptism yesterday and it went very well. I'm so dang excited for Christmas it's going to be awesome, and even though there is not snow here it is so cold here. Oh my goodness. Anyway we had a great turnout in church yesterday with over 10 investigators. Our investigators are amazing but we had some problems this week with a few investigators telling their family members that are in Cabo Verde that they're investigating our church and their family freaked out on them because they're breaking the family tradition of being catholic, (non practicing..) so that is kind of annoying because it bums people out ya know, then we have to go over and encourage them to follow what they feel is true. But things are going great especially during Christmas time. I got bombarded yesterday with members asking when we can eat at their house, I love serving in a ward it's amazing. And even though we still don't have a ward mission leader we're coming along pretty well. I have other good news, Ana's mom from Caldas da Rainha, got baptized a few days after I left! We had been teaching her but I didn't think she'd be baptized that soon, or in the ocean. Poor old lady but also a girl that Elder Wheeler and I found in Torres Vedras got baptized last Saturday so I was stoked on that as well. It is cool to hear about what happens after you leave areas. I felt like Amulek and them when they said are our fruits few? I say unto you no, they are many. Or something like that I'm trying to translate it in my head from Portuguese. So I'm super excited to talk to you guys on Christmas just remember that it's always better to give than receive. There are so many people who have nothing here it amazes me. People here have so much more faith than me. Like one African lady we found the other day in a ghetto place by our house, (that's basically little Africa) she promised us she'd go to church and yesterday morning she didn't have electricity in her little hut thing so to take a bath she poured cold water in a tub thing and bathed her daughter and herself early in the morning (when it was about 32 degrees) so they could make it to church. I feel really humbled to be here and have these experiences and meet these awesome people. I'm grateful to be a missionary and I'm grateful for my savior and for all of you and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Elder Lindquist 12/14/09

Wow this week was crazy. A bunch of stuff has happened and I'll try and fill you in even though I can't do this week justice. So it turns out that I was not called to serve in Setubal but in an area called Miratejo, I just got confused because they combined the two zones so it includes Setubal but we're in the Miratejo. The Miratejo is on the other side of the river from Lisbon and it's a way sick area. It's the first time I'm serving in a WARD, yes I said a ward. It's part of the Setubal stake and we share our chapel with some sister missionaries in Almada that is close to our area. I took elder Petersen’s spot here, (my favorite comp in the mission) and I'm serving with Elder Daley. Elder Daley is an incredible missionary he's a super hard worker and we're having lots of success. As a matter of fact I got to walk in a threesome with Elder Daley and Elder Peterson for a few days before he went home. It was sooo fun to talk to him again that kid is so hilarious. It was sad to see him go, but he's got a mission to fulfill at home now. (Marry Courtney!) So things are going well in our zone, it's a lot of work but we are doing well. We have had a lot of awesome experiences and we will have quite a few baptisms this transfer. We had our Christmas party the other day and Elder Daley and I preformed a missionary version of the 12 days of Christmas, it was really fun and the members liked it a lot. Elder Peterson wrote it the week before he went home and left it for us to perform so we threw it together the day before, it was pretty nerve racking to do but it was a lot of fun. We've been following the spirit a lot this week and seeing a great deal of success. This last Saturday we decided to pass a potential investigator by, but he wasn't home so we decided to do some knocking in his building. We said a prayer there so that we could be led to those that were ready to receive us. Just a few doors later a woman answered the door and invited us right in. She has two sons and a daughter, we taught them the first lesson and they came to church the next day. That was really cool it's amazing how much stuff like that happens here. This area is full of Africans, whereas my other areas were full of Portuguese and Brazilian people. The people here are so freaking nice! I couldn't believe it, but it has been refreshing to have so many people listen and talk to us and be willing to listen to our message. The difference between Beja and here is like night and day. Even the Portuguese people will talk to us here it's sick. So last night we went to the Christmas devotional and it brought tears to some of our investigators eyes it was cool. Especially an African guy we've been talking with who is a member of the 7th day Adventist church. After a hefty lesson/debate about baptisms for the dead we went to the devotional and he and his girlfriend liked it a lot. Oh and also our mission is doing a thing where whenever we have a baptism we send a picture to the office and they send them to church headquarters and our mission has a deal with President Monson that as a Christmas present they'll make a slideshow of these pictures and put it on the churches website so you should see me in there a few times. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and I'm excited to talk to you soon! com muito amor e carinho, -Elder Lindquist

P.s I'll send you my address here but I want to make it very clear DO NOT send packages here only letters! Because you have to bring your real passport to the place to get the package and I don't have that the mission office does and I don't want to have to go to the office and get that every time I receive a package it's easier just to send it to the mission office. I received the package slip for the first package you guys sent to Caldas but I was not able to get the package before leaving the area so I'll call the place and have them ship it to the office. Also we're still figuring out whose house we're eating at on Christmas so I don't know if I'll be calling you from a members house or from the chapel but I'll let you know next week I'll just buy another calling card and use that to call your cell or the house phone. Elder Daley is from AZ so we will call at different times but we'll get everything sorted out this week and let you know. Love you
Avenida Rui Gracio
Nº 64 4º DRT
Santa Marta Do Pinhal
2855-709 Corroios
Portugal.

Elder Lindquist 12/7/09

So Christmas is drawing nearer and nearer each day and needless to say I'm pretty excited. This week went by crazy fast holy smokes, I spent the majority of the week out of my area (in Santarém) on divisions and such and we're still here but we'll be returning in the afternoon. We had Clara's baptism on Saturday and it was amazing. It was a combined baptism with two other baptisms, (an awesome African lady and her son) which the elders here in Santarém had. Then after the baptism we had the Saturday session of our district conference, it was amazing. President Torgan was there along with a seventy from Brazil it was pretty sweet. President told me that night that I probably wouldn't stay in Caldas da Raiha but I still haven't heard any news on transfers today so I'd say the best bet is to ship the packages to the mission office. So yesterday was the conference again and it was super cool. We had a fun night last night staying in our Zone Leaders house with about 10 elders, (which included a dance party and other fun adventures.) But like they say we play hard and we work hard. It was sick because my homeslice elder Togo from my MTC district was there and other amigãos. So this week should be good if I stay in Caldas with a branch Christmas party and so forth, but even if I leave I'll be happy to serve wherever the Lord wants me to. It's pretty sick to serve during Christmas time the people are somewhat cheery. The rejection isn't always as bad because you can always say "Happy Holidays!" and leave people with a smile. Last night we went to members’ houses here and sang them a few Christmas carols and it brought tears the every eye in the room, (like I said a few weeks ago my angelic voice has improved.) So my Christmas thought for this week is the following, during this time of Christmas we see many lights, lights on the Christmas tree, lights on the roofs of houses, etc. But let's remember what the meaning of these lights is. As we read in the Bible as well as the Book of Mormon Christ is the LIGHT and LIFE of the world. Christ brings light to every thing he touches, that is why his gospel changes the lives of those who live it and I testify that it does because I've seen that with my own eyes. Even though we do not have a big star to indicate where the Savior is here on earth we have other tools- the scriptures, the words of the living prophets, etc. So let's all think more about how we can add more of this light to our lives and also light up the lives of others, that is what Christ would do if he were here and so let us help share the light of the gospel with those who are in darkness. Have a great week every one, I love you all, and I'm excited to talk to ya'll here in a few weeks!
-Elder Lindquist

Here is a follow-up email received later this morning.
So I'm getting transferred to Setubal. It will be pretty hectic. Another missionary and I will be white washing the area as leaders of the zone but they're combining two zones so it will be the biggest zone in the mission. President told me he wants me to teach other missionaries how to baptize. I'm excited but a little nervous since either my companion or me will have experience in the area. I love you.