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.