Elder Lindquist 3/29/10

Well this week was good. We are seeing improvements in our zone. We have some hard workers here so that means less stress for us. We have interviews in a few days so that should be an awesome experience as it always is. This last week we worked a lot with the recent converts to make sure they are feeling well integrated and to nourish them with the good word. They are doing fine, especially Eliza Carla and her family; we are now working with her son and some of his friends to prepare them for baptism. EVERY TIME we go to their house they feed us a bunch of food! I'm not exaggerating since the very first visit we have been fed there. I love this ward a lot and the people here however I'm not sure I'll stay for another transfer. We'll see what President says in my interview with him. Well not too much other than that is going on, we're just trying to keep the momentum up that we (with the Lord's help) have started. That's a really challenging thing to do but with faith and desire and works the miracles will certainly start to happen. A few weeks ago we contacted a lady who was walking with her daughter, (this was a very similar situation to the experience that Elder Wheeler and I had with the Brazilian lady in Torres Vedras) and when we began talking with her she snagged the Book of Mormon from my hand and was like I had this book in Cape Verde! Turns out that she has a nephew who is serving a mission in Brazil and she is really cool. She brings her Book of Mormon with her to work and reads in her spare time. Her name is Jó (Jobe) if you guys could pray for her that would be great we really want to baptize her soon. Well I hope you all have a great week and that everything is going well. The time is passing so quickly!!! I love you guys.
-Com amor, Elder Lindquist

Elder Lindquist 3/22/10

Hey how's it going everyone? This last week was amazing!!! I can't even explain the awesomeness that occurred. The family night was really cool in Eliza's house we had a good group of 15 members making a total of about 24 people that were there. Wednesday, Eliza got really sick and when we went there to give her a blessing she asked to be baptized the next day. So she was baptized on Thursday. Then we marked one of her daughters and her Aunt for Saturday. So we were able to baptize three members of that family, they are so amazing! So we had 4 confirmations on Sunday. This family has really brought a change into our ward. Before we found them the ward was very slow to remember the elders and not very excited about missionary work. Now all the members are stoked to work with us because they have seen the effort that we've given and they really like these people so now they are more willing to help and do more for the work. We have meals almost daily now, and people are signing up do to more divisions and always asking us if we need anything. It's really rewarding to see the change in these recent converts/members. A member even mentioned last night that he has seen a change in him and his family and some other families in the ward. That was awesome to hear. It was cool to see Adonis bless the sacrament yesterday. Actually yesterday morning we had a meeting with Elder Rocha, (from the area 70) President Torgan, and all the Presidents of the Auxiliary groups, I was a little nervous to be there I thought we would be grilled for being punks but it was pretty calm we just watched them talk about the new programs that are being implemented in the wards and they made copies of our progress record, (the record that has all the information about our investigators, recent converts, and less actives) and we talked about it. And also last night we (the sisters and us) organized a fireside about missionary work in which we gave a few talks and we asked forgiveness for not working with the members the way that we should have then our bishop said a prayer and asked the Lord to help the members know which friends and neighbors are ready to receive the gospel. So all the members with their pen and paper wrote down the names that came to their minds, now we will begin working with these members to start teaching their friends. Needless to say it was a good and really rewarding week, which was well needed the first few from this transfer were pretty rough. We were a bit discouraged but we didn't lose our faith and now we're definitely seeing the blessings. Today for P-day we're going to a restaurant similar to Tacanos in which the people bring the meat on the stick and cut it off for you it's going to be delicious. We're going with some members and investigators this should be pretty sick. Well I love you all, thank you for your prayers and love/support. Take it easy
Love Elder Lindquist

Elder Lindquist 3/15/10

So this last week was a trip. One of the most stressful weeks since I've been here in the Miratejo. Happily Elvira was baptized yesterday, but it was not an easy task (even though she was the one that asked to be baptized). It is always a battle the moment that we mark someone for baptism. But it went great we had the baptism right after church (which was our ward conference) and there were a bunch of people there. More than I've ever seen at a baptism like 50-60 people. Adonis was also ordained yesterday. Eliza and her family are doing great she is so anxious to be baptized and we're working with her family as well. I love those people; I believe they are one of the biggest reasons I was sent to this area. Tomorrow they are hosting a family night in their house and invited half the ward yesterday. She will also invite a bunch of her friends and neighbors; we're excited for that. Well I'm just happy that I'm here and that I am alive and things are going great. Hope everything is good over there as well. The members have started doing better about feeding us. The Relief Society made a calendar and everything so that was an answer to our prayers. Things are a little different because our ward received a pair of sisters. They are cool and everything it's just different I've never worked so closely to sisters. We had to split our area with them. But our zone is doing well currently we have 12 pairs of elders/sisters. It's the biggest zone by far and has almost the double of the other zones. Well have a great week I love you all!
-Elder Lindquist

Elder Lindquist 3/9/10

So this week was pretty crazy. It sounds like you are doing well and everything is cool there. Well this week we had a lot of great experiences as well, Eliza Carla (the mom of the family I've written about in the past) received a strong answer about the Book of Mormon and the church and that was really cool. She and the family are so amazing and have been clicking really well with the members here because she's really out going. We marked her for baptism for Sunday but it fell through because of complications with the marriage she will have in a few months, but she will be baptized soon. We’re still working with the rest of the family to help them receive an answer like the one their mom received. She bore her testimony on Sunday for the second time in a row. I love that family! We have another investigator that we talked to in the street about three weeks ago, it was a great contact and we invited her to visit our church but she didn't want to give us her contact or any information so we didn't think that she would really show up. But the next day she did! We taught her that week but then it became really hard to talk to her during the week because she's a single mom that is working and is going to school, but she continued to come to church. During our weekly planning this last Friday Elder Bezerra and I prayed to know when she should be baptized and we felt that it should be the next Sunday so we made plans to talk to her after church on Sunday. Saturday night I had a dream that we challenged her to be baptized and she was like of course I will I've been waiting for you guys to ask me. I told Elder Bezerra about the dream Sunday morning and he was like I sure hope it will be like that. So after sacrament meeting before we could even ask to talk to her, the member who we designated to sit next to her was like Elders get over here sister Elvira told me during the meeting that she wants to be baptized. I was like oh my goodness that is music to our ears. It's kind of funny how the Lord works, we were pretty bummed when the baptism of Eliza fell through but the Lord blessed us with this miracle and we set up appointments during the week to teach her the rest of the lessons. I know that God lives and Loves and watches after his children. I love this work and I know that Portugal is the only place for me to be right now. Sorry I couldn't write yesterday we had a meeting in Lisbon.
-Elder Lindquist

Elder Lindquist 3/1/10

Hey everyone Tudo bem? It sounds like every one is sick over there but I've been lucky enough to dodge the bugs going around, (knock on wood) but Elder Bezerra is sick right now. This week was interesting we had interviews and stuff. In the beginning of the week I went on a division in Setúbal, it was weird to do a division there because the last time I did one was a little over a year ago. It was quite the adventure it rained like crazy! (The storms that hit Madeira came after us as well) and it has been super windy so Elder Blair and I got soaking wet. it was pretty funny, we taught a Spaniard man that is an investigator of theirs and he was speaking the crazy Spain Spanish mixed with Portuguese it was a cool lesson. Our area is doing ok, we've been searching for the elects and things are going ok. We still haven't heard anything about transfers but we'll find out soon. In interviews president told us that we would stay together so I'm not packing my bags for at least another transfer:) I'm grateful for this time that I have to be a servant of the Lord and serve in his vineyard. This time really has been amazing for me and I know if we do the Lords will he will continue to bless us. Even though there have been a lot of disasters and tragedies in the world these are the signs of the second coming as described in Matt 24 but as we read towards the end of 1 Nephi the righteous have nothing to fear, we will be protected and the Lord will watch after us. I know that the Lord remembers all of his people no matter which country they're in, (Alma 26) well have a great week I love you all and hope that everything is going fine.

Here are a few pictures we had from our baptism last week. He is a stud. By the way I thought it appropriate to let you know mom and dad that I'm thinking about extending my mission. I talked to President in interviews and he said the max I could be a month. That would still give me time to prepare for school and everything. I've been thinking and I've prayed about it and I feel good about it. I'll still have to fast and stuff this next week but I just thought I'd let you know.
President also wanted me to thank you and send his love and appreciation for everything you have taught me and for helping me get to where I am today. I also thank you for that. -Love Jord