Elder Lindquist 10/27/10

Well I know it has been an eternity since I have written which is due to some of the craziest weeks ever...First of all I am SO excited that a temple was announced in Portugal. You guys don't even know how anticipated that was. What a blessing!! After two whole years of hard work it has paid off and that was really an answer to my prayers. Miracles really happen. The coolest thing was about two weeks before the announcement we were in a leadership meeting with President Torgan and he told us that he felt that the temple was "closer than ever" I know that our mission is guided by an inspired man of God. Oh man that was the coolest thing ever; we are building the foundation for the house of the Lord. There's no doubt in my mind that I will return to see the dedication. Well the first week of the transfer was crazy. Monday until Thursday we had special trainings for the Zone Leaders and District Leaders from 10 in the morning until 6 at night and it was a lot of organizing and planning that we had to do. One of the days we went to Chili's for lunch and a lady carrying 3 trays full of chips and salsa leaned over to put a tray on the table next to me and the other two trays fell all over me and needless to say my suit coat was covered in salsa. The lady didn't even apologize let alone give me a free desert, (that wouldn't fly in America) but as the holy word says we have to forgive others their trespasses against us. The second week went pretty well we were finally able to convince our Bishop to baptize his 9 year old daughter (finally!) Thanks for the prayers that helped out a lot. Well it rained a LOT a few weeks ago and that killed a bunch of the chickens in our back yard. We now have a chicken graveyard out back. Last week we were able to baptize an awesome African lady named Anita, she has a lot of faith and is excited to be a member. The other night we were at her house teaching a lesson to her friend and Anita's little girl that is 2 was playing around behind everyone and fell off the couch and hit the dresser causing a bunch of glass plates and cups to fall on top of her. She cut her neck and we had to run them to the hospital in our car and we didn't get home until three in the morning. The hospitals here are a joke. I'm grateful I never had to go in my mission... (knock on wood) Well the verdict is that we really are going to the Azores next week and we will be going to both islands. Thursday we will go to Terceira until Saturday and then go to São Miguel from Saturday until Monday and Tuesday I fly home... so basically I am going to be flying half way home, then back then all the way home (which is about 25 hours of flying time total) but it will be worth the trip I miss those islands. Wow I can't explain how I feel right now seeing things come to an end. I don't think that there is a word or expression that can really describe how I feel. It’s kind of weird to me, I've gotten so used to my life as a missionary and I have really forgotten how regular life is, (especially being in a foreign country) and it is just a really surreal feeling. I guess the only way to know how the feeling is, is to actually experience it. Well I have to go so I will try to talk to later.
-Love E. Lindquist