5/28/18 - Amazing Busy Week

Wow what an amazing busy week. I have never traveled so much in my life. We started off the week with zone conference on the island of Terceira and then flew to the other island in the Azores where we had another zone conference. They went incredibly well! It was so amazing being in the Azores one last time on my mission. I love those islands with all my heart--partly because it was an area that was super hard for me and I struggled a lot. It is through the struggles we really find out who we are.

I have never been with President and Sister Tavares so much, basically from Sunday night until Thursday afternoon nonstop. Being in the airports with them is something really special. We got to talk with them about their lives and what they’ve learned and experienced. They are the wisest people I know and I have such great love and respect for them.

When we arrived in Lisbon it was Wednesday night really really late. So President and Sister Tavares told us to just sleep in the mission home for that night. Being in the mission home is one of the best experiences because I feel like I'm back home. Just being able to walk on carpet is something so amazing to me! We talked to President Tavares that night and then woke up the next day and headed to Lisbon for our last zone conference. It was a little bittersweet being the last big training I will do as a missionary. To be 100% honest I cannot believe that it's all wrapping up, it doesn't feel real. I feel like this is my life and everything I know but I just have to keep on going with one goal in mind--to bring others unto Christ.

This weekend we worked in our area but we also helped missionaries in other areas with their investigators. Next week is my last transfer and I am super excited to get back out in the field again!

We worked with our investigator, Madalena, a lot this week. She was so excited to be baptized but unexpectedly her mom said that she couldn't be baptized. But Madalena is a fighter and we talked with her mom and moved the baptism back a couple of weeks to develop a relationship and try to explain the things that we’ve been teaching Madelena. We're super excited for her progress and the amazing member she will become.

I want to share one of the sweetest moments of my mission. When I arrived in Mem Martins about 8 months ago I was given a question by my old companion that he got from President Tavares. The question is simply, “Why did Jesus ask that the cup be removed from him?” At first the answer seems simple but the more you look into it the more you realize that you don't have the answer. You don't understand exactly why he said that. President asked the question of the Mission a little time ago but only a few have gotten it. It was such a big desire of mine to understand it or get the answer. I started studying with a lot of excitement months ago and it was super hard to find. President Tavares told us that it was not an answer that you're going to find in a scripture or book but it is something that the spirit of the Lord will reveal to you when you are ready and have studied everything you could study. It was Saturday morning and we were in a park doing some contacts and I was thinking a lot about this question and my study about the atonement of Christ, and it hit me! The spirit was so strong I almost started to cry out of excitement! I knew that this was the answer and that it had been revealed. Of course, I will never tell you guys because you are going to have to receive it for yourselves. But I can testify that because of this question/answer that the atonement of Christ means so much more to me.  Christ means so much more to me and I feel that my relationship with him is so much stronger. Above all, I feel like I know Jesus Christ. I have seen and experienced that through diligent studying and sincere regular prayer and meditation that the Lord will give us answers.

I'm super excited for the future and for my future study of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I want to take what I learn and turn it into good and live with God again. I love you all. It's been a great week and I'm ready for another one!

-Elder Herrmann

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5/21/18 - Holy Spirit

This week was a great one! We started our Zone conferences in the Algarve and then traveled to Setubal and then to Amadora—it was non-stop one thing after another. In these Zone conferences we've been focusing a lot on the importance of teaching people not lessons. So to help develop this skill we had the missionaries teach specific concepts in front of Elder Smith and me. We are acting like some of our recent converts with their same questions and problems.  I’ve used Angelica’s story and it's been such an amazing experience playing her part and seeing her side of the conversion. I told her what I was doing and she told me, “At the end of every practice you're going to have to tell them that Angelica is still really strong in the church today and that she holds a temple recommend and that she is going to the temple.” Man that makes me so happy! President Tavares really teaches and inspires us. He talks about how we need to have the “Spirit”, that the “Holy Spirit” is everything in the work of the Lord. I have seen such a difference in my own work when I have the spirit and when I don't. We need to keep this as a major focus and try to have the Spirit at all times and make sure not to do anything that would keep the Spirit away from us.

We worked in our area and were able to baptize Flavia, who is from Cape Verde and is 16 years old.  Her mom and brother were baptized recently as well. I had the pleasure to baptize her and it was really special! The mechanics were a little difficult as I told her just to relax and lean back and sit like in a chair and that I’d do the rest. But she had too much faith in me and she just dropped. I caught her in time before she smacked the water but man, it was messy. I was drenched but we laughed later.

We are also having great progress with Madeline who is Portuguese and studying at the University. She finally told us that she is ready to be baptized and that she knows that this is the true church of God. But she is afraid that her family who is really Catholic will not approve of her being baptized. Later she talked to her mom who said she couldn’t be baptized.  We are all sad but still working and teaching and we're going to try to talk to her parents this week.

We had our meeting with President and Sister Tavares Sunday night and it went really well. Then we all headed to the airport together to go to the Azores for more Zone conferences. It was such an awesome experience being in the airport waiting for a plane with President and Sister Tavares and just being able to talk with them.  We arrived at about 1:00 in the morning. For p-day we went on a hike with President Tavares that was so fun!  I realize how much I miss hiking and nature. I love the Azores and am super excited to be here for the next 3 days. This is going to be another great week and I’m ready to get going!

I love you all so much. I know the Church is true and that we are doing the Lord's work.

--Elder Herrmann

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5/14/18 - Great week in our area!

Man, it was the best time talking to my family. I am so lucky to have a mom who is my best friend! Happy that we share the same birthday! Thank you for everything K-dawg!

Well, this week was great. We had the whole week to work in our area again. We are still teaching this Portuguese family, the mom and son don't have a lot of time but the 20 year old daughter, Madalena, is progressing really well. She came to church again and went to a baptism. She liked it a lot!  Excited to see what happens with her.

One night when we were out knocking doors late and worried about annoying people, a 35 year old woman opened the door and we taught her the plan of salvation! Her name is Sonia and she is married to a man from South Africa. She is Portuguese and wonderful!

I did my last division with Elder van Wagenen before he goes home! He is amazing! It was crazy talking with him! Man, these 2 years have passed by so fast! We knocked on this door and a lady opened it and this HUGE dog jumped up and tackled me hahahah! She let us in and we taught her.  She is from Spain and only speaks Spanish. But with the help of Mrs. K in high school I understood her and spoke some Spanish! She is super excited and wants to learn more. 

Nothing huge happened, but can I just say, that I am loving my time here. Being able to work in our area all week was just amazing.  I’ll be doing zone conferences this next week and it’ll be the last zone conferences I do. It’s going to be bittersweet for sure! Loving the mission and loving life! ESTOU DA CHEGADA! Lets go!

--Elder Herrmann

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