Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Feliz Natal!!

Hey there everyone!  Luckily this week I have enough time to write out a letter to everyone!  This week was good.  Challenges always come up around Christmas no one really wants to talk to us in the street but we keep going on!:)  I can't believe Christmas has already rolled around again!  Exciting and scary at the same time! So also something happened this week, on Wednesday I got my "trunky call".  Trunky is a word missionaries use to mean "can't wait to go home".  In this call the office asks you a bunch of questions so they can buy your ticket for the airlplane and set everything up to send you home.  So yeah that is why in the pciture that I will send I am crying haha.  All of the other missionaries were laughing at my sorrow as well but it is ok!  In reality I didn't get very trunky I feel like I still have a ton of time left and I need to finish strong!  They always tell you in a race you have to run through the finish line not TO the finish line so that is what I will do.  But it is crazy being here and looking back, thinking about everything that has happened and everything that I have learned.  What a journey it has been and still will continue to be!

This week we also had a funny run in with some seventh day adventists ( a religion I was not very familiar with before my mission) Anywho they (like the jehovas witnesses) really like to have bible bashes with us.  I have learned that the spirit doesn not usually testify during such arguments so before we went to the teaching appointment (our investigator had already called her pastor to be there to help her in the lesson) me and Elder João talked and we established how we were going to approach the situation so that the spirit could be there.  We were very careful in the way we taught and it was a really great experience!  It worked well for our first lesson and we combined to have another lesson.  On the second lesson we went with the same attitude but then in the end they kind of told us that they weren't meeting with us for real intent.  But anywho long story short we won the bible bash that they insisted on having and then we made a trade we went to their christmas presentation if they came to our christmas sacrament meeting.  The pastor came and said that he liked it!

Anywho I tell you all of this for a reason.  During our lessons they were fixed on knowing if these things were true by logical facts and reasoning.  i told them that if they really want to know if our message is true they have to remember that this is a spiritual question, and so if they want to know they need to have a spriritual search in order to get a spirtual asnwer.  The gosple is a feeling, a transformation, spiritual and powerful but is not something that you can measure with numbers or calculate with equations and reason it is much more than that.  So that will be my thought for you all I I will have be off for now!  I love you all!!!

Elder Elderdge    

Pictures !

This is me getting my 'trunky' call

This is me with one of our awesome members in Gaia
By a sweet car!


December 7th, 2015

Hey everybody!  This week went well!  We had to do a surprise zone meeting that we had to organize and throw together (the president didn't tell us until last minute)  But it went well and I think the message made a difference for the missionaries in our zone.  Then we had a rougher week trying to find and teach people but me and my companion made some specific things that we are going to sacrifce and do to have a better week!  We had a wonderful testimony meeting yesterday!  Also Gloria and three other people from her house decided they would give us a surprise and come to church!  I had one of those strong feelings to share my testimony one of those ones where your heart pounds inside of you and you know it is your turn.  I shared a story that a long time ago my best buddy Duncan shared with me about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.   I don't have time to write it all out right now but if any of you get the chance Duncan might remember. the one about the girl in the room with a bunch of filling cabinets and Jesus (I know that sounds weird).  But to shroten the story when I was bearing my testimony Gloria started crying and after the meeting went and spoke witht the stake presidente and the bishop about her desire to be baptized so it was awesome!:)  i am loving this area!  Also yesterday I got permission to call Luisa and Beatriz from povoa de varzim!  Yesterday was there one year mark of baptism!  They are both in need of your prayers but especially Luisa.  I can explain later but just shoot a prayer out for Luisa.  
I love you all sorry for not wirting like I usually do !  I have had many surprises as of late;)  Have a great and happy week!
Elder Eldredge 

November 30, 2015

SO I won't be sending a giant e mail this week:(  I know I just don't have time today but I did learn some big lessons and there were some dang big miracles!  Gloria called us over and sat us down and one thing led to another and we got on the subject of baptism and in tears she said that she will be baptized!  That was an inredible miracle!:)  The only thing is that she didn't say when nor would she accept a date (she is a stinker sometimes;)  BUt I love her to pieces she just told me it would be before I left portugal!;)  So I hope I stay in this area until the end of my mission to be able to be here to watch it all happen!  But for her it was a huge step for sure!  Today is her birthdya so you should tell her happy birthday!  Also don't you worry I went to her house and she came up and was like sorry Elder and she gave me a big hug and I was shocked and then she was like that is from your mom!:)  Haha it was great;)  
Also we had a baptism this week!  We did very little tohelp him.  The sisters area got closed and he was already on track to be baptized!  So we just kind of put the cherry on top but it was great to see for sure:)  I am going strong tell Dad that I love him a lot andI want to see him again and give him a big hug!  tell him we still have a ton of boating trips to do;)  Even if we don't have a boat we will find a way;)  I miss you all can't wait to talk with you guys on Christmas!
Elder Eldredge

Baptism! (11/30/2015)

Very awesome to be able to perform the baptism
For this man whom the sisters had worked really 
Hard to bring him to baptism


One more down (11/29/2015)


Hey friends and family!  Hope you all had a wonderful week!  Well today marks the start of a new transfer!  I will be staying here in Gaia but I will be serving with a new companion Elder João he is from an African country called Angola!  It should be really great!  He is a hard worker so that will be good for our area!  Also the sisters area here is getting closed down and so we will be picking up and teaching all of their investigators which will be a big work load but it will make the time go by fast, and I love spending time teaching, definitely my favorite part in missionary work!  Other than transfers nothing too crazy is happened this week!  
One thing that I really liked this week was a lesson that we gave to the priest quorum on sunday at church.  The bishop told us we could teach whatever we felt was right so at night I was thinking about what I could teach and I cam across a talk by Dieter F Uchtdorf called the WHY of Priesthood Service.  I thought perfect!  We had a great lesson with them about the why of the gospel and priesthood.  I told all of them there that the reason I chose that was because if I were a priest again I wish that I would have understood the why a little bit better.  There are whats and whys in the gospel.  We can learn and even do all of the whats in the gospel but when we understand the why of the gospel we will actually desire to do the whats and do them for the right reasons.  The whats can be the commandments, teachings, assignments, and other various things on the average Lds to do list but the why has to do with an eternal perspective of one day dwelling in the prescence of God.  When you understand the real WHY you feel more motiviated and inspired to fulfill the WHAT part.  It reminds me a lot of the talk music of the gospel, we can learn the steps to the dance but if we don't learn to hear the music we may give up dancing and eventually walk away.  I hope you all know WHY you do what you do in the church.  It makes for a lot deeper conversion and a more valiant defender of the faith and if you don't know, find out.  Will a bit of reflexion and pondering and an honest mind you can find you answer and know how to act from there.  I'll say it again if you don't truly know WHY you go to church or pay your tithing or read you scriptures or do home teaching or anything,  Find Out because there is always and eternal reason that when understood and grasped brings us peace and understanding.
I love you all tons!

Thursday, November 19, 2015

HOTEL!! :)

Hello everybody once again!  Another great week in the mission field!  I am super happy out here, we are having some troubles in our work!  Julio was not given permission to be baptized this week but he is so awesome!  He said that that doesn't change him.  He will still keep coming to church and doing everthing right and he says that the day will come for sure.  He has so much great faith!:)  Other than that we found a great guy named Jorge!  He his going through some rough trials in his life right now and said that after we got done talking he didn't feeling burdened and that he felt something, a spark of hope, something he hadn't felt before.  He was also my testimony builder this week that I will share here in a second.
Just in other news, so this week we had to go do some baptismal interview for one of our DL's in Mirandela.  So we went there and did one for this awesome young man that had a great testimony and was baptized this past weekend.  BUt the other one we went to the womans house and she was not there so we went looking.  We went to her sisters house and asked and she said she didn't know, so we continued looking until late that night.  Well Mirandela is like 2 and a half hour bus ride from Gaia and we missed the last bus of the day.  So we were like alright we will just sleep here.  Which normally would be fine but the Elderes there didn't have extra beds.  So Elder Brown was like, " I am not sleeping on the ground!"  So he called the office Elders and he got us permission to sleep in a Hotel!!!  Now that isn't that crazy for you normal people but for missionaries it was a pretty cool change!  The best part was the free continental breakfast in the morning!  It was so great for us al the other missionaries were super jealous of us! So that was fun!
Then today for p day we celebrated thanksgiving with a turkey bowl!  WE played at this indoor soccer place that was super cool.  BUt it felt great to celebrate Thanksgiving some way!  I can't believe how fast November is flying by.... kind a scary! 
SO going back really quick to the story of Jorge.  First off, I feel that within the chruch there may be a few exagerations at times and these things sometimes give people a wrong idea or understanding with important principles of the gospel.  The example that I will give has to do with promptings of the spirit and on the spot revelation.  When I came into the mission field I expected to have many experiences where I would feel randomly to turn down a road or knock a specific door or talk to specific person.  Up to this day I have not had an experience like this, but I had heard so many stories about this kind of stuff!  I thought many times Am I just a bad missionary, am I just not worthy? Why am I not recieveing more clear promptings to tell me stuff.  But I have learned a few things about this and let me jsut stress that this is my personal opinion.  Now I believe that these kind of experiences but I, with Elder Bednar, believe that they are more rare than common.  For example:  ON thursday Elder Brown and I were working in the morning and our appoinment fell through so we just kind of started walking, then we came to this round about and we stopped and I was like do you want to knock this building (pointing to the building closest to us) then he was like I don't know we can knock one of these ones.  Then I was just like eh why not this one?  (In that moment I do not recall any prompting telling me which building to knock it was jsut the closest one) So we went and rang like 20 doorbells with few responses.  Then while almost halfheartedly pushing buttons one of the last ones i pushed was Jorges.  He came down let us in and we had a great first lesson with him and he was really accepting and seems to have a lot of potential to progress and really accept baptism.  Now with this story I could have exagerated my experience a little bit saying that an overwhelming feeling came over me to knock that building but that is not what really happened.  What happened what that me and Elder Brown were being good boys and doing what we wer supposed to be doing.  When we are doing that the spirit guides us almost unconciously more times than being specifically prompted to do stuff.  anywho we are getting kicked out but I love you all!  
Elder Eldredge 

The Atonment carries us!

Hey everyone!  One more week in the mission field!  There wasn't anything too much different other than I went to our leadership counsel that we have every month with all the Zone Leaders, Assistent to the Presidente and Sister training leaders
It was a great and inspiring meeting where I felt the spirit super strongly!  I absolutely love President Amorim , his faith and example really motivate me to be my best.  Even though he is tough with us, it is all to push us to reach our potential.  His main message for us was that we had a really bad month in October as far as number results go, but he stressed the ĩmportance that just because we didn't do well today donesn't mean that tomorrow we can't do amazing.  There is a need for opposition to teach us and help us grow and deepen testimony and faith.  there is a video that has come to be one of my favorites out here in the field called the Atonement and missionary work.  Elder Holland is speaking and speaks in a way that touches my heart with such power that every time I watch it I am brought to tears.  He speaks of why it is so hard....  Why isn't any easier?  Why can't people flock to the font and our only problem be that of pnemonia because our missionaries never leave the water?  Isn't there another easier way? He says these are questions that a 19 and a 20 and 21 year old will ask because they are also things that Elder Holland has asked.  He then gave his personl thoughts to answer the question.  He answers that Salvation is not a cheap experience.  Salvation was NEVER easy.  As he speaks those words images play of the Saviour suffering in Gethsemane.  He explains that for the Living Son of the living God it wasn't easy so how can we calling our selves follwers and disciples expect it to be any different while we walk the same path.  Not saying in any way that anyone will ever pass what Jesus did or even close but every missionary and investigator on their road to salvation will have to come to know a little and turly just a little of how Jesus felt.  So when we ask those questions of why isn't it easier?  Why dont our lives go the way we plan?  Isn't their and easier way we ned to remember we are not the first ones to ask that.  Someone a long greater..... and a lot better than anyone of us pleaded "take this cup from me" as if to say is the no other less painful less sorrowful, easier way?  And for Jesus there was no other way and so perhaps for us there won't be either.  But that is the way it is suppposed to be. OUr lives and our existence.  It is more than a superficial pass here on the Earth it requires something more than that, something of the soul as for us to become something greater.  And so for this we can know that wehn we are rejected when we are spat upon when we are humiliated and tired we can know that we are walking side by side with the greatest missionary who ever walked on the face of the Earth our Saviour Jesus Christ.
MY Friends and family I know that this work is hard.  Really hard.  BUt I know that I am walking side by side with my Captain and King.  I have felt his hand and HIs grace uphold me many times on my mission.  I know He is there and is helping us to climb heights up heavenward on the path of progression.  We will fall,  I have fallen many a time, but I know when we get back up and keep going we bring the smile of heaven down upon us and that He will enable us to be and do good far more than our own capacity allows.  SO trust in Him.  Excercise you faith this week and I promise you will feel HIs power and be more converted.  I love you all so much and these are the thought I wanted to eleave you all with for this week:).
Com amor
Elder Eldredge
ps all of these things can be easily applied to all situations not just missionary work:)

Picture time!

Thus is a Elder a Brown getting his 
"Trunky" call

This is my zone!!!! :)
They are all awesome missionaries
Making my life easy as their leader!!

Grace (11/2/2015)

Hello everyone!  This week was a fun one!  I went to a place on tuesday calle Peso da Regua that was really pretty and cool!  In that city the church is very small only about 6 members in the city that are active and make up that group.  But it was geat and we had a good division there.  Then We spent a lot of time making preparations for our halloween party ( I will send pictures)  that was a huge success we had a really big turn out with a total of 14 investigators from the whole city! We played a lot of games including NOAH'S ARK that select members of my family should know well!  The members here loved that game!:)  yaya for family parties at gma and gpas church building!:)  We all had a great time and it was a wonderful weay to spend my last halloween on the mission! I still can't believe how fast time is going by but we will talk very little about that:)  
Something else that I forgot to tell you all about was that I went to Porto a few weeks ago to become a legal resident again here in Portugal and there I met up and spent the day with one of my favortie companions Elder Ricci!!!!  I was with him in Povoa de Varzim for 4 and a half months!  I missed him tons and it was great to catch up.  I love you Elder RICCI!  
Other than that the work is going here, but slowly, we are still trying to find peeps to teach and I feel that the Lord is really testing and pushing me.  He wants me to grow and I know that if I put in work and effort that He will magnify my efforts and make me into a more Christlike person.  Speaking of that I had a great study this week on grace thanks to my companion Elder Brown who gave me a talk called His grace is sufficient by brad wilcox.  I will copy apart of what I sent in another e mail about this study:)

I actually had a really good study on grace this week that opened up my eyes.  I read a talk by brad wilcox that you probably know called my grace is sufficient.  In that talk he makes a comparison from Christ and His grace, to a mother paying piano lessons for her child. The mother paid the price in full to the teacher but it is now up to the child to practice.  The joy of the mother comes not from "repayment" but from seeing her child use the gift she has provided for him and seeing him progress and improve all with practice practice practice.  Just like us,  Christ has payed the price for us in FULL nothing lacking on our part.  But we like the child need to always practice.  With practice come a lot of failures as well, but from failures we learn, we get better, we are perfected.  All we are doing is preparing ourselves to meet God and if we don't apply the practice that Christ teaches we will not be prepared to stand in God's presence.  If we are not prepared we will not even want to be in His presence, we will hide, we woçç want to run away.  It isn't so much us begging Jesus to let us in like some think but more of Jesus pleading for us to stay, to use His gift to be able to be with Him.  During judgment I don't imagine anyone will be too surprised at what kingdom they are awarded because that is where they will feel the most comfortable.  People that lived telestial lives will never be able to feel at peace in the Celestial Kingdom.  Hell isn't and inflicted punishment, it will be just as any child who started taking piano lessons but failed to practice because of laziness, worldy distraction or pride and somewhere along the way got lost and gave up that then sees others playing beautiful arrangments and pieces of sweet music and thinking..... that could have been me with just a bit of practice and perserverance.  That is what hell is.  Knowing you could have attained a higher level of being but didn't because you did not practice, you did not prepare, you didn't keep trying.  So don't give up, keep practicing, keep loving, keep presing forward and like Elder Pearson stated "stay by the tree".  Jesus is pleading don't give up I am here, and when you hit the wrong notes don't become discouraged, it is all part of your learning.

Anywho that really helped me understand better a few things.  It is never too late to start practicing again, especailly as long as you are breathing here on the earth:)  It is all part of progession:) Our weaknesses make us strong.  Practice truly does make perfect.

My favorite scripture this week:
2 Cor 12:9-10

 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

I love you all so much and all you do!
COm muito amor 

Elder Eldredge

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Description of the pictures

Halloween costumes
Halloween party
Reunion with Elder Ricci, Elder McColley
Roof selfie
Reunion with old companions
This is gloria and marcos!  Really cool peeps here in gaia!  
And the other elderes in our house got home late like 3 days in a row show we had to show it to em!;)





Halloween party

Hello everyone!  This week was a fun one!  I went to a place on tuesday calle Peso da Regua that was really pretty and cool!  In that city the church is very small only about 6 members in the city that are active and make up that group.  But it was geat and we had a good division there.  Then We spent a lot of time making preparations for our halloween party ( I will send pictures)  that was a huge success we had a really big turn out with a total of 14 investigators from the whole city! We played a lot of games including NOAH'S ARK that select members of my family should know well!  The members here loved that game!:)  yaya for family parties at gma and gpas church building!:)  We all had a great time and it was a wonderful weay to spend my last halloween on the mission! I still can't believe how fast time is going by but we will talk very little about that:)  
Something else that I forgot to tell you all about was that I went to Porto a few weeks ago to become a legal resident again here in Portugal and there I met up and spent the day with one of my favortie companions Elder Ricci!!!!  I was with him in Povoa de Varzim for 4 and a half months!  I missed him tons and it was great to catch up.  I love you Elder RICCI!  
Other than that the work is going here, but slowly, we are still trying to find peeps to teach and I feel that the Lord is really testing and pushing me.  He wants me to grow and I know that if I put in work and effort that He will magnify my efforts and make me into a more Christlike person.  Speaking of that I had a great study this week on grace thanks to my companion Elder Brown who gave me a talk called His grace is sufficient by brad wilcox.  I will copy apart of what I sent in another e mail about this study:)

I actually had a really good study on grace this week that opened up my eyes.  I read a talk by brad wilcox that you probably know called my grace is sufficient.  In that talk he makes a comparison from Christ and His grace, to a mother paying piano lessons for her child. The mother paid the price in full to the teacher but it is now up to the child to practice.  The joy of the mother comes not from "repayment" but from seeing her child use the gift she has provided for him and seeing him progress and improve all with practice practice practice.  Just like us,  Christ has payed the price for us in FULL nothing lacking on our part.  But we like the child need to always practice.  With practice come a lot of failures as well, but from failures we learn, we get better, we are perfected.  All we are doing is preparing ourselves to meet God and if we don't apply the practice that Christ teaches we will not be prepared to stand in God's presence.  If we are not prepared we will not even want to be in His presence, we will hide, we woçç want to run away.  It isn't so much us begging Jesus to let us in like some think but more of Jesus pleading for us to stay, to use His gift to be able to be with Him.  During judgment I don't imagine anyone will be too surprised at what kingdom they are awarded because that is where they will feel the most comfortable.  People that lived telestial lives will never be able to feel at peace in the Celestial Kingdom.  Hell isn't and inflicted punishment, it will be just as any child who started taking piano lessons but failed to practice because of laziness, worldy distraction or pride and somewhere along the way got lost and gave up that then sees others playing beautiful arrangments and pieces of sweet music and thinking..... that could have been me with just a bit of practice and perserverance.  That is what hell is.  Knowing you could have attained a higher level of being but didn't because you did not practice, you did not prepare, you didn't keep trying.  So don't give up, keep practicing, keep loving, keep presing forward and like Elder Pearson stated "stay by the tree".  Jesus is pleading don't give up I am here, and when you hit the wrong notes don't become discouraged, it is all part of your learning.

Anywho that really helped me understand better a few things.  It is never too late to start practicing again, especailly as long as you are breathing here on the earth:)  It is all part of progession:) Our weaknesses make us strong.  Practice truly does make perfect.

My favorite scripture this week:
2 Cor 12:9-10

 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

I love you all so much and all you do!
COm muito amor 

Elder Eldredge








10/26/2015

Hey there everybody!  This week wasa great test of faith that pushed us to our limits to strengthem our faith.  Last week (so like two weeks ago) we didn't find a single new investigator.  We did not like that so we did a lot of planning on what we would do to change that.  We decided that we needed to try some new things.  So as we were sitting in our companship study I was thinking and I got an idea that came a little from my curiousity....  Let's do a survey!  My companion liked the idea so we started with this idea... well the lady in the internet store just told us the place is closing soon so I have to stop:(  BUt just know we did a cool short survey to do contacts in a different way and because of it we found 6 new investigators this week!  It was an aweome experienced acompanied by a fast so it was a great testimony builder to me of dillingence and faith!  
We also marked a man for baptism this week for the 14th!  His name is juloi and we have to get him married and quit smoking but we will do it for sure!
Love you all!  sorry about the short letter!
Elder Eldredge

Pictures from. 10/19/2015

Me & Taik the elders quorum president


A cool recent covert family

Bowling on p-day

Paulo Guerra

October 19, 2015 New Companion

Hey everybody!

So this week was my first week of work here in Gaia.  It is a pretty big and busy city so that is different than most of the areas that I have had plus we have the downtown part which probably makes it seem so different!  But anywho I met this week a lady named Gloria.  She is an italian lady that moved here a while ago and has been investigating the church almost 7 years but never has been baptized.  She is unlike anyone I have ever met, her personality is very hard to describe.  She is very strong in her opinions and very straight with her words... she is kind of intimidating.  Anywho the Elders had told me about here long before I got there.  Anywho we had our little lunch hour there and then she invited her Baptist husband that is a brazilian to give a spiritual message.  But you know as missionaries we also wanted to have an opportunity to get our word in there too.  The Elders had told me that she usually doesn't invite the Elders to give the message and especially not out of the Book of Mormon.  Anywho I, already having this in mind, was trying to think of a way to have a chance to speak.  So when the time of the message came I had an idea.  i casually asked, as her husband Marcos opened the bible to give a message, "Gloria, what is you favorite story in the Bible..."  She answered and then I asked Marcos the same question, he also answered.  Then just as I had wanted Gloria asked me... Elder Eldredge what is your favorite story...:)  Then I took advantage of the opportunity to share with them my favorite story of Jesus and his disciples on the bank of the sea of galilee after his resurection.  When he asks peter 3 times... "Do you love me?" and the lessons that we take from that story.  i used many ideas from Jeffrey R. Hollands talkcalled "the first great commandment".  While I was speaking i could see a light in both Gloria's and Marcos's eyes.  As I testified of conversion love and service I was on the verge of tears, but the sweetest part was to see tears streaming down Gloria's face as I spoke.  I know she felt the spirit in that moment.  Later after the conversation was over she told me that no other elder has ever spoked with such feeling and power as I did.  Now I am not saying this as to brag or boast because I have given that same message to various other people all with different outcomes in the end.  I know that I was sent here for a reason, I know that I have something to offere the work here.  Ever since that day Gloria has invited me to do the thought and many times tears have been shed.  I have made a strong connection with Gloria very quickly, I have strong feelings that because of the love I have for her I feel that I cannot leave this area without seeing her be batized.  It will not be easy, she has had 7 years of being taught by very powerful missionaries.  but something different was felt on both ends, I don't know everything but I will do all I can to fulfill my purpose through her.  She is amazing!
keep us in your prayers we have been having trouble finding new investgators, we would love some extra prayers on this behalf:)
I love you all! my scirpture this week is    Proverbs 15:1  A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
Amo-vos!
Elder Eldredge
p.s.  This is a picture of me and my companion.  this picture has also a story, we are trying to contact people in diferent ways so we asked someone to take our picture and then after talked to them about the restoration:)  We are smooth!

October 12, 2015 Transfers!

Hey everyone I will just send out a quick e mail this week because of transfers!  In the end I was transfered.... (sad face)  I would have loved to stay a 4th there in Santarém I loved it there just as much as I loved Povoa, made memories and friends that I can never forget.  It is hard but hey it is part of the mission experience.  I will now be serving in an area that is called Vila Nova da Gaia which is very close to Porto.  The good thing is that There are a ton of missionaires around here so we can always get togtether on P day, today we went and played soccer with a bunch of Elderes including Elder Gomes my old companion so it was great to see him again!
This last week was sooooo crazy.  I went to Portalegre on Tues and the on Wednesday I had to go all the way to the other side of the country in Peniche.  Anywho I can't write more because the store is closing but I will let you guys know a bit more about my last week in Santarém next time!:)
I love you all tons!  Be awesome and ponderize a scripture mine for this week is Alma 29:9
Elder Eldredge

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Meeting with the mission president & his wife



Siaotarem

Hello everyone!  I had a great week of many counsels given and many things that I need to work on to strengthen my faith and testimony.  On tuesday me and Elder McColley went up to Porto for our leadership mission council where we recieved many counsels and directions from President Amorim on how to find more new investigators.  He said to us, "One thing you guys know how to do really well is teach with members!  You have great ratio of total lessons and how many of those members are present with the missionaries.  BUT (the grand but) you guys do know how to  find new investigators."  haha it was very direct and he had every right in saying it!  That has been one of my big struggles my entire mission!  So he will be coming to santarém on friday to give the zone a special training on finding new investigators through members.  

Then after that I got sick.....  Nothing too bad just a pretty sore throat with a headache and a cough.  I had to stay at home for a while on Wednesday but then by thursday I was decent enough to go out and work.  The work went slowly this week and we weren't able to find a ton of new people who are interested.  Although a man walked in just now while I have been emailing you asking for help from the Church to get his life back in order so we will be going there this week to have a good chat with him:)

Then obviously this weekend was general conference!!  There were many awesome talks given, how about that one on a Mother´s love by Elder Holland.  That talk I am sure made many moms around the globe feel really good, it made me appreciate better my mom:)  I received specific direction as well from a few of the talks that were written to answer specifically many of my questions.  It is amazing how that works out.  I especially like the talk that Elder Lawrence gave inviting to always find ways to be better and to follow the simple and sometimes challenging whisperings and promptings of the Spirit.  But that if followed will bring a consecrated life and will prepare us perfectly for the next stage of existence!  Many many great things were said.  What were some of your favorite impressions, what things are you going to apply?  

I would love to get an e mail just of the things that you all liked from conference and the impressions you had!
Anywho other than that nothing super exciting unfortunately happened this week.  Just an alarming call from the sisters early in the morning when they thought someone had broke into their house but turned out to be nothing in the end.... haha it scared us but luckily it was a false alarm!

I love you all tons and tons!  Be safe and be happy!
Elder Eldredge

this picture doesn't really do the justice (as it was taken by our "hidden photographer") But this is when we sang at the bus station

and this is the Mauricio family one of the coolest most awesome families I have ever met on my mission!

Heyoo! (From 9/28/2015)

Hey family and friends!  Some stories and miracles for you guys this week:)  IT HAS BEEN A TIRING WEEK.  Holy cow we were trying so hard to prepare Catia for batptism as well as care for other necessities of our zone.  On Thursday night we had to go to Carregado (an area in our zone) to do a few baptismal interviews for this really cool family but the Dad didn't get home from work until like 9:10  so we were there quite a long time and by the time the interviews were over we didn't have a lot of options as far as trains and buses and transportation go.  And we don't have a car at our disposal so we had to wait until 11:10ish for a train and didn't get back until 12:30 and finally we got to bed around 1:00 That may not sound bad too you all but I will tell you if you miss a few hours of sleep as a missionary it takes quite the toll.  I was just exausted the rest of the weeked with all the rest of our tasks and duties.  So that wasThursday.  Friday we planned out a fun bold thing to do in the morning and then in the afternoon we had Catia's baptismal interview.  So after that all happened and passed we decided to exeecute our plans to do something bold like the missionaries of old.  We went to the bus station at the busiest waiting time (like 6:00 for everyone going home from work/school) We stood in front of everyone and began to sing Praise to the Man, me and Elder McColley.  Then after the hymn Elder McColley quoted with the voice of a trumpet 3 Nephi 5:13 adapting some of the words to apply to us and after that I came in shouting at the top of my lungs and holding up a picture of the first vision testifying of the truthfulness of that divine vision and inviting all to hear what we had to say.  Then us and the Sisters passed out about 100 or so cards to everyon that had heard.  No one accepted to hear our message at that time but I hope that we made an impression and planted a few seeds.  If nothing it strengthened my faith and courage.  My mouth was trully filled and I felt the hand of the Lord.  It made me think that that is how Ammon and Aaron and Alma and all them must have preached!  So it was pretty great experience.  We have a video of it so when I get home I can show it to all of you guys:)

Also Catia was baptized this last Saturday and confirmed on Sunday.  She really has a good desire to change her life and she is actually the one that started coming to church on her own.  She has a lot of difficulties but I know that she took a step of faith in the right direction for sure.  Truly another miracle before our eyes.  

Thank you for everything I love you allll!:)  Sorry got to go!

COm amor
Elder Eldredge


Monday, September 21, 2015

Bom Dia!!

Hey everyone!  Well I just want to start out saying that I am super happy.  Happiness is something that everyone needs and desires.  The restored Gospel of Jesus Chirst is the only source of everlasting happiness.  As you lose yourself in service you find peace happiness and a cure for the spirit.  

Everything is going just fine, not much news.  Celia came to church in a brand new dress and it was awesome to see her!  Ana was sick so she couldn't come to church but her friend Catia came to her baptism and now is showing a huge desire to be baptized.  this week we will be working to help her progress and quit smoking as well so she can be baptized as well!
  
We have been speaking with basically everyone that has crossed our path during the week.  Our President is really teaching us that point.  But I have really gained a testimony of that especially witht the story of Ana.  Our enemy is able to do his work if all he can do is "bind our tongues" like Elder Holland taught in a talk a few conferences ago.  Missionary work is really just that, open you mouth.  Invite people.  Call attention.  Teach.  Bear testimony.  All these things require our words.  And many times when missionaries because of tiredness, fear, our pride choose not to open their mouths to contact or invite, many people do not have to opporunity to embrace the gospel.  I have been talking throughout the week with Elder Mccolley and we were talking how we have learned that it isn't through creative arguments, and expert teqniques that we can convice someone that doesn't want anything to do with us to come to church or hear our message.  "The elect will hear" but we have to find them.  This work is done completely by the influence of the Spirit.  There is no specific defined formula that always works.  That all you have to find the right combonation of variables to get a good result.  Such as more obedience will always bring more baptisms... it is not always true.  You need to be able to seek the infulence of the Spririt through constant study and perserverance.  There is no one way to do it.  
 
There are no secret patterns, smooth techniques, the gospel is simple.  Have faith, repent, endure to the end.  It is interesting how many of us without knowing can have many problems with the first two most basic principles of the gospel.  Faith and repentance.  Do we have the faith to pay our tithing every month even when times are tight?  Do we have the faith to keep the sabath day  even when it pays more to work on that day?  Many other things could be said the point is there are always points of our faith to be strengtened.
Repentance is also something needed for every single one of us.  Repentance isn't always confessing serious sins.  Repentance can be a greater committment to serve more dilligently in your calling, or to spend less time on the internet when you could be doing other more productive things.  We are here on earth to learn to become gods and goddeses.  We can only do that though repentance and grace.  
Remeber who you are and where you came from.  Whose presence you left, and where you have the potential to go.  Don't forget.
Don't ever forget.
I love you all tons and tons


Elder Eldredge

some fun photos of swords from spain:)

"Burying their weapons of war!"

Celia & Ana 'burying their weapons of war'




Us destroying smoking stuff

Our district 

Carolina's party!

        Carolina's party ( the little girl in the second picture)

            btw she is a cancer survivor

The gospel changes people

Hey everyone!  We had a very awesome week.  It went by really fast.  Well first we had and awesome birthday party for Ana's (our investigator) daughter Carolina.  She is adorable and we are super friends!  WE got here a little pink stuffed dolphin and she loved it!  Anywho things were going really well at the beginning of the week.  We had challenged both Celia and Ana to stop smoking completely by thursday and they both accepted the challenge!  They are both super awesome and made huge sacrífices to continue progressing!  Then on Thursday came and we shared with them the story of the Anti-nephi-lehites and how they buried their weapons of war to show God and their fellow men that they were leaving their old lives and sins behind and would never go back.  That is exactly what we invited those two to do.  So they both gave us basically everything that had to do with their smoking habits and we then destroyed the material in a very epic and legendary manner:)  Anywho they followed through with everything made sacrífices and wer both baptized into the true church on Saturday and confirmed members on Sunday.  Huge blessings are coming to this branch with more than 10 convert baptisms within the last 2 months.  I am loving this área more and more. 
I want to testify to you all that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only source of everlasting happiness and peace.  People may try to find it alone and they may find rest and contentment in worldy pleasures but the problem with all that is that it ends.  Your testimony you gain in this life and your relationship with the Savior is eternally permanent.  So we need to examine the small things we do.  Are we working on things that are going to last, such as testimony, knowledge, family, and developing Christlike attributes?  Do our actions reflect our words we share in church and the things we claim to really know?  I have seen the gospel change people, I know it can, to all who desire.  Every day is a new day to repent, change, and not fall into the sins and erros of yesterday.

I love you all soooo much!
ELder Eldredge 



Monday, September 7, 2015

New companion & goodbye to Elder Gomes

My new companion, Elder McColley

Saying goodbye to Elder Gomes
Bittersweet...he is like a brother

Do something BOLD!

Hey everyone!  This week has been another great one and we are super tired!  I don't have like any time right now but I will just give a few updates.

We had mission council and transfers this week.  I am going to stay here in Santarem and Elder Gomes went off to Porto.  It was kind of sad we were like brothers but ya know ya gotta move on.  I am serving now with Elder McColley.  We are doing good and we have worked hard this first week!  Celia and Ana weren't baptized this weekend but are both remarked for this weekend so they could all use your prayers:)  
I learned this week that dilligence and sacrifice is necessary at all times even when things are going well.  We can never become content with our "good" circumstances we need to be constantly stiving to endure to the end.  
Also I did something pretty funny this lst week.  So presdient amorim challenged us to do something BOLD.  So I decided one day as I entered into the Bus that was full of people and after the bus was going and every one was sat down I went up to the front with a book of mormon and a picture of the first vision.  I just called everyone's attention and I introduced the 1st vision, bore testimony, and invtied everyone to hear our message.  I was super scared before but then after I felt happy and like....... "I just did that"  Haha I felt like the missionaries of old!  Anywho it was a super fun experience and I jsut wanted to share it!

This is a picture of me and elder mccolley
and my parting picture with gomes
I love you all and wish all a great week!

With love 
Elder Eldredge

August 31, 2015

Hey everyone!  This week had its good moments and it's hard ones.  First of all The saddest part of this week was probably Ana.  She was all happy for her baptism and everything she even invited her parents and friends to go but then it was like a bomb exploded with problems and doubts and everything on thursday.  In the end of all the confusion she ended up saying that she wouldn't be baptized this weekend and it would only be this next weekend that is coming.  Then we found out her boyfriend was coming Saturday night to spend some time with her and since then we have not heard from her.  She didn't come to church and is dodging our calls.  It is pretty sad but we will continue with faith!  
On the brighter side of things we had a truly powerful lesson on the plan of salvation this week with our other progressing investigator Celia.  She is marked for this Saturday and we have high hopes!  AS we taught the plan of salvation and specifically the part about the Atonement, tears were shed and testimonies were borne, the Spirit was super strong and I know that Celia felt it.  She has come to church three weeks in a row now and is loving it.  She is struggling with some addictions to tobacco but has reduced dramatically going from 40 cigarettes per day to just 9 in less thatn a week.  Miracles happen!  WE are super happy for her!
Anywho transfers happen this week so we will see what happens!  I think that maybe Elder Gomes will be heading out which is sad we have really come to be like brothers which has been great so it will be sad to leave but hey life goes on.  
Anywho I don't have much more time, sorry it wasn't very inspiring but next week I will be sure to send something better next week!  Love  you all!
Elder Eldredge

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Pictures!!

Our ball got stuck in the tree



This guys friend was the one that got baptized
(The one we weren't ready for)

Our investigator Ana's son Leandro
The most adorable little guy I have ever met!

Another great week!

Hey everyone!  This week has been great and fun!  This week really flew by we had a lot of things to do!  We had a lot of preparations to do for the ward barbeque that the missionaries (us) put on the for the branch, and you think that it would be simple ya know, food, barbeque, fun, water fight and stuff like that but it was almost like pulling teeth to get people to come to the activity!  It was kind of amazing to me because in the first place the branch hadn't done any activities at all this year.  But anywho It was super crazy I will tell the story really quick.  We had it all planned out super well and we came to the chapel at about 8 o'clock to start setting up for the activity to start at 11.  So 11 comes around and 1 person shows up.......... But I still had a little hope beacuse I am sure you all know what "mormon time" means so I had hope that people would keep showing up.  12 rolled around and 1 more person showed up........ that made 2 (not including the 4 missionaries).  Sweet!  We had a whole bunch of acitivites, food, and stuff and 2 people showed up.  SO we started making some calls to people who lived close to see if we could get some more people.  With a little luck we got a few more people that said thay would come!  Then our investigator Ana (who had been gone all week) called us said she was back and that she wanted to go and just need a ride!  So we called another member to give her a ride and he ended up bringing his family too!  Little by little we a had a good amount of people at about 12:30ish which wasn't too bad!  The acitivty turned out to be really good for those that came and the barbeque was super yummy too!  but anywho the story gets better.  So people keep showing up at like 2:00 and there were tons of people there during the time to eat (naturally) and we were all having a good time.  We had been so caught up and worried about our activity and getting people there that we forgot that the sisters from a nearby city told us they would be having a baptism at 4 o'clock in our chapel.
When I saw the sisters show up with their investigator and all the members that came my heart dropped.....  We forgot to fill up the baptismal font!  The font is pretty darn big here and it takes like 2 and a half to three hours to fill up.  Haha whoops.  They weren't very happy for obvious reasons and so we turned on the font and we all got buckets and hauled them back an forth from the outside spigot to fill up the font faster.  Haha I will never forget filling up the font with buckets. Anywho we were able to do it all in about 30 or 40 minutes which was no near as long as 2.5 hours.  It was crazy but it ended up good.  The lady got baptized and our investigator Ana (that is on track to be baptized this sunday) was able to see a baptism and she got excited as well!:) So anywho it was truly a crazy day for us missionaries but in the end gave good memories to remember. 
Anywho I don't have much time left but I wish you all well and hope you are all happy!:)
COm amor 
Elder Eldredge

Pictures of Carlos' baptism and a cool castle





Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Carlos got baptized!

Hey everyone!  This week was great!  And I am super happy to say that we saw Carlos enter into the waters of Baptism this week!!  It was really awesome to finally see him take this step!  It was a good fight to get him there.  many times I was super sad our discouraged because of some decisions that he made but all of that was worth it to see this moment!   It is so awesome to see people from many different backgrounds accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ and changing becuase of the things they learn, it is a great joy that you feel when you see that, anyone who has participated in the work of salvation.  
Also we had a awesome week this past week.  One of the young men in the branch named João Barata (17 years old)  served a "mini mission" with us this week!  He stayed with us the whole week and lived as if he were a missionary!  I have some good respect for him!  I don't know if I would have been able to do that when I was 17! I think and hope that he had a good experience and he for sure helped out a lot with his testimony in our lessons! 
Anywho we are doing well keep up the prayers for us!:) here are some fun picutres!
Com muito amor

Elder Eldredge

Sunday, August 16, 2015

"The field is white already to harvest"

Hello everyone!  This week has been pretty normal nothing ourside of the norm!  WE had our first mission council with our new Presidente which was really good!  He will do a lot of good things with this mission no doubt!  One thing he did was he asked to to make a big list about why it is so hard to baptize in portugal.  We made a giant list as a group with things like THEY'RE ALL CATHOLIC or no one gets married, the members are dicouraged and a buch of excuses why.  Then President asked us (with this giant list in front of us) How do you feel that you were called to serve here?  Then he began to teach us the true principles of D&C 4 "The field is white and ready to harvest".  He taught us that when we are looking and thinking about all of these excuses (that is all they are) we are spending our missions looking at the ground.  He helped uys to gain a better vision with the work here.  The church here certainly is not as persecuted as it was when it started in the united states in its beginning, the church is new here but that will not stop in from growing and we need to do our part in helping Portugal become the "Lighthouse of Europe" like it has been prophesied to be.  He is an incredible example to me for sure!

Also another cool thing that happened this week was with Carlos!  The investgator I told you all about a while ago that was having troubles with smoking.  He is marked and progressing towards baptism this saturday!  How did we do it?  He asked us to read the book of mormon with him every day so we did and of course no one (with a sincere heart) can read the book of mormon without being touched by the Spirit he started gaining the courage back to get back on the right path.  One day we did something pretty cool with him.  We brought baptismal clothes from the chapel to his house, we gave him the clothes and told him to get dressed.  He was asking a lot of questions but we just insisted... get dressed!  It was actually kind of funny!  He got into white clothes and we commented on how good he looked and then suddenly something hit me and my eyes got full with tears and my heart was full.  
He had a big smile on his face and asked "now what?"  We put him in front of the mirror asked him how he looked and then I held up his sack of tobacco right next to him after a bit and I asked him..." Carlos what do you really want?  He shook his head and looked himself in the eyes in the mirror and was silent.  My companion then invited him to be baptized the following Saturday and to make a renewed effort to quit smoking.  Carlos accepted and is on the road to baptism.  It is not going to be easy Carlos knows that, but that confirmation that I recieved as I saw him in white that filled my eyes with tears,  I know that we will do everything in our power to help this man to baptism this Saturday.  I am truly excited and happy:)
Well thats about all for this week!  Love you guys tons and tons!
Elder Eldredge 

Remember our spiritual experiences! (From August. 3rd)

Hey guys!  This week was good!  Not as good as our last week, we work our tails off maybe a little too hard we were dying this week but we will for sure be better this coming week! 
I am doing well and happy.  transfers happened and me and Elder Gomes will be staying here another transfer (halleujah!)  I really like serving here with him.  Not too much news to report.  We are teaching this lady named Ana right now.  She has got the cutest little kids and they love us!  ONe is named Carolina she recently overcame and won the fight with cancer!  She is an awesome little girl I will get a picture to you guys soon!:)  BUt Ana really has been prepared for a long time to hear us.  She even told us when she saw us in the street she had the feeling that she needed to talk to us but right at the last minute decided not too and she would talk with us another day (adversaries whisperings).  Luckily Elder Gomes contacted her and she was super surprised and glady accepted to recieve us in her house:)  She is progressing really well and has a great desire to be baptized.  She just needs to quit her habit of smoking, I have faith that she will.  Right now she is on vacation (a big trial here in portugal during the month of august) but when she gets back we are going to get her in the WATER!:)  I am loving the mission more and more.  I really hope that I can reach my potential as a missionary, I know that the smallest decisions I am making right now are going to deterime in large what kind of person, husband, and father I will be in the future.  and that gives me motiviation to press forward with faith:)  
As far as a little spiritual message.  Lately in my studies I have been noticing and pondering a lot about the word remember.  This could be the most important word in the dictionary!  The only way someone that received even the smallest testimony falls away is because they forget about that experience.  Satan does not want us to remember our spiritual experiences because he knows they will gives us strength.  IN our times of trial and hardship many times we don't even think to remember the ways the Lord has helped us in the past because we are to caught up with the present problem.  I love the example in the sciptures of the Eben-ezer in 1 Samuel and the Standard of Liberty that Moroni put up.  These things were made to help the people remember the blessings of the Lord and how His hand had touched their hearts and helped them in the past.  IF you are passing through hard times, try to remember your spiritual experiences.  Read your journal. Go to the temple.  These things will help you to calm down and give a better perspective on the situation.  This exact process has helped me many times on my mission so I know it can help hany of you!:)

I love you all so much and wish a great week for you all!:)
With love
Elder Eldredge