Divisions, Street Meeting and Getting Lost

Hello family! It was so great to be able to talk to all of you at the same time! YAY! I was reminded of when we were able to do sealings together. What a blessing modern technology is. Look I get to email on my mission!

Things are going well here in "Seixal" (I've only actually been to Seixal twice since I've been here). We are still searching out for people to teach and continuing to help those we are teaching progress. It's a process. Fredy still wants to be baptized, but he hasn't been coming to church, so he probably won't be able to be baptized on the 31st, but we will keep working with him to help him prepare for baptism. We haven't been able to meet with Marcelo, but he has been reading from the Book of Mormon, which is a great sign of progress with him. Alzira has been coming to church as well the past couple of weeks with her daughter Marisa. I sat by them at church and Marisa was trying so hard to be good, so I ended up drawing with her and learning lots of new words. She seemed to appreciate the time I took with her.

Kelson and Ana are doing well. Kelson understands the gospel and the scriptures so well for someone who has been a member for only three months! He's amazing and has the best attitude about life. The life of an imigrant is not an easy one here, but he is always so happy and smiley and asks us what he can do for us. Ana is amazing as always, but is not looking forward to moving to England next Sunday. I will miss her, but I know that Pedro will take good care to nurture her in the gospel there.


I have found that I am working with a lot of less active women here over the past couple of weeks. I love visiting them and showing them the love i have for them. I am blessed with great love and compassion for them and I feel that one reason that I am here inthe Seixal area is for them. To nurture and bring them back to the fold.


Last week we did a division with the irmas in Almada. I went down to Almada with Irma Rasmussen and Irma Johnson stayed here and went with Irma Marinho. I had a great time on the division. I loved working in a different area and getting to know new people. Irma Rasmussen is great and kept me laughing. She is also a great cook, though her garlic biscuits were not my favorite thing...We're planning on doing another division this transfer with the irmas in Setúbal with Irma Kava and Irma Vea, who are actually cousins.

Monday Irma Johnson wasn't feeling well, so we stayed in most of the day. I got a lot of reading done and I felt like I was back at the MTC.

Yesterday was a day of getting lost. My goodness. Totally all my fault. I am the one who is supposed to know the area, but I kept taking us the long way to get everywhere. We probably walked a few miles extra because I kept taking the roundabout way there. We then found out that the zone was doing a street meeting down in Cacilhas, so we went down there with them and that was so fun! We did street contacts and talked about how important family is and how we can do family history.

So as an irma I tend to talk more to women on the streets. I just feel more comfortable with them and this is why. So on Sunday I contacted this guy who looked nice and receptive, which he was, but I think he was just more curious about the fact that I was female and American than the gospel. He kept inching closer when he was talking and I kept inching further and further back. We said goodbye and I put a little X by his contact information. Yesterday at the street meeting Irma Rasmussen and I contacted this guy from Senegal. We ended up speaking to him in English because his Portuguese wasn't very good. We talked to him about families in the gospel and then he asked if we had boyfriends. To which we replied, why yes we do. So family, in case you didn't know it. I have a boyfriend back in the States waiting to marry me when I get home. Oh the funny life of a sister missionary!


Yesterday I got told I was not going to be saved for the first time! We got into the house of this woman and we taught her the first lesson, with a LOT of interruptions on her part about her opinions about other religions, which were not favorable. Apparently, she didn't really like ours either. One thing is for sure, I walked away from that experience with a stronger testimony about the priesthood and the blessing that it is for all of us.

Life is good here. I am finding myself learning so much every day and I know that through striving to do my best, I will be able to do this work through the Lord, who is the source of all strength. We can do all things through Him. I know that the trials we have are for us to grow and to learn and that the Lord qualifies us through them. I love you all and hope you have a great week!!