Training a New Missionary

Hello family! Thank you again for the news and updates and love and support. I hope this week is a good one for all of us. This past one has sure been a good one for me!

Well, yesterday we got our transfer calls and President called at 2:15pm, which was really early. President talked to me an asked me if I would accept the responsibility to train one of the new sisters coming in. I am a little nervous now, and I know I will be REALLY nervous come tomorrow, but I'm also really excited. Irmã Brady was such a wonderful trainer/Mission Mom for me that I hope I can do the same for my little daughter-to-be. So, I'll be picking her up tomorrow at 9:00am. Elder Burkett will also be training, and during his last transfer at that! So we'll both have some new challenges and hopefully it will help us be a more unified district.

This past week has been a really good one. We had a stake activity that our zone of missionaries put on. We went "Back into the Book of Mormon". We were all different characters in the Book of Mormon. We had King Laban, which was Elder Wardenburg. He got Chinese store pijamas and wore fake gold chain necklaces and a Burger King crown. He had a fake cheesy sword as well. It was hilarious. I'll figure out how to send pictures some day. Internet here is a nightmare. Elder Hansen was Zoram and he handed out the little gold plates that my district made. He bought geenie pants that are all the rave here. They are the least flattering, ugliest pants that Europeans think are attractive. Ick. I hope that it never makes it over to the US. There were other characters, but Irma Rasmussen and I were Nephite women and wore sheets that we wrapped around to make dresses and had headbands. We helped people make bracelets out of yarn. It was fun. It was a great activity and our branch actually came! I think they are actually starting to like activities. It's a MIRACLE!

Portugal is a funny place and I will briefly mention some funny things I've seen this week. I've gotten directions to go "down by the dog, avoid the horse, and go just by the sheep". Seriously. I live in a funny area.

We went and saw Maria da Graça this week and she is doing SOO well. She's excited to go visit Angola and her family and she is progressing really well. She stopped drinking coffee when we mentioned about the Word of Wisdom. She did it all on her own. We haven't even taught her yet. She is the most Christlike person I've ever met. We went and did service at her house yesterday with the elders. We carried sacks of clothes that she sends to the poor in Angola up to her attic. Then we cleared out a bunch of rubble and rocks and brush from her back garden area and planted a tree and flowers. It was nice.

The members here are hanging in there. We found out that Fransisco and Isabel are getting married! They are both members in the branch and we're really excited for them. We love the members here and this area. They love us back and treat us really well. I am excited to continue working with them and strengthening this area with the help of the Lord.

Tonight we are having a movie night/party! Yay! The whole branch is coming and two irmas are coming up here to visit the branch as they are either going home or training next transfer, so we're excited. I love parties! We're going to be bringing 10 nonmembers tonight, hopefully. So it will be great!

I hope that you are all doing really well and are learning and growing as well. Have a FANTASTIC week! I love you all so much!