I'm Seeing Purple

Hello family! Thank you so much for the emails. It's good to hear from you all.

Well, last P-day I was laying on my bed all day, trying to recover. My fever broke that evening and I started to feel better. I woke up on Thursday morning, still feeling weak and gross, I thought it strange that Irma Machado was still in bed, so I woke her up and let her know it was time for studies, when she grumbled out, "Now I'm sick!" So the two of us were pretty pathetic for another two days. It took me longer to recuperate (until Friday) than Irma Machado, she was good enough to go out on Saturday. So we spent about five whole days indoors. It was weird. The week flew by because it was like one giant day. But now we're all better.

Saturday we had lunch with the Cabrals, who are a great couple. They've been renovating their house, so I've never been allowed in it. But we had lunch and it was...interesting. The soup was amazing, as always, bean soup. Yum! Then she brought out lasagna. I was really excited to eat lasagna. I started eating it and it tasted a little odd. Luisa then informed us that she used some type of wheat instead of meat in the lasagna. Hence the weird taste. We couldn't eat much because of our cold/flu we were getting over, but good thing Ana Lucia was there! She is TINY but eats a TON. She ate more than the elders. It was incredible.

Later that day we had Enrichment. It was a choice experience. For activity: beautification. Seirously. Candida Moutinho was in charge and she's a hair stylist. So she took the opportunity to talk to us about the importance of plucking our eyebrows properly. I think she really just wanted to pluck our Relief Society President's eyebrows, so she created the activity and just happened to choose her. The whole time the members were telling eachother how dry eachothers' hair was or how they themselves needed to pluck their eyebrows. It was meant in good love, the Portuguese are just really blunt. I was laughing the whole time...some of the time out loud. I love these members. They really feel like my family and they are really used to me now. They are super blunt with me as well. I take this as a sign of acceptance. Then Candida took turns plucking the other sisters' eyebrows. How I love Relief Society!

On Sunday Wumi came to church, don't worry she confirmed herself to come to church on Friday. Oh I forgot! We sent the elders to teach her while we were sick. They said it went well. But I ended up translating all of church for her. She loves coming to church and she's in 2 Nephi 9 now! Oh!!! She's coming up to Lisbon to hear Elder Bednar with us! I'm super excited! There is a special meeting for the members and investigators Sunday night, then there is a YSA meeting Monday night that she will be going to. She's really doing well.

We had a great lesson with her yesterday with Maria Joao. It is SOOOO nice teaching in English! The words just take on a whole new meaning for me hearing them and saying them in my own language. The Spirit was so strong as we taught her about the Restoration. I had told her that we had a message for her and that if she had any questions that we would love to answer them at the end. She tends to be a talker, so we hoped that this would help. It did. She really listened and when we taught we taught leading up to a scripture. Then she would read the scripture and she would really get it. I could see the understanding go across her face. Maria Joao testified and it was a powerful testimony. It was cute, we would be speaking in English and Maria Joao would look up all the scriptures in Portuguese. She understands English really well, but gets nervous, so I translate whenever she wants to talk.

Anyway, so the lesson was great. At the end I asked what questions she had. I was surprised when she had one! She asked if God wants there to be so many churches and if there should be so many churches. (Great question!) So Irma Machado led her to Ephesians 4:5 which says, One Lord, one faith, one baptism. This scripture really clicked for Wumi and she was so excited to hear that answer. She's reading, she's praying and she's going to church. She's so great. I am so excited to keep teaching her. I never imagined that I would come to Portugal and teach a girl from Nigeria in English. Who'd have thought?

Have I mentioned that everyone is wearing purple here? Every woman I see is wearing purple. Purple shoes, purple purses, purple shirts, purple coats, purple scarves, purple everything! The stores only have purple in the displays.It's all a really strong purple too. Yuck. I rather liked purple before this season...

Monday we saw something interesting. We were walking to the church and we saw a man inching out onto the road on his tush. Little by little, until he was in the middle of the lane, blocking all of traffic. Fortunately, the police were only a little blocked by the traffic, so they went between the lanes, pulled up right next to him, then opened the doors (two big men) and picked him up and set him on the side of the road. I don't think the man was all with it, but nice to know that the police were there when we need them!

Oh! We also discovered that Aurora, a recent convert, is friends with Felicia! So she's going to help us encourage Felicia to live the Word of Wisdom. Tender mercies!

Well that's it! I love you all! Have a great week!