Wake up! Little Claudia Wake Up!

Hello family! Thank you again for writing. It sounds like most of us got hit with illness this week. Ick. But hopefully you are on the mend! I am!

Well, it's been another great week. I ate some amazing orange cake and had a lesson with a member and her friend. Don't worry, I got the recipe. Last Wednesday, we again went to Ponta da Piedade with the Nelsons. It was a great day and very nice to have a ride!

The three girls. Well...this past week they were down to one, Claudia. The other two were never at our lessons and they didn't go to church. But Claudia was there! We taught her the Plan of Salvation, but first we had a challenge. She lives in a dorm as I mentioned and to get up, you have to buzz the whole floor, then someone has to come down to let you in. Fortunately, someone came down and we were able to go up. We went to her room and we heard music, the door was also open. So I peeked my head in and saw Claudia, taking a nap. President Terry tells us that we need to be sweetly bold. She needed to hear the Plan of Salvation. So I went into her room and tapped on her shoulder. Nothing. I called out her name. Nothing. I tapped again. Nothing. I knocked on the door again. Nothing. Finally, I shook her and she woke up. She was really surprised that she didn't hear her phone when we called. But we had a good lesson with her. She also came to church, saying that she had to leave at noon for a study group. But noon came and went and Claudia stayed. Her excuse was that it was raining. (PS it's been raining since Sunday.) We're excited for her and I hope that I get over the flu quickly so we can teach them again!

We are also teaching Wumi, whom I mentioned last week. She is from Nigeria and it's so weird teaching in English. I really just translate what I say in Portuguese into English. But she loves the Book of Mormon and was relating Nephi to Joseph of Egypt and David. She asked why other churches don't use the Book of Mormon. She also came to church and she loved it. She asked if she could come again next week. She is truly elect and we are really excited to work more with her.

Oh! I almost forgot! Elder Bednar is coming in a week and a half and I get to go to Lisbon to hear him! We're having a meeting just for the missionaries and a couple of other meetings for investigators and less-actives. So we are going to try to get Wumi to go. We are SOOOOO excited! I was hopping around the church like a small child before English class. The elders got a kick out of me. I've been teaching Maria João at English class and it's been really fun. It's fun to be teaching again.

Saturday we had interviews with President Terry and Irma Machado, being the Southerner that she is, decided she wanted to make President fried chicken. Oh man, was it good! I love fried chicked! And she taught me how to make it!

There was a birth this past week. Emma was born! Arkadius and his wife, Joana, now have a little girl and I had my first experience going to a hospital in Portugal. Let me just say that I'm grateful that we do not have socialized medicine. I am grateful for the good medicine that we have back home. But it was nice to see Joana. Emma was born Sunday morning and Arkadius was at church! He didn't see Emma be born! Can you believe that? Don't worry though, Maria João was there and got pictures. :)

Saturday night we had a very choice experience. We've been working with a part-member family, the Joãos, Ana Lucia and Elias and their mom, Veronica. They are constantly yelling at eachother and there never seems to be any peace there. So we went over on Saturday to just check in and make sure that they were going to church the next day (which they did). We got in there and Carlos, the boyfriend, was smoking, upsetting Ana Lucia, and there was just a lot of yelling. I asked Ana Lucia if she wanted to gather in the rest of the family to hear a message. She went and got her mom and we sat down. Irma Machado picked "I Stand All Amazed" and as we sang a calm and a peace entered the room. It lasted the whole lesson and I could tell that they felt a difference. The calm of the Spirit was very evident.

Sad news, we had to drop Albertina this week. We will still go by every once in a while, but it was time to let her go. But she did still go to church. That was good. But she does want to get baptized, just not right now.

As we have been inside the past couple of days, I've taken to brushing up on my Spanish. Why not? It's been fun, and Irma Machado is a saint for putting up with me in everything.

So, things are going well. The work is rolling forth. I love you all and have a great week!