So it was a pretty hard week this week, although we did have some good times. We had another week of knocking doors and getting them shut in our faces. My feet are getting tired of that. Anyway, finally yesterday we got in and taught a first lesson, it was so exciting after so much time of being rejected. Jinea is a cute Brasilaira who just moved with her husband to Portugal and they have a cute 7 month old son. We have invited them to church, to our "Actividade Espectacular" we´re having tonight, and to read the book of mormon. I really think that she might do all of those. We also have a couple that we have been teaching Vazil from the Ukraine and Paula from Mozambique and her son Cleber who all came to church on Sunday and other than feeling like it was very long, really liked it. Hopefully they´ll be there tonight also. It was just really exciting to get a new investigator so that we can teach a lesson more than a couple of times a week. I´m getting very good at negative responses at the door in portuguese and could probably give you every excuse in the book, however, I personally would rather learn more words about the lessons and how to teach better. Anyway, Sister Landro and I usually practice our portuguese by telling each other stories between rejections. it is kind of fun.
Sorry about the famine of letters Mom, it is just that preparation days are so short and action packed for me. We have studies until 11:30 and then have to clean the house, get groceries, do any other shopping we need, lunch, e-mail, and then any site seeing we want to do before 6:30 when we go back to proselyting, but I will do better. Oh, so if ever anyone wants to send a package, which is expensive, the advice is to make it kind of small so it will come directly to me and I don´t have to go get it from customs, ect. As for the pouch address, I don´t really know, also, I don´t really care if I get them, but if Sister Couey really wants to, more power to her. Thanks for all the news of Relief Society. It is nice in this ward because there is really a strong ward here so that for instance on Sunday when we brought our investigators to church they were already integrated. It was nice. Also it is good to hear that Grandpa and Grandma are doing better. It´s probably good for Grandma to be a bit more independant and for Grandpa to get a little TLC and attention.
So, a plug for missionary work. If any of you know people that have 1. lost a family member recently 2. had a new baby recently 3. moved recently or 4. had teenagers who are rebellious, offer to have them over to a family home evening or something and then offer to have the missionaries teach them in your home. it is really the ultimate way. For instance, our cute little Jinea has two of these indicators and I am certain that they made her more receptive to our message. The Lord will prepare people to teach if we will just do our part and open our mouths, taking that step of faith into the darkness.
I really love this opportunity that I have to exercise and increase my faith on a daily basis. The scriptures are truly amazing and really the more I study the more I find that they really do answer every single question that we have. The trick is to always be immersed in them and then we will encounter answers to questions that we either had the day before or that we will have. It is so awesome to be able to help teach other people to use them in this same way. An awesome chapter to read which could take years to fully understand all that is contained is moroni chapter 8. At first glance it is only about infant baptism, but there are so many other basic principles of the gospel in there. I am working on my own topical guide and I think I added about 10 new topics today during my study of this chapter and added a lot to topics I already had cateloged. I really love the book of mormon, and it is funny how I learn different things reading it in english than I do in portuguese, but it is all true. Love it!
Sorry also to Samuel, i have been a bit remiss in my letters to you as well, but I will repent and hopefully find a better way to buy international stamps here. The lines in the post office take hours (eek) It is also great to feel of your fire and testimony. Sometimes by the end of the day my flame gets a little dampened, but I try to remain ever vigilant and ever hopeful. I don´t even have time to think about money here in Europe, I really do appreciate the filling up of my cup that occured in the MTC because it gives me strength to endure the hard days out here. Sometimes the CTM was a little annoying because you are around so many people who have a little bit different view than you, but it is great to see how much you can learn from everyone.
Well, time´s up. Off to Porto to see the sites. Love you all!! The church is true. ellen
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