The Rain in Portugal . . .

This week was the first week that we had clouds and rain. It wasn’t cold, just wet. My hair was a mess, every day. But it was also the best week of the mission for me. Idk what it is but every day and every week just gets a little bit better. I love getting to share this message and seeing little miracles and even when I’m wet and cold and we have nothing to do, I just love this gospel so much it doesn’t even matter. And my unnatural amount of positiveness is probably annoying a few people who are reading this, so... sorry about that. 

This week I thought I said good bye to one of our investigators that was going to prison... He used to be a huge drug lord but since has mostly left that life and wants to be baptized, but he got caught in a car with a few friends who had lots of drugs and was going to go to prison for 2 and a half years but when we visited the barrio (aka the slums) again that week guess who we found? Cecelio. The last time I saw him was him running off into the distance crying after telling us not to forget him... yes this is real life. I’m teaching an ex drug lord the gospel. And he loves it. He wants to give away all his money he earned through drugs and join the church. The thing is we aren’t sure what his legal issues are right now so we don’t know if he can get baptized. We don’t want our members in prison, ya know? But it’s cool. If he never gets baptized, at least that’s a crazy story I can tell people.

I have a lot of moments now where I just look around and think, is this real life? Am I really walking these cobblestone streets in the rain with o livro de mormon in hand and I get to talk to everyone I want about it? Am I really eating this strange Brazilian food in front of me that’s a mix of rice and potatoes and meat and cheese and tastes good? Am I really chilling in the nastiest slums of all of Lisbon with a black guy that wants to be baptized? It’s just incredible and I love it. It still stinks when you don’t meet your goals or plans fall and you have nothing to do and I STILL DONT UNDERSTAND ANYTHING AND ITS SO ANNOYING but you know what? I still love it here. And I love this gospel.

Another reason this week was so bomb is probably because we had a BAPTISM!!!! Hoorah. 10 year old girl, Jessica, I think I wrote about her last week. She is incredible. She is so smart, we walked in on her at home one time doing her homework by herself, mom wasn’t at home. She already has friends at church and loves primary. The baptismal service was awesome, we had mostly the ward do it which was good because I know she is in good hands when we go. We as a district also did a special musical number... I played I am a child of God on the guitar and the others sang. Yeah btw... that simplified hymn book that we bought? I’ve used that more to play the guitar than I have to play the piano haha. Sorry. I sometimes play it when we sing hymns in the morning or our one crazy investigator André likes when I play so I bring it to lessons and we sing hymns and I’ve brought it to ward FHE a couple of times to play. It’s way fun. Everyone loved it when we did it at the baptism. 

The coolest part of the baptism though was the mom of Jessica, Asto. Every time I’ve been over there before she’s been down cast and distracted and doesn’t smile... but ever since we told her Jessica is getting baptized, a new light has come into her eyes. She smiled and laughed several times during gospel principles and just watching her watch her daughter’s example... it was so good. So so so good. And then afterwards we were like, so you’re next right? And she was like, yep, but I’m not ready yet, and I said, well that’s what were here for, and she was just content with that. She’s so getting baptized. Now we just have to help them stay firm. It was way cool.

Funny story, one night we came home from an awesome lesson and this dude on the street saw us and was like, hey, you guys are Mormons? And I was just on cloud nine so I go up to him and shook his hand and was like, yep, wanna be baptized? He basically ran away from us after that. 

Also Hogwarts is literally based on a school here in Portugal, and on the street sometimes I see people in like capes and stuff. Like literally harry potter robes. I’m not even kidding. I’ll try to snap a pic this week, it’s the funniest thing ever. Like, what are you doing?

The word for pigs is porcos. That’s like calling cows beefs. Don’t even give them the respect of being animals. 

I’m trying to be funny now and I’m not sure if it’s working...

Mom I hope you’re okay and I’m praying for you to get better!! But in your free time just write letters to me!!! And kneeling prayers are important!!! Study prayer this week while you’re chilling on the couch.

Dad I wanna hear what you are learning as you teach seminary and how it’s going! Also send me more quotes, I’m making a little book of all of them. It’s sweet.

READ PRAY AND GO TO CHURCH. If I could get all my pesquisadores to do that, all of Portugal would be active members. and it scares me to death to even imagine that the people I love most might not be doing it... so do it. Because I love you and God loves you.

GENERAL CONFERENCE IS NEXT WEEK!!!!  It goes till like 11 at night here on Sunday haha. I’m so excited. I wanna hear from EVERYONE what they learned and what talks they liked, etc. You guys have no idea how incredible it is that we have a prophet. I teach about prophets daily, on the street and in lessons... He literally speaks for God. We have the authority here on the earth today. This is something that no other church has. Please please please, I implore of you all, take advantage of this opportunity. 

Shoot I didn’t really plan a spiritual thought this email. Sorry guys, I guess you’re off the hook this week for feeling guilty for not being better... 

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! I’m doing so well, but the language still stinks. Please pray that I don’t train next transfer...

paz, amor, casamento do templo,

sister kelly briggs 

Me, Sister Wach, and Jessica!