Small miracles!

Sister Vomocil!

Sister Fuller is pumped to go to the Azores!

Churros!

Random pic with person on the street

Hey family!

This week: it had its really low moments, and it had its really high moments, so all in all it balanced out to just be another week.

Okay so stories from this week. We were having a rough day with all of our plans falling through and just walking a lot, and that day i had gotten freaked out by a couple dogs behind gates as we walked past houses. and then, right toward the end of the night it happened again and i jumped and just took off running and shouting IM DONE!!!! IM DOOOOOONE!!!!! it was funny. and a nice stress reliever.

We have a solid youth program in our ward and all of the youth got back from efy this week!!! i saw the notebook and the bag and waterbottle and got all excited. and I GOT THE MUSIC IN PORTUGUESE!!!!!!!!! oh it is sooooooo good. i love it. But shoot, efy does miracles. there are scriptures that say that when 2 or three are gathered in His name, there will He be also... imagine how stong that spirit is when 400 youth of a chosen generation are gathered in His name. they all loved it. There is one young man who is actually a recent convert in our area, Bruno from São Tomé he was baptized in december with his mom and two siblings. He really didnt wanna serve a mission. but he said at efy he just couldnt stop thinking about it, and now hes got it in his heart to serve. oh it was so cool to see. his cousin who isnt a member went too and so we trying to get him to be baptized now.

We had a handful of really firm people who said they would come to church. we were excited. sunday morning this little family that we found called and said they couldnt come. we were super bummed. but both of us felt good as we headed out to church that morning, and we found out that we had a family of investigators there that we didnt even invite. A mother and her two kids. the daughter literally asked us to be baptized, shes about 10, and her mom said she liked it a lot. we are going to start teaching them this week. they are family members of members of our ward. It was a miracle. I know that when we do our part and just put our trust in Heavenly Father and doubt not, he blesses us. and when things still dont go the way we want, its because He knows something that we dont, and has a plan. As ive studied the atonement everyday, this is something that i have come to know for a surety and have applied in my daily work. I just trust in Him.I know this is HIS work, not ours. I know He knows our hearts and feelings, and who am i to doubt in Him? I am so grateful for my savior!!!

So, the big news. Im training this transfer. an american named sister Lacey. I knew it was coming. its been coming for awhile now. and while ive always thought the idea was fun, when i got the call, my stomach dropped. ohhhh this is gonna be so hard. its basically going to be like im doing things on my own. ahhhhh. just so many nerves and fears and worries and excitements that i cant even put it into one email, or into words. pray for me. we will see how this goes. im going to learn to rely on the lord like never before. 

 

So, sunday was transfer day. me and sister Fuller had joked around all transfer that she was going to the Azores. And then im taking a shower sunday morning and i hear sister fuller shouting at me thru the door, and im thinking, the house is on fire!!! oh no!!! but no. she got her transfer call early and was in fact going to the Azores!!! so after church and goodbyes instead of working we came home and she packed and then i took her to the train station and met up with the other sisters from the area next door. They are so fun. its always fun seeing new areas and houses and meeting new sisters and getting to know them and seeing the work. as we were out in their area, thats when transfer calls came. we all screamed.  its always fun, and always a little stressful, having to put your full faith in God again every six weeks.  

 

I never want to leave the mission. Saturday night we taught with the elders... long story, but i got to see our district leader, elder judd, who goes home today, teach. it was incredible. i felt the spirit a lot, and i loved it. and then sunday night we had a family night with all the youth in one neighborhood, and we talked about who christ was to them and it was just amazing. I just never wanna stop doing this. okay there are moments that i could have gone without, but in general... i love this work. i love my mission.

 

are you all reading the book of mormon????? i want individual answers!!! you have to finish it before i get home!!!! also, read D&C 121.45-46. virtue has been something i have been learning and applying. it all starts with our thoughts. except for pday, i do my best not to ever think about home. if i start thinking about people, places, etc, i start praying and talking to god. i sing a hymn. i do everything i can to just be open to the spirit, because i know the power of thoughts. think about that this week :)

Last week I was out of my area in the other sisters area for about three days while me and this other sister, sister stokes, waited for our newbies. I got to teach that man named Jose the gospel and all the commandments. it was SOOOOO COOOL. he is the boyfriend of a member, but he is way cool and it was cool to take part of that.

Thursday we went to benfica to get the newbies. Sister Morgan Lacey is from SoCal, shes a sweetheart and its been good. shes been kind of down lately and im trying to do my best between giving her opportunities to participate and not overwhelming her and letting her take breaks and still working hard. I also dont know how she learns yet, so this week will be a week of figuring that out. She hasnt cried yet though, so thats good! she also has the support of another sister in our district that just arrived here, and i think thats really helping her. But it will be an interesting transfer. I have been focusing on helping her say with conviction the little that she knows how to say. Shes overwhelmed with learning how to say everything, and i just want her to say what she knows with all of her heart! but we will get there.

During the week there was this city fair thing going on... on the street that we walk home every night there were all these stands for churros and crepes and icecream and games etc... well needless to say we bought a chocolate filled churro almost every night. it was so fun though. sometimes portugal just takes us by suprise and i love it!!

 

Paz, amor, casamento do templo,

 

sister Briggs