(I really love how Ben always starts his emails like that. Hey, Beloveds. Whaddup?)
Way back in my first transfer, I got a package from Nate and Grandma Bonnie, which included a box of Shakespearian magnetic poetry. I never opened it in Lagos because our fridge was wooden on the outside. However, I pulled it out this week, and Sister Wach composed some wonderful stuff. "methinks you art a saucy wanton. therefore damn you, wicked maiden." "oe'r yonder ocean comes the tempest until this my seemly bosom be thine". all sorts of choice little wacky shakespearian-english funnies. that is where the subject line comes from, too.
We got to go to Lisbon this week! We had to renew our residence cards, so we were actually away from Ponta Delgada for almost 3 days. Kinda crazy. Lisbon is this huge, sprawling city. Wayne, you're going to love Lisbon, I think. You're all going to love it. One of my favorite things about being there was seeing all the missionaries who were there for Mission Council the same day. I got to see Sister Warburton!! And Elder Garcia from the MTC! He speaks Portuguese now! :) Also, I got your package with the oils mom, thank you! I´d love some instructions! And the package from the reunion and a bunch of letters that had been sitting there. Thank you thank you to all! The best part is the family photos! I love looking at them every day. :)
I am so glad the dead lizard made it! Did it smell really bad when you opened it? :)
Let me tell you about a couple miracles from the week! Remember how I said I have a desire to find jovens here on the island? (young people). It is happening. Last Sunday we were headed toward the church to watch a church movie with the ward, which we usually do every Sunday. But I felt like we should stay outside that day and keep talking to people in the street. Sister Wach was down, so we passed by some houses of investigators and did some street contacts, nothing too splendid. On our way back to the church, we started a conversation with a young man named Diogo. He was interested, so we set up a return appointment. Later that night, when we were leaving the church parking lot, He pulled up on a scooter with his friend João and said, "Hey, can João come too?" Um.....YES. When it was the day for the appointment, crazy things happened and we were running late and he'd given us the wrong number (happens a lot, for various reasons) so we figured we had missed them. But we felt like walking to our next thing by way of where we had first met them just in case. So we walk that way. Then this lady stops us and she's like, "Hey, I'm a member of the church in Ribeira Grande." So we play with her kid for a bit and talk to her a little and right at the end of the conversation, lo and behold, Diogo and João pull up on the scooter!! Rad. Sadly, they have other plans for right then, but we were able to invite them to church. I really feel like the spirit helped me be friendly and, like, relatable with them, but also testify of why it is important to come to church. They told us, "Yeah, weird things happen to us. Like, spiritual things." I am hoping that is a good sign. They are cool kids and seem open. But they didn´t come to church. We have an appointment with them tomorrow. Pray they can make it and feel the truth of our message!
The other jovem we are teaching is André. He's marked for baptism this week, but he also didn't make it to church yesterday. :( (Everyone in Portugal sleeps in until forever every day. When we say chruch is at 10, they say, "That is SO EARLY!") But he is sweet and sincere. He has never left this island. He has this great swoopy hair-do. We met him at the guided tour of the chapel a couple weeks ago. When we taught the first lesson, and explained about praying to know if it is true, he was like, "I already know." "Really?" "Yeah, I mean, I just believe it." It reminded me of the spiritual gift of believing, and how Christ is always saying how the people who believe are blessed. I think he plays computer games a LOT. Please pray for him to have the faith to keep moving forward, and for us to know how to teach him and help him get to know Christ. We are hopefully going to see him tonight.
President Fluckiger's last letter included this phrase: "Repentance is one of our greatest resources". Cool, huh? I have been thinking of repentance as a resource, and I think it is a great way to think of it. Change! Life is about change! Changing for the better through the merits and mercy and grace of Jesus Christ. I want to repent more often and more constructively.
Well. You all sound great. I am a tad jealous that school has started. School is the bee's knees. Live it up, ok? I am excited to hear about LBB results and how everything is going. Mom and Dad, I love you! Ben, Joe, Coby, I am crazy about you three. Wayne, Nate, I can't tell you how grateful I am that you are my two older brothers. And the rest of you, too, I love you. I am the luckiest girl ever.
Every week when I read your emails I laugh my head off and Sister Wach is like, "What!?" and then I try to explain why Dad saying the Storytelling Festival is the mac makes me laugh so hard, and she's just like, "Ha.... ha". So so good.
Oh! I think the lice (piolhos!! gag.) are all dead. Halle-stinking-lujah!
Will try to attach photos.
Take care of each other. I love you to the ends of the earth.
Sister Sandholtz
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| me and Sis Wach (Wok, Dad) |
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| This is us with Mira. She is the bomb. Too bad she doesn't want to get baptized. :( |
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| Atlantic Ocean!! |
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| This is the path we go running on each morning. |
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| This is us with some kids in a park. They were making fun of our friend João so then we told them he is actually cool then we made friends with them. |
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| This is us taking the lice out of my hair. Good times. Sister Wach is a saint. |
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| Here is when we found out I had lice with the STLs. Don't you love how they all look all cute and funny, pretending they have lice, and then there's me, who actually HAS lice, looking like I want to die. Imagine feeling that way, then having to go teach and tract all day. |
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| Here's me on Steph's wedding day. :) |
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| I match the door. Steph picked out this outfit for me to wear on her wedding day. Then we saw this door with the exact same colors and that's how this picture was born. :) |
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| baptism of Carla and Daniel. these kids are absolutely awesome |
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| Did I ever send this one of me and Nelma? She gave me this dress, then was super happy when I wore it. |
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