All right people I love.
I am going to dive into a furious 38 minutes of mad typing so I can tell you about my amazing week! I printed your emails and will read them depois. Looks like this is how it's going to work best from here on out! Sorry if I fail to respond to specific things in your emails. :/
We're going by categories:
Things that made me cry this week:
1. Mission Tour with Elder Kearon. Holy Cow, People. It was INCREDIBLE. He created the most amazing environment in which the spirit was so present and everyone felt completely comfortable sharing comments and questions and we all learned so much. He's British and funny and real and just wonderful. I am rooting for him to be the next member of the 12 even though I also really want it to be an African or a Latin American.
I'll share with you one story that I loved: He was talking about how much Heavenly Father loves us -- that He feels our pains and frustrations even more accutely that we feel them. He told about how when his youngest daughter Emma was 4 he was on a business trip in Holland one night and his wife told him the following story over the phone. That day little Emma had fallen and scraped her knees. She picked herself up, trembling and angry and crying and shouted, "I WANT DADDY!! DADDY WOULD BE SO SAD!!!"
When Elder Kearon heard this, his first reaction was to be really happy. Why? Because little Emma knew how deeply he cared for her. She knew he would be so sad that she was hurting.
Isn't this what we all want? Someone to sorrow when we sorrow and hurt when we hurt?
And isn't this exactly what Christ gave us, infinitely, completely? Elder Kearon said, speaking of our Heavenly Parents, "they ache for us. I really believe that. You'll understand this better when you are parents."
2. Hearing President Fluckiger bear his testimony. When he cries, I cry. End of story. It is so moving to see him talk about the Savior.
3. When Elder Da Veiga called us this morning to say goodbye. Okay I actually didn't cry but I came reallllly close.
4. When I talked to Sister Rad on the phone and she told me that Manuel told her that he wants to go on a mission FOR SURE and would go tomorrow if he could. Full mission, not mini. YES!!!!!! (okay I didn't actually cry at this one either, this category is getting fuzzy.) But still. I can't WAIT for him to go on a mission.
Let me sketch a few of our investigators:
1. Lidia. Lidia is a 38ish Brazilian mom who looks like a character on a tv show. She's gorgeous. She has 3 kids and is married to a Portuguese guy, Sergio, who owns a print shop. She wants to be more connected to Christ, but is having a hard time COMING TO CHURCH. Sheesh, people, church is COOL, OKAY? But she loves us a lot and is learning bit by bit. Will you pray for her?
2. Armando. Armando is probs like 50 and has a huge nose and used to be a professional volleyball player. He's way intellectual and that is why we didn't stop the lesson a few weeks ago when Pedro was teaching about the veil of forgetfulness and Kolob. Armando likes that kind of stuff. Pedro, our ward mission leader, has been great at reaching out to him. He comes to chruch basically every week and he told us he's been praying about baptisma and wants to talk to us about it. We are excited. :)
3. Elisabete. Elisabete is this awesome lady with 5 kids. FIVE. That is a lot in Portugal, and the oldest is like 11 or something so it seems like a LOT of little kids. We usually teach her in her tiny kitchen while she is making dinner, because she is so busy. She also hasn't come to church yet, but her 3 oldest daughers (8,9,11) have. They are so full of life and fun. Her husband Sergio is kinda like, "I'm not into religion" but I know the Lord can soften his heart. We realllllly want to get them to come to church so she can see how the gospel is EXACTLY what her family needs. They also have a dog named Scooby who is HUMONGOUS and disgusting.
Music makes me sooooo happy.
1. They called me the night before mission tour and asked me to bring my violin. :) Long story short in the space of about 30 minutes we ended up making up a SICK mash-up of Firmes Segui (Press Forward Saints) and Nossa Lei É Trabalhar (Put your shoulder to the wheel, better in portuguese and a sort of mission theme here in the mish). I was SO pleased with how it turned out, especially given the amount of time we had to prepare it. I love the little musical geek moments I get sometimes on the mission.
2. New Motab CD you sent, Mom. THANK YOU. I love it.
Funny things Elder Da Veiga said:
1. Sister Fluckiger was teaching us about gossip and how it always affects 3 people (gossiper, person being gossiped to, person being gossiped about). She was trying to get this answer out of us and asked, "There are three people involved in gossip. Who are they?" to which Elder Da Veiga said softly in the back row, "Elder Da Veiga....." HAHAHA I was dying.
2. At lunch the members commented that Elder Fortes hadn't said much. Da Veiga said, "Calma, Obama, Russia's not going to attack!"
3. He pronounced "BYU", "bee guy you". so good.
Reasons I love Sister Giberson:
1. At the ward karaoke party we got permission to sing something super tame so we sang Somewhere over the Rainbow, but then joked the rest of the night that we should have done Bohemian Rhapsody. Ha.
2. We are filled with fire to bring people in to this amazing ward in Matosinhos! We have a goal to baptize at least 2 families this transfer. Will you pray for us to be able to do so? We are starting today a 40 day fast of all the things we can do to be more aligned with the spirit. (this was a challenge from president). Oh yeah -- transfers -- we are staying together here in Matosinhos and will no longer be STL's. I'll miss the travel and going to mission council but it will be cool to have more time in our area and with our peeps.
The subject line comes from the Brazilian MMA fighter we contacted yesterday who is a new investigator. He was trying to say that Jesus came into the world simply and humbly. :) When we asked him what he needs in life he said, More Jesus. We said, You're talking to the right girls. :)
Okay fam I LOVE YOU.
You are the happiest thing. I love you.
Yours, yours,
Annie
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| Here's us at mission tour with elder kearon! 3 zones. |
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