2 Months as a Missionary!!!!

Bom dia!!

Hello everybody!!! Okay this week, I decided I would try to make note of all the miracles I saw! And it has helped me soooo so much to see how much God is blessing me even amidst my trials.

MILAGRES:

Segunda-feira:

- Being able to talk to my family (cry to my family) :))

- I'm in Portugal!! Speaking actual Portuguese with people!!!! That's so cool!! Idk why it took me a hot sec to really appreciate that.

Terca-feira:

- I used the correct form of ter in Preterite tense without hesitation lol!!

- Because of training, we had a trio with Sis Shoell!

- While we were waiting for my metro pass, two people accepted a Book of Mormon!! Eliana cried reading 3 Nephi 11!! She was so excited that SHE asked for a picture with us and her Book of Mormon.

Quarta-feira:

- Exchanges today!!! With Sister Muir!! Such a blessing to work with her and see how she does missionary work.

- Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne came on the radio in a member's car You know I was belting that in my head.

- Bolo with a member! Every day this week, I've gone into many different homes and seen many different circumstances, and my appreciation for my family and my home and my country has increased literally so much. Especially with having lived in Brazil, I learned to be extremely grateful, but even now, I continually am learning how blessed I really am.

- First time inviting someone to be baptized and them accepting!!!!!! The Spirit was so strong, we were all crying even though I couldn't understand a lot of what he said. That feeling of peace and joy when he accepted the invitation, really is why I'm here.

- Made pumpkin cookies!

Qunta-feira:

- Got to talk to my stl a little this morning and was soooo awesome.

-Met and marked lessons with 3 people!!

-I could understand what Luis said over the phone!! Now to respond is another thing lol.

-The Spirit helped me remember questions I had studied earlier in the day, during our lesson with Ali!!

- Member meal tonight Suuuch good lasagna.

- No blisters today! Lol

Sexta-feira:

- Autocarro had no one on it but us!

- We were at the church, and went to the bathroom just as a member was looking for a Book of Mormon she could keep. Such perfect timing.

-Ran into Ali on the metro home somehow, and we're seeing him tomorrow!!

- Sister Taylor made me dinner :) I really should learn how to cook :)

- Others Sisters' water was turned off so they stayed with us!!!

- Movie night! Found out that all of the good cheesy mormon movies are in our mission drive - truly amazing. We started watching Prince of Egypt!!! Deliver us goes so hard.

Sabado:

- Had breakfast at a Pastelaria today! We have two pastelarias only 5 minutes from our house. I'm gonna be so fat lol

- Was able to practice the piano at the chapel for a minute and it was awesome I missed it

- I felt more comfortable with my Portuguese during a lesson with Carla! I'm so grateful for the Lord and His help because even during the lesson, I recognized that in no way was my Portuguese my doing lol.

- Another online reference! We've had one at least everyday this week!! So many people to teach in this area and so little time haha. And our area is tiny too!!

- I was asked to give a talk next week in church Ok not a miracle cuz I'm absolutely terrified!!!! My first week here I went up and introduced myself to the big dogs in our ward, and even then I thought to myself, "I'm gonna regret this." And I do.

Domingo:

- 6 friends at church today!!!

- I talked to this older man for a long time on a park bench and my trainer didn't have to help me translate!! Sooo cool.

This week has been a lot better!! Still really hard, but better. I've been so worried and stressed about everything, about the language, the lessons we're teaching, my comp. But this talk really helped me feel seen and gave me some desperately needed perspective. I share this now, because I have a lot of friends also just starting their mission and I recommend a read or a re-read of Elder Holland's, "The Miracle of a Mission."

"The culture is new, the language is new, and you have every right and every reason, at least every understandable reason, to be homesick...

Everything that has ever blessed me I owe to the gospel, collectively broadly, and to my mission specifically.

So don't worry about being homesick. Don't worry about being new. Don't worry about the language. None of that matters. It will not matter. God loves you and this is the truth and you can do it! Just reach down, pull up your socks, and go to work... Start fast. Run hard, and to the tape! You can rest later.

Stop worrying that YOU have to do this. This is God's work! He will watch you! He will answer your prayers! He has legions of angels and teams of chariots to run to your aid this very hour. He will bless you! This is His work, but you have to do it His way! That's the contract.

...He'll do the work and He'll give you the words to say and the language to say it and the testimony to bear and the places to go and the doors to knock on and the people to inquire of on the street. He'll do all of that if you will pledge to live by the Spirit and be obedient and testify by the Holy Ghost and do the work His way."

Sometimes I catch myself daydreaming about how I could be driving to swig right now, or walking down the aisles of target, but no!!! I only have 18 months!!! I'm already done with 2 of those months!!! That's absolutely insane!!! I'll have time for swig and target when I get back, for now my time is the Lord's. Everything I do, is to show my love for Him and my gratitude to Him. And that's what motivates me, even when it's so hard. I can ask God to deliver me from this trial and "Yes, God can provide miracles instantaneously, but sooner or later we learn that the times and seasons of our mortal journey are His and His alone to direct" ("Waiting on the Lord" Elder Holland). In Ecclesiastes 3, we learn that every time and season is for a purpose. There's a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to embrace (family) and a time to refrain from embracing (verses 4 and 5). This week I learned that it's okay to feel all of these emotions!! I don't have to be a perfect missionary. I just need to be willing to do HIS work, and know that "He hath made everything beautiful in His time" (verse 11).

I love you all!! Email me!!!

Sister Menden

Pictures:

1. This is where we have our lessons with Ali! Right outside his house!

While we were teaching a spider landed on Sister Taylor's arm and bit her lol.