A bird pooped on me

 

Hi fam!

Miracles from my week!!!!!

Terça:

- Super awesome lesson with Ana and a member. She accepted a pre-convite!!!!

- Sister Gonçalves gave us dinner to go 

Quarta:

- Bomb training and practica in District Counsel!! I really needed it!! They called us out on our lame street contacts and they taught the importance of showing love as well as being bold in saying that we have been called of God as missionaries!! To teach about the actual restored church of Jesus Christ!! Moroni 8:16 "Behold, I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear."

- In district counsel, I felt so good about my Portuguese!! And that doesn't always happen often so that's a win. 

Quinta:

- In a lesson with a menos ativo (moaning myrtle), she said she hasn't felt the Spirit that strong in years.

- João our security guard is on date for baptism!!!! Unfortunately tho! Not with us  He was progressing so well, but we were having a hard time meeting with him, but then we found out that he just works here in Moscavide, and doesn't live here. So we sent him away and now he's on date for baptism with the Sister AP's. 

- I laughed so hard two times today that my cheeks hurt. Once when we were walking and instead of saying "boa tarde" to this lady walking past us, Sister Cornell made eye contact with her and accidentally gave the most heart-felt "obrigada" I've ever heard. The other time when Sister Cornell was saying she was gonna piggyback off me during our next lesson and she translated it to "Vou estar nas costas de minha porquinha."

Sexta:

- We gave a lady our card on the metro on Thursday and today she messaged us!! This never happens!!! The only other time this has happened was with São so let's hope they have a similar outcome. 

- The best most fun member meal in the whole world!! I'm not kidding it was so much fun. It was with a young couple and the girl is the prettiest girl I've ever seen and they both served missions and are both fluent in English. It's amazing how fluent they are in English and hilarious too because they just so casually switch between both without hesitation. 

- Mom sent me so many packages that Sister Erickson made a special trip to the chapel just to deliver them to me  LITERALLY CHRISTMAS!!! I'm so blessed. I got some birthday packages and cards and it made my whole transfer let's be real. 

Not Milagres: 

- Spilled my the ordinary syrum.

- A bird pooped on me amazingly. Incredible job well done. Please look at the picture I've included. 

-Our washer stopped working. 

Sabado:

- Found a new friend knocking doors 

- Went to the first service project our ward has done since I've been here. It was helping a member's friend move houses and including us, 6 ward members where there to help. I'm a little disappointed in the turnout tbh but it ended up being super awesome because the non-member couple wants to meet with us!!! 

- We had a lesson with our most progressing friend Ana!! We invited her to be baptized officially on November 19th and she said she is gonna pray about!! So everyone pray for her and her prayers!! In the closing prayer Ana said "Thank you for sending these angel missionaries to preach your word and thank you for their families."  Isn't it so cute she thanked our families?

Domingo: 

-Daylight savings and we got an extra hour of sleep. Omg best night ever. 

- Our bishop gave a super awesome talk about angels in his life and shared some really cool stories from his mission I cried. After sacrament, São was talking to some other members and said, "Wasn't bishop's talk so good? My angels are right here." And she pointed to us 

Even with all of these miracles, this week has been a little toughy. I feel like I'm at the point now where I've been on the mission for awhile now, but still have a million years left. I love setting our goals for our friends every week and working so hard to reach them, but then you get to the end of the week and our goals reset and we start another week. And the weeks just keep coming!! There are many days when I don't feel like talking to every single person on the street, but I do it anyway, and I want to do it anyway, but it is very very exhausting. I was listening to one of my favorite songs, "However Long and Hard the Road," by Josh Menden and I decided to read the byu devotional "However Long and Hard the Road" by Elder Holland. And guys!! That devotional is so good!! Im gonna share some parts of the devotional that I've been reading over and over again this week. 

D&C 64: 33-34

"Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days."

"You are laying the foundation of a great work—your own inestimable future." 

This is Brigham Young speaking to the early pioneers after just announcing 3 more temples to be built when they still had 20 years left of building the Salt Lake temple: 

""Can you accomplish this work, you Latter-day Saints of these several counties?” he asked. And then in his own inimitable way he answered. “Yes; that is a question I can answer readily.(!!!!) You are perfectly ABLE to do it. The question is, have you the necessary faith? Have you sufficient of the Spirit of God in your hearts to say, yes, by the help of God our Father we will erect these buildings to His name? Go to now, with your might and with your means, and finish this Temple.”"

Or I like to think, "Have you sufficient of the Spirit of God in your hearts to say, yes, by the help of God our Father we will serve the people of Portugal and help them come unto Christ? Go to now, with your might and with your means, and finish this mission.”"

"Perhaps you will not see the full meaning of your effort in your own lifetime. But your children will, or your children’s children will, until finally you, with all of them, can give the Hosanna Shout."

I'm laying the foundation of a great work!! The best and most important thing I could be doing for my future and for my future family is this work. The Lord just requires a heart and a willing mind. Here's one of my favorite scriptures to finish us off:

D&C 128:22

"Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad."

Sister Menden 

Pics!

1-4. Cristo Rei!!

5. Prettiest sunrise 

6. The super cute young couple member meal!

7. We should've prayed before getting in this elevator 

8-9. The most precious ward flyer in the whole world?? 

10-11. Christmas in October 

12. Cutie temple

13. Hopefully Sister Cornell doesn't kill me for sending this 

14. Appreciate the bird poop splatter on the Book of Mormon and up my arm.