Man! I feel like a woman

 

Hello!!

This week was so awesome. We had so many lessons and stayed super busy. 

Reasons Why Sister Menden Cried:

- P-day night blues. 

- The chocolate bar wouldn't cut to make chocolate chips. 

- The Christmas snow globe at the store. 

- The brownies weren't done yet. 

Reasons Why Sister Cornell Threw up:

- Lasagna.

-The smell of lasagna in the microwave the next day.

- Bacalhau.

- Cachupa.

- Milka chocolate.

Don't worry Sister Cornell is getting help LOL. 

Terça:

- Went and got my Portugal residency so now I'm official!!

Quarta:

- We were calling grey dots and I accidentally was belting so loud "Lay All Your Love on Me" as a man answered the phone. 

- We sheduled some of our extra time to hit the rua and it ended up working out sooo perfectly. Right as our rua time started, a member randomly texted us telling us to come to the chapel because her friend is interested in learning more about the church! We ran over there and this man has been coming to the church every week to do family history work on the computers there and is super interested!! We taught him about the Restoration right there it was so cool! 

- São invited us over to have Cachupa at her house  It was so bomb. We have a little group of members, including São, who we joke around that they are our friend group because we do everything all together. Lourença calls us "minha gente." So tender. Anyways we were all eating at São's and then we all traveled to the chapel together for our english class. São told me I walk like the police and made fun of me the whole way there HAHA. Lourença started walking very slowly, walking behind us, and said, "A cachupa está a sair." I did in fact pee my pants a little laughing so hard. Please look that one up.

Quinta: 

- Two times this day people asked us to pray and reconsider our beliefs. 

- All of my dreams are about being a missionary!!! I have no reprieve!!! I had a dream about being a fube and I knew I was being a fube but I didn't do anything about my fubeness. I was so stressed the whole dream. Another dream I had was about me staying in Tejo for 5 transfers  

Sexta:

- I had a division with Sister Hyde, my STL! I learned so much holy cow!! That was weird that I typed holy cow just now. Perdão. She stayed and worked with me in Tejo and we were so busy.

- Things worked out so perfectly. People showed up late to lessons but it was perfect because we ended up teaching the temple security guard! in that time so literally things all day worked out like that. 

- I have a list of things I learned from her, but one of my take aways was that as missionaries, we really set the tone in our lessons. If we are engaged and attentive and teaching in a way that will invite the Spirit, He will be there! It's important to me that the people I'm teaching see how happy and excited I am to be here and to be teaching the good news of the gospel!

- We had a lesson planned with Jurdiney, the man who's married to another man, and we were planning on teaching the Law of Chastity and a member was gonna be with us and it was gonna be awesome. Sister Cornell thought she had lucked out not having to teach because of our division lol, but Jurdiney ended up cancelling last minute. But allll day I was so nervous. How could I, a 20 year old girl, who knows literally nothing and has no life experience, be allowed to teach such a lesson? I read in preach my gospel during personal study and I found a lot of comfort in the fact that I do in fact have the authority to teach this lesson, and "As you prayerfully and worthily exercise that authority, you will receive spiritual power, which is evidence of the reality of your call. Do not be afraid or shy about fulfilling this commission."!!!! Anyways, our lesson was canceled, so until next week!!

- Our stake patriarch is in Sister Hyde's ward and he invited all 4 of us sisters over for dinner it was so kind. During dinner, he was telling us about his calling, and said that as he's giving the blessing, he only says 30% of what he sees. And that the other 70% is for us to discover as we read and reap the blessings throughout our lives. Isn't that so cool?? 

Sabado:

- I was able to watch Grandma's funeral through zoom  Such a blessing. 

Domingo:

- Sister Cornell aggressively swatting at the rain. 

- I think staying here in Tejo for 3 transfers has been such a blessing just alone because of how I've been able to stay with São and watch her grow as a member of the church. We were in second hour of church and she was sharing a thought she had and I literally started tearing up and getting emotional thinking about the change I've seen in her and how sad it'll be to leave her. 

This week is the last week of the transfers!! And it's gonna be so fun!! but also sad!! because Sister Cornell and I are for sure getting split up.  Today is Sister Cornell's 9 month mark, and then Wednesday is her birthday, and then Thanksgiving, and then on Saturday we are going to the temple with São  Best week ever. 

Last week I was telling Sister Cornell about how much I love being a woman and that sounds funny and she bullied me about it but it's literally so true. I've been thinking about it a lot recently. I was reading in Alma 18 about Ammon and King Lamoni, and I never have paid attention to the queen and Abish and their faith before. The queen was the most faithful person out of all of the Nephites, not the Lamanites, but the Nephites. Abish stayed firm in her faith all by herself, and when she had the chance to show the power of God, she literally ran to tell and gather people. When there was confusion and contention, Abish felt so strongly it moved her to tears. "Because Abish and the Lamanite queen had such great faith, they helped create a ripple effect that was felt for generations." (June 2020 Come Follow Me) Im literally just in awe of women. I love the power that a righteous woman has. I love the nurturing side and awareness of others that women have. And that power and effect lasts generations!! And that power is manifest to me through all of the women in my life. 

"Your virtue, light, love, knowledge, courage, character, faith, and righteous lives will draw good women of the world, along with their families, to the Church in unprecedented numbers!" Pres. Nelson

"We know that the culminating act of all creation was the creation of woman! We need your strength!" Pres Nelson

 Sister Menden