Shark week

 

Hi!!! 

Not gonna lie!! This week was kind of tough!! Mostly it was hard because it felt like all of our friends wouldn't mark a time to meet with us and then if they did they canceled. And then I'm just way too hard on myself and feel like I'm not doing enough even when really it's out if my control. In real life time, a week without a lesson from the missionaries seems normal, but a week in missionary is time is soooo so long. I want to be having lessons every couple of days with these people!! But we have so many friends it's so stressful trying to coordinate schedules and prioritizing some friends over others and leaving time open just in case they have time but also not leaving time just wide open and also coordinating with members to be in lessons but then making sure friends don't cancel. And so anyways. Grey hairs demais people. 

On Thursday this week we had a lesson with Alexsandra!! This is the lady I talked about last week, Alexsandra and Cleber. It was very cool. During the lesson she had two very specific questions, and I remembered and was able to share two specific answers from the Book of Mormon from two scriptures I had read earlier that day in personal study. So cool!! She was crying and so happy that the Book of Mormon had more answers. 

Friday we had zone conference!!!!! I love zone conference! Our zone conference was in Coimbra so we took an hour long train ride there and back. It was my first zone conference out of Lisbon so that was kind of fun to be in a smaller zone. Every zone conference President sends out a talk or topic for everyone to write a talk on, and then randomly has an elder and a sister give their prepared talk. Guess who the lucky sister was this time  ok I really don't feel like it would be too bad if I was able to do it in english you know, but in Portuguese and in front of millions of missionaries and a celebrity (President Barcellos), terrível. I was so red up there you would not believe. But I think it went well! Well for having written the talk on the train ride there! Lol. President spoke, and we had some really good trainamentos which I always feel are so inspired. Sister Barcellos had us make ornaments for her tree haha and we had a bomb lunch and Santa came (also President Barcellos) and we did a big secret Santa! President and Sister Bacellos gave all the sisters a necklace and all of the Elders a tie and the necklace is so cute  sooo nice of them. 

After zone conference we stayed in Coimbra and had interviews with Pres! It's kind if crazy, he told me that while he was planning the last tranfer board, he originally had plans to split our area, Aveiro, into two and to have 4 sisters here because of how crazy it is! But then he felt strongly all of a sudden that another area needed it more. He said he's going to be praying very hard to know what to do for Aveiro this next transfer. I wish we could have interviews with President every week  His counsel is gold to me. 

Saturday was a GOOD day. Riding off of that zone conference high. I had a bomb personal study, even more bomb than normal, that morning and it really made a difference. Oh my gosh. We found this family on the street!!!!! The cutest most prepared family!!!! But they live in Porto and were just visiting Aveiro  The mom works in a barbershop and apparently years ago, she used to always cut the Elders hair. She went on and on talking about how awesome they were and how they now have families and she follows them on Facebook and ya!! Her as well as her older kids were so interested in learning more! They asked US if they could take a picture with us and please look at the grandma holding the Book of Mormon on display  Sometimes I can't believe missionary work is real. Ugh so cool. 

We had our ward Christmas party that night!! My ward is like 10% portuguese and 90% everywhere else. Everyone is from Brasil, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile, everywhere. And so the party was celebrating everyone's nationalities and their Christmas traditions, and then of course coming together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ! They all brought dishes from their country and it was sooo bomb. Mostly the brazilian food lol. It was the cutest thing in the whole world. Each country went up and talked about their traditions and sang some of their Christmas songs and everyone was so happy to be sharing such a big part of who they are it was so tender.  We somehow got roped into singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas and Silent Night as a duet so that was awesome. We had 7 friends at the party!!! By the end of the night I was soooo pooped so socially exhausted. 

Ok we had 7 friends at the party but only 4 friends at church  We've got some work to do lolsies. After church we had a lesson with our friend Gean, and this man is so ready for the gospel!!! I became emotional as he talked about how he's gone to quite a few churches, but he's never been baptized because nothing ever worked out and felt right. The Spirit was there as we bore strong testimony that God will manifest to him that this is Jesus Christ's church. I'm so excited for him!!! It's lessons like these that get me through the evil ladies on the phone and the people telling us que não vale a pena. (Okay but for real though. Recently we've gotten quite a few references from online from people wanting to learn more about the Book of Mormon. They give us their full name, number, email, even address, just so we can come into contact with them and teach about the Book of Mormon AND THEN they find out that we're not catholic and are immediately so evil. If your religion had another book of scripture don't you think you would know about it? Haha ugh)

On Sunday night there was another ward activity! Kind of!! It was a ward caroling activity. The ward was gonna sing in the center of town by the big tree and we were told to bring lots of cards so we could talk to people walking by! We got there and there was a grand total of 4 people, including us!! This one lady still wanted to sing so we sang for a hot sec and it was sooo funny because normally I think it would've been pretty embarrassing but I've gotten to the point now where I've accepted that being a missionary means also being so okay with doing things that are a little embarrassing and awkward lol. It was hilarious. If you guys are lucky I'll include the video I took 

During this Christmas season, the whole mission has been following a study plan, centered on the life of Jesus Christ, reading from the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and Preach My Gospel, and it has been the most amazing thing. Every day I've been trying to intentionally learn something new about our Savior, and everyday I do! As I've been reading and studying, something that continues to move me tears are the accounts of Jesus praying, and the relationship He has with our Father in Heaven. Sometimes the accounts of Jesus praying are in more detail, and sometimes, if you read too fast you'll miss them. 

"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone." Matt. 14:23

"Jesus groaned within himself, and said: Father, I am troubled... he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold he prayed unto the Father... so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father... no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father... And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full." 3 Nephi 17:14-20

Even being Jesus Christ, He turns to the Father and finds rest in prayer. 

"And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him... And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Luke 2:40,52

Even being Jesus Christ, He prayed and worked spiritually to be strong in the spirit, and filled with wisdom. He is the perfect example to us!!

What an amazing time of year to celebrate Him! He is our Savior. He is our Brother. He is Wonderful. He is our King. He is the Prince of Peace. 

Merry Christmas!!! I love you all  

 Sister Menden

Ok I have a million pictures but I wanna explain them lol.

1&2. "In Favor with God" by Simon Dewey. I love this picture!!

3. This is what a roasted chestnut is if anyone is curious!! You eat the brain looking stuff on the inside! They have little carts roasting and selling chestnuts everywhere. Not my favorite thing tbh ngl

4. Me and Dwayne the rock Johnson 

5. 6 MONTHS!!

6&7. Cutie Portugal

8. I finally figured out why sister adib looked familiar to me lol

9. My first Pão de Deus de Aveiro and I actually like it better than the Padaria Portuguesa  I'm a traitor 

10-13. Zone conference!! Me ending the secret Santa with a pig  pois. Also I look gross in that picture but look how cute President and Sister Barcellos are!!! Also our mission symbol is the lighthouse! 

14. What happens when Sister Cornell is not longer around to make cookies so I'm left in charge 

15. THE CUTE FAMILY WE FOUND ON THE STREET!!!! 

16-18. The ward party! Those two little boys are adorable I cannot get over them. 

19. Sugar mommy

20. Caroling crew  sorry squad the video is too big but you guys can imagine hahaha