All i have to do right now is write this email

 I have so much I want to say about this week!! but I have had literally no time!!! There are so many sisters in the apartment all of a sudden that I can talk to and I haven't had time to write lol!!

Tuesday:

- Me and Sister Adib's last day together as comps :(((( We are soo happy to still be living together but it actually was still really sad!!

- Our new comps weren't arriving until late, so we did a little weekly planning before they came. We aren't dividing the area at all, just sharing it, and so during weekly planning we split up our friends and we tried to do it pretty evenly! Even after dividing the area it's crazy how many friends with a lot of potential we have. 

- Sister Smith!!! My new comp!!! We're so similar it's so fun! She also lived in Heritage for the year and then came out on the mission. She's majoring in studio art and is a reeaallly good artist it's so cool. This last transfer she opened a new area on the islands and they had very few friends and lessons so she is excited to be working here!! 

- Guys this transfer, me and Sister Smith are moderators for the mission Facebook page. In the past the technology elders would just assign any dupla to do an hour of moderating the page (responding to messages comments etc) and before this transfer I've done it twice and it was not very effective. But this is the first transfer where they have chosen I think maybe 15 duplas only to do it and to do it with more frequency. This week we did an hour of moderation of the page every day (I know!! a whole hour!!) and at first I really was not too thrilled but guys it's actually been kind of cool. Every time we've done it, we've been able to get at least one person's number and address to send as a reference to missionaries somewhere in Portugal. I really think the page is being used a lot more effectively now. Everyone go follow it!!! Lol 

Wednesday:

- We all traveled to district council and with the travel and the buses being so late that took like alllll day. And everything is more fun now because we do it as the 4 of us

- At our aula de ingles, we marked with 3 new friends to learn about the gospel!! 

Thursday:

- The area book came SO FAST this transfer!! Que bênção. But not super awesome because we sent our friends over to our new area book and half of them are just gone?? Not in the other sisters area book or ours?? So lol stress

- On Thursday we had our weekly ministração with our STLs, and I can actually say that this was the best ministração ever. I talked with Sister Shoell and this is her first transfer as an STL and she just gave such good advice and it was just so sweet. 

- Because we spent our whole day on Wednesday with the other sisters, this day was more of me and Sister Smith's first day working together. And she literally is so awesome but I always forget just how exhausting the start of a new transfer with a new comp is. Very tiring really getting to know someone and learning how you work together. But it was a good day. I've never slept harder. 

Friday:

- The only thing I remember about this day is that we stopped this cute scarily friendly family who turned out to be gypsies. The mom was telling me how they've been gypsies for a year now and how they love it so much

Saturday: 

- In between lessons on Saturday, we decided to go visit a less active member who we've never had contact with, with failed attempts last transfer. But we decided to go anyway and it was just a cool little afternoon full of little miracles. We were walking and we stopped this couple as we were walking past them in the crosswalk. They were hesitant of first but after a minute, they told us they are in desperate need of more peace. We got their numbers, marked a lesson, and kept going. We got to the less actives house and we buzzed up to her apartment but she didn't let us in. But then someone random let us in which was also a miracle because no one in that apartment building has done that before. The less active member opened the door and was very stand off ish. After her telling us to come back another time, we just let her know that we were there just to see how she is doing and see if she needed anything. It was so amazing to see her countenance change. We were able to have a little lesson with her and she was tearing up as she thanked us before we left. Milagres. 

Sunday:

- Church was SO FUN! All of the members were so happy and so cute and so excited to have 4 sisters. When they found out all 4 of us are staying and working here their jaws were on the ground. Everyone in the whole world invited us for meals it was so cute!!!

- We had a lesson with our friend Nestor last night! He has been taught a little bit in the past, and was a grey dot who we recently made green. We had a super cool lesson. He doesn't believe in God, and we ended up teaching a little bit of the plan of Salvation. and at the end of the lesson the Spirit was so strong. I started tearing up as I told him just how much his Father in Heaven loves him. and just how excited our Father in Heaven is to talk to him. Nestor said the sweetest closing prayer telling God that he will pray and talk with Him every day this week.  Sometimes it takes me writing these lessons out for me to realize just how amazing these experiences are, because they just happen so often. 

GUYS!!!! Gean  Ok so here is the story. While we've been teaching Gean, he's been living with his cousin, who is a member, while his wife and kids have been in Brasil. He had come to check out Aveiro and get a job before his family were to come. We had marked his baptismal date and everything he was coming to church everything was perf. and theeeen his family got here this past week. and turns out his wife is a member and has been in-active for 7 years. and he won't get baptized without her approval and she won't give it  My heart  He didn't come to church this week for the first time in forever.  Everyone pray for Gean.

Aveiro is so blessed. I'm so blessed to be here. I'm scared for the day when I get kicked out tbh!! Even having split our friends we've been having some great lessons with is suuuch a blessing it doesn't super feel like we're opening an area. Being the senior comp now, I've been a little bit more stressed because I want to make sure we're making the right decisions and doing what the Lord wants and teaching with the Spirit and according to our friends needs. I found this scripture while studying pregar meu evangelho. 

D&C 28 

15 And it shall be given thee from the time thou shalt go, until the time thou shalt return, what thou shalt do.

16 And thou must open thy mouth at all times, declaring my gospel with the sound of rejoicing. Amen.

This scripture hit so hard. I was thinking about it this week, and verse 15 really applies to our mortal life here on Earth as well. From the time thou shalt go, until the time thou shalt return, it shall be given thee what thou shalt do. Our loving Heavenly Father is looking out for us, and Him and His angels are waiting for our glorious return. I love to imagine His joy and His rejoicing in our growth and progress here in this life!! 

I love you guys!! 

Sister Menden

Ok I have 2 minutes left of pday I can't explain these pics but look at this cute contact we made as we were waiting for the new sisters at the train station. He started reading the Book of Mormon right away it was so tender and so cool that I was able to sneak a sneaky picture hahaha.