1 ANO NA MISSÃO 😵‍💫😵‍💫

on

 

Hi!!


Guys tomorrow, I hit 1 year on the mission!! 😱😱Isn't that insane!! And tomorrow we have a mission conference so I get to celebrate with all my besties.🥰🥰

But you know what that also means? That also means that 6 months to sexy starts literally tomorrow and I'm not ready. Everyone says that at this point in the mission you just get really tired and it's actually very true, but mostly I just think it's because we don't really have the time to be in as good of shape as we used to be. Talk about an all time spiritual high and an all time physical low. Bro I've lost all muscle my legs are just tree trunks. Somethings gotta change 😤 I guess I should start wearing my retainer again 😀

This week is actually insane because it's pday today and right now we're traveling 3 hours on the train (in chairs facing the wrong direction might I add) to make it to Lisbon. and today we have zone pday. Tomorrow we have our mission conference. and then Wednesday we have MLC (mission leadership conference). and then Thursday we have an exchange with sisters in our zone who live alll the way up here so then after the division we'll travel back the 3 hours and get home Thursday night. and then we have Domingo's baptism on Saturday!! Stress!! 

Domingos!!! is now getting baptized this Saturday!!! So happy!!! but also!!! Aline is now NOT getting baptized this Saturday. or in the near future. and we are so sad about it. 

Aline has been so amazing. I have learned sooo much from her. We've met so many times this week, she's learned all of the commandments and everything and she has been SO EXCITED for her baptism. I have the literal cutest picture of her. For one of our lessons she brought us a full on cake for us to take home it was so tender. And then we do not know what happened. well actually we do. We were in church,and she had to come to church to be able to get baptized, and she wasn't there so we called her, texted her to see if she was on the way and then she sent us this text
"Good morning
 No
 I have my sick daughter, I think it's nothing serious, but I have no one to leave her with.
 Also, I'm not going to be baptized anymore, I've been talking to my family and we've come to think about it so I don't really have the will in my heart.
 Well, I was already baptized in the Catholic Church, and I belong to Spiritism, in which case I can't stop going to the spiritual hospital to help those in need, I also can't stop going to the center
 Thank you in advance for all your attention and affection.
 If one day I feel prepared to follow this religion, I look for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
😭😭😭
We just were so shocked. There had never been any hint hesitance or anything since we've started meeting with her. We sent her a message telling her that we were sad lol because we were and then she LEFT OUR GROUP CHAT. I don't know what really happened with her family or anything, but the opposition our friends face once they've marked a date to be baptized is soooo real you guys. Satan knows the power that comes from our covenants! and he'll do anything to stop us from making and keeping them. I know Aline will be a member of Jesus Christ's church one day but I guess that time is not right now. 

Highlights of the Week:
- A LOT of our friends and members have prayed specifically for "the sisters' families" and that makes me tear up every time.
- Our Ukranian friend is still super cute and he always insists that we pray on our knees and I actually love it. It reminds me of how not casual our prayers should be. 
- I had an exchange with Sister De Gaston in Faro!! Sister De Gaston actually lived on my same floor in Heritage and was in the relief society presidency isn't that insane. 
- Had this super fun member meal with this couple that reminded me soo much of Josh and Em and Ollie. This couple is only a few years older than Josh and Em and they have a little girl that's 3 years old and they were just so fun. Saudades 🥲 We couldn't decide what to do for their lesson, but eventually we decided we should talk about Helaman 5:12. And it was one of the most powerful member lessons ever. At the end of the lesson, the Irmã showed us that they both have Helaman 5:12 inscribed on the inside of their wedding rings. It was very cool.

The mission is veeery humbling. And being an STL has been veeery humbling. There has been a couple days this week where I've been very overwhelmed with all of my inadequacies and weaknesses and faults. I just want to do everything perfectly the first time and be done with it. I've been struggling thinking that I'm doing everything terribly and frustrated with myself just wanting to do things better. 

Our mission conference, is going to be very centered on Christ. And in preparation for the conference, President deleted facebook from all of our phones, having us do facebook work just on computers, and invited us to have a very spirit filled, Christ centered week. And man have I talked about how inspired he is?? This week was so good for me. We've been studying a lot about Jesus Christ as His atonement, and the Spirit has brought to my mind this scripture a lot this week. 

Ether 12:27
"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

"God loves us as we are, but He also loves us too much to leave us this way." So He gave us weaknesses, but He also gave us His Son and His atonement so that we would have the power to change!! To make real change!! I shouldn't look upon my weaknesses and faults with frustration but with faith in Christ, knowing that with Him they can become strengths. I can find peace in knowing that His grace is sufficient and that it's not only a mission long pursuit, but a "life-time pursuit."

"These days I spend a lot less time hating myself for what I have done (and my weaknesses and inadequacies) and a lot more time loving Jesus for what He has done.”

I love being a missionary 💗 
Sister Menden

Worthiness Is Not Flawlessness


I need to be better at taking pics 
- Aline 😭 and the bolo 😭
- us candidly knocking doors
- Sister De Gaston!
- I learned in Gaia last transfer that it's actually normal here for people, like full grown adults, to say "ah bolas!" Like "oh balls!" And I did not believe it. But then I've heard some old Portuguese members say it and then I was on the computer and saw this and it's real you guys. Not making this stuff up. 
- A lesson we had with a portuguese, a Russian, and a Guinea-Bissau n? So cool. Two of them are in our ward and are recent converts within the past year. 
- Family home evening 🥰
- We ward share with the Sisters from Olhão! 













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