Christmas in June 😃😃

Hey!!

The transfer ends this week you guys!! It flew by!! And I only have 4 more 😵‍💫 If I'm not in Faro this time next week This transfer has been suuuuch a rollercoaster with soo many emotions. We were supposed to have 3 different baptisms, and none of them happened. And now it seems like almost all of our friends are fubecas sooo I'm excited for a fresh start this next transfer!!

Highlights of the week:

- I had an exchange with Sister Lingwall in Albufeira!! It was a really good exchange and it was so fun for us to go and get them hype about their area. We had this cool lesson where a member shared her conversion story and shared that her time in the catholic church really prepared her to be ready for the Church of Jesus Christ. I LOVED that and then I found this that I loved in Preach my Gospel (THE NEW ONE!!). "Heavenly Father may have blessed the people you find with valuable spiritual preparation. The steps they have already taken may have prepared them to make covenants with God through baptism in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

- Mom sent me mountain dew and nerds clusters best week ever.

- We've been teaching our english classes on Saturday all transfer and it's been lamo. So we finally moved it to Wednesday this week and we had a lot more friends come!! And members too!! It was so fun I missed it!!

- Sister Cornell and Sister Austin came to play!!! We had an exchange with the SAP's and they came here and stayed with us 2 nights. Guys I'm so blessed. I spent the day with Sister Austin and it was SO GOOD. She's such an amazing missionary. I was literally Elder Calhoun from the Best Two Years taking notes of everything she said, trying to get all of the wisdom out of her asking millions of questions so that I can be better.

- THE NEW PREACH MY GOSPEL guys I don't even have the words to describe how excited I am. It's embarrassing I'm literally giddy. I saw that it came out and it was literally the same vibes as Christmas morning. I'm gonna come back to this later.

- Church was so HAPPY this week. It's always happy, but this week was extra happy because the members were just so happy. There was a noticeable difference and I'm convinced it's because the whole ward went to the temple the day before in a big caravan. I think the majority of the ward only goes to the temple once or twice a year because of how far it is and that makes me so sad.

- Because I know you guys are all wondering, I still have a million grey hairs and Sister Webster has taken on the role of pulling them out for me. Well after church we were all chilling and the Sisters from Olhão pointed out this one huge grey hair of mine sticking straight up like Alfalfa and even though they tried their very hardest, they could not pull it out. Meanwhile, one of my favorite member Filipe was saying "Não tiras! Não tiras!" and I was like "Sim tiras!!" And then finally they all gave up and I made Filipe pull it out and PLEASE LOOK AT THIS PICTURE SISTER WEBSTER TOOK. THE SMILE ON HIS FACE YOU CAN EVEN ZOOM AND SEE THE GREY HAIR IN HIS HAND. I peed my pants a little laughing so hard. I'm never gonna forget the day when this cute Portuguese man pulled out my grey hair.

- We had one of our ministering calls with some sisters, and at the end, one of the Sisters told us that she's had loooots of STL's, but that we are her favorite, along with Sister Martini. Isn't that so tender?? I'm literally so honored

Lowlights of the week:

- A lot of our friends are being fubecas So we had millions of lessons fall through which is sad because I love teaching these people!!

- Having lots of lessons fall through means lots of time for finding which I don't mind except for the fact that it is getting SO HOT HERE. Help

- I do not know why, but everyone keeps asking me to play the piano and I'm the most mid piano player. Ok I'm not that bad but the second I have to play in front of people, bro I literally butcher those songs, the Spirit gone.

- We didn't have a single member meal this week

I wanna talk more about the new Preach My Gospel lol. Like!! This is the most important work taking place on the Earth! And the Lord has revealed so much new instruction! and guidance! We read this book every single day (Or we should at least ), think of how inspired this change is. I want to just sit down for a day and read it all. I am so curious to know what changes they've made to the principles in the lessons and the scriptures they've added to explain the doctrinal points better and how they've clarified our roles as teachers. The biggest difference that I've read so far, is that there is a much clearer emphasis on how we as missionaries need to receive revelation for each friend, each lesson, and to teach according to their needs. Of course we've been doing our best to do that all along, but the old Preach My Gospel barely gives any heed to the fact that we need to be led by the Spirit in how we teach the lessons.

I've been thinking about it, and this change reminds me of the new For The Strength of Young pamphlet, or when they released Come Follow Me, and I think it is sooo incredible to see this living proof of the fact that the Church of Jesus Christ is a LIVING church and that restoration is on going. Jesus Christ continues to lead His church through our prophet President Nelson. With these changes it is becoming more and more obvious to me how important it is for each of us to be able to seek and receive our own personal revelation.

"We live in a world that is complex and increasingly contentious... If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation... In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."

Does the Holy Ghost have a "constant influence" in my life? What's my relationship like with Him? Am I seeking His guidance? Am I acting on His first prompting? Am I ready for these coming days? I was reading in Alma!! I love Alma!! These verses stuck out to me this week because just think of Alma's relationship with the Spirit and his ability to recieve personal revelation!!

Alma 16

5 ...Zoram and his two sons, knowing that Alma was high priest over the church, and having heard that he had the spirit of prophecy, therefore they went unto him and desired of him to know whither the Lord would that they should go into the wilderness in search of their brethren, who had been taken captive by the Lamanites.

6 And it came to pass that Alma inquired of the Lord concerning the matter. And Alma returned and said unto them: Behold, the Lamanites will cross the river Sidon in the south wilderness, away up beyond the borders of the land of Manti. And behold there shall ye meet them, on the east of the river Sidon, and there the Lord will deliver unto thee thy brethren who have been taken captive by the Lamanites.

Alma had done the spiritual work to have such a good relationship with the Spirit that people knew about him! From all around! Alma inquired of the Lord and received an answer and acted on it with trust in the Lord. I wanna be more like Alma

Sometimes writing out my emails is a stressful thing to me, but I also love writing them and love that they make me really ponder on my week and what I've studied, so I appreciate you guys for reading em!!

I'm in such a good place right now. I love this work!! I love being a missionary!! I'm praying for you guys

Beijoca

Sister Menden

Pics!

- Our friend Domingos!!

- Exchange with Sister Lingwall

- Last district council

- Our english class!!

- SISTER CORNELL STEPPED IN POOP AGAIN. Please look at the poop skid on the floor.

- X-dog and my exchange with Sister Austin

- Our ukrainian friend, Valentin, and some of my all time favorite members. ❤️‍🔥

- Ala de Faro