Bil,
you always know just what to say to me. The Plan of Salvation really is a bunch of new starts. I love that. In fact after I get off this computer it will be a new start again, pull up my bootstraps and get back to work.
Do I have a new companion yet you asked, well actually I´m sitting in the middle of downtown Lisboa (not my area) with Irma Nuxuti and Irma Joslin. We are on a division tonight while I wait for my new companion to come tomorrow.
Today Irma Brinkerhoff left to go home. Weird. She stayed so focused the whole transfer until the last week and she just started preparing me to take over the work. It was rough. I don´t feel prepared to be responsible for all of these people yet. Irma Brinkerhoff is a legend in this mission and as this transfer went along I found out more and more about her reputation... let me give you an insight on Irma Brinkerhoff her two nicknames are ``The machine`` ««The Elders say and Irma Nuxuti just told me that she used to call her ``Danger`` hahahahah. It was a hard transfer, but a good one. She taught me a lot, a lot and I hope I can remember it all...I have heard that my next companion is native to Portugal! WOo hoo! I´m excited. Maybe my Portuguese will improve more rapidly.
Right now it is at least 90 degrees and the humidity is out of this world. I´m am having a hard time typing because these buttons are so sticky....classic.
I think you have my most current address it is the same this transfer
rua porto alegra
N 2 5 RECT
2870-030 Oeiras
Portugal
so you can send letters there. But any packages I would send to the office. or both to the office. Either way.
Bill you asked if I am getting better at understanding what people are saying, Yes I am! It is great. But really still it is so hard. Sometimes I just zone out and have no idea what is going on. Irma Brinkerhoff would cave and we would speak English, but now I will really only be speaking Portuguese with my new companion I´m sure. It will be good for me.
Today for P-day we went to Cabo de Roca. I don´t know if that is how you spell it.. But it is the most western point of Europe (continental) supposedly (says Elder Blair) you can tell me if he is correct... Anywho it was beautiful! I have pictures but I don't know how do put them on this computer. It was the first P-day we have gone to see something and it was amazing.
Then we ate gelato. Really really fancy Gelato. It was divine. I loved it.
Oh also you asked about 4th of July... HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN!!!! WOOT WOOT. Here they don't celebrate, but do you remember that I told you We were invited to a American Society of Lisbon 4th of July BBQ last week? I forgot to tell you about it. It was sooooooo funny. They had hot dogs and hamburgers and American music and balloons. They wanted the missionaries to come and help (the lady that put on the BBQ is LDS). So we went with 10 other missionaries. It was really funny. I say funny and not fun, because as a missionary it was very strange to be around all of it. But it was so funny to watch my companion (the machine) squirm at the thought of being around American stuff already. it was great. let me just say we ended up participating in the tug of war competing against the marines...... we one. And then at the end we all went up on stage behind the US ambassador and sang the national anthem. cool huh? someone has pictures of that.
the world cup you mentioned. The world cup means one things to those of us in Portugal, no one wants to listen to us when the game is on. No one. hahhahah. I´m not kidding. When we find out a game is on we have to figure out where are best efforts can be put because no one wants to make appointments or answer the door. It´s nuts. Futbol is life here. It is quite the experience. It is pretty funny when I think about it.
Somehow I can´t see how much time I have left to write. SO I will send this and then write another one just in case this cuts out.
para continuar.....
Ok here i am again.
Let me tell you about a really neat experience this week. Irma B thought that it would a good idea if we went to an area called Porto Salvo that I had mentioned that I thought we could go to. She said that since I felt good about that area, that we should go and try it out. I was in charge.... I didn't really want to be in charge because she knows better than I do... but we went. It took 45 minutes to walk there, uphill. We don't have a bus pass that goes that way. So she is just following me as I am looking at the map navigating us up to Porto Salvo. We spent 2 hours looking up these old investigators and trying to find them, with no one at the doors. After a while I was really really really feeling overwhelmed because I felt like I wasn't following the spirit and was somehow wasting the Lord´s time because I didn't know where we were supposed to be. So we were knocking doors and all of sudden we get to one door, a man answers and we tell him who we are, expecting the door to be casually shut in our face, I was surprised to see how willing he was to hear us. Irma Brinkerhoff said (in Portuguese) we are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ, we are hear to share our message that Jesus Christ Lives, and that because he lives we can live again with our families forever. The man was taken back. He pointed into the back room to a bed where his wife was laying and described his situation, I couldn't understand it all, but as he was talking he began to weep. This middle age well groomed, well dressed man weeping in his doorstep. His wife was bed ridden and he had many difficulties. But he said he had not lost his faith. He had not lost his faith. my eyes got a bit misty to be honest, because I could feel the tender sincerity of his words. He was in pain. He didn't know what was going to happen. But here is the great part. WE DO KNOW! HE CAN KNOW! God has a plan for us, this life has purpose, and we can live again with the ones we love for all eternity. We were able to share our message and give him a pamphlet that explained to plan of salvation. we prayed to leave a blessing on his home. it was powerful. He can´t come to church because he can´t leave her at home. But now, he knows. He knows the plan. what a blessing.
All was not wasted, the day was not wasted. We helped one more of Heavenly Father´s children stay hopeful. We will have to figure out what to do to get Jose to church.
The Work is good. It is hard. I´m sweating like a mad woman right now, but at the end of the day, this is exactly where I'm supposed to be. The Lord makes up for my weaknesses. it is true, ask ether.... Ether 12:27
I love you all soooo much. Ate proxima vez!!!!
Siister Liz
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