To one and all! Thank you so much for all of your birthday wishes! This Birthday has been spectacular. The funny thing is that is fell on a P-Day which means we have the day time free to take care of food for the week and do what we want... WOO HOO! So this morning I woke up to our 7 o'clock alarm and a perky companion singing happy birthday in Portuguese and then in English, then as we were getting ready Elder Blair (district leader) called and sang happy birthday, then 5 minutes later Elder Dias and the rest of the elders from the district called back to sing happy birthday in Portuguese at the top of their lungs. It was really something special. These elders are like my brothers out here on the island. But the fun didn´t stop there...... We did our studies until 11,00 and then went to the centro comercial (aka mall) and ate lunch as a district (4 elders, Irma Speigle and I) and then we went.... BOWLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ya this isn´t our first time bowling on a P-Day, but it was the first time this transfer. It was really great. Birthday missionary bowling, you just can´t beat it. Then after we bowled, Elder Blair pulled a chocolate cake out of his backpack that they all bought just for the occasion. So now we are checking our e-mail, full of birthday shout outs (so good)! Tonight we have a family night at our branch president´s house with our recent converts Placido (slept on the couch) and Manuela. It will be an awesome way to end the day.
But the birthday fun didn´t start today, I would just like to give a shout out thank you section to Clinton and Elisabeth, i received your package last week!!!!!!!!! It was awesome. The Elders form the other island were here for a conference and I shared my spoils, they appreciated the sweet treats from the homeland. Have I thanked Aunt Shirley yet? I got your package more than a week ago. I was dead sick in my bed when the mail man knocked the door and delivered the package, it was a miracle. Corinne I got your lovely package with scarf!!!!!!! It is perfect! So soft and keeps me toasty. Bil and Stepper I got your package a couple days ago, everything was perfect!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU! Thank you for all of the letters and email from everyone else. There is nothing like hearing from home. Next P-Day I will devote my hours to responding to the many letters I have received.
Next shout out section goes out to my Maggie Sanders and my Aunt Shirley who have BIRTHDAYS this week!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you both. I´m thinking of you and loving you both all the way over here in the middle of the ocean.
Today I read a scripture and thought of you my friends and family. I can´t remember what it said now, but I wrote a note to self to include it. SO....D+C 31:6
OK, so whats been going on here? Well last week we had a conference with the seventy authority of the church Elder Caussé. He is from France. It was one of the coolest conferences I have been to. It was just 16 missionaries, and this member of the seventy with our mission president and wife. It was a really spiritual meeting, and get this... he was speaking English! hahah. Well he doesn´t speak Portuguese, so he had to speak English, it was so special to receive training in our native tongue. He is truly a disciple of Christ and helped us with our teaching and really reminded us of the importance of this work. Also he gave us some BIG BIG BIG news. We found out that our mission the ´´Portugal Lisboa`` mission will combine with the ´´Portugal Porto´´ mission!!!!!!! Portugal will become ONE MISSION starting in July! WOW! OK even just writing about it makes me excited again. This is really big news for us. It is really good news, it means that the Church is strong enough and growing in Portugal. So the whole country of Portugal will be the Portugal Lisboa mission. This means I could go serve in the very most northern part of Portugal, Our mission president will continue as mission president. It´s really exciting, and who knows....maybe I will serve the final months of my mission in Porto (what used to be a completely different mission). Neat.
Today we found out transfers. We found out that everyone on the island is staying except Elder Deus, he is leaving for the continent. Wow! So I will be here for 6 more weeks. After that it´s back to the continent. What a blessing! I love it here. But also after one more transfer I will be ready for a change.
How is the weather? It looks like spring, feels like fall. It´s cold but not as rainy, blue skies this week with only a few days of rain.
I´m running out of time, but I want to say thank you for all of your letters, thoughts, prayers. I can feel ´em all the way out here in the middle of the ocean. I am really happy to be out here, to be learning so much, to be struggling, to be growing, to be helping others, and learning what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. The truth is He lives! He lived and died for us, and rose again. Jesus Christ is central to God´s plan for us, it is only through Him that we have got a chance at Eternal Life. We are God´s children, and we have a purpose in this life, did you know that? Does that knowledge change everything? Yes. It changes everything, it changes how we think, act, it gives us hope, and comfort. It´s pure, good truth, that just makes you want to leave your life behind, hop on a plane, and tell everyone about it....
Hope this week is great for everyone. This Birthday has been like none other. Now I´m old. a big fat 22 years old. WOO HOO!
Sister Lizzie
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