Monday, March 31, 2014

11/4/2013

Hey family! 

What's up!?
Wanna know a secret? I'm still not used to Portuguese keyboards. I still search for apostrophes and question marks in the wrong places. This week has been really good. getting to know the area nd the people, trying (and not succeeding) to get used to how incredibly beautiful and perfect it is here and the sight of the sea from everywhere we go! its pretty amazing. 
This week was also great because I got two packages! One from grammie with Halloween candy! (its so nice to know that people still love me and think about me:) and one from sally with a Christmas tree and all the letters and ornaments from everybody, which I am very excited about. unfortunately I still have to wait a whole month on that one, so we'll see if I can make it.

Sorry I have been so bad about writing. Things have been a little crazy on Pdays lately. but it doesn't mean I don't love you and think about writing you guys all the time ( I try to make little notes of the good and important things to say during the week.)
This week was interesting because we started out in a tripla with sister call (my comp from Viseu who lives with us too) but then she went back to the mainland for a few days to pick up her comp the lovely Sister Cardoso. She is the cutest sweetest girl ever. Her family is from Angola, but she grew up in porto and so we finally have a source of real live Portuguese knowledge in the house. which is awesome.
We have been working with a family of recent converts that are a little bit less active at the moment and are still working to overcome some problems with smoking and some family problems as well. There strength had been the son who is about 18 or 19. He would get the whole family to church and to read scriptures and say prayers but this last week he has been serving as a mini missionary (as a full time missionary for a period of  6 wks to 3 months depending on his preference) on the other side of the city. so he can't even talk to his family besides by email and stuff like a normal missionary until he's done. so we've been working on getting them reading the scriptures and doing family prayer on their own with out him. 
I have really gained a testimony on my mission of the importance of the little things. Family prayer and scripture study really make a difference. Even just making the effort to make those things a priority, regardless of their quality makes a huge difference in you as a person. Õur actions really do define us over time.
We also have been working with this kid Eduíno who doesn't really talk much so we're never really sure how he's taking things, but he has been fulfilling with all of his commitments, including quitting smoking(and that would be really hard.), so he will be getting baptized on Saturday! Yay! 
My comp Sister Beard is amazing and everyone asks us if we're sisters. we get along really well. She prayed to be able to have a friend and I prayed to be able to have a happy transfer. and guess what! God answers prayers! So I'm excited for this transfer. Unfortunately she is sick today... so we will try to say in (and I will write letters so she can get better.) 
And that's more or less what's happening here in Madeira.

Other funny moments:
a random man named brother Jonah asking us if its true that black people don't like our church. which is funny because in Portugal you sometimes just feel like you are serving in Africa because there are a LOT of investigators and members from Cabo Verde and Angola and Mozambique and guinea.
we had a Halloween party and I bobbed for apples and definitely beat my comp.
we made candied apples and no one are them and now our fridge is full. I fell on lots of people on the bus...
I don't know what else but I'm out of time.


Love you all!

Steph

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