herrrroooo

sweet. 43 lessons this week. out of the park! (okay we had help from the sister training leaders who came and served in our area for a day so we had two companionships out on the loose).. but anyway. yeah. AND we had 3 people in church. which is huge. and technically it was 5 because Vera and her 8 year old son (and ADORABLE 4 year old daughter) showed up just at the end of sacrament meeting so we couldn´t count that but they enjoyed the other two classes. Man we are soooo blessed in our ward here in Mem Martins. SOOOO blessed. our members are ROCK solid and SOOO helpful as LOTS of them are returned missionaries themselves. MAN i´m so glad i am learning how a mission works so i can better help the missionaries in the future with their investigators.

anywhosies. 

we have a lovely girl from Cabo Verde who is in the process of deciding to get baptized. We invited her to get baptized and she said she would but then she got all quiet and scared looking. we asked her what was wrong and she said she´s worried about what will happen if she gets baptized twice (as she´s already baptized in the catholic church) we tried to explain to her that that won´t even be a problem but she said she wants some time to think about it. We told her to pray to find out what God´s will is for her. I love cabo verdians. They are so humble and all have so much faith in God and it´s not so tightly linked to the catholic church most of the time. most portuguese people are just like "i´m catholic" and expect that to shut us up. but oh no no! we use that as an invitation! haHA! "oh that´s so great! so you already have SO MUCH FAITH in God and Jesus Christ!" "yes i do" "well we would love to help you grow that faith (if it´s at all possible)" to which (the humble ones) say "oh yes i would love that" but all in all we just have to make a good first impression and then make friends, serve them and then share the gospel. 

Thanks for your awesome insights Noah. Mosambique is going to be awesome. There are lots of people here in portugual from there. SUPER humble and awesome. It´s a no-sister mission though. too bad. hah. you´ll have lots of baptisms though i´m pretty sure. don´t let that make you think you´re so hot. because it´s not us that do ANY of the work (or it shouldn´t be) it´s ALL the Spirit changing the people´s hearts. Get on earning some money okay? how many weeks before you leave? 10? and how much money do you have saved? point made. hah. jk. lerv yer.

well wow this 15th was my 3rd month mark. technically it was the 1st but my first two weeks didn´t count as i got to enter the MTC early and i ARRIVED in portugal the day my mission call said i was to enter the MTC. sick.

we went to visit a member in the elder´s area whom we love (who has come to our apartment at night once or twice to give me back massages hahaha my back has been challenged lately) and she has health problems of her own, with occasional seizures. we went to go visit her for a quick little pick-me-up as her husband is stubborn and doesn´t want to accept the gospel which gets her down a lot. But while we were there she had a really big seizure. I was thankful i kind of knew what to do and what her favorite primary song was so i could hold her down (she was strong) and help her not hurt herself while she had her seizure. her husband had just stepped out to go to the store so we called him on the phone and while he was on his way back we held her down and whenever we sang to her (Sou um Filho de Deus-i´m a child of God in portuguese) she would stop convulsing so wildly. The elders then showed up not knowing what had just happened we had called them before telling them to show up at her house for a snack if their appointment fell through, which, in this case, thankfully it did because they could give her a blesssing and a blessing on her house so that the Spirit could reside there. Her husband makes it hard but he´s not that bad. It was a pretty crazy experience but we love her sooooo much as she is soo fun and youthful even at 40. 

well feel free to send me goodies and love letters. 

Rua de Azenha nº32 2D

Mem Martins, Portugal 2725 

or send all your love in material value to the mission office if you prefer: 

Rua Jorge Baradas Nº14C

1500-370 Lisboa Portugal 

hah. love you all. 

sis shumway

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