Helllooo familia and friends!!!
This week has been pretty good! We got to have our Porto Norte stake conference which was amazing! I got to see MTC buddies and some members I haven't seen for a while so it was a great time! We got to hear from Elder Moreira from the 70 and our Mission President Elder and Sister Amorim and the President of the Madrid Temple who spoke in Spanish so that was fun to translate. But it was powerful for our visitors and recent converts who came with us to really be strong in the church!
Also, I think I have talked to everyone in Matosinhos because we have been doing more than 80 contacts a day! Its super fun just talking to everyone possible, as we have been doing this we have been finding a lot of less active people. We have had the opportunity to meet with them and hear their conversion stories,how they felt and how they now want that feeling back. Its been amazing seeing the change in some of these people. It's the funnest and more rewarding thing to see on my mission the real wanting and desire to change. One woman we met up with her name is Irene and she is the only member in her family. She is married and has a kid our age, we have been passing and the first time she said to us that she didn't want to open the door and she went to go back to bed but then something (the spirit) told her to get back up and open the door and what do you know we were still there. I have been trying to talk to her for 6 months now and we finally got in to talk to her. And wow she's amazing, she said she will come to church again with us this next week.
I have been referring to this area as a vineyard, we have been caring for this vineyard for a long time now and can really see the growth and the good fruits its producing. It's everything I anything ever wanted! You really have to care for each and everyone of the trees and pay great attention with love and charity because if you forget about them or neglect your trees (people) they will just fade away. It's really how the church works as well and my area, the stronger the roots they better we will grow. We need to be spiritually nourished all the time its what saves us.
An example of this is that we have been meeting with a part member family recently. Their son has just gone through an awful divorce and many more things and he has basically lost all interest in life. We have been seeing them every other day to help him see that light to see that hope of life for him, and yesterday we had such a great experience in a lesson where we talked about stories from the Book of Mormon and the bible that applied to him. He has changed so much for just applying the things that he is reading and learning. Its amazing watching him leave the past in the past, stop drinking and much more to have the simple happiness and truth in his life again. I love hearing the testimonies of others and the simple things that they know for themselves. Its such a key thing to have in life to just have the small knowledge that God exists and he loves us.
Wow! Another crazy thing that doesn't happen too often, was when we were walking home and this guy runs up to us and says that he was being taught be the missionaries and he says "so I have been trying to stop smoking and I will stop today"! He asked when was the next time that he could be baptized"... well, I wanted to say lets go right now! haha But, to my amazement he has been trying to stop smoking and he finally did! His name is Luis and so this next week we will prepare him to be baptized!
I was also on a division (new area with different companion) this week with Sister Nagleti she is Italian but she lives in Brazil. She is in her 2nd transfer and just the cutest thing ever! We had a great division in Braga and met some of the greatest people.
Oh and just to kick off the email had a sweet/ crazy experience on the bus to the meeting on Sunday. While we were on the bus, someone was asking us a ton of questions and he ended up being someone who had wanted to learn about our church a bit ago. Then one lady came up to me asking if i had "the book" and of course I had one in my purse so I handed one to her and got her information. Another guy came up to us asking for stuff too and he lives in our area so we will be teaching him this week! You never know when and where you will be able to bear testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ and to bring more of Heavenly Father's children back to Him.
The work continues and we have transfers this week so we will see if I leave or stay here!!
Parkers Birthday is not here yet but i will send my love and birthday gifts this week for him!! One week ahead! Love you bubba!!
Have a great week!!
Sister Elliott
pics of girls pday
delfina doing a model pose
and part of our district
This week has been pretty good! We got to have our Porto Norte stake conference which was amazing! I got to see MTC buddies and some members I haven't seen for a while so it was a great time! We got to hear from Elder Moreira from the 70 and our Mission President Elder and Sister Amorim and the President of the Madrid Temple who spoke in Spanish so that was fun to translate. But it was powerful for our visitors and recent converts who came with us to really be strong in the church!
Also, I think I have talked to everyone in Matosinhos because we have been doing more than 80 contacts a day! Its super fun just talking to everyone possible, as we have been doing this we have been finding a lot of less active people. We have had the opportunity to meet with them and hear their conversion stories,how they felt and how they now want that feeling back. Its been amazing seeing the change in some of these people. It's the funnest and more rewarding thing to see on my mission the real wanting and desire to change. One woman we met up with her name is Irene and she is the only member in her family. She is married and has a kid our age, we have been passing and the first time she said to us that she didn't want to open the door and she went to go back to bed but then something (the spirit) told her to get back up and open the door and what do you know we were still there. I have been trying to talk to her for 6 months now and we finally got in to talk to her. And wow she's amazing, she said she will come to church again with us this next week.
I have been referring to this area as a vineyard, we have been caring for this vineyard for a long time now and can really see the growth and the good fruits its producing. It's everything I anything ever wanted! You really have to care for each and everyone of the trees and pay great attention with love and charity because if you forget about them or neglect your trees (people) they will just fade away. It's really how the church works as well and my area, the stronger the roots they better we will grow. We need to be spiritually nourished all the time its what saves us.
An example of this is that we have been meeting with a part member family recently. Their son has just gone through an awful divorce and many more things and he has basically lost all interest in life. We have been seeing them every other day to help him see that light to see that hope of life for him, and yesterday we had such a great experience in a lesson where we talked about stories from the Book of Mormon and the bible that applied to him. He has changed so much for just applying the things that he is reading and learning. Its amazing watching him leave the past in the past, stop drinking and much more to have the simple happiness and truth in his life again. I love hearing the testimonies of others and the simple things that they know for themselves. Its such a key thing to have in life to just have the small knowledge that God exists and he loves us.
Wow! Another crazy thing that doesn't happen too often, was when we were walking home and this guy runs up to us and says that he was being taught be the missionaries and he says "so I have been trying to stop smoking and I will stop today"! He asked when was the next time that he could be baptized"... well, I wanted to say lets go right now! haha But, to my amazement he has been trying to stop smoking and he finally did! His name is Luis and so this next week we will prepare him to be baptized!
I was also on a division (new area with different companion) this week with Sister Nagleti she is Italian but she lives in Brazil. She is in her 2nd transfer and just the cutest thing ever! We had a great division in Braga and met some of the greatest people.
Oh and just to kick off the email had a sweet/ crazy experience on the bus to the meeting on Sunday. While we were on the bus, someone was asking us a ton of questions and he ended up being someone who had wanted to learn about our church a bit ago. Then one lady came up to me asking if i had "the book" and of course I had one in my purse so I handed one to her and got her information. Another guy came up to us asking for stuff too and he lives in our area so we will be teaching him this week! You never know when and where you will be able to bear testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ and to bring more of Heavenly Father's children back to Him.
The work continues and we have transfers this week so we will see if I leave or stay here!!
Parkers Birthday is not here yet but i will send my love and birthday gifts this week for him!! One week ahead! Love you bubba!!
Have a great week!!
Sister Elliott
pics of girls pday
delfina doing a model pose
and part of our district