Monday, August 25, 2014

Portugal!

Enjoying her first Portuguese pastry
The view from her 5th floor apartment in Amora, Portugal 
With Erika (see story below)
Minha Família!!

Hey guys! I miss you! Can you believe I am in Portugal because I still cant?. These past few days have been crazy to say the least. All I know is the gospel is true because if the gospel was not true nothing would happen because we would not have the Spirit with us to guide us and comfort us. 

So on Wednesday, we got off the plane and it was a bit overwhelming. When I heard everyone talking I recognized it was Portuguese ,but that's about it. Haha  When I was walking with some of the Elders, I heard someone yell "Sister!!" This little girl and her dad ran towards us and said "We're Mormons!"  They were so excited to see us! It was so cool. Then we met President and Sister Fluckiger and can I just say they are amazing! They are seriously the nicest people ever. We stayed the night at their house and then we left in the morning to go meet our trainers. My trainer's name is Sister Briggs and she has been out for almost 14 months. I am serving in Seixal pronounced Say-Shawl. One funny thing that happened was that the APs drove most of us sisters to the train station and my companion didn't fit in the car so they said she would be coming right behind us. So we get out and both cars come and my companion isn't there. They seriously gave me my bags and said she should be here soon; and they were about to leave! Haha Well you know me I wouldn't allow that. Anyways it was pretty funny.

We got back to the apartment, I set my stuff down and we got to work. We actually don't live in Seixal. We live across the bay about a 30 minute walk a away in Amora. The first person we taught is named Erika. She is from Sao Tome which is an Island of the coast of Africa. She is 12 and she is amazing! She is so sweet when I speak Portuguese she just helps me and when I say something right she gets this big smile on her face. I love her. She is progressing a lot. 

The people in Portugal seriously are some of the nicest people I have met. You meet someone on the street and they just say of course you can share you message with us! They always want to feed me too. They say I am too skinny. Haha They also think it is cool that I am from California. One guy, when he heard that, he got this funny look on his face and said you are too white to be from California. Apparently I am supposed to have a nice tan. Haha It was pretty funny. 

Okay you want to here about some miracles? We were on our way home Thursday night and my companion was on the phone with our Zone Leaders.  Well, I saw this one girl and I had the impression to talk with her, so I stopped my companion and we walked over to her.  She is from Africa and is about 23 years old. I don't really know how to spell her name. Anyways, when we were talking with her, Sister Briggs asked if we could say a prayer.  So I said the prayer and after that she had tears in eyes and just gave a sigh of relief.  She said that she loved how we just talked with God and that our prayers come form our hearts. It was just a testimony builder to me that even though I am not by any means fluent, people can still feel the love their Father in Heaven has for them. She is going to meet with the Elders because she lives in their area. On Saturday we were out contacting again and we said a prayer when we got into our area and right when I opened my eyes I saw a man and I knew we needed to talk to him. We ended up going to his house to talk with his wife. And while we were there she said that she has read some of The Book of Mormon and she knows it is true! We then invited her to church and she said she would come. Well on Sunday, we heard form her and she said she was to tired to come. I personally wanted to still go over to her house and say Joan, you know the Book of Mormon is true so you need to come to church. Well anyways I was sitting in Sacrament feeling very down and I couldn't understand the talks and I was feeling frustrated because the ward is seriously amazing! They are the largest ward in Portugal and the members are so loving, but I just couldn't understand people. So sacrament ended and this one little girl ran up to me and gave me a kiss on both cheeks and said in Portuguese, "When are you coming over to my house?" It was so cute. It was just what I needed. To know I am not alone and I can make a difference here even if the language is not coming as great as I would like. 

I love you all so much! I know this gospel is true but I know that in order for me to become what the Lord needs me to be I must be challenged first. In Alma 7 it says, "And he shall go fort, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him deaththat he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, thahe may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

I read this scripture this morning and it just really hit me. Not only did Christ feel the pain of our sins but he knows how it feels to be tempted. So he knows how it feels when I want to speak more and then I begin to feel discouraged and when I start being negative and hard on myself. He knows how to succor his people according to their infirmities and I know this to be true. I love you all so much!! 
Sister Lacey

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