This week was fun! I laughed a lot. Elder Crist is very witty, and loves a lot of things I love, so we just get along great! :) Also, Elder Crist started giving each day some hashtags. I've decided to write these in my journal. It helps with journal writing. How would've guessed! :) Speaking of, I finished my second journal this past week! That was pretty awesome! So, stories of this week.
First, our awesome investigator we found this week. Edmar. He is from Angola, a a student, and very open, and wanting to find the truth. We met with him three times this week, had amazing lessons, and he came to church! That is called a progressing investigator!!! :D YAY! We tried marking a date for baptism this week, and he replied with what we call here the "convite suave." (soft invite). He said when he knows it is true, he will be baptized. So we are helping have spiritual experiences so that he can know that this really is true! :) We are pumped for him!
Second, the coolest house in Portugal. One of our members, Lia, restores old stuff. And she told us that she was going to a small village outside of Tomar, and invited to take us. So we went there on Thursday. The town is called São Pedro (Saint Peter). Really small town. Full of old people. Haha, but she showed us what she was restoring. It was some paintings, that had gotten really old, and stuff was growing on it. However, she would work on it in her clients house. Her client, has a couple houses, and he wasnt home when we went there. But we did get to explore the house, and it was SO cool! Filled with a bunch of old stuff. And TONS of Budahs! Our member said that this guys has the largest budah collection in Europe! WHAT! Thats crazy! Apparently, he has two other houses filled with more Budahs! Hahah, I took a lot of pictures. But more than that, the house we visited had a cool layout. It was very home-y, and warm. I want it. I am going to find a way to buy when I am old :) Pictures to come :)
Third, World Wide Training. All the missionaries in the world had a training on Thursday. It was pretty cool, and I learned a lot :) And we were able to apply some of it with Edmar. the biggest thing I learned was that obedience brings the Spirit with us, and with the Spirit teaching, we can basically baptize anyone :)
Fourth, we finally met Nadia! We went to Entroncamento on friday, and we had called Nadia to meet her. She finally got better! :) We didnt have time to have a lesson, but we sat in a café and got to know her a little bit more. She, like Edmar, wants to know the truth, and loves the Church. We are pretty excited for her too.
Fifth, Night of Crepes! For our branch FHE, we had crepes! They were yummy. But even better, we had a good number of non-members there. It was a fun night, and everyone just had fun that we were the ones to go home early! That rarely happens. We got these two old investigators to come to the activity. They are two young women named Patricia and Ana. Actually, there whole family had investigated in the past, but only the daughters really received it well. This doesnt fly well with President Amorim. He puts a huge emphasis on teaching and baptizing families, so we talked with the girls and figured a good time to come by and talk with their dad. That was last night, and he received us well, and basically said what Edmar said, that when he knows, he will be baptized, but he also said that he doesnt feel the time is right for him to join a religion, or something like that. However, he was really nice, and we marked a time to pass by this week! YES! A family! I am sooo excited to teach a family. Unfortunately, families are soo rare here in Portugal and probably the rest of Europe!
Well, sorry for the long letter. Probably one of the funniest and best weeks of my mission so far :) Tomar is pretty exciting! I love it here. I love my comp, and my roommates. We get along so well! :) They also are having a lot of success, so the whole branch is really excited! There is something special going on here in Tomar. In fact, I havent written about the Branch President. He has a really cool story!
President Gilmar is from Brazil. Some part way down south, where it gets cold. And about a year and a half ago, his work was moving him to Portugal. At this same time, here in Tomar, they were being run by a senior couple from the mission, and this couple was about to end their missions, and they wouldnt be anybody to run the branch, and they were going to close the branch. So the senior couple, the missionaries, and other members fasted and prayed that the Lord would send them someone to be the branch president. Literally within a few days, Gilmar and his family show up in Tomar, at the church building they have here, looking for housing and other stuff, and where the church building was. It was an answer to the branch's prayers! How cool is that! That has really inspired the branch, and so thats why I say there is something special here happening here in Tomar. I love it here. The Lord truly does look after the church, and things will happen in the right time and place. :) Love you all. Have a great week!
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