Hey Mãe!

Thanks so much for the package! It was great! I couldn't eat all the candy, so I ate a bunch and shared a bunch and then tucked the rest away into one of my suitcases so that I can eat it later in the mission:). I'm making a list for my Christmas package, so just let me know when you want to know what's on that list haha. Don't worry, it's a short one:). I just got the second package, thanks it was great also. I'm excited to give Jessica the stuff, she'll love the ring. She is so adorable, you would love her. She was confirmed yesterday and so we had someone else bring her to church instead of us (we're gonna leave eventually so someone else has got to take care of her) and we walked in and she was there, said a quick hi and then ran off to Primary, where she was the first one there and she sat in the dark and studied her scriptures. She's the best. I've now baptized two AWESOME people. If it was just those two I baptized (I hope I baptize more), but if it's just those two, at least their absolutely amazing. The baby, Nuno, he's still in the hospital. He caught a cold and so he has been having trouble breathing and he also isn't eating. He's the tinest thing. Truthfully I'm worried that he might not make it, he's just struggling SO much right now. I think that'll break Asto's heart. 

Sounds like things are going well at home. Sounds busy. Being busy is always better than doing nothing, that's for sure. Can you believe that it's almost Halloween?! Are you partying already? I know that's your favorite holiday. Halloween doesn't even exist here. It's sad, though they are putting up the Christmas decorations.

This is the last week of the transfer, but I think it's really really unlikely that I will be transferred from here because I've only been here for one transfer. I think Sister Briggs is more likely to go to another area that I am. Transfer calls are this coming Sunday, but you can keep sending letters to the Rua Jorge Barradas address because I'll get them no matter what, even if I am transferred.  

Well, this week was good. As always, the weeks are a little rough, but they're always good. Last Pday we went to Lapa and we saw this cool statue and we saw the sisters from our zone there, so that was cool. There's also a castle and a bunch of cool stuff there, but we didn't go because S. Briggs had already been, so I'll just go with my next companion. It was fun and I'd imagine that's probably where the Hutchins were docked when they came because there was a cruise ship and I have never heard so many people speak English in one day! I also met some Brazilians from Port Alegre that I talked to and told them that dad had served there. It was really cool, my art history teacher would have been really jealous;). Today, we went out to eat with the elders in our district (we go with them like three times a week to eat) and the restaurant we went to was near a monument and a monastery, so they let us stop by and it was really cool also. It's a monument to Christopher Columbus and it is placed in the exact spot where his ship took off. The Portuguese are really funny about him. They love him and have lots of pride in him, there is even a mall in our area named after him, but the funny part is that they rejected him and said he was crazy and they wouldn't pay for him to go on the voyage and yet still have so much pride in him! The rest of the week was pretty normal. We worked with the members a lot more this week so that was great. I'm finally getting to know them and they're really awesome also. I think the members are one of the things I really love about the mission. They're just such great people! We're also teaching two really cool Brasilians, Ramo (yes, his name means branch) and Lilian, who we've only taught the first lesson to each, but we're supposed to teach them both today after Pday ends. On Saturday, it was pretty cool, the phone rang, and it was a number that I didn't recognize and so I answered and the person asked if I knew who it was, and I thought I knew who it was, but I didn't think it could possibly be her because it was pretty much impossible, but it was! It was Cátia, from my last area.  She's awesome, I miss her and Anna tons! Sunday though, was the fun day. First, we  had Relief Society and then Gospel Principles, and then the fun part, Sacrament. When we sat down, the bishop came up to me and he was saying something that I wasn't understanding and when I finally understood, he was telling me that one of the speakers hadn't shown up and he wanted me to speak!!! I asked him what about and he told me missionary work. Pois. I tried to prepare a little something (Elder Fuller helped me a little, he's a lifesaver) and then when I got up there, I didn't use any of it, but I think it went well, who knows. I'm gonna be good at public speaking without reading it off of paper. When I get home, I won't have any problems, well as long as I do it in Portuguese...;). Then, I sat back down after, and one of the members granddaughters came and sat next to me, she kept putting her head in my lap and on my shoulder and rubbing her head on me and I just had this sudden thought "look at her head" and I looked, and she had LICE ALL OVER!!! Hardest sacrament ever. Afterwards, I went home and I changed all my clothes and I covered all my hair in cooking oil and then I took a shower. I'm paranoid, I'll admit it. If I get lice, I'm getting a really good haircut. Then later, we went to a devotional with some of the youth and afterwards we were talking with some of the members (it was all the members in our stake and the Amadora stake) and I was speaking to one and Sister Briggs was speaking to a recent convert from April and I looked over at her and he was whispering into her ear that she was beautiful!! Boy did I pull her out of there fast and I was not happy with him, and then I realized he was WAY drunk! Oops. We get told that we're beautiful all the time by weird people. Today, the phone rang while Sister Briggs was doing her computer time, and so I answered and it was some man named Pedro and I couldn't understand a word he was saying (our cellphone is REALLY awful) and so I had no idea what he was saying except for that I had a beautiful voice haha. Then I took the phone to Elder Fuller who told him off and the man tried to say that he had the wrong number but afterwards he called again. I have no idea what he was saying, but for once I was glad the phone doesn't work very well because I'm pretty sure it was crude. Men are pigs. Elder Fuller says that we should just walk away from any man who says that kind of stuff to us, and I told him then we would never talk to any men haha. 

Also, I keep forgetting to tell you, remember how you were telling me that Harry Potter was based off of a school here in Portugal? Well, that school is in my area and so I get to see people in capes all the time. One time, one saw us and he asked if we were Mormons, Sister Briggs was trying to be funny and so she said "Yeah, wanna get baptized?" Boy, did he run away so fast! She felt bad, but it was hilarious! 

I've also learned a lot this week. I'm happy for my trials. They're hard, but I would never have become who I am without them. We don't change and grow when things are easy. I've been trying to pray and say thank you to Heavenly Father for all the trials, aches and pains, and things that go wrong in a day, and it's been making me feel so much happier. It's amazing the difference a change in attitude makes!

Well, I love you all! Thanks for everything!

love always,

Sister Wach