Hey Mãe!

Well, this week was great. There isn't too much to say because we only spent small spurts working because of Sister Caldwell´s ankle (we aren't gonna be able to go to the doctor until APRIL 3rd!!!). I've definitely learned how to work effeciently though! Our numbers were some of the best I've had in a few transfers just because we knew we were so short of time. 

On Sunday, I played the piano during church! It was a little crazy, but thankfully, the secret is that the piano in this ward plays ITSELF! I just had to sit and push the buttons and pretend that I was playing. The last song though, the tempo was really high, and so the piano was playing REALLY fast, and I didn't know what to do, and so I just kept going. After church, all the members came up to me and were really grumpy about how fast I played haha. They don't know that it plays itself and so wouldn't let me off the hook. If anyone had come to the elders baptism a few weeks ago, they would know that I can't play...:). We had a fun activity this week that we put on, we played mafia, only we called it "Lamanitas" like Lamanites, and we made homemade ice cream, which was super easy and super tasty. I'll get the recipe for you. Oh, and Manuel is getting his patriarchal blessing this week, which is super cool and is going to talk to the bishop about serving a mini mission. Natalina is doing well, though still can't come to church:(. We did have 2 other people in church though. A man named Manuel, who is Portuguese, and a woman named Anabella who is also Portuguese. They both have a lot of potential, the only problem is that they never have any time for us to teach them! We had an appointment with Manuel yesterday, and we called and he canceled on us because he was too busy reading the Gospel Principles book that he'd gotten from our ward mission leader! We also had a house check this week, and we passed with flying colors. Sister Markham (a senior missionary) just couldn't stop talking about how beautiful our house was (we did spend quite a while cleaning it!). Oh, and we went to McDonalds with our elders, which was fun, they're both from Cabo Verde and so they are both a little bit crazy:). Also, we were knocking some doors in an apartment and we heard someone start ringing doorbells trying to get it. We got down to the bottom from knocking the doors, and realized it was the TJ missionaries!! Yikes! I don't think the residents of the apartment were very happy with the fact that they got double knocked haha. 

I also have been studying something really cool. It's called Election of Grace. That means that where we were placed in this life, is because of what we did in the life before. We were placed so we would be able to find the gospel. It's way more complicated that that, but it's what we talk about when we talk about the "Elect" and that many are called but few are chosen. Look up "Election" in the Bible Dictionary. It's a really cool concept.

Love you Mom! Have a great week!

Love always,

Sister Wach

Hey Mom!

Sounds like a fun week. It was nice talking to you and Dad on the phone. A little weird, but cool. 

This week was good. We didn't work to much because Sister Caldwell hurt herself and so walking is a bit of a no go. We work for like 4 hours and then she´s out. Then we don't do anything for a few hours and then work for a few hours at the end of the day, which is the most productive part of the day. It's interesting, last transfer we had the other sisters in the house and they stayed there all day, and I was a little jealous, I thought a nap or two would be nice. Now, all I wanna do is work! But, we've been blessed, because even though we just work a few hours everyday, we have been able to kind of keep up what we had before she hurt herself. But Sister Caldwell is super awesome, so I'm grateful to be serving with her. 

Manuel is doing great. He is going to be getting the Melchezidek Priesthood soon, and he is working on getting his patriarchal blessing also. He's still working towards serving a mission. He also baptized someone on Saturday for the elders, and gave a talk on Sunday. One thing that's cool about staying in this area so long is that I've been blessed to watch his progress. I think he's the most active member that the ward has. He's always at everything and he is the one who is willing to do whatever is asked. He liked what you wrote, he understood it without me reading it to him. He can read english alright, he just can't understand by hearing or speaking. I had a great laugh at what he wrote to you. 

As for other investigators, Natalina is still doing well. I'm gonna attach a picture of her and her kids.

Oh, and it's like SUPER hot here. I do not know how in the world I'm gonna survive another summer here. I'm already wearing the least amount of clothing possible!

There's actually four of us in the house right now. Me, Sister Caldwell, Sister Cardoso (she's from Porto), and... Sister Stokes! Super weird to be in the same house with her and not be her comp! 

For P-day we went to Cristo Rei. My third time there. Yeah. If I stay another transfer here, I AM NOT going back haha. It's cool but one time was good enough.

Well, as always, I can't remember what we did this week. Though we did go without gas, after going without electricity last week haha. So I've had like 3 showers in 2 weeks. That's how the mission rolls! 

Oh, and no, I still haven't gotten what you sent. Probably this week. The packages take a little longer than letters.

Well, I just wanted to say that I love you all tons!! 

Love always,

Sister Wach

 

 

from Ricki:  The mission president emailed me a week ago and said that "he felt that Chris and Megan needed to talk"  he had said to Skype but I didn't want Meg to see Chris so skinny and sickly looking so I asked if they could just talk by phone.  Meg went and got a phone card and we talked to her for about an hour.  Chris told Meg not to come home for his funeral, that he was proud of her and that she needed to always live the gospel so that they could see each other again.  At the end of the conversation Meg told Chris "that she would be expecting a visit from him after he died."

Hey Mom!

Thanks for the email! Just so you know, I did not get transfered. I stayed, and Sister Warner got transfered. Kind of a bummer because as much as I love this area and all the people that I've met, I would love to be able to see a new place and work there. But, it gives me the chance to stay a little longer and know the area and members better. Plus, I'm excited that I'll get to stay and keep watching Manuel progress.  My new comp is Sister Caldwell. She served in the Açores on a different island at the same time that I was there, and she stayed the night with us at the apartment there a few times.  I'm excited to work with her, though I miss Sister Warner (she's going to serve in Porto with Sister Hayes, my MTC comp!) already! We were just finally starting to figure things out! It's kind of interesting because that keeps happening to me. I've been in three different areas, and including the MTC I've had 9 transfers and out of those I've had 8 different comps (Sister Davis is the only one that I had 2 transfers because she was training me). That's really unusual to have so many comps, but it's cool because I've gotten to meet lots of cool people and learn a lot from each one. I'm hoping sometime in the future I'll get a comp who is Portuguese because I would love to have the accent. My accent sucks haha. My voice is just too American.

Well, this was a good week. We met LOTS of new people, and I think we have a few who could actually progress! We have this adorable little family that we're teaching. Natalina is the mother, then Helder and Jéssica are the kids. They're adorable. We went over there the other day to teach them again and instead we ate dinner there! It was cool. Though, it was the second time we'd eaten with someone that day, and the 6th time that week. I've never eaten with members so much. I'm getting so fat in this area haha. 

We also watched a lady get robbed this week. It was really interesting. It gave me even more love for the Portuguese. We were walking and there was this creepy man, and I thought about contacting him, but he was just too creepy, so we kept walking to our appointment. Then the appointment fell, and so we went outside and we were walking back the way that we'd came and we saw this old lady in front of us screaming and wacking a man with her cane. We were so confused and had no idea what was going on haha and then we realized what was happening. Turns out he had stolen her wallet and was running away with it. Well, when he started running, he was being followed by like 10 Portuguese men and the number was steadly growing the more people he passed. It was cool to watch people react like that, it reminds me that there really are good people in this world. Sometimes, as missionaries we just see so many things that are sad and wrong, it's just fantastic to see when things are good. It was funny though because it was like a slow motion chase, I'm pretty sure that I could have caught him way before everyone else did haha, but as missionaries we decided it would be better if we comforted the old lady instead:). 

Well, I'm out of time, but I love you tons! Can you believe that today is my 11 month mark and during this next transfer I'll hit one year?

Love,

Sister Wach