Hey Mom!

This week was good. A little stressful though! We found out that not only was I getting transferred, but that Sister Caldwell was getting transferred also! We got blue washed (that means that elders took over our area), and then got sent in all directions! Sister Caldwell is up at the highest part of the country, in the Porto area, in Villa Nova de Gaia. Manuel will be in the Lisboa area, serving in, I think, Linda-A-Velha, which happens to be the area that President lives in. I got sent down far down south into the Algarve, in the area of Olhão. I'm excited to be in Olhão, especially since it's cool because Sister Davis (Kelsey) served here too, right before she trained me! But, so our area was taken over by elders. I'm sure they'll do a great job. It was a little crazy though, because we found out we were getting washed on Friday, and then on Sunday we found out that we and the other sisters were being moved out of our house! So the problem was that at 11 pm, we were running around trying to pack our bags and we didn't get to really clean. Sorry elders. I don't know if the other sisters living with us cleaned, but I sure hope so. We at least made sure that our bedroom and study room were clean, but the kitchen and bathroom needed to be cleaned. There was, of course, hair everyway. That is always the biggest complaint of elders. Just wait until they get married! 

Well, Olhão seems great so far. It's more rural that Benfica or Almada, but less rural that Ponta Delgada (I have yet to see a cow...). We're also right next to the ocean. I've missed the ocean, hopefully we'll get to go and see it! It's also cool because the zone leaders are in our ward and also a senior couple who are really great. I have yet to see any Africans though... bummer. I love them. I'm really sad though that we won't get to see Natalina and Helder baptized next week though. They were supposed to be baptized this week, but it didn't end up working out. It was sad to say goodbye. They'll get baptized next week though, and they'll be great members.

Manuel will head into the mission field on Wednsday. I know that he'll do a great job and that he is really excited.  The bishop of the ward wasn't too happy though because I think they were thinking about calling him as the young men's president... oops:).  I know that whatever happens it will all work out. His life has been truly blessed by the gospel and I'm grateful to have been a part and to now get to watch him bless other people's lives!

My foot is fine, also my cold is gone. I'm just tired now from missionary life, and from not sleeping and riding a bus for 4 hours to a new area.

Here is my new address:

Sister Wach

Rua Almirante Reis Nº 219 r/c dto.

8700-376, Olhão

Portugal

 

Hey Mom!

Thanks for the email! Also, thanks for the packet, I got it this week:). Though you didn't explain what any of the stuff in it was! We loved the ranch packet and we ate it with pizza, chicken nuggets and potato chips in between the two Sunday conferences. Oh, by the way, this coming week will be transfers. I think it's really likely that I'll be transfered because I've been here such a long time. 

What you think of conference? I LOVED it! We didn't get to see all of it though, so that was sad. On Saturday we watched the Women's Broadcast, which was super cool. We had an investigator and her two children there, and I think they all really liked it. She's marked to be baptized this coming week. It's a risk though because she works on Sunday and so we're just hoping that something will work out by then. We've been teaching her for like two transfers. She absolutely loves the Book of Mormon and she and her kids read it every night together as a family. We also had three other investigators there, sadly, their mom won't let them be baptized, but we are still working with them. I absolutely loved Elder Holland's talk. I did cringe a little though as he was like yelling at the pulpit, but his talks are always the best. Then after, we watched the first conference for Saturday (it started at 5pm so we were able to watch it all). I thought it was really good. Then Sunday we watched the Priesthood session, which I think was actually my favorite session. Then after we had lunch with a member who is from the US and has been inactive. We had food that was American! The elders didn't know what to do with the salad dressing and their faces were great as they were totally disgusted by it all (they're both from Cape Verde). We ended up missing the second Saturday session and I'm watching it right now. Then we saw the 1st session for Sunday, which was one of my other favorites. I really like Elder Uchtdorf's talk and the story he told about the Alaskan flight. It made me tear up a little. Goofy sister missionaries. The last session, we watched the first hour of because it started at 9pm. President gave us permission to stay out until 10:30pm, which was nice. We had an investigator there also. She kept asking me which one was the prophet, and she was taking notes. There was a drunk man in the back though who kept yelling, so that was really funny. We'd walked him out of the session that was at 5pm (We'd walked in on him talking to three helpless first transfer elders, who had no idea what he was saying or what to do haha. Sister missionaries to the rescue!), and I guess he just decided he wanted to see them all! Hey, whatever, right? Everybody needs to hear the words of the living prophets! It's crazy to think that my next conference will be at home! Yikes! Less than 6 months left! There are only 9 sisters ahead of us to go home before our big group! That's nothing, and half of them are going home next week!

This week was good. Sister Caldwell's foot is alright, we didn't get to go to the doctor, which kind of stunk, because another sister needed the appointment instead because she'd fallen really hard. We got to go to the doctor anyway though because I'm sick. The doctor said it was nothing bad (there are only two kinds of sick here, bad and not bad, they don't actually tell you what's wrong with you:P). It was fun. I'm feeling a little better though. Just a sore throat, runny nose, a fever and a few aches and pain. Life:). But, we didn't do anything for our year mark, though we did take a nap and have some ice cream.

Oh guess what! Manuel will be in the mission next week! He's going on a mini mission (6 weeks!). I don't think it gets any cooler than that! He's super excited and we're excited for him. Though we're attempting to find clothes and things for him because he has pretty much nothing. He has one shirt, two ties, a suit jacket, and a pair of pants that I bought him last transfer. A lot of missionaries are going home this transfer though so I'm hoping that I can talk my district leader from when I was in Ponta Delgada into giving  me his stuff:).

And, I'm gonna get some super cool scriptures. I'm excited. I'm gonna have my Portuguese scriptures rebound and decorated. I want to use them for the rest of forever, like Grandma and Grandpa Wach:).

I love you tons! Have a great week!

Love, 

Sister Wach

 

Hey Mommy!

This week was good! We're still teaching a lot of the same people. We're still teaching Natalina, who is doing great. We'd been trying to mark her baptism date, but she just had a whole bunch of doubts and wouldn't say yes, but this week, we were able to have Manuel with us, and he did amazing. We were talking about General Conference and that we have a prophet, and Manuel just cuts in and says to her that he just feels like he needs to invite her to be baptized. So, she says that she's already been baptized (and we had tried to kill that doubt like ten times, but it was just like she wasn't hearing us), and he goes on to say that he's already been baptized 3 times but how he has finally been baptized in the right church, and all about how the Church of Jesus Christ is the only church with authority to be baptized and etc. He did great and he ended up marking her with a date for baptism! I just hope that we can get her to church enough times before that! Why is it that people have to work on Sundays?! Also, Manuel got his patriarchal blessing, and he LOVED it! He said that he's never felt anything like it at all. He REALLY wants to serve a mission. We're excited for him, because he is already a WAY better missionary than us! We've also been teaching his uncle and aunt and it's going really well. They're great people, and the uncle already knows a lot about the church and the aunt is loving the Book of Mormon. They're a great family. The uncle says there is no way I'm from the US, but instead that I'm African. He's really funny. 

We also had Zone Conference this week, which was really really good. It was fun because Sister Sandholtz was there and Sister Radvansky (from my MTC district and she was Sister Caldwell´s comp at the same time that I was comps with Sister Sandholtz) too. The spirit was really strong and to add to it, the lunch was really yummy haha. 

We also got into a nice little fight (of words) with the TJs this week. It was totally my fault. I do not like to talk to them, usually, I'll walk away, but I was bad and talked to them instead. And so it ended with me yelling my testimony and then ending with the words "and Jehovah is not God, it's Jesus Christ" to which the TJs started screaming at. It was not very Christlike of me, and the spirit wasn't there. Bad bad Sister Wach.

Also, I hurt my foot this week! Though it's Sister Caldwell's fault! We were in the kitchen and she was making a snack and she was shaking a bottle of brand new mayonaisse, and she let it slip from her hand and it landed on my foot! It hurt SO bad haha. There isn't any damage that doesn't allow me to walk, but it was pretty funny. 

I love you tons! Have a great week!

Love, 

Sister Wach

 

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

Hey Mommy!

Love the pictures, looks like it was really fun! Oh, and Tay is SUPER tall! Wow! That's cool that you got to see Sister Pinto, I just talked to her the other day. I told her to tell you I said hi! Haha. 

This week was good. A little bit crazy, but good. Monday, we went to Lisboa and we just kind of wandered around. Tuesday I don't even remember what we did. Then Wednesday we had divisions with the Sister Training Leaders. It went well. Sister Call and I took Manuel with us, and it was really cool for him. We found more people in those few hours than I have in any day in my whole mission! Manuel did some of the contacts just by himself and kept telling people he would call them or pass by to take them to church. He did great. We even ended up getting dinner because one of the doors we knocked gave us dinner! Manuel afterward was like "I was really hungry and I was praying and Heavenly Father answered my prayers!" He's awesome haha. Though, in one of the houses, Sister Call´s camera got stolen. She left her bag in another room with the son of a family and we went and saw their baby. Oops, later we realized it was gone. On Thursday we went and we got the camera back. Talk about a miracle! We weren't exactly sure how we were gonna do it, but we went to the apartment and we knocked and said we'd left something. We explained to the mother that we thought maybe the camera had "fallen out of S. Call´s bag." She got the hint and she called up the son on the phone and she chewed him out in Creole. Then she went and found it in his room. Sadly all the pictures were gone, but thankfully Sister Call had saved her pictures a few days before. We did her a favor and took some really great pictures of us getting ready for bed to replace the rest (hehe). Then on Saturday  I learned something really important. We worked really hard this week looking for new people and doing contacts, and just everything seemed to keep falling. We've also been trying to do activities to strengthen our ward and Miratejo, and almost no one comes. Then Saturday, our ward mission leader planned this big activity about how the members can help to teach and what they need to be doing, and only three people came. A recent convert from the other ward, and two older members from our ward who fell asleep. The recent convert talked about how no one was taking care of him and how he was going to go inactive, and one of the other members left. It was a disaster, and I just ended up sitting at the back of the chapel on the floor crying. All I could think about was just how hard working as a missionary is when the members don't want to help and I just thought, why are we even here. Why don't we just give up. It was Satan speaking but I couldn't help it, and we went out to keep working. We ended up finding a man whose mother had just died and we were able to teach him the 2nd lesson. The spirit was really strong and even if he doesn't progress, at least he knows that Heavenly Father has a plan for us. Then on Sunday S. Warner and I had the pleasure of going to watch 5 of the people she taught in her old area get baptized. That experience just changed the whole way I was feeling. The ward is SO strong and loving there. They just reached out in love toward the new members and the missionaries and the new family was SO happy. It's things like that in the mission that make me realize that there are people here in Portugal who really are ready for the gospel and will be loved and kept strong in the gospel. I regreted those feelings from the day before. It's interesting that one of the things that I think that I've learned the most in my mission is that Heavenly Father loves us and that when things like that happen that are hard, He will turn and show his love or show us that missionary work really is worth it. I'm really grateful that I'm here and that I have the opportunity to serve here in Portugal.

Also, two funny things happened. First off, someone called us "As Primas dos Élderes" or the cousins of the elders. No one knows who we are, so they always say weird stuff like that we're their wives or girlfriends or whatever, but that was the funniest one yet:). Then, at the baptism, I got called Branca de Neve (Snow White) like 4 times by 4 different people haha.

Love you tons! 

Love,

Sister Wach

 

http://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/unto-all-the-world-hastening-the-work-in-europe?cid=HPTU021814479&im=true&lang=eng

I just thought this was cool because at 3:02, you can see Sister and President Fluckiger! Sister Fluckiger is wearing green and you can just see President's hair haha.