9 Months Down. 9 More to Go

This week. WOW.

So we have a MARCADO!! Her name is Sónia! And she's marked to be baptized on the 5th of March! So this whole past week, we had a goal to invite EVERYONE to be baptized. And everyone was saying no.. But we kept doing it! Pois! So we knock on Sónia's door and she comes out and invites us inside her house. We start to teach her the first lesson about the Restoration and she's just asking all the right questions. How do I pray? What will I feel? Things like that. After we said the first prayer, she said she had never felt anything like that before and by the end, she was telling us that she knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet. At the very end, we give her the pamphlet and she looks on the back and sees a tiny little picture of the Book of Mormon and she looks at us and says, "Where do I get this book?" We had one with us, pois, and explained a little. Then we invited her to baptism and she straight out says YES! Turns out that she is a catequista, meaning she teaches little kids in the catholic church. So she invited us to go to catequese and teach the kids. It didn't end up working out but we're going to try again next week! AND we're going to talk to the priest!! Woo woo! GO SÓNIA!!

We went to an old folks home this week too! Sónia goes there a lot so we walked there with her and we got to say hi to all the cute little old portuguese people. THEY'RE THE CUTEST! We sang to them "A Child's Prayer" and prayed with them. THEY LOVE US! We're totally going back!

We went on a division with the STLs in Gaia and I got to meet a lot of the members that my cousin, Sister Hillam, served with! They were so mind blown that there was another Hillam! I also met her recent converts! Wow! CINCO ESTRELAS! They're awesome!!

The branch had it's Valentine's Day activity! It was so cute! We had 5 investigators there with us too! There was a little dance at the end and the members were all dancing and us missionaries were sitting there awkwardly just swaying in our chairs.. We have the best members!!! One of them even gave me these cabbage seeds so I can plant my own portuguese garden back home and make Caldo Verde!!!

Man. Time flies! I'm already half way done with my mission and I can't believe it! Even college didn't even go this fast!! And I know it's all because of the work we're doing here. When we're focused on the Lord and His work, everything works out and you can enjoy life so much more! I'm so grateful for my Savior and all the opportunities and second chances I'm given!

I love you all!!

Sister Hillam