Arminda

Arminda. Man, she's awesome!! She's the neighbor of a member, Irmã Angelina. Angelina is this cute, little old lady who is just a little crazy at times but she's an amazing member missionary. She always tells everyone that she's already baptized 8 people, haha so we taught Arminda last week and it was awesome! We invited her to be baptized and she said that she wasn't ready which is totally okay. That's why we're here. To HELP people come unto Christ. So we leave and the next day, Angelina calls us and gets mad at us for inviting Arminda to get baptized; 11-minute phone call. We just sat there patiently and then explained that we felt strongly prompted by the Spirit to invite her. Then all was good and settled. Then Sunday morning around 8h30 we get a call from Angelina again saying that Arminda wasn't answering the door and that she was avoiding Angelina and didn't want to come to church again. Then we get to church and another member was in the parking lot waiting for us and told us that we scared Arminda away and that she would never come back to church and that we shouldn't have invited her. We explained the same thing and the member walked away all mad. Then we get into the chapel and guess who was there just sitting and looking all cute and stuff. ARMINDA! She had just gotten on a bus at 8h15 and got to church 30 minutes early! And she's been reading the Book of Mormon and thinks that the church is just a giant happy family and literally loves it here!! So she's like pretty ELECT! We love her!!

ALSO, this past weekend was the giant São João festival down in Porto/Foz do Douro. Go look it up! They launch off lanterns like in Tangled at night but sadly they didn't do it this year to show respect for all those who passed away in the giant fires in Leiria. But there are tons of people that go there so our district went down to the fair Friday and Saturday night and set up a stand with balloons and tons of church materials and we just contacted people and families. It was literally the best!! We found some really cool families and also a BYU alumni that's studying in Lisbon (who also did summer sales in Roswell, Georgia and ate dinner at the Colton's house!! Small world!) Portugal is literally the best when it comes to fairs. EVERYONE goes to them and also the food is freaking good so that's nice :)

Well, we have one more week of the transfer and I really don't want Sister Griffin to leave nor do I want to leave Matosinhos so we're just praying that nothing changes so we can stay forever in Matosinhos. This week we I was reading in Mosiah 18 and verse 9 was so much different that the other times I had read it.
"9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

11 And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts."

Although I've already been baptized, I still need to remember all these promises that I made when I was baptized. To mourn with those that mourn (I hate crying or showing emotion so that's something I need to change), comfort others, and be a representative of Christ at all times! That is the desire of my heart! Everything starts with a desire and then that desire turns into a reality as we work toward it with our Savior by our side. LOVE THIS!!

Love ya'll!!

Sister Hillam

We found Farturas!!

Portuguese hot dogs are the best!!

This cute little garden thing our almost investigators made

Us with our cute balloons!

Sister Griffin fell asleep on the way to Arminda's house

Best District Ever!

Matosinhos + Foz do Douro = Mafozinhos

Irmã Magnífica (Here name is legit Magnífica or Magnificent)

Homemade sherbert (cred to S. Gilbert) + potato chips = pure happiness

Portas Abertas is Pulling Through

We're starting to teach the Portas Abertas people!! We taught the wife of a recent convert, Fátima, and invited her to be baptized. She said that she'd pray about it but we know she felt the spirit! LOVE HER! 

Another lady, Arminda, came to church!! She's a friend of Irmã Angelina e Guilhermina! When we called Irmã Angelina about her, she said, "VAMOS BATIZÁ-LA!!" Or in other words, "LET'S BAPTIZE HER!" So needless to say, we're going to baptize her! She's a cutie and loved church! She asked us when everyone was going to the temple and showed interest in going! LOVE HER!

We accidentally dropped our phone in the sewer last week and I had to lay on the ground and reach for it which was disgusting. AND that same day, Sister Griffin had a giant bloody nose and bled all over Leça da Palmeira. Lots of fun! 

Also while contacting a lady with our cute little questionnaire thing about the Plan of Salvation, she told us that she wants to go to Purgatory because it's hot there... Sadly, she wasn't interested :(

This week we were asked to practice a lesson that President made for us about faith at least three times. As we were, I really started to understand more about faith. It's really something that we have to constantly be growing just like a plant. If you stop, it dies. Alma 32 guys. Just read it!

Love ya'll!
Sister Hillam

Our ward 's missionaries minus Elder Wait

Legit the best elders ever

FINALLY SAW SISTER NANCE AFTER 9 MONTHS!

Bom dia alegria!!

We finally had our giant activity here in Matosinhos! And it was a hit!! We had 40 nonmembers and at least 50 members! They all loved President Amorim's presentation about the Church and of course, they loved the Pão com Choriço and Caldo Verde :) And the great thing about the activity was the members. They started planning SIX MONTHS AGO! All the rooms in the church are decorated depending on their use. They started inviting friends months ago. They fasted. They prayed. They handmade all the food and the decorations. They came every Friday night to invite people on the road to have a tour of the church. They worked so hard! They are truly the cream of the crop! A few weeks ago, we were spending so much time and wondering if would really be worth it. We were praying so hard as a district and a ward and Heavenly Father really does answer our prayers. And now, we as missionaries, have to hit the pavement running with these friends and family of the members. LOVE MATOSINHOS!

Also, a cool thing that happened: Izilda e Leonardo. So the elders gave us a reference for a single woman that lived in their area. House number 23. So we go to the apartment complex where that number should be. Knock the door. Not her. Then we go to a different complex and get kinda lost. This little 11-year-old boy was kinda staring at us (we look kinda weird here) and we say hi. He just smiles and then runs inside. Then his mom yells out the window in English if we were lost. We said yes and then her son runs out and helps us find number 23 and stays with us even as we're talking to the lady that lived there (who was not the lady we were looking for). We could feel something special about this little boy so we convinced the mom to let us tell the Elders to pass by their home. Then the elders go back a few days laters, find out that the dad was baptized like 20 years ago and that he wanted his family to be baptized. AND NOW THEY'RE GETTING BAPTIZED!!!!!! Moral of the story. OPEN YOUR MOUTH. The elders opened their mouths to talk to some lady on the road and invited her to know more. We go there, don't find her, but open our mouths to the people we did find. The elders go back, open their mouths about the Gospel. AHH, MIRACLES!

There is no reason great enough to not open our mouths about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no shyness, no tiredness, nothing great enough to not open our mouths. This Gospel is true. Everyone needs to hear it. We can't just keep all the blessings for ourselves. Open your mouths! 

Love you all!!

Sister Hillam

Portas Abertas

Zone Meeting

Porto

Probably the Most Random Week Ever!!

This week:

Elder Wanlass and Elder Zanni (the APs) were knocking doors in what they thought was their area and found these two old people and taught them. Later at district meeting, they talked about how this couple was their miracle for the week and mentioned their names were António and Lídia. Well turns out... they were knocking in our area and taught our investigators that we've been trying to get in contact with for a while. Soo that was a little awkward to tell them.

We got in contact with Henrique and Lídia from last transfer. THEY ARE AMAZING!! And when we walked in the house, their dog, Mini, got a little too excited and peed on me when she sat on my lap... And then I didn't have time to change because we had a meeting with the ward mission leader afterward. My luck.

Saturday morning we were contacting people like crazy on the way to an appointment when we accidentally contact a Jehovah's Witness and I gave her a card with the Book of Mormon on it. If ya'll know anything about JWs, they always come up to us in the streets and try to argue with us saying that the name of God is Jehovah and I doesn't matter what we say because they will always just argue. So she says, "You know your book has the name of Jehovah in it, right?" And I was like, "Yup! It's Christ, isn't it?" And then she accidentally said, "Exactly!" Then she realized what she had said and tried to make up for it but by then we had already thanked her for her time and started contacting the next person. Then later, we contacted a person in a giant Mini Mouse costume. THEN we accidentally contacted a return missionary who served in Matosinhos who just happened to serve with my cousin when she served here. Sister Andrade. She was soo adorable and she was a little lost so we helped her get around Matosinhos. Small world.

ALSO, our members are AMAZING! We've been going to the members' homes to invited them to invite their friends to this giant activity we're having this Saturday with President Amorim. We went to one member's home and she expressed her desire to share the Gospel but her doubts about whether her friends will accept. We shared some scriptures to help her out and then she said, "OH! I know what we'll do! We will all fast together this weekend and pray so that I can find 5 people to invite!" So then on Saturday, we went over for lunch and we all kneeled together to start our fast. The Spirit was so sweet as we listened to a member who truly wanted to share the Gospel ask Heavenly Father for help. THE MEMBERS HERE ARE AMAZING!

Love you all!

Sister Hillam

Sorry folks we didn't take pictures but here are some cool ones from the past 13 months!

Rua dos Missionarios

First Day in Portugal with my cousin Madi as my Trainer

EuroCup2016