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