Amial + Members = Gold

This week was super sweet!! We've been finding some amazing people to teach and working with the members like crazy! They are amazing!! We were able to get around 30 references from them this past week and the majority of the references live in our area!! And pois, meeting with members usually includes food so that was a big blessing! 

Okay also our area is freaking big sooo we had to take a train yesterday for like 30 minutes to get to a member's house and because it was Sunday, the schedule was super weird and we got stuck waiting in the train station but it was super pretty so.. pics below!

We got this reference from a member in Matosinhos for this lady and her mom that live a road down from us so we went over there and taught them the first lesson and invited them to be baptized! The daughter said yes! Her name is Helena. She has some pretty bad depression, partially because of her mom. Her mom has some pretty big health problems and is super clingy to her so she got depressed from staying indoors all the time. But she really wants to change around her life!! Super excited to help her!

Something that I've really learned here on the mission is that with every area, companion, and transfer, there is something specific that the Lord wants me to learn. I'm so grateful that He knows me so well and knows what I need. The Lord molds us into what He wants us to be and makes us into a beautiful masterpiece by the end of it. I still haven't gotten there yet.. But one day, I know I will!! And that leads me into this sweet video of the week!! 

Love you all!!

Sister Hillam

Me, S. Griffin, S. Duce, S. Gilbert! The most of my comps I've ever seen at once! 

São Bento train station

São Bento

Super bad/tired pic of us after getting lost in public transport yesterday..

The Bridge in Porto

Amial has it all!!

 SOO Amial ROCKS!! Really hot because there is no ocean breeze but that's fine because I've got a Hawaiian comp. She brings the ocean here ;)

We really don't have any investigators so this past week, we were just trying to find some people with real potential. We found this one lady, Maria (pois). A looong time ago, the elders would go to her house and teach her and her kids but I guess nothing came of it. She let us teach her the other day and we invited her to be baptized. She said she wasn't sure but we invited her to pray about it. We passed by the next day and she said she prayed and felt a "serene" feeling. We invited her to be baptized again and she said she still wasn't sure (AHHH). But she's willing to learn more so we're really hoping that she can start recognizing the Spirit more and more as she reads the Book of Mormon!!

Another lady we taught, Maria Rosa.. So she's like super old but super cute and we were teaching her about how we have a prophet today and 12 apostles and then she randomly blurts out, "What are their names??" Then embarrassingly enough, we couldn't remember the names of two of them.. So that was the worst.. Definitely won't ever happen again!!

ALSO there's this recent convert, Vera, here that knew Sister Pennock. So when I came to visit Amial 2 months ago on a division, I got to meet Vera. So when I got here, we stopped at her house to see if she wanted to work with us and when she opened the door, she screamed because she had been praying for me to come here again. SO Vera and I are best buds now :)

ALSO HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CONNOR and also PRESIDENT MONSON!! I'm soo grateful for my family and for a prophet in these days. Our families are so blessed as we follow the prophet. Here's the latest thing the our prophet has advised us to do so that we're protected and happy in this world! 

BEIJINHOS GRANDES
Sister Hillam

Freaking GIANT blueberries from the side of the road. There may have been some casualties as Sister Gilbert gave me a boost so I could climb up the fence with thorns...

VERA!!! She hit 1 year of getting baptized yesterday!!

Hopping Borders!

Transfers!!! SO, I'm pretty much-hopping ward boundaries here in Porto and going to Amial with the cutest Hawaiian sister in the mission, Sister Gilbert!! SO EXCITED! 

This past week in Matosinhos was amazing. AMAZING. So jealous of Sister Duce for staying. 

Arminda is back!! We taught her a lesson about "OLÁ"  or orar, ler, assistir igreja. We also talked about her doubts about being baptized. Found out that she has big doubts about tithing since she's had people cheat her out of money in the past. So we're going to plan a lesson with bispo so he can explain everything about tithing and how it works. She's not going to be able to come to church this WHOLE month because she has to take care of this old lady on the weekends :(  

OKAY, so Nazaré (membro) brought her daughter Filipa to church yesterday!!!! Filipa was taught by the missionaries a while ago but wasn't super interested. BUT SHE CAME TO CHURCH AND ASKED US TO TEACH HER!!! She's golden!!!

We moved our area boundaries a little with the elders and we started knocking on the new roads and found a freaking elect family, Nelson, Carmo, Sofia, Pedro, and Pipoca (cat). So first, the back story: We get to the 3rd floor of the apartment building and I accidentally get stuck in the elevator and Sister Duce was outside of it and the doors closed and it was kinda scary but then the door opened again and we died laughing. Then we knock on their door and Nelson opens in and totally LETS US IN! We told them we were from the US and Nelson got soo excited and the first thing he said was, "I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO UTAH!" WHAT?! Who wants to go to UTAH? Find out that they don't really have a religion and they're super open to learning more. So jealous of Sister Duce!

Also, a girl that came to Portas Abertas with a member has been coming to church for the past 2 months but the member didn't want any missionaries to teach her yet.. But we found out that the other day, the girl (Tatiana) said that she wanted to be baptized!!! SO COOL!! She's 16 and has been coming to church without her family. ELECT! 

 Something I've really learned this past transfer is that when we do our part, the Lord will do His. "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise" (D&C 82:10). Our Heavenly Father really does want to bless us but to do that, we need to try our best in keeping the commandments and the promises we've made with Him. I'm so grateful for this truth and for having the truth of the restored Gospel of Christ. Because of it, I know what my part is.

BEIJINHOS GRANDES!
Sister Hillam

Manuela, DANIEL, Me, Virgínia (from São João da Madiera)

The best district in the world

Medival Festival and Crepes made in dutch ovens hanging over flames

MÓNICA, Leonardo, Rodrigo, Érica

Me, Filipa, Pedro, S. Duce, Nazaré

We're Soaring, Flying!!!

Olá todos!!

So this week.. 

We taught Marlene. She's still progressing but we'll have to postpone her baptism. António doesn't want to leave the house and she has such a sweet heart that she doesn't want to just throw him out on the street. She's almost done with the Book of Mormon and has been bringing her mom to church!! We actually ran into her and her family after lunch yesterday and finally got to meet her father! He's super hilarious, just like her. He doesn't believe in God but no worries. We'll all help him ;)

Oh and Arminda gets back this week so we should be starting back up with her again!! YAY!

So a few weeks ago, we gave some paper missionary tags to two of our members, Ángela and Amândio. They're recent converts of 3 years and love the missionaries. So now they show everyone their tags as if they were badges of honor and share the Gospel. We're already going to visit over 10 people this week with them! Member missionary work is the best!

These past 3 months, President Amorim has been giving us 3 challenges each week, either "desafios de cisne" or "desafios da águia," aka Swan Challenges or Eagle Challenges. We were taught that we are all swans. We have the great potential to become everything our Heavenly Father expects us to be. We can also be eagles. An eagle is one of the most magestic birds out there (pois, america) and as we conquer our fears, we will be able to soar like an eagle! A lot of these challenges have really stretched us and made us grow our faith and trust in the Lord. I'm really greatful for that because God does the same thing will us. He'll give us challenges so that we can change, grow up, and become the person we're supposed to be. 

Video of the week: Going to Grandma's LOVE THIS VIDEO!

Love you all!

Sister Hillam

Some super cool rancho festival from yesterday!

  Just literally love this picture. 

Thanks, Sister Duce!

Soaring just as high as the eagles!

Whose tan lines are whose?

 Matosinhos is SO beautiful!