Miratejo: Week 22

Bela's Baptism!

With Nuno! He's awesome!

What the Elders sent with their new phone...

Hey! 

So mom and grandpa, how were the birthdays? Hope you had fun! Mom I'm glad to hear you guys got the package but I'm so creeped out about all that other stuff that was in there! Throw away that creepy doll and CD. I DEFINITELY did not put that in the box. Portugal mail is so weird.

Okay so this week was NUTS! First of all, last Monday we had a meeting with the bishop and our ward mission leader and found out that our ward boundaries are WAY different than everyone thought. Even the bishop was shocked. So every missionary who has worked here from the beginning of time has been baptizing people who technically belong in another ward. So they split up our boundaries differently, and we literally had to give EVERY SINGLE ONE of our investigators to the other ward. The Elders got lucky and got to keep most of theirs, but our new area is like an hour walk away from where we had been working. Technically Bela and Castro would have never been in our area, so I-m just super glad we got to meet them before we found out! Anyway, so this has been a very difficult week! 

We walk all day long and literally see maybe one or two people in the streets the WHOLE time. You better believe when we see them we book it towards them to talk to them. So basically we knock doors the entire day. Another crazy thing is there are ONLY houses! That might not sound that strange but I've literally been in like 3 houses my whole mission so this is crazy. It-s hard because they're rich and no one will talk to us. They're polite about it though so that's good! But yeah we're struggling. Luckily we got a reference of an INCREDIBLE family! Seriously. The Mendez family and they have two kids. Nelson and Rosario are the parents and Nelson who is 14 and Erica who is 5 are the kids. They all have really busy schedules so it's hard to teach them all together but they have come to church 3 times now and the son wants to be baptized this weekend! We are hoping to talk to the parents and maybe get them all baptized the same day because that would be SWEET! 

More good news! Bela got baptized!!! We had to have our Mission President do her interview on Friday and it was SO scary! I always get super nervous around him but she passed and then on Saturday she got baptized! It was a mess because the font was leaking EVERYWHERE! Like it flooded in the back and so while people were giving their talks the water was going down and down and so when they finally did the baptism it was so low that she had to sit down and then lay all the way on her back in order to go under the water. Poor thing she had to do it twice I felt so bad! But it was AWESOME! Oh and GUESS WHAT?! They asked us to have Castro give a talk at the baptism about the Holy Ghost so I called him and said we'd come over and help him write it. He didn't seem nervous but we gave him some scriptures, explained how to outline it and gave some examples but didn't do much! Anyway we were super nervous because he's only been a member for less than a month and had never done anything like this but he KILLED IT! LIterally I saw like three people crying including the bishop and it was one of the best talks I've ever heard! After he got done everyone congratulated him and told him how great it was. It was REALLY good for him to hear because it totally boosted his confidence. He kept saying "well I have to thank the sisters for helping me" and "I know I'm on the right path now!" So funny.

Then yesterday at church they sustained him to receive the Aaronic Priesthood! He was so excited he kept walking around after he received it and saying "I feel so clean! I wish Sisters could get it to so that you could all feel the way I feel right now!" Also our ward is going to Spain on a temple trip this weekend and he's going!!! I can't wait to see pictures and I wish I could go too!

So this week the animals haven't liked us missionaries. On Saturday we knocked a house and this dog was freaking out. Good thing there was a fence or it would have eaten us. Anyway the owner came outside for a second to talk to us and right when he walked in the dog lifted its leg and peed on Sister Hickey and I. I wanted to KILL it! Then yesterday Sister Miles got pooped on by birds twice. Once on her head and the other on her foot. hahaha. I'm still hoping that never happens to me.

The bad thing is that animals aren't the only ones who pee in the streets. I saw TWO little girls squat in the middle of public in the same day. One of those times the mom was holding her in the air while she did her thing! I honestly don't even want to know what kind of nonsense I step in all day long. Gross.

Oh yesterday after church Maria Joao and Carlos Santos (A couple in our ward) invited us over for dinner. They are SO nice and have 2 kids one who lives in Utah and one in Vegas. Their daughter married a guy that served a mission in this ward! It was seriously the best food I've had in Portugal though and I love them! They are the ones that invited Castro over for FHE a few weeks ago and Bela this week. 

Also Sister Hickey's mom sent us ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies (they don't have brown sugar or chocolate chips or basically anything here) and so we made them today. We felt like we were in America!! She also sent mud masks which was super fun! I couldn't help but quote the Grinch all day... Kelsey I have to admit you do it better. My new nickname is White Pochohontas because I put my hair in a braid the other day. Better than Bitter butt I guess?

Anyway, that was our week. Hope everyone has a great one and I'll talk to you next week!

Sister Carroll