Madeira Islands: Week 45

This is where the tourists come from

This is called bolo de caco

Cat Cave

Love locks at the Cat Cave

Hey everyone!

How was the week? Can't believe it's the last day of March. Which means Happy Birthday tomorrow Erik Halladay! Seriously I couldn't think of a better day to be born for him than April Fools Day haha.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I will hit my year mark on Thursday. I am freaking out. Time isn't allowed to go so fast. Oh so Ellie looked SO CUTE at her blessing. Aunt Laura you did a great job of sewing that dress! It's amazing. I wish I could have been there but of course I'm supposed to be here right now! 

Also I apologize for the amount of times I used the word like in my email last week. Haha that is really embarrassing. I will try to do better this week but I don't proof read my emails before I send them so I can't make any promises. 

Anyway, this week was probably one of the most stressful on my mission. I don't even know why. It started with Thursday. President and Sister Fluckiger were here and so we had to teach with them. It went really well but I was so nervous! 

Friday we had Zone Conference and they asked us to sing. We sang with two Elders and it was going fine up until the last note and then it was butchered but it was hilarious. Also on the spot President Fluckiger asked me to recite the whole section of D&C 4. Thank goodness I knew it but that was scary! 

Our Branch President asked us and the Elders in our district to give talks yesterday in sacrament. I spoke on the Word of Wisdom, Sister Lofgreen spoke on Law of Chastity, Elder Wertz spoke about the 1st vision, and Elder Poteet just bore his testimony. He's still working on it haha. It was funny because we literally did everything in sacrament. We lead and played the music, gave all the talks, and we did a special musical number. My talk wasn't good but I'm glad it's overwith haha.

Also we marked Rita to be baptized yesterday and she was all ready and great and then right before her interview on Saturday her son told her he didn't think she should be baptized so she got all these doubts and stuff. It was so sad. I think she'll still get baptized because she knows the church is true and that the Book of Mormon is true. It was just bleh. Second baptism in a row to fall but we're still working with them! 

On the bus it's really hard to stay standing up because they drive way fast and around corners and sudden stops so you have to hold on to a bar or something always. So I decided I was going to go from where we got picked up to where we got dropped off without having to grab onto anything. Sister Lofgreen told me she thought it couldn't be done so I had to prove it. Anyway so I was like surfing on the bus and the first time I did it. Then that night I was doing it again with the other sisters on our way home and before I know it I'm falling over backwards. I landed on some German tourists like when I say landed I mean I was on top of them. It was HUMILIATING but we all just laughed and they didn't understand a word I was saying...

Oh so I was flipping through the new Liahona magazine we got at Zone Conference and it had an article about Zimbabwe. Then I looked at a photo that had members and missionaries from 2011 and I saw T.O.! Haha it was so weird but funny. He's famous!

Also while street contacting the other day an English couple stopped and were waiting for us to be done talking to this man. When we were walking away they called out, "SISTERS!" They are members and were so stoked to see us. Dad the guy served in your mission except 10 years before you. Their last name is Hancock. It was fun they came to church yesterday and got a picture with us! I like English people haha.

Yesterday we went to Women's Conference. So fun! It's definitely not the same when you listen in a different language but it was really cool to be there and hear all those speakers! I'm glad you all liked it too.

Okay that's it don't have any more time. Have a great week! :)

Sister Carroll