ASHHHOM!!

Oi oi!! haha my companion has been asking me how to say things in English and I just love how she says the word “awesome" haha! It is literally sounds like "ashhhom" haha. Thank you so much for the letters this week!!! 

This week was crazy and a bit rough. So ya my companion is a little tough, but I am trying to do my best to love her and stay strong. She has pictures of her boyfriend on the wall, is constantly complaining that our investigators live far and that we walk too much...(umm welcome to the mission here in Brazil), and I wait by the door every day for her to be ready to leave. It is a pain sometimes working with a grumpy person that doesn't really love what they are doing but that isn't stopping me! haha We have been working closer to our chapel so the investigators can attend and have been clapping lots of doors and talking to lots of people.

Now that I have gotten the language down pretty well, I feel like I can apply all of the things I learned from Michigan here. I have been thinking a lot about my mission in Michigan this week. My companions taught me how to be a perfectly obedient missionary. And here, I am applying the tracting/talking to people and obedience skills I learned there, here. My companion laughs at how I try to be obedient in everything president says, but I know miracles come from being obedient from experience.

President Parrella came to Sao Gabriel this past Wednesday and did interviews. It was so funny because while my companion was being interviewed, Sister Parrella was showing me how to make tea out of some leaves and how to ask people for free fruit haha. I love her. She also visited a family with us ~ E. & R.. It was so sweet and special with her. E. and R. are waiting for their marriage papers still, but should get them soon. they mean so much to me. I know I was meant to find them and help them someday get sealed. E. was so cute telling Sister Parrella that she is so happy that the sisters found her and that we have changed her life. She said "Sister Porter has influenced me for good. I am trying to be more like her. She is so soft and has such a sweet spirit.” (I literally almost cried) they have a special place in my heart.

The Edward's family came to pic up their son this week, so cool!

They are from my mission in Michigan and I met them there! So when they came I was so excited! They gave us American candy and talked to us for a bit.

I was so embarrassed because Elder Edwards dad asked me how long I've been out and I literally forgot the number seven in English. I paused for a good 10 sec! Ahhh they all laughed at me. I only have 4 months here and I am forgetting words in English. I am seriously scared. I have a year left. This week we also taught English and Spanish classes in the city! It was soo cool. I understood everything in Spanish but is so hard to speak with a different accent.

Our investigator J. is amazing. We have been teaching him lots but this week was awesome because he took us around town and said “I have a friend I want you sisters to meet" and literally introduced us to the entire town. Every house we stopped by he would say, “These are the sister missionaries and they have been teaching me messages about Jesus Christ." Then we would introduce ourselves and talk with them. Everyone knows him and everybody let us in! We got so many references haha! It was amazing! I was in heaven!

I know that this work is the work of God. It isn't easy, but he knows what he's doing. He knows his children. He knows what they need to hear. He knows what they need to learn. I am so grateful for this special time to be a missionary. I love him. I love this work.

Sister Porter