Sister Madalyn Jones: Happy Dios de Bruxes!

Olá!!! Happy Halloween!!

Crazy that it is already Halloween!! Also crazy that 2 years ago today I got back surgery to fix my broken back! Now here I am 2 years later in a foreign country walking A LOT everyday. Miracles are so COOL!!!!

But this week was CRAZY! Basically a week of autocarros and traveling haha

On Monday after my colega left me (sounds a tad dramatic but its true) I stayed with the sisters in Benfica (Lisboa) for the night and went and taught with them. IT was pouring like CRAZY but it was also really cool to see how other people teach and I feel like I learned so much. And the people we taught were so nice I already love them and I don’t even know them!

Then on Tuesday we went to Seite Rios to find my new companion. Her name is SIter Conrad and she is SO CUTE and SO COOL! I already love her and she is a great teather. She is from Utah and has almost 1 year here. She is the exact same age as Mackenzie with the same birthday and everything! I am learning a lot. She is such a powerful teacher and a great missionary and I am learning so much from her. This transfer will be so good. We are also a lot alike in a lot of ways, like apparently neither of us know how to make rice, and us grocery shopping together is a little pathetic also HAHAHA pray for us please!

Navigating Mafra is really really hard but we have a map and so I study that a lot. We had a lot of traveling this week so we didn’t have too much time in Mafra so this week we will definitely work hard here!!

Then on Wednesday we had to return to Lisboa for Counsel de Missão because Sister Conrad is a STL. It was really cool and I feel like I learned a lot but also felt really out of place because I don’t know anything about being a missionary haha

Then on Friday we went to Cascais, sister Conrad’s old area, because she had a baptism. It was really special to watch the baptism and see how happy he was. But we had to take 2 busses to get there and one was like an hour long and the road was SO WINDY- like Ortega and the bus was just flying around these turns. I was pretty close to losing my lunch, and my dignity, but it all turned out okay.

Then yesterday we went to Mem Martins for the primary program. The spirit there was so sweet and their ward is HUGE! I am so used to our 7-10 people every week so I was so blown away when they had like 70 people it was crazy!! Then after we ate at Enivaldos and Andreas house. Love them so much and their food is always SO good!!

But yea this week we did a lot of traveling- and also a lot of prayers. Trying to lead an area when I only have 6 weeks of experience in Mafra, and Portugal in general is REALLY difficult. But Sister Conrad is awesome and I am so excited for this transfer!! We already have "Soarin flyin" from high School Musical as our ringtone and we listen to Musica de Natal every morning so of course we get along really great. I do exercises everyday but a lot is just stretching or jumping jacks or yoga poses because really early in the morning, haha

Also I have started to dream in Portuguese recently and sometimes I can speak without thinking before hand its so crazy!! But I still have a ton I need to learn but its cool to see my progress every once in awhile.

Have a great week and an awesome Halloween!!! (kind of jealous because they don’t celebrate here) . We saw a few people in costumes today but its not really a thing like America and they don’t have trick or treating. Kind of sad. But its fine its not like we could celebrate it anyway haha

SIster Jonesy