UM MEZ EM MAFRA!!!

Ola Família e Amigos!!!~

 This week I realized I have been in Portugal for ONE MONTH!!! Time literally flew by so fast it’s so crazy!! It’s the last week on our transfer this week, which is just so crazy to me!!!

This week we had zone conference on Tuesday and it was SOOOO fun!! We combined with another zone so there where 3 people from my district from the MTC there! It was so fun to so them and we already know so much more Portuguese! They were so blown away that I never speak any English. The elders live together and one of their companions speaks English so they always speak English and I was like wait no we NEVER speak English. But it’s good. I am so glad I have a Brazilian collega because I am learning so quickly!!! 

But it was really weird speaking English with a few people during conference because I was like “no we have to speak Portuguese”!!!!! Its one of our mission rules to never speak English even if we can and I know I will learn so much quicker if we are obedient!! 

Then after conferencia we had divisions in Mem Martins!! We had to travel for like 3 hours to get to Mem Martins from zone conference so we wouldn’t really do much Tuesday night but Wednesday it was me and Sister Carr. Sister Carr arrived 6 weeks before me so it was 2 "trainees" together. It actually boosted my confidence a bunch because when I don’t have anyone to rely on I can speak a lot more than I think I can. So it was so good and it was also pouring rain so I think people took pity on us and talked to us. hahaha

At Zone conference I learned that Mafra is the only area in the whole mission that hasn’t had a baptism for a whole year. It is also the smallest group (or branch) in the mission. I would compare Mafra to Ladera in size and we cover a huge area but it’s really far from the church so we don’t really have any investigators there.  We visit people but they aren’t progressing so its really frustrating.  Also we haven’t had any new investigators in 2 weeks and don’t have many people to teach.  The mission president was like "You are really getting a European mission experience in Mafra" and I didn’t realize what he meant until I was in Mem Martins. People there are SO much more receptive its CRAZY I was like wow they will actually talk to us??? Haha I love Mafra SO much but I am glad not every area is like Mafra. But we still try hard every day to find new people to teach!!!! 

My companion has already been here for 3 transfers so she is pretty sick of the area and doesn’t really feel motivated to work. Its really hard trying to work hard when she is always making excuses for why we can’t do things. Its hard also because I don’t really know how to find new people to teach because I don’t have any experience really and don’t know how it works here. I don’t really know what to do about it but I just want people to teach!!!! It’s the last week of the transfer and she thinks she is going to get transferred but I think she will stay. It’s really rare to transfer in the middle of training. While I don’t want to lead, I want someone excited about our area and ready to work too so I don’t really know what will happen. 

Our monthly allowance is 180 a month (so like 200 US dollars) for food and the 70 or 80 for transportation. I don’t remember exactly. We normally end us spending a little more for transport but last month it was fine. I think this month it will last all month too. But it really just depends on the area. Transport is really expensive here but we have enough for most of our things. We don’t really eat out that much. Just at bakeries so it’s pretty cheap. 

To answer my mom: yes I still say “like” hahaha but also “tipo” is how you say “like” in Portuguese so I just use both now hahaha!

Yesterday we went to Seixal (another city in our area) and it was rainy but it was so pretty there! It’s like tropical and SO green! Like Hawaii but not as nice and it wasn’t warm either. But we literally had to hike to get to places in dirt roads in church shoes it was so funny. Also any sister who is going to be serving a walking mission PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE buy Cole Hahn Oxfords with the Nike bottoms. They are literally saving my life! I love them SOOO much they make walking on cobble stone streets all day enjoyable!! (This is not a sponsored email) But it was SO pretty and so different from Mafra ahh I love Portugal!!!!

Also Huge shout out to the Sheppard for dropping off a package at the mission home! Literally love the American candy and can’t wait to make those brownies!! Means so so much!! 

Also shout out to my grandparents for all the Halloween decorations! We are going to have a FESTA!!!! Hahaha

Love Mackenzie’s hair so much it looks so good!! I want to chop mine so bad because its at such an awkward length right now and with the foggy mornings and nights it always looks so not done. hahah but  tudo bem short hair is a lot more work!! 

Okay sorry this week was actually not that exciting!!! But we are in Mem Martins agora for P day de zona!!!! Going to be SO FUN!!!

Okay love all of you so much!