Missions Can Be Hard

Madalyn was going to send a group email out then changed her mind.  However she accidentally sent a blank group email out- Sorry. She has discovered this week that her experience is not always full of roses...the thorns are out there too!  It will be good for her to grow and learn patience in this area. However she could really use encouraging emails and maybe advise from those of you who have been in similar situations on your missions and what you did! Below is a piece of what she wrote me.  She probably doesn't want me to share, but I know that there are others out there who have had similar struggles and can probably give her some advise!

Okay I dont really want to complain but I just have to say it.. this week was probably the hardest week of my mission.

We arrived here in Faro really late on Tuesday so basically started "working" on Wednesday. The sisters didn't leave anything to help us. They have no investigators.. we dont know anything about the area.. it is literally terrible. What is most annoying is that in my other 2 areas I made sure that I left the area ready for the sisters to work and know things about the area and things about the house also. But here we are all alone. So yea I know we were going to have to work hard to find people to teach and just learn about the area. 

Also Sister Rubio tore a ligament in her foot a few weeks ago and she can barely walk. She is also way dramatic about that (and you know I don't have patience for people complaining about injuries). So we basically never leave our house. We have stayed in our house literally all day for 2 days. I cannot do it anymore. I have done everything I can to plan our days, study the maps, work with the area book, and try to work while we are at home but it is literally the worst. Yesterday after church we had lunch, and we  have one hour to eat lunch and then we leave and normally dont return until 9:30. So at the end of lunch I brushed my teeth and got ready to go and then I entered our study room and she was on the couch asleep.. I didn't know what to do because she is senior companion and so technically she has control. SO I just studied for some time. We didn't leave our house at all yesterday. When she woke up a few hours later I asked her when we would leave and she said her ankle was hurting and so she didn't want to leave. This is literally SO hard for me.. I am dying here. 

I think this area is a good area but I literally don't know because we haven't have a chance to explore it. We had a day where we left and did a service project for a less active all day, and then another day that I planned to meet with some less actives and recent converts but other than that we haven't done anything. I know there is nothing you guys can do about this situation.. but just pray for me because I am going crazy. She is also way trunky and only talks about home and what she will do when she  gets home.. and she still has until May!! 

It's just hard because I bonded so well with my last 2 companions but I think I have found my problem companion here... We will see what happens and what I can do to motivate her to leave the apartment and teach people!!!

Other than that the beds here are so unconfortable and my back hurts SO bad. Also I got some kind of sickness I think and went almost a full 2 days without eating because everything I ate left like 30 minutes later (gross I know) but I ate some chicken noodle soup yesterday and think I am getting better so that's good. 

But yea I really like Faro! The branch has like 40 ish people that come every week. It should be good to work with the members, they are so sweet. It is a lot hotter here and the sun is always out so thats so good!! I didn't get your package and it will probably take a long time for me to get it because Algarve is way far away from Lisbon but during this transfer I'll get it.. probably in like 2 or 3 weeks. 

But yea sorry for complaining so much its just SO hard. I keep beating myself up over the lack of work we are doing but I just don't know how to motivate here to work and dont want to force her because she is injured.. but yea. I am trying to love her and get to know her. She likes to talk a lot about herself haha

But yea I love you so much and have been missing you a lot. Have a great week!! 
Sister Jones 

Elisangela's baptism that Madalyn couldn't attend because it was three hours away.