Miracles in Portugal

Alright family, Im going to try and write a really long email... because i have been slacking lately and really, there has been so much happening that i should be writing about its ridiculous!

as you can see that ive titled this email week of miracles... really it has been... and i want to tell you about all of them, but i want to start off with the last miracle that happened, that is the biggest and most important to me.
Big miracle, i want to talk about the AMAZING conference that we had this past weekend... not only were the talks excellent, the spirit extrememly strong, but the most incredible thing was announced... WE, HERE IN LISBON PORTUGAL, ARE GETTING A TEMPLE!!! let me just tell you about my day saturday... we were late to conference because to watch it we have to go to a different chapel... well, we had a family of investigators that really didnt want to go to church that finally agreed to go to the first session on saturday with us... so we were late because of them... as we were walking to the chapel my district leader called me and says i have some really good news to tell you... we are getting a temple. I cant even explain how i felt... at first it was unbelief because he likes to joke with me. But then it sunk in and wow... the amount of gratitude that i felt right in that moment is indescribable. I imediately wanted to kneel down on the sidewalk and just offer up a pray of gratitude to Heavenly Father... but i was already acting really wierd and the investigators were already staring at me really funny, so i refrained myself. but when we got to the chapel i knelt down and just poured out my gratitude. You all probably think im crazy, but in the past 7 months that ive been here in the country working towards a temple has been our focus... to have the saving ordinances available to all these wonderful people here. I am sooooo grateful for everything that i have been apart of here in Lisbon. I KNOW that this work that we are doing is the most important thing ever. I KNOW that i was called here for a reason, to learn this language and love this culture... to serve the nobel people here. After the first session was over the stake president got up and talked. with tears falling from his face and everyone elses in the room, he bore an amazing testimony and then we all knelt down and the oldest member in the room offered a pray. it was the most amazing experience for me, to see the love and gratitude of all the members there. Really, talking about it now i can still feel and remember just how strong the spirit was in that room. What a miracle, what a day of miracles saturday was.

okay, to back track... the week started out and i got my tansfer call... that i was going to be training... i was excited but super nervous. I started a fast to help me to be the best i could be. I started praying a ton! the first full day of work we had, was amazing. we found tons of people that are interested and we even taught a few of them.

then, friday, we decided to do some finding in the area book... basically to look and see if anyone that had already been taught jumped out to us... as we were doing that a tiny thought came into my head that we needed to leave the house. and really, to be honest i wasnt sure if it was the spirit or me... but i thought, where would we even go... we dont have much time. and the thought came to me, go to the building right next to yours and start knocking. so i told my comp to put her shoes on, we were going out to work. she looked at me like i was retarded. so we started buzzing the little box thing outside the apartment building... the 4 one we touched let us in. it was a whole family!!! they are amazing! they and super nice and want to learn more. we talked a little and taught them and right as we were about to leave the oldest brother, hes like 35, said to us, "i know you were inspired by God to come and find us. I can feel something different about you girls when you are here in our house. Thank you so much for finding us." um, hello elect person. i really know that Heavenly Father is with us doing this work. I also know that every time we follow him and do what he asks of us it is that much easier to know his will and do it the next time.

I am out of time to tell stories, but there were tons more miracles that happened this week! really, i love this work! I am learning so much! it so awesome! I love portugal! I love the people!!!

com amor
irmã graf