The city of Santarém is situated on a plateau, located on the right bank of the Tagus River, 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Lisbon. The economy of the city remains mainly dedicated to the production of agricultural goods.

Monday, April 4, 2016

Aveiro 4/4/16

Bom Dia minha família!
This week was transfer week and its been a little crazier then usual.

This past Tuesday we had District Meeting and right after District Meeting everyone rushed to the computer to see the transfer sheets. Elder Cox has been transferred to Braga, Elder Gabbitas is staying and training a new greenie, Elder Meza is staying as well and has become the new District Leader, and I'm staying as well as a greenie haha. Also on Wednesday brought home his new comp Elder Teixeira! Ele é um brasilero (He's brazilian)! He's super cool and is fresh from the São Paulo MTC. He only knows portuguese so we've been speaking a lot more portuguese, which is good cuz I need to work on that.

We've been doing a lot more procura (finding) this week.

On Friday we found this college student named Alexandre. He's super cool! We knocked on the door, and he said we could come inside. We were like yes! Before we even started teaching he told us "You know, you guys (missionaries) do so much. Is there anything I can do to help you?" I was like wat?! I turned to Elder Meza just to make sure I had understood that right, and he was kinda like wat too, haha. Nobody has asked us that before! We were like, "yeah be baptized!", haha, jk but not really. We taught him the first lesson, left him a Book of Mormon, invited him to read it and ask if it is true, and soft invited him to baptism, to which he responded he had already been baptized as a catholic. Why am I not surprised? Haha, he said though we could come back and continue to teach him, so were going back today!

We found this other college student, Christiana, who is a psychology major. We knocked on her door, she opened it and we started talking to her. During the whole conversation, she was asking all the right questions! I was like "shoot we gotta teach her". We ended up going back and giving a short lesson to her about the Book of Mormon and invited her to read and pray about the truthfulness. She said she would. She's like yeah you guys can come back in like 10 after finals are over, I should be done with the book by then. We were like wat??!! She's super cool.

On Friday we missed our train to Águeda, like barely. Super bummed. We decided that as we waited for  the next train we would go knock doors. We were knocking this one prerio (apartment building), and one of the rooms on that floor was blasting music, so we knocked the door and ended up finding two more people to teach, about college age. We taught them the first lesson, left a Book of Mormon and invited them to read and say a prayer. They said they would. God is always preparing people for us. Also I was thinking I wasn't gonna bring a Book of Mormon cuz we were going to visit a família menos-ativa (less active family) but I felt like I should bring one anyway, so I did and good thing I did or those two people wouldn't have one. Thank goodness for the Spirit!

We also had a reference from a member to go and visit named Celia. She's from Cabo Veirde. I guess he had gone to teach her with the missionaries before, but then the missionaries dropped her cuz she didn't want to get baptized. We found her record and decided to go visit her. We taught her the first lesson again yesterday, and did a soft commitment to baptism, which she accepted! Yay!

Sadly Idalina seems to have dropped us. We taught her the 3rd lesson the other day and it went rather well. She is still hesitant to be baptized though right now. Then the other day she called us and basically told us to stop coming to teach her. She like dropped us randomly. We're working on trying to talk to her so we can sort things out.

Rulanda is marked for this Sunday to receive the Holy Ghost. We've been working with her, but she's been super sick because of giving up smoking. We continue to work hard with her so she can have the fullness of the blessings of baptism.

We helped a member move some furniture in his house, and some boxes and other furniture into a storage thing he had. Was awesome! I mean was nothing really, but just the opportunity to serve and to work with my hands again was awesome! Plus my hands coming soft so gotta make tough again, haha, bumbye everyone think I one fubeca (loser) when I come back.

I did end up receiving your letter mom with the recipes and some letters inside. I got um the night of last pday. So I sent some letters in response. I also sent a letter to Grandma Odale today. As far as sending me letters, sending it to the mission home is safer but sending um straight to me should be okay as well. Just gotta be aware of the time frame it may take to get to me, cuz if I get transferred and its sent to me here in Aveiro, I may not ever get it.

Conference was awesome!!! I don't think I can remember a time when I was so excited to attend General Conference. Because of the time difference we watch from 5-7pm, then  from 9-11pm. We ended up watching the Priesthood Session on Sunday morning from 10-12am. We got special permission to stay up late to watch. I got to watch the first two at a members home with english subtitles (yay haha), watched the priesthood session without at the chapel, and the second to last was kinda iffy cuz we watched it at an investigators house but the internet was slow and glitchy so I couldn't really understand. The last one was half and half, without then with subtitles at that one members home.

While watching them in Portuguese I was praying to Heavenly Father to help me understand the things He needed me to hear. I didn't understand everything, but I understood a good amount and I felt like I understood those things that pertained specifically to me. I am so grateful to God for His continual help in my life, and especially in my work here in Aveiro.

There was a lot of stuff I really liked, but something I want to share is from Elder Holland's address at the end. He said something like "When you're facing adversity and its hard, be patient, sanctify yourself, for tomorrow the Lord will bless." I'm pretty sure it was something like that. That really touched me cuz having a good attitude about something and being patient has always been a trial for me. This gives new perspective that I should just keep my head down, continue to work hard and do those things I'm supposed to and have a good attitude, cuz the trial is only for a season. God is waiting for us to pass so He can bless us. Btw ua ike wau ia anakala Kulono Ikuwa e himeni and me ka mormon tabernacle choir. Ua nui kou hauooli i ka ike i kahi maka kamaaina!

To the family I just want to suggest that one talk that spoke about the family councils. I thought that was really good advice. Also I'd like to suggest a talk I read this morning, called "Tongues of Angels" by Elder Holland, from the May 2007 Ensign.

As far as weather here, it's been pretty rainy and windy. The sun has shown itself here and there but always returns to being rainy and cloudy. It's been good though.

I would like to add my testimony to those of the prophets, by saying: He lives! He is among us! He loves us, and has paid the price that we might have eternal happiness. With His help, we can overcome! He speaks thru the prophets, and I sustain Thomas S. Monson as prophet, seer, and revelator. I am so grateful for his inspired servants, and their inspired words.
Family, I love you! I pray for you! Please take care and keep up the good work!

Me ke aloha,
Elder Kim



This is my first district. from left to right: me, Sister Waddel, Sister Elliot (now in madeira), Elder Meza (my comp), Elder Rands (now an AP), Elder Reed (ZL),Elder Cox (now in Braga), Elder Gabbitas (now training). Picture was taken a few weeks ago.

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