So it’s finally happened. After 4 and a half months of Matosinhos, I was transferred. Let me tell you what I’m doing. I’ve opened an area, that is
located...FUNCHAL MADEIRA!!!!!! YES I’m on the island!!!!!!! There are 14 of us
on the island. 8 of us are new!! I`M ON THE ISLAND!!! I looked in the fridge
and there was Brisa so you can imagine what I did!!! My companion is Sister
Miller. She is just like Sister Elliott. They came into the mission together!
So we have tons to talk about and we get along GREAT!!! I love Sister Miller!!
So basically we’ve started from scratch! This area is huge!!! I actually
replaced Elder Zwhalen who is from Idaho Falls! So let me tell you. The week
leading up to transfers I couldn’t stop thinking about Madeira. For some reason
every time I had a free minute to think, Madeira kept coming to my mind. Well I
prayed and said, `All right, I want to go to the Madeira, I can’t stop thinking
about it and if I went I’d do whatever you wanted. If I don’t go, whatever, I
will still do what you want and work my hardest.” Well I still kept thinking
about it! We got the call Tuesday and that’s when I knew. I had the biggest
feeling that I was going and now I’m here, opening Funchal 1. He took that
prayer seriously and now I’m working harder than ever before. There isn’t one
moment that goes by that I’m not thinking about the area or people we can
contact or of what we need to do. There is no time for Sister Hillam. Even
right now I’m thinking of who we’re going to see. My brain never stops. Oh and
I happen to live by the restaurant that Wade got the `very nice banana`haha!! I’m
having flashbacks to when we were here!! (Jordan: Ricardo says hello! and
remembers your back flip off the chapel wall.) It’s all a lot to take in right
now. The language isn’t really that different. If anything, I like it more than
before!! I LOVE THIS ISLAND!!!! It still hasn’t completely hit me yet. I’m
still so awed that I’m here. So our area goes all the way up the mountain and
the very top is Monte. Well we went there trying to find this house and we
walked ALL THE WAY DOWN. We walked for 2 hours. It was like going straight down
face of Table Rock! MY LEGS ARE KILLING ME!!! But by the end, I’m going to have
some of the best-toned legs! I’m very lucky to be here. President told us
we needed to turn the Madeira around and make it the biggest baptizing zone in
the mission. He told me to bring fire to the island. I’m so humbled to be here.
President did lots of white washes and took a lot of missionaries out of areas
but I am so grateful to come here. I’m so grateful for our family. The members
call us sisters the angels. They haven’t had sisters for a really long time. I
met the oldest member on the Madeira and she just loves us!! She bore her
testimony about grandpa and me. I just happened to be sitting on the stand when
she said that and everyone just looked at me. I’m pretty sure I’m here so that
the members can start working with the missionaries. We’ve already had a lot of
invites to homes and everything. LOVE THE WORK!! Our family is truly
incredible. I’m so grateful to be here. I don’t know how long I will stay but I
know it will be for at least 3 months, right before Christmas. But who knows! I
want you to know that we will come visit Madeira when we come visit Portugal!!!
I love you all so much!!! Pray for my area so that we can find families. We are
working really hard to help this branch grow. Thank you all so much for your
faith and prayers. We will need them these next few weeks. I love you all so
much!!! I love the Savior more and more everyday. He knows me all too perfectly
and knows exactly what I’m capable of. I’m not scared or worried at all. He
knows I’m going to work hard everyday and do my best to contact people. I’ve
already seen Him help us. My language has gotten so much better just in a few
days. He is blessing me more than you can imagine. This is not my work, it is
His. I love him with my whole heart and I can’t believe how much He’s blessed
me. The Church is true, and the book is blue. It’s all worth it and I will give
every ounce of energy that I have so that we can find families and find those
elects. I love this work so much. LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Sister Hillam
My address is:
Sister Madison Hillam
Rua Casa Branca N 33 Cave A
Funchal Madeira 9000-113
Portugal
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