It was good to hear all the stories of this week!! Congrats Eric and
Noelle for the baby!!!! Super excited to meet all the little ones! It’s weird
to see pictures.... they grow up so fast! Ha-ha I love telling people about my
family and showing them pictures and then they turned to me and say either
`you’re going to be the ultimate lonely aunt` or `you better get married and
have kids. ` Such a great future to look forward to!
This next week is transfers. I have no idea what will happen. Part
of me really wants to stay in Matosinhos and another part says that I’m
leaving. If I stay it’ll be 6 months in this area. I wouldn’t mind but I could
only stay here with Sister Elliott. With anyone else, it just would be weird.
But one of us is leaving. Got to love transfers...(I actually don’t).
This week we did a lot of work with the less active members. The
Elders and us have actually split the work in our area. We have over 300 less
active members in one part of our area so we’ve been working really hard to get
them to come to church. We could create 3 wards in just my area... It’s
crazy!!! So for 2 days we went with the Elders to tackle some of them. We also
had a few members give us address to a few more. It was quite the week of
rescuing! It just made me realize how covenants and salvation aren’t something
you should play with. It’s much harder to reactivate than it is to baptize and
that’s the saddest part. They’ve forgotten. But we’re going to save
them!!!
Also, we always go visit Familia Castro because she has to take care
of 2 sick people. Brother Castro actually has ALS and Alzheimer’s. I know all
to well what that is. It was a spiritual experience for me. I remember the room
got really quite and grandpa was there. I felt him so close when she was talking
about Brother Castro. I heard the words, `It’s over Sister Hillam. It passed
and I’m okay. I’m here. ` He’s here in Portugal with me. He’s teaching and
speaking to these people with me. It’s great knowing and feeling him here with
me. So special.
Oh so for the past 3 weeks I’ve had REALLY bad bug bites. Come to
find out I had an allergic reaction to the mosquitoes here and my legs got
really bad bubbles. Went to the hospital and got medication and creme that I
have to put on them. Its pretty nasty stuff that happened to my legs. I’ll send
some pics of it! Got to love diseases!
The rest of the week our recent convert Carla walked with us!! She
is so incredible!!! She wants to be a missionary so for the past week she’s met
with us for 4 of the days. She wanted to teach and pray and do everything with
us. She’s prepping to go on a mission and she even brought her non-member
friend to teach with us. She’s already being a missionary with her family and
her neighbors! This week she turned to me and said, `Sister Hillam, I want you
here when I go through the temple, and when I buy my clothes, and when I’m
about ready to leave. I want you to be here for all of it. ` I just wanted to
cry!!! SHE`S AMAZING!!!!!!! I will be here when she get’s ready to go. No doubt
about it. She already said that I’d stay in her house while I’m there. She’s so
excited!! I`M SO EXCITED!!!! I think I’m more excited then she is. Every time
we go out together she talks about her mission and where she wants to serve. So
wonderful!!! If I get transferred, I’m going to miss her so much.
I love the mission. I learned a lot about patience this week. We
can’t control the outcome but we can control our attitudes about the situation.
That’s what counts. On the outside looking in, the situation probably looks
horrific but for me, it’s a comedy. All you can do is laugh and keep going!
Time won’t stop so why should you stop and mope about it. Get up and Get at it!
Work harder! Laugh more! Christ doesn’t like sad followers. He always tried to
lift those around them. Don’t be stubborn and let Him lift you! Find the good
in the situation. I love you family so much! You all mean the world to me. Keep
safe and REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU STAND FOR!
Love,
Sister Hillam
´RETURN WITH HONOR`
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