Seize the DAY!

Still nothing on transfers! We find out tomorrow after district meeting, but I’m pretty sure nothing will really change. We just got here like yesterday it feels like! This week was awesome. Literally, just incredible. Full of the good up’s and down’s but that is the mission is! It’s just great! 

Carlos had a really rough week but at the same time we were able to see from the outside in and really feel the love for him. He fell really hard and went back to smoking 20 cigarettes and drinking again. He was really confused about the decision to be baptized and now more than ever he wants it. We went to his house and talked to him and everything changed. We talked to him and he said that his faith in Christ has grown. He prays and reads the Book of Mormon everyday. He looks at the picture of Christ everyday and does his best. He told us that he accepts everything that we teach and loves going to church. He loves the feelings that he feels, and this week we saw a man fall from his progress and go back to his old way of life. We literally saw the sadness that overcame him. But then we say a man decide to follow Christ and completely change. The difference was obvious but the joy and light you could see in his eyes. Yes he is still smoking and drinking but you can see his desire to be and do better. I love this man for all of his effort to follow Christ. He is a changed person, and I can’t wait to see his baptism.

Funny story, the elders called us this week and asked to teach 2 of their investigators. We got there and come to find out this lady is 28 and has 3 kids, the older being 13ish. And on top of that, she likes one of the elders! It was all just a surprise to hear it! ha-ha we had a good laugh with the Elders about this women, but her friend actually is super elect! We’re excited to see their progress!! 

This week I feel like I was an emotional baby. Every time I started talking about the Portuguese people I just was filled with joy and tears ran down my face. I can’t explain love with out crying. We had a mission tour with Elder Kearon and WOW!!!! He is called of God. I had the greatest opportunity to be called in to talk to him before our mission reunion with him and sit and hear his words. The thankfulness that he showed and his love for us was amazing! I took so many pages of notes and I will only share a few phrases that I took:

Become the message!!! Be what you teach.

We thrive on opposition, celebrate opposition.

We are called to a higher calling, and higher standards.

Work hard and relax!! 

WE BAPTIZE IN EUROPE. -He got really excited about this because rumors about Europe have spread that we don’t baptized but just remember...who are your church ancestors...and where did they come from?? EUROPE!!!!!! Yeah...that’s right!!!

Attack and Seize the Day!

I learned so much from him. Also I got to be taken aside personally and talk with Elder and Sister Kearon. I heard stories of grandpa and grandma Hillam. We laughed and cried together, and just had the most wonderful time talking about Grandpa and Grandma Hillam. I just felt to blessed to be here in Portugal and representing them. I can’t begin to explain how blessed I am, and how much I love my family and this gospel. I’m so blessed to be here in Portugal right now. I love these people so much. (Yes, I’m crying right now). They are my family and I want nothing more than to see these people with their families, go to the temple. I’m just so blessed to be doing this work. I never want to stop. 

Then was our big mission tour and only about 2% of the feelings that I had, the next day all the STL´s were asked to join the Zone Leaders for a mission council with Elder Kearon and Sister Kearon. Again, Wow. Loved it!!! Again I got to talk to Sister Kearon about Grandma! It was so cute the little rhyme that she sang to her girls while reading Snow White, `Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of them all? Well that’s no dilemma; it’s Lizzy, Suzy, and Emma! ` Sister Kearon and I just cried together. It was incredible to feel the close bond of friendship with someone you just met. At the conference we talked a lot about faith and what we wanted to change in the mission. We made a huge list of things we learned at the conference with all the missionaries and at the end we said a kneeling prayer with President. We then went through the list and in groups made a decision about 2 phrases. The Phrase that got the most votes was `Become the Message. ` All of us chose it. The spirit in that room was just incredible. 

We went to a new area in our area because we received a reference from a member in our ward. We went there and met this reference and holy cow, she’s awesome!! The member called before hand to say that the missionaries always walk around in that area (which was our second time in this area) and that we give out books of Mormon to people. We did exactly that with her! While talking to her, her sister ended up coming down the stairs of the predio. Come to find out that 4 of the 8 siblings live in our area and the other 4 live close! 

The work continues on! I just can’t believe how fast it all goes! I’ve learned so many principles during the mission but I think this week I learned how to honestly love people and how to show my faith. I can’t help but get emotional about these people and this work. I love them so much and honestly want to give them my heart just so they can be changed and know what true happiness is. I read in Ether 12 today and faith is used 32 times in like 28 verses. First it starts with hope and then moves to faith, and then to Charity. I love this chapter because it puts faith and charity as similar attributes. I’m learning these 2 principles everyday. I love the mission so much!! Love you all!!! Have a great week and find those who need you :)

Sister Hillam