Friday, May 20, 2016

Eu Sou Sister Helama (I am Sister Helaman)

First off, Sorry if it’s someone’s birthday or anniversary! Time just goes by so fast!! So I will first explain everything that happened from Tuesday on:
I received the phone call from the Presidente and I didn’t know how to feel. So I ended up just crying and I’m pretty sure Sister Phipps got a little scared because I was laughing but also sobbing. It was all a very strange moment for me. So then we had district meeting and I needed to go pack my bags to catch a bus 4 hours later. So I started packing and we went to Porto in the rain, so I got to Gaia in the rain and left that same way I got there. We met Sister Phipp´s new comp at the bus station and then they left while I got on my bus. Got to Viseu, dropped off my bags in our apartment and then headed off to a meeting at the church.
My companion is Sister Costa from Brasília!! I’m finishing her training :) Her old comp was Sister Smith from Idaho Falls! Small world!! So Presidente told me that the area was struggling a little bit that I was being set there to build it up. He told me my comp was a super hard worker and to go to work. Well you couldn’t have told me anything better than that!!  I’m Sister Training Leader with a brand new Sister Training Leader as well. We live in a 4 sister house!
First full day was amazing! I LOVE VISEU!!!!!!!! IT`S INCREDIBLE!!!!! Our first lesson for the day was with a lady named Paula and a less active Manuel that are living together. We planned her baptism and their wedding!! Such a great way to start the transfer!!! I was really lost pretty much all week. I have no idea where I’m walking or where I’m going, which is really strange for me. I was struggling in the beginning because for more that 9 months of my mission, I opened areas, so I had to find my way and figure things out. So it’s weird to not know the area and be led instead of leading. It actually felt good to have someone already know the area; it makes the work a whole lot easier!! So for the first day I was completely lost and I’m so grateful that Sister Costa is patient! But we taught another lady named Humberta that loves the missionaries and we’re going to baptize her this transfer! That’s our plan and we just need her to accept a date, and go to church of course! We met this cute little sassy lady named Lila who’s already talked to missionaries and accepted us as well. Overall, a very successful day!!
Thursday I couldn’t honestly tell you what happened because I was trying hard to get to know the area. It’ll come though! We saw Humberta again with a member named Judite (JORDAN- she says she knows you, at the time she only had 1 little girl, I’ll try to get a picture with her this week) but anyway, Humberta loved having her there! We met another lady named Dorinda that promised to read the BofM and was sincere about it, she’s super cool too!  Then we called a family from the ward to do that Listão thing that I explained awhile ago, and turns out that the mom, Lidia, needed help writing a talk about 2 parables of Christ. It was super great because we’ve been having problems getting them to work with us through the Listão. But it was a miracle in disguise because her talk was about not putting your candle under a bushel but on a candlestick, and she thought about the Listão. Miracles!!!
Friday was super fun! Ha-ha we met with Paula and Manuel again and tried to teach but she got a little sick, but they promised to go to church and they went! Later that afternoon, while searching for people to find, I happened to see 2 boys playing basketball and I had a thought `I’m going to go challenge them to a game and if I win they have to listen and if they win, we leave. ` So I told my comp and that’s what we did. I won, and they had to listen. Fransisco and Diogo where great! I think 16 or 17 years old and they actually listened pretty well! Ha-ha it was super fun to contact them! Never had done it and I felt bad for winning but hey, we taught them and gave them a book of Mormon! I think it was a success! Then we went to the chapel and met some members there and I got asked to play the piano on Sunday haha! Surprise!! We had an amazing lesson with this guy named Carlos that we met on the street! He got to meet some members and really liked it and right in the middle of our lesson, a member named André came walking it. He really wants to serve a mission but can’t really walk. He has a huge testimony about the BofM and he told our investigator to read and that he needed to know. He kind of killed the spirit but Carlos took it well and accepted. He was super elect! He just happened to be the first guy we contacted here in Viseu! Super Elect!!
Saturday we went on a hunt for a house with the other sisters. Really quick, we have 2 sisters training, Sister Costa and Sister Christensen, they are hilarious when they try and communicate! Usually they ask me what the other one said, it’s great! But anyway at this lady’s house that we found after an hour and a half of searching, we were talking and Sister Costa said something. Luisa looks at Sister Christensen and asked, `what did she say? ` Sister Christensen said, `Não sei.` we all just started dying because Sister Costa speaks better than all of us! Super funny. Man I just love these Sisters!!! We met with Dorinda again she hadn’t read but we met her mom and her mom told us if she could read, she would read everyday and read all of it. It was super sweet of her mom! I want her mom to go to church! After that lesson, we had an incredible lesson with a less active in our area. He still reads and prays but was accused in the past of doing something and hasn’t been for 20 years. It’ll be a work is progress!
Sunday was stellar!! Lots of members and Lots of members still remember Jordan!!! It was awesome!!! Good times! I played the piano for sacrament meeting and then got a call to play for the choir as well! It felt good to play but I’ve never played for a choir before! It was a first day for everything! I’m glad that I can help here :)
Honestly, after Gaia I was pretty upset. I loved that area, but I made a promise that I would give it all till the very end, and I got here and the week went great! All I could think was, `Why am I so blessed? ` I have an incredible comp. Next week I will explain a little bit more about her story. She works super hard and gets along great with people. We have a great area and the members are more the happy to help! They are so excited to work with us! But as I was thinking as to why I am living the mission dream a thought came to my head. `Sister Hillam, you’ve worked hard your whole mission, You’ve been obedient and followed the counsel of my servant President Amorim. ` I started to cry. I have no regrets. I know that I’ve given everything and I try to give more. I love the mission, and can honestly say that in my mind, everything is calm. I know the Lord has accepted my work because he’s giving me this area, my comp, and this ward for a reason. All of it is just incredible. I love you all so much. I couldn”t have asked for a better family:)
Love you!!

Sister Hillam

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