Primeira Semana em O CTM!

You all will never guess what has happened! Meu colega (my companion), Sister Stubbs and I have taught TWO lessons all in Portuguese already!! We give our third one today at 6:30!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT????? We are teaching a girl named Joana and she's from Portugal! My companion is such an example to me. She works so so hard and tries so hard to learn the language. I'm obsessed with her. She is such a sweetheart! She slept on the floor last night, because she didn't want to wake us all up (our beds are bunk beds so they make a lot of noise if you sleep on the top bunk). She is from Pleasant Grove, Utah and did a year at BYU. I am kind of struggling with the fact that I have someone glued to me at all times of the day, but I'll get used to it. :)  

Each day is so jam packed with learning Portuguese! At the end of the day, we are so, so, so, mentally exhausted, but we have learned a whole lot of vocabulary. It's mostly centered around "o evangelho", but we get a little bit of conversation based. We had the opportunity to walk to the temple, so I have some pictures of that!  My companion and I have made it a goal to only say our prayers in Portuguese and it has been going really well. I love the people in our zone and our district, we all get along so well and thank goodness for that! We spend all day together!  We have four sisters, Sister Stubbs, Sister Jardine, Sister Ramirez and myself. They are all going to Lisbon with me! Then there is Elder Motto (a red-head going to Mozambique. He's awesome!), Elder Motuga (a big Samoan who is hilarious and is going to Toronto Canada), Elder Virgin (a blonde 18 year old who I am betting will be the best missionary we have and he's going to Mozambique), we also have Elder Cordy (from Prosper Texas and he's also going to Mozambique). We have around 26 people in our zone and there are several missions. Our district consists of 8 people. We have some going to Porto Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, and Canada! We are a fun bunch and I love everybody in it!We have sacrament meeting purely in Portuguese, we don't have Sunday School, then Relief Society is all in English. I can understand everything being said and can understand what I am reading, but I just can't verbalize everything I want to say. I have definitely come along way and I am so grateful for the gift of tongues! It is real! 

On Friday I was really craving some burgers and just wanted a greasy, juicy burger. We got to the cafeteria and I saw that the menu for that day included burgers! They weren't nearly as good as Burger Break, but it was definitely a tender mercy! I also have been eating more salads! The salads here are pretty good, and that's saying something if I'm the one saying it.  The food here is a hit or miss. Some days it's really good, some are really horrible, but I make it by! 

I love my roommates! We have 6 girls in our room and we have 3 bunk beds. We are all such good friends! We clicked super well! \

We are also moving to a new building in a week and I am so so excited! The rooms look so nice and they HAVE MORE THAN ONE WINDOW!!!!! It won't feel like a jail cell! "Muito Bem!"

"Eu sei que Jesus Cristo e meu redentor e nosso Salvador. Eu sei que Deus e nosso Pai Celestial e ama-nos. Eu sei que Jesus Cristo expiou por nossos pecados e podemos voltar a vivir com Ele e Deus."

We were able to bear our "testemunhos" to the other classes, it was nerve wracking, but we did it! "Meu colega" and I try to say all our "oracaos" in Portuguese. That word is supposed to have accents, but this computer won't let me.

I look at the pictures I brought all the time and I wish I had brought more. "Eu os amo com tudo meu coracao!!!!!"

I miss and love you all so much!

Sister Restrepo​​

First day as a Missionary -- May 24th, 2017

I made it to the MTC. I'm doing great! Everyone is so happy here and welcoming! I got my room and and about to go to class. They gave me all kind of books here that weigh a ton, so I have no clue how on Earth I'm going to fit all that in my luggage. This campus is huge, but I love it! I got an ID card and my name tag! It's official! Whoop whoop! This is exactly where I need to be! 

I love you three so so much and will email you back on my pday!! 

Sister Restrepo

 

Today is the beginning of Andrea's mission. We say goodbye to our baby girl for 18 months where the only communication with us will be an email every week and a call/Skype call on Christmas Day and Mother's Day. This has been the most difficult event we have experienced as parents, but we know she will be helping many people and will grow in ways that she will only be able to while there. We are EXTREMELY PROUD OF HER!!!

We are completely convinced that she will have a great mission. Also, we are certain that she will change many people's lives, including her own, the same way she has changed ours with her goofy personality, her charisma and her extremely contagious happiness. 

We as parents know and understand that this is the beginning of her independence and a full exposure to the world on her own. But it is evident that we will miss her dearly, and we will be thinking of her every second of this marvelous journey. 

We love her so very much and are excited that she has chosen to serve a mission, leave her family, friends, work, study, and her daily routine, to spread God's word for the next 18 months and serve the people of Lisbon, Portugal and the Azores Islands. 

All we ask for our Father in Heaven is to bless her and uplift her during times of difficulties, to know and feel she is not alone. We pray for her safe return home. 

MAY GOD BLESS YOU HIJITA, TE AMAMOS DEMASIADO!!!