You live and you learn

Boa Tarde! 

This week I learned so so much and I am forever grateful! This transfer has definitely been hard, but it's those times when the Lord is helping you grow and get out of your comfort zone.

 

The biggest thing I learned is humility and confiding in the council of leaders. Paulo got baptized this Saturday! It was truly a miracle! He was not reading the Book of Mormon or praying. We decided to stop teaching him for a little while. We told our District leader and he told us to set another day for him to be baptized. We had no idea why he was saying that, but we decided to foow his council. He was baptized this Saturday! It was truly a miracle and a humbling experience. We have also been having troubles with finding new people to teach.

 

I also learned that getting along with your companion and getting along with the other missionaries around you is extremely important. I have truly learned and have become so cose with my companion. I truly love her and our work has definitely shown that. I have also received a huge testimony about my calling as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am here in Portugal as a representative of Jesus Christ and I am here to help people make differences in their ives. I love it!!! I love my Savior and this calling! 

I am also still amazed that I can speak Portuguese! It blows my mind! I love speaking Portuguese!

I love you all so much and I wish you all the best week!

I will have to send pictures next week, because this computer does not let me.

Sister Restrepo 

So so close, I can almost feel it!

Boa tarde familia e amigos, tudo bem?

 

Congatulations to Sam Clark on his baptism this week!!! Woohoo!!

Well here in the Algarve we are so so close to having a stake! We need to have 400 people in church in all the Algarve this week in order to send the papers to form a stake here!!! We were 13 people short last week, so we are almost there!! 

We ended up contacting someone on the street that is friends with one of our investigator. it was definitely a miracle! He is a really cool guy with so so much potential! His name is Miguel and he is 23 years old. He hasn't gone to church in quite a while, so we are trying to warm him up to go. He said that he feels really comfortable with us and was telling us things that have happened in his life. I am really excited to get to know him more! 

 

We also taught someone named Samora. He is from Cape Verde and we had taught him before, but said he wasn't interested in talking to us again. We decided to make an appointment to come back another day and he accepted. We went back this week and he told us that he couldn't see how talking to us would have any difference in his life, so we invited him to stop drinking beer. He laughed and said he wouldn't do it. Later on that day, he called us and said he hadn't drank beer with his friends. We went back another day and he told us that he honestly did not want to talk to us anymore. We told him that we would come back when he would call us and we left. I really hope that we can talk to him another day because he truly has so so much potential!!! 

We have two friends that are fleeing from us. We have tried calling them and going to their house and they are not answering. We didn't try reaching them a all yesterday and are going to try again this week. I'm a little worried about them, but I know it will all work out! 

 

I had exchanges with Sister Ogden and she is an incredible missionary! She has been out 6 weeks more than I have and I learned lots from her! We also ate lots of arroz doce (arroz con leche in spanish and I have no clue what it is in English. Desculpa!) and it was all incredible! The people here like giving us food when we're on exchanges. It never fails. 

I love love being here in Portugal and seeing the changes this gospel brings into the lives of the people here. I love you all so so much!

Sister Restrepo

The Schlofmans and I after zone conference

 

Sister Ogden and I during exchanges

 

 

A gorgeous view of beautiful Loulé!

 

 

Castle in Loulé

 

Random Pics

 

 

Who Are You?

Ola familia e amigos!!!

Quick shoutout to my daddy for having a birthday last week!! WHOOP WHOOP!

Tem sido uma semana muito boa!!!

Well, I ended up teaching someone from Alabama in English. Teaching in English is so so hard. I pulled through though and I think it made sense. I had to teach alone because my companion does not speak English, so that was really weird as well.  He is here as a soccer player and he doesn't understand Portuguese. He ended up telling us later that night that he didn't want to talk to us anymore. It was pretty sad, but I told him that he is always welcome to go to church or to talk to us another time. 

Our investigator, João is progressing so well! He called us the other night telling us that he decreased the number of cigarettes he smokes everyday from 8 to 5 all on his own! We are so proud of him! We told him to decrease it to 2 cigarettes and he accepted! He understands what we teach him so well and I have truly seen a difference in his life since we have started talking to him. He's incredible! 

We are also teaching someone named Helder. He has been through so much in his life and he is only 26. We started teaching him Friday night. He came to church yesterday, and we taught him a little afterwards. He also smokes, so we got him to agree to just smoke 5 cigarettes instead of 10. He's doing well so far. Just in this short time period, I can already see a weight coming off his shoulders and him being happier. 

I truly love sharing this gospel with others and helping them make better choices in their lives. I know that this gospel helps everyone with whatever problems they have.

"However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don't have or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ's Atonement shines." - Jeffrey R. Holland

 

I want you all to think of who you are. Think of ways that you can make tiny changes to become a better person. We always have room to improve. I love you all very very much! Have an amazing week!

 

Sister Restrepo 

 

Who Are You?

 

 

Celebrating with João on his birthday

with donuts and an orange

 

 

Celebrating Elder Schlofman

with lots of food from the United States!

 

Some random pics!!

 

Am I speaking English or Portuguese?

Olá Friends and family!!

These past two weeks have been crazy!!!

Loulé is 3 and a half hours away from Lisbon by train or bus and we had to travel that 4 times last week. It was exhausting, but all is well!

Loulé is gorgeous! It's really pretty here and there are 10,000 old people. Not many people want to talk to us, but we are working very hard. There are sooo many tourists. I have spoken a lot of English and it does not make sense at all. My mind tries to translate literally from Portuguese to English and it does not work. I was sent here definitely to speak Portuguese for a reason!  I didn't believe one could like different foods when out on the mission, but I like chocolate and cucumbers now...... what?!?!? 
Being in this region of Portugal is like a different world. The houses/apartments here are super different. There are tourists and older people everywhere. There really isn't much youth here and the weather is super different. It is extremely hot and humid. I was getting excited because it was finally getting cool, but I was sent to the hottest zone. It has definitely given me lots of humility.
We are teaching a person named Jaime. He was taught by the missionaries in the past, and he decided all on his own to quit smoking! He woke up one day (2 months ago) and just decided he would stop, and he did!!! He's incredible!
 
We are also teaching someone named Paulo. That is a super common name here. We have run into at least 6 already. He is going to be baptized on the 21st. We are probably going to make it the 14th because he is super ready! He is super cool and has lots of things going on in his life. It's been rough! He has lots of faith though, and he loved church yesterday! WHOOOOO!!!!
I also had the opportunity to go to Faro for a day to be with Sister McArthur (we were in the MTC together)! It was so good to see her and learn from her! She is an incredible missionary! We also have Sister Jardine here close to us! (Was also in the MTC with us!)

I love you all and hope you all have an amazing week!

Sister Restrepo

Last P-day playing mini golf! With Sister Schlofman,

a senior missionary and my companion, Sister Salas

My new companion Sister Salas and I

 

Sister McArthur and I during the exchange

 

 







A road in Loulé. I'm obsessed with how pretty this city is!!

 

View from our apartment

Random Pics