Do you speak English?

I thought about starting this email off with some kind of April fools joke but I changed my mind. Missionary work is not a joke. Though it is super fun!!

Having a companion that doesn't speak the same language as me has been really cool! I have already noticed changes in my ability to speak and to understand. I can always understand my colega and that is a wonderful blessing. It is really fun though because she really wants to learn English so at night we speak only English. Thus the title of the email. This is one of the first phrases she learned and she told me a story of a time she started talking to a man and he started talking back to her but not in Portuguese. He talked for a while and she didn't understand anything, so when he stopped she asked him if he spoke English and he just walked away. Her companion later told her that the man had been speaking English the whole time! She is so patient and good tempered, we laugh together as I try to speak Portuguese and she tries to speak English and it's just all around fun!one cool thing that happened with the language this week was that we stopped a woman to talk and she didn't speak Portuguese, but she did speak English, so I started doing the contact in English, and it was SO HARD! I kept reverting back to Portuguese, and couldn't rememberhow to talk about the gospel in English! It was frustrating at the time, because I just wanted to talk to this person, but in hindsight it was pretty cool!

MIRACLES this week have been LOCO! We have a friend marked for baptism and he is awesome!! The coolest thing, this week was when we were rushing to an appointment and we're running pretty late and this woman stops us. At first I was like, "sorry, can't chat, gotta run" but we stopped, of course, (we are missionaries! ) and she proceeded to tell us about her daughters and asked us to go visit them! We set up an appointment for a different day and they are so so so cool! She and her daughters came to church and loved it! This is the second time I have had a person stop me, out of the hundreds of times I have stopped other people! The Lord is hastening his work, and it is starting in the hearts of His children. 

My birthday was on Friday and it was different than any birthday I have ever had, but it a good way I think! Birthdays are usually an opportunity to focus on one's self. On my birthday we eat MY favorite food, and do MY favorite things. But on a mission my time is not my time, it is the Lord's. Even on my birthday. I had the honor of spending my birthday doing the Lord's wills and focusing my efforts on the joy and eternal happiness of others. The little party and came at a members house at the end of the day was just a little cherry on top. I didn't really feel any loss at all giving up "my" day for the Lord. Only more blessings heaped up in return. I cant wait for more birthdays in the future where I can try and find a way to serve others, the greatest birthday gift ever is the opportunity to serve the Lord! Thank you for your birthday wishes too! They brought a smile to my face. And my cake was pretty flipping awesome, we have an artist in our branch! I will attach a photo.

Anyway, that's it for this week! It was an all around good week, and its fun to have 4 missionaries in Barreiro again! We all went to Belém together today and had a blast! 

Have a great week! I know God lives and he loves us. The savior is by our side every step of the way and when we call to him, immediately he will extend his arm to us. I love you all! 

Sister Hardy

A lot of photos from our adventures in Belém and a few birthday pictures. Another email to come!

My two birthday cakes. One from a mini preço with two matches in it, and then the masterpiece! Both were delicious! (and yes mom, I wore my new dress and felt so pretty!)