The first /last week

Tuesday - today we had district counsil! Last one for this transfer! What!? This morning Sister Allred and I decided to make lunch for the district. We couldn't decide what to make though so we just made two things! I made a vegetarian stroganoff and she made chicken alfredo. Both super yummy. (I have discovered myself eating less and less meat while here on my mission. It just isn't as appetizing anymore. Someone asked me if I was vegetarian and I told them I was only "part-time" lol) It was a good council for us sisters too. We had been asked to give a training so we did one on how to begin teaching and it went super well for us having been asked the night before. Then President had challenged all the duplas to come up with an idea of how to use a part of the dedicatory prayer of the temple when we teach members. Sister Allred and I thought up an idea of having a spiritual message before going out to work with members. The district chose our lesson plan as the most applicable and so we had to film us doing it and they posted it on Facebook... But it was chill. 

That night we went to visit a reference from of member and got super lost. We eventually found it and she was super sweet and in desperate need of the gospel. She was caring for a very old bedridden woman and when we greeted her the old woman locked eyes with me and grabbed my hand. It was an interesting visit while sister Allred sat and cried with the reference and I sat with trying to have a conversation with this sweet old woman. It is interesting how at the end of our lives we become children again. We had a hard time communicating but eventually, we got to the subject of food and I just listed off a bunch of foods and she told me if she liked them or not! She loved it and was smiling. It was adorable. It was a very unique experience for me, but very rewarding too. 

Wednesday - So we had an appointment with a young man, but we were messaging him yesterday and he started getting flirty, we kept it super professional, but I don't think he got the point because he ended up asking me on a date (me specifically which made it more uncomfy...) so we canceled our appointment with him. We were hoping we would get Elders the following transfer to pass him to. But on the bright side, we had time to do all of our studies! First time in a while! It started pouring rain, but that won't stop the missionaries! We went out and two of our appointments canceled so we visited a less active member and she talked a lot so we were late to our next appointment but when we got there she was super chill and super sweet. By then it was pouring buckets super dark and almost time to go home so we shared a quick message sharing our favorite scriptures and talking about the power of the Book of Mormon and then headed home! 

Thursday- honestly don't remember what happened today. It was a really average day. 

Friday - We decided to go running this morning and be all healthy or whatever, and I slipped in some mud and and fell flat on my face! I decided it was God telling me not to run anymore. Lol. Then we visited a super awesome kind-of active member! She is Brazilian and she lives up to all the expectations. She is loud, bold, and hilarious! We laughed so much! She made us lunch and we did all her dishes and we laughed the whole time! Honestly, I haven't had fun like that with a member since Barreiro! It was really nice. The rest of the day was just normal. Passing by people, talking to everyone. Ya know. Missionary stuff.

Saturday - today we had a plan to visit a member family, but somehow we got the wrong address! We got there, call her to tell her we are there, and she says "I don't see you!" so then we walked a good thirty rainy minutes to her house that is literally in the middle of nowhere. When I was told I was going to Porto I thought I would be in a big city, but I have spent more time and big open fields and vineyards than in any of my other areas! It was a really nice visit, but because we had traveled so far to get there there was no way we could get to our other appointments on time. So we called and rescheduled, but it turned out being a blessing because about 30 more minutes walking away from their house was a neighborhood with many people to pass by, and it is a place we normally don't go to!  So it all worked out.

Sunday - Sunday, church, good stuff. Afterward a member asked us over to eat cake so we said "uh... Yes" when we get there they tell us they have someone for us to teach and introduce this man. We start teaching it and the three members we were with just couldn't stop cracking up! I was a little frustrated because it was hard to have the spirit in a lesson when everyone is laughing their heads off. The man keeps asking all these really difficult questions too and we do our best to keep the lesson on track. Finally, the lesson ends, they bring out the cake, and they tell us that the man we just taught an entire lesson to is a member and the leader of missionary work in a different ward..... I was so mad.... But also it was awesome. He told us we were great teachers, so that was good! After cake and tea (I have really grown to love tea here on the mission. The herbal kind of course) they took us to meet their neighbor, who was very nice, we got his contact and hopefully we will start teaching him at some point.

*to be read in a deep batman like announcer guy/scary movie voice*

“Then. That night. In the middle of a heated game of battleship. We get a call. A transfer call. And we heard the unexpected. The news I have never heard before. That for the first time in my entire mission... I would stay with a companion in an area for more than one transfer..... That's right. My streak has been broken. But honestly I am pretty excited about it“

That's all folks! I know Christ lives, he loves us and is with us! 

Sister Hardy