Hello Everyone!

 

This week was a good first week of the transfer. Sister Gidney knows how to work well, so I am excited about the things that will happen while we are companions. She is sweet, from West Valley and likes to eat dinner... This is the first time in the mission that I´ve actually been eating dinner, so it´s quite a change for me! Anyway, we are really excited about being Sister Training Leaders and we´ve already started planning out when and where we´ll go each week. I think it will be fun to see other areas, missionaries, investigators and parts of Portugal. This week we´ll do a division with the sisters that live with us.

 

We are working hard to help João Carlos and his companion Susana get married (we didn´t know they weren´t married until last Sunday) but the devil and the Ukrainians are working hard against us. João has had to go to many meetings to see what must be done in the airforce concerning the havoc that is happening in Ukraine... To tell you the truth I am not sure exactly what is going on since we don´t read the news, but so far the Lord has been helping us and He´ll help us this time too. 

 

Something cool about Sister Gidney is that she is tough on Paulo when it comes to smoking. She made him throw away all of his cigarettes and give all his money back to his mom so that he wouldn´t be tempted. WOW. Paulo hasn´t completely quit, but is continuing to improve every time we talk to him. Her first lesson with him both Paulo and I were crying she was so intense! The Lord truly knew what he was doing sending Sister Gidney here.

 

This week was also really great because we got to reconnect with an investigator named Mamadu. Last transfer we met him in the street and he showed interest but got scared and frustrated because he couldn´t understand what we were saying. He is from Guinea and only speaks Fula (a native African language), which isn´t even a written language. But he grew up as a Muslim and can read Arabic as if it was his first language. So this week we gave him a Book of Mormon in Arabic, and he has been really liking it! Finally he is started to understand and the Spirit has a better chance to touch his heart. What was even more fun was that his friend has been reading too and wants to talk to us! We are so excited for him.

 

You know something funny? During my first six months of my mission I wasn´t really happy, even though we had a ton of baptisms. I was doing what I was supposed to do because that is what I agreed to upon leaving on a mission. Now (and I think having darling Sister Thornley as a companion helped me realize this) I do what I am supposed to because I want to and I love the people here-- who have become dear friends. I am so glad that I am figuring this out now, while I still have a lot of time left on the mission so that things will continue to improve. One scripture that I read this morning sums it all up:

 

Wherefore, be not weary [or trunky] in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Behold the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.-- D&C 64:33-34

 

I love you all and hope that the week is good!

 

Sister Derrick