The End is Near! :) & :(

I can tell it’s the end of my mission, my brain refuses to hold and retain information, I really can’t remember what happened last week. It was a busy week full of things to do; just the way I like it. Oh yeah craziest thing in the world President Henry gave me my exiting interview on Tuesday because he’s leaving in a little less than two weeks-so weird to think I’m leaving and to talk about marriage and things of home I really can’t believe that my time is up and you were all right (I didn’t doubt you for one second) I don’t want to leave, really I don’t I love Coimbra and I know I’m going to miss it and be like all RM’s (dread) there’s just no getting past it I guess just a hard thing I’m going to have to work through. That was such a fun interview though, I love President Henry and I’m grateful that he was my Pres for basically all my mission-do any of you know Henry’s in the Vally he says he has a brother in Mesa. It was a fun little trip 2 Elders from my district are in the office and they have Subway in Porto now, I know I know-betrayal. We got our giant bolos it’s all about Bolos de Berlin in Porto, anywhere else it’s just weak sauce. I

Crazy Friday

Friday was crazy we tried Elisabeth eary in the morning but she couldn’t meet with us-then we helped a less active paint her house, she wasn’t there but her daughter was, an oh my goodness mom you would cringe, first off we painted the moms room black-not all of it but a wall and we put little cut outs on the wall actually we just cut them out and let Nádia put them up, my artist instincts were cringing. Well it didn’t look as bad as I thought in the end, but still—yeah something I wouldn’t do. The Lord loves us and we called Vera last minute and she happened to be in the baixa, so she went with us to a lesson-seriously it’s a miracle because no one has a car here, it worked out perfectly.

Red!!! @#%**#@??

Saturday we had Mãos que ajudam, Hands that help-that was fun, I finally got to do one, we cleaned up this little village near Coimbra, we cleaned up the the Cemetery and this forest area-we hacked it down, sheesh it was a lot of work and I was not the smartest cookie and allowed myself to burn so I’m a strawberry, lobster, tomatoe, any other red thing object you want to throw in there, that’s me.

A Long Time Coming!

We’ve been working hard giving service and teaching people the Gospel it’s great, I love the mission, it took a long time to get there that’s for sure but truly what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. I love this Gospel so much, it’s the only thing that saves-I loved Pres. Eyerings talk in Conference about Adversity, I just read it today for personal study. Woah boy I’m anxious to see all of you, the dreams of going home have started. I love this people, I am so blessed I love my Savior dear Redeemer. Have a great week. Don’t forget to pray and read your scriptures! Love you all. Irmã Evans

One For the Records! :)

Well this week was one for the records, but I. Call and I worked hard this past week and I'm feeling the effects of it. So glad that it is P-day. We had a good week, it's so nice to be busy and the Lord truly is blessing us. So the week started out with us giving service helping a member, she teaches English so she wanted us to come to her class and speak with her kids so they could hear our accents, ect ect. It was fun we had questions like, when is your birthday, what is your best day of the week-it was pretty funny. Tuesday we had Ananda a member with us, and we're able to visit a lot of people with her, the funny thing is we really didn't need her because every house we ended up going to had a member present, but actually I lie we did need her, she's amazing and has such a sweet spirit, it's so great to get to know different members from different parts of the world-she's from Brazil.

What's Up With the Buses?

They had back to back holidays her, so the buses were horrible and on Wednesday I. Call and I had no such luck with them. We missed the one that takes us out to the hospital, so we decided to walk, and that's where I think I destroyed my feet-it was a long while we tried to wait for buses that never came, but it was an enjoyable nature walk. Then later that day we had Joseane and she wanted to show us a movie about Adam and Eve, it's called The Bible, it was creepy, the music and all, the only good thing is we properly taught Joseane about the fall something she didn't know, oh how I love the Book of Mormon and modern revelation. It was fun though we had popcorn and juice and the whole family was there, even Ramon who isn't baptized too, and has stopped coming to church, I. Call prayed that he'd come to the lessons and he did and he also came to church this week too.

Gypsy Irma Evans

Thursday we had dinner with the Stake President and his family, it was fun his 2 year old son is hilarious, he kept shouting Pai Natal! and calling me a gypsy-crazy little one. So the old ladys here have no shame and there's a reason why we have sister missionaries. One member decided to answer her door with hardly anything on, she's in the Elders area, but I told I. Call I was like see this is why we visit her. I don't know just random crazy stuff this week, it was a good week. I can't believe I'm down to a month, I really don't know what to think.

I Felt Sooo Bad!

Well I had a bad experience this week we were walking trying to hurry to catch a bus to get to Vera's she had a friend over, and we were across town so we were trying to get there fast well I saw this old lady on her crutches and with her groceries, it was hot, and I had the thought to stop and help her but I. Call is one that just presses onward and well people usually reject us when we ask to help so I let that over ride my thinking, well we're half way down the street and I hear this BAM-and then awful cries of pain, we turn around and the lady got hit by a VAN! It was still on top of her and she's just crying in pain-it was awful. How do I not guilt trip myself I felt horrible afterwards that whole night-I felt like I caused her the pain, but I don't know what would have happened but the image in my head of her and I beat myself up and really listen to the spirit-sigh-I'm so imperfect. I don't know, I just know things happen for a reason, I feel better now, I'm so grateful for prayer.

The Doorman and the Golden Questions

I love the Gospel and my Father and Savior. We have a new door man and he was talking to us last night, and he totally came up with golden questions it was beautiful, I. Call and I did the whole looking at each other thing, and then turned and we're like well we have answers. It was awesome, oh how I love this work and I'll say it again I love this Gospel it makes so much sense and or church is the only true and living church on the earth. I love you all really thank you for all the letters, prayers and love. Have a great week. Heart the Irmã Evans

Long But Good!

Okay looking back on this week I want to say it was a good one, na incredibly long one with transfers and all, but good. There was a baptism on Tuesday so that’s always fun. Irmã Call and I went out to Espírito Santo to go find specific people, we ended up door knocking because we had no such luck, and ended up finding the lady at her real home not just the home she works at, she bough us juice, it’s a slow process but we’re working on it, we’ll get her to invite us over for sure!

Happy As a Clam

The bug problem isn’t so bad so I’m happy and the weather took a turn for the better it’s started raining I. Call doesn’t like that but it’s cooled off considerably so I’m as happy as a clam. So anywho Wednesday was full of cancelations so we had another fun day of door knocking-and actually it wasn’t so bad we taught to lessons in the door and got inside one house, I actually slightly knew her, her husband is a less active, I knew they went to Brazil to get married I didn’t know when she was coming back but I’d only met her in the street each time. So we have a return appt with her. Hah we pushed a doorbell and then there came this toilet flushing sound we were like ‘what the freak!’ turns out it wasn’t the door bell like we thought but an actual toilet flushing at the exact time I touched the bell.

Listen

I had a nice little I listened to the Holy Ghost experience-truly it is a small voice, and not like some great epiphany-well some times but this time no, which means you really have to listen for and to Him. So I. Call just got done ironing her shirt and this was at lunch time, I completely spaced that she ironed her shirt-and in my spaced out little mind I was like oh this has been sitting here for a while I’ll put it up. So I usually hit the iron to make sure it’s cooled off enough to wrap the cord around it and put it up. So I pick up the iron and small voice in my head said don’t touch that and I didn’t think much about it but I decided to listen to it-I looked down and the iron was on the maximum and plugged in I was like oh snap-that was close so listening to the Holy Ghost saves us from a lot of pain and hurt, I was so grateful I listened to that still small voice.

I Love the Mission

I’m drawing so many blanks right now, I can’t remember my week, I just know it’s been good-oh yeah we had another lesson with the Cape Viridians’, they’re hard because they don’t talk and they always work, but I felt the spirit and we had a member present with us. I finally talked to this investigator that the sisters before I got there had been working with. She had doubts about prophets and a lot of things, so we talked about how much Heavenly Father loves us and about prophets and asking God, it was good. I love Coimbra, I love the mission, I’m trying not to think about it ending, I really don’t know what to think or feel, it’s surreal that’s for sure.

Imeida from Cabo Verde

Oh my goodness I almost forgot about Imeida another Cabo verdian anywho I. Svedin and I contacted her over 12 weeks ago and had a really good first lesson, she’s the one I invited to baptism on the first visit, well we never saw her again, I felt like giving her the BOM a couple of weeks back even though I knew she wasn’t home. Well she finally marked with us again for Saturday, when we got there she said she was grateful for the book and that she had been reading it. Well we were going to go over the first lesson again because it had been so long, but just again something small and little told me to go on with the second lesson, the plan of salvation, and I was just prompted to say certain things that I usually don’t say in when I teach that, turns out her brother died a month ago-she believed everything and was like I accept this-and turned out to be a big comfort for her, truly the Lord knows all His children and how to succor them. She’s so stinking Golden and she just moved back to Cabo Verde for the summer BLARGH not to return till September, I know the church is there and we talked about it, but I wanted to teach her, oh well I got her started. It was a great experience I love this Gospel and I know it’s true. I love my Savior and have felt His love in return. I love you all can’t wait to see you all. Amo-vos Irmã Evans

The Work is Good

The work is going good, the members are helping us out more, I think somethings going to happen with that, just have to have faith. Well I love you so forever much and truly I miss you, my blanket is safe and sound, yes? Um can you see what foods we should eat so we don't get eaten I mean I guess I can take it for another 6 weeks. I love you, you are wonderful. See you in a month and a half!

Last Transfer-WOW!

Okay the news of the week is I will stay in Coimbra, the Lord answered my prayers I wanted to die off here in Coimbra with Irmã Call and that’s just what I’ll do. So just call me the 5 transfer queen, it’s normal to basically have two areas right-fogo-some shoot me, good thing I like Coimbra. So I’m excited about that to stay, that means I can be apart of the baptism and still continue to work with our investigators. This week seemed unusually long, I’m just glad I don’t have to freak out about transfers anymore. Wow that’s insane I really don’t know how I feel about this being my last transfer probably like most missionaries but still I’m way excited to come home, even though there’s really not much to come back too and that might kill me, what am I talking about I’ve been waiting 16 months to just sit down a draw!!! Fogo I miss that.

COLD SHOWERS ? :{

So it’s all about 2 words COLD SHOWER, that’s what makes me happy right now, because we live on the 10th floor in a room without AC and it’s so stinking humid-blah-I hate humidity give me my dry heat back, I’m trying to remember how I survived last summer and am realizing I’m really good at suppressing bad memories. We had a goal to have 20 good lessons in home, which is difficult hear, 20 good means a prayer and not just street contacts ect, because we could do a lot more of those.

Service and Trials

Nothing to exciting happened the Hinckleys have moved so that’s way tragic for us, no more getting spoiled, oh well, we helped her move a clean her house it was nice that she finally let us serve her for once. Also the Elders were our exterminators and found like 7 sacks of spiders and said they killed a good dozen of them, they said they sprayed a lot of poison and that nothing should still be alive there, we washed and vacuumed everything and yet are still being eaten, boy do I love trials I’d eat them for breakfast if I could.

A Grand Day! :)

Monday was probably the best day this week, oh and Friday was good to so I won’t bore oh wait Thursday was good too. Okay I won’t bore you with the rest we’ll start with Monday okay we had our appt with Andrea she was there and we watched the Restoration and I felt the spirit strong while watching it stronger than I have for a while and we had Ananda there to help us because Andrea has one stinking strong Brazilian accent. Then she came with us to Hugo’s and we played Balderdash third lesson style, that was fun and they really are smart little boys I think his brother is warming up to us.

Preaching The Gospel

Thursday we went and had a lesson with I. Ernestina her son died in March and well I’d been feeling like I should talk to them about talking to there daughter in law because she’s Catholic and the best time to share the Gospel is when there’s been a death in the family-yeah I ended up making them cry, that wasn’t an easy visit, but he told us to walk a certain way to get to our next visit, and on the way I. Call was like lets knock these Predios and so I was like okay—and we found a girl from the Acçores and had the first lesson with her and it was good, and then we went back to some that told us we could come back and had a really good lesson, I quoted the first vision to her and that was the most powerful feeling I’ve had on the mission when I’ve said it, she said she doesn’t believe in the Pope or baptizing children, and loves Jesus, but she’s a stubborn one, she’s like I’m Catholic and almost didn’t accept the Book of Mormon but we got her I. Call wrote her name in it and I testified, she’ll get curious and she’ll find what she’s been looking for in a religion.

Awesome Baptism

Friday was the baptism of a deaf women so it was neat to see Elder Spiel give a talk in Portuguese and sign language, talk about the gift of tongues, but a ward member did her talk in sign and it was difficult but the spirit was strong, plus I got to see E. Johnson one last time, he played soccer with us that morning it was like old times.

Can You Believe It?

So yeah one more transfer, its unreal I’ve learned so much and still have so much more yet to learn. It’s really hard being away but we talked about sacrafices this week in church and I’m grateful to be able to do this for the Lord I will give my all. I love the story of Joseph in Egypt I love the scriptures all of them, and I love all of you, thank you for your love and support.