Then some birthday pics with Alice, Rose, Bernaldo, Elder Sutton and Elder Hansen. And of course, a pic of my delicious cake!
Finally, my zone of missionaries!
Oi Amigos!
What a week it was! First I want to thank all of you for all the birthday wishes I received! They definitely made it one to remember!! It really means a lot that you would all think of me.
This past Tuesday, my Dia de Aniversario, Alice, Rose and Bernaldo spoiled me. Alice bought me lunch, bought me Pastel de Nata, and even had us over for Bolo (cake) around dinner time as well with bernaldo and rose! So fun. Alice is incredible. She is like our mission mom out here, and she has only been a member for a year! I had a great birthday with them, with contacting, and finished it off reading the scriptures and the Book of Mormon with a less active, probably the highlight comically of the week. We always visit him and read with him but he never comes to church... when we asked him to come this week he shared how the church use to be some much better, how he remembers how their used to be activities (we can work on this) and he stopped and said, ´´Elders I remember this one activity was great.....I got there, and you know what they had?? You KNOW?... PIZZA!!´´ Hahah I was getting a good amount of the convo but wasn´t saying much so at the end i addressed him and said, ´´Alright... If we have pizza tomorrow.... Will you come to church??`` He started laughing and said "elder elder elder".... I then texted him saturday night and said we were going to have pizza in church tomorrow and asked if he would come? Of course I told him I was just joking. Love the guy, just need to get him to come to church!
Wednesday we had some Rei De Sabor (Love that place) and taught Leonel again. He has been hearing the discussions forever but still doesn't feel ready to get baptized. We shared how this week we really wanted him to think about it and pray about it, that we really felt like he was ready and that it would be just the beginning of a new life centered on Christ. We told him we were going to call him at the end of the week to simply ask this question. I felt the spirit so strong in this lesson. On Saturday, we called him, and simply said again how we have prayed a lot for him and know he is ready, and how we are having a baptismal service on the 29th of August. We asked ´´will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and get baptized on this day?´´ All he said was SIM!!! (Yes!) And then he asked, how about the 22nd instead? Like how awesome! We were so excited. Now we got to plan with him. I love this gospel. I am so excited. So excited he feels ready, and wants to.
Thursday Sister Tavares (mission president’s wife) came in town and I finally had a conversation with her and really understood like 70 percent of what she was saying I was jazzed! I told her how our portuguese books say to prounounce the r´s in portuguese like d´s and she was laughing and thought that was ridiculous. We then took a bus to Faro that night for our zone conference the next day. So fun and learned so much. Faro is awesome too!! On the coast and a bigger city. I also got to see Elder Empee and ELder Collete and was so pumped about that. We were all smiles! The zone leaders, AP's and President and his wife spoke. I took so much out of it. But mainly, that we need to have Faith!! HAVE FAITH! And believe we will baptize. If we believe we will baptize, we WILL BAPTIZE!! On the way home Friday, the radio was literally playing all my jams…. like seriously.... it was like another road trip with Scott, claire and I to Utah or even Christian, Scott and I to Lake Powell, where I would have been just jamming. Adele, Coldplay (my jam "sky full of stars" of course), the FRAY, and Kyga (that guy who does all the instrumentals, Scott and C-bear hahaha). Of course.... I didn´t listen or sing along to any of it and just read my scriptures on the way back.... alright partly true. haha
The next day, we finally had the opportunity to give a little lesson to Isabel on her doorstep. We tried several times this week but none worked. She shared how she feels so much peace when we teach her and family. That is the spirit we shared. She is so awesome and her kids are so awesome, I just love them. But they didn´t come to church again. They just seem like a family that would thrive in the gospel. We will keep trying!
And last night, Sunday, we got some appointments set up with people for this week and I got bit by a dog!!! Don´t worry mom, it didn´t go through the skin, but it really hurt! We were walking and these dogs were chasing each other into this house and I was thinking ´´man I love dogs! They look like they are having so much fun!`We then walked past their house and they came running out and were right behind me on my heels just barking and then he just chomped on my calve! it really hurt but hey, you´ve got to be bit by a dog a least once on your mission right?! Check that off the list! Haha One for the journal.
This week was great. Loving it. Praying Leonel goes through with his baptism. He is such an awesome kid. I’m excited to see what this week has in store for me! Love you all.
Until next week.
Love,
Elder Holmes
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