Vila Real - week 10

Week 10 already? I swear the time goes faster every day...

This week we had 6 of our investigators in church! Blessings blessings blessings here in Vila Real! We were able to teach the Ukraine family, Helena and George, after church, but they speak very little português so we are going to have to use the church websites for some translation. It is a tough situation, but they are seriously golden! They even bring their nieces and they said they wanted to be baptized too! Ahhh they are wonderful people!

We have been helping our investigator David stop smoking. It has been a challenge, but one of our members who used to smoke taught with us and it was seriously amazing!! He testified and encouraged! Members have a sacred power that is part of missionary work! We as missionarys can not do anything without their commitment and help! When we take the members out with us I see how much they really do love their religion. They are so willing to talk to everyone!

We had divisions with the sister training leaders and I got to exchange with Sister Wood. American! Twas a wonderful day! I see how important the leadership in missions are. We all strive to be our best and serve the Lord with "all our heart, might, mind, and strength" and sometimes our strength is definately gone at the end of the day and we sleep like babies. Sometimes we lose our minds a little too haha, but sister Jumua and her jokes make up for our loss :)

I think I'm the happiest when we talk to everyone and just be ourselves. I have definately learned it is a lot harder to try and speak the language if I consentrate on the words. It´s a good thing to have personality as a missionary and let that help you in the work.

I had my first conference call this week too. Basically it´s just a big zone meeting over our phones. Kind of cool.

Sister Jumua and I found this guy, Nobriga from our area book and he is the sassiest old man I have ever met! haha He kind of reminds me of the old man from the movie "Up".

We also held our first Noite de Familiar this week! The members and our investigators came and it was so good! David had such a good time when we played games. The members have no shame and embarassment for games haha, and that was truly seen when our Branch President, who is over 6 FT tall, layed down on the church floor and pretended to be a fish. Oh it was wonderful :)

Well I think that is all for this week!
Tudo bem e vocês tem um bom dia :)
Com amor,
Sister Jarnagin

Vila Real - Week 9

Well First of all... Vila Real rain has been replaced by the blazing heat! Sometimes I feel like I am in Idaho the weather changes so fast.

But time to get real.  We went to meet a former investigator we had seen in our area book. So we didn´t know what he looked like or anything. We talked to him on the phone, so he knew we were meeting. We got to where we had said we were going to meet and saw an older gentleman sitting on the steps nearby. We walked up and were like "Hey are you Manuel?" and he said he was. We talked about the restoration and the importance of religion and a belief in Christ in our lives. After we had closed we asked when we could meet again. We were like "oh, so you already have our number." But then he said "No?". We were so confused! It turns out that his name was infact Manuel,  he had met with missionaries before, but he wasn´t the Manuel we had an appointment with. It was seriously so cool! He invited us to come back to talk again as well!

I know that sometimes situations change for reasons we don´t understand, but the Lord always has a plan for us and the rest of his children!

We had been trying to meet all week with our investigator, Cindy, but hadn´t been able too. We finally caught her at a good time. She told us that she would get baptized if she had her Mom´s permission. We were kind of dissapointed to hear that her mom had discouraged baptism and said "NO" when Cindy asked. But we continue to teach her and she still wants to be. Our patience was definatly tested this week because we want so bad for her mom to give permission!

We had a break through with our investigator David also! David has a problem with smoking, but he wants to quit! We talked about baptism and he wanted to be baptized! So we set a baptismal date and talked about what it is going to take to be baptized. We helped set up a plan for him to stop smoking. He is being very faithful in trying to quit so he can make those covenants with the Lord and be baptized.

We recieved a reference from one of the members of our Branch, and we took some of the members to help us teach. We told them the name and they said that he was already a member, but less active. We met with Victor that night and he said that he had thrown the Book of Mormon and the Bible in the trash. After Talking with the members and recieving some harsh words, he said he would be in church the next day. And he was! The members were excited to see him back and welcomed him in with loving arms! We met with him later that night again and that Sunday was the first time he had gone to chruch in 6 YEARS! We talked about what he felt when he first took the missionary lessons, and how he felt after his baptism. He has a powerful testimony of Joseph Smith and the restoration of the gospel. Christ is always here to welcome us back when we go astray!

Bemfica played in the National Championships and won, so yesterday there was so much confusion! I think all of Vila Real was out in the streets partying! Soccer is so big here! People go crazy and I felt like I was in NY city during New years eve haha!

I am Loving the work! I loved an email I recieved this week with a scripture that can be the motivation for my mission, but also for our lives as well!

"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety, hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of Faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being let to glorify God" Ether 12:4

Have a wonderful week!
Com amor, Sister Jarnagin

Vila Real - week 8

We have had a busy week!
It was mother´s day yesterday so we got to call home! Feelin a little trunky but who wouldn´t haha.

We have had some let downs this week, and some exciting moments! While walking to a couple appointments this week we stoped to talk to two women (different occasions) and they both had some family trials they were going through. We prayed with them and they both cried. We testified of eternal families and the blessing that families are. They felt the spirt while we prayed and both said how grateful and comforted they felt from the prayers. I know that prayer has the power to comfort and with sincere prayers comes sincere answers!

We had church and all the people that had said they would come didnt show up. We were so bummed! Sacrement meeting was testimony meeting and when we got up we saw 1 of our investigators! He was sitting at the very back and had snuck in while the meeting had already started. We were so happy! Even with just one of our investigators, we know that the Lord is guiding him!

Sometimes it is so easy to get discouraged on the mission. Even the little things can make a big impact in our day. But we have learned that as we consistently think about others by service and love and put our own feelings and desires away and desire just what the Savior wants, that we can be happy and work hard even with struggles.

Our investigator Cindy has been progressing so well! She speaks spanish and not too much Português, but she understands everything. We got her an espanol book of Mormon and we came back the next day and she had already read to 2 Nephi! She has so much faith!

This week Vila Real had a type of street fair, and we were walking past and one of our investigators was there singing so so loud with a huge bottle of beer. He was so so drunk and he ran over to us and started singing and then he got down on one knee like he was proposing to sister Jumua haha! It was interesting...

Well I don´t have much more to say, but I love you all!

Love, Sister Jarnagin

Vila Real - week 7

This week has been filled with so many new people and Miracles!

We had 10 investigators at Church!  This week church was in Porto, and we had to take a bus for Stake Conference. It was amazing to see them sacrifice a little more sleep to come to Stake Conference. After, we were talking to Antonio who was told to come by one of our members. He absolutely loved it!!! We showed him where the branch meets and he is excited to come back!

We tried an apartment where a new investigator said he lived, and it turned out he gave us the wrong address. But a girl answered the door and invited us in. She is very quiet and lives alone, but as we taught the restoration is was amazing to see the light in her eyes. After we taught the restoration, we asked her if she wanted to prepare to be baptized. And she said YES! We were able to set a date for her baptism and dates to visit her again.

Our apartments are above a couple bars, and there were 5 guys in one of them. We knew one from contacting him on the street, and so we were like "Hey! What's up! Who are your homies?" And so we were able to talk to them. One of them owns the bar and he and his brother work there. We didnt have much time, so we made an appointment to return. When we came back we helped put the chairs and tables out. Then we all went in to talk. At first, it was just one guy who was listening. But as we taught his brother started to listen too, and then one of their friends walked in and he sat down and started listening. As we taught the resoration the spirit was so strong. Even in a tiny bar. It was so amazing!
I can see the Lord´s Hand in the work with everything we do!

One of the stories I loved studying this week was Captain Moroni and his armies! He continued to progress the work of the Lord and stood firm in his beliefs and desires.
"...If all men had been, and were, and ever would be like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of Hell would have been shaken Forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of Men."
We have an example to follow, and in the Book of Mormon we can find countless of them!

We have many new people we are teaching and sister Jumua has fire!

"Hope on. Journey on. Honestly Acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe." -Jeffery R. Holland

love, Sister Jarnagin

PS.   My new companion is sister Jumua from Mozambique. She speaks a couple words in English but that is about it. She is wonderful and a very effective missionary. It has been raining here for about 2 weeks straight. Not cold, but rainy.

The other picture is of Otilia, one of the members who owns a very cool antique shop.

I ate squid tentacles yesterday haha!  It was interesting.

Vila Real - week 6

I don´t have much time today because of transfers, but I am staying in Vila Real and I have a new colega! Sister Jumua from Mozambique. She doesnt speak English, but I am excited to be "fully" immersed in the language.
Sorry for the short post!
LOVE, Sister Jarnagin

Vila Real - week 5

These last 2 weeks so much has been going on!

A miracle we saw was when we did a fast for our zone and we met a man named Jesus on the Street. We set up an appointment to meet with him later that week and he kept it! We taught about the Restoration and gave him a Book of Mormon. We called him later in the week to follow up and he told us that he had been reading the Book of Mormon and felt so "Free" when he read it, so he shared it with his friend. She loved it so he gave her the book. It was amazing to see how he shared it with his friend even though he didn´t know much himself. And it was totally amazing that his name was Jesus :)

It has been raining a lot this week which gave us an opportunity to take the bus. We were waiting for the bus and we started talking to this nice older gentleman. We told him about our church and gave him a card with Christ on It. His face lit up when he saw the picture of Christ.

We went to visit our Investigator Maria, and she and her sister are trying to plan my wedding with Maria´s son, Miguel. They want me to stay in Portugal and marry him and then go to the United States to visit and send them lotions and perfumes haha. They are crazy!

All the college kids have capes for their college with patches on them. Sometimes I feel like I am in Harry Potter walking around the tiny streets with teenagers in capes. It is awesome!

I am so excited to see that so many of my friends back home are going on missions! I love the joy that comes from telling people about Christ! :)

I love the people here. They are so humble. They don´t have very much, but yet they are willing to give so much! And sometimes we as people have so much and are willing to give so little. But most importantly, I like to ask myself, what more can I give to the Lord? Can I give him more of my love, more service, dilligence, kindness, or obedience? There is always more that we can do to be better disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ and continually use his atonement.

"Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever." I have continually seen the humble portuguese people give all they have. There food, their time, their small income just to come to church. And yet they give no excuses. They love their God and they know what it means to put him first. They do not even have a temple, and they save their money, sometimes for a long period of time, just to be able to visit the temple in Spain. I am so grateful for their humble example. And I am grateful to be surrounded by people who love Christ and are continually happy! I know that happiness in life comes from truly living the gospel and loving it!

Tem uma boa semana amigos :) Eu amo vocês!
Com Amor, Sister Jarnagin

Vila Real - week 4