Vila Real - week 2

The plague hit our apartment this week. Sister Cardoso and I were both sick, so Lemon honey tea and blankets were our best friends.

We had our district meeting and I got to meet everyone. There are 2 sets of elders and us. Everyone is pretty dang cool here! I also gave my first talk in sacrement meeting on Sunday... ahhh well my knees were shaking and I´m pretty sure I didnt even understand half of what I said but I got it done.

I have learned alot from Sister Cardoso, such as to stay away from the men over 50 because they call us cute and pretty as we walk by and want us to sit down for coffee and chat... so creepy.

If you havent seen #becausehelives GO AND WATCH IT! Also... General Conference is this week and I am so so excited!

I dont have much time this week but here is the scripture of the day from my Book of Mormon Study: Alma 5:14-16.

Muito Fixe! Well I love you all :)
Beijinhos!
love, Sister Jarnagin

Vila Real - Week 1

Well... I MADE IT :)

Braving the international Madrid, Spain airport was quite a task by my self with 3 large suitcases, but I got it done. Upon arrival I was reunited with my amigos from the MTC. It was so good to see all of them! We had our interviews with president and then i met my companion, Sister Cordoso, who is a native to Portugal. She is awesome :)

We serve in Northern Portugal in a city called Vila Real. It is so beautiful and so so cold!

Our apartment is HUGE and we don´t have any dressers... that must be why my clothes are in an empty fridge haha but it´s all good. The water here isn´t good to drink and the water in our apartment is orange/ brown so of course we buy water. It is a 6 hour bus ride from Lisbon to Vila Real so halfway there the elders bought us all Pastel De Nata which is a pastry with cream custard in the middle. So so good! Sister Cordoso says there is a pastry shop on every corner and so far she is telling the truth.

The city here is beautiful. Beautiful buildings, cobblestones, and people. It honestly looks like it could be out of a movie! It is a very different climate from Arizona. Bone chilling cold and wind and rain. We wear our coats and gloves everywhere. I absolutely love it.

We visited our investigator, M..., who has 5 adorable children. They are so cute! She always feeds us soup she makes and says "Sisters! Eat more!" and then she gives us more soup. The Portuguese people always feed you so so much!  Good thing her house is an hour walk up a hill. We had a very good lesson with her and her family about keeping the commandments and it went well. They are very patient with my poor portuguese. They try to teach me so my Portuguese will get better but they say it is good for being here for 3 days.

I am kind of the assigned piano player for our small branch. That is the first thing I was asked when i got here if I could play the piano. I was also asked to bear my testimony in sacrement meeting. So I did in my very broken, very poor Portuguese. The members are sweet though and try to help.

We talk to everyone! We walk everywhere so we are constantly walking and talking. We are working towards membership so Portugal can finally have a temple. What a blessing it is to have a temple and a place to do our work and work for others.

I love you all!
-Sister Jarnagin

Tucson Week 5

So it's been a really crazy week! Sister Jones had a birthday! Happy being 20! We went to do our usual work out and we walked up the stairs to our apartment and there was signs leading up to it and all over our window. Our zone had come while we were excercising and made them. It was so cute :) Sister Jones likes to eat kittens :)

Lisa Rios got her mission call this week! She opened it at FHE. She is headed to Boise, ID in a month! We are so excited for her becasue she is going to be an awesome missionary!! We made her a cake too :)

Our lovely neighbor, Erin had us over for lunch with Sister Mizell and Moe-Tufaga. We chatted and ate and basically Erin is the best.

My aunt sent a box of yard work gloves which was obviously inspired becasue we had service on Mount Lemmon! Pulling weeds is definately our thing. We fire proofed a cabin and i cut 3 trees/ logs in half by myself. Call me Buff.

So in AZ they have these famous hot dogs called Sonoran dogs. They are hot dogs wrapped in bacon with a toasty magical bun and mexican toppings loaded on top. So i had my first artery clogging sonoran dog! Pretty cool :)

I love you all!!
love, Sister Jarnagin

oh p.s.: i got a call from my mission President this week and i am leaving for Portugal :) pretty scary and exciting :)

Tucson Week 4

One of our investigators went off to boot camp this week. We were so sad to see him go, but he is planning on getting baptized when he gets back. We had the privilege to watch him receive a priesthood blessing before he went.

This week I feel like I have gained some real insights in my personal scripture study. I have been reading to find examples of God's love for his children and I read a scripture in 2Nephi13 about how our countenance shows who we are and what our nature is. We can go through the motions, but until we try to emulate those Christ like qualities and truly act, think, and speak like him, that is when our nature will truly change. I read about how we as humans don't "regard the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands."  2Nephi15:12&15
I know that we don't have a perfect knowledge in this life, but the Lord does and he has a plan for us.

Sorry I don't have much time to write this week, but I love you all!

Love, Sister Jarnagin