Barreiro - Week 7

This week we adventured a lot getting to know our new area.

There are a lot of little shops in our area and a lot more Portuguese people. We are loving it so far! There are a couple places that we haven't even gone yet because our area is so big. Lots of exploring to do!

We have met a lot of people who are from England in this area. We were looking for a map and we met this guy from England who has a company that produces music videos and plays the cello.

President Tavares has been changing a lot of things in the mission recently, and he wants us to do 10 contacts each missionary every day. So we are having a lot of fun with that, and we have met some amazing people! We have also learned that the more people we contact, the more the God trusts us to give us a person who is prepared to recieve the gospel. It is amazing to see the look of intrest in peoples faces and to know that some are more ready than others.

We also had another amazing experience. There is a member here from Brazil, and she and her husband are staying here for a while. Her husband isn't a member, and when we switched areas with the Elders they left us a little note that her husband would never pray. We went over for the first time last week to meet them all and get to know them. We decided to share the "Because of Him" video from last year. Afterwards we just bore testimony that this was the true chruch and of the Savior´s atonement for us. Afterwards, we invited him to pray. At first he kept saying that he didnt feel prepared. We reassured him and he accepted to pray. He said the closing prayer and it was so powerful. His wife was so happy because she said that he had never prayed since she had joined the church. We went over again later in the week and he has a new light! He accepts to pray and doesn't hesitate. It has been a blessing to already see miracles since we have changed areas. The switch was inspired!

Our dear Conceição was confirmed a member of the church yesterday which was wonderful!

I am loving the new area! We are just trying to get new investigators right now and find their houses. The work is sweet!

It has also been finally cooling down and we are pulling out the cardigans before the rain.
Until next week :)
Sister Jarnagin

Barreiro - Week 6

This week we saw the Hand of the Lord in our work bastante!

Conceição was baptized yesterday. We had originally planned for the baptism to be on Saturday, but then some complicated things started happening. Her family didnt want her to be baptized, and so they came and stayed at her house with her all day. We were so discouraged and so was she. She just wanted to be baptized so bad. She realizes that because she is so old, she needs help with everything, and she said she didnt have enough strength to do what she wanted for herself because her family takes care of her. After some very careful and slightly sneaky planning on her part, she was able to be baptized. She was so so happy.

The sisters who lived with us also had a baptism, so they were able to do one big baptism. There were so many there to support them and Conceição was so happy. She had a fall last week so it was harder for her to walk. She looked so cute in her little white dress. Her friend Louisa was baptied Saturday when we were supposed to have the baptism.

We helped Conceiçao into the font and she was a little nervous. One of the Elders that Serves in our branch baptized her. She was able to watch the Sisters investigator be baptized first so she knew how. She got in the font and bent her knees when it was time but she didnt lean back and people started freaking out a little - one of the zone leaders said "Go for it Bro!" So he just put her in the water. It was so fast and didn't have to be done again. She was so so happy!

After, she was praying the the bathroom and thanking Heavenly Father that she could be baptized in His church. There were so many obstacles that came up, but we never let our faith stop. We kept doing everything that we possibly could, but there came a time where we couldn't do anymore and we just had to put our faith in Him. I am so grateful for His understanding and His perfect knowledge of us. The baptism was beautiful.

Transfers were yesterday and Sister Swainmaster and I are staying together. The AP´s called us and...our area and the Elders' area were switched because ours was too dangerous, so we have a new area and so do the Elders. We are a little nervous but excited. AND.... our awesome house is staying the same! :)
Love you all!
Sister Jarnagin

Barreiro - Week 5

This transfer is flying! This week has been slow because a lot of people are out of town because of holidays.

We were visiting a recent convert and in front of her apartment building were some hooligans smoking and listening to their rap, cat calling us and all. They kept saying "Oiiii! Take me to América baby!" "It´s really hot outside! Lets have a pool party!" haha and the whole time they were saying "Pool party" it just sounded like they were saying "Poo Party" because of the Portuguese to English accent. In the elevator on the way back down we decided to talk to them and invite them to our english classes. They were actually pretty cool. One of them even prayed with us and had a lot of respect. They didnt end up coming to english class... but we will try and find our new friends again.

We decided to knock a door in the same building as our investigator, and a member from Sister Swain's last area was there. We were able to talk with her mom who isn't a member. She was so accepting as we talked about prayer a little bit. It was amazing to see!
We also had a lesson with Elvida and Albetino. They are our new investigators who are very strong in their religion right now. We had a very powerful lesson where the spirit was clearly present about baptism and authority. I feel like I am getting better at recognizing the spirit in my life.

Our investigator Conseçao came to church again, and she was so happy. I lead the music for sacrement, and she was just smiling, and when we had the rest hymn she wanted to just stand up with everyone else even though she can hardly walk. She is the cutest and she is so excited for her baptism with her friend, Louisa, (the elders investigator who is around the same age) this weekend.

I love this work!
Love, Sister Jarnagin

Barreiro - Week 4

BAPTISM!!!!!
Elaine was baptized this saturday and confirmed on Sunday. She was so excited. Elaine, Us, the elders, Her cousins,  and a member all sang "A Child´s Prayer" for the baptism. Everything just turned out so well. As she was walking out of the font, she turns around to look for her mom and she had the biggest smile on her face! It made me so happy to see the happiness of someone who had just made a promise with so many promised blessings with our Heavenly Father!

The day after the baptism we visited her family and we heard some exciting plans from her mom. She wants to be leagally married, baptized with her husband, and then married in the temple. We are so excited, and the Lord´s hand is obvious in the life of his Children.

Now for our other investigator, Consesçao. She is 92 and she is adorable!!! She reminds me of my great grandma.... so sweet and very sassy! She has a lot of dolls. And when I say a lot... I mean they are EVERYWHERE. She loves to show us all of them and she makes little dresses for them. She came to church this Sunday all dressed up in her blue fancy satin top... haha she is the best!!  She has her baptism marked for this Sunday, but the elders have an investigator that is older also, and they recently have become very good friends, so they want to have their baptisms together in 2 weeks.

I also heard that Thelma, her family, and Celeste, that we were teaching in Maratejo, were baptized this past weekend. I just am so full of gratitude to be able to wittness so many miracles and feel of the great love that God has for every one of his children. And I am so grateful for my wonderful ginger comp who puts up with me!
Love Sister Jarnagin

Pictures:
Elaine's baptism
creepy cats with 2 colors of eyes.
selfies in the road
our area is africa
Cool doors in Portugal!
Our wonderful Conseçaõ
the view from Conseçaõ´s house.

Barreiro - Week 3

Portugal is wonderful♡  Many very humbling experiences. I'm loving "little Africa" Barreiro where I am right now. So many people with different cultures. It's wonderful to experience it.

I can't believe I am serving with someone who has the same amount of time on the mission. It still feels like we are just babies and we don't know what we are doing and they just throw us out in the world... But we realized that we can speak and we know our way around and we aren't afraid anymore and if we stay together for the next transfer we will hit our nine months halfway point on the mission in September. It feels like I just got here!

I felt like I would never learn Portuguese, or be able to remember scriptures, or contact random people on the road, but I know that every time I put my trust in God and act in faith that he helps me with unbelievable strength that is definitely not my own. One thing I have learned is that God doesn't take away our trials, but he gives us strength to get through them. "If we put our trust in God, the hardest as well as the easiest of times will be a blessing." What a magnificent blessing we have! We don't even see it like that sometimes. The blessings of the mission are never ending... & I have the blessing to see people change their lives every single day . There is disappointment, but there is also so much joy!

There is a family that is our investigators and the two little girls are only 11 and they can't wait to be baptized but are waiting on legal papers. I wish all of you could see Portugal and experience it all with me. I do miss all of you so much. During our interviews with President he asked us what we sacrifice to be here. It really made me think, because I see all these amazing people I serve with and what circumstances they come from and I thought of what I sacrificed, & I thought of all of you. The mission has taught me the true and real importance of family.

Everything and everyone has lice. Gross!  All the little kids on the street, but we just try to be careful. There are a lot of missionaries who have lice... I am NOT one of them yet!

It is a bit cooler today than normal. There are usually never clouds so it is hot all the time. Me and sister Swain talked about investing in some bikes. We have a good area for it, but it won't happen because we need to walk to contact people and with the humidity, helmet hair would be inapropriate ha ha!

P.S. My name means weed in portuguese too ha ha! And I would kill for a good snow cone!

The pictures are:
Sister Bacon who finished her mission. Our house is a little bit quiter without the baconnator.

Sister Fuertes teaching sister Mendes to dance like a mexicana

Our Cafe selfie with Kleidir.

And our Christmas in August that we made in our house... because we missed christmas. :)

Ola Amigos!

 Our Sister Baconnator left this week and is heading back to the good U.S of A. I only thought of home a little bit ;)

 This week all of us were missing Christmas a little bit more than usual, so we decided to have our own. We decorated with some decorations that we found in our closet and we made cookies with milk and had cokecola. We put on our David Archuleta Christmas and our beds in the big room all together on the floor and it was just about perfect :) We have so much fun together all the time! The sisters are crazy and when we aren't being crazy we are learing Spanish and Creole. 

This week Elainy was supposed to be baptized, but the situation with her dad was complicated. We found out that her mom could sign the papers for baptism and make a decleration. So she will be baptized this Saturday and we are continuing to pray so much for her. Her cousin Rute wants to be baptized also, but neither of her parents live here so its complicated. Her dad came from England for one day this past week and we had the chance to talk to him. We dont know if she will be baptized, but she has the desire. It is hard to see people who want to be baptized so much and to do the will of the Father and to not have the ability to in that moment, but Heavenly Father is so aware of his children. And they will all have a chance! 

I found out that Julia from my last area was baptized this last week. I am so happy!!! :) She has alot alot of courage! 

From the wise advice of a portugues man´s t-shirt, 

"No questions No answers Just the simple freedom of Surfing"

(and the gospel of Jesus Christ) :)

Com amor, Sister Jarnagin 

Barreiro - Week 2

So last week I talked about the family that was waiting on their residency papers, and one of the girls, Elainy, has residency, but her mom doesn't have authority of her. This past week Elainy has been in Porto talking to her adopted dad and he gave her permission to be baptized and he is going to give the papers to her mom! We are so so excited!!! We prayed so so much for her. I know that Heavenly Father heard our prayers.

We had fast and testimony meeting yesterday and the Branch President blessed his baby so there were "muito gente" there! Lots of family and friends. People here really support each other, and because the church isn't very big here, everything is a BIG DEAL. There was a grande festa after church! I love love love this area! The people are wonderful!

The elders have an investigator and he is so cool! He is a total gangster and he wears these awesome shorts that say "home boy" and he walked us home so we would be safe and he told a joke to the sisters "Eyebrow, your mom´s socks". It was really funny haha because he actually speaks very good english.
Sorry this is so short! È vida!
Love, Sister Jarnagin

Barreiro - Week 1

Yay!  Well... I have learned some things this week. That Africans make really good corn and sell it on the street, the members of the church in Portugal think that we are All musically talented, vinegar gets rid of acne and mold, and Sister Swain snd I are basically twins!

The new area I am in is really small. I have almost memorized everything so it's a blessing that way. There are so many elect people here! There are also so many different cultures! So many people from Africa! It is amazing! Our investigators try teaching us dances from Africa and I actually feel that I could be African sometimes haha. We even know a few African phrases. There are these ladies that sell corn on the side of the road and homemade popsicle things. It is great :) 

We serve in a branch, but it has a lot of members. A lot more from the 20 that Vila Real had. I lead the music for sacremement meeting. We also have Elders in our Branch and that is a fun change. Also, living with 5 crazy Portuges speaking missionaries in one house is a fun change too! The Sisters are always playing jokes locking each other in the bathroom.

We have some amazing investigators already! A family is waiting on their residence papers so they can be baptized!!!!  I am just loving it so far! I havent been run over yet by the crazy drivers, or melted in the sun, so I think I'm doing pretty good! Now to get a sun hat and to learn more African phrases!
I love you all :)
Love, sister Jarnagin