In the way of News, probably the most exciting thing we found out this week was that Elder Bednar is coming to Portugal (i think i found that out this week, if i already found it out just take this as evidence of how excited i am) That will be not this sunday but next sunday (there's some way to say that in portuguese, like sunday 8 or something like that) and there will be three firesides, one for missionaries, one for members, and one for single adults, and we can go to all three as long as we go with an investigator or less active that fits that category. So i'm pretty stoked about that. Other fun things, Jorge Lucas was interviewed for baptism and so he's all set to go, he'll be baptized by his former brother in law (there is a long and complicated story about this that maybe i'll explain one day, but it's not really relevent or necessary here) which is great. I think the ideal missionary would never baptize anyone himself, since the members should baptize people. That said, i still hope i baptize someone during my mission...maybe, we'll see. An old evangelical woman yelled at me, that's always a good experience. Her husband goes to church every week and has been for about 3 months now, but doesn't want to get baptized on account of being afraid of his wife. He's one of the nicest people i've known, and having met his wife i can understand his fear. She was not one of the nicest people i've known. So i'm hoping us passing by doesn't result in him getting hit with a stick or something.
A couple weeks ago i had my first real fun translation error, and i forgot to mention it. I was talking to this lady who said she was already very close to Jesus Christ (all though she said it in more of a sarcastic-leave me alone i want to wait for my bus in silence-type of way than a expression of faith) and so i said something along the line of "That's great, and we're not here to take away people's beliefs" but what i said was more like "que bom, e nós não estamos aque para tirar as crianças das pessoas" ["That good, and we are not here to draw children of people"] Elder Oram and I laughed and laughed. It´s fun to imagine what it must be like for the portuguese when we contact them, it would be like if two guys with a really strong french accent came up and started talking to you. Good times.
Lets see, what else is happening in Mafra? We're going to move to a new chapel in a month or so. We have to leave the one we're in by the end of febuary i think, and the we're going to have a temporary place for a month or so, and then we're going to move out to this chapel way out in the boonies, which means it's possible that we'll be opening up a new area, Torres Vedres, which has tons and tons of people and there haven't been missionaries there for years. It's still not definite, and there's a good chance that i will be transfered before that happens (there's still a transfer and a half between now and these things) but it's exciting.
This week we started knocking our way through these predios about a half hour from our house. We've been meeting some cool people out there. It seems like the people in new apartment buildings are generally nice than those in old run down apartment buildings, but that might just be because they're better lit and more comfortable, so regardless of the people, you feel better.
Speaking of feeling better, i think one of the greatest blessing i've recieved while on the mission is the ability to be happy in spite of cold and rain and disappointment. It has been really cold and really rainy this week, but i'm still feeling good. It's very true that you can decide to not let things bother you, and that you can pray to feel happy.
So that's all that's going on here, at least all that i can put in a letter in one hour. I'm doing a pretty good job keeping a journal, but it's sad how much of the stuff that happens to me everyday doesn't get recorded, and i'm sure i'm going to forget lots of the crazy and amazing things that happen to me during these two years. Oh well, é vida.
Com muito amor,
Ammon
