Family!

I love Braga! I am excited to serve here. :) We have an amazing investigator, Joaquim! He is so incredible. He has been at a rehab to help him stop drinking and he gets out in three months. He has been changing his life completely around. Last week, his friend (one of our members) simply invited him to go to church with him. He didn't have any others plans. So he went. And he loved it! A little later we meet up with him, and give him a Book of Mormon and explain a little about it. In the end he was excited and told us how he just wants to be a better person and that he is really trying. And that recently he has been praying more. He also said that seeing people with so much faith like us helps him have more faith, and to want to believe more. He thanked us for the faith we have. It was so precious! THEN he did make it to conference! And he loved it! We taught him our message of the restoration right after the session ended. We had our fabulous member, Jessica (From England) , with us. And one of our zone leaders. And Joaquim speaks english. (and Portuguese of course) But the lesson was in english. Can I just say how amazing it was! The spirit was so strong! My companion was in tears (She is just the sweetest most amazing person ever) and in the end, Joaquim was marked for baptism for the 18th! Talk about miracles! He is so excited. And we know that he can stop smoking in time. :) We feel so good about this. And we all just can't wait! I am so happy right now! Life is just so great! And I can't believe how much the Lord spoils his missionaries. We are so unbelievably blessed to be able to be entrusted with this work of saving souls and bringing them to Christ. It is such a beautiful work and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have a front seat in it. I love you all so much. And don't you doubt the gospel for even a second. But if you do, but your knees to floor and ask for help from our loving Heavenly Father. I promise you that He will speak to you through the spirit. Thank you all for the wonderful examples that you are to me. I don't know how I got so blessed to have such a wonderful family. I love you all so much. Stay safe. 

Love Always,

Sister Amanda Stokes

ps. The interresting event of this week is we saw a  pig, yes a pig, walking down the side walk as if it were a dog. People have pet pigs! ha. Never thought I would see this in Portugal in the middle of the city.