Monday August 5th

Family!!!!! <3

So!!!! Not a whole lot to update on in regards to the work. We are still trying to find investigators! But we did receive a girl named Sara from the Elders. And she is sooo fixe!!!!! She reads and prays and she has already gained a testimony for herself about the Book of Mormon. And she agreed to be baptized on the 31st of August!!!! I am sooooo excited!!!! For a little while me and Sister Brooks were having a hard time because we didn't have any progressing investigators and no one wanted to talk to us. So it was definitely hard not to get darn on ourselves. But even during all the hard days, there was always some sort of miracle or tender mercy every day that would lift our spirits! The Lord is so good! So I have come to understand the help from the spirit so much more now through our thoughts. Sometimes it feels like we just have these random thoughts pop into our head for no apparent reason, but it isn't just a random thought. It is a prompting from the spirit! It happens when we are trying to find people and which ones we should talk to. And when we end up talking to that person, they are actually willing to listen to us!!! It is so good. Because, yes, we do get told to leave or are waved away more often than I would have thought. It is sad... but thats ok! We are trying! It really does make me so sad though because I know if they would just let us talk and if they would just listen for a couple minutes, I know that they would feel the spirit and I know that we could help them! So it makes me so sad when people just won't even listen. Something that is funny is when we are out on the street, we will tell people "Boa tarde! Tudo bem!?" And it is super simple and they will pretend that they don't understand what we are saying because of our "crazy strong accents" Haha. Or they will say that they don't speak english. But we were speaking Portuguese! It is the funniest yet annoyingest thing! (Yeah... those aren't really words. But it is super annoying) So I had my first splits last week! We go on splits with the Sister Training Leaders once a transfer (I am assuming it is once a transfer...) But what we did is since we live far from them and there are four of us and two Sister Training Leaders. We just went in three-somes. So we stayed in companionships and went with one of the Sister Training Leaders. So we had Sister Campos de Silva. She is from France! So she only know French and Portuguese. So we spoke in Portuguese the entire day. Even at home. It actually was really good! And I understood pretty much everything! And if I didn't understand Sis. Brooks would explain to me what she said. But Sister Campos de Silva is Sister King's Companion. So I got to ask her how Sister King was doing! And later that night, Sister Campos de Silva called Sister King to talk to her, and then handed me the phone!!!!!! So I got to talk to Sister King for about 5 minutes!!!!!!! It made me so happy! Ha. So she is doing good! Though in the beginning I think she was a bit overwhelmed cause she went straight in having to speak Portuguese always because her comp. doesn't know English. That would be so hard! But she actually prayed that that would happen. So she got it! Did I ever tell you guys about creepy Antonio? Well he is this man that we contacted and met like my second week here. And when we met up with him he thought it was because we liked him... And he liked us... and yeah it was super weird. But he called us for weeks after that and we stopped answering. And finally we thought he stopped calling after four weeks. But he has started to call us again! It is crazy! We haven't answered any of his phone calls in a month! Yeah... So we don't really know what to do about him. But we had another sports night! It turned out so good! There were so many people that came! Me and Sister Brooks left during the middle of it to go find our  "investigator friends" (the super hilarious black guys that all have crushes on us) to bring to the church. So we found them and there were 5 guys and one girl. Turns out the one guy that is in "love" with Sister Brooks has a girlfriend! Haha. But he still said something about liking her. Ha. But it was awesome. When we walked back to the church we walked in with a train of black guys. I felt so cool! I seriously love them! They are super nice and funny. It is only a problem because they are in love with us. But hey. If they come to activities and if that is a way in which we can help bring them the gospel. Then why not! Though I think we are going to pass them off to the Elders. Because, well ya. Everything I just said pretty much explains why. :) Oh! We decided to do a "prize drawing" at the sports night where everyone signs up and puts their name address and number (So we got novos because of it!-because we got their information and it counts as a lesson because we had a 3-5 min. spiritual thought. And what we are doing is making them all winners! So we are going to bring a plate of cookies to everyone and share a message with them! It is perfect! (We were all laughing at our "caniving" ways to do missionary work. It was funny. Anyways, we also sang as a district again in the Rocio! (It is an open area with benches and there is a little kid merry-go-round.) I sang for 1 1/2 hours straight!! Ha. Cause Sis. Brooks went on splits with Sister Call. So me and Sister Lofgreen stayed at the table. And they never came back! Ha. So I just sang the whole time! And my voice didn't get tired or sore, and I didn't lose my voice or anything. It was crazy! Cause I seriously thought it would happen! (Tender mercy! They really are everywhere and in our lives everyday. It is so amazing) So at one point while we were singing, a retired Catholic Pastor came up and started listening to us sing, and then he came over and started singing with us!!! Haha. It is so funny! I loved it though! I think he could feel the spirit as we sang. (: Though he didn't want anything. But it still was pretty cool. So in the other Sister's ward. They had a Fireside! It was a play that went along with reading the scriptures. It was hilarious! I love our district soooo much! I was the curtain holder. (: Cause the curtain didn't quite close all the way. So I would hold it closed when they closed it.So that was just yesterday! (we handed out sooo many invites to this on Saturday as we were singing- but only one person came that we had given an invite to!) But we had a lot of members come and we had an investigator and a less active come as well. So there was a good audience. It turned out so well! And our investigator that came loved it! So transfers happened. And we got our transfer information last night. We were with the Elders at the Church already so we got to find out with them! But I am staying with Sister Brooks for 6 more weeks! I am soooo glad! I didn't want to leave. Sister Call is staying too. But Sister Lofgreen left.... She left this morning. It was so sad! But the new Sister is here! She seems really cool. so it will be good. But I am pretty sure one of us. Sister Brooks or me will be moved next transfer. But we will see! Anyways, I love you guys so much! I hope all is well at home! Sounds like you guys have been having soooo much fun! I am sad I missed the reunion. But I am glad it turned out super well! Till next week! Yay! 

Love Always,

Sister Amanda Stokes <3