Monday, September 2nd

Family!!!

So this past week I ate squid. The tentacools and everything! I thought I was going to be sick! Sis. Brooks is so lucky she is vegetarian and they all know it. Maybe I should turn vegetarian just for my mission. :) But yeah, it lookes so disgusting. So we contacted an 89 year old man and he was so funny but just a little bit crazy. He told us he found out for himself that the world doesn't actually rotate. It actually goes up and down and that is why the sun goes up and down as well. Haha. He was really nice though. But I couldn't understand most of what he was saying. So we have been working with Mikaela still. Oh she is just so darn cute! She is 12. She looks like she is 15 though. But she came to our English class after we met up with her one night. And it was super cool becuase her dad ever lets her go anywhere. And she was so excited about it when we told her about it, but then when she realized she had to ask her dad for permission she got all sad... it was so sad. But then she asked if we could go with her to ask. Haha. (You know the kind of thing you always did with your friends hoping that your parents would be more willing to say yes if your friend was right there. haha) But he said she could go! Though he asked us if she would be with us the whole time. And then he did that little "i'm watching you" hand motion with the eyes. Ha. He is so funny. I love her dad. His name is Paulo. But Mikaela said that is a big deal because he never lets her just leave and with people he doesn't know super well. But he trusts us! And he likes us! Ha. This we now know for a fact. Well, we already knew he liked us. He always jokes around with us. He is so funny. But  we started holding an English class once a week at the chapel. this was only the second time though. But she ended up being the only one there. That is one of the things that frusterates me a little about the Portuguese. They always say they will do something or go somewhere. But they don't usually actually end up doing it. It is slowly driving me nuts. Ha. But at the end of the hour, Sister Cutler asked if she would give the closing prayer. She was so scared to give it. She wouldn't give it with us either outside her dad's shop. But that is more understandable because there are other people there and it isn't just us. But this time we were in the chapel with just her and us four Sisters. But she did end up agreeing and said the prayer. And it was so good! She gives perfect prayers! Later, when we were walking back with her (This time just me and Sister Brooks) She said that was the first time she has ever said a prayer out loud with other people. She won't even pray out loud with her dad. But she said that she loved it so much! And that it felt so good to pray with us. That made me so happy! And then we just told her how amazing she is. And she said the same thing back. Ha. I love her so much! I wish she could just go everywhere with us during the day!  Then we said something about speaking English, and she told us how she adores speaking english. (It was so cute when she said she adores it) ha. We told her we can talk in English more if she wanted. And she said yeah! But that she gets embarrassed because she doesn't want to say things wrong (I know how she feels! But I have to talk and sound like a child who doesn't know how to speak correctly. ha. But at least they understand me!) But then, after she said that, I just looked over at her and said " remember me??".... And she busted out laughing!!!!!!! It was soooo funny! But she knows I can't speak grammatically correct very well. Ha. But she loved that so much she brought it up two more times before we got back to her dad's bar. And apparently I make this certain face a lot more than I realized and she loves it so much. So everytime I make it she giggles and mimmicks it. It is super cute. But guess what!? She told us that we are her best friends! I can't tell you how happy that made me! And she told us that she loves us. She is just so perfect! So when we said bye we just gave eachother big hugs! It was precious. I am so sad that she lives in Coimbra with her mom... I am hoping I will get transfered there so I can keep working with her. :) Because I feel like it makes more sense for Sis brooks to stay and me to get moved this next transfer. But you never know. Oh! And she wanted to go to church so bad with us on Sunday! At first her dad told her she couldn't in front of us, so it was a little weird, but then she was like but why not!? So he finally said yes. Haha. Oh 15 year old girls that know what they want. :)  But when we went to pick her up we waited for 15 minutes but she never showed so we were soooo sad. Then we stopped by at night and she said "Well, you ready to go to church!? My heart broke.... She thought 9 pm instead of 9 am.... oh those darn Evangelical church's that are at night. And is was the saddest and most precious thing... she was literally devastated! She was so sad the rest of the night as we talked with her.... Oh I love her so much! Anyways, yeah! Oh! Mom, so I actually don't have the lavender oil... So that is something you can send. :) Though by the time I get it hopefully I will be out of this apartment with the bugs but you never know. Anyways, I love you! Till next week!

Sister Amanda Stokes