Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Transfers! I'm with Sister Mills in Miratejo!



Transfers are crazy, but they are a lot nicer if your new colega is one of your companions from the MTC. It's a lot easier that way. When we called each other last night it was so nice to talk to her. I had the thought the other day that it was possible that I would be with Sister Mills, but I really didn't think it would happen. Well, miracles happen when you're a missionary!

This last week was one of the hardest and one of the best weeks of my mission. Heavenly Father really does love me. Now I can look back and see that He let us have so many miracles so that I could leave Viseu without any regrets. There were so many people that we found. It was a week full of miracles!





On Monday we were tourists... it was kind of fun. We went and visited the cathedral and then we walked through Rossio. The cathedral was so cool, but I'm pretty sure Sister Bender got sick of hearing about Mr. Haroldsen's history class. I was having fun though. Tuesday we had a fantastic Conselho da Ala and then on Wednesday we had adventures missing buses and then walking along the higway to get to appointments. We were kept safe though. Thursday we had an awesome lesson at the capela with a man we found street contacting. Sister Bender and I had been contacting so many people on the streets and now there are some incredible investigators that are going to get baptized. Sunday was the best day of my mission. Heavenly Father put so many people in our path that are ready for the gospel and it was the best possible way to end my time in Viseu.



Sister Smith with the Bishop and his family in Viseu
When we got transfer calls I just started crying. I knew I was leaving Viseu, but at the same time I didn't want to. I love Viseu so much and it was so hard to leave the members and my recent converts. We all took so many pictures together yesterday after church and they all gave me their addresses so that I can write letters. Once the members found out I was getting transferred some of them called. Bishop didn't want me to leave and the ward mission leader and his wife called me and said that they loved me and were sad to see me go, but at the same time they said it's better that the missionaries move and get to help other areas. Leaving Viseu I had the same feeling as when I left home for the MTC and then when I left the MTC for Portugal. I knew that this is the way things are supposed to be, but it helped me realize how whort the time as a missionary is. We really aren't missionaries for very long. 18 months is not a very long time! The days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days.

I had a four hour bus ride from Viseu to Lisboa this morning, but when I saw Sister Mills at the estção dos autocarros it was so nice to be with her again. It's so different to be in southern Portugal. I was joking with Sister Mills that we're in Africa.... there are not Portuguese people here. That's the weirdest part to me. There are lots of Africans, but I haven't seen any Portuguese people yet. We'll give it a few days and we'll see if we can find any.

I don't have much more time, but I love you all. I have the best family in the world and the best mission companions too. I'm going to miss Sister Bender and our casual conversations about calculus (yes... we had those almost every day) but I'm so grateful that I'm with Sister Mills again. It's a little scary because we're both in our third transfers and I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm pretty sure everything will work out just fine. Yeah, I've got faith. It will all be good.

The church is true! I love you all!

Sister Smith

P.S. Pictures are of me in front of the cathedral and our last district photo together before transfers. I have too many pictures so I'll send them in other emails and Inette can put them on the blog.



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