I don't have a lot of time this week so I'll be very brief and I'll try to write about the best parts of this week.
All the great miracles that happened with Ribeiro last week kind of disappeared. He still wasn't coming to any compromissos and one day during studies I couldn't focus and I had this weird kind of "condemned" feeling. I talked to Sister Costa about it and we both felt like we needed to send a message to Ribeiro explaining how serious and sacred baptism was and what his part was in preparing for baptism. We prayed and worked on a message for him and got up the courage to send it off. Once we sent it the condemned feeling went away, but several days have gone by and he has not responded and he has not come to church. Looks like someone is using his agency... However, we were able to get our investigators Alícia and Maurício to church. Maurício loved Primária and he told his mom that he wants to go back every week. She was bored and tired and hungry after three hours, but I personally feel that's how the best conversion stories start: "The first time I went to church I thought it would never end, but now I'm glad that I came...".... something like that. :) We also were able to find some amazing new people to work with. That whole act of faith called "dropping over half of your investigators" seems to be working. Because we're not wasting time with people that actually don't want anything to do with us Heavenly Father is leading us to people that are ready right now for the gospel. It's a blessing to see these people that want the gospel so badly and will sacrifice and do what ever is necessary to have it in their lives. We had some huge miracles and we were able to feel the power of the Spirit in so many lessons this week. :)
Also, Sister Costa is the best missionary in the world. She is amazing and I love her. :)
I now have two little miracles that have nothing to do with missionary work, but make me realize that Heavenly Father really does love us and He blesses us with some of the tiniest most unimportant things. So... my whole mission I have wanted to go to the Serra de Estrela. It's the tallest mountain in Portugal and for some reason I've always had this huge desire to go there. I figured that I would never get to see it though. However, because I have a cute little Brasilian companion who has never seen snow, Miguel and Nela from the other ward took us out to the Serra for p-day today. It was so pretty and we had so much fun! Sister Costa loved the snow... until it went in her boots. :) Other little miracle: ever since the mission divided I've been kind of homesick for Lisboa, but I knew that I was never going to see it again during my mission. Well, I got my travel plans today in the email and because of all the craziness that happened with my extension and those travel plans, the travel department in Salt Lake made separate plans for me. I won't be traveling with my group of missionaries, but I will be flying into Lisboa before flying to the United States. I get to see Lisboa one more time! :) I was so happy and I cried just a little bit.
I am out of time now. We have to head out and work now, but I love you all. I'm sorry that I can't write any more but in two weeks I'll be home and I can talk to you all. I love the gospel. I'm so grateful for the oportunidade que eu tenho de servir uma missão. Foi a melhor decisão que eu fiz. Mudou minha vida e eu estou tão grata. Amo vocês!
Síster Smith
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