Tears, toilets and traveling

Hello Everyone!!!!!

   How is everyone´s week going? I miss everyone so much!!! Buuuut... Not too much because I don´t wanna get distracted... :)

   This week was crazy, but really good!!! Where should I start?

   Well, On tuesday was Carnaval in Portugal, which is actually celebrated kinda the opposite as it is in Brazil. Lots of people don´t work, so everyone just kinds stays home or will go to a party or something like that, SO our ward decided to have a Party! It´s so weird because Carnaval is in the middle of february, but you feel like it shoud be October because lots of kids are dressed up and everything, but... No, it´s february. We had a big churrasco (barbeque!!!!) and everyone was there and it was so cute to see the little kids dressed up! That took up most of our tuesday and it was so nice.

   On Friday we had INTERVIEWS WITH PRESIDENT! It took all day, so our proselyting time was cut WWAAYY short this week because of Carnaval, interviews, Sister McCall still having a headache, and stake conference. But more of that later.

   We had a training by the APs (assistants to the president) and the Zone Leaders and then me and Sister McCall were the last ones to be interviewed... But it went well! He asked me about things on my mission and how my family was and I told him that Sarah was getting ready to go on a mission! President Fluckiger (flu-key-gur) is so insightful and always helps me and I know that he really does preside over this mission and loves Portugal and the misisonaries so much! AND I got to talk to Sister Fluckiger as well! She really is the best and I just love how she served a mission before it was cool because that´s how awesome she is!

   THEN, the next day was Stake Conference, so we had to go to Viseu for 2 days. The first day was great. President and sister Fluckiger were there as well and they spoke, and Elder Moreira was there as well! He´s an area Seventy, and he reminds me so much of Papi. They´re both bald and they laugh the same way and they talk the same and they both have that passion and love for the gospel and man, he just reminds me so much of him. 

   Also, on saturday at conference, our phone fell in the toilet! It was great (saracsm) and I was so happy. So we had to fish it out and put it in rice when we got home... My life. Is. So. Awkward sometimes...

   I missed Papi a little after that. But tudo bem, because I got to see the whole stake of Coimbra!

   On Sunday morning, We had to catch a bus at 7:30 that left from the Church, and we accidentally woke up late so we had to DASH to the Church. On the way there, a bus stopped in the middle of the road, and bishop walked out and said, "wanna hop in?" and we walked in and I felt a little like a princess walking down a runway or something because the bus stopped especially for us! 

   We tried to get Mariana to come to conference on Sunday because we both felt that it would help a lot with her receiving an answer. We had a lesson with her this week and it was exactly what she needed because she´s been having a rough time, and we both knew that the Lord was guiding our footsteps once more. THIS TRULY IS THE LORD´S WORK!!!!!! But Mariana ended up not going. We were both really sad. But we won´t give up!

   Every time I go to Stake Conference, I get so hyped up and excited about the gospel and missionary work and I just LOVE THIS WORK SO MUCH!

   While we were traveling to Viseu (an hour and 15 minutes) we saw some GREAT scenery and I just love Portugal so much! Giant boulders and hills and mountains and little villages on top of isolated regions and the Mondego river that starts in the Serra da Estrella. FUN FACT: The serra de Estrella has a sad legend attached to it:

   There was Once Upon A Time a princess named Estrella who was betrothed to a prince named Mondiego. Mondiego had to go to war and as you can guess, he died. She cried so much that her tears formed the Mondiego river and now the river starts in that mountain range. Sad, right? 

   OTHER FUN FACT: There are two types of Fado in Portugal: Lisboa and Coimbra! Because that´s just how boss Coimbra is. 

   Well, that´s all for this week! I hope everythign is going good with you all!

   THE CHURCH IS TRUE AND GOD LOVES EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!!!!!

Love,

Sister Mancuso