3rd Time's a Charm!

Olá todos! Tudo bem?

This week was very interesting, but also very good. I learned A LOT this week. BUT I´ll get to that eventually. Right now: TRANSFERS! So it turns out I stayed in Faro this transfer! This is my first area where I stayed longer than 2 transfers (about 3 months) so i´m really excited to see what´ll happen this transfer! But I have a good feeling about it :)

  Sister Cardoso finished her mission today! She´s off to Sintra (her hometown) and she is so amazing. I learned a lot from her and she truly helped me to do my very best. She has such a big love for everyone, and she is so loyal and she really taught me a lot about what it means to be a true friend (ha, that sounds so cheesy, I know, but it´s true!). Sigh. Getting a new companion is always sad because I get so attached to them, but that´s ok because my new companion is Sister McChesney! I served in the same zone as her in Coimbra, so i´m super excited to work with her here in Faro!

  BIG NEWS: This week, our recent convert of 14 years old, André, went to FSY ( a big, church-sponsored week-long program for youth 14-18) and LOVED IT: He said it was super spiritual and that he learned so much about the gospel. He shared his testimony with us that before he didn´t have a certainty, but he felt the spirit so strong testify to him that all of this is true. There was a youth there that got his mission call and decided to open it at FSY, and André said "it wasn´t even my mission call and I was so excited and happy for him that I almost cried. I felt the spirit so strong and I felt that I really need to serve a mission one day as well." Needless to say, I got so happy I couldn´t take the smile off of my face for the rest of the week!

  I love this gospel and I know it´s true and can bless all of our lives! Have a great week! Love you all!

Com MUITO amor,

Sister Mancuso

Pai Eu Quero Ti Amar

Hello Everyone!

   I´m so sorry that I haven´t written these last couple of weeks! When I say things have been crazy, this time i´m not kidding. Wow, i haven´t written for 3 weeks, that´s crazy! And SO MUCH HAPPENED. So... where to begin?

   3 weeks ago, we went to Lisbon for Mission Counsel and it was AMAZING! So spiritual and all the leaders in the mission got so pumped up andwe were all ready to go out and talke to EVERYONE about the Gospel!

   Not to mention, the day before that, we got to spend our P-Day in Lisbon, and i´ve never visited the ACTUAL city of Lisbon- it´s SO GORGEOUS. I fell in love. We ate ice cream and strolled around and visited so many cool places, and I got to take the metro!

   This transfer has also been the transfer with the most opposition. I don´t think i´ve ever seen so much opposition in my life. but it has also been the best transfer. Full of lots of self-evaluation, growing, and let´s not forget the fun moments I have with my comp. I LOVE Sister Cardoso! This transfer has been a roller coaster ride, but I KNOW that us being together this transfer was INSPIRED and had to happen. AFter everything that happened, I feel like we have a stronger bond because of everything that we´ve been through this transfer. She has taught me so much about love and service and not being afraid to share your feelnigs with the ones you love. I have had a lot of difficulty on my mission with sharing how I feel and communicating with my companions. I know that it´s something I need to better, and Sister Cardoso has helped me a lot with that. Despite all of her health problems, she made it to her last week on the mission (when so many thought she wouldn´t, even us at one point or another), so we are going to make it the best!

   Last week I hit my one year mark in Portugal! It was really strange and I don´t like to think about it...

   Last sunday was also Manuela´s baptism! She has been doing a lot of family history since she came in contact witht he church, but despite all of the problems in her life, she took the step to be baptized and it was amazing! She also prepared her testimony to share at the next testimony meeting and we didn´t even know about it!

   I know that God has a plan for every one of His sons and daughters, and I know that He loves each one of us infinitely. 

I LOVE THIS GOSPEL AND I LOVE PORTUGAL AND I LOVE FARO!

love,

Sister Mancuso