PORTO

Ola! bom dia from where I am now...
I am in PORTO!!!!! WOW! Oh wait, AND I am TRAINING AGAIN!!!!!!!
...Hugest shock of my life! i was super numb right after the call, and em verdade i still am shocked but guess what we will be in a tripla so we are not white washing too, like i thought would happen for about an hour...
I will be training a native from Cabo Verde so it will be a really different experience than from this last transfer. But, just like when I got the call last transfer to train for the first time, i felt peace and immediately felt a confirmation that this is the will of the Lord. It is so crazy how the Lord works, yet He knows the reason for all things.
I had two hours to pack my bags and help Irma Young prepare to receive her new companion(irma reis!!!) I am so excited that Irma Reis will be serving with Irma Young! They will do so many miracles together. I was thinking on sunday afternoon that i would be staying in Linda-A-velha one more transfer so that we could actually see baptisms, but for some reason, that wasn't the will of the Lord. Instead, He is intrusting me with another missionary straight from the CTM! I am really excited because Irma Perkins also will be serving with us, and she has been here for one transfer already. She said the ward is big and lots of support for missionary work! yay!
I traveled by myself last night on the bus, and i will go back down to lisboa on thursday for the training again. i still don't know why heavenly father knows i can do this but I am humbly grateful for this opportunity.
There are lots of twists and turns each day in life, and as i was leaving LAV i thought about how quickly it all can be taken away. I also thought about choices, and our agency. The one thing that Heavenly Father wont ever take away form us is our agency to react to what happens in our lives. I am deeply grateful taht He still loves me even will all of my weaknesses, and faults. Last transfer was super hard for me personal struggles, but ainda assim, we saw so many miracles. Irma Young will help the area explode! My last sunday there, i had a tiny feeling that i might leave. It was such a great day! we had awesome investigators in church. these 2 brasileiros who just have the desire to make changes in their lives. Claudio who is searching for peace and changes. We had an awesome lesson with mariana who is a member, she has helped us so much.
The story with Nino... he told us during the week that he has a girlfriend, and that it will be too hard for him to stop his relationship with her for now, we had lots of help from the elders to work with him, but in the end, he chose to not be baptized for now. The familia amojo stopped anwering the phone and didnt come to church, but i still have hope that they will come around one day!
Hope! that is such a good word. Hope comes from the Atonement of Christ, and it brings me so much comfort that it is because of the love of our Savior that we can hope for a better world. Forgiveness comes through hope and love.
I really am starting to see the light of Christ much more. I feel like i was in a period of darkness, but it is through trials that we learn to see the blessings that really have been there all along. Thank you for your love and prayers. I am so grateful to be simply serving the Lord and His people here in Portugal! And especially now in Porto, which i never thought i would see!!!!! I know there are people here that I met before coming to this earth, and made promises that i would find them. We will go and do!! The Lord knows all things!

PS our area is where the mission home and mission office of Porto used to be, just like my area in LAV!!

I love you all!! Have a great week! Thanks for the letter from Jacob! I am sending him a snail mail letter to the office. i hope it arrives!!

xoxo
Irma Michael