6 months - August 19th

Isn't is crazy how time flies!? It is crazy! soooo first funny story...

 

Somebody in our ward asked my companion if I was from South Africa because of my accent. I guess she lived there for a year or so and thought I had a little bit of a south African accent. So that was interesting.

 

We also have this amazing recent convert. Her name is Lu. She is from the Filipins and I seriously love her so much! She actually reminds me a lot of Aunty Beryl. She is the sweetest lady and just so giving and loving. She is going to do baptisms for the Dead on Wednesday and is sooo excited. She loves family history.. If I didn't know better I would have thought she was a member for her life. But nope 3 weeks. Anyways she was at the mall and she gave away 4 pass along cards and she just talks to the world! She says all the time that ANY chance she gets to bear her testimony she will because she knows it will help. If all the members had her faith the church would grow so much faster!

 

So there is this towel. It is called Drylite sea-to-summit. I have no idea if it is expensive or what, but it is sooo tiny and light and works! If there was anyway you could look into it and send one to me so my luggage could be lighter when I go back to Portugal that would be amazing! Just you know thought I would throw that one out there.

 

My companions are sooooo amazing. Seriously I can't even begin to explain! Sister Ellgen is soooo service oriented that I can see myself become better and more charity centered and loving and selfless everyday because of her example. Like she will say something that nobody else would ever say and mean it so honestly. She is constantly serving and constantly complimenting and tries sooo hard to be better everyday. It is just amazing! Sister Peterson is sooo strong! I don't know how to explain it. On Saturday we found out that her Grandfather passed away and she is just pulling through it like a rock star and has her priorities so in line. Her biggest concern is for her family. It is just amazing. The people that we get to learn from and the opportunities that are giving to us on our missions. I am so blessed to be here it is amazing!

 

So as for my visa and it's status. I need to get the medical letter and a insurance letter from Portugal and one other thing that they have to send from Salt lake. So I think we will get everything together and ready by the end of next week is my guess. this week is transfers and things are kind of crazy! We have Elder Aidukaitis coming on Saturday a huge transfer meeting on Thursday and a bunch of other stuff as well. I have to go to the doctors three times this week and then hopefully all the paper stuff will work out next week. If we get that all worked out by lets say the 30th... then it will take from 3-6 weeks to get the VISA issued. So probably the 24th of September at the earliest. the Date of entry we are putting on the Visa is the 24th of September. Which means I will leave with in 30 days of that date. but it just depends on when we get everything done. It is a lot harder being on the mission, not having Mom to help me. We are getting it done though. I am trying to get everything in as fast as I can. but If I get called to train or something this transfer (today we get the calls about transfers) I will most likely stay for this whole next transfer. Even if I get my visa. soo... 7 weeks? We will see, I have never in my life felt something seem more in the Lords hands. President Tilleman said if I am here longer I will be training Spanish sisters. Which would be super interesting. haha we will see all I know is that God is in Charge. Literally in Charge of every little detail. Everything will fall in to place exactly when it needs to so I can be hear the amount of time I need so I can learn everything I need and so I can help everyone I need to. As for now I will continue to try speaking to people who only speak Punjabi and learn to love Surrey.

 

I talked to Elder Dallin Harding this week, we were passing off a reference to them. He is going home this week! So if you see him you can ask all about Vancouver and what I am doing. It was super funny. He had no Idea I was here and was a little shocked about the fact I was passing him a reference.

 

I am so changed familia! I am nervous. If I am this different already who knows what I'll be like when I come home! haha Of course I am still me. Maybe a little too goofy at times and things like that. but I have grownsoo much! My companions think of me as this super healthy, super high energy, super outgoing, bold, crazy person, Although I still love my naps. the whole 10 minutes I get at lunch sometimes and if we get time on p-day. haha I have grown so much physically, mentally, spiritually(of course), emotionally. I am looking forward to how the Lord will continue to shape me over the next year.

 

KIMMY-SUE and NATHAN! CONGRATULATIONS! I was thinking of you a ton! Miss you love you and I need pictures and updates as soon as possible. I know that you probablly think you have other things to do like go on a honey-moon or live the married life, but I need pictures and updates! haha Just kidding. kind of. I hope everything was amazing! I love you soooo much and you both deserve this eternal happiness!

 

well... Thats where I am right now. Just loving it here. Having a car has been a nice thing. We don't teach as much here but I feel like the people we do we really make a huge difference. I love you all and miss you so much! Keep me updated, I want to know all the little details.

 

Sister Brooklyn Marie Mullen

August 12

Okay so I don't even know where to start. Not even kind of. This week has been sooo different.

 

 

It has been the most amazing experience though! This mission is so completly different it is insane! I have learned soooooo much and will continue to learn a ton I am sure. I'll try to do some kind of play by play of the week If I can remember becuase is has been quite interesting.

First off I was able to sit in Economy on the plane and we had like a stake dinner they provided a sleeping mask three course lunch, socks, pillow, blanket,tooth brush, the bathroom had lotion, we got a pen, a lot more space.... it was kind of like heaven.... so that was nice.

but then... I got here.

 

when I arrived I had a few concerns. First I was worried about how my language would fade. I wouldn't be able to remember things as well and I would struggle when I returned. Second I was worried about my visa and getting everything done so I could get to go back as soon as possible. I was really concerned about these two things. I was excited to have a new learning oppourtinity and stuff but my mind was still on portugal. When I arrived President Tillemen was there to pick me up. There where a ton of people there and I was kinda nervous that I would have been forgotten since they are mis transfer here. Anyways we got in the car and drove to the mission office. It was amazing how the things he said in the car ride just got me so excited to jump in to the work. He just new exactly what I needed to hear and addressed most of my concerns without me saying anything. Not only that but he got so excited to be here. Almost to the point was feeling pretty okay if I just stayed here for longer than two transfers.

 

Once we got the the office I had an interveiw, and got to know a little more about this mission. Things like there focus and motto. It was really good and I gained a huge love and respect for President Tillemen and Sister Tillemen. After He gave me a blessing. There were a few things said that where so exactly what I needed. It said that when I return to portugal my portuguese will be better than If I had stayed becuase of the fact that here I will be able to learn to to learn by the spirit and will apply it there in learning portgueuse. Also that there is a reason I am here and I will be able to see and know why I am here in Vancouver. It also said that these blessing are conditional on if I really dive in and give it my all here, and don't just spend my time here waiting to return. So I am doing what I can to fully dive and in do this work!

 

 I have learned a whole lot about obedience since I have been here. It is amazing. They have more rules that then handbook and everyone is soooooo obedient. I can't even begin to explain. I thought we were obident in portugal but it is a whole new level. Obedience brings blessings and I am seeing it. I have been sooo blessed. for example. The second day here we where talking to this lady. (so since I have been hear we have taught 1 family that is from canada, EVERYONE is from India, the Pillipeans, China, Korea, or pretty much anywhere else) but this lady Maria.. is from portugal. We are teaching her, and she is having a really hard life, she is catholic and her husband has Cancer. She is so greatful that we are there to talk to her. It is just amazing how God is in Charge? Also there is a man in our ward from brazil. So I have been able to speak portuguese a bit.

This Area is soooo diverse it is absolutly crazy! I was excited to see how to I could teach without the language barrier but now the barrier is Punjabi and hindu instead of portuguese. I am kinda missing the portuguese being the barrier. It is a ton of fun though.

 

It is weird how the things that are hard to adjust to are things like carpet, seeing Dairy queen, and Tim hortons, how Eggs are Yellow, just the most normal things seem so strange now. It is interesting to see how I have just grown the portugal lifestyle and differences.

 

Anyways, I am in Canada safe and sound. MY campanions are amazing! Sister Ellgen and Sister Peterson.

 

Sister Ellgen is from Colorado, and she is the most charitable, kind, loving, sincere, straight and narrow kind of person I have ever met. It is kind of intimidating. AMAZING yet I feel like if I try to serve her she feels like she is sad becuase if I do the dishes she is missing out of the chance to bless me. She is constantly asking if I need anything like a massage my hair brushed... It is crazy! If I ever am at the point she is with her desire to serve, I will be extreamly content with were I am in life. Yet I have a long way to go. haha

 

Sister Peterson, is so awesome! She cares soooooo much about the people we teach and has this amazing knowledge of everything. Like litterally everything! haha she knows the scriptures so well and is so profound. and she is very dilligent as well I don't know what we would do without her.

 

 I feel a little useless at times being the new companion mid transfer but at the same time I can see how I am making a difference in my companions and also there are some people who we teach who I think needed someone who can be a little more relaxed at times. I am learning that one of my strengths is my ability to make other people feel relaxed, becuase I can still be relaxed but focus at the same time. I have soooo much to learn from these two sisters though. It is just amazing!

 

and....... I GET TO GO TO THE TEMPLE!!!!!!

 

I love you all sooooo much! Miss you and hope everything runs smoothly with the wedding!

 

Sister Mullen

 

OH BY THE WAY! I HAVE A NEW BEST FRIEND NAMES SOOKVINDER! He  is from india and told me we are best friends. I am actually really excited about it.

Okay - August 1

so I have no Idea what to write. And honestly I don´t really have time to write. because I am on the computers in the mission office and they kind of need them. I don´t know. It´s complicated. but I will fly out tomorrow in the morning to Vancouver. I have no Idea how things are going to work. I hope there are some Portuguese people there that just need me! People that don´t speak English for some reason. That would be sooo sweet. but hears hoping. It has been sooo weird. I HAVE LOVED this last transfer. Sister Hickey and I have grown soo much the last week or so. I feel like I am starting to get this worked out. I guess that is why I am getting transferred to Canada. God just knows how to push me! haha It is just crazy! Everything is changing. but Sister Hickey will still be in Miratejo so at least I know I am leaving them in good hands. I love those people so much! Oh I miss them already! haha 

so cool story of the week.

Aisha (our investigator) invited us over for dinner, and we arrived and she didn´t have any food. she was balling because she literally had NO money to give us food to eat. like literally nothing. It was nuts. she starting balling and poured out her heart to us and life story. I was able to bear my testimony and teach a short message about fasting. We fasted for her. the next day we came by after church to check up on her and she told us out that morning this lady who owed her like 20 euros, showed up with the money. so she was able to buy food and eat for the first time in three days. We should up after church and she told us that story and told us that she promised she would go to church next week. It was AMAZING!!! I really hope she learns to follow the Lord because I know that she will see soo many blessings because of the gospel.

Sister Hickey is really stuggling with me leaving. which as sad as it is.. makes me feel like I am did something right with trainging. It was a challenge but it was such an amazing experience. We cleaned our old house for two days this week. It was crazy! It was sooo nasty. but super fun. a recent covert was there with us. It was awesome. Not a super productive week in the work but I cleaned really hard. Also I LOVE this ward. I am super sad I am leaving Miratejo! I LOVE the people in that ward. And they love me! haha I hope that I will have the same love for everyward that I serve in like I do for Miratejo.

Anyways I am surrounded by like 200 CRAZY loud missionaries and am stuggling with the focusing thing. so I think i´ll end this email because I have a couple other people I want to write quickly. but if you have questions or anything I am here for a little longer.

Sister Mullen

Week...losing count...I have no - July 29

Well this week has been interesting! Tuesday I was in benfica getting my visa extended so I could finish up the transfer before I head back to Canada. It was actually a ton of fun. We got nothing done in the way of the work though. So that was frustrating. Elder Brady the financial secretary that helped us was there for the whole day with us and then the next day we moved houses. I was thinking... How do the office Elders EVER do anything in regards to the normal work and stuff. It is just amazing. I have a new found respect for the leaders in the church and their sacrfices because of The Office Elders here. It is just amazing what they do for us. 

Our new house has been amazing. Everyone says that it is the best apartment in the mission. the only problem is we don´t have a fridge or freezer. so we can´t really eat anything except rice... and canned corn... but we will get a fridge today or tomorrow I hope. Thats what they said. Then Everything will be great! It is such a nice apartment though! 

other exciting things that happened this week...our investigator Nelson took my shoes got taken off my feet during a lesson and started ripping them apart. Then he gave them back with a leather covering on them... I´ll attach a picture. I´m not sure how to explain... anyways it was weird. but I am glad. they are more comfortable now. 

We had 4 investigators in church this week and it was super exciting. One Castro thought that there where only young people in the church. So when he came and saw that there are people above the age of 20 he was shocked! He LOVED IT! it came late because he had to pick out his outfit (he is a 60 year old man) but he made it and absolutly loved it! it is moments like that that make the work worth it. I think he will take us a lot more seriously now. 

It is weird to think that people actually listen to us. We are two 19 and 21 year old girls who can´t even kind of speak this language. who go around telling people to repent. It´s nuts! That´s why we need the spirit. If we tried to do anything without faith and the spirit this whole mission thing would be a complete waste of time. 

We have been eating a lot more this last couple weeks. Our investigator Aisha LOVES COOKING. It becoming a problem. She would feed us everyday if she could and it is soooo much food! haha She is so amazing but I jut litterally want to explode everytime we leave. People get super sad if we don´t eat a ton. 

I wan´t sister hickey to send you guys her emails because she has this weird ability to just write for hours and hours. I don´t know what she says but I am sure it is about what we do all week. It would be sweet if I could have that same ability. but I am what you got! haha 

Well.... I have been chatting with Dustin in Portuguese so maybe he will translate for you. but I don´t have to much more to say right now. Except I love you all sooooooo much! 

Sister Brooklyn Marie Mullen

Loco + Transferred ... kind of - July 22

Okay so I am sending this first so that if you have questions you can respond. I have a problem with my visa and am being sent home for a transfer. To A mission in Canada I don´t know which yet but I will fly home at the end of this transfer and spend a transfer or two in canada and wait for my visa. when I get it I will come back to portugal. I am excited to see how another mission functions. but it was for sure a surprise. 

2nd email:  LOCO

This week has been absolutly crazy! It has been a ton of fun and super hard at the same time. I got kims wedding invitation and looks like you are doing good without the maid of honor I love it! 

So on monday we learned that we are moving houses finally! We are moving in this wednesday and it is going to be crazy! Apperently it is hands down the nicest apartment in the mission though so thats nice. I am sooo excited, 

Then tuesday I went into Lisboa to get my residency. But we learned that the wrong visa was issued by the canadian goverment and I´ll probablly have to go home for a transfer. So that was a shock!!! Also our envistgator Aisha fed us and I felt sooo sick. I am starting to think it is a blessing we don´t get fed by members. haha. but I am grateful for her kindness but boy I can´t eat the food here very easily. 

So we taught this one lesson.... and our investigator who is marked for baptism brought his cousin and she wants to get baptized too... but she doesn´t believe any of it. just wants to get baptized for no reason. I don´t get it.. it is for sure not a normal situation. Their whole family wants to get baptized and we keep telling them they have to hold off to have a testimony to some degree. You can´t get baptized if you don´t believe in God. Just doesn´t make sense. 

This week we had a zone conference too. It was amazing! Or zone leaders and amazing and I learned a ton! I just have to learn how to apply it in english now! haha It will be a hard adjustment I think but it will be good.  But We talked about the Book of Mormon. I remember before I left I gave a talk on the role of the Book of Mormon in missionary work. Boy how I had no idea How key it really was. It is ensane how important the Book of Mormon is in this work!! 

Another Hillarious moment this week\horrifying. We taught these three men. And one was completely drunk. We had a member without and it completely freaked her out. He started yelling at us about crazy deep false doctrine, and then he started like taking his shirt off. Of course we all Were freaking out and everyone was looking to me to know what to do. becuase ana is a recent convert and I am training sister hickey. But he was just showing us a wound from when he was shot in Angola one time. It was just intence. but it ended up being a really cool experience becuase once we left Ana was freaking out and I think he testimony was a little shaken... but she turned to lord and was strenghtened because of it. and now she is so excited to get out there and help us even more becuase of that extra strength she has now.  Hope this story isn´t too much! don´t freak out haha We are smart and safe and protected by the Lord! And we have a million rules that we follow to help us be safe. It was cool though. 

I also reached my 5 months in the mission this week! Nuts eh?

Last but not least today sister Beard and Sister Pinto had an emergency transfer to another area because of sister Pintos allergies. But it was a bit of a shock. It was kinda nuts. we found out during studies and they are already gone. so It is just sister Hickey and I now. I am sad they are gone but once again. Heavenly Father is over all. I am sure they are needed there. It has been a crazy week though! but I have grown a lot. I feel a lot stronger and more confident in my testimony. God is literally there everytime I have a doubt or a moment of weakness he always lifts me up. I see miracles everyday. I feel like I am a walking miracle. I SPEAK PORTUGEUSE! haha 

Anyways I still need to write some people and don´t have a ton of time. but I love you all soooo much!!!! 

Sister Brooklyn Marie.

Familia - July 15

Okay! So I think everyone is added. I added Bailey and Shaye(even though I´ll have to change shayes soon!!) changed Nanas email and added kim. Hopefully this is all. I think Nathan is on here too now. If anyone has anything that doesn´t work still sorry. Just keep reminding me and I´ll change it.

 

Hmm where to start. This week. I don´t remember what i say every week but I hope you all enjoy what I say. Things are super complicated still with the whole living a half an hour away from my area. We eat lunch at the chapel almost everyday. and do language study there also. Apperently our chapel is one of the nicest in portugal so thats awesome. It is like an institute building a family history center and like everything all in one. It is really nice. And there is filtered water there. We can´t drink the water so we just buy like 5 liter jugs every 3 days. haha and then when we are not home there are 12 cent water bottles in the minipreco that we buy like 6 a day. I probablly drink 3 liters of water a day. It is crazy hot. It got upto 47 degrees this week. It was absolutly nuts! This is probablly one of the hottest areas in portugal right now.

 

We are teaching this lady Aisha right now who is just HILLARIOUS! She is from france and speaks criol french german portuguese and french. But not really english so we just speak in portuguese. But she is a cook for events like weddings and stuff! and she said she will make us food sometime which is sooo exciting becuase we haven´t been fed by members once this transfer. Last trasfer we got fed once a week by the same family. This ward is like 3 times bigger but I think they just have more going on. Everyone in portugal is either like working 3 part time jobs and has 10 children and 6 callings or doesn´t have a job and isn´t married and doesn´t know what to do with their lives. It is really interesting to see what the economy is doing with he humility of these people. But we just try to help where we can.

 

I am thinking that getting this ward involved in the work would be a really good Idea. I am trying to figure out a way that we can be more involved in the visiting teaching of less actives and also use the less actives and recent converts to help us do divitions and teach. I am learning more and more how this work is completely upto the members. We taught Iolanda and Jessica this week about service and Missionary work and Jessica is just jumping for joy at the thought she could come out with us and start preparing now for a mission (she is 14 and got baptised last week) he mom calls us all the time becuase she shared a panphlet we gave with a friend and just wanted to let us know. She is inviting her whole family from all over portugal to come to her house so she can get them to come to church cause she wants nothing more for her children to know the truth! They are just the most amazing examples. Oh I have never been sure of what the difference between a baptism and a conversion is untill I met them. All of our baptisms have been solid though! they are all strong active no doubts!

 

Another thing that is just amazing to me is Nuxa! Oh I love her sooo much! She was a less active we taught last transfer I don´t know if you remember her. but She is going out with the missionaries EVERYDAY all day she switches between the sister and the Elders in Almada. It is just so weird to think that 2 months ago we knocked on her door and she said she wasbuddest and didn´t believe it anymore, and now she is a hard working missionary than the rest of us. She even uses a missionary planner.

 

It is soo nice to see the fruits of our labours. I know that we won´t always get to see how things are going with the people we teach. That sometimes we will never know what is going to happen from a street contact or from an invitation to go to church or knocking on a door (even if nobody answers). But it is sure nice to see sometimes. At the same time I just know that what we are doing is have such a huge effect on this small little portion of the world that God has trusted me with. It is amazing to think of the trust that He has in me. A immature 21 year old and her trainee can just start a new area and work miracles everyday. But at the same time I am not sure if it is just because he trusts me or becuase he knows that he is in control. Because there is not a chance that anything would happen if it was just upto me. By small and simple things great things come to pass. I feel very much like that small and simple thing. I have never felt so humble in my life. I know that it is just a matter of faith. If we have faith God will let us witness miracles. How cool is that. We just have to know that things will happen and they will. This gospel is just so simple. I don´t really know what it says in english but doctrine in covenants 82:10 "Eu O senhor estou obrigado quando fesest o que Eu digo, mas quando não o fesest nao tendes promessa alguma." basically if we do what he says we will be so blessed it is insane. Litterally insane. I am so blessed! I can´t even explain how blessed we are.

 

As for the little things. Everyone in the country has fleas right now. Including us. bugs are everywhere. From the size of the tip of a pencil that just hang out on your body to giant cockroaches they are everywhere! The mold is gone though so thats nice. We will be moving a think on the 24th to a new apartment though. A lady in our ward is moving to germany and she we are moving into her house while she is gone. She lives in our area so that will be nice. I´ll probably get the adress that week. Sooo yeah. but if you want to send something today or the next day I will still be here. things normally take about a week to get here. The address I gave before is right. The one kim sent stuff too. It´s right. I haven´t got that stuff yet though. When did you send it kim?

 

People keep mistaking us for jehovas witnesses... so thats sad. but apparently I look like one. OH!!!! So we where knocking doors in this predio and this lady was sooo excited to see us and had us come in and we started talking and she tried to convince us that we where of the devil and that we should become testimonuho da Jovah. It was a little awkard but I learned a lot about what they believe. It was super interesting for me. My companion was freaking out though. Sister Hickey reminds me a lot of the type A´s in our family. Mom and Alanna mostly. She just wants everything to be perfect and planned to a T. It is a hard thing for her to just go with the flow. And sometimes we just have to. But we are working it out. Just practicing a ton so she feels like she is more prepared but in a different way.

 

We have one other investigator that is marked for baptism and he is great. I mean it´s awkward when he leaves chuch inbetween meetings to smoke but we will work on that. His family is amazing though he has two daughters and they are all going to be at church next sunday! We taught him though this week and his aunt was there. She is a die hard catholic and everyword we said she was cut us off and start saying some prayer trying to cast the devils out of us. And then if we didn´t say amen she would get really offended becuase we didn´t like her prayer. It was poco strange. But once again it is amazing to see the diligence and faith that these people have in their religion.

 

I am learning a ton!!! We have zone conference tomorrow and I am soooo excited! We are so blessed. We have so many funny\amazing experiences everyday! We are learning how to be better missionarys litterally everyday.

 

I pray for you all every day and miss you and love you! It is crazy to think that kim is getting married and that everyone is growing up! and KAI YEE IS MARRIED?! what? weird. Anyways. Keep me updated. I love love love hearing from you.

 

Até a proximo,

 

Com Amor, Sister Brooklyn Marie Mullen

Semana 14 - July 8

So Mom sent me a bajillion questions that I have answered. I thought everyone else would like to hear too. If not... I guess don´t read it haha. I will start writting my other email now. but it might be short cause even though the answers are short. Till took a while. haha Love you all.

How is your new area - It is great I am learning a ton. It is sooo different and I miss being right no the ocean but it grows on me everyday. 

 Does it feel strange to be in a new area when that is pretty much the only thing that changed? Kinda yeah.. but it is amazing how big of a change that is. 

 I know your companion is the same but did your district or zone change? I talk about this in my other email

 Is the heat getting worse?  yes. It is absolutly CRAZY!!!!! it was 47 degrees this week.

Do you walk everywhere?  yes

 

Are you tracting? yes. My comp LOVES knocking on doors it is hillarious. She says it´s like a giant surpise everytime. You have no idea who is going to be there!

 Do you stop people on the street? yes

 How is the language coming? I can speak when I need to but I have a really really long way to go. 

  Do you go to a different ward? yes. It is a bigger ward but I have only been once so I don´t know that much. I had to teach gosple doctine and speak in sacrament meeting. 

 I would imagine the answer to that one is yes.

 Have you had much opportunity to go into homes and teach? Not in this area. It is hard! But we try everyday!

   Do you feel like you can carry on a decent conversation with people now? I can get the point across. but it is not always easy. We use the dictionary mid contact probably a little too often.  

 How is your companion doing? she stresses a ton but we are learning a ton together and starting to really get a long a lot better

Do you ever see your previous companions...like from the MTC or your first transfer? Sister Gange is already home in Hawaii. I need to write her. And I haven´t seen Sister Da silva but. Sister Pinto and I still live together. I love her sooo much! We have become really close!

 Are you feeling well?  I am feeling soooo great. I am eating better than I feel like I have in my whole life and I drink like 3 liters of water everyday. (if you don´t you will probablly pass out) I am working out my arms more because I have come to realize this is my weekness. I am down to 173 today. When we started that board thing I was 186.

Are you eating well??  Já (this means already)

Have you received any interesting letters?? Some people from school have written and Jordan. Other than this I only get mail from family. NANA, Gran and Aunty Beryl and Aunty Carolyn have been AMAZING! I I don´t know how to thank them enough. Other than that I don´t really get mail.

 Do you still correspond with Jordan? Yup we write everyweek. And chat on email on p-day

 Any other friends? just kelsie Nagle and Zach Glaus and Kyle Martin

Do you love being in Europe? It is really weird! It is way different. I don´t know how to explain how.

Does it feel very different from home? Já

How are the bathrooms? they are fine. I am becoming a HUGE fan of the bidé (i don´t what they are called in english. but that little washing thing beside the toliet. I give myself pedicures in them almost every night. It is hard to take care of your feet. I love that little thing though. It is seriously like the most genious thing ever. I will have one in my house. haha

Are there nice showers? nope. The shower doesn´t really have a thing to hold it up so we have to turn it on and off to rinse out selves off and such. also our gas ran out so we can only take cold showers. but we fixed the mold so thats good... Cold showers feel amazing though it is soooooo hot!

2nd email:

Well.... I hope that other email was imformative becuase I am feeling pretty out of things to say.... hmm..... we had two baptisms this week.. It was soooooo amazing. I felt like I did nothing to help them it was the easiest baptism ever. They where like begging us to get them baptised. but they where so grateful for all we did for them. It is been absolutly amazing. I have grown sooo much this transfer. I am getting to the point that the language isn´t my biggest flaw and so I can start focusing on other areas I really need to be better. It funny how the once the language isn´t as big of a problem you learn that there are about 7 million other areas to improve. but we are work hard and we are rewarded. We have a strength of finding novos. last we found 27 and this week 19.. the mission standard is 10... the whole teaching them again though is where it gets tricky. Also keeping up the energy in this heat!!! We have sooooo much to learn but it is amazing how when you put in the work it pays off! I don´t know if I said this but our Zone leaders are the only other people in our district. So the four of us work together a lot. Elder Faias is from portugal and Elder Terry is from Utah. I am learning soooo much from them. It has been amazing to work so closely with the zone leaders. (Elder Terry is our District leader too) They are such amazing examples for us. I am excited to see where this whole mission thing will take me.. becuase I have already grown sooo much!!!

Sorry I don´t have more time!!! I was chatting with Mom...

NANA THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH I have gotten all your letters and Packages and I sent thank you cards but maybe they didn´t get there!!! I added an A so hopefully you get this!!

This week - July 1

FAMILIIA!!! EU AMO-VOS!

Então Portugal é ben HOT! I have a long way to go with my ability to spell in portuguese. And speak. this week has been soooo good! I don´t know why we deserve it but we have been doing soooo well this week. We work hard but we could probably work harder and we got an insanly high numbers this week. And the Zone leaders are telling the world! That we are the example for the zone! It has been a weird experience for me. Whitewashing has been hard and I miss my old area. 

One HUGE blessing this week was we got to go to the baptism of the little boy we taught last transfer. We taught Velhenna´s son but he didn´t get baptised untill this week. It has been a challenge to live outside of our area... working out timing and the metro and things like that. but It has been awesome! I am learning so much and Loving it!!! Still loosing weight...

I saw the pictures that Alanna Just sent of the Flood in Calgary! That is CRAZY! I hope everything is okay!! If anyone I know is struggling give them my love. TANNER IS HUGE!!!! Oh my word!!! I can´t begin to emagine what those kids will look like When I get back. 

okay so what Else! I tried to take notes this week on what I can write becuase I always forget by the end of the week.

I wrote.. first "Dryer man" This week we saw a man that was carrying a carrying a dryer on his back... no help no nothing just walking around with a dryer on his back... yikes.

Second "monkey Noises" I don´t know who knows this about me but I can make some really good monkey noises. This week we had a goal to have more fun. We are both sooo into this being the perfect missionary thing that we where getting kinda not enjoying it like we could soo.. I started talking about really random things. like this fact. So Of course I demonstrated! and a MONKEY RESPONDED! I promise it happened. I am not sure it was a human chilling in a tree that also has a very good ability to make monkey noises or a real monkey.. either way.. It was hillarious.

Third "passengeiro" We had a challenge to use this word during the day to a investigator in the lesson or a contact. and I compared commandments to how passengers on an airplane are protected by the rules. It was genious! Also really hard not to laugh. So we stopped with that game. But it really helped us be closer and have more fun together. Because things where getting tense.

Out district is just us and the zone leaders.. So thats not intimidating at all.... but at the same time it really is. They are amazing. Elder Terry is a Zone leader and District leader. How amazing is that? and They do sooo well with the work too. They are such amazing examples for us. 

We hopefully will have two baptisms next week. Yolanda and Jessica. If we can get there enough to teach them. We have to walk about an hour to get to their house, from where we normally work. So it is no easy task to get out there. It is a lot of walking. 

I don´t really know what else to say.... I can talk more about the heat... It is litterally insane!!!!! I want to pass out all the time i drink at least 2 liters of water everyday, and you should see my tan lines! I am sooo glad I am not further south! Apperently missionaries that don´t drink enough water end up in the hospital after one day without fail. It is almost 40 everyday. And we don´t have air conditioning. it is nuts!!!

I see mom has about 600 questions i will answer next time cause I don´t have time! Sorry. 

LOVE YOU ALL!!!! 

Sister Mullen

So today is a holiday - June 24

So today is a holiday as I just said in the title and we don´t have access to computers like normal so we are all in the church there are 9 of us using two computers so I don´t really have the same amount of time to write. 

I am sorry. Maybe I´ll go write a hand written letter. But as for updates. Yes this week was transfers. And for some reason the Lord thinks I can handle anything. this Transfer I am still training Sister Hickey but..... In  a new area. Whitewashing an area. Our district is staying the same. Well actually it is spliting into two districts. One sister companionship and one Elder companionship in every two districts. but we are now In Miratejo. so I different Ward different ward but same chapel same companion and same HOUSE! So we will have to travel 30 minutes to get to our area everyday. This will be interesting. I don´t really know how I am going to make this work. It was be an adventure no doubt. I don´t really know what is going on. I don´t really know what is my area. But it will be good. I am looking forward to another adventure. 

I am soooo sorry but this computer is literally driving me crazy and I just told a lady in our ward I would help her son with piano because he has an exam tomorrow morning. 

but this week we had a baptism!!! the Mom of that family also the daughter who was inactive is no going out and doing splits with them!! I am soo sad we are leaving her. Seriously it is breaking my heart. but the elders will take care of them.  I am just as nervous leaving my lovely Almada in the Dust than I am Moving to a new area except I literally know nothing except that the Chapel is not in our area... but closer... and we have two baptisms set for next week. so that´s sweet.

Eu Estou Muito animado para um novo ....adventure... Meu Portugêse é não exactament perfeito. o mais o menos proximo da perfeito. Então Eu preciso ser melhor. muito Melhor in todos os coasis. Talves dustin vai ajudar voces aprender minhas palavras.  Eu Não posso fallar but I was continuar e tentar mais e mais cada dia. 

I am sorry but this computer is literally going to be the end of me. I love you all and hope you have a fantastic fantastic week. I will go write a hand written letter right now. If I can. I am going to help this little boy practice for his exam tomorrow. Andre. He reminds me a lot of Chase Stevens when it comes to teaching piano.. and Me a lot too.... the whole arguing white is black thing. but I try. It is fun for me though.  

Ola - June 17

Well. Another Week has gone by. I just looked at some of kims engagement pictures! YOU LOOK SOOOO BEAUTIFUL! Kim and Nate I am soooo happy for you you can´t even imagine! We actually have a recent convert that is getting married on the same day as you and keeps asking my advice! So I get to plan a wedding too! It really is such a blessing to have that. Helps me think about the people here instead of you guys all the time :)

Work is starting to pick up. We have a family that is getting baptized next week. Hopefully between the two companionships in our area we will have 5 baptisms next week!!!! Soooooo stoked! Also this is the last week in the transfer so who knows what is going to happen! So I have like no Time to write this week for some reason it just isn´t working out. I had good plans to write about all kinds of things but I only have 15 minutes left.

This week we got chased by a Dog! A big nasty Dog. Classic I know. I was on the phone too but we turned and ran up some stairs and he left us alone.

Also we where knocking doors the other day. I actually really like knocking doors beucase you get never know who is going to open it! It´s like a box of chocolates! Also you can explore the area as you go. And this area is sooo cool and old and beautiful!

It is interesting becuase I know that this work is hard, it is really really hard. Yet somehow whenever it feels like you can´t do it anymore and just want to fall to you knees, You do and end up praying. Then God lifts you up so that you can keep on going! He doesn´t always make you strong enough to make it easy. But always possible.

Today was sooo much fun. We just went around and took pictures! but it was soooo much fun. I don´t really know why just was. haha

I tried to attach one to make my cover photo on facebook but it made the computer crash so I better not do that again. Anyways.

I will go through and see what I can do in responding to questions. 

Gran and Aunty Beryl, we can always get more lost in this work :)  I am doing everything I can to be a better missionary everyday but I need to keep getting better and better. I am feeling great. I am tired but that is pretty typical. I have been eating really healthy I only eat ice cream once a week on p-day and eat a ton of fruits and vegitables. I have been loosing weight since it has started to get hot but not just because of the heat but I have been eat WAY better than I ever have in my life.

Thank you for your concerns no worries everything is great :)

Kimmy Sue! I LOVE YOUR INVITE! You are the bomb!

Mom, That family the mom and her two sons are getting baptised! in the next few weeks! It is amazing! And the daughter is now active again! Transfers are next week! I am getting kind of nervous! Who knows what will happen. IT IS SOOO HOT!

Just know everything is going great! I love the people here and I have grown soooooo much! I love hearing from you but know you can write real letters too :) A nice little note on other days of the week make the world of a difference on a rough day.

Love you all sooo much! Keep me posted on this summer it seems like a crazy one!!!

Sister mullen

Sorry to everyone that I haven´t said anything about birthdays! AND FATHERS DAY! I love you all soo much somehow I forget everything when It comes to email time. but I think about you all And the birthdays coming up too! I hope you all have the best birthdays ever!

Semana 10 - June 10

Familia,

You are amazing. I don´t even know what to write. I sit down here and never know where to start. I guess I will start with some really cool stories.

So president gave us a list of recent converts that we need to go visit and interview and figure out where they stand in church. We stopped by and it was soo hard. This girl is 16 and she is so sweet and nice but didn´t believe a thing anymore. We didn´t really know what to do. But she had some questions regarding adam and eve so we left her 2nd nephi 2 and said we would come back on saturday. We came back on saturday and had a she wasn´t there. But we ended up teaching her mom. Who is a Jehova´s witness and it was really good. We ended up coming back the next satuday and litterally had the best lesson EVER. She came to church yesterday and her whole family was there on sunday and we are working to wards baptising The mom and her little brother on the 23rd. Sooo stoked about it. They are soo sweet. ~

I gave a talk yesterday too. That was rough. I think I did okay though. This whole speaking portuguese thing is getting better. You just kind of have to do it... this training thing is hard but it is sooo good. I have grown so much. the language is coming but I have a long way to go.

I also had an interview with president this week. It was sooo sweet. He pretty much just told me to get over myself and get lost in the work. Which is sooo important. It doesn´t matter if this is our last week here or our second transfer and we are trainging this work needs to get done and we can do it becuase we have the lord on our side.

My companion is a rock star. She works so hard and is never convinced it is hard enough. She just wants to be the best missionary ever. 

Yesterday we had FHE with a family that is soooo cute. Oh I love them. It was so much fun. Jessica and Rafael are soo cute and funny I will try to attach a picture. 

We got a lot of the mold to go away.. so that was sweet, 

I am trying to eat better. Except we went grocery shopping and litterally just got vegitables yogurt chocolate bread and cheese... pretty sure thats it.. but Mostly fruits and vegitables so don´t worry to much! But we are running in the mornings it is sooo good. The air is so fresh in the morning. People smoke A LOT and so the air isn´t as fresh throughout the day, but in the morning it is such the most beautiful thing ever. 

I got a letter from britt and shaye and ben lacusta. That was sweet! Thanks eveyone! SHAYE!!! GET THAT GIRL TO WRITE ME FOR REAL AND TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON IN HER LIFE. Is she still going on a mission where does that stuff stand? 

Kim I saw the one picture but it is a holiday here (for absolutly no reason once a month they have a monday that everyone just shuts down nobody works it is super random). and the church computers won´t let me open the other websites. Next week i´ll look through them. you look sooo cute! I LOVE that dress. I am soo excited for you! GAH You two are amazing! Nate you look good too.  

Nana! Thank you so much for those socks, and can´t do laundry enough to wear them as much as I want too! They have been soo nice to have! I always needed socks I wear sandels too much and my heels are cracking like crazy. So they have really been soo great.

I love getting letters throughout the week. just so you know ;) 

I miss you all a ton. But it is so good to hear what is going on there. 

Alita got confirmed. It was awesome

Irma lidia came to a lesson with us and brought us a ton of food. She is such an angel. oh how I love her. 

the Members are all seriously rock solid. I love them soo much. 

Well I seriously can´t think of much else. but I love you sooooo much!  You are amazing. Have a wonderful week. 

Sister Mullen

June 3

Okay! well sorry about if people don´t get my letters! I tried to add people and fix things today. So I hope all is well if not email and I will fix it next week! anyways this week has been a lot better. sorry if I scared you with all the hospital talk. I am totally fine. Just needed an antibiotic. but Irma fluckiger said you called so I hope she cleared everything up for you all. She called and I was with our ward mission leader, outside this less actives member house waiting for him to open the door in this street that has a million super small CRAZY old houses! I wish it was easier to send pictures. I´ll send some more next week. I takes a long time to print them off and it isn´t even the best quality so thats sad. but next week I for sure will do it again.

 

but this week...... I HAD MY FIRST BAPTISM! Oh it was amazing. There is so much more to a baptism than you would think. It was super stressful. Just the million things that could go wrong. but at the same time it was miracle after miracle. Alita. I have talked about her before. She was just Eleito from day one. Oh she is amazing. she just started balling after... that was a little scary. but it was a good cry so thats good. It was crazy though. The things you have to do and talk about and make sure everything is good and we had to get an interview with president and so that was an added last minute stress but, just seeing the joy she felt being clean from all the things in her past made all the hard things that have happened up till now worth it.

 

We walk a lot. my legs are litterally giant bricks. It is crazy! I feel bad for Sister Hickey. Her legs just hurt all the time. but it is good. The work is good. It is hard.

 

It has been like a million times hotter the last three days I don´t know how hot but it is hot. I have a sweet sandel tan. I will take a picture when it gets a little bit more drastic becuase it has only been a couple days. yet... It is already pretty crazy.

 

Today we went to Cristo Rei again. We go once a transfer. It was sweet. It is always fun to get out and do something on p-day. yet at the same time it is rough becuase of the lack of the much needed rest.

 

Okay so I am kinda looking over letters and it seems there are a lot of questions about what happened hospital wise.

 

I just felt a pain in my stomach. and It was getting progressive worse. I was thinking maybe apendix (becuase I obviously don´t know my anatomy) as it got worse I thought maybe we should call. so I asked Irma fluckiger and she thought it was worth being checked out. So we went and the did an x-ray but nothing really looked wrong. so they gave me pain killers that really didn´t help. So we went back the next day and they did an utlra sound and same thing. Except apperently I had a lot of air in my stomach? anyways Irma fluckiger was not satisfied with not knowing so we came back the next day, (this is when we stayed in the mission home) and they ran a bunch of more tests that where requested by the mission doctor we have in germany or something like that. Anyways they probablly wouldn´t have found anything if Irmã Fluckiger wasn´t so persistant. but they figured it out. and somehow it came up that I had a uncle that was a doctor in Canada and this Doctor´s life dream was to go do more schooling or work in canada or something like that. So he was amazing. He was a plastics specialist, but he was really great and wan´t to do gastrology that´s his passion. anyways he thought it might have some in, so he gave me all his contact information and called me daily to make sure everything was good. and Also Irmã fluckger. He really was good. The hospital was really nice and clean and they took care of you. The language thing was difficult but I had Irmã Fluckiger and she knows portuguese. The weight loss has just been since I got sick but, pretty sure I gained it back already. I really feel about 700 times better and all is well. You have nothing to worry about. I am in amazing hands. I looked at the questions in aunty Beryl and Grans Email and tried to answer them all. I figured they probablly had the most inclusive list of questions so hopefully that covers everything. I really am sorry if everyone was stressed. It wasn´t a huge deal. And was caught, so there are no problems. Mom mentioned something about me being dizzy. The antibiotics made me a little dizzy and weak but that is all done too. I am no longer taking any drugs and I feel great.

 

I love it here! I also I becoming more and more grateful for what I have at home. These people don´t have it easy. I am missing carpet the only place I have seen carpet is in the mission home. We have recently discovered the joy that comes from the Ice cream here... so I have to not let that become a problem.. becuase cheese is also one of those things I need to watch. Cheese pastries and icecream... I need to be careful! haha but I walk enough to eat ice cream all day and not gain weight.

 

The sisters I work with are all sooo great. My companion sister hickey is sooooo dedicated it is soo great! It is hard to be an example to your trainee when she is a Rocking missionary already! She is soooooo anxious to speak this language so that she can be more effective in teaching. She is such an example to me. It is so fun to see how much we grow. I see all the time the things that will help me when I come back with the rest of my life. I remember Jarett said there isn´t a day for the rest of your life you won´t think about your mission. I can see how that is true now. I know that I will think back to the things I learn here in so many different situations. Well I´ll send this so that If you are there we can have some time to chat!

 

I love you all!!!!

 

Thank you so much for your concern for me. I feel very loved. but don´t worry everything is fine! The members and the mission leaders and takeing amazing care of me.

 

Sister Brooklyn Marie

 

Tchaw Tchaw