Porto 1B, Portugal Week 23

Dear Family and Friends,                                                February 8, 2016

I am not sure if I will have time to email next week so.. this might be the last time! I can't believe it is coming to a close. It still doesn't feel real! I loved my mission so much. I feel so much love for Portugal, Porto, and Portuguese people! Portugal will always have such a special place in my heart. Thank you all for all of your support throughout this 18 months! They were great. :)

This week was a good one. We finally met up again with S--- and H---. S--- called the Bishop while we were there and told him that she wanted to have an interview with him so she could get the marriage paperwork started and that H--- wants to be baptized! Sadly, I won't be here in time for it. But I am so excited and happy for the progress that I have seen in them. They are amazing! We have another lesson with them tonight. We are also going to celebrate little I---'s birthday. She is turning 6! She is a cutie. I love that family so much.

I feel really at peace about my mission. I know that I did the work that the Lord had in store for me! It was a great year and a half. :) I love you all. I can't wait to see you all in just a few weeks!

Love,
Sister Anderson

A wall in the Cathedral de Porto. We finally got to go inside today. It is always closed around lunch time. 

Elder Mcghie and his bday party celebration after choir practice.

Pday selfie :)

Torre dos Clerigos.

This is my favorite weather- overcast and a little rainy. Porto is the most beautiful like this.

Cathedral de Porto.

Sadly the cathedral is under renovation now.

Cool organ and stained glass window.

Organ pipes.

This was definitely an inspiration for Harry Potter. It felt like I was walking through Hogwarts. Did you know that JK Rowling lived in Porto for awhile?

It's Aragorn! Haha.

Cathedral area that definitely looks like Hogwarts.

Staircase in the cathedral.

Cathedral court yard.

In the cathedral grounds.

Porto 1B, Portugal Week 21

January 25, 2016

This week was another whirlwind week with lots of lessons and new investigators! We keep finding new families. It really is incredible. I don't think I have ever had this much success my whole mission! We are working really hard.

F--- still has doubts about the Word of Wisdom. It has been a little stressful- he has the beginning phases of Alzheimer's so the poor guy forgets a lot of things. We always have to help him find his car and stuff like that. He has been teaching lessons with us! He loves to be a missionary and help with the work. He is the sweetest. This past week we had many lessons with him trying to help him understand why we shouldn't drink coffee, or one little cup of wine at dinner. He was being so stubborn! But this morning he told us he would stop drinking coffee. We are trying to help him understand that if he truly believes Joseph Smith was a prophet, he needs to trust in his guidance and trust in the Word of Wisdom. He said he will experiment. We are hoping for the best! Hopefully he will remember that he made the decision to stop. :)

We haven't been able to talk to S--- and H--- for a few weeks. Last week S--- worked until very late every night and was super busy and stressed. We are hoping that we will be able to talk to them this week.

It is so weird that my mission is coming to a close! I feel really at peace about the work I have done. I am getting ready to come home and start the next phase in life. We had a busy pday and so I didn't really take any pics this week.

I love you all! Have a nice week.

Love,
Sister Anderson

Pday selfie with my curly hair. :)

Porto 1B, Portugal Week 20

January 18, 2016

Olá queridos!                                                                              

This week was another great week of lots of hard work! We had a really awesome lesson with S---and H---. They said that they do want to get married, and H--- wants to be baptized before I leave! Hopefully they will get married soon and the process will be quick enough. We´ll see! They are such an incredible family. I am so glad I have had the opportunity to get to know them. I have made so many friends throughout my mission- especially in this last ward! I am looking forward to continuing our relationships afterwards through Facebook! This ward is incredible. I love all of our members!

F--- is also doing well. He is still planning on being baptized February 3rd. We taught him the Word of Wisdom though and he doesn't think he can stop drinking coffee. So... pray for him! He is addicted and afraid to stop.

I am loving every single minute here in my last transfer. I am starting to feel very fond and nostalgic with respect to all of my old areas, companions, wards, investigators.. I can feel that it is all coming to a close!

I love you all! Have a nice week.

Love,
Sister Anderson

A cute red telephone booth.

The beautiful Ribeira!

 We went to The Ribeira again today! Our hotel is really close to this.

According to legend this is apparently where Henry the Navigator was born! 

One of the last remnants of the ancient gates/doors of the city.

 The underground catacombs and those are bones.

 Underground catacomb burials.

 Igreja de Sao Francisco

The weather was nice for about 30 minutes. It has been really rainy. 

Cool statue  

Pretty picture with the river in the background.

Porto 1B, Portugal Week 17

Happy New Year!                                                 December 28, 2016

Our Christmas went really well. But, the most special experience for me was yesterday at church. S--- and H--- came to church again WITH their two daughters! Their completed family was there. When I saw them come into the Sacrament Meeting I couldn't help but tearing up a little bit. Seeing their progression has been one of the most special things I have witnessed through my mission. I have been working with them since I first came here and now they are finally progressing together. S--- and H--- are not married but they said they are thinking about getting married and H--- wants to be baptized! The goal we have for them is January 23rd. :) Their cute little daughters R--- and I--- are so cute. R---is 12 I--- is 6. (or maybe 5?). I love them so much.

I love all of the people I have met while I have been on the mission. I don't want to forget anything about them! In my journal I started writing about each person separately- all of the memories and everything I remember about them. It is going to take a long time but I want to do it thoroughly for each person. Thank goodness I have Facebook so I can keep in contact with all of them after my mission. I cant believe my mission is coming to a close! It doesn't seem real. The New Year is very strange because for the majority of it I will be home! The goals I will be making for this year will be for my last 6 weeks in the mission and for when I come home. It really has flown by so fast! I love Portugal so much. Today was another rainy day in Porto and we went to the beach. I absolutely love Porto in the rain. It is so beautiful. I have spent about half my mission here in Porto and it has become a part of my heart. :) I will miss it!

We have transfers this next Monday. I only have one transfer left! I will probably stay here and finish out my mission with Sister Pennock. We´ll see. Anything could happen, still, I guess.

I love you all! Happy New Year!

Love,
Sister Anderson

Sister Carrol at our Christmas conference.

Me and Sister Pennock at our Christmas conference.

Sister Pennock and Smith.

Our Christmas Eve smoothies"!!

Cooking at a members house on Christmas Eve. Her name is Renata and she is Brasilian!

The cute gingerbread house we made with the kit grandma sent me!

Opening our jammies Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve jammies selfie.

Christmas morning with all of our presents. I stayed up until 2 a.m. wrapping all of Sister Pennock's for her!

Christmas morning.

I loved the necklace!! thanks Mom. I'm wearing it today! It is so cute.

The whole scene with all our trash.

All of my presents!! I bought all the touristy ones for myself. :) I love the hula hoop!!! I have already used it and I think I'm getting a six pack :)

With my new benefit makeup!! thanks mom.

Sister Pennock with all her presents.

Christmas day outfit.

Lunch with the elders on Christmas day. We ate outside without coats because it was so warm!! I made chicken pot pie and they all loved it.

Sister Pennock wtih her family.

things i have learned on my mission.l i made this list this morning

We rode a double decker bus to the Foz beach again today!! It was super rainy.

Crazy hair, windy, selfie on beach in the rain.

Foz beach in the rain.

Beach in the rain. I was too scared to go up there.

In front of Foz Castle.

Great European hot chocolate. It is literally melted down chocolate, not the watered down crap that we have in america. :)

The latest planner I made.

All of my planners lined up.

Making planners.

My last Christmas package from mom that came a couple of days late. It was delayed in the mail.

Earrings from Braxton.

Braxton's Christmas presents to me.

Christmas present from Isaac, nail polish. Thanks, Chickee.

My district.