Portugal Lisbon Mission: Lisbon, Portugal, Lapa Week 12

December 22, 2014

Feliz Natal everyone! This week was a week full of Christmas miracles. I feel so blessed. We had our Christmas conference with lots of mission zones! It was absolutely perfect. We started out with kind of a ´´normal´´ mission conference with 3 different rotations because we were such a big group. We played a jeopardy like game with Sister Fluckiger, did some lesson practices with the Sister Training Leaders and a meeting with our Zone Leaders where we talked about our progress. The Lisbon Zone split into 2 zones. I am in Lisbon Oeste now! After that we ate lunch. A HUGE Christmas banquet. It was beautiful. Then we had a little white elephant gift exchange. I got a cool little notebook. Then a special Christmas program after. We watched the Bible videos of Jesus´s birth. It was so special. It reminded me that our purpose here is simple- we are on earth to learn to accept and follow Christ and use His atonement. He truly is a gift from the Lord! As long as we are always trying to be more like Him, the Lord is pleased with our efforts.

Next I want to share the story of one of our investigators, E---. F--- rents our a few rooms in her apartment to college students. We were at F---'s one day at the beginning of December and we met E---. We started talking with him and he said that he has known about the church for a long time. He then showed us pictures of him at other peoples baptisms. We asked him why he hadn't been baptized yet and he said he didn't really know why. I think he was just afraid to finally make the step and change. We had some lessons with him after that and asked him to be baptized. He never really gave us a firm answer and we stopped teaching him. He was very hestitant. And then, to our surprise, he CAME TO CHURCH yesterday with F---! He was so excited! I think he finally has the courage to change! He is planning on being baptized next week. We are so grateful for this Christmas miracle!

Another Christmas miracle is sweet A---. We were at B---'s house one day last week. She lives in this apartment where lots of people rent out different rooms. We started talking to other people and found A---. We came back the next day and taught a lesson and little did we know, his aunt was listening to our lesson from inside her room. We talked to his aunt after and she was like ´´Where is your church? I would love to go!´´ She has a sweet little 4 year old son S--- who has to have heart surgeries. We taught her yesterday and she said that when she heard us teaching A--- back on that first day she just had this ´´vontade´´ to go to our church. She just felt like she needed to go! The Spirit was so strong in our lesson! She also said that her brother is a Mormon!

Last night we did the coolest thing ever. We sang in our stake choir Christmas hymns on ROSSIO. It was such a magical experience. We had a huge group of tourists watching us! Lisboa during Natal is just wonderful. They sell roasted chestnuts in little stands and it smells so good. And the lights are breath-taking. It was an experience I will never forget!!

Love,
Sister Anderson

Ice skating this past p-day on Rossio!!

Cool buildings by Rossio in our area. I love this place!

Beautful ocean!!!

Our cute stockings, thanks Mom.

Thanks for the package Grandma Marcia!!

Table display on my desk.

We got lots of presents from our families at the Christmas conference.

Sister Cardoso with the stocking Mom sent her. She LOVES it. Cinderella is her favorite princess. :)

Packages!!!! After Christmas conference.

Our cute nativity from Mom. It took us awhile to figure it out.. I don't think its completely right. Did the box have instructions on it? haha

A real live person as Mary and Jesus on Rossio. Cool.

Rossio. Gorgeous Christmas lights.

Close up of Christmas tree Rossio.

Rossio. Reminds me of the Disneyland thing on its a small world.

Cool quote in a talk Grandma Marcia gave me.

Pasteis de belem!!!!!!!!!!! It's a pastel de Nata. a creamy pastry. It's SO GOOD.

Hot chocolate from the pastry place.. ahhhh.. Just like the hot chocolate in Paris. SO GOOD.

Dad you will love it.

All gone and in my tummy. So rich and creamy and dark. :)

Touristy place.. but worth it. We were joking about how we were going to steal the secret recipe. We made a plan haha. Me Sister Cardoso, elder Fox, Elder Whitaker.