Before they call, I will answer

The Azores

Dear family,

It is always really great to hear from you. Thanks for writing me all of your experiences every week. I especially loved hearing about poppy's mission. I've never heard all of your mission stories and I was very happy to learn more about your first area. I also had no idea that you stayed in your areas that long. I am happy to stay on the island a little bit longer. I hope I get to stay here one more transfer with Irma Morrison. It would be awesome. We are doing really great. We are trying to work really hard because we both know that we do not know very many things about the mission since we are both new in the mission. We have so much work to do! We are also trying to work more with the branch and get the focus on missionary work to be able to double and triple the membership of the branch. They have a goal of making the island of Sao Miguel a stake one day. And, of course, in the very distant future, be able to have a temple here. That would be so amazing.

Well, following the topic of service from poppy's email, I had an experience of service this week. It is actually kind of funny. We were walking down the street one afternoon and Irma Morrison and I saw a man pushing a white truck backwards up the road. Irma Morrison stopped and automatically asked, “Do you need help?” The man turned and smiled when he saw who we were and said, Yeah, if you want. We were both kind of shocked by his response because we probably ask this question about 50 times a day and everyone usually says no or literally runs away from us because they think we're trying to sell something. So after standing there in a daze for a couple of seconds, we both shoved our books under our arms and started helping this man push the truck up the street--yes in skirts and everything. Pretty soon we started stopping traffic because we had to get it past an intersection so that the car could coast down the hill to the nearest gas station. Once we had done that, we started walking off because we had an appointment that we were late for. After we had walked up the hill a little way, I turned to Irma Morrison and said, “Oh man, we should have given him a card or something. We didn't even tell that man who we were!”

But, lo and behold, I turned around and I saw the man running up the hill after us. He stopped us and asked, “Hey, are you Mormons?” We replied in the affirmative. He asked if we did family history work in our church. We looked at each other in surprise because nobody has ever asked me about family history before. We talked with him and set up an appointment to do family history with him. He was very excited and said that he has been looking for a way to start but he doesn't know how. It was really cool. So, I just have to thank my awesome companion for not being afraid of serving everyone around us.

Anyway, beyond that we are just working hard and trying to find the elect. I won't lie: missionary work is probably the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. But, it is definitely the most rewarding thing I have done in my life as well. I get to bear my testimony 24-7. If I live worthily enough, I can be guided by the Spirit in every moment. Never before have I experienced this. I feel like I have woken up to a new world and I realize now the importance of the gospel. I had an idea before, but I am so happy for these experiences in my life. And, going along with what mom and Summer have said—it is so true the Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. Most of the time answers come and we just have to recognize them. I'm still working on that. But, anyway, the mission is great. It sounds like everything is great at home.

I love you all and have a great week,

Love,

Irma Perez

p.s.—don't worry about the shoes. I have a good pair that I bought for only 20 Euros. They'll do just fine. And the shoes that fell apart I had three years before the mission. So, don't worry. I'm doing just great :)