Old Friends

Lisbon

Dear family,

WOW! Such exciting news! I am so happy to hear all of it! Please let me know ASAP where Emmy and John are going on their missions. How exciting! (Do you think I will get home before she leaves?) Probably not. But it will be such an amazing experience for them both. I am learning so much on my mission and I am so grateful that I went. I feel like my eyes have been opened up to a new world and I am understanding so much more about life that would have taken me years and years to discover if I hadn't have gone. It is definitely hands down the best thing that has ever happened to me, but also the hardest. It has tested me in ways I never knew I could be tested, but at the same time given me a firmer and firmer certainty that everything happens for a reason. I am so excited for them! I can't even think of how many people will be blessed because of both of their service! How awesome.

Also, CONGRATS to Danielle! I can't believe that Nano is going to settle down and get married—please let me know the date. I hope that I will be home to go to her wedding. I would love it. I hope she finds every happiness available in this life. She deserves it.

Well, this week was pretty good...we had interviews with President Torgan. It was a good pick-me-up. (Oh, I love being with Irmã de Almeida and teaching her new words and phrases. What's even funnier is when she says them to Elders and they become super surprised and wonder...where did she learn that?)

Anyway, I love having interviews with President Torgan because I feel like that is how judgment will be. We get to be in a room with Heavenly Father and he gives us counsel on our life and what we have been doing. I always feel so much love from him, even though I know that he has a lot of missionaries to take care of (especially with the two missions combining), but I know that that just means that our efforts now have to be double so that the transition can go over smoothly.

But, we have had an interesting week with some interesting investigators, but one cool story:
Irmã de Almeida ran into a friend from college last week while we were walking home. She talked to her friend and asked about mutual friends that they had from college. A couple of weeks ago, Irmã de Almeida remembered a friend that she had helped teach before the mission. She had cried during the Joseph Smith story and had gone to church with Irmã de Almeida a couple of times. She said she felt bad because she never really followed up with her friend and wanted to do better. Little did we know that two weeks later, Irmã de Almeida would run into another friend and find out that Dina (her friend from the story above) was living and working in our area. So, we got her reference and went and taught her. I have to admit, it would be really weird to teach a friend as a missionary, and as it was a little weird for Irmã de Almeida, I did most of the teaching, but her friend is very cute and very sweet. She does have a lot of questions though, so we will work more with her. I find it so amazing how some young people can be so tired with the world at such an early age because of all of the bad that they see in the world. It made me ever more grateful that I was born with the gospel into a loving family with healthy relationships. I have never been worried about my future (trying to create a good family) because I have the gospel in my life. So interesting how perspectives change everything...

Anyway, that is pretty much all for this week. I hope that everything is going well for you all. I love you mom! Keep up your strength and know that I am praying for you always!

Love, love, and love again,

Irmã Pérez