Week 10

Week 10

February 26, 2018

Hey everyone! Another typical week for ya boy. The Portuguese lifestyle feels normal now, and I am basically used to not being able to understand anyone! Hahah well actually, I'm really starting to understand people, it's the speaking that is tough. I can tell that I have really improved a lot with my language this week! I understand most of what everyone says, it is just hard to correctly phrase a grammatically correct sentence really quickly to respond. But I'm starting to see how I'll for sure get there at some point, and with God helping me, I know that point will come sooner than later. Even though I can't fully speak, I know I can bring the Spirit! This past week between us, the other elders, and the sisters we now have 9 people marked for baptism and are the talk of the mission haha! Anyways....

Tuesday Feb 20th  Pretty good day. Went on splits with Elder Karthigeyan and we contacted some people downtown, but then we went back to his place and had some ice-cream, so it was all good.

Feb 21st We woke up early to go play some bball, so I was so excited. We started playing and some guy walked by and got mad at us for dribbling so early. He said "Do you know what time it is?" and Elder Karthigeyan looked at his watch and told him the exact time hahaha, it was funny. But then we moved to a different court that was better. The highlight of this day was lunch, because Elder Karthigeyan made some UNREAL chicken! It was so good! He's teaching me how to cook better.

Feb 22nd was a day we kinda just shrugged off. I switched back and was with my actual companion, Elder Hernandez. We had two meetings scheduled one with Joel, who is close to baptism. And the other with a man named Kebab. Yup his name is Kebab. Anyways, first Kebab cancelled on us, then Joel cancelled, so then we decided to walk to references houses. A reference is a person or a family that a member of the church refers you to. We went to like 10 places, and got shut down by all! So like I said, we just shrugged the day off.

Feb 23rd  Well once again, we had 2 appointmets cancelled on us... but then Joel called and said he could make it! He totally has faith and such a strong belief and he wants to be batized! He has to work out a couple small things but then he can be! The cool thing about Joel is that he was on the train and and started to talk to Elder Hernandez (this was the day Elder Hernandez was going to get me as a companion). Joel just wanted to know what his purpose in life is. And we started teaching him since around my 6th day here.

Feb 24th. It's startin to get hot here. I love it!! In the morning there was this super long rock and lizards were everywhere! I even saw two of the running around fighting. A little bit after lunch time we went to the church to open it for an activity which was soccer/futebol. We ended up playing with them for a bit. I went and played goalie because I can at least do that ahah. Everyone was crazy good, but my companion was the best for sure. I can for sure see how he used to play for Team Honduras. And there was an American football there so I taught people how to throw it hahah. An investigator got marked for baptism by the other elders, so that was great! We celebrated with Steak n Shake in the night fo dinner.

Feb 25th  Church, and then a classic lunch with Bilbo as usual! He so sick, and his kids were there for lunch! They're older than I am, and Bilbo's son looks so much like Jose Bautista is litterally crazy. After we went contacting and really only had success with one person. He was sitting on a bench and said he had a terrible day. We gave him a pamphlet on the resoration of the church and our number. We taught him a little bit but then left and he said he would read the pamphlet!

Pretty good week! As I said, I'm adjusting to the lifestyle and the language is for sure coming! A funny story from this week I was sitting down at the mall and a group of young girls quickly ran up and took a selfie with me in it. It was really funny cause they did it fast then just ran away. Also a little kid in the mall was just standing there staring at me, he couldn't take his eye off me and then started walking to me like a moth to a light. But his parents picked him up. I'm used to the stares now, my mixture of light skin, hair, and my height is just something people here aren't used to! I get most stares from people in this order... teenage girls, babies-kids, old women, women, and teenage boys aha. The funnest thing is whenever I walk by a young couple the boy grabs his girlfriends hand or he kisses her in front me. I always say, "Bom Dia" which means "good day" and the girl usually says it back while her boyfriend just stares me down. It's classic.

The cool thought and my challenge this week actually comes from some spray paint that I saw. In English someone spray painted this phrase, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for the good to do nothing". We walk by it every day and I really do like the quote. So now I guess I'm thankful for spay paint and graffiti. Anyways, I challenge you to remember that the only way evil can triumph is if you do nothing. So the challenge is to do a good act once a day this week.

Elder out
Mamba out


Elder Karthigeyan and Elder Layton
#BomJesus

A hat that a member thought I would look good in.

My member friends in Braga.


 Sunset in Braga

Some random pink tree.



Elder Parks Stewart Layton
Portugal Porto Mission
Rua de Amália de Luazes, No 23, Sala 1
4200-052 Porto
Portugal 

 parks.layton@myldsmail.net

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