Week 27 - Oh Happy Day!

Best day happened yesterday wanna know why? ~

Maria and Cintia were Baptized yesterday!!!! Remember the Braziladas I have been talking about this WHOLE time ever since I´ve been here? My little home away from home? 

welp.. they entered into the waters of baptism this week and took them upon themselves the name of the Savior! Hoorah for Israel!!!! 

I have watched them progress so much from when I first met them.... Cintia quit smoking and Maria grew her testimony to know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the one church on this earth that has the priesthood and all of the keys restored in these latter-days. 

I´ve been learning a lot this week about how to be meek and lowly of heart. I´m understanding now more about the great and spacious build where people with pride reside. Here on the mission or actually at any point in life for that matter, it´s really hard to be told that you´re doing something wrong or you need to improve.. everyone likes to feel like they´re right and feel like they do it the right way! This is something called pride.... I´m learning how sinful pride is and that we all need to be more meek and lowly of heart. Meekness is a quality of those who are Godfearing, righteous, humble, teachable, and patient under suffering. Those who are meek are exmplifying that they are willing to follow our savior. I want to be teachable and submissive to all those who want to help me be the best person I can be. I know that if I do I will learn so much more than if I were to be stubborn and not wanting to hear what I wanted to hear. 

We are working so hard and I want to work even harder! I can´t believe I´ve already been on the mission for 6 months already! The time went by so fast! I feels like I was just at the MTC! 

I love all of you so much sorry I didn´t write a ton this week but I will write some adventures next week! thank you for all of your examples and all that you do!!

Com todo da minha coração,

Sister Baird 

Week 26 - Breakdancin' Bishop

Life in a Day of a Sister Baird..

Sis Call is my herooo. She is a pro at this language. She has a gift like no other... 

and helps me more than anything! 

Some milagres este semana.... Some miracles this week.... 

Marking dates to our whole world for baptism! We are working with 5 people right now towards baptism pretty please, please pray for them! Adeleade, Domingos, Patricia, Cintia, and Maria!! 

We had Stake Conference this week and our Recent Convert Sousa came with us and sat by me during the conference... Elder Ballard starts talking about the importance of Tithing and how it brings blessings.. and Sousa leans over to me and goes "So say if I had 421.00 Euros that would be 43$ right??" ...  :):) I am so happy to see our dear investigators who are now members keeping their covenants with Heavenly Father. Nothin in tha whole world makes me happier! 

I met the most amazing people from Cabo Verde this week... Eliza and her son Elisandro. Elisandro is 14 here for treatment and is such a stud. He is so eager to learn and is a reallllly good kid. I´m always wanting to go over to their house and teach Eliza and Elisandro more because they are so stinkin funny and the greatest! :) Eliza is this beautiful Cabo Verdian and she calls me Barbie... 

ha funny thing is almost half of the Cabo Verdians I´ve met call me Bodeka... or Barbie. haha I can´t wait to work with this cute family more. Please pray for Elisandro too that he´ll get positive results back from the Doctors so that they can go back to their home in Cabo Verde! .. they have 4 more kids of their family waiting for them back in C.Verde.

This week was the week of Aguida and Irmao Ca´s wedding.... They are both from Africa...  Irmao Ca was a legend out here in Portugal... he used to serve a mission here in Portugal so there was a bunch of people from the mission at their wedding... haha and I can´t even start about the wedding.. alll I can say is oh how these Africans know how to throw a wedding! and have thee best time! haha after the ceremony and everything we had dancing and food and they start putting on the first song and it was "I Believe I can Fly" from Space Jam our elders from our district LOVE basketball and used to play in highschool and their favorite movie is Space Jam so alllll I hear is our dear elders just busting out in song to it... doing the black chorus, waving their arms and harmonizing together to it ha and closing their eyes with their fists all closed up close to their faces hahaha It was thee funniest thing. I´ll have to put up a video

during the whole wedding I had these two little cabo verdian girls I had no Idea who they were followed me around the whole time!!! haha I loveed it! I would go get food or sit down or get something to drink and would turn around and there they would be right by my side! 

 

and then after this all the Africans startin busting a move to the dance called the ZOMBA!... I realize I have no talent after watching a WHOLE room knowing how to do this zomba dance. 

and thennnn haha they start making a circle for everyone to show off their dancing and the Bishop starts goin! and hits the floor doin breakdancing moves!!!!!! 

doin the running man on the floor.... haha I have never laughed or seen anything more funny then watching a Bishop hit the ground and start doin breakdance moves! best day! 

1 other.... my Zone Leaders/ District Elders are thee Greatest! and maybe the funniest kids I´ve Ever met.... ha they have turned into my older brothers out here and I have a FOR SURE invite to their weddings if they´re not already married by the time I come home.... 

I hope you all  have the most wonderful week!!! know I pray for you all everynight. By name! 

Love- Sister Bairgy

Week 25 - Some Thoughts on Trials

To all of you gorgeous friends and family, 

I first want to tell all of you how grateful I am for you..... I get tears in my eyes every time I come on here and get all of your E-mails because I love you all so much. and how grateful for Heavenly Father for being so good to me and making me so happy with All of you in my life. 

Thank you so much for all of your E-mails and examples :) I am one lucky girl. 

 I got to go down to our mission office recently and get my residency card.. I am a officially a Portuguese girl now! 

This week I´ve been thinking about people and why they blame God for the trials that they face in life. A lady that we came across has gone through so many difficulties and trials in her life and when we contacted her she told us that she doesn´t want to believe in God because he has caused her so much pain.

 I thought about this... and thought of a talk by Elder Terence M. Vinson and that every time I think of a trial or difficulty in my life I always think of what growth and understanding it has brought my in the result of a trial. 

and that without the relationship and without faith we have of Heavenly Father it would be nearly impossible to get through hard times in our lives. 

Trials draw you closer to Heavenly Father and His son by refining us...  

He could simply stop something dangerous and threatening from happening to us but he chooses to warn us instead by giving commandments or sending promptings of a still small voice.. 

Why do you think he does that??

The Lord wants us to develop faith that will help us rely on Him in solving our problems and trust in Him. Than we can feel His love more powerfully, personally and clearly. We can become united with Him and can become more like Him. 

I remember a moment in my life and the same story I shared at my farewell of me on a wintery stormy night on my way to Sammy´s house... I slid on black ice doing 360´s all the way across the freeway.. I remembered the Lord.

All I could think of to do or say was to call upon Heavenly Father.. saying "Heavenly Father please help me!"  and instantly my car slid in the right direction and stopped perfectly on the side of the freeway without hitting any concrete barriers or other cars... after my car had turned off and I sat there in shock realizing I had come out of that incident perfectly unharmed,

 I cried like a little child. 

It was the sweetest feeling to know he was there waiting for me to call upon him. 

Our Savior wants us to literally love Him to the point that we align our will with His. We can then feel His love and know His glory. Then he can bless us as He wants to. :) 

Align your will with His. You will be full of joy and happier than you can imagine. I know because I have witnessed. and have taken apart of this sweet joy of the gospel! I have the opportunity to witness this in the lives everyday of the people here in Portugal. It is such a blessing and a testimony. 

I love all of you with all of my heartt!! 

Sister Baird

Week 24 - Hello Goodbye

Olá ! 

Sooo today is the day of Transfers and I just received a new colega! 

Her name is Sister Call and she is from Logan, Ut. 19.  She went to BYU and has been here for one more transfer than I have! She is very sweet and is amazing when it comes to this Portuguese language so I´m going to take advantage of all the time I have with her and soak up all of her language knowledge she has! 

I´m super excited for this transfer we´re going to put ourselves to a lot of work! 

On the other hand... I lost Sister HAyes to Porto . I´m going to miss her! I spent 4 months with that beautiful woman and I know she will do miracles up North. She´s serving with a powerful missionary named Sister Prieto who has a dad as a mission president and I know that is just going to prep Sister Hayes to becoming an even greater leader in this mission. 

This week has been wonderful. We´ve been teaching this woman named Patricia who is 30 and has so much faith. She been progressing a lot and used to have been having problems with the Word of Wisdom but since she´s been meeting with us she has shown her faith and has stopped.. but she has a problem with complying with the Law of Chastity. 

She thinks it should be okay for someone to be living together before your married to see how they live and how they are as a person. 

We told her that God knows everything and also knows what truly brings us happiness in this life. 

and that he has rules same as a mom has rules for her child, so that we don´t get hurt. 

She told us that she wants to put forth her faith more and but her willingness more towards Heavenly Father and that she will try harder... please pray for her! 

Another we helped a member, Aguida  who I´m really close with and Sister Hayes is really close with pick out a wedding dress. She doesn´t have very many girlfriends so me and sister Hayes went and helped her pick out this beautiful wedding dress that she will wear on Febuary 3rd and she is getting sealed in the Spain, Madrid Temple!!!

I´m really excited for her she is going to be a goregous bride!

The weeks have went by so fast with Sister Hayes I can´t believe I´m coming up on my 6 month mark here pretty soon! Time goes by so fast when you´re serving a mission! It feels like just a month ago I was at the good ol´Disneyland MTC.. 

This whole past week me and sister Hayes have been having a problem with not having enough time in the day.. we  kept saying how we just need 4 more hours to work than it would be perfect!

We even tried on Saturday to do some divisions with the youth in our ward and it didn´t work out the way we wanted to but we got 1 named Luana who´s 14 to come with us and just help us out throughout the day!  She was amazing! I cannot believe how much youth are becoming more and more prepared to share this gospel. I want to just take her everywhere I go with me because she kept sharing strong testimony after strong testimony with our investigators and every time touched each of them. 

I love my family and my friends more than anything in this world and always think and talk about all of you :) 

Com todo da minha coração, 

Sister Baird

Week 23 - Not Homesick for the Cold!

MY FAMILY e MEU AMIGOS

Hi first... I Love You! :) 

I hope all is well over there in the states! I was at a members house for lunch one day this week and she wanted us to watch the news because it´s like Ice Age over there! 

We saw a video of a guy in New York with a pot of boiling water who threw it all up in the air and it turned into snow before it fell to the ground! That´s unreal! 

So Domingos didn´t want to get baptized this week. We are still working with him but he´s going back home to Guinea Baisseu soon and they don´t have any Lds churches over there so he just says he doesn´t want to get baptized if there´s not any churches that he can practice his relgion in ... That´s definitely robbing him of his blessings he would receive if he did get baptized and receive the Holy Ghost so... we´re still working with him. We´ll see what happens. 

A Little Taste of Awesome

This is what we look like when we do our morning studies because there´s no indoor heating!

Me and My love Maria... She´s the best! 

Sister Hayes needed a haircut and one of our investigators wanted to so this is when she was almost done.

Me and Cute Sister Hayes in Anjos/Lisboa!

We went to a Castle one day and Elder Ryan was acting like my fav. animal (sloth)

Us and Mamadu

Us takin a nap on Christmas with dear Maria

 Elder Lee and Sousa!

 Baptismo de Sousa

Week 22 - Baptisms and More Wedding Proposals :)

I almost lost sister Hayes this week... 

This week has been INSANE.

just a couple things....

1. A recent convert wants to marry sister Hayes

2. we found a man in a members bed... and she lied and said it was a DOLL.....

3. Sousa got baptized!!

4. Our bishop in the ward who´s been the bishop for the past 6 1/2 YEARS is leaving on a mission to Idaho!! 

5. and our investigator Domingos is getting baptized next week!!! 

Number 1. 

Sooo....  first of the week we were teaching our recent convert and we were just ending with the prayer... and then all the sudden he goes "Querdia para disser desculpa" "I just would like to say sorry."  

and we go "For what" 

For not announcing that I want to marry her (pointing to sis. Hayes) during church last week. 

What.... ????????????????

after this leads to us trying to explain how bad this situation is .. trying our hardest to convince him that he does not feel that way. and that he needs to forget any feeling that he has.... and that we needed to leave right then and there. 

ah.. soo when anything like this happens.. you first call your district leader and then you call President. And our district leader told us that anytime that a situation like this has happened the sister has left that week to another area.... 

We called President and explained the situation and he said that situations like this have happened a lot. 

So he asked sis. Hayes how she felt about it and we both agree that the situation and the recent convert was and isn´t in a way threatening enough for her to leave to another area... 

so he trusted us and said that Sis Hayes could stay for the rest of the transfer. 

thank my lucky stars. 

2. We get one of the recent converts house of our elders 

We start our lesson about peace and how we can find it during times of affliction by looking to the savior and the gospel. 

and her son... who´s usually so respectful and acts like the man of the house is just being really rude to his mom and even would yell at her a little. We could not figure out what was going on... 

and then her son Salom who is like 5 randomly goes, "ha´ não a homen in nossas quarta" .. There´s not a man in our room.......  (this family of 4 all sleeps in one room on a bunkbed) 

His mom the recent convert starts getting really uneasy and starts telling us that he has imaginary friends and plays with them.. you can go look if you want even..

so at first we´re just like no it´s okay like we know how kids can be... and than she just goes no really go look.... so Salom takes us into their room and we just look around and Sis Hayes freaks out and grabs my arm and says "look" and I looked over and saw a mans face  popping out from under a pile of clothes against the wall on the bed and we just like scream... and are just like what is that there is a man in there.... 

and the woman hurry and gets up and tells us theres nothing in there... we go back in and the clothes are on top of his face and we just keep saying No there is someone in there... so she hurries and turns off the light in the room and starts bringing teddy bears out and saying that´s what we saw and that theres nothing there... we just could not believe how blantantly lying she was so we just told her we had to leave and that we would come back another day and talk to her... 

so a couple days later the elders go back over and tell her how wrong that was and she said sorry and now she´s back to normal but wow I´ve never had something like that happen

3. Sousa was baptized this last Saturday!! Hoorah for Israel!!! We´ve been working with him for the past 3 months and he´s grown so much from the time we first met him to Saturday! We´re so proud of him! 

4. Our bishop that our ward has had forever got called to serve in Idaho with his wife at the BYU campus! It was really sad tho.. I was even sad I felt like I was losing my own bishop... he does so much for the missionaries and he helps our new investigators always feel so welcomed to the ward. 

5. We have another baptism this week named Domingos! He is such a humble man and we are so excited for him... He´s one of those miracle investigators we met him through a member and he has been so prepared before we even met him and pretty much teaches us during the lessons. 

sorry about my novel but I hope you all have a wonderful week!!! remember who you serve throughout this week. Joshua 24:15 

I love you all and am so greatful for every email!!! I do read them all even if I don´t have time to write every single one back just know how much they mean to me! 

With all my love~

Com todo da minha coração 

Sister Baird

Week 21 - Happy New Year....oh, and Prom Queens

BOAS!! 

MINHA QUERIDOS! 

Bonjour, Ola', Stou, Querido Familia, 

It was great to see my family! haha after I talked to everyone I asked my comp. if that was real life... She agreed it felt like a dream we were so happy! 

 Iºm so greatful I got to talk to all of you! 

This week I learned a lot about how you should treat others. and that by living your life central to the teachings of Christ will bring you so much joy and happiness. 

We got to our pesquisadors house Maria... She was crying right when we got to the door. He son lives with her and was drink and I guess hit her... she was just crying and saying he was yelling and her and all these things and he was away sleeping when we got there. We gave her a blessing and asked Heavenly Father to bless her house. We just couldnºt believe it and we couldnºt even do anything about it. We had to leave because she didnºt want us there. but it is so important to recognize all of the commandments of God are givin to us for a reason like the Word of Wisdom.  Please remember this when you think to go against the commandments. He loves you and gives you them for a reason. He wants to keep you safe. 

I donºt have a lot of time but know I love you all and Im so fgrateful for all of you :) Thanks for all the love and prayers! 

Com amor- 

Sister Baird

P.s. 

little funny story of the week.... 

This week on the bus there was a really obese obnoxious american on the bus and then there was me and sister Hayes standing up kinda close to him... We were just sitting there drinking water, we usually put lemons and cucumbers in our water to give it a little flavor... and we just hear a portuguese girl and boy just laughing... and hear them say this is your 2 stereotypical americans right in front of us.... the 2 tall skinny prom queens and then the loud and fat american right next to them... haha it was funny cuz itºs true. 

Week 20 - Christmas in the Air!!

FAMILIA e Meu Amigos

Guess what Iºm doin in T9 minus 2 Days

Talking and seeing your B-E-A-Utiful faces! Ah! YES!!! 

someone pinch me.. Iºm dreaming. 

Iºm such a blessed little girl.

 I think about all of my family and friends all the time and pray about each one of you throughout the day- while Iºm walking to and from my investigators houses, in gratitude for each and every one of you, my family members and friends and the opportunities the Lord has given me so far in my life. Love you all lots!

This week me and Sister Hayes have decided to try something a little different with our work. Our ward is big but weºve come to find out we have 18 pages of members in our ward and maybe 3 pages of the 18 come to church every week. 

So we went to work and have been able to remind everyone of their covenants and promises they made to the Lord when they were baptised. 

In the process, while we have been searching, sometimes we may have not found success but instead have found new investigators to teach along the way! :) 

Not only this but being able to have an opportunity of bringing members back to church and recieving references along the way. 

This member list has been such a blessing and Iºm excited to work more on the list this week. 

I truly have a testimony of our agency... and using it in the right way. The way of righteousness, and what blessings and benefits in our life we receive by using it to the will of the Fatherºs.  

Iºve learned that when we show our faith and have a desire to become closer to Christ thatºs when he comes closer to us as well.... He promises us this. 

Heavenly Father has a plan for everyone of us and Iºm so happy to tell it to the whole world!! 

To tell everyone about their eternal potential in this life!! Itºs the best calling. 

This feeling that I have come to find on the mission is something that is so precious and something I wouldnºt trade for in this world... the spirit of service... and giving your whole heart to the Savior and to all of Heavenly Fatherºs children is unlike anything Iºve ever felt. 

 I invite everyone to give your hearts to something bigger than any of us can ever imagine. That of building up this Gospel, the Kingdom of God and bring souls to their full potential, coming closer to Christ and to their salvations.

I love you all, keep the spirit of Christ in your hearts please, please. It was so hard for Him but he did it because he loved us so much. Please, Love as he did for others and do your all, I can promise you when you do you will find the most greatest joy and happiness. Something I want you all to have in this life. 

Com todo minha coração, 

Sister Baird

Week 19 - Only the Best Sisters

All I want for Christmas iss....

 to hear from my Beautiful family!!!!! :) 

I've come from wanting fancy new toys on Christmas to just wanting to hear my fams voices!! 

alright cuties!! 

Who would/ve thought :) 

This week hasn't been a ton just getting everyone prepared for Christmas!! 

We had our ward Christmas party this week! 

it was too great.. this whole week me and sister Hayes worked on trying to get everyone we came in contact to come to this Christmas party. 

all our investigators and their kids came and it was such a blast. 

ha here they like to dance.. so everyone was danced and after all of the kids got Christmas presents! 

I loved watching their faces when they all opened them!.... My favorite  :) 

We had a man named Wolf come from Switzerland and he moved here because him and his wife got seperated.

 he came to portugal for work but still doesn't speak and portuguese and hasn't made very many friends 

so when we invited him to the party he was thrilled! He's looking for a change in his life and he loves everything about our church! Just need to figure out this whole Portuguese language barrier.

Our Mission president and Sister Fluckiger came to our ward yesterday just to overlook everything and afterwards we got to talk to him 

 sister Fluckiger goes you sisters are right in the middle of Lisboa, we only put the best sisters here. Thanks for all of your work!!! 

Ah BEST compliment ever. Probably the most generous compliment we've ever received!

This week I've been looking at all those who need love in their life and who me and sister Hayes can go visit on Christmas.. 

We have a lot of people here who don't have any families and we're really excited to see them and try and make their day this Christmas. 

Please think about all those at home who may need help as well this Christmas. Show a little bit more kindness and love and don't let the worry of stress and perfection get in the way.. 

Always keep the true meaning of Christmas in Mind! 

Read Mosiah 4:21-27 and look for ways of helping someone throughout the day. 

and also keep in mind that "it must needs be done in mine own way" D&C 104:16 

Or else our efforts to help may actually hurt them. 

Look to help a family in need or someone in need of something simple throughout the day. (Carrying grocierys etc.)

I'm so greatful of our savior. He's the way the truth and the light and remember his example he set during this Christmas season. I love you all and am so excited to get to talk to you all on Christmas! 

You are all amazing! 

Com amor, 

Sister Baird

Out on the Town

Week 18 - ...Ugghh, Cockroaches

This week was the week of the word we´ve all been anticipating.... 

TRANSFERS. 

He the noticas (news) Me and Sister Hayes are staying together for one more transfer!!!!! I get her during christmas and you all get to see her!! HALALEUIA!  :) 

She is theee best!!!! 

We are both so excited to get to do one more transfer of HARD WORK here in Lisboa, Portugal!!!!! 

As for our District elders, 

Clark Kent is being sent to bigger and better places..

AKA super Elder, Elder De Pina is leaving to be Assistent to the President of the mission!! I´m so happy and excited for him but at the same time can´t help but going to miss him in our district! He has all the answers and is one of the most amazing missionaries/people I´ve ever met!!! He´s going to help the President do great things for our mission! 

We are SO excited to be on this amazing army of helaman and drafting more and more recruits to come with us on the path and side of righteousness each and every day. 

This week has been so wonderful!!! 3 of my investigators have a date to be baptized!! Woohoo! :) Couldn´t be more excited about this! and we are trying to get this ward that we have more integrated as well which is a working progress but we´re tryin! 

Other things this week...................

This investigators house we go to is just infested with cockroaches... and I just kind of have an anxiety attack everytime we go there praying every second while we´re in there that one won´t crawl on me. well 2 days ago it did!!! I crawled onto my hand from my bag and I just jumped up of my chair and all the investigator says is "what it likes you.." hahaha ahhh I pretty much threw up in my mouth.

and

I could be your herrooo!!!!!  I can see it in your eyes, is it me your lookin for??

Do Crazy Portuguese men sing this at the top of their lungs to me and sister Hayes while we´re walking past them?...................

Yes.

Yes they do.

...........................

Is this normal behavior here in Portugal?

Yes.

Yes it is. 

Nossa Senhora!

Eu amo a vida da missionaria. (I love the life of a missionary!!)

Com toda minha coração

Sister Baird

Week 17 - Thanksgiving

Mommacita. 

Ola minha familia e meu amigos! 

Thanks for all the updates of Thanksgiving!! I hope you all stuffed yourselves with Turkey, Football games and a nice big nap after you were all done! 

This Thanksgiving we went to the capella and had thanksgiving Lunch :) our zone leaders- the ones from cabo verde helped me and sister Hayes learn how to cook our first chicken and we didn´t have any chairs so we just had a little pic nic on the floor of our capella! :) 

 and me and sis Hayes treated ourselves and went to Mcdonalds a little bit later that night! 

I had amazing thanksgiving serving our lord :) 

This week has been a miracle with our investigator named soulza, 

he´s been our investigator for the past 3 months and has already been baptized. 

we´ve been trying to help him understand that he needs to be baptized by the proper authority who holds the priesthood but he has been having so many doubts... 

he hasn´t been reading or praying which is the 2 biggest things that you need to have in order to have a testimony... 

so we told him he couldn´t be saved in ignorance. 

after this we brought him to read 2 nephi 31! He read this and prayed and on Friday told us he received his answer and feels the need to be baptized! :) 

The Book of Mormon is true, prayer is real, and I love this Gospel!!! 

Cool thing that happened this week.. 

I learned how to make KACHOOPA!!! 

Phillipe an investigator of our elders got baptized on Saturday and he had a request that we have Kachoopa after his baptism with everyone in the Capella. 

Can´t wait to make it for my fam and friends... it´s this African soup thing from Cape Verde and might be one of the yummiest things I have ever eaten! 

I´ve been truly blessed to serve in the Capitol of Portugal... I get to meet different people from all over the world and even an opportunity to teach a little bit in French. 

We had our mission conference this week with Elder Dyches from the quorum of the 70. 

He spoke to all of the missionaries around the zones in Lisboa this Saturday in mine and Sis Hayes Capella. 

Our capella is beautiful covered in artistic tile and is the first capella in all of Portugal. and Elder Dyches loved it. 

Some missionarys around me were surprised I had my own ward. Some missionarys barely have a branch that has around 6 people in it. 

I feel so blessed with the missionary opportunities I have right now and it makes me want to strengthen the ward that I do have even more. 

Happy 2nd of December!! 

Love you all!! 

com amor~

Sister Baird

other things this week..

ºPortuguese lady pulled sister Hayes Hair when we were laughing on the bus.. They don´t like it when people talk on the busses.. 

and. haha sometimes people think there´s something wrong with us because we smile and laugh to much.

º the worst that can ever happen is when someone calls you "too young" and that I you don´t know anything. 

º our gangster friends we teach on the streets everyday have a desire to be more righteous.... Success!! 

Ps

One thing I want more of... Pictures!  Especially of Ty, Leila and Orrin and Bryan. Please and Thank you :) 

Week 16 - The Greatest Gift

Hello my beautiful mom and Family and Friends!!! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! 

I am BEYOND Grateful for each and everyone of you....  I tell Heavenly Father my gratitude for you every night... 

This Gospel, and my loved ones (my family and friends) are beyond thee BIGGEST blessing I will ever have in my life and beyond.

Ah I would go to the ends of the earth for all of you!!  

I hope this week you will reflect on the small simple little blessings that you have and pour out all of them in prayer to Heavenly Father. 

Even for the gift of prayer.. for the opportunity you have to pray and talk to Heavenly Father. It is theee greatest gift anyone of us have..

Not only do we have a loving father in heaven who is ever so willing to bless us when we do our part and if it´s of the spirit of him 

"Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name

And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right,

believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you." 

3 Nephi 18:18-20

but we have an opportunity to have a real relationship with him... 

It´s something I cherish more than anything in this world and I don´t know where I would be without it. 

I encourage everyone if you don´t have a relationship with Heavenly Father to work towards it and pour your heart out towards him 

and I can promise you will receive inspiration and guidance and it will bless your life more than you know :) 

Also this week we been trying to help our 2 investigators get ready for baptism on the 7th but the both have some problems with drinking or smoking... 

( btw every person here smokes and Portugal is famous for their wine sooo almost if not everyone has an addiction with either one of those.)

They haven´t been so successful. So hopefully you all can give em a little prayer this week and that they can get over their addictions!

It´s turned into fall here and it´s getting cold finally. I think I can keep this sun during the winter :)

Me and sister Hayes are going to this place called Baixo Chiado to sing some christmas Hymns 

It´s this place where they do a bunch of shopping and have a bunch of random people playing instruments there so that´s next P-day hopefully we can get some people smilin!! :) 

 I´ll send pictures!  

P.S. Sister Hayes is an Amazing singer... She´s recording a christmas song for our Portugal Mission Holiday CD

I love you alll 

Have a Thanksgiving Marvilhosa !!!

Com amor muitissimo

~Sister Baird

Week 15 - A Little Under the Weather

Hola Familia e minha belleza amigos :) 

So great to hear from all of my favorite people in the whole world! 

This week was the best :) and a little hard at the same time. 

Amadeo was baptized on Saturday and I´m so happy for him! He is so happy and full of light! :) 

This gospel brings so much happiness to you I´ve seen it through Amadeo. He doesn´t have a family and the bishop gave a talk about how all of us as a ward are his family now and the smile and look on his face was pureee joy.

Today and this week I´ve been sick and the day of Amadeo´s baptism I had thee worst fever. 

The bishop and everyone all kept trying to tell me in Portuguese about what I need to do and kept feeling my forhead saying I need to rest and do all of these different things since we don´t have fancy american medicine here in Portugal. 

Before they all left I had to thank them for being my mom for the day. 

I´m in good hands mom don´t worry :) 

This week I´ve seen the miracle of bringing the less active members back to activity and the blessings of it. 

Less Active members are SO important because they´ve already made a covenant with Heavenly Father and are held a lot more accountable for the things they do. One of the members, his name is Yuri and he´s one of my favorite people. He hasn´t come to church tho in about 2 months. 

It´s really sad when in active members don´t come to church because you can see what they can do as a leader and all of their potential growth by actively being a member in the church.

We told him of all of the possiblities this church brings and how many blessings he will receive if he keeps the commandments of Heavenly Father. (Daily Scripture reading, Daily prayers, and going to church)

 Heavenly Father is eager to bless us and has promised to bless us if we first obey His commandments. 

Well he came to church this Sunday and he said because of our lesson he wants to fulfill his potential and become what he knows he can be :) 

This week I´ve learned that it´s not just those people that need to be baptized but it´s to ALL who need to learn more of this true restored gospel on the earth and to help them come closer to Christ. 

I love all of you so much! Sorry I don´t have any cool stories this week I´ve been a little sicky sick this week :) 

You´re all amazinggg!!

xoxoxxoxo

Com amor,

Sister Baird