Irmã Brooks.: Get in the water! GET IN THE WATER! I`m sorry....get in the water babe.

Yay! Olivia got baptized!! And it went so well! She was happy and Rosa was there and the Relief Society was all there supporting her, and it was just wonderful.

I have so many things I want to talk to you guys about and I have no idea where to start. Also, this keyboard is janky so it`s really hard for me to type.

So, one night, we are running home, because we have like 10 minutes to be in house, so we run out the metro and I tell my comp `Run up the escalator!`As I am following her, I trip over myself and fall up the escalator. Die laughing as I`m riding up on my side like all sprawled out and then we make it to the next set and I`m so intelligent that I try to run up again and it happens AGAIN! Pretty sure the man behind me thought I was psycho and now I have these nice lines printed in my legs and a lovely bruise, so...thats funny. #joysofbeingobedient

My new comp is hilarious. Oh, how I have missed speaking English and American companions. She is a joy, truly. Im not sure that she likes me as much as I like her, but....that could just be a trend in my life. Hahah but I`m really grateful, because she is a really good missionary and she`s got a lot of desire to work and to just see lots of miracles and I love her and I am so excited to work together. I hope we don`t get split apart this week, but if we do, the Lord knows what`s best for us and the rest of his children here in Portugal so....so be it.

Our 70ish year old investigator, Manuel, WALKED to church this week, because he missed the bus and was already late and he didn`t want to wait and get there any later. ELECT. He didn`t accept to be baptized this weekend, because he said that it baptism is a really important promise with God and it isn`t a joke, so....at least he recognizes that, but we`ll keep working with him and all will be well. But holy cow, teaching him is like we walked out of the District. He gets EVERYTHING. He is so perfect. He is like everyone`s dream investigator. And he invited his wife to come to church next week!!

You wanna know how small the world is? Well, on Wednesday, we had our mission conference with Elder Dyke, so on Tuesday night, we had 12 sisters sleep in our house. Yeah. 12. It was actually a party and you know how much I loved it. Oh, I miss my friends so much it hurts. Anyways....I met the girlfriend of one of the Swindlehursts....hahahah. But, Elder Dykes came and it was so incredible and they talked about the importance of doing the small and simple things everyday, and his spirit was so strong. It was honestly so incredible, and I feel SO lucky that he came to talk to us and that I got to be there. He is truly a man inspired by God.

I`ve had a realization lately about the commandments. Everything that Jesus says is commandment. Therefore, it is a commandment to pray. It is a commandment to read our scriptures. Everything that the prophets say is a commandment. Therefore, FHE is a commandment. Working together with the members is a commandment. Doing our Family History is a commandment. And if we decide not to go to church or not to have FHE or not to say our prayers, that means that we love our vacation or our tv show or our sleep more than we love God and therefore we are not fulfilling the first and great commandment to love God above all else. So basically, I gave myself a lot of faca this week and realized that God is so so so so so much smarter than we are and that we are only here for such a short amount of time in the grand scheme of things, and He knows what is best for us, so if we do these things, we will only be happier and have a more fulfilling life. He gives us commandments to bless us. He loves us. He wants to bless us. We just have to do our part.

I love you all so much. I love this Gospel so much. I am so grateful for every single one of you. I get tears in my eyes on a daily basis because of my love for you. You are incredible. Thank you for your love and support. I feel it everyday and it keeps me going. I miss you so.

xoxo

Sister Brooks