´Eu preciso meu escravo de dente´ -Elder Ogles

I need my tooth slave. Hahahha, or tooth brush, but that´s fine. Oh the joys of learning a language/it´s so much funnier when you are on the other side.

Tra-tra-tra-transfersss. Well, big surprise, my comp got taken from me and put on a flight back to the motherland. (Actually, I think this is supposed to be the motherland, but...whatever. It´s bigger over there.) So, I am staying in Lagos, which obviously I am so happy about, because Lagos is Sião. I got a new comp, Sister Sorenson, who is absolutely adorable and the sweetest. She is 19 and from Washington and has been out for about 5 months, but she seems absolutely incredible and just the happiest, so I know that we will see lots of miracles and that she is just what Lagos needs.

Also, they took sisters out of my last ward in Porto, which obviously breaks my heart, but all is well. Pray those elders keep taking care of my family there.

I can´t even remember what happened this week, because it was just spent running all over, but it was wonderful and terribly depressing at the same time. Sister Blanco and I had just become so close, that it hurt so much to let her get on that bus this morning, but she is an incredible missionary and I am so proud of her slash so excited for her to be able to see her family. Ah, imagine. Anyways, but I am so grateful that I got to serve with her and learn from her, and oh my goodness- to see how many people were just absolutely heartbroken when she left. She is the epitome (which is the same word in Portuguese! And enigma too:) ) of a disciple of Christ. And she taught me so much, that I don´t even know where to begin. I feel like all of Lagos lost someone special today. Hahhaha, okay that was suuuuper dramatic, but funny. But really, I feel like I learned that the most important thing we can do is act as Christ would if He were here. Take time for people, and listen, really listen, and love them, really love them, and help them with what they need, serve them how they need to be served, and be the example that makes them want to follow you. Because, when it all comes down to it, that should be the real reason anyone decides to follow Christ, because they want to become like Him, because they know that it is only through Him that we can be saved. Also, we have been studying and teaching repentance a lot, and I am so grateful/a little sad that I didnt learn this earlier on in the mission, because baptism is the first fruit of repentance, not the other way around, and it´s actually so amazing to see people want to change their life. Slash try to find out how it is even possible that the Atonement works for everything. And I love studying about the Atonement, so you should do it too. It´s life changing. Literally. bahaha #missionjokes

Anyways, Fatima and Francisco are....well...we found out why they dont want to get baptized yet this week, which is good, because at least now we understand better and can help them develop their testimonies and prepare themselves.

OH MY GOODNESS FELIZMINA! I dont think I have told you guys about her, but she is like our Portuguese grandmother. We´ve been really busy, so we weren´t able to visit her for a couple of weeks, and the other day when we knocked on her door and she opened it up and saw that it was us, her face literally lit up and she squealed of happiness. I have never been received so well. Oh, what a blessing. I love that little old lady. I think she is 87 actually, but she is wonderful, and she came to church with us again on Sunday, and oh...I just love her so much. She loves hearing us sing, and she would have us sit and sing to her for hours if we could. Oh, it is the funniest. She is the sweetest, and like a child at the same time. And asks us every single time we go there if we have boyfriends and where we live. Hahha, oh I love her. But, she knows there can only be one truth and she wants to follow Jesus Christ, so...we think she will get baptized.

Okay, no more time, but HAPPY EASTER!! I might not be at the Garden Tomb, or the MTC, but...there are big chocolate eggs and pictures of Christ hanging all through the city, so it´s kinda the same right? I LOVE YOU ALL WITH ALL OF MY WHOLE HEART.

xoxo,

Sister Brooks