Sister Selk: Some final pictures from Vernal and Ola Olhao!!

Look at who it is!!

crazzzyyyy week! Wow! It is crazy to believe that I am sending this email from PORTUGAL!!

We will start will the flights- obviously your fasting worked because all flights were made and connected and I had absolutely no pain on the plane rides which as you know is a miracle in itself. We were cutting it really close for all our flights, and we were just about late for our flight in Paris, but luckily the flight was running late and so we were able to make it. But I have to say that I will never lug around a 40 pound carry on PLUS a 20 pound backback with crazy flights like that ever again. It was the worst. At one point when we were running around the airport in Paris I was exhausted after not having any time to eat anything and not sleeping and I literally thought I might collapse, but I just said a prayer asking God to give me strength and I was able to make it. Never again. But I am here, so YEAHHH!!!

President and Sister Fluckiger are probably the coolest people ever! I love them a lot and I am a little disappointed I will only have about 2 months with them. We ended up getting into Portugal at around 12 on Wednesday.....I think it was wednesday.....? We got our companions right away and then had some training. My companion is Sister Bryner. She is awesome. Seriously awesome. She is a really hard worker which is what I was praying for. We are both super chill and I think we are going to have a great transfer together. I also found out that I would be heading to the very south of Portugal to Olhao!!! Who knew! I definitely predicted that I would be going to the North, but it has been so good here! Its about a 4 hour bus ride from Lisbon, so we had to catch that after training on wednesday.

I figured out pretty quick that I stink at the language and the Portuguese here is like a completely different Portuguese than I learned in the MTC! I wasnt very surprised by that though. I have definitely gone through some ups and downs with the language. Sometimes I get so frustrated that I dont know anything and other times I just have to think about how much I have learned over the past 5 days. When I think about it that way it always seems a lot better! haha Hopefully it will come! I know I have definitely already learned a lot!

I already love the people here. They are awesome!.....and maybe some a little strange and creepy.....Olhao is kind of ghetto, which you know I love, so it has been a good time. So good! We met a guy names Beto on one of my first days here and he is super cool and we were able to teach him a lesson. I have very high hopes for him and I am convinced he will get baptized! He would be such a good member, so everyone pray for BETO :)

One of my other favorite person here is Nuno. He is a recent convert, and he is just the nicest guy! Last night he walked around with us for about 4 hours or so just contacting people. He is super patient with my Portuguese, and it is really nice because I actually feel like I can try speaking Portuguese and he doesnt judge me like everyone else here haha.

Also the food here.......SO GOOOD. Mom, you would love it. Its probably not a good thing how good it is. Yesterday we got invited to a huge family dinner-I swear half the ward was there, and it was the best thing ever! We sat outside their families cafe and got to talk to the ward secretary who is the coolest guy and eat some seriously amazing food. JUST LIVING THE LIFE!

Another fun fact about Portugal....everyone and their dogs name is Joao. haha So funny. I think we pray for about 7 Joaos per night. We have to get pretty creative with how we distinguish them.

Well fam, I hope you are doing well. Thanks for all your love and support! Cant wait to talk to you this week! Amo Voces!!!

-Sister Selk