When it Rains, It Pours.

 This week has been incredibly busy but so amazing at the same time. On Tuesday evening, I gave the closing prayer for the MTC devotional and President Hinckley's son, Elder Hinckley came to speak to us about being safe on our missions. The two Elders who died this past week (in Romainia I think?) didn't realize that their Carbon Monoxide monitor was unplugged! So he gave us pointers and talked about staying positive even when things are discouraging. I got to sit on the stand because I was going to offer the closing prayer. I felt really nervous actually, to stand in front of 2,000 people for the prayer, but it was fine. :)

This week I had a lesson on Skype with Brother Zamboni from Brazil. I practiced speaking with him and he asked how I had learned so much Portuguese in only three weeks. I told him I had taken a class before. It was great though, I understood almost everything except when he said his wife was pregnant, and I learned the word for it, gravada. (It has an accent, but I can't figure it out in my emails. :) He aslo taught us a Brazillian saying, "Auga mole em pedra dura tanto bate ate que fura." (Also missing some accents) Which roughly translates into, "Soft water in hard rock, hits so much until it penetrates." It is about perseverance. You keep trying and working at things even when it is hard and you will one day be successful.

We taught the second lesson this week about the Plan of Salvation. It was great, and I made an artsy cutout for it to help show how the atonement of Jesus Christ overcomes the effects of the fall. All mankind will be ressurrected and gain immortality, and those who accept Christ and follow his plan receive eternal life with God. I'm going to get it laminated this week so I can take it and use it, and it's all written in Portuguese!

SO, this week has been CRAZY with visas. My teacher, Brother Mattheson said he was sure they would start coming in, and when it rains, it pours, he said. And he couldn't have been more correct. 80 people got visas yesterday and 30 the day before and I don't know the munbers for today yet, but it's a TON! People were running around waving them in the air, so excited to be leaving. Our roommate, Sister Smith got hers and left this week. It was sad to see her go, but she is pretty much going to be amazing. She flew straight to her mission and not to the MTC there because she had been here for over 9 weeks! We'll see what happens this week, who knows? Once you get your visa, most people leave the next day, but I love it here so much, so whenever works for me! :)

Well, I hope everyone is having a great week! :D