Email: March 27, 2017

Dear Family,

We had a fantastic week! On Friday we went to teach Anabela. She almost broke up with us! She started in with things about the Book of Mormon and the word of wisdom....Sister Taborda and I didn´t know what to say but we felt to pray again with her, bare our testimonies, and ask her what the real problem was. The spirit guided us the whole time and we discovered a few things. We shared about Abraham and Isaac and how neither of them asked why. She liked it and we left feeling better. The next day we received a phone call and she said "Sisters, I want to be baptized, what do I need to do?" I told her we just need to fill the font! She is amazing and studies every day, we know that she is super ready! She said she finally said a specific prayer about the church and Joseph Smith and she received an answer! Her heart was FILLED with joy. She said she doesn´t have any more whys because she knows that the church is true! She will be baptized on the 8th. 

Yesterday Henrique received the Aaronic priesthood. He came to church with a white shirt and everything! He will start passing the sacrament soon! 

I celebrated 9 months on a division with Sister Maingot! I can´t believe I’m already half way done, and that I only have 9 more months! 

Haha last week we contacted some references from a member. It was her hair dresser so we went to the salon and asked for Felipa and explained why we were giving her a present and everything. She seemed a little confused but she accepted. Well, we discovered that we went to the wrong salon and gave it to a different Felipa! Haha we went back there to say sorry and that we aren´t liars but she was really nice and said she will watch the dvd! Then we found the other salon and found the right Felipa. 

I still haven´t watched Woman’s Conference but we will this week and I’m SO excited! Glad that you guys had a good week and are keeping busy. It really is crazy how fast time goes. Good luck with everything this week! Love you guys

Sister Emma Hulsey

OH i read a really good talk this week from Elder Uchtdorf (man he´s just awesome) called be genuine. Highly recommend it! 

a lady that we see every morning and always asks us how we are, talks about Jesus, and wishes us a good day

Email: March 20, 2016

Hello Family!! 

We had a fantastic week!!! It was super busy and I went to bed so tired but it was great! First of all the baptisms were beautiful! We felt the spirit so strong but what I think that the thing that was even more special were the confirmations the next day! Each one was so different but what brought me right to tears was that in  Henrique’s blessing it talked about a mission!! The day of the baptism was absolutely crazy (as always???) but in the end everything went well. The day started with a phone call from an investigator who wanted to break up with us, then finding the tj´s (Jehovah Witnesses) at the home of a family we are teaching, finding the place to print the programs closed, 2 appointments falling through, and Sis Taborda with shingles!!!! hahaha but it was wonderful! 

This week also we have been really trying to help Anabela overcome her addiction with alcohol. It was been a roller coaster but we are trying our best with her and she is doing a good job! Also we had an out of the blue devotional here in Braga with Elder Moreira of the 70 so we brought Anabela and he answered her questions from the pulpit! He also spoke about how we need to lift our heads and always keep trying because usually we won´t have the results we want the first time, but the Atonement is infinite.
 Yesterday Sis Taborda was super sick so we stayed home for a while but then received a desafio (challenge) from President to find a father in a house and say a prayer with him because it was Father’s Day here yesterday! So we went on our way and found lots of fathers in their houses, but no one let us say a prayer. Until it was almost time to go home when we knocked on a door where we heard Evangelical music playing. They answered and let us in! They said they were glad we weren´t Catholics, tj´s or Mormons...only slightly awkward to explain that we are the Mormons but in the end we had a great lesson with them! And we completed the challenge from President. 

Crazy to hear about the mission calls! We are having a grand ole time out here in Portugal representing our Savior! Glad to hear that you guys are doing well. It was really warm here this week, I got only a little sunburned but it started raining again today. And I haven´t received the package...did you send it to the office or my apartment? Thanks for all of your love and prayers! 

Sister Hulsey

Email: March 13, 2017

Hello!! 

to clear up your confusion. I have my comp sis taborda. She is going to change her name to use that of her father´s. haha She is really awesome. We have been super obedient and tryiing to use our time wisely. Im enjoying myself! haha this week was great! We had interviews with our president which was good. it was only like 10 minutes and we were kind of annoyed that we had to ride the train for an hour to get there and an hour to get back BUT on the way there we started talking with a guy and in the end we invited him to church. well guess who showed up on sunday!!!! and he said he will come again next week. #worthit (an the interview was good!) things are going well with rosa and henrique and we hope the baptism goes well this week! This passed friday night we were knocking and knocking doors and not finding anyone. It was 9h26 and we decided we needed to knock one more floor before going home. Well we did and found isabel! she has a lot of interest and we are excited to go back. HAHAH but her son felipe who is like 36 had been doing drugs that day and was a little bit crazy. He offered us coffee and turned on the machine but we just kept telling him we don´t drink coffee but he wouldn´t listen. but in the end he gave us water! then we asked if we could say a prayer and all the sudden he got up and just asked if we wanted to watch tv...in the end he didn´t want to listen to us but his mom is really cool!  Then the next day we went to go visit belmira. She wasn´t in her house but nikki, a student that lives with her invited us in. We ended up teaching her and she has a lot of interest. She is from iran and doesn´t speak portuguese, so we taught in english. (but my comp doesn´t speak english ahhaa) it was so weird to teach in english but nikki is super sweet! Also the elders this past saturday had a baptism and we had planned to sing a special musical number with them but then while we walked up there the elders told us we were going to do a duet. in the end it went well and the baptism was awesome! Also anabela has been meeting with us again and we are going to help her with her addiction to alcohol! 

The Lord is SOOOOO good and i love this work. I read President Uchdorft's talk forget me not, highly suggest it. Love hearing from you guys!! im happy things are going well back in Utah. 

Love Emma

Rosa and Henrique tried on their baptism clothes!

We were given flowers for the dia da mulher

We went to bom jesus for pday! it was pretty!

we found forget me not flowers today!!!! we both read that talk from Elder Uchdorff and loved it

Email: March 6, 2017

Hello family!! 

So good to hear from you guys! wow eli and caleb can already ride 2 wheelers. They´re growing up so fast! is the band thinking about going on a mission?? We had some warm weather here but it´s back to cold and rainy! but that´s ok! 

My new comps name is Sister Taborda.  She was baptized 7 years ago and hit 9 months this past week (we celebrated at a japonese buffet that had brazillian music!) . she is the only active member in her immediate family. OH so sis marinho on her mission baptized (a member of the 70) Elder moreiro who later served a mission and baptized the family of sis Taborda! it´s a small world in the church! I am so lucky to serve with sis taborda! she is super fun and super obedient! exactly what i needed this transfer!  sis taborda and I are working hard  and having fun! 

This week we went to go visit rosa and henrique so we got on the bus and i thought i knew where we needed to get off but when the end of the line came we decided to talk to the driver. He let us stay on until we looped back to the stop we needed. He also gave us his address and phone number and the elders are going to visit him! Well, we finally were on the street of rosa and henrique and all of the sudden we found antonio, the son of a member here in braga! we talked with him for a little bit and he invited us to visit with him and his wife. we seized the opportunity and taught them the 1st lesson. It was really cool and we will visit them again this week. Then we had a lesson with isabel, rosa, and henrique and MIGUEL!! we felt that we needed to invite miguel to participate and he participated. I don´t know if he will accept in the future but isabel after was SO happy to have her whole family united listening to the word o god. 

I read a chapter about optimissim in the teachings of gordon b hinckly and really enjoyed it! We can always be grateful and optimistic! This week anabela broke up with us (she read something about the word of wisdom and she drinks and smokes)  but then we received a phone call this morning and we are going to meet with her tonight! 

Love you guys and the gospel of Jesus Christ! 

Sister Emma Hulsey