Email: April 17, 2017

Dear Family! 

What a week it has been. Everything has changed! I am now serving with sis Bushman. she is in her 3rd transfer. My new area is awesome! It is a branch but the members here truly are awesome. We don´t have anyone to teach but the Lord is helping us to find some people! We have been knocking and knocking and talking with everyone! I wanted to set appointments to talk with the members this week but they are all going to the temple! tudo bem. We hadn´t taught any lessons until Saturday when we were determined. We were a little bit more pushy but got into some houses. We told odette we wanted to sing her a song so she let us in and then she invited her daughter, sister and husband to hear. then we prayed and taught them about joseph smith. They were crazy and talked a lot and it was a party but the spirit was still there and it was a great experience. Then yesterday we found a lady outside of her house and we just offered to help her and in the end she let us talk with her and her family. 

We each bought a big chocolate egg and decided we would hide each others. I hid my companions inside of a bread bag and put it in the cupboard because she can´t eat gluten. I tricked her pretty well! The traditions here for easter are a bunch of the catholic priests walked around with robes on and a huge cross and go around door to door asking if people want to kiss the cross and i think they give them almonds or something. 

Congrats to boo and courtney and grandma lisa hahah that is pretty funny! glad you guys had a fun week of family time and that easter went well.

Tell everyone that i love them! 

Love

Sister Emma Hulsey

miguel is a member that takes one day a week and walks all around with us! he is awesome!! ​

Email: April 10, 2017

Ola Familia!!! 

WHAT. A. WEEK. seriously it was amazing with some ups and down but filled with the spirit! To start off on Tuesday we went to visit a reference for the last time, because we had already tried multiple times to visit her and she never answered. so we told Heavenly Father it would be the last and guess who answered the door this time!! Her name is Jessica and she is really cool! Then that night we went to go visit a Brazillian family that we had also tried multiple times to visit and they always told us to come back a different day. We would go later and they would tell us the same thing. So we decided it would be the last time for a while to visit them too, and guess who let us in??? We got to teach the whole family with 5 kids! it was awesome! 

Then on Wednesday we had a zone conference ...it was really good! But after we had to go to the hospital because my comp had tripped and her foot was really hurting. Turns out she broke her foot!!! She got a huge cast and we found out she can´t put her foot on the ground for 4 weeks!! So then on Thursday she got crutches and wanted to try and go out to work but her arms got very tried so I offered to carry her home but she wouldn´t let me. SO we went back home and studied the scriptures. Then Friday morning Anabela called us and said that she probably won´t be baptized on Saturday...what the... so we got a taxi and went over to her house.  We testified to her and helped her work out her doubts and in the end she decided to be baptized on Saturday.  Hallelujah!! thanks to the spirit and Heavenly Father that helped us so much. 

Saturday was a wonderful day. First we had to go back to the hospital because they put the cast on way too tight haha then at night we had the baptism!! it was a beautiful service and Anabela bore a wonderful testimony! it was wonderful and then after the baptism we had a ward activity for Easter! It was a lot of fun. SOO Sunday arrives and it was a little different because this week we had to figure out how to get Sis Taborda to church when usually it´s our investigators who need a ride, but we found a ride! Then Anabela got there and right before sacrament meeting started she had to leave because her ex husband was at her house!! So she didn´t get the baptism of fire dangit! Hopefully the next week! She really wants to get it so the Lord will help. BUT 

I'm being transferred to Sao Joao de Madeira so i won´t be here to see her get the Holy Ghost. I'm SAD to leave Braga!! I am really growing to love it here!!! I love the people here! On Sunday all  of the sudden a woman named Paula walked into church and she told us she is ready for a change in her life and she stopped using drugs 3 weeks ago. We told her she is in the right place! Anyways I know Sao Joao de Madiera will be great too! 

Oh yes I did talk with that woman (who emailed you)! She was super nice and has a very interesting life story!!! 

Love you guys!! Easter should be great because most people here believe a lot in Christ. We shall see how it goes! I will tell you my new address when I get it. 

Sister Emma  Hulsey

Email: April 3, 2017

Dear Family!

What a great week!! First of all conference was absolutely wonderful. I am SO grateful we have the restored church and can receive revelation for our days. I LOVED President Monson´s talk about the Book of Mormon. I don´t like reading but i can´t seem to stop reading the Book of Mormon. I am learning so much through the faith of prophets past. Also I loved the talk about not losing the language of the gospel. Also Neil L. Anderson´s talk about overcoming the world. And the woman in Linda K Burton´s talk from Woman's Conference who made a can can list. How inspiring- really all of them were so good!! 

For a few weeks now we have been trying to find Belmira in her house and she was never there. This week we somehow found her in a cafe! So then we went to her house to teach her. She explained that she doesn´t like Braga and she wants to move to Porto because the things are cheaper there. We asked her what things and then she told us the cocaine!!! Whaaaat !? Well, she is ready for a change in her life so we are going to help her! It was super sweet yesterday.  We called her to invite her to conference and I asked her how she was doing and she replied,  "Thank you thank you thank you!" I was a little confused but then she said,  "Thanks for calling and not forgetting about me."

On Saturday we planned to fast with Anabela...in the end her body was not happy with her so she ate and she was so sad that she could not fast. She started crying because she thought she could not be baptized. We reassured her and helped her plan to do a fast from the internet instead of food. She was relieved and is excited for baptism!! 

This week I read in Alma 24 about the peeps laying down their weapons of war. What faith they had! They were willing to do anything to not fall into sin!! 

Love you guys and I'm glad things are going well! 

Sister Emma Hulsey

OH I RECEIVED My package!!!!!! thanks sos osososos much. Really Portugal has everything i could ever need. Don´t worry too much about sending packages.... but if you do wait at least another week after transfers so I know if I will stay.

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