Email: May 15, 2017

Hello family! 

OH MAN IT WAS THE VERY BEST TALKING WITH YOU GUYS!!!! I love you all so much!! And then when I got home I remembered that I had forgotten to wish you a happy mother´s day Mom! and Grandma!! Sorry!! You guys are some of the greatest blessings in my life. 

So a few cool things happened this week. We went and learned how to make soup with Margarida and then taught her family the first lesson! It was awesome and now we make lots of soup. We visited a few times this week with her and she is hilarious. She always gives us so much stuff. I think Sis B now has 2 new pairs of shoes and a new skirt. She is a little harder to teach because she talks A LOT but we still love her. Also we met Fatima and a lot of her gypsy family this week! Fatima is really sweet. When we went over there she got so excited because we had contacted her a few weeks ago and at the moment she said no and to come back (how everyone does here..usually they don´t really want us to come back) but we went back and she told us she was praying we would come back. She said she just really wants to know which church is true. and to find a church she can stay in forever. She told us the door is always open. (Gypsies are pretty funny. They really do have a lot of faith. but it´s kind of twisted. Fatima was telling us how she hasn´t paid her rent in 3 months so she was praying and she said her land lord hasn´t gotten too mad at her! ) 

This week we also found Lurdes, a lady who lives by Aldina (Aldina actually introduced us to her.) But Lurdes has a ton of faith and said we needed to go pray for her mom. So, we entered her house and knelt down and said a prayer for her mom. Lurdes was super touched so much so that she came to church! (she said her mom got a little bit better, then she asked us to say a prayer for her vision because she doesn´t want to use glasses, she thinks she looks ugly with them ahha) 

When we were walking to church (after a few people who promised they would come let us down) we felt the need to turn back and knock on Fatima´s door. So we did and....NOTHING! Well, we just turned back to go to church with peace in our hearts knowing we tried everything. Then all of the sudden a car stopped us. It was Lurdes! We asked if she was going to church and she said yeah so we hopped in her car and helped her get there! Wow the Lord is just so good. 

This week I did a special study on joy. I went to the Portuguese guide to study the scriptures and it says see also obedience. I thought about that for a while. Our purpose on earth is to have joy, and when we are obedient, we have the spirit. And one of the fruits of the spirit is joy! 

I am very glad you guys are doing well and keeping busy. I love you all very much. Thanks for all of the prayers and love. 

Love 

Sister Hulsey

aldina always kisses us so a duckface selfie was necessary

We left hearts on aldina´s door, then it rained. then we noticed she re wrote the words hahahah she said she is never taking them down

the soup we made

we got some good pao at this old famous cafe

the district

some shots portugal. aint she beautiful? 

Email: May 8, 2017

Dear Family! 

Well this week passed by pretty fast. It was full of a lot of stuff! We went and did a division with the sisters in Porto, which was my first area!! It was fun to be back for the day. I also got to chat with Dani (my first baptism) who is being a little bit rebellious. I told her to stop! But it was good to know she is doing alright. Then we had to go back to Porto a few days later bc Sister B had a dentist appointment. On Saturday we had quite a few people to visit and we able to find a few new people to teach. We also passed by a this one guy, Carlos, who doesn´t really believe in God but we gave him a BoM. He´s reading it!!! Whaaaat??? I was super pumped because of the promise that the BoM has that says through no other book will we be closer to God. Then we started talking with his wife who was telling us how she is catholic and has tried for 25 years to get him to have faith and told us good luck. They´re super nice though. Then we went over to visit Aldina who is this really funny woman who always kisses us a bunch. When we got over there she was all distressed because she had burnt a cake and had lots of dishes. SO we helped her make a new cake and do the dishes and in the end sang a hymn for her and read a scripture. Then we ate some soup with her. Before we could leave she gave us the burnt cake, lettuce, fancy salt, and lemons. She is super sweet and we are excited to keep teaching her. OH another day this week we wanted to visit one of our neighbors so we rang the doorbell and she started yelling out her window, "why did you guys come here and stuff" and then she was like "do you guys want to clean" and we were like heck yeah! so we went in and helped her clean her house. She was laughing at us because I guess we didn´t know how to clean. Really it is because the people clean differently here! They honestly make things so difficult. I was hanging up her laundry and apparently I did that wrong. Really I was almost in tears laughing because she thought it was so funny! In the end, her husband and son arrived home and we were able to share a message and leave a Book of Mormon with them. Then she invited us to stay and have soup with her but we happened to have a dinner with a member that night. She she told us she will call us so we can learn how to make soup. 

I'm just out here living the dream! Thanks for all of your prayers and love. I read today the crazy letter Capt.  Moroni sends to Pahoran but really I think it is meant for all of us. We can always do something more to help someone else. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve and to try and have more patience and love for everyone. 

Glad you guys had a great week. I am excited to talk with you! I will call 10 am your time. Megan you looked great for prom, so sassy with those shoes. Glad it was fun. Also Caleb is just so cute. Also good job Jordan!! I am proud of you. Also jealous of the Mexican food and dj from the wedding. I haven´t found many of those in Portugal. 

Love you guys! Love the Lord! Love the work!! 

Sister Hulsey

Email: May 1, 2017

Hello Family!

Thanks for your email! I love hearing about everything. SO I will be skyping on the 14th (it's funny in Portugal Mothers Day is on the 7th) anyways probably about noon your time. I will tell you when I have more details. 

This week was pretty good! We had a Zone Conference that was good. We talked about how we have to have the MAXIMUM plans and then execute those plans to guarantee that things will happen. Then on Saturday we had to run away from 2 drunk guys!! But last night was really awesome! We went to go visit one of our only investigators and she was out on her porch talking with neighbors so then we talked with all the neighbors and one of them was SUPER interested and I already love her so much. She hugged us after we told her about the first vision and she thought it was the most beautiful story in the world. We are excited to teach her again. Then we went to go visit this one person that said we could come back. Well, she wasn´t home but her brother was who came out and talked with us for like 15 minutes about who we are and such. Then we asked him when we could come back to teach the whole family and he said that tomorrow they are going to have a birthday party and that we should come and then we can talk with the whole family and some friends! We are pumped to go there tonight! I believe the blessings that the events of yesterday happened because 1.God is MERICFUL!!  and 2. We fasted! 

We have been trying to stay very obedient and use our time wisely. We talk with EVERYONE but it's a little bit hard to find people that will let you talk. But the Lord is helping us. 

Sorry-don´t have a ton of time! But thanks for your prayers. I can feel them. Have a great week!!!!! I hope all goes well!! 

Sister Emma Hulsey

we saw a pretty sunset and the member walking with us took a picture...then a lady came out and told us lots of people take pictures here and we ended up being able to teach her the first lesson!!! woooohoooo

Email: April 24, 2017

Ola Familia! 

This week came and went. In the beginning we were finding lots of peeps to teach then when we want back to visit them they gave back the Book of Mormon danget. They just don´t understand! But it´s all good because we still had some great moments full of the spirit. Last night we somehow ended up on this funky road but knocked a door and said a prayer with her and after she was in tears saying how much she needed it. Also one day we were walking in this one area and I felt the need to go into this one building. Well we went in and the first door we knocked on was one of the members here! She was SO happy to see us. She gave us a reference and told us she felt so much better. What a miracle! This area is REALLY big so we walk a TON and it is hot here too! We get lots of sun and every morning I put on my sunscreen. But for the first time ever I have little tan lines on my feet and I have never been more proud. 

Also my skin has been having a lot of problems and all the Portuguese people like to tell me what I can do to fix it.  This week, this lady whose breath is always full of the smell of wine told me to put lemon juice and rum on my face,  but her Portuguese accent and the word rum was super hard to understand so I asked her how to spell it and when I realized what it was we about fell on the floor. Needless to say I still haven´t tried it...

This week I have been reading the stories of Captain Moroni (I actually think I have developed a crush on him).  I was so pumped up every day to go and defend our religion and our families! I learned about how patient, firm, and faithful he was. We are really trying to find lots of new people to teach. This week we are going to try a few new things to find them! What did you guys do on your missions to find people? 

I have been praying a lot about how we can have success in this area and in the scriptures this week I read multiple times that if you are obedient you will prosper in the land. I have a lot of faith in this promise!  

I'm glad you found a creative way to raise some money for Megan´s trip. Who is she going to prom with? That´s crazy with the bird story! Glad things are going well!! Love you all! 

Love,

Sister Emma Hulsey

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.