Paige's Portugal Papers: Week 4: Saw a Dog and an Apostle. NBD.

Hey Yall!!!

This week has been improving with each day! We got to host new missionaries on Wendesday, which means you get out of class for four hours!! It was so much fun and I met new missionaries coming and going to and from all parts of the world. We skipped exercise time because I had hauled eight fifty pound bags up multiple flights of stairs. We might have crashed afterwards.... But Tudo Bem!! After we recovered, we had a normal week.

On Sunday though.... Oh good goodness! First off, I saw a DOG, yes a DOG. We walk up to the temple every Sunday and there was this melt-your-heart, squish-him-to-death puppy walking with his owner around the temple. I got to pet the little boogar and I thought the day could never get better!! I sure miss my doggies!

Meet the most adorable dog ever... Winston!

Contrary to my expectations, the day did get better. My district and I decided to go to the Choir but apparently so did 1500 other missionaries. Now normally the choir is about 400 missionaries but when I first came it jumped up to 900 because there were a lot of people who came in the same day I did. There are close to 2400 missionaries here now! It was amazing to sing with that many missionaries!! After Choir we had devotional where there's usually a member of the mission presidency who comes and talks to us. Well they started the devotional but there was no one there to speak... we were all convinced it was the prophet because he usually walks in late like that but then they announced that we would be watching The Character of Christ by David A Bednar for the devotional. I was a little surprised because we watch it every sundaynight after the normal devotional but tudo bem! Love the talk! Well after it's over and basically my whole district was asleep, people stood up. I stood up and turned to leave and then the Sister next to me gasped and started smacking me.

It was at that moment that I realized that David A Bednar, one of the twelve apostles of Christ, had just walked in and was less than 100 feet away from me. The room was suddenly electrified and everyone was so excited. He then calmly walks up to the microphone and says, " So I heard you guys watch The Character of Christ every Sunday. I came to see if you have any questions."

It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life!!!

Basically the talk, Character of Christ, is about developing charity and humilty in order to become more Christlike. Here are some of the things I learned:

1. You can develop charity by relying and acknowledging your complete reliance on christ for the desire to become like Him.

2. To develop Christlike love, pray to be a tool for the Savior, for discernment, and for sincerity.

3. Teach charity though one on one lessons, be an example, learn from your mistakes, and be humble and submissive to the promptings of the Spirit

4. You can become charitable though being good, doing your best, don't beat yourself up, try again, learn from your mistakes, and (most importantly) trust in your faith.

Only the God of Heaven, my loving Heavenly Father could have answered those questions of my heart through the Holy Ghost.