"The Lord has become my best friend"

Good Morning Bragança!
I know we´ve come so far but we´ve got so far to go! This week some songs from hairspray are going through the air as I wake up in the morning every day here in Bragança instead of Baltimore, and I hit a year this week thusly, the songs from hairspray being appropriate. Can you believe it? A year ago this week I was saying my last goodbyes, not eating because of nerves, and being setting apart as a missionary for our Lord and His Church. It´s definitely been a journey and there are for sure many more adventures to come. I don´t know that I am the exact same person I was a year ago, but I still am just as handsome, clever, and charming.... oh and #humble. The Lord has become my best friend in the past year seeing that He is the one that I have been able to look to 24/7. I have gained a strong testimony of the grace of his atonement. I know that our Heavenly Father lives, and that he truly wants us to have happiness and joy in our lives. I know that His plan is perfect, and that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. I know that this Church was restored by a prophet of God.
I have been a year without seeing my friends, family, pets, and movies. No videogames, no (long) naps or sleeping in. It´s an experience that you can´t trade for anything that truly changes your life forever.
Everything has been going fine. Unfortunately the family we´re teaching had a little set back. Something happened in the past week or so and he didnt want to talk to us so the rest of the family kind of acted wierd towards us and they didnt show up to church. It´s definitely a let down, but we cant get discouraged. We got the stake coming here again for our Branch Conference! gotta get things in order and people to church! All is well, spring is coming and its warming up. The sun is staying in the air longer and we´re still quotin our movies.
Love you all, thanks for the support and love and prayers.
Love Elder Quinn!!! See ya´ll in a year! ;)

"...with the Spirit I usually keep warm."

Good Morning Bragança! (hairspray...)

Welp, one more week in this tiny little city! But good news, the sun is staying in the air longer and we are getting closer and closer to spring!!!! It gets pretty windy here unfortunately and it brings the cold air from the snowy sierras of Spain!!! But with my jacket and with the Spirit I usually keep warm. Still looking for those elects of God here in this town! I know they're here... just a little more and we´ll be having some baptisms!! This branch will be a ward here in no time!! The family we are teaching are sooo cool!! Just trying to get them to make the change from sleeping in on Sundays, to coming to church at 9:00 am. has been the biggest challenge! With just a little more patience and love they´ll get there! Been challenged by the president to speak only portuguese outside of the house, so we´ve been doing that and it has really helped improve my language! Headed to Porto again this week for some meetings there with the Zone and with President. Still drinking juice, and putting brown sugar in basically everything we eat... I have gained quite the sweet tooth out here... I guess I already had one... but still! The Lord is helping us out so much in the Branch here in Bragança! We broke our record with people in sacrament meeting yesterday!!! WOOO 16 people! haha! gave like my 12th talk in sacrament! but its all good, Learning sooo much being here and loving it! Elder Lines and me get along real well! We quote Matilda, Harry Potter, and all the classics. We also find time to do missionary work. All is well here!

Love you all!!!
Love Elder Quinn

"Learning and Loving it!!!"

Well, one more week down. This past week was one of the rougher ones... but I definitely learned a lot. I already have 6 weeks here in Bragança! Insane how fast the time truly flies by!! Monday, Elder Lee went to Lisbon to do residency and I went to Porto for training for the leaders. Then we came back Tuesday night to a family night we had planned with our family of investigators and a member family. The investigators couldn't make it... so I was a little disappointed... But then we kept working, and kept looking. We didn't really have too much success, so we didn't get to teach too much for the week, So that's why it was a little rougher. We had two meetings that were to do with the branch that were over 7 hours in total, and stuff like that... just a lot of learning this past week. Oh, also I was under the weather a little, but no big deal, I'm already feeling better! Like i said, I learned a lot of things this week that will help me for the rest of the mission. There's always a reason for everything! We´ll be sure to help this family receive the blessings of the gospel! We took a nice walk to the top of the mountain here in bragança today for pday. It was beautiful!! Very cold for sure... but awesome views!! Yesterday in church was awesome! Great classes, and 2 less actives showed up! So the Lord answered our prayers, just in a different way than we were expecting! Also, I got to give a talk in sacrament again... ha-ha it's good practice! Never wanted to talk in sacrament before the mission... but now I'm doing it every week. All is well here!!! Learning and Loving it!!!
Love Elder Quinn

                                 

"We are establishing Zion and preparing for the 2nd coming of our Lord!!"

So branch president is going... ha-ha it’s alright! We had 8 members yesterday... the worst attendance we´ve had so far in the branch. But the family that Elder Lee and I are teaching showed up!!! They are soo cool! Seriously just a normal family! It’s the first family that I have really taught or really had progressing! Elder Lee and I had a very powerful lesson with them on Saturday night, where we invited them to be baptized and prepare for the 31st of January, and they accepted!!! So we just got to keep working our butts off to make this happen! This branch and The Lord need this family!!! So I´ll keep you updated on their process! I am learning sooooo much in this position that I never even would have thought before. It´s definitely stretching me to have a branch and members to worry about, and then to have the missionary aspect to keep looking for and finding and baptizing... but there’s nothing too big for the lord! And He is the reason I am here and of course he´ll continue to help us! I think that’s why he lead us to this family, so we can have at least some awesome people progressing and stuff while we just have to keep looking for more! There was a funeral yesterday of the Husband of one of the ladies in our ward. He wasn’t a member... so it was held in a catholic chapel... It was very different than what we do. It was an experience for sure, but it just made me that much more grateful to know and have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. Also finding out that my Great grandma passed away, I know we´ll see her again. All of us will live again because of our Savior, Jesus. The mission isn’t doing too hot right now on baptisms, so the leaders get to have a meeting with president tomorrow in Porto! 3 hour bus ride both ways! whooo... ha-ha it´ll be fine. All is well here. We are establishing Zion and preparing for the 2nd coming of our Lord!! Keep in your prayers this wonderful family! Their last name is Vase! Love you all!!! Thanks for everything!

Love Elder Quinn!

'Happy Christmas to us!!!"

Well, the first Christmas out of the house has come and gone. Time to clean up the trees and decor, and start a new year! So this Christmas was very special for me! I got to work!!! wooooo!!! Too fun, I know, right? ha-ha just kiddin, it was just another day here in Bragança Portugal! But it was awesome because I GOT TO SKYPE MY FAM!!! So that was the best Christmas present ever!!! On Christmas we had planned on going to a Chinese buffet... but they were closed. (Chinese don’t even celebrate Christmas... Right?!) But then we just worked a little more and then went to the chapel and cooked French toast for ourselves while the other missionaries talked to their families on Skype!! Happy Christmas to us!! ha-ha but anyway... this week was a little rough... just because everyone we talked to told us that after the holidays and what not, that they would talk to us... so we didn’t have really anything happening. Then we fasted Saturday for the Lord to help us find a family, a new branch president, and just people to teach! Sunday night, we were walking to a less active member’s house, when we passed a door that we had knocked on earlier and the lady told us to come back (everyone’s answer) later. So we knocked on that door again. The dad was home, they let us in and we taught a family of 5!!! It was definitely an answer to our fast/prayers! The Lord is awesome and I´m learning so much every day!! The Branch up here is doing alright. My job as Branch President this past Sunday was….. 1 lesson, 1 talk, pass the sacrament, direct the music, and closing prayer. Ha-ha so it’s definitely stretching me... but I’m definitely growing! Lovin it! And it’s not too cold yet... but January hasn’t come... so we´ll see! Thanks for all your prayers and support!!! Happy New Year!!! Make some good resolutions! Mine is to not gain more than 20 pounds from all the juice over here!! Love you!!!
Love Elder Quinn!

Thanks to all those who sent a little love Dallis' way!

Dallis by the Christmas tree that his family sent, covered in all the beautiful ornaments that his friends and family colored for him! Christmas 2014!

"I could not be more excited to see you guys!!!"

So I got transferred...The new area is called Bragança!!! It is basically the northernmost city of the mission... just in time for winter yay.... ha-ha. Oh gosh... I seriously don’t know what will happen... probably lots of rain. We are in a branch now... this will be my first time serving in a branch in my mission... so we´ll see. We got the calls for transfers last night, we were at one of our recent convert’s house, so I said final goodbyes, I called some members and my other recent converts, told them the news, came home packed until 1:00 am., woke up at 5:30 am., then I started traveling at 6:16 am., took a bus from 8:00 am. until 2:30 pm. all the way north... it was a ride and a half.... it was a good time for sleep. Plus I got to see beautiful sights, valleys of vineyards, little villages on every mountain with their own catholic chapels... it was a way a cool thing to see. I am excited to be in this new area and work with this branch, and freeze of course! My new companion is Elder Lee from Ephraim. He came in the same day as Elder Yancey. We´re going to have a good transfer (and Christmas) together!
Ha-ha, I could not be more excited to see you guys!!! Two weeks from this one!! I´ll let you know how the weather treats me... should be alright... we´ll see... Love you mom!!! Thanks for everything!!! Oh yah, I took a picture by the dumb and dumber sign, just for you guys!! Love you forever!!!
Love Elder Quinn!