It´s Raining Dogs!‏

Hey Family,

I´m glad everyone likes the photos i sent last week. I had some extra time on the computer after i sent the first email because Elder Thomas had to do some more stuff so i figured i´d send a few of the more important ones.

This week was another really good week. No baptisms but that will hopefully change here pretty soon. We taught that progressing couple this week but they still dont have a testimony of Joseph Smith yet. This week they payed tithing and also payed to get the liahona but for some reason still dont feel ready to be baptized. It really doesnt make sense to me to pay tithing to a church you dont think is true or pay to recieve their magizine but we figure that this just means they´re really close. Hopefully we´ll be able to mark them for baptism this week. We also talked ot another man about baptism this week but he told that he doesn´t want to change his life that much. Its another cunfusing story with him too. He says it would be too hard to change his beliefs to be baptized but he´s only been to any other church once. He also says he wont change his life but keeps every commitment we extend to him. He also came to church this week...for the third time, so we´ll see what happens later. But as you can tell, Elder Thomas and I are pretty confused about our investigators.

This week we were also attacked by two dogs and before mom starts to worry i´m ok. Early in the week we were walking around the downtown area thats near the river tracking when we came to an intersection. I cant remember what we were talking about but as we reached the corner all conversation stopped as a huge black Lab jumped out from behind a parked car and started running at us and barking. It didn´t get too close before we brought out our umbrellas and it backed. Luclky we had our umbrellas so we had some protection. I started to back down the street but Elder Thomas wouldn´t move. I kept telling him to back up but he wouldn´t budge. He said later that he didn´t move because he didnt want the dog to keep following us or something. I´m not sure if i buy that explanation though. I keep joking with him that it was because he was too scared to move his legs but who knows. It was a pretty funny experience because just seconds after the dog appeared the owner did too. He kept telling us not to be afraid of the dog, which didnt make sense because it had just tried to attack us. Eventually the dog passed and we went on our way. Afterward we laughed it off and went on our way. Then, last night we were knocking doors in a building and we were talking to this old lady when out of nowhere this dog jumps out the door and starts chasing Elder Thomas. He let out a kind of yell/shriek as he backed into a corner, and when the dog kept coming he just kicked it in the head which knocked it over. It wasn´t a real big dog, probably about the size of Mia when Spencer and Brianna bought her, so after it took that hit it was pretty shooken up and ran back in the apartment. Elder Thomas says the Lady let it out on purpose because she saw it coming. I was standing there the whole time and watched the whole thing happen. Afterward, Elder thomas tried to finish the contact but i started laughing so hard i couldn´t stand up and had to go sit on the stairs. A few seconds later the lady and Elder Thomas started laughing too so the contact didnt go anywhere. But at least we got a funny story out of it.

I also saw my first somoyed here in Portugal. He was all alone on the street and ended up troting in between me and Elder Thomas when he realized i was willing to give him attention. He stopped and i petted him for a minute and then he was on his way again. He was a well kept dog but not as good looking as Brady or Mia.

In other news, you can tell Shannon that her advice really works. She told me to smile a lot and i´ve found that its easier to be a missionary when you smile and people like you more. So if you could, tell her thanks for me.

And tell Spencer congrats on the photo from the Hockey game. I really jealous...lucky punk.

And in piano news, i can play all of "Abide With Me" and i´m starting on another. I still dont use the pedal but Elder Thomas is going to teach me this week hopefully before church.

Well, this week we have interviews and next week is transfers so i might find out if i´m leaving this area or not this week.

And as for the land slide, we heard about that yesterday. It happend out on tha Island of Madeira. Its one of the islands in the Porto mission. There is one missionary from there but i haven´t served with him.

Well, i think thats about it. Thanks for all the news and photos. I love you guys!

Élder Haws