"I felt like a preacher in the olden days!"

Hey everybody again speaking here from the great old land of Portugal!  All is well here in Portugal and we had a very busy week this week which was a blessing and it seems to have flown by!  Well what to tell you all...  Well our investigators are coming along quite well and we should be seeing some baptisms here in the ward withing the next month if all goes well which will be awesome!  Thomas says all he wants is to be baptized and the only thing that is holding him back is tobacco which he has been addicted to since he was 12... so sad it really is crazy how early they start here!  We were on a bus the other day and all the kids got of to go to high school and all pulled out and lit up cigarettes.  I just don't know why and I just feel so bad for them!  BUt anywho Thomas set his own goal to be baptised on the 22 of this month!  I hope he can make it!  Also Andrea is still being crazy like usual.  Haha no she is awesome but she is just a little crazy but progressing none the less!  This week I had an experience where I felt like a preacher in the olden days.  We were talking to andrea and alll of a sudden like three other people come out and just start talking about Jesus and stuff and it was cool and then somehow I got to be the center of attention for the small crowd as I testified of the restoration of the gospel!  haha it was quite interesting but 3 of the four people that were there ended up going to church this week!  It was Pretty great!:)  Halloween here was not anything like it is there in the states I saw like too little groups in the enitre city the whole night of trick or treaters.  So nothing to out of the ordinary for halloween.  But It was a great week.  We were able to get a lot done and hopefully we will see the fruits of our labors here shortly.  We noticed changes in all of our investigators this week.  It was awesome but I noticed that all of the changes that they made did not come directly from words we said but I knew that it was the spirit telling them and influencing them as they studied the book of mormon and began to develop a desire to change.  It made me realize that in order for a true change of heart to occur in anyone on any occasion, the spirit needs to be present as well.  True change takes time and as we draw ourselves closer to God, He through his Holy Spirit, will whisper and influence us to change our hearts repent and become better and more obedient.  I have noticed that in me as throughout this week I have had a stronger desire to be 100 percent obedient.  It is hard but as I draw myself close to God he gives me motivation and desire to change which for me has been absolutely essential.  I have just felt my testimony deepen and increase this week.  Every day I felt stronger and more ready to work.  It has been awesome!  This gospel is so true!  It really is awesome to be there with an investigator and just see the atonement at work in the life of another person.  Elder Ricci continues to be an awesome companion for me!  He is so humble and ready to work.  Even though he is struggling with the language he gets up and works every day!  This next week is transfers but I am really hoping that I stay here again with Elder Ricci.  But the Lords will be done!  I hope you all had a great week and a happy halloween!  Man before we know it we are going to be on Christmas day!  It is starting to get really rainy here like today was just crazy rainy and windy!  I am for sure going to miss our snow out there in Utah all we get here is rain what I heard!  Anywho I am sorry this letter is not the most exciting i really should make little notes throughout the week because I always forget when I am in front of the comptuer!  I love you all and wish you all and awesome week!:)

Elder Brandon Eldredge!