Life in Portugal:

Service and volunteering have always been a very important part of my life. After graduating highschool I decided to take some time off and serve a religious Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I served in Northern Portugal and the Island of Maderia! Though a large portion of my trip consisted of proselytizing I still managed to have a ton of other experiences, learn a lot valuable skills/lessons and make a lot of friends. Somethings I learned while on this trip:

1. Humility! I almost got a humility check every single day since over 80% of Portugal is Catholic. I learned a quick lesson which is that I am not going to help anybody through anger, arrogance, pride, or boasting. I learned to laugh at myself and not take life too seriously.
2. People skills- Knocking on doors, stopping people in the street, chatting at markets and bus stops I learned how to communicate with people in a natural and sincere way. By doing this I also learned patiences. Respecting different cultures, religions and life styles. 
3. Passion- I learned that I had to practice what I preached. I had to love myself and what I believed in order to help and teach other people. I had to go back to my core beliefs to drive me to work. I served a misison because I wanted to! You have to like what you do. 

Fun facts about Portugal:

-The capital is Lison (Lisboa)

-Official language is Portuguese- European and Brazilian Portuguese are vastly different just like English spoken in the UK and the US

-Cristiano Ronaldo was born and raised on Madeira

-Largest cork producer in the world