Sunday, November 11, 2012

We started our contacts and interviews for this month.  Mike is getting more and more comfortable doing the Spanish interviews for new students in Spain.  It is a bit of a challenge going back and forth between the two languages.  But he is doing very well.  Today he gave a great lesson in the Gospel Essentials class in Caparica.

After all the research I have done and requests I have made to update our records, we still have almost 40 participants with no current phone number.  Some of them do have emails, but not all.  I am writing to Bishops in some cases. There are about half a dozen with absolutely no way to contact them.   I was very happy this week to have one young lady respond with her number and had a very nice visit with her.  We couldn’t contact her last month because we had an incorrect number.  Sometimes we get responses that are very disheartening.  I emailed a lady this week who was married in the Madrid Temple in August to see how she was doing and whether she and her husband had moved to Canada yet.  She wrote me back saying that her marriage is over, her husband was abusive and she has moved back to Spain.  She is trying so hard to do what is right.  Her email really caused me pain.  Pray for Marta that she will find a great job and find happiness in her life. (She has a Masters and is a very talented lady who speaks several languages.) 

On a happier note, we went to another baptism yesterday in Caparica.  Rui Miguel was baptized.  He has been attending the ward for several months and is getting married soon to Ana who is already a member.  She gave a wonderful talk and in it told about how she had always wanted to marry a returned missionary.  She had, in fact, sent one young man off on a mission, but received an answer to prayer that he was not the one she should marry.  Later she dated another fellow that she liked very much, but received the same answer.  When she met Rui, even though he was not a member, she received a confirmation that he would someday be a strong member of the church and a good husband and father and that he was the one she should marry.

We visited Mario, Solange and Pedro Brandao again this week with Geraldo.  They came out to an activity at the ward last week, and we are hoping to get them to come back to church soon.

I came across this quote from Barbara Bush this week:  “Whatever the era, whatever the times, one thing will never change:   Fathers and mothers, if you have children, they must come first.  You must read to your children and you must hug your children and you must love your children.  YOUR SUCCESS AS A FAMILY, OUR SUCCESS AS A SOCIETY, DEPENDS NOT ON WHAT HAPPENS IN THE WHITE HOUSE, BUT ON WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE YOUR HOUSE.”   We were disappointed with the outcome of the election, but now we need to pray more than ever for our president and the other leaders of our wonderful country.  Also we need to do our part as individuals to lead righteous lives so we can call upon God to bless our nation.

Have a wonderful week.  Keep warm, say your prayers, read your scriptures and be an excellent example to all those you encounter.  Let your light shine!

Sara Graca (daughter of Stake Pres.)  and Bishop's daughter ( a real character)

Rui Miguel and AnaMarques at his baptism.

See the crowd!  This is why we will visit this cathedral at a later date.