December 15, 2013

On Monday we attended our last devotional with the church office employees.  It is sad to say goodbye to such wonderful people.  We will really miss our association with these dear friends.  We stayed to see if Elder and Sister Markham had any last-minute questions, then went to our apartment to complete the final weighing of our luggage and preparations for leaving.  We also had to return our Vodafone equipment and pay our final bill with them for our internet and phone service.

In the evening we were invited to dinner and a testimony meeting with President and Sister Fluckiger and the six young Elders who had completed their missions and were returning home the next day.  We had a wonderful meal and the testimony meeting was very special.  All of us bore our testimonies and shared our love for our Savior, His Gospel, and the wonderful experience of serving Him as missionaries.

Tuesday, December 10^th, we arose at 5:00 AM, got ready, and traveled to the mission office where we turned in our car and phone and traveled with two young Elders to the airport to begin our long journey home.  We had a short flight from Lisbon to London of about three hours.  Elder Grover, from Arizona, was on the flight with us and also spent some time with us in London until we had to separate for our long flights to the US. 

Our flight from London to Los Angeles was an 11-hour flight in cramped quarters.  We managed to relax and enjoy the travel, but my legs and feet swelled to the point that I was unable to put my shoes back on when we landed and had to wear the sandals that were in my carry-on bag.  In LA we had to wait for our luggage and then clear customs before we made the last flight to Sacramento.  Unfortunately, our last flight was delayed about an hour, so our already late-night arrival became even later for those who were meeting us in Sacramento.  Due to the lateness of the hour, some of our youngest grandchildren were not able to come to the airport.  But, we did get to meet our newest granddaughter, Lacy, who was born while we were on our mission.  What a joy that was!  One of Elder Henry’s suitcases didn’t arrive with the others, even though there were all checked in together.  They brought it to us late the next day.  We arrived home at about 2:00 AM, so our travel time was about 29 hours.

On Wednesday night we met with President Yates so that we could be released from our calling as missionaries.  The next night we reported to the Stake High Council and Brad and Suzie arrived from Salt Lake City to spend a few days with us.

We were asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting on the 15^th to report on our mission.  It was great to be back in our home ward and to see all of our friends and family again.  Myrna and Naomi came to hear us speak and to eat with us.  We are so grateful to our Heavenly Father for the blessings of serving Him as missionaries.  We have many precious memories and friendships to hold dear to our hearts.

Our last night in Portugal at the Mission Home.

What a nice greeting by Gregg and children.  His lovely wife was taking the photo.

Elder Henry arrived first.  Sister Henry missed the train and came later.

Hugs for Kade.

Grandpa snuggling Lacy for the first time.

Greeting Brett--Lexi in the background.

Meeting Lacy for the first time.

December 8, 2013

This has been a week of training, goodbyes and tears.  Elder and Sister Markham are also covering the bases for employment in this area, so they came half days most of the week and all day on Friday.

Tuesday at lunchtime we were invited to a restaurant with the church employees for a goodbye luncheon.  It was very nice.  Mike and I had our favorite salmon meal that we had enjoyed at Alentejo several times previously.

Mike was busy doing interviews and making as many contacts as possible before we leave.  I sent a goodbye message to most of our participants.  Their response was very gratifying,  as many of them  responded to our message and thanked us for our service and our love. 

Wednesday morning we drove out to the mission office to take care of some last-minute questions and arrangements.  We were able to visit with Elder and Sister Rose, who were working at the office that day.  We will really miss the senior missionary couples that we have served with and grown to love.

On Thursday the gas service was being changed at our apartment building and it was requested that we be here from 9:00AM to 6:00PM.  We were fortunate to have two young Sister missionaries that have foot problems and are serving at the office who were willing to spend most of the day here as we still had so much to do at the office and also Paco was coming from Spain to meet with the Markhams and us and to take us to lunch.  Paco has been so kind to us when we have visited Spain and when he has come to Portugal for meetings and training.  He not only took us to lunch, but he brought us a replica of the Madrid Spain Temple. 

On Friday we worked for a few hours and then had the annual Christmas party at the office.  They actually moved it up a week so that we would be there for it.  We had a spiritual program, which was very nice; ate a nice lunch, visited, played a game where we acted out scriptures, and then we sang “God Be With You Til We Meet Again” .  Many people bore testimony or had kind words to say to us.  A few tears were shed.

Saturday was our day to pack up our suitcases and weigh them to see what we need to leave behind and what we are able to take home.  Then, of course, we have to use some of the clothing in the meantime and  the suitcases will have to be weighed again.  We thought there was a baptism in Caparica and drove there about 5:00PM to find that it wasn’t going to happen yet.

Mike and I both spoke in Sacrament Meeting today and afterward it was an emotional time saying goodbye to our dear friends there.  We also took a group picture, along with a few others.  We have grown to love the people in this small ward and will really miss them.  When you say goodbye to friends in a foreign country you never know if you will have a chance to see them again.

We will return to our home in two days.  We have had such a wonderful experience serving in Portugal for the past 18 months.  What a joy it is to serve the Lord in any capacity, but I would have to say that missions rank right up at the top.  How we loved serving here in Portugal.  Our testimonies and our love for the Lord have grown and we have made many wonderful new friends that we will never forget.   

With Paco Serrano and the Madrid Temple he gave us as a going-away gift.

Simon Dias, Elder Henry, Sister Henry, Francisco Costa, and Bishop Jose Ribeiro.

Elder & Sister Henry with members of the Costa de Caparica Ward.

Lunch with our Church office co-workers at Alentejo.

December 1, 2013

Last Monday I finally felt decent enough to go back to the office.  I had lots of apologizing to do to the participants who had birthdays while I was out sick, but I did get caught up.  There are two young Sister missionaries who are having problems doing much walking.  Rather than send them home, they are going to be helping out at the office with different assignments each day.  We met them there on Monday and gave them and their luggage a ride to their apartment.  It is cold here now and they were going to be without warm blankets on their beds, so we gave them a ride to the mall to buy some.

On Tuesday Elder and Sister Markham came to the office and we began our training with them.  They are anxious to learn and Sister Markham is asking me for lists of procedures which we have been working on for them.  That evening our apartment manager came by because we were having a problem with our toilet.  We were thrilled because he brought us a DVD of himself playing the accordion.  He is quite good and we had no idea that he played.

On Thanksgiving Day (in the US) the Markhams, Roses and Mike and I got together and went to a fun little restaurant in the old part of Lisbon.  We all had a wonderful fish lunch.  The other two couples went on to see some sights, but it was cold and I was a little tired.  So, we went by the Rio Sul Mall to buy a few groceries and returned home.  After putting away our groceries, I noticed that my wallet was missing from my purse.  After looking around the apartment to make sure I didn’t have it, we said a prayer and then returned to the mall to see if anyone had found it.  We talked with security and several different people, but returned home very disappointed and without my wallet.

After we had been home a short time, Mike received a called from Elder Fontes, who had received a called from Maria Lourdes, who had received a call from Sonia, who had received a call from Fernanda Reis.  Mike called Fernanda, who had found my wallet under a bench where I sat while Mike went to buy me some more cough drops.  She asked him lots of questions to be certain that she had the proper owner of the wallet and then arranged to meet us later at the same mall where she was going to have dinner with her son, Paulo.  When we met her, we offered her the 50 euros which were in the wallet as a reward because we were just so grateful to get the wallet and its contents back.  But she and her son were adamant that they would not accept a reward and wouldn’t even let us pay for their dinner.  We enjoyed a nice visit with them—what lovely, honest, people!  She said that she didn’t want to turn my wallet in to the police because they would have kept the money and it may have been more difficult for me to get it back.  We felt that the Spirit definitely was involved in those steps leading to the return of my wallet.  It could have been a very difficult return home with no way to pay the extra luggage fees the airports love to charge.   FEELING SO VERY BLESSED!

On Friday the Markhams came to the office again and we did more training.  We had them over to our apartment for Creamy Chicken Lasagna, fruit salad and rolls.

Mike and I both bore our testimonies during Fast and Testimony Meeting today, thinking that it would be our last chance to do so in the Caparica Ward.  Then Bishop Ribeiro asked us, as we were getting in our car, if we would both talk next Sunday.  I’m planning on recycling one I gave in Chapeco.  Mike gave a very nice training for the ward council after our block of meetings.

Luanne and Don Markham, our new Senior Couple

I know it's blurry, but this is the only group picture we got.  It was taken by our elderly waiter.

A view inside the Adega de S. Roque Restaurant.  What a fun place!

November 24, 2013

This week could be titled “Patience in Suffering”.  I did not feel well enough to go to the office even one day this week.  Every day I would think, tomorrow I will go for at least part of the day.  But the next day would come and I wouldn’t feel up to it.

Mike took good care of me and brought me some medicine and other items I requested so I could make a couple of different soups.  Fortunately we had a few leftovers around so he didn’t completely starve.  One way I could tell that I was quite sick was that I had absolutely no appetite.  I can usually eat my way through most any illness without batting an eye.  But, I had to force myself to eat this week.

I made a big mistake on Tuesday by thinking I should be at the airport to meet the Elder and Sister Markham when they arrived.  I bundled up good and rested what I could, but I believe it set me back a day or two.  Finally on Thursday Mike had Fatima at our office make an appointment for me at a clinic nearby.  The doctor said I had a bacterial infection in my right lung and my throat and that I was running a fever.  I hadn’t felt that I had had a fever, as I was chilling so much of the time.

So, now I am on the mend, but it is still going a little slower than I would wish.

Last night, Saturday, our ward was having a “surprise” farewell party for us.  They told Mike not to tell me, but I probably wouldn’t have gone if I thought it was just a normal ward activity just because of the way I have felt.  It was a lovely party.  The bishop, the Stake President and Mike all spoke and I would have been on the spot, too, except that talking makes me cough.  So I made a few very brief comments.  The Primary sang and our four Elders sang “Ye Elders of Israel” and it was just beautiful.  They presented us with a couple of small gifts and a painting of me done by Theresa Castro, a sweet lady of my age.  We then had a lovely banquet.  The ladies of our Caparica ward really can put on a good spread.  It was a lovely evening and I managed to feel fairly well.

But, sad to say, I didn’t have a good night—lots of coughing, a very dry throat, not much sleep and Mike said I should stay in again today.    I am so ready to appreciate good health again.

Part of the ward group.

Some of the main dishes.

Lots of yummy desserts.

With Theresa Castro who painted a picture of me.

November 17, 2013

I gave the inspirational thought at our devotional on Monday morning.  It was a short story from the Ensign about a couple returning from a mission to Hawaii.  On the flight home since the husband was a large man and there was an empty seat in first class, they paid extra for him to have a more comfortable seat in that area.  About midway through the flight the wife wanted to talk to him for a minute, but the stewardess said that she wasn’t allowed in the first class area.  She compared her experience to how  it will be for those in the Telestial and Terrestrial  Kingdoms who will not be allowed to visit the Celestial Kingdom.  We all need to strive to qualify for the Celestial Kingdom so we will not be separated from those we love the most.

11-12-13—Now that was an interesting date!

On Wednesday we did apartment checks in Monte de Caparica and Costa de Caparica.  The Elders had all done very well with the care of their apartments.  We did find one set of Elders lacking a few essential items, including warm blankets for their beds, so we followed up to make sure that they would have some soon.  We spent the afternoon in the office and then made a visit with Elder Taylor and Elder Baker in the evening in Caparica.

On Thursday I finished my texts to all of the participants for this month.  I worked extra hard to finish them early so I will have time to help the Markhams when they arrive next week. 

On Friday we had two more apartment checks to do in the Almada-Miratejo area.  The Sisters’ apartment was very clean and orderly.  The Elders’ apartment was not quite up to par, but apparently they have been working hard to overcome some of the conditions left by the former Elders.  Some young people have not been trained quite so well as others in how to clean up after themselves.  Note to mothers of future missionaries:  Have you taught your sons that cleanliness is next to Godliness?  It’s never too late to start.

On Saturday we went to the mission office in Lisbon to discuss our plans for meeting the Markhams at the airport and see that they have a car, phones and a key to their apartment.  We did a test run to make sure we knew where to go at the airport and then had lunch at Pasteis de Belem and did a small amount of shopping.  I was beginning to feel poorly.

By evening I had a terrible headache, a bad cough and chills.  No church for me on Sunday.  I was one miserable lady!  (This is why I am a week late posting this letter.  My head hurt way too much to even consider writing a letter.)  Actually I had agreed to speak at 10-year-old Raquel’s baptism on Sunday and had prepared a talk, but Elder Henry had to give it for me.

November 10, 2013

With the beginning of a new month, we were busy making lots of contacts this week.  I was a little frustrated for a day a half because my program on the computer for making text message contacts would not function.  But, it finally started working again and I was able to accomplish quite a bit.  Mike has still been doing interviews in Spanish and Portuguese so he has been on the phone a lot.

We have also been emailing back and forth with Elder and Sister Markham, who will arrive on the 19^th of this month.  They have had lots of questions and seem to be grateful to have someone to respond.  We are planning to pick them up at the airport and get them to their apartment.  Yesterday we made a trial run to the airport to make sure that we know where to go.  We also stopped by the American store in Lisbon and tried to find a Chilis Restaurant there, but it is no longer in operation.  We did find a place called Paderia Portuguesa and had a nice lunch there.  I didn’t have my camera with me, so I was unable to get a picture.  It was a busy, but fun place.  On the way we dropped our old microwave( in which I had started a fire) at the depository at the Almada Mall.  We also had photos made for the recent converts in our ward.  They seemed happy to receive them today.

After our meetings today we had another baptism.  Rafael Andrade, a 10-year-old boy whose father is an inactive member, was baptized.  His father and aunt were there and we are hoping it will lead the father back to activity in the church.  Our stake president knows the father from a few years back.

This week we will be doing at least two apartment checks and visiting an inactive in Caparica with the young Elders.  This is a man that we tried to see three different times in the past.

Elder Taylor, one of our newly-arrived Elders, plays the piano.  He is a little out of practice, but did pretty well on some of the hymns today.  This will be a great opportunity for him to fine-tune his skills.  We need him badly in our little ward.  He also gave a wonderful talk—having been asked on the spur of the moment to fill in during Sacrament Meeting.  He is from Utah, his mother is from Brazil, and he spoke great Portuguese.   His talk stressed the importance of serving the Lord.

Grandma Naomi Henry had a frightening experience last Monday.  She was making her daily walk around the mobile home park where she lives and was confronted by two Pit Bulls.  One jumped up on her and fortunately she had a cane and beat him off with it.  She felt very lucky that she had her cane and they weren’t able to take her down.  She is pretty feisty for a 93-year-old woman.

Tomorrow I have the spiritual thought for our devotional at the office.  I am going to share a story about a couple who were returning from their mission to Hawaii.  Her husband was a large man and the normal seats were very uncomfortable for him.  They were able to find one empty seat in first class and paid extra for him to sit there.  Midway through the flight his wife wanted to speak with him, but was told she could not enter the first-class area.  This caused her to reflect on how it will be in the three degrees of glory.  Those in the lesser kingdoms cannot visit the higher kingdoms, just like this lady who was sitting in economy could not visit her husband in first class.  Christ will minister to the Terrestrial and ministering angels will minister to the Telestial.     WORKING HARD TO QUALIFY FOR CELESTIAL!

Rafael Andrade (10 years) with Aunt and Father and Elder Barnhart

Deleinia and Max (our neighbor who walks in the park with us).

Part of a large cement factory.

November 3, 2013

We finished up our contacts this week for the month of October and started on a new month by the end of the week.  It’s amazing how quickly the time passes.  Elder Henry has been extremely busy doing new-loan interviews with students in Cape Verde and Spain.

President and Sister Fluckinger invited us to a luncheon on Wednesday to say good-bye to Elder and Sister Johnson.  They returned home to Idaho Falls on Thursday.  Their mission was completed on the 23^rd and then they spent about a week touring Spain, including a session in the temple and visits to several different cities.  Elder and Sister Markham, who will join us soon, now have their visas after waiting for months to serve in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  We are happy that they should arrive around the 18^th of this month.

We took advantage of our Preparation Day and nice weather yesterday and had a nice day trip to see a few new areas of Portugal.   We were especially interested in going to Tomar and Fatima.  On the way we drove through some very beautiful areas.  We were able to visit the Convento de Cristo in Tomar and the Basilica and the Church of the Holy Trinity in Fatima.  It is believed that Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared to three children in this area on May 13, 1917.  Many people make pilgrimages from long distances to visit this site every year.  On the 50^th anniversary about 1.5 million people, including the Pope, came to visit this site.  There is a huge area around and in between these two large edifices and many stones laid in the area to create an assembly ground which is quite impressive.  A fountain in the middle provides holy water for the pilgrims to take home.

Today the three people who were baptized last week were confirmed and it looks like we may have a baptism next week of a 10-year-old .  Mary Lemos, who has been inactive for 7 years, has been coming the last few weeks.  She had moved here from another area and didn’t know where the church was until the Elders knocked on her door.  She seems very happy to be back at church.

“Be obedient to the prophetic teachings Christ would have you follow.  Don’t rationalize away future happiness by taking shortcuts instead of applying sound gospel principles.  Remember:  little things lead to big things.  Seemingly insignificant indiscretions or neglect can lead to big problems.  More importantly, simple, consistent, good habits lead to a life full of bountiful blessings.”  Richard G. Scott

We send our love to all!  THE GOSPEL IS TRUE!

Farewell luncheon for the Johnsons--Yummy quiche and salad!

Outside the Convento de Cristo in Tomar

Convento de Cristo-Tomar

The Basilica in Fatima with assembly area in the foreground.

October 27, 2013

Happy Birthday today to Elder Jacob Henry, who is serving in the Argentina Bahia Branca Mission and has just been called to be a zone leader.  Time has flown—he will be home in the middle of January, just a little over a month after we end our mission.

We enjoyed some heavy rainstorms this week, but have had some nice sunshine for the past two days.  We are expecting more rain tomorrow and then more sunshine.  It is always nice to get the rain, clear the air and provide water for those living things which need it so badly.

Our week at the office was busier than we expected.  Elder Henry gave a wonderful inspirational message at our devotional on Monday morning.  It was very well received by the co-workers and Elder Moreira, the Area Seventy who works out of our office, said that he is going to use at his next Stake Conference.  Elder Henry had many new loan interviews to do and I was kept busy with birthdays, thanks for payments, and searching for participants on Facebook. 

Elder Henry helped Elder Bascom and Elder Barnhart move into a new apartment in Monte de Caparica  in the middle of the week.  They got everything moved except their beds.  They have been sleeping on the couch since then, but Simon Diaz is going to help them get their beds this week.

We had Stake Conference this weekend.  On Saturday afternoon and evening the meetings were held nearby in Miratejo.  Elder Henry was in meetings from 4:00 PM until 8:30 PM and I was there from 5:30 on.  The stake leaders don’t work on a strict schedule like we are accustomed to at home.  Our meeting today was at the Jean Piaget Institute in Monte de Caparica and the place was packed.  Elder Henry was the first speaker and gave a wonderful talk on missionary work and especially serving couple missions.  There were six speakers besides the stake presidency and the meeting went a little overtime.  The meetings were good, but at times a little difficult to understand.

We went to Caparica this afternoon for three baptisms, one of our best yet.  We had three adults baptized—Adilia Januario, Paulo de Oliveira and Margarida de Cunha.  We waited a while for a new convert to show up and give a talk on baptism.  Elder Henry had mentioned to the bishop that if he didn’t show up, he could give a short talk.  He did show up, but the bishop still called on Elder Henry to talk also.  He did a wonderful job.  I took Chocolate Crinkles and banana bread, as they always have food for their baptisms.

We are looking forward to another wonderful week in the mission field.  So sad, though, that Elder and Sister Johnson will be flying home on the 31^st.  We send our love to all.

From L to R-Elder Shumway, Vitor, Margarida, Paulo, Adilia, Elder Baker

Paula Tavares (recent convert) with Sister and Elder Henry

Our bishop's son, Dinis, with a plate of my Chocolate Crinkles.  He had a really full plate at one point and kept reaching for more.  

October 20, 2013

For family and friends who knew my home growing up in Gridley, California, the home and property have been sold to Dale Leishman.  Myrna and Jerry will be moving to Yuba City soon and sharing a large home with their daughter Kim and her husband and family.  It will be much easier for Myrna to be rid of the worry of the upkeep of the home and property.  As we get older, sometimes this type of change is necessary.  They are considering building a small home on Drew and Sarah’s property in Oroville.

We had two PEF participants pay off their loans this week.  This is always exciting for us, as we know the sense of freedom it brings to pay off our debts.  Our prophets continue to council us to avoid debt and when we have debt, to pay it off as quickly as possible. We also had a participant who needed some consoling, and others who needed interviews with a new school year starting.   We seem to have plenty to keep us busy.

Tuesday we had a meeting with the owner of one of our missionary apartments.  The missionaries are moving to a better location and we needed to go over a list of items that had been furnished with the apartment when it was rented five years ago.  The lady was insisting on seeing the same towels, etc., that she provided when the apartment was rented.  It was an interesting experience.

On Wednesday we had an appointment in Lisbon to renew our residency papers.  We left home at 7:30 and didn’t arrive at the mission office until 9:15.  This trip usually takes us one- half hour.  The traffic was so heavy in one spot that we must have waited through at least 20 green lights, moving forward just a little at a time.  Fortunately we arrived in time to meet Pres. and Sis. Fluckiger, who were also renewing their residency, and to travel to another location where we completed the necessary paperwork.  It seems a shame to have to renew with less than two months to go.

We had a video conference with leaders from SLC and other parts of the world on Friday afternoon.  They gave us some training on the new Self Reliance/Perpetual Education Program that will be implemented here sometime next year.  They will be giving training the third week of each month. 

We spent Friday evening cleaning our apartment, so we could use our P-Day on Saturday to visit another city.  We traveled to Mafra and enjoyed a beautiful drive plus enjoyed our visit to one more unique palace.  I will post some pictures later on Facebook.

I will conclude with a quote from Elder Richard G. Scott:  “Be certain that every decision you make, whether temporal or spiritual, is conditioned on what the Savior would have you do.  When He is the center of your home, there is peace and serenity.  There is a spirit of assurance that pervades the home, and it is felt by all who dwell there.”

“As you center your home on the Savior, it will naturally become a refuge not only to your own family but also to friends who live in more difficult circumstances.  They will be drawn to the serenity they feel there.  Welcome such friends into your home.  They will blossom in that Christ-centered environment.”

National Palace of Mafra (It is so large that it is difficult to get a picture of the entire edifice.)

The Music Room--One of my favorites.

The Hunting Room--There were antlers and heads everywhere!

The Library-with over 36,000 volumes.

October 13, 2013

This past Monday we spent a few hours at the office and then went to the mission office to get Mike’s insurance papers and on to the hospital where he had two tests scheduled for his leg.  When we arrived at the hospital they said one test he could have soon, but we would have a 3-hour delay for the other.  As it turned out, we were only there for an hour and 15 minutes and the sonogram and x-ray were done.  We had to wait a few hours for his doctor consultation and it wasn’t worthwhile to return home, so we had lunch at the mall close-by and had some photos made for members and missionaries.  He didn’t get in to see the doctor until 6:30 PM.  The doctor said that his problem is arthritis and there is not much that can be done until he can’t live with the pain.  The good news is that he is doing quite well and has been walking much more than he was able to do for a while.

We had a busy week at the office making our PEF contacts. Mike made lots of phone calls and did some interviews for new loans.  I have texted everyone except those students who live in Spain and made a few phone calls and emails.  This week my main task will be to send text messages to Spain.

We had a surprise in the middle of the week.  Olinda Silva, who was transferred from our office to Germany, came to help with some interviews.  It was nice to see her, but she was only there a part of two days.  She brought us a wonderfully delicious chocolate bar from Germany.

The Oversons who were in SLC waiting for their visas to Brazil for 10 months finally received them and are in Brazil now.  The other couple, the Markhams, will be coming to Portugal as soon as they receive their visas.  They haven’t been waiting quite as long, but I am sure it has required patience on their part.  They have been helping to train other couples for the new PEF-Self Reliance program.

After working part day at the office, Elder and Sister Johnson picked us up about 2:00 PM on Friday and we traveled to Evora, a city we had wanted to visit for some time.  We stopped by Montemor on the way to see a castle and chapel there.  We checked in to our hotel in Evora and then went for a drive to see the walled city and drive through it for a while.  We met up with Elder and Sister Sommers who traveled from a different area to spend some time with us.  We ate at a very nice little restaurant we found on one of the little side streets and found out that it was supposed to have the best food in town.  It should be good, because the prices were quite high.  It did have some of the best appetizers we have had to this point.  In Portugal the waiters always bring little dishes of appetizers and you pay extra for whatever you eat.  It can add quite a bit to your bill.  In most places even the bread and butter cost extra.  But the good part is that you are not obligated to eat anything you don’t want, and you can tell them to take the items away.

On Saturday we ate breakfast at our hotel and then walked over to the walled city of Evora to meet the Sommers, who had a hotel there.  We spent several hours walking the streets of this quaint little city and visiting cathedrals, shopping and visiting.  They even have a Chapel of the Bones which has human bones on the walls.  (Quite an unusual concept, if you ask me.)  We ate lunch outside of a small restaurant and enjoyed the pleasant coolness of the day.  It was a cloudy day.  All of the women decided to have a sandwich called “Crazy Cheese Panini”, which was quite good.

We left Evora about 3:30 PM and started for Arraiolos, but decided to take a side trip to see the Portuguese version of Stone Henge at Cromeleque dos Almendres.  They have 92 stones in this location. Next we drove to Arraiolos to see the castle there.  It was a small town and Elder Johnson stopped and bought some bottled water for 12 cents each.   We also visited a little tapestry shop and enjoyed seeing the beautiful creations.  There was a small one I loved, but it cost 53 euros.

The Johnsons finish their mission on the 23^rd of this month and then are spending a few days in Spain before returning home at the end of the month.  We will miss having them close by, as we have enjoyed their friendship.  Hopefully we will see them again before they leave.

We did receive some flight plans this week.  If they stay the same, we will fly from here to London, then to Los Angeles and on to Sacramento.  With the time change, we will leave here in the morning and arrive home late in the evening of the same day—December 10--but it will be a looooooong day.  And this is without any delays.  I already know it is going to be a sad-glad day.  It is difficult to leave a country and people you have grown to love so much, but a very happy occasion to return home to family and friends.  We send our love to all!

Castle at Montemor

A section of the wall around Evora.

Roman Ruins at Evora

Sisters Johnson, Henry and Sommers

Elders Johnson, Sommers and Henry

October 6, 2013

What a glorious opportunity to have access to General Conference in the comfort of our homes and to be able to listen to the inspired discourses of our beloved Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, his counselors, the twelve apostles, and other chosen servants of the Lord.  The talks have all been great thus far and we can only expect them to continue to be so.  There was a strong emphasis on missionary work and I especially enjoyed David A. Bednar’s talk on tithing (my favorite commandment) and Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk on depression with his usual compassionate perspective.  We are so blessed to be members of Jesus Christ’s true church and to have these semi-annual conferences to encourage and uplift us in our efforts to live more righteously.  It was a thrill to see that Braden, our 6-year-old grandson, had taken some great notes as he watched conference with his family.  What a blessing to see our grandchildren taught in the ways of the Lord.  I really liked Boyd K. Packer’s comment that we have a safe place to raise children in this troubled world—it is in a gospel-centered home.

Mike had an appointment on Monday with a doctor in Lisbon to see if there is anything which can be done to alleviate the pain he has had in his leg.  The doctor sent him to get an X-ray, but the lab was too busy to do it.  So, we are returning to the hospital tomorrow about mid-day and then he is to see the doctor about 6:00 PM.  His leg has actually been feeling better and he has been walking more, but that is usually the case when you finally get an appointment.

We started a new month of PEF contacts.  I spent a good part of my time this week texting the participants and reminding them to watch conference this weekend.  It was well worth it if even one watched who wouldn’t have otherwise.  Fabio, who recently moved to Portugal from the UK and has been inactive, responded by asking where and when the conference would be broadcast.  His stake president happens to work in the church offices with us, so he was going to call and give him the information.

Elder and Sister Johnson have less than three weeks remaining on their mission.  We took them out to the churrascaria in Charneca on Friday night where we ate with the Adrianos a few months ago.  We really enjoyed the evening with them.  We came back to our apartment and had fudge pudding cake and ice cream.  This next weekend we plan to go to Evora with them and enjoy the sites there.  It will be sad to see them leave.  We have enjoyed having senior couples to associate with on this mission.

We are so grateful for our testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ and for this great experience we have had to serve a mission here in Portugal.  We have missed our family and friends, but have made many new friends that have blessed our lives greatly.

If we have opposition and difficulties in our lives, as we all experience from time to time, we need to remember that “All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Christ.” Timothy J Dyches

Many homes have tile on them in Portugal.

Notice the bottom street Avenue Estados Unidos da America.

One of many large older homes found here.

September 29, 2013

The rain has come to Portugal.  We have had some rain every day since Tuesday.  It is a nice change and we need it, but it does make it more difficult to have our daily walks.  

On Monday I conducted and gave the inspirational thought at our devotional.  I talked about the importance of preparing ourselves to receive the messages and revelations that can come to us through General Conference. 

We learned this week that Elder and Sister Markham, who have been waiting in SLC for 5 months to receive their visas for Brazil , have been re-assigned to Portugal and will come as soon as they receive their visas for Portugal.  It must try a person’s patience to wait that long to reach your destination.  We hope that they don’t have to wait too long this time.

Mike’s leg seems to be doing some better, but Sister Fluckiger made an appointment for him to have a consultation tomorrow in Lisbon.  It will be great if there is something that can be done to help him.

Miguel Adriano invited us to visit three sites with him, his wife-Deanna, his son-Daniel and Daniel’s girlfriend and soon-to-be missionary, Lorena.  We made a few contacts early on Friday and then left for the Caves of Mira de Aire.  I was expecting to walk through a long dark cave and see some nice views.  This was an amazing place with stairs that just kept going down (25-stories’ worth). We were told there are over 800 steps going down.  It was very beautiful and different from anything I had ever seen before.    The pictures which didn’t turn out so blurry are posted on my Facebook site.  To our delight, there was an elevator to take us back to the top.  There was a nice restaurant on the site, so we had lunch there before continuing on to Óbidos. 

Óbidos is an interesting hamlet surrounded by 45-foot walls (which you can walk around).  There are quaint little shops, restaurants, old churches, a castle, etc.  and it is a very interesting place to visit. It is known as the “Wedding city.”  This is because King Dinis brought his new bride, Isabella,  to Óbidos shortly after they were married.  She liked the village so much that he gave the village to her as a wedding present.  Afterwards, it became traditional for all of the kings of Portugal to bring their new brides to Óbidos for their honeymoons.

Another interesting story about Óbidos tells how King Alfonso Henriques (Portugal’s first king) captured Óbidos from the Moors.  On January 11, 1148, Alfonso led a frontal attack on the front gate which is opposite the castle.  The Moorish ruler huddled in the castle and watched the battle at the other end of town.  Meanwhile a band of Alfonso’s men snuck up the steep slope behind the castle disguised as cherry trees.  The doomed moor ignored his daughter’s question when she turned from the rear window and asked:  “Daddy, do trees walk?”  He should have listened to her because they captured him and the city.  Elder Henry gives a little more history on the picture site on Facebook.

When we left Obidos, we drove to Azenhas do Mar and watched the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean.  It was a gorgeous site and we enjoyed that very much, too. The village sets on a high cliff over the ocean with wonderful views, but a little scary to live so close to the cliff. Deanna brought along snacks to keep us from getting hungry and we had a most enjoyable day with our friends.

Today we were very involved in the proceedings in our little ward.  Elder Henry had been asked to give the 5^th-Sunday combined RS and Priesthood lesson.  He gave a wonderful lesson on Covenants that was very much enjoyed by the ward members.  Then the next period he taught his Gospel Essentials Class.  I led the music and prayed in the first meeting, led the music in Sunday  School, and gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting.  My topic was on teaching the gospel to our families in the home and I focused on the nine principles mentioned in the Family Proclamation—Faith, Prayer, Repentance, Forgiveness, Respect, Love, Compassion, Work and Wholesome Recreational Activities. Note from Elder Henry:  Sister Henry gave a wonderful talk of about 20 minutes in perfect Portuguese that was very well received.

Caves at Mira de Aire

Elder Henry, Miguel & Deanna Adriano, Lorena, and Daniel Adriano

Obidos

Azenhas do Mar

September 22, 2013

Time is racing by.  We had a busy week at the office.  Many of our participants have loans which are still located in other countries.  At times we contact them to see if they would like to move them to Europe.  Some want them left in their original country because a family member is paying it.  I contacted a young man from Venezuela this week and he said he wanted the loan moved and then he is going to pay it off.  We told him if he paid it off in one payment he could deduct 10 percent and his response was that he wants to pay the entire balance.  We have had several who have paid off their loans recently, including some who hadn’t paid anything for a long time.

There is one couple, and perhaps a second, who are trying to get their callings changed from Brazil to Portugal because they have been waiting so long for Visas. They have been trained  with PEF and the new  Self-Reliance program and have been spending their time at the Church Office Building in SLC.  We are hopeful that they will be able to come and take our place and help out in this mission, as they are badly needed here.

Elder and Sister Johnson invited us for dinner last evening.  They had some things happen and she didn’t have time to prepare the meal she had planned, so they took us out to dinner instead.  We really enjoyed our evening with them.  They took us to see several sites and we had a nice visit.  After dinner we went back to their apartment for dessert.  We are sad that they will be going home in about a month.  We have at least one trip planned with them in a few weeks and we want to take them out to dinner before they leave.

I am preparing for a spiritual thought for our devotional tomorrow morning and a talk in Sacrament Meeting next Sunday.  My talk subject is Teaching Children in the Home, so if anyone has any great ideas you are invited to pass them along to me.  I have my ideas mostly prepared, but can always use help.  Mike was asked to give the 5^th-Sunday lesson next week, along with the class he gives each week for the investigators and new members.

Joseph Smith was taught from his youth the ways of the Lord.  When asked how he led the Church, he explained that he taught correct principles and the members governed themselves.  Our living apostles and prophets are still teaching correct principles.  The question is :  Are we using these principles to govern ourselves?    General Conference is coming up soon and I hope that we will all take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to hear the teachings of our prophet and apostles.  This is always such a special privilege we have to hear from the Lord through His special witnesses.  We love General Conference and don’t want to miss a moment of it.

We send our love to all of our family and friends.  You are the best!

Building the scaffolding to paint the apartment next to ours.  These young men end up about 12 stories above ground and it seems very frightening to me.

Now the netting is added and ready to be painted.

Campo Pequeno where Portuguese bullfights are held.

Interesting statue in Lisbon

Fountain overlooking a park in Lisbon.