The week went by in a flash.
We were kept quite busy with our contacts in the office. Mike had some new-loan interviews with the
new school year beginning soon. The
young people in our area will begin school again this week.
Today we had another baptism in our ward. Jose Manuel Pinto was baptized after our
block of meetings. It seems that he was
introduced to the gospel by our friend Maria Cidalia, who lives in our
apartment building. She normally attends
the Miratejo ward, but was at our meetings today to be there for the baptism
afterwards. Maria is a fairly new member
herself, and says that she has been talking to people she meets and giving them
pass-along cards. So many times the new
members are the best missionaries. Paula
Tavares, who was baptized a few months ago, is always bringing people to
church.
Inacio and Manuela Tavares (a different family) from our
ward went to the temple in Madrid this week for the first time and were sealed
together as a family with three of their children. Brother and Sister Lima took them and they
spent several days at the temple. They
were delighted with the experience they had and Inacio bore a very sweet
testimony today in Sacrament Meeting regarding the temple.
For our Preparation Day yesterday we went to the Park of
Nations in Lisbon and visited the Oceanarium there. It is proclaimed to be the largest aquarium
in Europe and the 2nd largest in the world. The tickets only cost us 11 Euros each, which is a steal
compared with the cost at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It was an interesting place to visit and we
enjoyed it very much. I took lots of
pictures, but many didn’t turn out very well because I was taking pictures through
the glass and the fish were usually moving.
This aquarium is located in a part of Lisbon which was renovated for a
World Exposition in 1998. There are some
very modern-looking buildings and structures in this area. I will post some pictures on Facebook.
Elder Quentin L Cook said, “The Church is a refuge where
followers of Christ attain peace. Some
young people in the world say they are spiritual but not religious. Feeling spiritual is a good first step. However, it is in the Church that we are
fellowshipped, taught, and nourished by the good word of God. More importantly, it is priesthood authority
in the Church that provides for sacred ordinances and covenants that bind
families together and qualify each of us to return to God the Father and Jesus
Christ in the celestial kingdom. These
ordinances bring peace because they are covenants with the Lord.”
I am so grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus
Christ here on the earth. I know that
God our Father and Jesus Christ live, that they love us, and that they want
each one of their children to return to their presence. This life is a test to see how we will follow
their plan for us. It is especially
important that we serve one another to the best of our abilities and show a
love for God and all of His children. We
all have good days and bad days, but we just need to keep doing the best we can. Each day is a new opportunity.
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| Oceanarium in Lisbon |
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| Modern buildings in Lisbon |
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| María Cidalia and Jose Manuel Peralto Pinto at his baptism. |
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