From Portugal With Love: August 4, 2013

We were few in numbers at the office this week. Besides losing a couple of employees to Germany the rest of the employees are taking three-week vacations sometime this month. Our supervisor, Miguel, was there this week, but will be on vacation the next two weeks. Several others are gone for two or three weeks, so it has really been quiet. At least we should be able to get lots of work done. We were able to contact almost all of our participants one way or another and to reach 100 percent of the high-priority contacts in July.

On Monday afternoon we went to the mission office to take care of our car rental, return a housing contract and pick up some fire extinguishers and fire blankets for the missionaries’ apartments. We met Elder Curfew, who is the brother to Elder Curfew who served in the California Roseville Mission and was in the Corning Ward for a while. He was excited when he found out that we were acquainted with his brother.

The little Padaria-Pastelaria near our apartment will be closed for the entire month of August, as it also was last year. So, this week we had to enjoy some of our favorite treats from there. Just like in Brazil, some businesses shut down for a month or two and go on vacation. Many people here go to a beach. There are many popular beaches in Portugal, one of which is Costa de Caparica. We have to leave a little earlier for church during the summer because of the traffic heading for the beach.

As we walk back and forth to the office during the week we like to greet people with a smile and “Bom Dia!” This week I got the best reaction that we have received so far. A sweet little older lady just kept thanking me over and over for speaking to her and carried on quite an animated conversation for a few minutes. It made my day.

Our pool liner gave out in May and Brett and April and family went through some of the hottest part of the summer without being able to swim. We are sorry that they went about two months without it, but the pool is finally usable again. We miss being there for the almond harvest and to enjoy the fruit from our trees. Hopefully next year the trees will all produce again.

Yesterday we had the pleasure of using our Preparation Day to enjoy a visit to two more sites in Portugal. We picked up Elder and Sister Johnson and drove to Sintra, where we visited the Park and Palace of Monserrate. I have included pictures on my facebook site and will also include a couple here. We enjoyed a nice lunch in an outside area in Belem, and then visited an Oriental Museum there. There is so much to see here in Portugal, and our time is getting short.

Our spiritual thought in the office this week was on the Book of Mormon. How I love this wonderful book of scripture which we have to add to our study of the Bible and our other scriptures. I know it is the word of God whose pages were given to and translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith. Even though I have read, studied and had many lessons from it, I still have so very much to learn and understand.

A very happy birthday to Laura Henry and Rylee Henry on August 6th. We love you!