portugal experiences

We had a Wonderful Christmas!  It was so good to talk to family over internet and to just relax and spend time together.  Our Savior's Bounteous gifts are beyond our comprehension.  He asks so litte of us in comparison.  And even when we try to give our best gifts to Him, it is because of Him that even those offerings turn into blessings and come back as gifts for us. We Love and Trust Him forever. We got a Christmas tree and a little Nativity for our apartment! You know that grandpa is not a shopper, (especially on a mission), but he must have sensed that I needed some Christmas in our home to ease a bit of missing family.  We were going out like always... but he took the bus to the stores and we came home with 2 little trees. It brightened up our whole apt!  The best Gift for Christmas was the Baptism of Santhosh Kumar.  To watch someone learn about our Heavenly Father's Plan and His great love for all of us is a gift to be memorized in our hearts....

Merry Merry Christmas!  What a Wonderful and Perfect Life we are celebrating and the very reason we are so happy to be in Portugal sharing The Gospel of Jesus Christ!  We Love Him and are Thankful for the many Blessings that He gives to each of us as we Trust Him with all of our Hearts.  We hope that your Christmas is full of His Joy in the knowing, learning, and discerning of His gifts   This is probably my favorite photo of my favorite Missionary Companion! We are walking the cobblestones daily,  trying to find people in the branch here in Evora, and in Elvas, and Borga, and Portalegre, and just yesterday in Beja.    Preparing tiny Christmas cards from our branch, we will all add treats and  go caroling in groups to those who need some smiles at Christmas.   (The color printer broke down at Staples, but colored pencils added a bit of color.)  The car we received had just been in a fender bender a few weeks before we arrived in Por...

  Wed. Nov. 24 just before the sun set in Evora, we arrived at our apartment. The driveway has about 4 inches on either side of the car, so we must drive just right. The car doesn't quite fit in the garage, but we can park in front of it. Our Frontroom,dining/everything room We are on the top floor and get our exercise that way! We have a washing machine right next to the kitchen sink,  and we have a rack near a window to hang our clothes on to dry. It is winter coat time here and with the humidity, most things are slightly damp, but Spring is just around the corner come March/April and it will be absolutely beautiful.  Right now, it is the people here that are warming our hearts. We met Marcello (Italy) and Monica (England) on the street our second day here. We were happily surprised when they came to church yesterday to support us in giving our talks.   Of the 33 in attendance, we had people from: Brasil, Cape Verde, Portugal, England, Italy, and India! Meet A...

President and Sister Barcellos with 2 of their 3 children.   From Brasil and now America, they are happy, dynamic, kind, and easy to love.  They were waiting for us at the airport with smiles and a very large Portugal Flag!  Our first Sunday, Djodjo came up to us with a big smile and group hug!   He is here in Evora studying at the University.  We met him in Cape Verde years ago when Grandpa helped him fill out mission papers for his mission call to Brasil.  This is the Relief Society for our little Evora Branch.  It is a cold time of year here and with the humidity, we are all in coats.  They are so nice seem to understand the things we say! Brother Rosha is an olive farmer. He and his wife live about an hour from the church.   He was the first Portuguese missionary (since the church was not in Portugal at the time, he was sent from France where he working) and served in Spain.  He loved his mission and still carries his ...