The WORK in Missionary Work

The Europe Area Manager with Ceu and Miguel the Europe PEF managers

Our office with our wall calendar of monthly events

   Just in case you've been wondering... we do actually have a calling as Self Reliance Missionaries here in Portugal.  We don't just go around snapping pictures of beautiful scenery and interesting Portugal sights all day, everyday.  We have an office right next door to our apartment.  In fact, if you open a door at the end of our hallway...you are in the Self Reliance Center of Portugal!!  Our 'boss' besides the mission president, is a church employee hired to get this new Self Reliance initiative from the church functioning in Portugal.  We are sent here as missionaries to help in that process.  There are other church employees (area managers) and other self reliance missionaries all over Europe, Central and South America, Philippines, Africa and other places.  We regularly have video conferences with the other European managers and senior SR couples.  We have the responsibility of teaching, training and implementing the SR plan to every Stake & Ward in Portugal.  We work directly with Stake and Ward Self Reliance specialists in training them and presenting the program and then following up with Self Reliance 'groups' that are formed in each ward or stake.  We work in the office daily on the record keeping end of it and on developing new areas of self reliance needed, like a class for "about to be released" missionaries and also for newly returned missionaries in the Stakes of Portugal.  Currently we are working on offering an English class for wards & Stakes.  We keep busy with all of that most days and on the other days we help in another office with the Perpetual Education Fund of the church.  We travel A LOT to visit other Wards & Stakes and to the North Mission of Porto.  Most of that visiting and training is on the weekends except for missionary training which is every 3 weeks for three hours on a Monday.  We have callings in our little ward and have been asked to visit less active members.  So...don't get the idea that just because I post other things that we aren't busy doing our job (:  It just generally isn't as interesting to LOOK at!  We love the people we have met in our service and we are learning so much from them. 

Elder Anderton teaching a My Path devotional

 These are My Path Devotionals... or Workshops.

 

A special friend made at an Education group meeting

A few participants of a My Path devotional

 These are our seminars for the missionaries returning home...

We drove to Porto for a seminar with these two sisters...love working with the missionaries!  A real boost for us!

 We are now in the publishing business!  We purchased a machine to punch the holes for the wire binding in our 'missionary seminar' booklet.  We were able to find the plastic for the front cover, and paper for the back cover.  We now assemble them ourselves and the cost has gone down from $9.70 a booklet to $3.50.  That's using the "OLD" noggin!