A Portugal Christmas! ... Christmas Day

We awoke to 3 inches of fresh white snow on the ground and still coming down in big fluffy flakes!  Actually that's what I was dreaming just before we woke up.  All of the pictures from home with the crazy amounts of snow in Utah had influenced me.  It was actually a very beautiful day here with temperatures around 50 or 60....hardly even jacket weather for us but the locals are covered in scarves, fur coats and gloves.  We were excited to spend time together opening the packages we received from family & friends.... kind of silly how much we were looking forward to that!!  We didn't get gifts for each other besides a foam topper for our bed (tired of waking up with an arm or leg numb & tingling!) 

We took turns opening a package, carefully reading cards, looking at beautiful artwork from adorable children and feeling the warmth of love, home and gratitude fill our little apartment!  There was a lot of smiling, holding hands and even some laughing until we cried.  There were also a few tears shed as homesickness got the best of us....but that didn't last long and was quickly replaced by an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the blessings in our lives. 

This is the AFTER picture...minus a few candy cane hershey kisses!

This looks so great, think I might keep it up all year!!

We received several vinyl sayings to cover some of our bare walls, ensign subscription and some impossible to find 'comfort' items...  the postage was outrageous but so appreciated!!!   These people look like they need some sleep or maybe just toughen up a little bit!!

These smiling faces decorated our tree...well most of them are smiling!  I believe even the newest 'Anderton' is smiling too but the ultra sound just didn't get the right angle!

We were able to add a few new photos to my "Fridge of Fame"...Love all those dear faces!

It was certainly a different Christmas but one that we will always remember. We somehow felt closer to our family, to each other and especially to our Savior.  Christmas 2015 was a great one!

A Portugal Christmas! ... Christmas Eve.

Knowing that this will most likely be my one and only Christmas in Lisbon Portugal, I have been trying very hard not to dwell in past Christmas memories or spend too much time missing what I don't have.  Instead, Ric and I have been looking forward to learning some new Christmas traditions with the friends we have made here.  We were so fortunate to be included in celebrations at two different homes for both Christmas Eve and Christmas day dinners.  I've been reminded that the food, the decorations and the location don't matter as much as the people you are with.  Luckily we have come to care about and enjoy being with these people....SO for a family away from FAMILY they were great substitutes!

 Well this is it!!!  This is Bachalou Conatas...the traditional Christmas Eve dish.  I have heard so much about it, both good and bad that I was excited to try it. The flavor is really pretty good, not anything like the terrible smell I am hit with everytime I enter a grocery store!  This version is made with mashed potatoes, mayonnaise and cheese and drizzled with olive oil.  The problem for me was that the skin and some of the fish bones were in the dish, which I had a hard time picking out as I ate.  We ate another version on Christmas day that tasted the same but with a little less fish, no bones or skin and more mashed potatoes...Ceu called it her Americanized version and I really liked it! 

 Along with Cod Fish...Christmas Eve always includes this green cabbage, boiled and of course drizzled with olive oil.

Made only at Christmas ..fried pumpkin cake balls rolled in sugar & cinnamon

These are like fried cinnamon crisps but homemade.

This is Christmas tradition...something like fruitcake in USA - it's a Queen Cake or could be a King cake with dried fruit.  And like fruitcake...no one seems to ever eat it!

This is Maria...She is 10 and so excited for Christmas...she was filled with that crazy anticipation that only a child can bring.  The tradition is to open presents at midnight on Christmas Eve.  Antonio and his family can't wait that long anymore and start much earlier in the night.

Maria, Sarah & Diana

A rousing version of 12 days of Christmas (in English) complete with actions...lots of fun!   Think I will try to incorporate this into my own family traditions next year.

This Grandma & Grandpa Paulo.  They have worked all day preparing the meal...she wouldn't let me help in the kitchen at all.  They are very sweet people- Antonio is there only living son and they are lifetime Catholics who support and love their son and his family.  Antonio's daughter Diana was just called to serve in the Portugal North Mission which is where they live...maybe she will be an influence on them as a missionary!?

This Joanna- she has opened up her heart, home and family to us

Dinner on Christmas day was spent at the home of another one of our 'bosses' -  This is Ceu (meaning Heaven).  She along with Miguel are over the PEF program in all of Europe.  She is so very sweet and kind to us and we loved being in her home with her husband and 2 handsome sons.  Ceu and her husband are also directors over  FSY (for the strength of youth) program in Portugal.  It is exactly like the EFY program run by BYU.  I just can't say enough about the amazing, hardworking, spiritually superhuman people we work with here...hopefully, some of it rubs off on us!

She also makes the BEST chocolate mouse in all of Portugal...We have tasted it and it is true!!

What could have been 2 very difficult days felt warm, welcoming and fun thanks to these two wonderful families!

Countdown to Christmas

Not a Temple Square but still pretty!

Of course Santa visits Portugal too!

With just a couple of days left before Christmas...we took the subway to downtown to check out the lights and enjoy the Christmas spirit of Lisbon.  Sadly, most of our pictures of the lights didn't turn out well but it was a beautiful display of lighted streets and trees amid the ancient buildings and new shopping centers.  The most amazing thing we went to see was the lighting of the arch in the main plaza of Lisbon.  (the biggest in the city)  We were told not to miss it and we caught it on the last night of it's showing.  It was really amazing and we were not disappointed!  It is difficult to describe.  It was a lazer light show projected on the face of the arch, complete with sound, music and animated figures.  They used the architecture of the building, windows, arches, statues etc as part of the show.  Like I said...can't be described but was worth the trip.  There were about a thousand gathered in the square to watch it.   There are very few lighted homes & windows in this area as most live in apartments, but the street lighting is awesome.

A Christmas Wine Tasting Booth!

Totally out of focus...but this is the great arch and wall where we watched amazing light show

AND of course all the Loja's (stores) are stocking up on "Christmas Cod"  yum!

This Has Been Kind of a BiG Deal

    Well, this is it!  This is what we have been working on for the last month and a half!  We were asked to develop a training plan for all departing missionaries- missionaries who will be returning home to enter the unknown world of RM's.  We received a booklet from a couple working on the same project in the England mission, but it only had part of what we wanted to include and the outline was different than we had in mind.  So, with that as a base, finding information online and in other church publications and with the help of Antonio Paulo, we created a 42 page booklet to give each departing missionary.  We use it as a discussion guide for our 3 hour seminar.  It is made to be a workbook with the idea of helping these missionaries remain focused on moving forward in their lives both spiritually and temporally.  We have spent a great deal of our time up until now preparing it. It has been a labor of love and a fun project for Elder Anderton and I to work on together. 

Since this copy, we have refined and revised this book several times.  I am sure there are still things we might find that need  changing.
 Hopefully we will also improve the presentation every time we give it. Last Monday was our first class.

We will be teaching this class twice every 6 weeks...covering both missions.  The Porto mission is about 4 hours away by car.  It is always so awesome to spend time with these bright, young enthusiastic missionaries- it's a huge blessing for us!

This is our first group of guinea pigs (returning missionaries.)  Of course we had food there because everything is better with food, right!?!  But, it seemed to go well and they seemed to enjoy it.  The mission president is concerned about the number of missionaries that get home and don't know what to do next...some seem to get lost in a fog both spiritually and in setting goals for their future as far as education, career and marriage are concerned.  That is the purpose of this course and then hopefully their Stake Presidents will follow up from here.

When it Comes Right Down to It...'There's No Place Like Home"

Sorry there are no pictures for this post,  I wish I had thought to take one but I was in a zombie-like condition at the time and it didn't occur to me to snap a picture of a computer screen!  Everyday I thank my Father in Heaven for the blessings of technology.  I am NO EXPERT by any means, but I am utterly amazed how the world can be reduced to such a small place with the click of a 'mouse'.  At two am Sunday morning, we were setting on our couch in Santa hats watching our family in Utah have a Christmas Party at our home.  At first we just loved spying on them like a 'fly on a wall' through a home security camera we had installed before we left.  From the position of that camera, we can see both the living room /dining room including the front door,  the kitchen and small family room on the other side.  We watched silently as our children were preparing for the party and then as everyone arrived and was greeted with a warm welcome, and a hug.  The grand kids hit the floor running after entering the front door excited to see all the cousins and get in on the fun.  Even through the blur of sleep deprivation, I was so moved to be able to be a 'casual outside' observer of my family and I have to say... I was pretty dang impressed!!  The love they have for each other came through over the Internet connection and brought the Christmas spirit with it.  Later (about 3 am), we were 'officially' invited to attend through 'face time' to watch the grand children act out the Nativity, families exchange gifts to each other and see the grandchildren open their presents from us that we had left at home for them. Seeing the little ones do the Nativity was an unexpected bonus...a tradition I cherish.  It may have only been December 12th but it felt like Christmas to me.  I LOVE to watch others open and enjoy gifts I have given them....it is one of the things I look forward to all year long.  What a blessing that was to me...a tender mercy as we are away from our loved ones at this time of year.  The spirit of the Christmas season is all about LOVE and family.  The Savior first loved us and as a gift to Him we show our Love to Him by our love and service to others, including our family.  I know there was a 'special' act of service that my family all participated in this year and that only helps to strengthen the bonds that tie us all together.  I pray that The Gift of The Savior will fill our hearts with His Love for our families, our neighbors and all of His children.  Thanks kids for sharing the craziness, noise and joy of the holidays with us.....Merry Christmas!

The Perfect Season to Visit the Christ Statue

   Our Weekends are generally filled with some kind of training we are giving to stake or ward leaders or attending My Path devotionals or Self Reliance 'group' meetings.  We had devotionals to attend on Sunday evening but Saturday was a 'free day" so we took advantage of it.  There is a Christ Statue here smaller but similar to the one in Rio Brazil.  It is called the 'Cristo Rei',  We see it everytime we cross over the bridge that connects us to Matetajo (sp?) where we go to do PEF work.  It is a beautiful site with His arms outstretched and looking over the city of Lisbon.  Saturday we went to explore it.   We took the elevator to the top and snapped some pictures, it was an overcast day but still a breath taking view.

Behind us is the bridge we drive over several times a week

This is picture of the HUGE and ancient aqua-duct that we drive under to get to the bridge to pass by the Christ Statue.  It is really an impressive sight made of stone!

 We had a hard time catching the sun, but this is Lisbon from the top!

This bridge is patterned after the San Francisco Bridge...it's beautiful.

Friday- The Party Day!

Friday (the 11th) was a day filled with partying, food, new friends, more food, music, and fun.  It started at lunch with a Christmas luncheon we were invited to for church employees and volunteers.  It was held at the PEF center and there were close to 40 people there with enough food for 50.  After we ate-a few of us played games it was fun to see these men who are so straight and stoic all the time, let their hair down to laugh and have fun!  Just goes to show that after all, we're all pretty much the same.    Our ward party started that night at 7pm -  we really had to rush to make it there in time after helping to clean up after the other party.  BUT we are learning that people here don't just run on 'Mormon Standard Time' but also add in "Portuguese Standard Time" which means NO ONE else showed up until about 8:30!  For a ward that struggles to have over 20 attend sacrament meeting.... we miraculously had 40 + to the ward party.  But then what do you expect when you serve food and entertainment!  Our Bishop sang samba songs...he's really good!  However, I must say our entertainment was a hit!!

           
   This is traditional Christmas Dessert.  They call this a King Cake...made with dried fruits.  There is also a Queen Cake which is made with nuts.  Luckily neither was very tasty and no temptation at all to me!

Give the man a bowl of creatures with legs, antenas, and eyes still attached and he's a happy man?

Antonio and his wife dancing a traditional native dance... That is our bishop and his darling little girl in the back

AND- this is our contribution.... Yes, The Chin-ikins!!  I know, you can see their shoulders, but we were under duress.

 We only had to track down all the props and then talked the elders into hanging upside down on a table cutting off circulation while trying to be funny.....it was great!

Besides the traditional Bachalou (fish dish) they served these two dishes from Africa...they may not look too appetizing but they were really pretty good if you watch out for the bones!