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!  

A Temple in Portugal!!!

                                 
                                   December 5th was the ground breaking for the first temple in Portugal, right here in Lisbon!  There is alot of excitement about having a temple here.  Right now they have to travel to Spain.  We can already feel the promised blessings to this country from having a temple here.  There was awesome national news coverage about the temple, what it is used for, what the church believes and interviews with many faithful members.  They even came to our ward last Sunday to interview 2 of the Elders after meetings!  We have noticed that many more people seem to be taking an interest in our badges as we travel about town.  There are so many faithful and hardworking members here whose lives center around their testimonies of the Savior and His gospel.  They are now being blessed for that dedication by having a temple in their midst.  We believe this will be the beginning of the rapid growth of the gospel here as it was in Brazil.

We couldn't attend the ground breaking ceremony...so we got our own shovel!

As we were driving around we saw this and thought..."What, they already have a temple in Lisbon!"

Until we noticed that they didn't have the right figure on the top!

A Welcome Sight!

   Sometimes you just need a McDonalds fix!!  We had been trying to find an address of a chapel about a half an hour away...we were hopelessly lost but then...Out of the darkness appeared these 'golden arches'  and after a brief stop and a welcome taste of home, we found the chapel with time to spare!  

The back of our new car makes a great emergency table...the place was PACKED!!!

   It's beginning to look like Christmas - The lights here are beautiful but most of them are so bright that my iphone camera can't focus on them - the pictures come out like a white blur.  I am finally starting to get a little Christmas spirit.  We were behind a couple in line at the neighborhood Pingo Doce.  They had a little girl with them, and had a bag separate from their groceries with a box that was obviously a Christmas gift for her.  I watched as the mom checked all the groceries through and then the husband sneaked the big bag up to be scanned as the mom was distracting the little girl.  It was absurd how exciting that was for me, I got a little teary eyed along with a huge desire to see what they were buying for her!  The cashier scanned the box without removing it from the bag and I was so sad... it was all I could do to keep myself from asking if I could have a peek inside!!!  I probably would have if ...A. I could speak Portuguese and   B,  Ric hadn't been with me.  I realize that if I let myself dwell on it, I miss all the fuss of Christmas.  I've always loved the shopping and waiting for someone to open the gift (especially grandkids)  I am trying to focus more on the Savior this year and feel His love for me.  I have been reading Jesus the Christ and focusing on His life in my scripture study.  It is because of Him, His sacrafice for me and His plan for my family that I am able to feel the joy and peace I do when thinking of all those loved ones I have left at home.  May each of you have that wonderful peace and joy in your hearts at this beautiful season.