Tight and Tighter

Well Sister Roberts is in the middle of her first Portuguese lesson this  week so I am here at the church and  have checked email and sent things off to folks and down loaded the things  that she needs for the  Introduction to Family History that we are having for the Olhao branch this Saturday.
  Thought I would do a little blog about our trip to inspect the Elders and sisters apartment in Portamao and Lagos last week. Portamao was not a problem. We found the church alright and went to a very well prepared and presented district meeting. the spirit of the 2 Elders and the 2 sisters that are there was really amazing. Their apartments were clean with the  exception of a couple of small places. Yes  we are assigned to inspect the apartment of 12 missionaries.  To make sure they are clean and no mold has taken over in the bathroom and kitchen.
   Now for the crazy part. We went to Lagos and the gps took us, up this narrow and I mean narrow street with the mirrors of the car about 6 inches to a foot from the cars on one side and the  walls of the building on the  other side. It kept trying to get me to turn right but ever street had the one way sign that said right was wrong. This is a hilly city right on the ocean and it has a gorgeous beach right by the main highway that is 4 lanes that goes around the city. Anyway back to the tale; finally I made a left trun and it took us back down by the beach where we had started. I pulled over and  called one of the Elders and he laid a map of the city on his kitchen table and  then  proceeded to tell us how to get close to their apartments. We went up a street by a church that turned into a tourist street where they walked down the road and occasionally stepped out of the way for the cars to pass. In any other city in Portugal the cars would have honked and run over them. The elder kept trying to get me to turn right again but each street was a one way the wrong way. Finally after 8 such streets there was one where I could turn left and  here we get the how narrow the streets are.. I literally had to start to turn, back up a little and finish the  turn into the narrowest street I've had the pleasure to drive on in Portugal. No cars parked on either side with  a narrow 1 foot cobble stone side walk,  Either side had  of course buildings right up from them and my mirrors were hanging over the side walk 6". We finally made it to a wide part where 4 streets met and there was a small parking area. I wish Sister Roberts had gotten some pictures but she was hanging on and white knuckled the whole time.
  And now for a missionary experience not that that wasn't but this is more on a spiritual nature.  After our service project which Sister Roberts blogged about she could hardly move the next day So I went out  with  the  Elders to visit a 14 year old member that moved here a few weeks ago from
Faro. He  lives with  his aunt who is  not  enamored about the  church and  so we meet with him and  his  14 year old uncle between floors of and apartment house. We had a prayer and then the  Elders gave him a short lesson and had him read a couple of scriptures which he understood and explained and then I ask him why he joined the church. He said he had an older man who was a friend when he lived in Faro and because he was a member of the church and he liked how he lived   He became interested and was baptized. He is a Deacon> I  asked him if he  wanted  to come to church  and  he  said yes and but he didn't know anybody so I told him that the Elders would come by on Sunday morning to get him and he said great. We forgot to tell him 9:00 am  so when the  Elders showed up he wasn't ready but said he would be next week.
     The next day we went to visit and inactive sister who went inactive because when she moved here 20 years ago there wasn't a branch here and she could't afford the bus trip back to Faro. So she stared to attend the Universal church. There was a very dark feeling in the home so we ask here if  we could dedicate her home for her and she said she would like that. Luckily the elders had spoken with me about her before the visit so I  had looked up how  to dedicate a home in Portuguese. So we dedicated the home and  right at the end of the dedication there was a sweet feeling of peace that entered. We then explained to her that part of the blessing was keeping the commandments and that she needed to return to church. She said she would be at church Sunday morning. She came and told the Elders that it was the first peaceful nights sleep she had had in months. What a marvelous thing is the authority of the  Priesthood of God. In case there be any doubt let me close with my testimony that  The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only true church on the face of the earth and it was restored because a boy of 14 years, even Joseph Smith, went to a grove and asked a simple question. Which of all the churches of his day was true and  he received an  answer and the world has not been the same since. I am  grateful for the  Lord and Savior Jesus  Christ and His magnificent atonement for us  all.
Love to all, Elder And Sister Roberts
Ps. My first Sunday conducting was scary but it turned  out  ok. The district took my primary president so Pres. Querales the district president and I are praying about who the Lord wants to fill that vacancy.  Have a great week. A mission  is marvelous. Everyone who can should go.

It looks like sailboats doesn't it?

It's actually a beautiful bridge outside of Lisboa.

Harvesting Carob

These are Carob pods, and they are very valuable.  For a sevice project yesterday we helped our District Mission President harvest some of his Carob.  Right in the middle of Loule is about 30 acres that you don't  even see from  the city.  He has about 400 Carob trees in this area.  Well he actually helps the aged owner to harvest these and they share in the profit.  We took 3 sets of missionaries and  ourselves and worked about 6  hours scooting on  our butts and  bending over to pick these things up by hand. We finished about 7 or 8 trees.  They harvest from  May until  November.  This is backbreaking work.  Today I can  feel every muscle in my body. They use the fiber and the seeds.  You might remember a certain lady in  Carey who didn't use chocolate and  only used Carob. The whole time I was doing this I kept thinking of  better ways to do this.  Not sure any of  them would work but if I had to do this for more than 1 day I would certainly be trying.  Presidente Corrales taught the missionaries gospel precepts while we were doing this.  It was good for them.  He  has a  wonderful conversion  story.  I hope to get a picture of him  and his wife and include his story.

Unplanned

Well, I  had planned to use the time  Dad  has  to be in the Loule chapel to up date  the blog and  add some pictures but apparently I  am  too dumb or the computer is.  I can  find the pics  in Picassa, I can see them and the name of the album but when I try to get them in  Blogger they tell me I am imagining  it and they don't  exist. I know I don't kn ow everything about computers, who does, but I get so frustrated when I know that something can be done and I can't figure out how to  do it.  Let's see.  I think I am the one who uploaded the last pictures but suddenly I have no skill. So apparently you will have to see all  our boring  pictures ( cause 2 year old  pics  will  be boring) when  we  get home.

Vitoria

My portuguest tutor is named Vitoria. She lives in or about Provo and is just an amazing woman.  You know how sometimes you meet someone for the first time and you are just drawn to them.  Like I was with Tauna Fell.  Well, Vitoria is one of those wonderful people.  She translates for the devotionals at the MTC voluntarily.  She tutors lots of missionaries going to Brazil or Portugal.  She has sunshine in her soul and unlike my last tutor I can't wait to talk to her each week.  A little about her.  She was a mission presidents wife at a young age.  She had three little boys and remembers the white marble floors in the mission home. She didn't have any help with cooking and cleaning.   Her husband was a Bishop, Stake Pres, Mission Pres. and a Seventy so she knows what it is to sit alone at church and she wouldn't have had it any other way. She, like all of us is getting a little bit older,  and has a few medical problems but they don't stop her from smiling all the time.  I am so grateful for this woman my life and when we come home I am going to Provo to give her a big hug. She has my blog address and I hope she doesn't mind this post.

Courage

So, I can give a pass along card to anyone.  I can bear my testimony in Portuguese. But have my hair done by a stranger who I can't communjicate with!  Whoa.  Yes I did.  Gale had his hair cut and she did a pretty decent job so I thought I would give it a try.  But color can be so tricky ( yes, I'm not a natural blonde, anymore) I could just picture myself looking like some of the ladies on the street with orange hair - all frizzy.  So we went in and arranged the appointment and Dad came with me.  The beauty shop was immaculate and very pretty.  Dad left for a couple of minutes to get something and I was so nervous but she actually did a very good job.  The color was perfect and the cut was great. But, dad found out how long it really takes to get your hair done.  He says next time he will leave me and go study somewhere else.  I'm OK with that- now. I tipped her 5 Euros but was later told tipping is not done in Portugal. But, I have noticed that it is occasionally done in Portugal though only small amounts like the change left over from your bill.  Live and learn.

Who would have thought

Well you're mom always does the blog but she is having her lesson today and so  I thought maybe I would take a turn.
   Yesterday we had to go to Faro again for the same sister we dealt with the first week. She had a follow up appointment. The doctor gave her enough prescriptions for another year to treat her problem. She leaves the mission in a week and the mission Presidents wife said we could purchase 3 months worth but the rest would be up to her family. So we went to a pharmacy and they only had half the prescriptions. I bought them and then we went to another pharmacy for the other part. Then she told me that the first prescription was a generic one that she had taken before and she couldn't take it it made her sick. The second pharmacy had the other half in the  kind she could take so we bought it and then returned to the first pharmacy to take the  other back. they didn't have the kind she could take but they did take the first one back without a problem. So back to the second pharmacy and they had the other half in the kind she could take.  Today we get a call from the mission home and she  has a growth on her ear that she said the last mission presidents wife said the church would take care of. so we have to get her an appointment next week, her last week so here we go again.
  Now for the reason that I am blogging. When we went to  Lisbon this past Monday to register for our (Stay in the country card) I really don't know what they call it we stayed at the mission home and had the opportunity to converse with the mission  president, President Tavares about out area and some concerns he had. He mentioned that the president of the branch in a town (Loule (low lay)) was moving and they were discussing names of brother to call and they were having trouble deciding because they didn't feel there  were anyone quite ready. Then we went on to discuss other areas in out zone. The next morning we went to the government office that is in a large mall and stood in line for 4 1/2 hours so we could sign 2 sheets of paper and get a strip of paper that says we are now legal to stay in Portugal. Our real card will arrive at the mission  home in three weeks and then we will go back to Lisbon (Lisboa) to get it. Then we had to wait around till 5:30 so I could have my eyes check so when, we go back I can trade my Idaho drivers license for a Portuguese one. Yep can,t carry both if you're staying in the country for more than 3 months. So how long will  the line be next time. So then we had an elder with us that we had to take to his area Beja and it is about an 1 1/2 out of our way coming home. So needless to say when we got to Beja (    his companion is going home because of sickness so now there are three of them working together in Beja) His companions were at a visit teaching a lesson so we had to wait another 1/2 hour for them because elders can't be left alone. Then we headed home arriving at midnight and the gps took us off the high way and through yes Estoi where the castle is and all the tiny narrow streets in the dark and of course I took a wrong turn and that  is a big mistake in Protugal because then you have a 2 kilometer detour to get back on the right road. We finally made it home at 12:30 am and colapsed into bed. Nope we didn't get up at our ususal 7am that morning.
  So yesterday the President of the district Pres. Querales called me and wanted me to meet with him and  the departing branch president and said he had some things they needed to go over with me. This meeting  took place after our trip to the pharmacy. The meeting started with " I have spoken with President Tavares again and I am now calling you to be the president of the Loule branch starting this Sunday. Yep you got it don't know anyone there and they certainly don't know me and I still don't understand Portugues Portuguese very well so OUR  NAME IN THE TEMPLE AND AN EXTRA DOSE OF PRAYERS IS MY REQUEST FROM ALL WHO READ THIS. And as they say in the cartoons th th thats all folks.  Love Elder and Sister Roberts

Gettingall our Ducks in a row

We took another flying trip to Lisboa on Monday to get our residency card.  We stayed all night in the Mission home and went to thegovernment office early the next morning and stood in line for 4 hours.  We had to be photographed again and we finally got our number.  But, we get the card later.  Gale then had to go down and stand in line for another hour to get his drivers license.  They talked to the guy and he had to have a sight, and hearing test before he can get that.  So we waited around the Mission office until 5:30 for that appointment.  Now when he comes back to Lisbon that is at least out of the way.  Lisbon isn't a little jaunt either, it's 3 hours from here.  After all that we picked up a small freezer from some other missionaries who were transfered to the Azores. Loaded it in our car along with a Missionary returning to his district and took the long way around to deliver him then get home about 12:30.  What a day!  PS:

Corrected address:  Avenida de Republica #73  6Esq

                                 8700-308

                                 Olhao, Algarve,

                                 Portugal

Love you all.  Dad is getting to be a very good Portuguese driver.  He handles those roundabouts with ease.  In Portugal the shotgun driver is the co-driver since some of the lights can't be seen by the driver.  Also, it takes two .MOM

Tiny Miracles

Monday we took the sister missionaries to the Palacia de Estoi in  Faro.  We drove up and down  tiny little streets until  we thought maybe  we had found it.  Gale gor out to go to the door and  see but came back  and said, "Nope, but if I need  propane I can get it there."  so we continued on and did find the  beautiful  Palace on the top of a  hill with acres  of trees and orchards all around it.  We went in the glass doors and there was a georgeous ornate table and a reception desk.  Gale asked if this was the  palace  and the man said Yes.  He didn't  direct us or anything so we just started walking and looking at  several of the rooms with ornate paintings on the ceilings  etc.  We went outside to the garden.  The sisters went down the staircase to the lower level and took lots of pictures with some of the amazing statuary and the ornamental plants.  I stayed at the top of the  stairs while  Gale went down to see the view.  As I was standing there a tiny bird flew right next to me and slammed into the  plexiglass rail.  I  was horrified of course.  Gale looked up and saw my distress and asked what was wrong.  I couldn't help but watch as this little bird curled up his feet and breathed slower and  slower.  I thought of how the Lord says that not a sparrow falls that he doesn't know about it, and I asked him to save this little  bird.  I kept watching him breath less and less then I couldn't stand it any more so I went back inside.  When Gale came up I asked him if he had seen the sweet little bird.  He said no. Wondering how he  could have missed him  we walked outside and there  he was standing up.  He walked around for a bit then flew away.  Small miracles are the best!

Palacio de Estoi

Ceiling Panel

Gardens

Ceiling Panel

Stairs to the garden

This made me so sad

What!

This made my whole  day

It's Great Being a Senior Missionary

There are 101 of us Seniors here at the MTC.  There are lots  more young missionaries and we get to see them  all day especially in the cafeteria and lots to the United  States.  We are the only missionaries going to Portugal but there is one  couple, each, going to England, Ireland,  France, Germany,  The Phillipines, Japan, Canada, and lots going to various locations  in the United States We have been giving each other lessons and  talking about how to help someone understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Gale and  I have done  some of our teaching to each other and some together teaching another couple.  It has actually been fun.  All those years of teaching in the church have given us  a strong base to teach others.  I guess no study goes unrewarded, sometimes you just have to wait a really long time for the  reward.
Senior Missionaries have almost no rules.  We can use electronics, We can use our phones during class if we need to (they do have to be on buzz though) We can leave campus.  Everyone loves the Seniors It's great!

Cooking in Portugal...kind of..

Baking Powder and Flour

1. At home  I was a pretty fair cook and was also known as a "cookie grandma." So I had confidence I could share some of my best recipes here.  Oh foolish woman.  For Family Home Evening I made "Carmelitas" which are basically like caremel brownies but with an oatmeal cookie base instead of brownie.  After searching for caramel in the local store (missionaries don't  have time to make caramels) and hurrying home to make the treats in time  for them to cool before family home evening I created my lovely cookies.  But wait, there were no mounds of cookie with delicious caremel wrapping itself around and over.  There was just a pan of brownstuff that looked like it had been deep fryed.  Gale did the taste test (it's his favorite job in the kitchen) and said that they were good.
2. So I took them  to FHE and they were a sensation  as had been the apple pie bars the week before.  But, they weren't really carmelitas.  So the next week I carefully squeezed the lemon juice and baked the crust a bit more so that it would stay seperate from the filling in the lemon bars but, thats right lemon flavored glop.  Some loved it, some hated it (and let me know with ugly faces etc) but it was definately a bomb. Water takes forever here to boil.  Anyway, I looked up cooking at sea level and there was a list of 6 things you had to do to adjust your recipes.  So, I won't be making bread from the  recipe that  I have honed  for  30 years,  and I'm not sure about trying cookies ..Dad says that it takes an act of Congress to brown  French Toast..  Dad had a hankering for Bacon to go with his breakfast and  maybe those lovely tomatoes we bought at a fruit stand so he found some at the grocery store.  When we got home and translated the package it was a cut from the leg of a pig.  Oh well, try anything once, right.  So we cooked it in the microwave for like 15 minutes.  It wasn't too bad but our apartment smelled like smoked pig for a week and  even though we boiled water in the microwave a couple of times and cleaned and cleaned it you still get a  whiff of smoke when you open  the door.  
3. The meat department is a trip.  The bulk of it is full of this dried fish that have been split and  dried in salt.  You just grab a giant fish and throw it in your cart.Most of the meat department is fish, or eel, or shrimp, octipus or clams or muscles.
4. Today I made potatoe salad.  And it actually tastes almost like home.  Helmans mayonaise is  not as good as Best Foods but in a pinch it was great. I want to make Cafe Rio salad and got the recipe off of Mellonees Blog but haven't been able to find Dill weed  We have to go to Lisbon next week and  I may look in the American store for that and  Maple flavoring anyway it is an adventure every day in  my new kitchen.

The gift of tongues

Sunday we went to Tavira about 20 K away for church.  Gale and I both had to talk.  I worked with my tutor, Viktoria, wrote a talk in as much Portuguese as I have and added a bit in English.  She worked with me to help me translate and actually say what I felt.  It wasn't a long talk but it surprised the Branch President because he knows my limited vocabulary in Portuguese. I could feel the Holy Ghost with me as I delivered this talk and even though it was hard work I was given the gift to be able to share with these people my love for the Savior, and how blessed I feel to be able to be a member of His church.  Gale did very well also and understood everything the saints in Tavira said. Theirs is a little different way of speaking.  Gale was so excited to be able to understand almost everything.
After we got a call from the Mission President in Lisboa about a sick elder in Beja about 48 miles away on a dinky little road.  So we went there and took him to Lisboa where they are going to put him in the hospital for tests for his dibilatating headaches.  Then we drove home, about 600 kilometers round trip, a nice little Sunday drive.
However, we did get to see the cork trees again.  They just fascinate me. They take the bark jof just part of the tree.  So instead of being bumpy and slightly green there is a line and the bottom half, or one of the branches is a dark tan and smooth.  Then they let the bark grow back which takes a while then they do it again.  I guess Portugal does a lot of cork.
Our Mission President may be coming next week and we look forward to it since we don't know everything that we need to do here.
I will be so glad to get the internet in our apartment.  Everytime I want to know something or we need to contact anyone we have to walk the two blocks to the church.  Not that far but takes up alot of time. Funny how much we depend on that wonderful little tool.

We went on a trip yesterday with the zone.  We took two cars so we could transport the missionaries. .  We went to the western most point of Europe and even got a certificate to prove it.There  is a lighthouse there and of course beautiful scenery; gigantic cliffs and an ocean that goes on forever.  The elders, of course,  had to walk clear out to the wicked edge.  I took pictures.  The sisters just enjoyed the cool weather and the scenery.  We ate Brats that were totally amazing and y ou know that I don't like anything that looks vaguely like a Hot Dog but these were German and were they tasty. They also had Churros that were a bit bigger than we get and they had a chocolate filling inside. So we had a good lunch. The weather has cooled a bit and Dad did buy an air conditioner.  Our apartment is heaven.  We move it from the living room in the day time to our bedroom at night.It is lovely.
We taught English class on Tuesday.  We had an investigator and a member.  He needs to be baptized soon and we are planning on talking to him about that next week.  Our member is a woman about my age who was a Catholic.  One day she was walking and saw a piece of paper with a picture of the Savior on it on the ground and everyone was walking on it and past it.  She picked it up and on the back was the name "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints"  she had been by the building but had never noticed it. The next week she was at church (Catholic) praying and she had a vision of this little building and a voice told her to go there. So she came here and was welcomed even though she spoke Brazilian Portuguese and they couldn't understand her much.  She was going to raise her children in the church but not be baptised but was again told that she needed to be baptized and so she was. She is now the Primary President and still struggles because she wants to grill, and force the kids to learn stuff instead of the way Primary is supposed to be.  The people here don'thave access to all the materials that we do.  There are no FHE manuals,, there is no library with lots of pictures.  The church has only one computer which is in the  Mission Presidents office

Western most point of Europe

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Weŕe the new kids on the block

Please forgive me if I repeat myself as I have answered some of you and don't remember what I have told ;you.  We tried to google hangout with some of you yesterday night but realized that you were still in church.  If you don't have google hangouts please add it to your computers and we will find a time that works for us all and we can talk.

Today is P day and we are taking some of the sisters on a little sightseeing tour.  The Crossmans are here and they know everywhere and so we are taking two cars.  This is our first trip to actually see anything.  The air conditioner/heater we got worked great last night and so we had a COOL nights rest.  Dad has become a great Portuguese driver and can handle any roundabout.  Driving in the US will be easy after this believe me.  Our challenge every day is to get people to smile back at us.  We celebrate when we do get a smile.  The people in the ward here are very friendly and have accepted us well.  We are happy here and though we miss you we know that you are all capable and wonderful people and don't really need us for much except love and we still love you all; just from Portugal. We will soon be visiting less active people here to try to get them to come back to church.  We are hoping they will feel the spirit they felt when they were baptized and desire to return and serve and be happy.  I know going to church doesn't take away problems but it is great to have the Lord there to help you deal with the problems that life brings. I love you all and actually pray for you every day.  Thank you Mellonee for all your help with our finances, it takes a great burden from us to have you doing this.  Thanks to Mitchell and Caleb for taking care of our cars and our house (only if needed) we couldn't be in better hands. Thanks to Minon for watching over our sweet mother, that's easy for you because you love her so much, but thanks anyway.  Thanks to the rest of you for your mighty prayers on our behalf.  I feel the Lord with me every day and know it is because of the prayers of my sweet grandchildren, children, mother, and friends.  We love you, MOM and DAD