PALACE OF BELEM - LISBON

Checking out one of the many palaces in Portugal. 

This one is not far from the mission home.

 

 After a meeting the night before

with some of the church leaders in Portugal,

we jumped at the chance to visit this palace

along with 2 other senior couples

 and the mission president and his wife.

Crossmans, Fluckigers, Roses, Sommers

 

Some of the outside architecture...

 A cool bell tower.

 

 Inside the palace...

Replica of the palace .... and hanging behind are real weapons.

The detailed workmanship was unbelievable

all throughout the palace.

It is all very ornate, gold and glitzy.

The murals on the walls are all tapestries

(fooled me... they looked like paintings).

There are different scenes throughout the palace.

The music room...

The king's bedroom (separate from the queen's)

Notice how small the bed is....

he must have been very short! 

Even had a footstool to climb up to the bed.

....the garden room, although no plants growing! 

One of my favorite rooms... so pretty!!!

Can you imagine coming to a dinner here??!?  Wow!!

 

 

 

CASCAIS - COASTAL CITY AND LIGHTHOUSE

After touring the palace in Belem,

we made a quick stop

to see this coastal city and lighthouse. 

 

A beautiful place...

 

 

 The flowers grow everywhere and wherever here...

 ...even in the rocks!

Looking out towards the sea... 

  Still amazed that we are here in Portugal!

Haven't eaten a snail yet, a real delicacy here,

but you can be sure Ron has :)

He likes them!!! 

Enjoying the day with the Sommers  :)

 

LIVING IN THE CITY OF SANTAREM

View from bedroom window... it's actually a wonderful view.

View from kitchen window... the home across the street is being remodeled,

so fun to watch the progress.

Our apartment building, 4th floor here but actually 5th floor here as they count the first floor as "0."

Street level view... we were walking to the church from our apartment.

The very bumpy sidewalks... someone should inform them it's time to modernize, LOL!

The famous "bubble"... our car:)

Our church meetinghouse...small but functional.

SENIOR COUPLES CONFERENCE IN LISBON - 3/13 to 3/15/14

The men picking our fish for dinner....so yummy! 

We had dourada (dolphinfish) and red snapper!

The Phippens -- 4th mission -- 77 years old and an amazing couple!

Not even a broken collarbone could slow them down. 

He is the branch president in the Azores.

They reminded us of our friends

John & Elaine Bishop... it was like looking into the future 20 years 

(not only their physical characteristics,

 but also their positive outlook on everything they do!)

We toured the presidential palace in Lisbon.  This is one of the guards.

The beautiful gardens at the palace ... what a view!

Our new friends, the Sommers (aka, Captain Jean-Luc Pickard)

Listening to the tour guide (supposedly :).

A popular lunch place where we had lunch.

The Pao-Pao

The streets of Lisbon near the palace.

Our tour guide at the palace.  Fortunately he spoke English :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IRMA (SISTER) FLORA

Irma Flora is from Mozambique!  It was her birthday and we went over and gave her cookies and sang Parabans (Happy Birthday) to her.  She loves the sister missionaries! 

She lives very humbly, walks bent over, has no teeth, but she loves Jesus Christ

and comes to church every Sunday.   

TESTIMONY OF PAULO GUERRA

 

Testimony of Paulo Guerra -- 3/2/2014

Paulo was baptized in January, 2014, a little over a month before we got here.  Here are his words:

 

"Before I met the missionaries my house was closed and dark to the world, but the day I met the missionaries in (December), something strange and good entered my house that made it full of light.  It was the Spirit of Jesus Christ that came to illuminate me.  They then taught me to pray – speaking with Heavenly Father.  Then I went to church and I liked a lot what I saw and heard.  There were not any idols or statues that people pray to nor memorized prayers.  It was very good.

I was then baptized on the 11^th of January, 2014, another joy because I felt I had been reborn in that moment.  Only good things have come to me and because of this I pray to Heavenly Father and I advise you to do the same.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

 

ORANGES, ORANGES, ORANGES...They are everywhere here!

We were visiting this sweet lady in our area. 

I mentioned how intrigued I was with the orange trees here and Sister Flausino insisted on sharing some from here tree, which also had a lemon branch growing from it with lemons on it!!! 

Getting instructions on how to pick the oranges.

Trying to catch the oranges as they fell to the ground... She is an adorable lady!!!

Insisting we fill the entire bag!  So YUMMY!

 

FIRST P-DAY (PREPARATION DAY OR DAY OFF) -- OBIDOS, A CASTLE FROM THE 1300'S

Every castle needs a knight...

Exploring the castle with another senior missionary couple, the Sommers from California... this place was so enchanting.  Lots of history and old homes that are now little shops and eating places.

Loving the view from the castle.  (Can you say "Cheese?")

 

Portugal is so beautiful.  It could be a painting.  We feel so blessed to be here.

Another view from the castle wall.  Ron and Brother Sommer (also named Ron) walked along the top of the wall around the city... too high and skinny of a walkway for Ronda and Sister Sommer!!! 

They enjoyed the shops much more :)