International Dinner and Exploring Loulé

Sunday, September 9

We were up early to make last minute preparations for lunch before we went to church.  Merl moved my computer stuff off the table so he could set it.  Then we just hoped the food would all come together when we got home.

As we entered the chapel, we were greeted by a couple of people we didn’t know.  We often get tourists that stop by for church – and this was the case this morning.  Brother and Sister Dias from Porto were here on holiday.  We learned that they are the parents of our Elder Dias who lives in Olhão, just half an hour away . . . and they couldn’t go see him.  They recognized us from the pictures we had taken in Lagos when we took a couple of the Elders to Ponta de Piedade.  We also met Pauline Heller from Germany.  She is backpacking across Portugal before returning home to go to the University.  She had served a mission in Switzerland and had been home for a year teaching English to grade-school students.  She had a Brazilian companion while on her mission and had learned a little Portuguese. . . but she can’t understand any of the Portuguese she is hearing here in the country.  We think she is very brave to make this trip by herself, but she is loving it.

Before we left church today, we had three extras to join us for dinner - Pauline, Miguel, and Jairo.  We have eight chairs with our table and fortunately a couple of folding chairs on the balcony.  We needed nine chairs today.  I quickly added some more chicken to the fajitas and another cup of rice to the cooker.   I already had plenty of black beans cooked.  By the time everyone arrived, everything was about ready to put on the table – Fajita (chicken and peppers), tortillas, cilantro lime rice, spicy black beans, Mexican sweet potatoes, cabbage/tomato/onion salad, chips and salsa, and fruit juices. I made a sour cream apple/pear pie that turned out pretty good – with ice cream.  I called this our international event. . . Mexican food with representatives from Germany, Guatemala, Brazil, Angola, and U.S.A.

Pauline had originally planned to take the bus to Albufeira where she had reservations at a hostel.  On Sunday, the buses don’t run all the time.  We offered to take her to her destination, and we saw a new side of Albufeira – right down on the beach – hundreds of little shops, street stands, restaurants, tourist traps, etc. . .  I want to go back one day and just walk around the many narrow, hilly streets and experience the area.

We arrived back home to a pile of dishes – but working together we had everything washed and put away in no time.  It was a long – but very good day!

*****************

Monday, September 10

Part of our assignment as missionaries here is to assist with apartment inventory and inspections.  We received instruction from Lisbon to print and laminated some fun posters to remind/encourage the missionaries of their responsibility for cleanliness and safety.  With the phone help of a branch member, Ana Neve, we were able to find a business to do the printing and laminating for us.  It was just a few blocks away, but with no signs and in the back of a clothing/shoe store that also does screen printing on clothing.  

After that, we stopped by a Chinese Bazaar to get a plastic cover for the microwave and a plastic tote with a lid to carry food items back and forth.  I plan to make cinnamon rolls for the Conselho de Distrito meeting tomorrow morning, and I will use my new tote.

When I need to bake something fresh (for the next day), I prep everything at night and get up early to mix and bake.  Good thing I started early enough to run to the local market for some powdered sugar – had to go to a second store to find it.  Merl spent a lot of time today doing  expense reports and studying.  I guess that is why we have a P-Day.  Sometimes we find something fun to see and do, and other times we just chill and catch up on life.

The Laytons are going home in November and won’t be replaced right now.  We received a phone call from Sister West in the Mission office to get our input on where the senior couple should be located in the Algarve. We checked the mileage across the Zone to help determine which missionary couple apartment may be closed.  Right now, we are located close to the middle, and we definitely like Loulé better than Portimão.   Even though the Portimão apartment is more modern and nicely furnished, we like the smaller, old city feel of Loulé.  We are centrally located and within walking distance of almost everything we need.   Looks like we will be given the responsibility for the entire Algarve zone (3,100 sq. miles) plus Beja, a city about 50 miles north of the Algarve.  Most of the cities are along the 100 mile southern coast line.  So. . .we will be on the road even more.

************

Tuesday, September 11    A day in history that must not be forgotten

Got up in time to mix and bake the cinnamon rolls.  When I have everything prepped the night before, it doesn’t take too much time to get the rolls in the oven.  The new flour made a huge difference.  Still haven’t found any vanilla, so I put some a packet of lemon crystals in the frosting.  Really good!.  I had enough dough to make two pans, so there was plenty to share.  I took one roll down to our friendly fruit market owner.  

We went to the meeting a little bit early because Merl’s computer was needed to be hooked up so the Baja Elders could skype in this morning.  Baja is the farthest point in the Algarve Missionary District.  We handed out the posters to each companionship and explained the importance of following the instructions for cleaning the apartments before inspections and things to check off before leaving the apartment.  We also scheduled appointments to take inventory in each apartment.  The mission will be closing some apartments because the missionary headcount will be going down in the next two transfers.  When the two missions combined into the one Lisbon mission, there were 250 missionaries – more than one mission president can handle.  By attrition, this number will decrease to make the mission more manageable.  The cinnamon rolls were a hit. 

Merl called the Madrid Temple to arrange for housing while we are there. We will drive up on Monday, Sept. 24 and return on the 27^th.  We will do several sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday – with a little free time to go to Costco and do some sightseeing.  We are excited for this opportunity to serve with the Loulé branch at the temple.

With winter season coming, the mission is considering putting clothes dryers in the apartments so missionaries don’t use their little portable heaters to dry their clothes.  Sister West visited with Merl to determine the cost effectiveness of this idea and whether the apartments have enough electrical capacity to support adding dryers.  A little more research needs to be done. 

I started another batch of chicken noodle soup for some Elders who are coming down with some bad colds.  The internet indicates there really is something in the soup that helps alleviate congestion and cold symptoms.  I also took some cinnamon rolls down to our neighbor who makes the historical stringed instruments of Portugal in his little shop just outside our building door.  He was on the phone, but he put his hand on his heart and said thank you.  

We walked to a second-hand store and purchased  a desk/table for the Olhão/Tavira Elders.  While Merl went back to the apartment to get the car, I and walked to the place where Miguel is renovating/reconstructing an old space into a store for an owner from England.  He is doing all the work himself which is amazing that he can physically do it – hoisting beams to create a ceiling (and floor of a second story of apartments). 

After taking the desk apart and fitting it into our little car, we drove home. We packaged up a few cinnamon rolls and walked back to where Miguel was working.  I wanted Merl to see the project.  We then stopped by a farmácia to check out cold remedies available here to recommend to the Elders.  Being a little adventurous tonight, we walked back home through the winding streets we see on the backside of our apartment complex.  What an amazing collection of little stores, houses, eateries, and ruins!

 This is the back side of our apartment building that looks over a complete neighborhood hiding in this other picture.  Then we walked through the maze of streets unseen from the view above.