Monday, Sept 24
We thought we were up early and ready to start our road trip
to Madrid. We finished packing, taking
out the garbage, tying up loose ends. . . and we were out the door by 11:00. It took us about an hour to drive across
southern Portugal before crossing the river and entering Spain.
Landscapes varied from lush orchards, to dry rolling hills,
to acres of cork and olive trees, to straw/grass areas being bailed, to
orchards and huge gardens. It was
obvious that the drought is taking its toll on agriculture. There are some pivots for irrigation, but it
appears to be mostly dry farming. A lot of hillsides have been plowed and
terraced in preparation for future orchard plantings.
Today it was 97oF
as we drove across the country. Spain is
flatter than Portugal, but rolling hills and valleys are prevalent. If there is a hill of any size, there is
usually a castle on top. I plan to stop
at a couple on the way back.
Today it was 97oF
as we drove across the country. Spain is
flatter than Portugal, but rolling hills and valleys are prevalent. If there is a hill of any size, there is
usually a castle on top. I plan to stop
at a couple on the way back.
Freeways are excellent in both countries. One major difference in Spain is that there
are much fewer cars that whiz by like they are on the autobahn. We have to watch the rear view mirror almost
as much as the front windshield. We also
noticed a lot of semi-trucks which are very seldom seen in Portugal. It was very apparent when we were getting
close to Madrid – maybe 30 miles away. . . traffic and land development started
increasing and stayed steady.
The temple is located on the northeast side of the city on a
block sized lot surrounded by high rise buildings. We were able to locate Moroni in the
distance, and he guided us the last little bit of the trip.
We found our way into the underground parking and then to
the temple lodging reception area. We
were very surprised – and relieved to find Sister Ana Paula Neves also checking
in. She is a member of our Branch, and
she brought two elderly sisters from the Olhão Branch with her. We also learned that Mario Silva and his wife
were also there. We were invited to a
Family Home Evening in the housing dining room at 8:00. We checked in and paid for the three night’s
lodging (total of 54€). We took our bags
to our room; I then walked with the other Sisters to the Lidl market to pick up
some breakfast food for the morning.
We gathered in the dining room for FHE with the Branch
members. (Foto: x, x, Maria Tome, Silva, Mario Silva, Merl, Kathlyn, Ana Paula Neves, Aissa Ferreira Varuaçale, her fiance)
After getting settled into our room, we walked around the temple grounds in the dark. What a beautiful, peaceful place in the middle of the huge, busy city! The temperature was pleasant and the sounds of the city could hardly be heard. A few young missionaries were also
enjoying the grounds.
We learned that they had just
closed the Madrid Spain Missionary Training Center which had been located on the top two floors of the building we stayed in. Previously the MTC was moved from the large high-rise complex boarding the temple grounds
a few years ago. This building is now
used for senior housing (Foto is the first
************
Tuesday, Sept 25
We arose early and crossed the walks to the temple at about
7:30. We were excited to meet Elder and Sister Powers as we entered the
temple. They had arrived from Lisbon
this morning about 5:00 a.m. after trying to sleep on the train. They might have had two hours of sleep before the first session that started at 8:00. (View of the temple from our room.)
After getting dressed, we were asked what
language we spoke. The language of the
session is determined by how many people speak the represented languages. The predominant language doesn’t need to use
headsets. Our first session was in
Portuguese, and we were asked to be the witness couple. We requested headsets so we could listen in both
Portuguese and English as needed. There
were Spanish and French members in attendance (about 16 of us). This morning we learned that the Silvas are
ordinance workers, and Sister Neves is currently a backup. They are called to work in the temple three
times a year for a week at a time.
The temple is one of the most beautiful we have been
in. The more vibrant colors used in the
carpets, upholstery, and furnishings (reflective of the Spanish culture) were
striking. (Foto from website).
The second session was in Spanish, and then we went to lunch
in the cafeteria. Sister Powers wanted
to print some more family names (unsuccessful), so we went to the Family
History Center to do that while the Elders did another session. We also went to the Distribution center for a
few things and to a local pharmacy to purchase some medication for a Spanish
Elder serving in Lisbon. We returned to
the temple and did a sealing session.
Sister Powers was really tired and decided she would return to their
room while the rest of us decided to do another session. Not sure what prompted it, but the temple
workers went looking for her saying her husband was waiting for her. She hurriedly dressed and sat in the session
room which was being done in French. As
she looked at the name, she found it was one of her relatives who was born in
France in the 1500s. She then knew why
she needed to be in that session, and she chose to listen in French, just for
her. We then did another sealing
session. (Foto with Sister Neves)
That evening, we decided to make a trip to Costco - about 20
minutes away. It closes at 10:00 here,
so we had plenty of time. I was still on
my search for some vanilla (plus other things).
I found barbeque sauce, craisins, chocolate chips, marshmellows, and
Ritz crackers. Sister Powers purchased some Vitamin C, Naked chips, and a
rotisserie chicken. As the guys went to
fill the car with gas, she and I bought a yogurt sundae – just like at home. (In Portugal, gas is about $7.50/gallon; at
Costco in Spain, gas was $5.45/gallon, a little less than the going rate in Spain.)
We were back to our rooms by 10:00 and then joined for a
little dinner in the housing comedor – Chicken, oranges, apples, bread, chips, and
juice - whatever we could find in our little fridges.. It had been a long day, and we
hit the sack.
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