Week 37 Sept. 8 - 14

Sunday Sept 8     Made it to church just in time – with the cakes in tow. Put them in the refrigerator and hoped they would still be there after meetings. Klayton and boys were not at church today. We left Merl’s furniture clamps on a cabinet door – Klayton said he would bring them to church to us.  We will need to go get them.

Pres. Mello (District President and Executive Secretary of the Temple Committee) spoke today about the temple and many of his special experiences while working on the committee. He later was the teacher for the Sunday School class and talked about the truce nature of God – taken from the King Follette discourse.





As soon as the meeting was over, we found Leonardo and Eunice and headed to Olhao to pick up Bruno for the JAS committee meeting. All five branches were represented today – coordinated by the Marriotts - it is their senior missionary assignment to get the program going in Portugal. Possible activities for the rest of this year and for 2020 were discussed along with coordination with regional and stake activities from the Lisbon area. We will be taking Daniel and Laisa to Lisbon in October to meet with the stake committees (we are not part of a stake yet).

We had chocolate cake after the meeting – a good surprise for Bruno – it was his birthday. He is actually the committee head, but he will be going to the U.S. next month through December. Daniel (a returned missionary) will take the lead. We delivered everyone back to their homes and had a nice lunch – chicken, potatoes, carrots, etc. cooked in the pressure cooker with a fruit salad.

Drove to Sao Bras to pick up the furniture clamps and to drop off some pillows. Had a nice visit with Kayton and Bruna. Their microwave isn’t working now, and they don’t have gas for their cooktop (with no oven). Not sure what they eat. We did give them a used sandwich maker so they can at least make some grilled cheese sandwiches.

Another walk to the park this evening was refreshing – after the sun goes down. The sisters came over to wait for the transfer phone calls. New transfer information: Sister Moulton will be going to Costa de Caprica; Sister Collins will be coming as Sister Hales new companion (new Sister Trainers for the Algarve); Elder Paul is going to Setubal; and Elder Erikssen is going to Santa Andreais.  In the evening, Curtis called to get some instructions on electrical and plumbing things with the pond, bathroom, and outside kitchen.

The past few weeks has brought mixed feeling of being away from home. Our families have been packing in all their end of summer camping trips and actvities; kids are all getting back into school, Logan has returned from the Philippines, fall sports have started, and pictures of school dances with our grandkids and their dates. I have really been missing home. The work is good here; we are staying busy and know that we are blessing lives in many different ways. . . but it is still hard. So looking forward to the temple dedication and the opportunity to be in the House of the Lord again. Families can indeed be together forever – so a little separation now should be okay.

Monday, September 9    P-Day Got up a little late this morning, made keto banana pancakes for breakfast, and hit the streets – looking for possible under-stove cabinet options at used furniture stores. Found a couple of possibilities, but didn’t make any purchases. Merl also took his Nexis to a shop to have the screen replaced – he sat on it and cracked it a couple of months ago. It was time to repair it or get a new one. It was a good walk this morning, and it got hot pretty fast.

Today was another trip to Sao Bras to put the leg back on the table for Klayton and Bruna. Merl also rehung a cabinet door and put together a temporary counter-top for the stove top (that still doesn’t have any gas). We were there for a couple of hours. Klayton is trying to learn English, so we say everything in English and Portuguese, correcting and helping each other. It has been good to spend time with this little family. Klayton works at a bakery at night, and Bruna works lauandry during the day.  In Brazil, Bruna was a nurse, but is not licensed here in Portugal.  They have so little, but they are grateful for what they do have and feel that their prayers are being answered by the actions of others.

IKEA visit – I wanted to get some matching cups, bowls, and plates for the boys. . they have nothing of their own except two matchbox cars. They do have access to some pens and markers – which they have used to write all over the white walls in their little apartment.

We even stopped at the upstairs restaurant this evening and had a quick dinner – meatballs with mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy. The Powers have talking about how much the like the IKEA meatballs that we had to try them. Merl wasn’t real thrilled with his plate – especially wasn’t crazy about the vegetables (had eggplant and peppers mixed in). I thought it was quite tasty.

Back home to rest for a bit before getting on the computers to catch up on finances and history/blog. Piano lessons in Albufeira fell through tonight – girls had something come up. There was a post I found on my phone listing 95 things about President Nelson (in recognition of his birthday). What an amazing man! And yet so humble and human.

Sept 10 Tues   Transfer Day     Up early to take the Sisters to the train station at 7:30 this morning. Sister Hales and Sister Collins will be returning with a car – since we still are not going to have Elders here, the Sisters will continue to work in Albufeira, Quarteira, Almancil, Sao Bras, and Loule – and all the little areas between.

Took Merl's Nexis in to have the screen replaced. We are working with Andersons on refrigerator replacement - Sister Anderson told them to defrost their freezer by putting pots of hot water on the shelves of the freezer but she neglected to tell them to turn off the refrigerator before doing that. The circuitry was overloaded and burned up something.  The comsters came home this evening with a car – called us to see where to park. Unfortunatly, they don't have a parking garage and will have to fight for a space on the street.   A nice walk in park the park ended our day.

Sept 11 Weds-    Thoughts were drawn back to the fateful September 11 tragedy this morning.  So many feelings.  All the missionaries are in the process of transfers, and we had nothing pressing today.   I decided to deep clean the apartment which kept me busy most of the day. Merl did a lot of reading today.  Ended the day by catching up a little on the blog (one month behind).

Sept 12 Thurs   Went to Olhao to pay water bill AmbiOlhao which was a small office hidden way back in narrow streets with no parking.  We finally parked the car and decided to go on foot.  We were impressed that we could talk to people on the streets and communicate well enough to find the place. Finally have the Olhao Sisters apartment totally out of our hands.



Piano lessons  with Tomas. Home for a quick lunch and then to piano lessons in Salir. Rushed home to pay internet bill and pick up Merl’s Nexis from the repair shop before closing. Off to Albufeira for piano lessons for Risiane (Karina didn’t get home from work). Back home to pack car for trip to Lisbon. Call from Curtis – renter wants to install new carpet in duplex and take it off their rent.

Fri Sept 13 Packed and on the road by 8:30 – heading to Setubal. Replaced a shower hose for Elder Nichols and Elder Castro – very nice apartment (wouldn’t mind living there myself – except the city is too big and busy for Merl). Determined the problem and went to AKI to purchase the hose. While there, we also removed the molding caulk around the shower and replaced it with new white caulk. Makes a huge difference. . . even if it is cosmetic.

Stopped at the mission office to unload he car – lots of things from the Olhao apartment that we closed. Sister Garrard gave us new pillows for all the missionaries in our area. New policy – bring your own or buy your own – personal item. She showed us the new art and décor in the office – a much warmer, inviting place.

On to Seixal where Elders Barbosa and Gover don’t have hot water in their bathrooms. Merl reset the thermostat and experimented with water flow. Really confusing because occasionally, the water would start to warm up in the showers, but then turn cold again. Cold and hot water valves are in four different places. . . finally decided that the landlord needed to be contacted. Nothing is wrong with the hot water heater – problem with the plumbing. Their apartment is even bigger and nicer than the Setubal apartment.

Almada apartment – where we stayed three nights while helping with the temple open house. Returned to finish a coupld of projects – recaulking a shower and removing hard water build up on tile and shower hardware. We were really tired by the time we finished the third apartment and

arrived at the Power’s apartment at 9:00 p.m. Sister Powers had a nice supper prepared for us – curry/quinoa soup, crackeris with chicken salad, green salad. Nice visit around the table and in bed by 11:00. Call from Jenny Castlebury – wants permission to put in new carpet and take it off their rent.

Saturday Sept 15     Breakfast and getting ready for the missionary conference with Elder Neal A. Anderson. Daniel Noad, a recent missionary from Texas, is staying with the Powers – he returned to help with the temple open house in any way he could. He leaves for the temple at 6:00 in the morning and returns around midnight, every day. We had a nice visit with him this morning over breakfast. . .

Rather than take two cars to the temple, we rode with the Powers.  We arrived just a couple minutes lat and found the chapel full of missionaries – all the missionaries in the entire Portugal mission.  Shortly thereafter, Elder Neal A. Anderson entered the chapel (along with Elder Sabin, Elder Duncan, Elder Teixera, Elder Moreira, and their wives).  We each were able to shake their hands before being reseated for the meeting.


(Elder Anderson, Apostle; Pres. Teixera, Presidency of the Seventy; Elder Duncan, Seventy; Elder Sabin, European Area President Seventy; Joaquim Moreira Area Seventy)



Most of the meeting was conducted in English - refreshing for us.  We were impressed by the strength of the Portuguese pioneers in the gospel.

The Lisbon Temple becomes the Church’s 166th operating temple worldwide.  Elder Anderson called attention to Portugal’s fascinating history of global discovery and likened it to Latter-day Saints going to the temple as explorers seeking to discover something greater than lands and riches.

In earlier interviews with the Church News to summarize the themes of his dedicatory remarks planned for Lisbon, Elder Andersen noted the historic achievements of Portuguese explorers such as Bartolomeu Dias, who helped map Africa’s coastline; Vasco da Gama, who followed Dias’s initial route and continued on to chart a seagoing course to India; Ferdinand Magellan, who is credited as the first to circle the globe, by sailing below South America and through the straits that now bear his name; and even Christopher Columbus, who spent seven years in Portugal observing and learning from other explorers.

Elder Jose A. Teixeira  a Portugal native and member of the Presidency of the Seventy said: “You cannot disassociate the city of Lisbon from the ocean—it is an integral part of who we are. … The history of the Portuguese is about discovering the world.”

Elder Andersen explained the analogy with the new Lisbon Portugal Temple. “In this dedicated and consecrated house of the Lord, we too are explorers, searching not for new lands but for something much more precious,” he said, then quoting John 17:3 “‘This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent.’

“As disciples of Jesus Christ, we enter into this house to discover the things of eternity and to prepare us to one day travel through the veil back to our heavenly home.”

PORTUGAL:  Exploration. Discovery. And returning home.  It has been a fundamental part of Portugal’s history for more than five centuries. And for the second time in the last half-century, a latter-day Apostle has evoked the imagery and accomplishments of 15th– and 16th-century sea-traveling Portuguese explorers in a key dedication for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this European country.

I appreciated the thoughts given by a couple of the authorities' wives to the young missionaries.  Sis. Teixeira:  1.  Be of good cheer.  You can conguer all the challenges of your mission life.  2.  Faith is a present from God.  Be obedient to the commandments, the prophet, from your leaders.  3:  Love - work on that.  4. Knowledge - Pray and read scriptures to receive revelation.  Memorize scriptures so you are free to work with the spirit.  5.  Preparation:  P-Day is not play day, it is a preparation dat.  6.  Have joy!  Your work here will be a badge of honor.

After the meeting, lunch was provided by the mission at a restaurant around the corner next to the Pousada de Juventude where the sisters stayed during the open house. There was a Long line – serving around 200, but the food was good and everyone was happy. We had a nice time visiting  with other senior couples before driving back to the Powers' apartment.

  Sister Powers received a phone call from the Seixal Elders – they left their key at an apartment in Lisbon area – She and I drove over to let the landlord in to check the water heater problem while the Elders went for their key. On our way home, she wanted to show me a place she really liked., Quinta de Fidalga.  At one time the estate (palace and grounds) was owned by a prominent family for hundreds of years.

The property that was purchased by the city – palace, gardens, orchards, ponds, stone/shell structures – It was once a beautiful place – as the family died, no one wanted to keep it. If someone had an interest and some money, it could be restored and be a beautiful attraction again.

Sister Powers received a phone call from the Seixal Elders – they left their key at an apartment in Lisbon area – She and I drove over to let the landlord in to check the water heater problem while the Elders went for their key. On our way home, she wanted to show me a place she really liked.