Blessed by a Special Multi-Stake Conference with Elder Bednar

 

It is always a special event when an Apostle of the Lord visits. Even before we began our mission we had learned that Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles would be visiting Portugal in April.

When we arrived, there were invitation cards printed for the occasion:

This visit would take place during a multi-stake conference for the three southern-most stakes in Portugal, Lisbon, Oeiras, and Setúbal.

Elder Bednar spoke first to a session with the youth and young adults with their parents on Saturday evening. The general session was Sunday morning at 10 AM.

The weeks leading up to the conference provided opportunities for the local leaders to announce and encourage members to attend, and for missionaries to invite everyone they met. In our Alverca Ward, the conference was announced, then our Young Women’s president stood to bear her testimony. Along with her testimony she made a passionate plea to parents to make sure they and their children did not miss this conference.

Being some distance from the conference location, our ward scheduled a bus to take any who needed a ride. They were able to fill the bus full plus some.

We had plans to join them, but on Saturday night the 18th, we were visiting with Sarah on Skype as it was her birthday, when the Sister missionaries from Mafra, one of our areas, called to ask for a ride. They were running short of space and asked if we could drive and help out. We agreed to do so.

It was a beautiful day as we drove the half hour from Alverca to Mafra and then on to Lisbon. We led the way with our GPS, but keeping three cars together on freeways, through exchanges, around round-abouts and on large city avenues was a challenge for us, but we did it with Heavenly Father’s help.

The conference center was filled to overflowing, meaning there were at least 1500 people but probably more.

Along with Elder Bednar and his wife we were blessed to have Elder José A. Teixeira of the First Quorum of the Seventy and his wife along with Elder Joaquim J. Moreira, European Area Seventy and his wife. Both the Teixeiras and Moreiras are from Portugal; the Teixeiras are from the city of Coimbra and the Moreiras are from the Lisbon area I believe. Elder Moreira conducted the conference but did not speak. I was able to hear him speak the week before at a general stake priesthood meeting of the Lisbon Stake. He speaks with great facility and clarity and helped us prepare for the experience of harkening to Elder Bednar.

The conference began with great anticipation and energy from the congregational hymn. Elder Teixeira was the first to speak and his message started where his April general conference talk ended. It was a powerful message about prayer. Sister Teixeira then spoke about fasting and living well within the safe zone of the commandments of God.

Next we heard short testimonies from two youth, a 16 year old young woman and a 15 year old young man, Tiago, from our ward. They were called on from the pulpit and both bore short but moving testimonies.

Sister Bednar then spoke, first thanking the children that welcomed them to the conference with their music. She then shared her experience raising sons to serve missions, witnessing how living prophets helped her and other parents in that charge, and how missions and other experiences in life help us develop the character of Christ in our lives.

Elder Bednar was the concluding speaker. The first thing he did was to invite two missionaries from our mission to stand as he delivered personal messages from family at home to each. The second was Sister Emily Schill who works with us here in Alverca. The message to her was one of comfort and support from family and church leaders back home. Sister Schill had lost her mother to an illness just three weeks before the conference, a fact that very few in the mission knew and almost no one else in the large congregation was aware of. It was a wonderful gift to Sister Schill that brought needed comfort.

He then proceeded to speak first to the non LDS people in the congregation, teaching them of the restoration, bearing his fervent testimony of this marvelous event, and inviting them to not take his word for it, but find out for themselves through study, acting in faith on what the missionaries are teaching them, and prayer.

The remainder of his message was addressed to the members. He spoke of the miracle of general conference where the Lord sets the agenda as He inspires each of the speakers independently as to what they should teach. He then presented the heart of his message which was basic and powerful: through the gospel of Jesus Christ we each can and must be reborn, spiritually. There is no way we can overcome the natural man expect through the atonement. He developed this message beautifully then concluded with his witness of the personal power we can each find through Jesus Christ.

The conference concluded on a very spiritual high. People lingered in the auditorium and in the lobbies outside basking in the warmth of the event.

I wish I had taken more photos of the event, but they live in our memory, just not in this blog.

Following the conference, when we were all back in Alverca, we were invited to dinner with Fernando and Vera.

They had just returned from the Madrid temple where they had been endowed and sealed for time and eternity. They had some unusual stories to tell of their trip by car, but the end results were all good.

Here is the whole lunch group minus the photographer:

Couple’s Conference

Ten days after arriving in Portugal, President and Sister Fluckiger scheduled a couple’s conference for the 7 couples serving in the Portugal Lisbon Mission. We gathered from all parts of the country – 2 from the Algarve to the far south,  2 from the north and the one couple working on an island in the Azores. The other 2 were the Ransom’s and us who work in the Lisbon area.

It was a wonderful opportunity to meet the couples, share experiences and learn much!

It was a 35 minute drive from Alverca to the mission home in the Belém zone. We first went to the mission office where Elder Broderick, Elder Stucki and Elder Ransom practiced a song for the conference. The couples were starting to gather and we enjoyed meeting them.
We faithfully followed the GPS for the 10 minute trip from the office to the mission home. Unfortunately, it was commute time and yes, there is slow traffic in Lisbon at that time!!  It took us at least 20 minutes to get there. If we knew the town better, we might have tried an alternate route. But we are obedient and GPS dependent drivers!

The Mission home is a beautiful home in a very affluent area, surrounded by other large homes, several of which are embassies of various countries. We were warmly welcomed by President Fluckiger and shown to our room.

We were on the second floor and we looked out our window overlooking a large river and….the Golden Gate Bridge????






It was so similar – a suspension bridge with the double towers and red paint – but a little longer. It is the 25 of April Bridge named for the day of the revolution that ousted Salazar and set up the current republic. Interestingly enough, that day was April 25, 1974 – the exact same day Dennis and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple!! So, EVERYONE in Portugal celebrates our anniversary!!

We enjoyed so much our time at the conference! The food was delicious. The training was inspiring. President Fluckiger shared with us his vision of missionary work in Portugal, for as the scriptures say, ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish.’ (Proverbs 29:18) The area goal is to double the number of members. And one way to do that is to establish a habit of scripture reading, especially the Book of Mormon. He encouraged us to set goals that are measurable in areas of baptism, retention and ordinations. He encouraged us to work with the members and to pray for baptisms. All the young missionaries are to spend 15 minutes of their hour of personal study studying the atonement – a good goal for us as well.

Wednesday night was a testimony meeting which began the conference on a spiritual high.
We would spent Thursday and Friday mornings and early afternoon in training and the afternoon and evening were spent touring various landmarks and enjoying dinners together.

The first afternoon was the palace of Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal, 1st Count of Oeiras. (long name, long title!). He was a powerful political figure in the 1700’s – exercising his authority in good and bad ways. He was especially noted for his work rebuilding Lisbon after a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit in 1755. His estate was extensive, though now it is only seen in the palace and the surrounding gardens.

Here we are at the entrance to the palace. The guide spoke very good English. We found out that the city had given all the employees the afternoon off before the Easter holiday that began the next day (Friday). She stayed at work to give lead our tour and then was leaving to visit family in the south. We appreciated that she didn’t just cancel!!






Of course, we all had cameras and someone was always taking a pictures. After all, we were senior couples!

Here is the key to the palace.

 











 
The palace was not furnished with period furniture. All of the walls had tile pictures, 
each room having its own theme.





A view of the gardens.

In front of a grotto.

 

Same grotto! different perspective! This is what we were looking at in the picture above.

We finished all the training before lunch on Friday. Some were tired and wanted to rest. Others, including us, wanted to see the sites near the Mission Home – the Tower of Belém (Belém is Bethlehem in Portuguese) and other landmarks.

The tower was built in the early 16th century to be part of a defense system at the mouth of the Tagus river and a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.

Below you can see the Tower of Belém. We didn’t get any closer to it because…there was a street market nearby and we needed to get some birthday presents for 5 precious grandchildren with birthdays in April and May. We knew they would be received after their birthday and we hope they know we love them and pray for them  EVERY day!! We will go back some day to the tower and look at it more closely.



Just down the river from the Tower of Belém, is the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries), a monument on the northern bank of the Tagus River estuary. Located along the river where ships departed to explore and trade with India and Orient, the monument celebrates the Portuguese  Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries.
During this age, Portugal was one of the richest nations. The courage and determination of these early explorers is a source of great pride to the people here.




This is the whole monument, sculptured like a ship. The figures that you see ‘on’ the ship represent the many people that made the Age of Discovery successful.















Below is a detail of the figures. The figures are on both sides of the monuments.




Time was up and we needed to get back to the mission home and leave for the art museum. It was Easter weekend and it seemed the whole of Portugal came to Lisbon! There were lots of people and lots of cars and lots of traffic. We were in 3 cars – The President’s, The mission van driven by Br. Ransom and us. We tried to follow, but the GPS came in handy.
On the way to the museum, though, the GPS insisted that we go through a road blocked off for a pedestrian mall. We had to ignore it and wandered through the narrow streets. It actually was quite a fun tour of old Lisbon. We finally got far enough away that the GPS decided to rethink the route and soon had us on a passable route.
We enjoyed the museum, though we discovered we only had an hour until the museum closed. We hadn’t anticipated it closing so early!! Even so, we enjoyed very much the art work.



This was in a room with so many items of gold and silver that the room literally shone!
On the upper left is the  Portuguese heart. You see this everywhere.










Below is one of our favorite pictures. It is titled “Adoração do Corte Celestial” (Adoration of the Celestial Court), by Amaro de Vale (?) 1610-1620. To us it represented the 3 Degrees of Glory and includes outer darkness at the bottom.

The next place to drive to was a place along the bay. 

Here we all are!! Pretty idyllic, não é??

The photographers in the group found the perfect couple site!

Dinner was another drive. It was slow, but our car arrived at the restaurant, “The 50’s Diner” in good time and we actually found a parking spot just across the street!! Everyone else parked in the large parking garage down the street that cost money!
It was a fun restaurant – all built to look like a 50’s era ‘joint.’ and especially featured Elvis himself and Marilyn Monroe.

Elvis & me!!

The da Silvas, our native Portuguese couple, discovered the milkshake!! He liked it so much, he ordered 2!!  We really enjoyed getting to know them. They are doing a fantastic job in their area. At first they were only available for 6 months, but they said at the conference that the Lord has blessed them so much financially while on their mission, that they think they can serve longer.  President Fluckiger clapped loudly at that!! They rode with us in our car on one of the segments and it was good practice for me to learn about their family and their conversion to the church. They are delightful!!

Here we all are, enjoying the time together!! The hamburgers (the only item on the menu – except for milkshakes) were actually really good!

We sat and visited for over an hour after dinner was done. We had spent 2 1/2 days of intensive training, sharing testimonies, sharing experiences, having fun and enjoying good food together. They are all amazing people and are truly helping the missionary work go forward and strengthening members. We learned so much from them – being the very greenie missionaries of the group. We feel a great love and respect for each one.

It was good to talk to the other wives and hear how they deal with very limited Portuguese language ability. I could have used their ideas in Cape Verde!!

It was hard to leave the restaurant. We were going home that night. The rest that lived in distant places were leaving the next day. We probably won’t see most of them again. But we will always remember their testimonies and commitment to the Lord.

We arrived home around 10:30 p.m. Friday night, tired but inspired and ready to move forward in our missionary work in Alverca.


**Thank you to Wikipedia for short explanations of the various landmarks.**

Our First Week in Portugal

Getting to know President and Sister Fluckiger

A great blessing of any mission experience is working with your mission president and his wife. Our situation is no different. We feel very fortunate to get to know and work with the Fluckigers from near Dallas Texas. They are near the end of their assignment so we will have a new mission president this summer, but they are doing a wonderful job leading the mission till then.

Sister Fluckiger met us at the airport our first day here, and we went directly to lunch at a Brazilian restaurant where President Fluckiger met us. Both of them served in Brazil as young missionaries and in the São Paulo area where Elder Broderick served.

We are also fortunately to serve with other senior couples such as Elder and Sister Ransom (above). They also met us at the airport and walked with us every step of the way till we were settled in our new home in Alverca. We quickly felt great love and gratitude for these new fellow servants in the work of the Lord.

Flying to Portugal on a Birthday

We flew to Portugal on Janet’s birthday and arrived in Lisbon on Elder Ransom’s birthday. The lunch at the Brazilian restaurant was in celebration of both.

Our flight itinerary include a 6 hour layover in Minneapolis before flying on to Paris and then Lisbon. We took advantage of that layover to visit with our kids and grandkids so they could wish Janet Happy Birthday. Here is what they looked like as we visited:

Unfortunately we didn’t get a photo of Spencer and family for this collage.

On the humorous side, the Minneapolis airport had a plumbing problem, possibly caused by the extreme cold weather they were having, that shut down some of the restrooms. To compensate they brought in the worlds largest port-a-potty:

That is a Boeing 747 if you can’t tell from the photo.

An Adequate Place to Live

Elder Ransom took us to our apartment about 30 kilometers north of the Mission Office in Lisbon in a town called Alverca, helped us move in our luggage, and showed us where to find the church, about a 5 minute walk away. He pointed out the nearby grocery stores and we made a beeline to the closet one to begin to fill the pantry. Here are some shots inside our apartment:

Our First Zone Conference

Very early in our first week (day 3) we were invited to a three zone conference on the other side of Lisbon. Our navigating skills around Lisbon were non-existent, so we invited the Sisters from our area to ride with us and help us find the way. Fortunately Elder Ransom had provided us with a GPS for the mission car we were given, and between the two we made it to our destination. Here is the whole group of very typical missionaries:

We were delighted to meet two missionaries from Cape Verde. They were from the island of Fogo, so we recognized them, but didn’t know them like we do the three Elders from our island of São Vicente who are also in this mission. Unfortunately we have not yet run into any of those three as they are serving some distance from Lisbon.

These three sisters became friends quickly: Sister Wood is the granddaughter of a couple we met in the MTC.

 

Sisters Corrêa and Miller were our missionaries in some role-play practices, and serve in one of the branches we will be working with, Torres Vedras.

Where to Buy Fish

We couldn’t go even a week without trying out their fish. A very kind customer at Continente (one of the super supermarkets) suggested some dourada. It was a wonderful recommendation. Janet cooked it up like she did fish in Cape Verde and it was delectable.

Our First Sunday

For our first in Portugal we attended the Alverca Ward, which will be our home base. It was the first day of daylight savings, and several people forgot to set their clocks ahead, including us. Fortunately our smart tablets did it for us and woke us up on time. Not so for others, including Bishop Martins. Douglas, his first counselor was there to conduct a combined meeting of the men and women. Everyone was there by Sunday School time. We attended the Gospel Principles class with the four young missionaries that serve in our ward plus the ward missionaries, the instructor, and at least two investigators.

Bishop Martins had invited us to share a short testimony during sacrament meeting, which we did. Janet did very well sharing her testimony in Portuguese. Janet also played the piano for the meeting. There is another piano player in the ward that Janet will trade off with, so we understand.

After sacrament meeting we were invited to attend Ward Council. It was a good meeting with good attendance, and plans were rolled out to invite investigators and less-actives to general conference sessions the following weekend.

Sunday evenings are the Ward Missionary Coordination meetings. Below is the group that attended this meeting. The Ward Mission Leader is the shorter brother in the center with his hands out, standing between Sister Camacho and Fernando. He is a strong member and a good leader for the effort. We had one visitor from the stake. We had to hurry at the end and get the Sisters to their apartment before their curfew.

We felt like we were off to a good start with our new ward.

A couple of days later the ward mission leader’s wife invited us for dinner at their home. Here we are with this great family:

To wrap up our first week we joined the Sisters to teach how to hold a Family Home Evening to a family from Angola where only the older daughter is a member of the Church. Not all the family members could be there, but we walked through the steps of how to hold a family night with a good lesson from Sister Camacho and hymns selected by the older boy, “I Am a Child of God” and “Silent Night”. We provided the game. Using two chocolate bars we played the chocolate bar game. The family picked up very quickly on the purpose of the game (eat chocolate) and we had fun, as you can see here:

We had two extra Sister missionaries join us, one of which was from our island of São Vicente in Cape Verde. What a joy to meet her. She was not a young adult we worked closely with, but she remembered us from Church.

Janet put together her first week comparison between Portugal and Cape Verde, our previous mission. Here is what she came up with:

It has been interesting to be in Portugal (PT) and see so much of Cape Verde (CV) here. In some ways, it has helped me understand CV more. So, here are ten ways they are the same and/or different.

1. When we first went to Cape Verde, I thought I would never feel cool again. Here in Portugal, I am not sure we will ever feel warm!! It is into the 40's at night and the apartment doesn’t have central heating. We only have 2 small heaters and it gets cold. We find if we bundle up we are sufficiently warm and I have enough blankets on the bed to stay toasty.
2. The roads are full of cars that go fast. While on our walks we don’t really see other people. Such a contrast to CV where everyone walked. And we have a car to drive now – so we do much less walking.
3. Most of the roads are paved, especially the busier ones. There are a few cobblestone roads and all the sidewalks are cobblestone. It’s like we are back in CV, though the sidewalks aren’t so broken up and uneven in PT.
4. The building seems to be built the same and have the same cement look, both inside and out. The floors are all tiled. There is the locked entrance door and another key needed to get into your apartment. We have also noticed that all the buildings are finished and painted outside. Very different!
5. We had a lunch at the zone conference catered by a small restaurant nearby. It was some grilled chicken with rice and potato chips and lettuce with a sliced tomato and oil & vinegar for a dressing. Totally Cabo-verdian!! Usually in CV we would have french fries; here in PT they substitute them with potato chips!
6. Our US debit card is working fine and is accepted at all places where we have shopped. CV was totally cash only until you got your bank account and got the debit card that was only used in CV.
7. The grocery stores are regular American sized stores. And there are many choices of sizes and kinds of many things. So, NOT Cape Verde. In some ways it was easier in Cape Verde because you didn’t have to take any time to decide which of one kind of thing you would buy.
8. We met many Cabo-verdian missionaries at the zone conference and enjoyed finding out what island they were from. We have talked on the phone to 2 that we knew well in CV from our island and hope to see them before they leave to go home. There are a good number of Cabo-verdians in our ward. And I can tell by looking at them!
9. In Cape Verde, we seldom went to the zone or district conferences – we usually had appointments to go to and didn’t feel that the meetings were needed. This week we spent one whole day in a zone conference (that we drove about 40 kilometers to) and enjoyed it very much. Rather than the missionaries coming over on a ferry and staying the night, the sisters and elders rode the train and walked to the church and went back that night.
10: **** The second day we were in CV, we went to a missionary district meeting and the culture shock and strange environment and the unintelligible speaking put me over the edge!! The 3rd day we were in Portugal, we had the above mentioned zone conference. This time, it either felt very Cape Verdean or normal European or something much more familiar – in other words, I am not feeling that much culture shock!!
    The morning of the conference, I prayed that I could hear at least one thing that would help me be a better missionary. I was very grateful that I could pretty much follow everything that was said – not that I understood all of it, but sufficient to enjoy the whole meeting with just a few questions to Dennis to verify what was happening. And my brain didn’t get so tired that it quit working after an hour. I am very grateful. Admittedly it was mostly American accented Portuguese, but in CV that was just as hard to understand as anyone else! I take my miracles when I get them!

P.S. We don't have to clorax all fruits and veggies and we drink water out of the tap! Much more convenient.

Utah!!

"Maybe the visas will come early!!??"

With that thought in mind, we made our travel arrangements to Utah 11 days before the revised MTC appearance date!

Well, the date didn't change. So, we just had fun!!!

Thank you, Chuck and Cindy for picking us up at the airport, letting us stay the night and then taking us down to Highland! Janet's mom came up from St. George and we had a wonderful weekend together with all of the close family there.

    

First, lunch with Karen and Neal, David,

Ilene and Allen and my Mom.     

                    

We do like Chinese food!!














We spent 2 weekends with Ilene and Allen. And they were BIRTHDAY weekends. That also meant that more of the family was in town. We were glad to see all of them!



Emily and Brad Wright were married while we were in Cape Verde. We met Brad for the first time as well as their cute little boy, Andrew!











We always eat well at the Washburn’s!  Allen is a master cook! And Jacob thinks the same!












Jacob and Aubrey’s daughter, Stacia, celebrated her 5th birthday! Blow those candles out!!

Emma (Anna and Alvin’s daughter) was fascinated with Janet’s counted cross stitch project. She wanted to try doing it her self and did a good job!! She actually started a small project of her own.

Some very special families:



Anna and Alvin Echeverria
Amelia
Emma
Elias
Mathias
And one more in May!!












Jacob & Aubrey Washburn
Stacia
Morgan
And another one soon!

Thank you again, Ilene and Allen for your kindness and generosity! We love you!

Families are wonderful!

With one week to go before entering the MTC, my Mom, Dennis and I went to Provo to visit the Crandall Historical Printing Museum. I had found the site on-line as a must see place in Provo. So, why not!! I called and found out that you needed an appointment and there was a tour at 11:00 a.m. This was 10:00 a.m.!! So, we hurried and got out the door. But first we had to go visit…..




Rachel Steed (Ilene’s daughter)
and brand-new son, Maxwell!!
He is one week old in this picture and so cute!!
(Note: he was the same length as our new Rachael, but almost 3 pound heavier!! He looked SO plump!)






We made it to Provo at around 11:10 – just in time to join the just started tour! Here we are watching a page of the bible being printed on a replica of the Gutenberg printing press. We were fascinated by the many tools and processes that Gutenberg had to invent and develop to make his printing press. And those processes were much the same for the next 400 years!!




 
Bro. Crandall shows us the type case that has the moveable type. Gutenberg invented the hand mold and then developed the metal alloy that worked – and was used for hundreds of years.

It was this same type and process that printed the Book of Mormon. The machine was updated but  the concept was basically the same as Gutenberg’s!!


All the tour group (besides us) were students at UVU and had to leave by noon. We then got our own special tour to see everything else!!



The next day, Mom left for St. George. I love my Mom so much and it was a little hard to see her go. But, we will be back!!

Dennis and I went back to Salt Lake City for more visiting with Chuck and Cindy and to spend time in the Family History Library!! We had planned only 1 day and may a bit more, but ended up spending all of Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday morning!!

It was a wonderful week of discovery for me!! I found a book with transcribed headstones from the Methodist church which  included:



John Adams was my great-grandfather’s second cousin – and I knew about him and had recently found his and Sarah’s marriage record. But I didn’t know about the children except for Annie (at the bottom of the entry) as she was in the 1881 census. Little John George Adams, age 15 months at his death, was not baptized in the Church of England and the Methodist records are not readily available. I had no way of knowing they had this son!! I was able to put him in his family in Family Search and have him sealed to his parents!!

And I also found a will that extended a family line in the early 1600’s one more generation!! It was a marvelous few days!!

Dennis was also very busy checking the Kanab church records for ordinance dates for the Howlett’s and Prowses that lived there. It was an interesting snapshot of life at that time. He also took a shot at eliminating possible births for Mary Bagshaw. We both used every minute we had in the Library.

And an important part of that week was attending the Bountiful temple for the first time with Chuck and Cindy!! We had driven past Bountiful many times, always admiring the temple high on the hill. It was wonderful to drive up and enjoy the spirit there.








We then met their daughter Angela at an excellent Chinese restaurant and enjoyed the meal very much.

Did I tell you we like Chinese food???




















We finally saw “Meet the Mormons”!! It looks like we are going to have our own private showing!! But just before the film was to start, several groups of young men and women came in. Good Mutual activity!!








We enjoyed the film very much!! Every member has their own special story and their own individual way to build the Kingdom of God. I am so grateful to be a member of Christ’s church and to have the privilege to work in it.

I Am A Mormon!

Have we been having fun or what!!

But the time had arrived. On March 16, 2015, Dennis and I entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah to begin our service to Portugal.

Thanks again to Allen for taking us there.

The first thing you get at the MTC – just as you enter the doors, is your badge!! All senior couples get their badge in English, regardless of where they are going. We ordered our Portuguese badges while at the MTC – which come in 1-2 days.

The must do picture of the map!!

Interestingly, Dennis’ index finger is pointing to our current mission in Portugal, but his other fingers are pointing to Cape Verde. That mission certainly made a huge impact on us. And we have discovered our experience there has direct relevance to our current mission – both in language, people and culture.

Below: Our district with our morning teachers : Elder & Sister Jenkins (MLS, Oregon – from Kentucky), Sister Yazzie, Sister Fisher, Elder & Sister Bailey, (Office, Kentucky, from Manti); Elder & Sister Johnson, (MLS, Salt Lake City, from Salt lake City) and us.

Our afternoon teacher, Brother Swallow, was a recently returned missionary from Brazil. It was fun during the break times to talk Portuguese.



The Johnson’s calling is quite unique. They are called as full-time missionaries to serve in their own stake in re-activation. It is a test program with a few stakes participating – we had another couple in the group doing the same thing. They live in their own home, but are expected to serve as any other full-time missionary.

We learned to love these brothers and sisters and appreciated their insights into the gospel and missionary work. They are wonderful people and will do a marvelous work in their individual missions.

We were also inspired and instructed by the enthusiastic teachers we had.

One of the “perks” of being a senior couple at the MTC is you have more freedom to come and go as you need. You just needed to sign out with an estimated time of return and then sign back in.  And we took advantage of it!!!




First and foremost:

The Temple!!

We will be 2 years without a temple and wanted to enjoy being in the temple and feeling the peace and reverence found there.

Wednesday night we participated in an endowment session. Saturday morning we did a sealing session (where we got John George Adams sealed to his parents). It was a marvelous time!










Friday night, Dennis’ Aunt Elaine picked us up and we had a wonderful evening visiting with her, her two sons, Allen and his wife Cara and Richard. Dennis’ Uncle Bryce and Aunt Sandy, who moved to Utah from Alaska last summer also joined us. Family is wonderful!!



While at Ilene’s, I learned that my niece, Becca, was having a baby shower. My sister (and her mom) Carolyn, was coming up from St. George, another daughter was coming from Colorado and the 2 Utah daughters would both be there. So, of course, I had to go!!

It was fun to catch up with  Miriam and Eliza and to see Becca so happy! Carolyn and Esther put on a great party.

While there, I realized that Carolyn had all her daughters there!!

Have I told you how wonderful family is??? I almost got homesick – and I hadn’t even left yet!



And so ended our MTC experience. Once back from the baby shower, it was laundry time. Then pack the bags. Weigh them. Repack the bags. Weigh again until we were within a pound of 50! At the airport, my suitcase was 51 pounds and Dennis’ was an even 50. Not bad!!

We were due at the travel office on the ground floor of our residence building at 5:00 a.m Sunday morning. We tried to get to bed early to get as much sleep as we could before the 4:00 a.m. alarm. It would be a long 24 hours before we arrived in Portugal.

But that is another story!