Ponta de Sao Lorenzo

P-day with President and Irma Walton.

Every six weeks President and Irma Walton would come for Zone Conference and then they would stay the weekend and then on Monday we would all do something fun.

We went to the to Sao Lorenzo the end of the Island. It was a fun hike with a beautiful view of cliffs and the ocean.

Our Area

Irma Salles and I were called to re-open the area for Irmas. When we got there the Elders told us that we did not have an area that we just worked wherever (we later found that we really did have an area, but that is another story) so all we had was an area book full of old and I mean old investigators that wanted nothing to do with the church and had no potencial. So we got to work and start to make things happen. We contacted like crazy. In the streets non stop. We also decided to visit the old investigators and less actives and tract in those areas. Since we didn't know the bus system we just climbed up mountains in hot hot humid weather. Each day we were extremely exhausted but extremely happy. We had such a fun time and found and taught so many wonderful people.

First P-Day

For the First P-Day Irma Salles and I explored the City of Funchal. We found.....

The Beatles Yacht.

The Ocean.

Yep I stuck my toes in.

The Teleferico (Gondola that took us up into the mountains)

A nice nature trail.

Cuidado Meninos ..... MADEIRA!

I was called to serve on the Island of Madeira. I had only been in the mission four transfers and so it was pretty surprising that I was called to you there.

The call the Saturday before was pretty funny the assistants talked to Irma ray first and told her she would be serving with an Irma who I really wanted to serve with and so I was waiting to here where I would be going and then the assistant told me he needed me for a special assignment (last time I was a special case I found out I didn't have a companion in the MTC) I am not into the whole idea of being a special case but I asked what that would be. He said I would be opening an area, the area of Funchal. He asked if i knew where that was. I told him that I had no idea and then I asked Irma Ray if she knew and she hit me and then I realized I was going to MADEIRA!

Irma Salles and I were assigned to re-open the area. We slept at the mission home the night before because of our early morning flight. We had fun eating dinner with the president and enjoying a night with him and Irma Walton. We sat in the basement and President looks at us and says if you don't do a good job Irmas will no long be able to go there. (No pressure)

Leaving in the morning for the airport

Signing hymns with the new missionaries that had arrived.

The Districts of Coimbra

I. Call, I. Ray, E. Nunes, E. Neslon, E. Lovell, E. Schmutz, E. Rocha, E. Miles

I. Call, E. Lovell, I. Ray

E. Slater, E. Miles, E. Rocha, E. Martin, E. Nunes

City Life

There are beautiful fountains all around the cities of Portugal. That is one thing that I loved.

Also the streets are very narrow and the streets are made from cobblestone. I like the balconies that have flowers and are so pretty however they always have random things hanging out the windows as well, like for example in this picture a stuffed bunny.

Pombas (Pidgeons) They are everywhere in Portugal. I mean everywhere.

In August the whole country of Portugal goes on holidays so missionary works gets a little harder. Coimbra is one of the most difficult places in the mission during this time. All of our investigators dropped us except for 1, less actives did not want visits during this time, and even the members did want us to come over. We would goes days without being able to enter a house. Oh and did i mention it was over 100 degrees most days with humidity. So it was time to get creative. To keep ourselves from jumping into the river to cool down or jumping off a building we created some strategies.

First of all we upped our ice-cream consumed up by 500 percent.

We would also ride on buses that were air conditioned and do contacts get out after talking to people on that bus, wait for the next bus to pass that had air conditioning, and then we would go again. We became professionals at spotting the air conditioned buses from long distances.

We would also find kids in the becos (alleys) or in places out side of the city and then we would play with them and then while Irma Ray would continue to play games with the kids I would contact the parents and the grandparents.

Coimbra Project

(I teach all) Packing around

Where's Waldo?

During the summer the students of Coimbra did a project to remember student rights so they had all these cardboard displays around the whole city. So we decided to take pictures.