The first few days.

We are almost done day 4 of our time in Portugal. Crazy. Where does time go? It has been a full 4 days, but they have been oh so good. We tried to take it easy on our first day, but the smells, the sounds, the surroundings became all too intriguing for our team and so we found ourselves wandering the streets of Massama enjoying meia da leites and pastries and getting to know our neighbourhood. I must admit, I felt proud to be showing my girls this neighbourhood and the places that became so familiar to me last year. We went by my old apartment and memories came flooding back. Oh what I would have done to walk through that building again!

Sunday was a day of churches and reconnecting with people - lots of kisses were given. Seeing people again made a year seem not so long ago. Some things are always the same :) Getting back to concentrating, understanding and speaking in Portuguese left me exhausted by the end of the day. I crashed hard that night!

Monday was a day to explore the city. We had our fantastic tour guide and host family, Joe, give us a fabulous tour of Lisbon. Although most of the sites were familiar to myself, it was neat watching the other girls experience the city with fresh eyes. Walking the downtown streets of Lisbon with a camera in hand never gets old.

The best pastalaria in Lisbon

Enjoying Pasteis de Belem

We were reminded of the rich history that Portugal has, which is a big part of understanding how to do ministry in this place. The Portuguese are a people who love their history and are proud of where they have come from. To know the statues, the monuments and the history makes them proud and is a fabulous conversation piece when talking with locals. To understand the heartbeat of Portugal, one needs to take in the sites and understand the history of Portugal.

Jerónimo Monestary 

Belem

The Discovery Monument

Capo da Roca - the most Western point of Portugal

Hell's Mouth

 Today we have started our kids club planning for the VBS week, which starts next Tuesday, so we have lots to do to get ready for that! Gotta get my craft and singing on!