Time! Stop running away!

Darling Family,
Well, this week really flew by in a hurry, we were just writing e-mail yesterday and all of a sudden it is preparation day again. Just not fair the speed things fly...

Glad to hear you're enjoying the nursery Mom, it's fun to be able to teach on a fresh slate so to speak. It seems like Mom and Dad have really moved into retirement: no job, a great calling, and Dad's got all sorts of toys to play with. All you need now is to finish up all of those projects, houses, ect. so you can go on a mission. Is that still the plan?

Sounds like you'll have a lot of fun Samuel, training a native will be great, even if his Portuguese is even more different than yours, just think of the great accent you'll have (e eu terei que gozar contigo, infelizmente!!) . It's also awesome that you and Elder Costa got along so well, you will have that friendship your whole life I'm sure. Sister Tanner and I are having a lot of fun and doing a lot of work here in Braga. She only has two more weeks and so we are pushing to work our hardest until the end. She's a great missionary!

oh, Martha, I have a question for you...we are teaching a couple of the kids the basics of piano and I was just wondering how Keturah's teacher did the group lessons. If you could give me some ideas it would be great. The first couple of lessons we have to teach them individually where the keys are and everything, but here soon we'd like to start giving them together.

Well, we had a couple days of rain here, it was a nice break. We here in Braga very often feel like chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Braga is surrounded by hills and so all of the heat stays inside, I hear that the winter gets really cold too, so I should enjoy it while I can. Luckily we have a good cold shower. Since we got here our gas water heater has yet to function properly (or function at all) We are really grateful that it's hot so cold showers are a blessing and we have still a little bit of time to get the pilot light fixed before the winter cold hits with a snap. Really I do love this area. This is the city of Padres and there are cathedrals and seminaries all over the place. A few of the bishops and great names there in the Vatican were taught here in Braga, and still have family and friends here. It's like living in a time capsule in some ways. I absolutely love the people here in Portugal, they are the greatest!!

Oh, there is this great woman in the ward here. She is 78 years old and full of spit fire and vinager. She lived in Angola since she was 3 until 50 or something. She is white, but marched with the black guerilla against Portugal. She showed us some of her pistols and trappings. She is in the middle of writing a book about her life. It will be a book worth reading. She really is hillariously funny, and also a bit scary at times. One halloween they had a costume party at the chapel and she went dressed in her guerrilla garb, ALL of it: the razor-sharp machetti and bow knife, and 4 fully loaded pistols along with two full ammunition belts, with the live ammuntion. I think the bishop just about died! Our dear, sweet, lethal Avó Manuela...

Mom, a tip that might save you a bit of time, before trying to reconnect to the internet you should highlight all of the text you have written and then press (ctrl + c) to copy and then after reconnecting you can push(ctrl + v) to paste. Another way to write e-mails without losing everything is to write it in a word document and copy and paste in the same way. It means that you're connected for a lot less time, and you don't lose all of your work. Anyway, it's something to try.

Sure do love all of you. Portem-se bem, especialmente aqueles que estão treinando!! The scriptures are true and full of great inspiring truths. I love this work and the opportities that I have been granted. Love you!

ellen