Service today with Makenzie

Day 26:

Today started with breakfast and coffee in a local café with Makenzie. Emailing return visits and studying for the meeting, we made the most of our time in the warmth of the building. As afternoon approached, the sun came out to greet us. I don't think I have realized until now how much the weather can affect one's outlook on things and their disposition. Not that we have been particularly down with the cold and rain, but feeling the sun and being in it had us feeling full of vigor and optimism.

We made our way to Baixa, the lower part of the city that is also known as downtown. Baixa is fairly interesting- musicians, bubble blowers, caricaturists, tourists, movies being filmed in the streets- it's amazing what happens in this part of Lisbon. At one point, Makenzie and I were waiting for a cross walk when a man came up behind us and grabbed my leg while saying something that I can only guess as profane in Portuguese. Like I said; interesting place, this Baixa. Throughout the day, we spoke with some tourists, leaving a magazine and some tracts. One of the shop owners, a man from Bangladesh whom Makenzie had spoke with last week, had also accepted some magazines when we spoke with him on the streets. After walking about for a number of hours, we made our way back to the apartment in order to get ready for meeting. After the meeting, we are all feeling excited and anxious for the campaign work to. start in March! Its going to be an amazing experience to be a part of this work here in Lisbon's English congregation. Third service marathon day in a row and I'm feeling so happy to be in bed! Day 27 brings more service and then live music and some food overlooking the city with some friends from the hall. It should be a great day.

Today's Positives:

Got to enjoy some quality study time in a beautiful café with my beautiful friend

Spoke to tourists about the truth

Explored the town without getting lost

Soaked in a healthy dose of vitamin D and enjoyed every moment of it

Had a fun day with Makenzie and I am going to sleep looking forward to tomorrow and the weeks to come!

 

sights from the day

 

 

 

Day 25:

Service with Crystal this morning was both informative and encouraging. We started with informal witnessing- talking to people as we made our way toward my territory. Along the way we had spoken to two Nepali speaking people, Crystal has been studying the language for a while now and can hold a conversation well, and we spoke to a return visit of one of the brothers in the English congregation who we ran into on the street. He is a college professor from Bangladesh who is living here in Portugal as a refugee. Four months ago he was forced to flee his country in order to preserve his life... he is the fourth refugee that I have met since my stay here.

Once we got to my territory, Crystal showed me the borders and we walked along the streets getting familiarized with the addresses- seeing as they are written in a different format than I am used to. We went into the shops tucked in the sides of buildings, checking to see if there were any people who spoke English. Many of the shop owners were Nepali, Bengali, Portuguese, or Nigerian and already studying with brothers in the English congregation. It is faith strengthening, though, to see how much interest there is and how responsive people are. Everyone I have talked to has been genuinely appreciative of the Bible and enjoys discussing it and learning from it. It's something I am not used to- never being turned down when I offer tracts to someone, being able to show them a scripture and talk with them- it makes me enjoy being out all day, searching despite the difficulties, because I know that there are people out there waiting and wanting to be found.

Our last stop on my map was a little restaurant on the corner, a Mediterranean café that was new to town and among one of the two or three of its kind in all of Lisbon. The man who owned the shop was also the chef, he came down to greet us from the kitchen and asked if I could come back to talk to him more since the lunch rush was about to hit. So there it is! A return visit, a Turkish man trying to make it in Portugal.

The rest of the day was spent with Makenzie and Audry. We all met up for lunch and enjoyed each others' company before Crystal left for her afternoon appointment. I was happy that I was able to get to know Crystal a little better today, it is nice to have a friend who understands the struggles and who can reassure you that everything you are doing is appreciated by so many people but most of all by Jehovah.

Seven hours in the ministry, a long jog on the cobblestone streets, and family worship brings my day to a beautiful end. Tomorrow is another long day in service followed by meeting. Day 26, I anticipate the spiritual feast!

Today's Positives:

Had the opportunity to talk to and know Crystal more

Found a possible return visit in a Turkish shop

Enjoyed being out in the sunshine all day long

Have officially decided that I haven't laughed or smiled more in my life than I do with these four roommates of mine

convention center in town

 

Santa Maria Hospital

 

In front  of Campo Grande

 

Day 24:

Feeling much better after a good night's rest, Tenesha, Audry, Makenzie and I all made our way out to the universities to search for students in the English program. It's amazing how accustomed we have all become to eavesdropping; listening to conversations around us just to determine whether or not we can understand what people are saying. Most of the time the language is foreign to us,  but every now and again a word spoken in English can catch our attention. One thing we have been trying is smiling and saying, "hello, good morning", or some other greeting to see what kind of reaction we get from people. More often than not, they shoot you an awkward look and keep walking. I like when they smile back, though- even when you can clearly tell that they have no idea what you just said. Today, the university seemed pretty stagnate, but we did talk to some people. 

There was one young man in particular who had been standing at the entrance to the metro station passing out flyers to the students whom I asked if he spoke English. He replied that he only spoke a little but that he was trying to learn. After some small talk about where we were from and how we got to be in Portugal, I offered him a Truth tract. I apologized for not having the tract in his mother tongue, but he was happy to have one in English because he wanted so badly to learn the language in hopes that one day he could go to the states. It was interesting to talk to him, though. Despite his background, he was a fairly zealous and spiritually inclined person- he carries his bible in his backpack wherever he goes and was thrilled to find out that scriptures are cited and quoted in the tract.

From the universities, we headed to the hospital. There have been rumors that in the lower levels of the building exchange students study medicine, so we gave it a shot. Inside the lobby, a man had approached me and said something in Portuguese. When we had told him that we spoke English, he apologized in English and we asked if he knew where we could find the exchange program for medical schooling. He explained that he did not know, but as the conversation progressed we discovered that he was studying with Jehovah's Witnesses in Portuguese and could tell by our literature and attire that we were witnesses when we walked in the building. I appreciated that comment. It goes to show that in all our difficulty searching to identify English speaking people, people often identify us as witnesses first just by looking at us. 

The rest of the day consisted of roaming about town, ears peeled and mouths ready to simply approach someone and ask if they spoke English. Post search work was the usual cooking, cleaning, bonding at home or over a lovely jog in the park. Nothing too exciting, but it made for a wonderful day. Tomorrow I work with Crystal, a sister from North Carolina who has been here in the Lisbon English congregation for nearly a year now. I am very excited and ready for day 25!

Today's Positives:

Had a fun day searching for people

Met a nice guy who was genuinely concerned about the bible and I left him with a tract and the information for the website

It didn't rain on us

Enjoyed parts of the town we haven't yet explored in depth

 

 

 

Day 23:

Exhausted from last night and a strangely rude and early awakening, I stayed in bed until ten this morning- mostly just laying awake with my thoughts. When I decided I couldn't take the feeling  of wasting the day anymore, I went for a stroll through town. Audry had decided to accompany me for which I was extremely thankful. It's amazing the places you find when you explore with friends.

Looking for a portable cup of coffee seems to be a challenge in the European culture, but our caffeine driven mission lead us to a beautiful botanical garden within the center of Marques de Pombal. The foliage and statues were absolutely amazing and we couldn't have asked for better weather. Vivid green leaves, trickling water, delicate flowers, and chiseled stone all seemed to mesh perfectly in this world within our world. Though the time spent in Estufa Fria- the famous greenhouse we just so happen to stumble upon- was limited, Audry and I enjoyed every second of it and plan to go back sometime soon. I wish I could tell you more about the history of this beautiful garden, but the information was all in Portuguese.

Later in the afternoon I finally got the chance to sit in a café and enjoy coffee the way it should be enjoyed. Studying my watchtower for the meeting tonight, I embraced the moment I had in the quaint little pasteleria. I do know one thing for sure, I am going to miss moments like this when I return to the states.

Today was a slow day. Meeting was at five, which was a refreshing change since the reschedule was made to accommodate some maintenance work that was done to the hall on Saturday. Everybody appreciated the material and Today's watchtower only made us more excited for the upcoming memorial and campaign work. Feeling as run down as I was today, I was especially appreciative of the meeting. Battling myself on whether or not I should go or just stay home and sleep, I gave in and caught the bus with the girls, knowing that my bed would be there when the meeting concluded. It never ceases to amaze me how you can go to meeting feeling tired, slightly in a funk, and run down but leave feeling so refreshed, enlightened, and recharged both spiritually and socially. The friends and their warm hugs and greetings made me forget how tired I was. The night from there was a bit of a lazy one. Rain was pouring viciously as we left the kingdom hall. Everybody ran home and hid under their blankets. The girls and I spent the evening baking cookies, watching Sherlock, and laughing as usual. I must admit that even on the slowest of days, moments with these girls are never dull. Tomorrow, we head to the universities for search work again. Praying that we get some good experiences in day 24.

Today's Positives:

Got to walk in the sunshine with my good friend Audry

Enjoyed a good cup of coffee with no real agenda to rush me from the café or my studies

Made it to the meeting and reaped the blessings of being there and surrounded by The friends and immersed in the spiritual feast

Laughed until it hurt and now my mind is at ease and ready to sleep

 

 

 

boarding the ferryboat



Preaching to all sorts of peoples



our night out

Day 22:
This has been one of the longest days of my life. Living off the high of yesterday's adventures in Sintra, (and probably buzzed from the nine pm coffee) I did not sleep much at all. Thoughts and visions of the day played through my mind like a movie I couldn't turn off mixed in with thoughts of other things, of course. When my alarm sounded at seven thirty, I was reluctant to get out of bed but happily bounced up in anticipation for our day in service across the river. We caught the ferry at nine thirty and met Tito- a former special pioneer- on the other side of the river in a quaint little town where the field was definitely great and the English workers were definitely few.

For hours we walked and spoke with people in Bengali, Romanian, French, Russian, Portuguese, and English- of course. Tito seemed to know just about every language known to man and was kind enough to teach us phrases in a few of them as we went on. I don't think there was a single person he didn't talk to on our morning out. Being in service with Tito was such a faith strengthening experience. This man has been praying for Bible studies and has over twenty five at the moment. He is one of the most zealous preachers that I have ever met and was so thrilled and thankfully to have us join him today. We, though, felt as though the gratitude should have come strictly on our part because of his building us up and showing us what it means to have the pioneer spirit.

As morning turned to noon and noon faded into half past two, we made our way back across the river to Campolide. We had plans for the evening to prepare for.

Justin is a brother from Australia who has visited 36 different countries- some of which he has seen multiple times- in his life. In his six months being in Portugal, Justin has learned more about the city than some who have lived here for many years of their life and he was kind enough to play tour guide for us tonight. So we saw the town. From the view on the top of a local bar, to some of the top restaurants to visit in Lisbon, we roamed the town for hours. We talked, we laughed, shared life experiences, and just when we were starting to relax we were reminded again of what it means to be a witness 24/7.

Rewind to day 8 of our trip. I recall blogging about my day in service with Beatrice but I do not recall if I had mentioned the young man who sat next to me as we had coffee before the meeting. An exchange student from Germany who had mistaken me for a native Portuguese speaker had asked me, in English, how to order something on the menu. Beatrice was kind enough to step in and help him order, but felt a little uncomfortable when he later sat next to me and tried to strike up a conversation while we ate. About a week later, the girls and I awaited our bus after the meeting when I heard somebody calling to me from across the street. It was the same exchange student from the café, waving at me as him and his friends made their way to the bars. Audry had recognized him from the café as well and at that moment, the girls as my witness, I promised that if I saw him a third time I would leave him something and speak with him about the truth.

We made our way from Cinco, a posh little bar in the heart of the city, to a crepe shop just down the street. Upon turning a quiet little corner in the labyrinth of cobblestone and tile, I saw a very familiar face. I had made a promise, I had to leave him with something. I waved to the exchange student whom I had met in the café once upon a time. He met me with a few German phrases, a greeting in English, and a hug as if we were old friends. I took the opportunity and left him with a tract. I was so happy and in awe at the fact that I saw him for the third time, I forgot to ask his name! I promise, if I see him a fourth time....

So there it is! Day 22 ended with crêpes and a potential yearbook story (you never know if he'll be at the memorial in April), and now I am more than ready to rest for day 23!

Today's Positives:

Spent the morning with a the epitome of the pioneer spirit and has moved me to strive to be more zealous and bold in my ministry

Had an amazing night out with friends and got to experience Lisbon after hours

Made an unexpected return visit

Day 21:

Today's adventures I could write about... but pictures are so much better so I will take you through the day by means of photographs.

 

Went to Sintra with our Bethelite friend, Jonathan, and Nuno

had a traditional pastry called Pastel Feijão (chickpea tart) and some coffee. Best breakfast ever!

 

 

Visited the Palace of Peña. It was so beautiful and ornate. I will post more pictures on facebook tomorrow after service.

 

 



Went for a small hike on the beaches in CasCais to watch the sunset

Finished off the day with a wonderful meal that took us three hours to consume and then we walked CasCais at night by the harbor. There is a lot to say about today and the coming weeks but I am so exhausted and have an early day tomorrow across the river but I promise for more details tomorrow night! Have to rest for day 21! 

 
Today's Positives:
Absolutely Everything

roomies, laughing and hugging as always



Colombo shopping center lit up at night



 

Day 20:

Today was supposed to be my day off, a day to just sleep in and relax before yet another busy weekend. I woke up early, slapped on my tennis shoes and ran up and down the cobblestone hills. It is strange to realize that Makenzie and I are really the only ones out running here whereas back home it is the norm to pass multiple people pounding the pavement on any given day. I'm beginning to think that maybe that's another cultural difference that gives us- as Casio once stated- the "foreigner aura".

Run complete, showers taken, dressed for service, we still had a few hours to kill before my plans to accompany Fabio on his studies and to support the afternoon field service meeting so I decided to go and sit in a café and just enjoy some time with a good cup of coffee and good company. I am starting to draw the conclusion that everyone should do this at least once a week, European style of course. It's amazing how much you can enjoy an hour with a good friend and a cup of Joe with nothing really to talk about or do except for be in the moment.

Moment over, it was time to ride the bus to the kingdom hall- Audry went with me since public transportation seems to be the best place for interesting things to happen. Of course, not five minutes into the bus ride, our interesting moment came. A group of boys approached us and started speaking Portuguese to me, at which I kindly replied, "falo inlès". It seemed to shock them that I was not Portuguese, but at least one of the four knew how to say more than, "I love Americans" or "hello, darling. I love you". I don't even want to know what they were saying in Portuguese but one had tried to strike conversation, asking where we were from- turning to translate and giggle with his friends. Most annoying bus ride of my life, but we lived through it and laugh about it now.

Service was good despite the strange rain. When Fabio apologized for the weather and the sudden cancellation of two out of the three bible studies, I told him that it was alright because I could sleep soundly knowing that I got to go out and do my best to help somebody because I promised Jehovah that I would. So from that moment on, we focused on the fact that we were out and searching rather than focusing on the rain that seemed to fall sideways and hang in the atmosphere like a light mist soaking every inch of everyone who dared to venture outside. The girls and I are starting to realize that serving in a place where the need is greater isn't all yearbook experiences and making disciples in a matter of minutes as if sheep-like ones are just sitting there waiting for you to arrive. It's hard work- but it is rewarding. In ways, if you aren't careful, it can be discouraging because it is rarely like what you expect. On the other hand, if you focus on how up building it is to be within a congregation of people who live in this territory and who work it every day of their life; people who truly appreciate your support and willingness to help- It makes every day serving with such ones a wonderful day.

After service, I remember getting on the bus and feeling a little down by the time I returned to the apartment. Not necessarily a moment of pessimism, but a moment of a memory that caught me by surprise. So we went out- determined to have a good time. Though we didn't do much more than head to the shopping center for food, we made it fun. Laughing the whole way there, scheduling exciting things to do within the next few weeks, being interrupted on the metro by a crowd of strangers who didn't speak our language but knew enough to pull us in to their group picture and tell us to smile, crashing in one bed fully clothed when we arrived back to the apartment- I am so thankful to have such wonderful friends. Day 21, we are resting up for whatever may come our way!

Today's Positives:

Felt very good about taking the time to go running and to enjoy coffee with Makenzie

Supported my fellow pioneers out in the ministry today

Laughed so much that my stomach will be sore for days

Looking forward to these next few weeks and all that is to come

Feeling happy and blessed to be here- knowing that the many challenges that come with picking up and going halfway across the world to serve in unfamiliar territory where searching can be difficult will only make me stronger and draw me closer to Jehovah