One of the greatest and most exciting days of our mission is coming next Saturday, February 1, 2014.  GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY FOR THE NEW STAND-ALONE CHAPEL IN SANTARÉM!

 

 

This will be the first new constructed and dedicated chapel in Portugal in 7 years.  Our branch here in Santarém qualified this year to have this chapel constructed.  We are so glad that it happened on our "watch".  The land was purchased over 10 years ago.  We have been so pleased with the growth and strength of our branch and its members!  We especially give credit to our branch leadership, and specifically to Nuno Hilario, our wonderful Branch President.  He has been humble and teachable and is one of those leaders who knows how to make goals and then move forward with the work to make it happen.  He has done a lot to advance the work of the Lord, both working with our members and our recent converts.  We are sure he will continue to be a great force for good here in Portugal.  The contractors believe that this chapel will be completed in 9 months and move-in by Christmas!

 

Caldas da Rainha Open House (Portas Abertas)

January 18 and 19 were very special days for us.  We have been working on the new chapel here in Caldas da Rainha for about 6 months and it is finally completed.  It is still a chapel in a loja below an apartment building, but it is very well located and nice and bright and quiet inside.  The classrooms and office and restrooms are all a major improvement.  The chapel will hold about 70 people for now, which is more than the chapel we moved out of would hold.  On Saturday we held an Open House and invited members and non-members alike. 

Our missionaries worked the streets and invited people to come and see.  We had about 30 active members involved and several less active members came as well.  We had about 70 non-members come through the doors and 6 of them are now receiving lessons, with 2 others that want to learn more.  What a great blessing for Caldas da Rainha.

 

President Christophe and his wife Sara have done a great job here.  He is still a young and growing Branch President and both are so dedicated.  This is the same couple that we discussed in this blog last year when they got married and went to the temple....and a week later made Branch President!

 

 

Primary

 

Relief Society

 

 

 

And of course our missionaries!

 

Blessed with more couple missionaries.

 What a difference that they make as they serve in the branches and districts of our mission. 

Here we have the Sommers, the Markhams, the Jeffers, the Roses, the Fluckigers and the Ransoms.