Porto Mission Conference

Baked potatoes, Marian got her hair done, we took Elders Larsen and Peter w/ us and went to Porto for the Mission Conference. It was a grand day. Elder Lasater, Sister Ardeth Kapp, President of the Young Women, and sister Julie Anderson of the Relief Society board were visiting, so all the Porto Missionaries came. All 164 of us! It was neat to see one we'd seen before, meet new ones, watch them greet each other. A barbeque dinner, then a 3-hour conference. Then a 2 hour Auxiliary leaders' conference. Then a 2½ hour priesthood leadership meeting. It all took 'til 11:15. By the time we left, took Chapmans home and got to S J da Madeira, it was after 12:30. Tired, but journal-writing and read Susan's letter once more (we got today). A real good day. Sister Kapp is magnificent—I told her so! I was real proud too of Sister Copeland—she's a real dandy. So's President. Elder Lasater paid them both a great compliment. Said they were the best mission president in the Church. Maybe they are! Elder Lasater said goodbye. He's had this territory for 2 years. Now he'll be area president in S.E.USA. He gave me one last charge—get every youth in Portugal in Seminary and see that they graduate! I asked him if I had to stay until I got it done? He said, "You wouldn't leave a job half finished, would you?" Sheeesh! Big report is on next page -->.

Seminary Budget and Sick Marian

Marian's worse. the cold settled in her lungs and she has asthma. Plus the throat problem. This morning some laryngitis. We got some anti-biotics from Sister Parkinson, whose dad is a doctor and who sent her over here w/ 1½ year supply of all kinds of medicine. We worked all morning  on the Seminary budget we had to make up, then ran into Porto before the bank closed to câmbio (change) some money. Then to Xavier's office to turn in the budget, then home. She's feeling real rotten. Evening Marian wrapped potatoes for baking tomorrow, while I made up my June mileage and a reimbursement voucher to send. Got a letter from K and Jay. P.S. She rode the elevator again!

Interview with President and a Split with the Missionaries

In to Porto early, so the traffic tie-up. Real slow from the last V.N. Gaia ramp, across the Arrábido to the circle, then OK. We rode the elevator up to Xavier's office (hadn't taken her athritis pills) and had a good meeting w/ him. Lunch w/ Chapmans after we mailed Donna's package, at a nice little place by the praça (square). Had a good interview w/ Pres. Copeland, and Sister Copeland gave us some potatoes to bake for Friday, the Mission Conference. Home and go to work on the budget I've got to turn in tomorrow. About 7:30 Elders Côrte-Real and Bradford came by and asked us to go on a split—they had too many appointments and not enough help. We said "of course" and went at 8:15 w/ Côrte-Real to a family scheduled for baptism this Friday. It was a neat experience for us. The father, mother and 4 daughters were so very nice and shy. 5th discussion—10 Commandments, Fasting, Law of Tithing. Home late and happy. (I'll finish the budget tomorrow.)

Trip to Porto

Shopping at São João mercado (market), then in to Porto. Crossed the Dom Luis bridge and thru central Porto. What a drive!! But we made it, w/ several frustrations on one-way streets and construction and the help of a new, better map! Worked at mailing Donna's package, then to the Continente for some stuff. Got some film out and they were good. Some of the MTC, some of Mary Ellen's family, a couple of birthdays at Susan's—McKay and Lindsay—a couple of castle shots at Feira, and such. The gypsies that were camped up the street left and we got pictures. Marian's going downhill again on that cold of hers, which has settled in her lungs.

Marian, My Companion

Joseph's B-Day—Love that boy!!

Slept in. 'Til 8:15! Got up, had breakfast, started the day, then went down again for a couple of hours! Tired! Finally, got going about noon on the things necessary of the day. Marian is chipper, and did a washing and seems fine. She's just about over the cough from her cold, and is feeling better than she has for a couple of weeks. She's beautiful, and such a faithful companion. She knows just how to take me w/ my moods and help me with the bad ones and move me to a better one. She's extremely dedicated to our mission, and does her part and more. I look for success on this mission, with the help of the Lord, but if failure comes, it will be mine, not hers! Wrote letters to Pres. McCook and José Castro, CES in Lisbon. they were both very helpful yesterday. Studied, got lazy again after supper, felt regenerated. I'll really hit it tomorrow!!

A Day in Lisbon

Early start for Lisbon. We left at 6:00. It took 3 hours to get to the city itself, 1 hour more to find the chapel at Oeiras. Reason was that I lost my concentration, looking at sights, and missed a turn-off. by the time we realized it, we were kilometers from the right road, and no idea where it was nor where we were! So, we started going where we thought best! With the help of the Spirit and 2 policeman, we looked as we drove by, and there was the chapel! 10:05 (The Sunday beach-goers had slowed us down real bad, too)! We sat in the foyer and listened to conference and the children yelling and playing, and the young men talking loudly all about us. (These people, by our standards, can be very rude—especially their children and youth.) Our first impressions of Lisbon was—big. And confusing. At conference: We saw Jolinda McCook come in with her kids and Sally Traynor and her kids. Kisses all around. We saw Parkers sitting in the chapel. Several missionaries introduced themselves.

The Oeiras Stake was organized by Elder Asay and Elder Hillam, and the Lisbon Stake was reorganized. the president of the Lisbon was sustained as president of Oeiras, and one of his counselors became president of Lisbon. After conference it was bedlam. The Parkers were glad to see us, a recent missionary in Matosinhos—Elder Augusto—was greeting us again. José Castro introduced himself to us. Dean McCook introduced us to Elder and Sister Asay. Then we followed Sister McCook's van to the mission home. Nice place! A mansion in Algír. We had a nice lunch, talked a lot to Traynors, who are visiting, and McCooks. Traynors are all caught up with cultural, historical and tourist things. They were curious about the North of Portugal.

At 4:30 José Castro came to the Mission Home and Pres. McCook and I had a meeting w/ him. We got my (our) mission explained—I hope to his satisfaction—and Pr McCook had some good instructions. Pr McCook has been thinking and planning on this CES work a long time, and has a lot of ideas going. He wants Seminary as part of his 3-prong program over here. His 3 main points are: Seminary, Home Teaching, and Stake Missions. (That's not to ignore other programs but he feels this is where the saints can make their greatest impact at this time. All these would be important in the drive of the saints in Portugal to get their temple!! Putting Seminary in there, he sees as the salvation of the youth! I do to. He also has the drive and the opportunity to get something done about it. At 8:00 we had a leadership encounter w/ the 6 members of the 2 new stake presidencies in Lisbon, at the Lapa chapel. Elder Hillam, regional representative, and Pr McCook instructed. Pres. McCook started his description of the program he's developing, turned it over to me to describe "Circles of Exaltation" to them. (Marian said I did good). We stayed until 9:00, then started home. Dean drew us a map of how to get to the freeway. From there it was just grind it out. Lisbon is a European city. By that, I mean it has plenty of cobblestones, narrow streets, hills to climb, close encounters, etc. But it's more modern than Porto. There are wide roads and the downtown is more open and like we would expect. Our trip to the freeway was a lot like a trip through a strange southern California town town—in fact, the whole countryside reminds me of Southern California. Lost is the very verdant landscape of the North. More open, not so hilly, woodlands of eucalyptus, not pine. (Although the North has lots of eucalyptus and the South has pines—but the predominance is there.) We went on the freeway to its end, then beat through the towns, narrow roads and turns and curves that characterize estrada (freeway) traffic. Lots of traffic. Lots of trucks and busses. Many, many cars and such headed back to Lisbon on a Sunday night. It was very hard driving for 3 hours, 15 minutes. Past the castles at Leiria and at Pombal. They were both lit up. (We'll visit them some day.) The freeway started up again before Coimbra. I'm real glad—don't think I could've taken much more of the 2-way traffic. The rest was a breeze—on to the Feira exit and in to our town. There was a light fog, the streets and roads from the freeway almost deserted. It was good to get home. We collapsed.

At Home Most of Day

At home most of day. A little shopping—mostly for Donna, a box full of goodies. She likes that. While we were out we went by the Church, and they had a letter for us—from Mary Ellen. She sent a father's day card. That was so nice. Love that girl. Also a nice letter telling is the news from there. Boy, we needed that! We also got to haul Sis. Moura and Parkinson downtown—found them walking along the street (Sister Mish got transferred to Matosinhos). Sis Parkinson has real sore feet, and she'd better take care of them! Elder Larsen and Elder Bradford got me settled on my travesty yesterday at the Post Office. To write a receipt the P.O. has to have an organization ID number. I got the number from E. Bradford. On the money order (vale postal) they send them to the recipient—I don't! Strange custom but I'll live through it. Basked in the letter for the 3rd time. got out the other letters we've received since arrival and re-read them. I'm not homesick. I don't get homesick. I just like to re-read letters! Shined my shoes, cleaned the car, got ready for our big trip to Lisbon tomorrow.

A Bad Day

A bad day. I don't even want to discuss it. I got put down bad in my attempt to get a money order and a receipt for stamps (see, I can't even write about it.). Marian put up with me, tho. I got some good stuff done, but on the scales, this has to come out a bad day. And it's Friday and all the young noise-makers in S.J.M. are riding the roads!

A Day with the Chapmans

Up early and get ready, then go to Porto to pick up the Chapmans. The freeway though Vila Nova de Gaia was clogged up, as usual. Took us about ½ hour through the mess this time—better than yesterday! Boy, I hate to go to Porto in the mornings! We got Chapmans, then came back to Santa Maria da Feira and toward the castle. What joy!! How neat! This is an 11th Century castle, and a beauty—not pretty, but a beauty. We climbed ramparts and squeezed up tower stairs and packed at the potty and everything. Took a bunch of pictures, but I've got to go back with my big camera, which needs batteries. Lunch here at home, then a tour of S.J.M.—especially the plazas downtown, where we shopped a bit and bought a vase—a pretty one for flowers. We took them home up highway #1 through the towns, shopped at Continente, home to a dull evening. I didn't feel like working—was desanimado (down, as in feeling down) for some reason.

2 Good Meetings

Barbara's B-Day! Happy B-Day Barb!!!

Worked in the office all morning on supply orders and translating. At noon we shopped a bit then went to Porto for work in the office there and a 2:00 meeting with the SJ Madeira District presidency Côrte-Real, Bradford and me and President Copeland, then a 3:30 meeting with President Copeland and Marian and me. 2 good meetings. We took the Chapmans home, then a pleasant drive home. Lydia and Paulo brought our laundry back, and we talked for almost 2 hours. Church progress, patriarchal blessings, work, etc. I felt blessed with some help in communicating. I need a great blessing in that department. Went to bed late again.

Lisbon Stake Dividing and Letters

A 10:00 meeting with Xavier Dias, Portugal North Seminary supervisor. It was very successful, with good discussion of the graduation last Saturday, we called Lisbon and Frankfurt about our new car—talked with Brother Konig (?) and found that a Renault 19 has been ordered (no air! I put in a big play for air, and maybe it will come that way.). It should be here in a couple or three weeks. We worked at the mission office on our presentation—transparency stuff mostly and had a quick meeting with President Copeland. He reported on his weekend in Madrid, and on his traveling with President McCook of the Lisbon Mission. He said to call McCook, that the Lisbon Stake was being divided Sunday by Elder Asay, and we are to be invited to the occasion!! So I called them. He sounded great and asked us to be there for the 10:00 Conference session where the Oeiras Stake will be organized, stay for dinner with his family, Elder Asay, the Traynor family from Tucson who is visiting the McCooks. It's be great! We'll leave early in the morning and return that night.

Also we got from Susan and her family—5 letters and Donna's! It sounded so good—we really needed that! Letters have been slow coming, and my companion was getting pretty low about it. The Hansens reported all is well! It took 18 days for that letter to get here! So much for the 2½ week turn-arounds! And she still hadn't received our letter of the 22nd! We worked through the evening and went to bed later.

A Work Day at Home

A work day; clothes washing and prepare presentation; assembling things. Marian feeling much better—a real blessing that the cold hasn't turned into full-blown asthma, neither sinusitis. We feel very blessed. We worked hard all day here at home.

Faith Paid Off

Well, up and decision time. What do we do—go for medicine or exercise our faith? We've received blessings that we'll have health. We gave Marian a priesthood blessing, now she doesn't seem to be better. We decided to "let go of the bush." She slept in awhile, then we went to Sacrament Meeting at S.J. Madeira. It was lovely. We enjoyed it very much. She made her usual great hit with the members. We came home—she slept most of the afternoon, then cooked a nice porkchop dinner and we spent the evening writing. She feels much better, and looks like Faith paid off.

A Strange Day

At the end of the day, Marian and I loked at eachother and said "Strange Day!" Aires' came, and the Elders—Côrte-Real and Bradford, and the end of Aires' stay ocurred. A transfer meeting, where Côrte-Real became acting district president. President Aires gave much instruction and finalized a couple of reports. They broke up about 11:15. President and Sister Aires were so kind and thoughtful. He gave me a keychain from Mozambique to remember him by. they say they're going to South Africa for 3 months to be with their family and get them into the Church. But she says they won't be back. I think not. Someday, they say, they'll come to the U.S. and mke a "grande passeio" (big trip). Maybe so. It would be good to see them again. This morning they drove on to Porto to leave their car—it's a mission car—then catch the train back to Coimbra and finish up with their home and stuff, then off to South Africa on Monday.

Marian and I went to Porto to attend the Seminary graduation of the Porto and Matosinhos Stakes, the São João da Madeira and Vila Real districts. About 40 Institute and Seminary graduates. We waited around a lot. And it was hot. Finally lunch, well prepared by the sister teachers, more waiting, then the graduation at 3:20. I won't go into a lot of detail here. It was not like our graduations back home! And it was hot. Very slow, unorganized giving of diplomas and certificates. A testimony meeting. 3 talks. Then a super-Saturday scripture tournament! Unbelievable! We went past 6:00 pm! I don't know just how long they went, because we were pulled out of the meeting! But first—the people at the meeting were fabulous. Such love. Such patience. So kind and gentle with one another. I'm speaking of the Portuguese in the Church—they are like a family, brothers and sisters—really! I love 'em.

We were interrupted in the meeting by Elder Roberts, of the mission's office staff, coming into the graduation meeting at 6:15 and asking our help. He had an emergency with a missionary, and had to get in touch with the APs—assistants to the mission president (President Copeland left this morning for Madrid, meetings with all stake, mission and district leaders in Spain and Portugal—April Conference stuff from the area presidency). So Elder Roberts needed the APs. We were handy, and we have a car, and he needed to go find the APs at the beach at Foz—where they were going to do some baptisms in the ocean. We took off in a blur, with Elder Roberts calling the turns, to go to the Foz and find the baptism. We went, and we tried. We went up and down the beach-front for half an hour until we gave up and changed location. Just as we were changing to get a look somewhere else, he saw the APs van go by—the other way, and we were just starting around a circle—by the time we get lined out and following the van, they were way ahead. We gained steadily , losing them, then spotting them again, and finally got to them, honked them down. There was another car with them— Elder Sumner had his car there—full. Roberts had a quick talk with Elder Carneiro and Dunford—APs—Sumner and Carneiro took off in Sumner's car, 2 Elders—Dunn and Woodhouse got in with us, and away we went following the van to a baptism! A thunderstorm struck—hail and hard rain, still we followed that van! through old Porto, down streets I couldn't recognize nor ever find again. Through a tunnel, under bridges, out beyond the city and up the Douro River to a secluded place down on the river. We parked, waded through underbrush, mud, and over rocks, and baptized 3 young boys! Present: Sister Gibson and me, Sister Parkinson, Rickabough and Tietjan, Elders Dunford, Roberts, Dunn, Woodhouse. Plus a young girl who must have been someone's sister. The skies were lowering, thunder all around us, but not a drop of rain! The Douro was dark from the low clouds and sunset coming on. The river is about a quarter-mile wide, and deep enough for room—going stuff—buoys marking the channel and all. White houses with red-tile roofs up the hillside beyond. I've gotta go back for a picture! Well after the baptism we took Roberts and Jensen back to the mission office, then headed for home. It was late—9:30 or so when we got home. Unusual day. And, my sweetheart companheiro (companion) was sick the whole way—this cold is hanging on real fierce! I'm afraid it'll go to her lungs and cause a big problem.

2 Important Letters

Marian sick with a bad cold. I gave her a blessing. We stayed in all day, except I ran down and mailed 8 letters. My epistle+. Worked all day in the office getting my CES stuff in order, preparing for Elder Lasater's letter of authority to do all we've been called to do. Late afternoon, the bell rang. It was the Elders with a letter from Elder Lasater, and one even more important—from John. Real, real welcome. He reported on the family. Donna was there for a week. He's working too hard, but I understand that. The kids and Barb are well. OK. Elder Lasater's letter. I'll put in my book here—a copy. Now we can move. Marian seemed to feel much better in the evening.

Real Slow Day

This was a real slow day. I finished the epistle to my grandchildren. Had a trouble with the bathroom light and finally got it working again. Marian has a cold, or a serious infection or something. The gypsies moved on. got a letter from Gwen. My epistle is on the next page.

Zone Conference and Gypsies

Zone meeting at 10:00. That means São João da Madeira, Santa Maria da Feira, Oliveira de Azeméis and Ovar. I think there was 20 of us there. Elders Côrte-Real took charge, he and Elder Bradford. The APs—Dunford and Carneiro (?) —arrived in about an hour. We stayed for an hour. Song, prayer, D&C 4, scripture chase, presentations, other workshops. We left for lunch. Came back for the end, talks from several, and each of us talk. I did badly—my language wouldn't work. We all went out by the statue and got our pictures taken together. The Elders came to the office at our apartment and did some District work. Evening we walked thru the mato (jungle) behind our place, and it was nice—a real nice wooded area. On the way down the hill we noticed some gypsies—ciganos—had moved into a vacant lot up the street. A little gypsy camp—4 ____, two carts, a tent, 2 dogs, 2 men, an old and a young woman and a little girl. Dirty, made your heart hurt for them. But it's their way of life here. They'll be here a day or two or a week, then off they'll go. I wrote an epistle to my grandchildren, telling them who they are and how to act and how to be happy. I felt prompted to do it. I hope it makes a difference.

Meetings with the Presidents

Elders Corte-Real and Bradford were here part of the morning and afternoon working on the district books. Late afternoon we went to Porto again to a 5:30 appointment with President Copeland. We went over our progress and plans quite thoroughly. Then a final meeting with President Aires and President Copeland, before the Aires go to South Africa. Sort of a de-briefing on the state of the district. We all had dinner then at the mission home. That was real nice. A late ride home—the fog was coming in from the ocean and becoming misty on the auto-estrada (highway) and through the forest trees along the way—real nice! Few cars on the road. Our road from the auto-estrada to São João da Madeira was lovely and I loved it. It's beautiful at night, too.

An Epistle to the Grandchildren

Dear Grandchildren:

(I want to write this letter to my grandchildren. Each of my children could see that they receive it, and maybe could copy this so each could have one. Even the real little kids. I've wanted to write this for a long time. Now seems to be the right time.).

You grandma and I are a long ways away, because the Lord, through His prophet, asked us to come here to the Land of Portugal. We wouldn't have done this, except for that reason. We love each of you very, very much, and it is very hard to leave you and be so far away for so long. But the Lord's work is very important, and each of us must help with it, as we are called. We must help with it because we are His saints, and it is our honor to serve Him. When we serve our fellow men, we are serving Him.

Each of you, as you grow and reach the age, will be called to serve Him—the Lord. Each of you boys will be called to serve a mission someplace, maybe close by, maybe far away. But each boy will be called to serve a mission, and he must prepare for that day. Your preparation comes each day. You are preparing each day at home, at school, at church, wherever you are. You are preparing each day for your life, and I hope you are preparing right. I hope you are building strong bodies, minds and spirits, for if you serve the Lord, you must be strong. Primary, Sunday School, Priesthood Quorums, Seminary, Home and School are all places to build strong. Honoring and obeying your parents is important, if you are going to do what the Lord wants, for your parents are in the place of authority right now, just as Heavenly Father is the highest authority. He wants you to learn to obey your parents, for that is really obeying Him.

Each of you girls must understand those same things, for some of you will also be called to missions away from home, and all of you will be called to serve in many capacities in the church and in the community. The Heavenly Father loves each of His daughters with a very special love. He wants you each to learn the things that good women learn—about caring for a family, and running a home. Each of your mothers is a great home-maker, and each one is outstanding at running a family. You must each learn from your mother all you can.

Your grandmother and I are very proud of each of you, as well as being very proud of your moms and dads. Each of our own children, except our special daughter, married a fine, good, loving man or woman. We love our sons-in-law and daughters-in-law as much as we love our own sons and daughters. These men and women—your moms and dads—are honorable people. They are the best people on this earth. I promise you that among those great spirits that Abraham saw, who were ready to dome to earth, were your moms and dads. they have come to earth with special instructions. One of their most important assignments is to bring you into the world, under the covenant of the Lord, and raise you up to be all that the Lord wants you to be. Then you, in your turn, are to do all that you've been instructed to do for the Lord. For each of you, too, were part of that group of noble and great ones seen by Abraham (Remember all you do for the Lord you are really doing for yourself.). So, the message here is, obey your parents. They are worthy of your love and respect.

As you obey your parents, it is also important that you love your brothers and sisters. Your family was seen by you before you were born—you knew who your brothers and sisters would be and you happily accepted them. That's part of your fore-ordination. You must learn to love them and serve them. In fact, that's the way you get to love people—by serving them! So, do things for your family. Help them and be with them. If one is having trouble, pitch in and help that one. The Heavenly Father set up the family as the number one training place for His children.

I want you to know something that happened yesterday. Your grandmother and I went to a branch conference in a little branch of the Church in the nearby city of Aveiro. When we got to the church we found it was just a little rented place in a line of shops on a side street. When we got out of our car, we were hit by the loud, loud noise of a loud speaker of an amusement center just across the street. Such a noise, on Sunday, and at our sacrament meeting time, too. There were six or eight members and elders outside, and we greeted them. We went inside and started the meeting. There were about about forty people there. We and the district presidency were visitors, so we sat on the stand. As the meeting went on, I looked at those choice people—pioneers for the Lord in their land of Portugal—and my heart swelled within me. I longed to hold each one close and tell them how important they are! the sacrament was more meaningful as it went around. The boy who passed it was so earnest and humble. The branch president was a fine-looking Portuguese man. He will be the stake president one day, right there in Aveiro. the young woman who led the singing wore jeans, and no one seemed to notice. They sang off-tune with no instrument to accompany, and it sounded beautiful.

I was called upon to speak, and I told them that it was that way when the Savior walked the earth—just a few humble saints meeting in an upper room. There were lots of street noises to distract. The seats were wooden or stone. No air conditioning. Just saints clustered together for mutual support and reinforcement against the hordes of unbelievers. That's how it was in the days of the Savior.

I told them that the future saints in Portugal would look back at them with awe and respect, for they are the Lord's pioneers in their land (Forty years ago in Brazil we had only 600 saints in the entire country. We met in stores and homes. We clustered together for strength and gospel brotherhood. We used dinner plates and table glasses for sacrament service. Now in that same Brazil there are 57 stakes, 331 wards, 101 branches, and 10 missions. Also in São Paulo stands a Temple of the Lord. 250,000 members of the Church live there.). That's why I see these Portuguese saints as true pioneers. And soon they'll be strong as now Brazil is.

I write you this story so each of you will see how great and important is each soul to our Heavenly Father. Each early member here in Portugal is important. Future generations of saints here will building the foundation laid by these people now. they will class them blessed. Each member of your family is important. YOU are important. The things you've been fore-ordained to do must be done by you. Then you will be called blessed. You might be the only Mormon in your school class, or own your block. You might have to stand real tall, and stick up for your beliefs when it isn't easy to do it. You might have to do your duty to the Lord when other kids are off playing. "Obedience is the first law of heaven"—the Prophet Joseph Smith said that. Whether you stand alone or in a group, you must always do what's right, because you are a covenant child of God.

I want you each to be happy. I want you each to enjoy the fulness of happiness. That can only come to a righteous person. As Alma told one of his sons, "Wickedness never was happiness", So choose the right, whenever a choice is before you. Know this: You will never be given a commandment by the Lord you can't keep. He gives no commandments we can't keep. You will receive no temptation you can't overcome. If you do wrong it's because you have chosen wrong—it's not because you can't do right! So remember obedience, and remember who you are at all times. You are the salt of the earth. You are the cream at the top. You are a keeper of the covenant.

Now finally, just a word about your grandma Gibson. She is a lovely woman, as each of you know. I lover her dearly, and I know each of you do too.As she and I go about to these meetings with the members, I see the children of Portugal looking at your grandma as if they were seeing an angel. The women smile at her and keep looking, unable to take their eyes off her. She is making a great impact on these members. She is a good woman, and it shows in everything she does and in every smile she gives. The children lover her at first sight. She is a great model for the women.

Your grandma became this kind of woman because she's always tried her best to do what's right and what the Heavenly Father sent her here to do. And you can be that same lovely kind of person by doing what she has done—being obedient in all things, honoring her parents even until death, being always where good people are, and defending the right. She's been a faithful wife and mother, a fun companion, a friend whenever a friend was needed, a quiet and gentle influence on her family. She is firm and true. Your grandma can be one of your ideals—one of your patterns for your life.

She loves each of you deeply. So do I. I pray that the Lord will always be with you and bless and protect you—I pray for that with every prayer. I pray for your happiness. That's why I've written this to you each, although it's not don'e very well, and it hasn't been easy doing it. Stay very close to your family, and to the Lord, and in a little more than a year, close to us again, too. Until then, remember us in your prayers (Now go kiss everyone in our family, and do it again every day!).

Your grandpa Gibson,

Who will always love you,

Downtown São João da Madeira

We went downtown—here in S.J.M.—and bought picture frames for our family's pictures, then walked around there. An interesting city center—they've closed off parts of about 4 or 5 streets and made sidewalks and praça (square, as in town square) and are building a tall monument. All the sidewalks are made of colored paralelopipedos (cobblestone)—we need a picture of them, and the area. Then we went to Porto to see President Copeland, but he wasn't in. The Chapmans were having a P-Day, so we didn't get a lot done. We went to Continente and shopped, so the trip wasn't wasted (It wouldn't have been wasted anyway—we have no phone yet, so communication is tough. And, we were really out of stuff.). Evening I wrote letters.