Sorry, everyone I took a little time off:) Here is a picture from ou camping trip this past weekend:) Lisa is feeling very well...well enough to camp 8 months pregnant! The baby is very active! We found out she is a girl. We have decided to name her Renee Elizabeth we do not have any backup boy names. Oh well!

Here is the continuation of the diary that I kept while in Portugal:

Day 6:

Today was our free day and we spent it seeing the sights of Lisbon. At the beginning of our sight seeing journey we had three options. Go with the with the slow, medium, or fast group. I chose to move with the fast group because I knew that we would cover more ground that way. First we went to Discovery Monument which is a huge sculpture of all of some of Portugals important discoverers. Next we went to Belem Tower which was used as a defense between the coast and the river estuary and Jeronimos monastery. The tower is now on the edge of the beach after the river changed course following the 1755 earthquake. The tower whose balconies were inspired by Venice, has turrets and battlements decorated with the cross of the order of Christ. The walls have 18 canon slots covering the four points! The ground floor has an armory and dungeon where people were thrown. The dungeon would flood serving as a place of execution.

Discovery Monument:

Belem Tower:

Next we went to Jeronimos monastery. The monastery was built in 1502 and is one of the only structures in the are unaffected by the 1755 earthquake. The monastery represents the power and tradition of the Catholic church in the area. The building incorporates many evidences of transition between the gothic and renaissance periods through the ornate architecture and statues. Members of the monarchy are entombed in the structural work of the building. It was without a doubt the most beautiful and lonely place I have ever been to. 

Jeronimos Monastery

That evening we went to the Ajuda National palace. The Ajuda palace was the palace of the kings and queens of Portugal. Though Portugal no longer has a monarchy the beauty and rich history of this building and its artifacts was amazing. All of the original furnishings of the palace were still present and preserved including many gifts from Napoleon the third. Some of the highlights of the palace included the the ball room, throne room, and the dining hall that has entertained guests such as Jimmy Carter and George Bush senior. The place dripped in gold and priceless jewels.

While there we decided to sing in the outside rotunda. Many government official were present including the minister of culture for Portugal. Soon following our mini-concert we were invited to attend the inauguration of an atheist writer who was receiving a noble prize for a book he had written. Unfortunately we were already scheduled to be at another engagement that night so were unable to attend. However, the missionaries were able to make some good contacts with the Minister of Culture and other groups that come may have opportunities that would not have existed previously! 

Ajuda Palace:

Day 5 Part 1:

I have broken this day into two segments due to its length:

Today we went to a psychiatric hospital and had the greatest experience! We waited outside the hospital until they were ready for us to enter. While waiting we discovered a very ornate mural carved into a stone wall to the immediate left of the hospital. It was old and dilapidated by the weather and the passing of time and most of its pictures were lost. Below the mural their was a large, stone basin and out of the wall there was a spout that apparently used to supply water to the area. There is just so much scenery here that drips with historical richness!

The hospital was dark and dank and smelled of mold. We sang many songs for the residents and the passing nurses. The atmosphere was stoic, devoid of life. The situation changed though, mid-concert, when we sang "Agnus Dei" in Portuguese. Smiles stretched across many faces and a calmness appeared in the resident's eyes. We sang a few more songs and we closed with "Days of Elijah." After finishing the song the nurses requested that we do it again and what happened next was just beautiful. As we sang the nurses and residents began to dance. One elderly gentleman danced and you could see the joy on his face. It made me wonder if he was thinking of his past. After we finished a woman, placing her hand on her heart, told us that we sang beautifully and that she was greatly touched by the message that we brought through song!

This same day we were able to go to an elementary school. While there we did balloon animals, painted faces, sang and gave testimony. The children were rowdy and not supervised very closely. They did calm down when I played my saxophone, which I found surprising. I later asked our missionary contact about it and she said that Portugal has a huge Jazz culture. Who knew? While giving the concert one of the men of our group gave testimony on some of the dangers that are present in the world such as drugs, violence, pornography and the like. He told them that Jesus wants to protect them from those things that and that he loves each of them.

While there a news crew came and filmed our work in the school. The station was the Portuguese equivalent to our CNN. So, the broadcast will be sent nationally. The amazing thing was the reporter was a Christian and asked very directed questions such as, "Is Jesus your Master?" She also asked one of the Christian teachers what her beaded bracelet stood for and the teacher was able to go through the entire plan of salvation in front of the national news media! In receiving reports following our trip another teacher in the school has asked the Christian teacher in the school to tell her class about Jesus!