Assignment- Portugal Riviera



Portugal has a section of the country called the "Algarve" which is a vacation paradise for many Euopeans and others from around the globe. With wonderful beaches, wildlife and lots of sun the Algarve attracts most of the world´s largest resort companies to satisfy the appetites of vacationers.  

First time to the Algarve Eileen looks at Ocean from Faro

This environment creates a labor nightmare with seasonal jobs resulting in seasonal unemployment. Eileen and I have the privilege of working with the Lisboa team and our manager from Madrid to help those that find themselves unemployed in this environment. We have done some individual training and will do a mobile Employment Training Center in Faro and Portimão during May.
 
 Our main assignment is to help strengthen the church in Olhão, a beautiful city on the Portuguese south coast just a few miles from the Spanish Riviera. Our goal in Olhão is to help build leadership in this first generation of church members. We all have a lot to learn about loving each other as exemplified by Christ, our Savior. The world invites us to satisfy every appetite and passion. Christ teaches us to control our appetities and discipline ourselves as we become his disciples. Much of this discipline comes from participating in the weekly instruction and sharing that occurs at church (thus, The Church of Jesus Christ). We are helping establish a structure and discipline of regular learning and keeping commitments by attending church. We love getting to do this. 

Alberto and Cristina have their hands full with work plus 3



We are assigned to work with the wonderful people in the Olhão branch of the Church. Felipe Barros is the unpaid local branch president (or minister). He is a statistics professor during the week at the local university.  

Silvia loves speaking English with Eileen, especially when out to eat

His sweetheart passed away 9 months ago so he and his daughter Silvia make up the sum total of the family there in Olhão. On one trip down he prepared the most tasty meal we have had in Portugal with tender meat in a wonderful sauce wrapped around a filling. Wow! We all walked out 10 pounds or 5 kilos heavier. Silvia, his 15 year old daughter, plays the piano for church and is quite adept at English, reveling in her chance to speak it with Eileen. 

President Filipe made a masterful meal for Eileen/Kent & Elders Bauman and Sherman (just look at Silvia´s smile)