Donna:
The month of May has been absolutely aMAYzing! We starting off the month by watching Joana as protagonist in the Macau TDM production of “Gusto de Amor”. It is a sweet story of a Portuguese young lady who went to Macau in search of a secret recipe which her grandfather had shared with her when she was a young girl. Along the journey of recovery of the long lost instructions Joana has very interesting experiences in Macau and even a touch of romance. Joana interprets her role very convincingly, as if the part was written especially for her, and we truly enjoyed the production. Benjamim did a great job behind the scenes filming with the videography team. Kudos to all who worked together to produce this rich Macanese cultural delicacy:)!
Cristiana and Nuno received a very, very special gift on Mother’s Day May 12th! It was the long awaited arrival of their precious son Afonso!! On Saturday afternoon, Cristy went in for a check up and let us know she was waiting to see the doctor. What a surprise it was to receive a message early Sunday morning that the baby was already born! At precisely 12:17 am, Portugal time, little Afonso made his grand entry and soon was in his mommy arms to start that precious bonding experience and their unforgettable first day of life together! Nuno was able to be with Cristy at the birth and during the subsequent days of her recovery. We are so thankful that all the circumstances of this blessed event have worked together for good and we congratulate Cristiana and Nuno on the birth of their little boy! ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is His reward’! As of writing, little Afonso is already 3+weeks old and both Cristy and baby are doing well! Mommy and daddy are getting used to sleepless nights and all the other special perks of first time parenthood and are doing a spectacular job of balancing all their new responsibilities! I am sure will have more pictures soon.
On May 25th, we joined in celebration at the graduation ceremony for Gloria from the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. To us, the past 6 years seem like a blip in time, but for Gloria, it probably was long enough! In Portugal, the procedures of the day are singular and of great significance. In the morning the Christian Blessing is held including Scripture reading, hymns and prayer. In the afternoon, the culturally rich “Queima das Fitas” , burning of the ribbons is held. The graduates will come to the front of the school and will have in their possession their academic “Finalista” folder, a type of top hat and a cane. Each faculty has its own colors and the Faculty of Medicine”s color is yellow. A person of the students’ choice will adjust the students” clothing, put a pin on their lapel, place the hat on the student’s head and then proceed to hit the top of the hat with the cane three times. Following, they will burn a black ribbon which symbolizes the end of academic life and goodbye to any negative past.. The first Queima das Fitas ceremony was organized by the students of Coimbra University in the 1850’s., and with few variations is still held in various institutions all over the country. . It is a unique and vibrant celebration and we enjoyed the festive atmosphere shared among the graduates, families and friends.
As for the farm, the baby grapes and olives continue to grow, the baby birds in their nest have flown, roses are in bloom and we now have to protect ourselves from the sun”s rays instead of the cold wind. We also trimmed the vines, planted pumpkin seeds, fertilized the baby trees and had a portion of the grass cut. One year has gone by since we obtained this piece of land – The changes are noticeable.
Disclaimer: the above is NOT a swimming pool. It is a cold water dipping tank (3×3 meters)
We praise God for all His wonderful works and for the many blessings he continues to bestow upon us.! O LORD, how great are Your works and thy thoughts are very deep. Psalm 92:5
Love and Prayers