A Layne Post

Jon and I have been here in Porto for a whole month! In some ways it completely feels like it, and then when I think that we are now 1/3 through,  I can’t believe it.  It is hard to gauge our progress with language. We feel okay about it. We hope to study and practice more with each other this month. It is hard to get motivated to study in the evenings. My mind is tired of translating all day! Our tutor this week said we aren’t ahead or behind… we would rather be ahead. =)

The church we tried last week did not work out so well. We were the only ones there… Due to some awkwardness, we ended up leaving. Instead we went home and listened to a sermon we downloaded.  It was quite refreshing to be challenged spiritually. We decided that we should go on-line and do some searching. Jon has found an English speaking church that we will try tomorrow. We really liked the looks of their website and the sound of their hearts. It is about a 30 minute train ride, but will be worth it if we can find a church family. We will update this week!

No news on visas yet. As soon as we know, you’ll know!

Churches here are in the evenings,  so it leaves us most of the day on Sunday to relax. All of the museums here in Porto are free on Sunday mornings, and we decided to take advantage! We went to a museum of contemporary art and quite honestly, Jon and I do not have an “appreciation” for that kind of art. We did, however, get some good laughs in. Also, the grounds of the museum has some amazing gardens. Click on the pictures below to see full sizes.

This past Thursday we went surfing with a guy from our school. I cannot say we caught a lot of waves, but we had a good time. To our credit, it did not seem like anyone in the water was catching much. The water was very cold. We rented wetsuits, but my feet still went numb, which can be a tad problematic when you are trying to stand on surfboard that is moving.

We ate some McDonald’s this week. Wow, I believe it was the best beef that I have had since being here. Sad? Perhaps. I savored every bite, and the ketchup… oh, the ketchup! Ha! It is the little things when you are overseas. =)

We love you guys. Thanks for your prayers and support. Any questions, feel free to comment and ask!

Layne