Thursday, December 24, 2015

Merry Christmas






Hello Everyone,

Merry Christmas from Portugal!  We hope this finds you well, celebrating Christmas with joy. 



2015 has been a whirlwind of transitions for us.  One year ago we were just finishing up fundraising with MAF in Washington.  It seems like a lot longer than that!  In March we “moved” to Idaho for a couple of months to do our final stateside training with MAF, and that is when things started getting exciting.


Our first week of classes Diego broke his arm riding his bicycle (with training wheels, and the bike did not crash – not really sure how this happened, but my mom thinks it is payback).  Anyway, Diego turned five in a cast past his elbow and learned to build Legos mostly one handed.


As for Holly and I, we were very busy learning MAF procedures for flying and maintenance, which included flying into the most difficult airstrips of our careers.  This culminated in a four day backcountry trip landing on mountain airstrips as short as 900 feet and as steep as 20% (for reference, you get “steep grade” warning sign on roads with a slope of more than 5%).  It was very challenging and extremely fun.


We both passed – I will not say who was evaluated higher (and that is probably all you need to know).  After flight training was maintenance training for me – then we did a few weeks of cross cultural and outreach training, which was really good, and has helped us even in Portugal.  Holly’s brother Cody and my sister Roberta (and nephew Sammy) all got to come see us in Idaho as well – so it was great to get to tell them goodbye in person.


When our training finished, we had less than a month to sell, give away or pack everything we have accumulated in our combined 67 years on Earth AND board a plane to Portugal for language school.  It was a very hectic process, but with a LOT of help, we were able to get it done.  We even made time for Lucas’ first camping trip with my mom and brother Jody, and several days to say goodbye to Holly’s parents in Texas.  For a variety of visa reasons we did not know when we were leaving for Portugal until two days prior, but it all worked out in the end.



We got here mid-June, one day before Lucas turned 7 months.  With the money Diego had from selling a lot of his Thomas the Train sets, we had ordered this Lego crane to be waiting for him in Portugal.  It worked really well keeping him excited for the move!


Our classes started the end of June, but the boys’ kindergarten and daycare did not start until September, so my sister Jenna flew over and played nanny for us.  We all really enjoyed it, and during the break between summer and fall classes, Jenna’s husband Carl flew over and we travelled around Portugal together.  Short jaunts are relatively easy here because Portugal is only slightly larger than Maine.  Holly’s parents also come over for a quick trip, and plans are in the works for another visit this spring.





In September the boys started school.  Diego was very excited to begin, but being the only English speaker and adjusting to Portuguese lunches has proven difficult.  On the bright side he has made a lot of friends, learned a lot of phrases (and a few songs), and is almost always happy when we pick him up.  He has also mastered riding around on his scooter, even the brake, and averages several miles a week on it.


Diego’s school split into groups to complete projects based off interest, and Diego picked an aviation group.  Holly and I gave a presentation on flying last month which was a good test of our Portuguese.  Diego also helped build a model cockpit, and was excited to go to school on the days they were working on it.  Lucas got to try it out after going to the school Christmas program.


Lucas, on the other hand, does not seem to mind getting dropped off at daycare at all.  He is coming up on half his life in Portugal, and he is more likely to quit doing something if told in Portuguese “não!” than in English “no!”  (Although chances are he’ll continue climbing to the top of those stairs either way).  He also eats soup at least once a day, and has generally morphed into a fairly respectable Portuguese baby.  He learned to crawl in August, walked in October, and turned one in November.  He is definitely an extrovert and will cry if someone leaves the room, but if you put him down, he’ll walk out of sight without ever looking back, even in a new location – he is one after all, so he can just about take care of things on his own.


Holly and I have been very impressed with our language classes, and our University feels like it is out of a fairytale.  The old section was a Moorish building which the King of Portugal renovated into his palace, before a later king gave it to the University. 

I can now speak Portuguese almost as well as I could speak Spanish (after taking it for four years in college and living in Costa Rica), and Holly is only one course behind me.  I say “as I could speak Spanish” because when I try to speak Spanish now I generally get laughed at (although people here generally guess I am a Spaniard if I am speaking Portuguese).  We still have six more months here before Mozambique, so hopefully I’ll sound less Spanish by then.  Our classes are made up of people from twenty countries on five continents (and we have Australian friends here too), so multicultural would be an understatement.



Tomorrow we are eating a traditional Christmas lunch with our landlords, who live above us and have been amazing.  They have turned into an extra set of grandparents to the boys, help all of us with our Portuguese, and continue to provide us with a never ending stream of fresh food from their garden.  We can pick the oranges from our window!


We have delighted in finding Christmas concerts in 900 year old Cathedrals (each with an elaborate manger scene), and can follow the smoke to the chestnuts actually roasting on open fires in the city squares.  The downtown is illuminated with lights and last week Holly heard a Portuguese bagpiper! There are even Christmas choirs singing carols in the mall sometimes.  




Both our families traditionally took Christmas light appreciation drives, but we had found only a handful of houses with single strands up here, so we headed an hour north to Aveiro.  Called “Portugal’s Venice,” their downtown lights decorate the canals and traditional seaweed-harvesting-turned-tourism-gondola-boats.  It was “food for the soul” and, of course, Diego’s scooter made an appearance as well.


We wish you could come enjoy it all with us, and thank you so much for all of your prayers and support this year.  

Feliz Natal and Bom Ano Novo!




For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful CounselorMighty GodEverlasting FatherPrince of Peace.  ~ Isaiah 9:6

With much love from Portugal,


Grady, Holly, Diego (5) and Lucas (1) Nace 
(with a surprise appearance by our stockings this morning)

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Chestnuts Roasting Over an Open Fire








Yes, that's right, chestnuts!  In November, Portugal celebrates "O Dia de São Martinho". The day's name comes from an old legend about a Roman soldier.  He came across a poor beggar dressed in rags on a drizzly, cold and miserable day.  He took pity on him and used his dagger to cut his own cloak in two, sharing with the man in need.  Legend has it that God saw the actions of São Martinho and the next day was sunny and warm.  From that day on, every November, Portugal has had O Verão (the summer) de São Martinho, a time when the days become warm again and everyone enjoys the pleasure of being outside before winter settles in.  


(Diego after Saturday's open air organic market in the Botanical Gardens 
- located next to the old aqueducts)

Now it's a day set aside to celebrate all things autumn and to enjoy a time of togetherness in your community.  Through the city and out into the countryside, chestnut venders abound.  



A euro or two bought me more than I could eat.  (To be honest I wasn't really fond of them but I am in love with the smokey smell and the romance surrounding it).  Huge, beautiful baskets of chestnuts and walnuts decorate every market - oh, the overwhelmingly fall feel of it all!  It's been a pleasure to walk around the "Baixa" (downtown) during class breaks (my "college" schedule includes three hours off midday) or on my way back and forth from one of the boys' schools. My concept of a long walk has drastically changed since we first got here - I look forward to my now "short walks".  Last week I snapped a few shots from around town to share.  I tried to get the real picture and not just the prettiest parts... Enjoy the look and feel of Portugal in November!

(Wow, I wonder who did that awesome parallel parking job?! ;) 
The street Lucas' school is on.)

(The usual daily walk.)

(Headed down to the old district - yes, cars navigate these streets!)


(Remind me to tell you the legend of the rooster sometime.)

(Life in unexpected places - roof of a church sidedoor.)

(Old medieval building... see how each level extends further out?  
That was done on both sides of the street to keep off the street below.  
It worked well, but is one reason disease could spread so easily.)


(A church in the Baixa with street venders... go up a long ways to get back to classes.)

(We love experiencing the city during the day, while still being able to go home on the outskirts of town where it is peaceful!)

We were so excited to be invited over to an American family's home for Thanksgiving dinner.  The spread felt like home, with one "Portuguese" concession added to the menu - soup, of course!  There were six families gathered together, giving thanks and enjoying some oh-so-delightfully-easy-to-understand English conversation!  By the night's end, Diego was in his element.


(The edges of the main square between the University & Lucas' school)


(I really need to learn to knit or crochet...it looks so fun!)

(A family stroll in the Baixa after school... it gets dark by 6 now)

(Lucas' school)

Fall is winding down here with Christmas decorations already up throughout the public arenas (much like the US).  I noticed a Christmas nativity scene hanging outside the mall just last week.  We're trying to soak up the sun and warm afternoons while we can.

 (A street I walk frequently between Lucas' school and the University.  Note the colorful graffiti on the cantina wall mixed in with the fall leaves and cobblestones.)

(Still not a fan of the 125 steps up to campus!) 

(Part of campus - I have some classes in the Physics building 
and some in the one directly behind the bus) 

(Some days it feels a bit like living in a Harry Potter scene... 
traditional student uniform is worn often and includes a black, floor length cape!)


 (Sunset view at the Patio das Escolas - 
on the far right is the old library...where books and bats coexist.)

Thanks for praying - please keep them coming!  We can't seem to keep sickness at bay and school drop-offs are still a struggle for Diego.  Send us a line and let us know how you are and how we can pray for you too.

(Our favorite fruit stand at the market - the owner isn't in the picture because I chickened out on asking her to be, but she knows both boys by name, even when they aren't with us, and remembers all our favorites.)

(The market is a great place to practice Portuguese.  It's also a huge piece of eye candy!)

Happy Late Thanksgiving to each of you.


Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Nas Escolas










Here's an update on how things are going "nas escolas":

Grady and I just finished our second course -  it covered a full semester's worth of material in three weeks, which meant long days of university classes for us and long days in a new situation for the boys.  (Aunt Jenna watched the boys for the first course, so this is their first month in daycare/school.)  

Lucas goes to the creche (baby daycare center).  For the first two weeks he wailed everyday at drop off and his nighttime sleep pattern became more of an hourly wake up routine.  Thankfully they bumped him up from the baby room to the 1 year old room last week and his teachers' report a much happier baby!  He's now getting the stimulation and space to roam that he needs.  Drop off time only involves a little crying and his sleep patterns are slowly improving (emphasis on slowly... keep praying).  


(Graduation day - he's WAY too active for the baby room! 10 months old.)

Diego was very excited to begin school, but is having a really rough time.  He still loves to read his book ABOUT school in Portugal but everyday it is a struggle to drop him off.  On Thursday I had to pull him off the gate. :(  Pickup time always finds him happy but the I don't want to go to school comments often begin again at bedtime.  He is making some friends besides the teachers - I now hear stories about silly faces.  We think the language barrier bothers him more than he says.  Thankfully, he is picking up new vocabulary everyday, appears to love learning Portuguese.  He has a wonderful teacher who can speak English with him and it is clear that he really likes her.


(All the kids have these bibs over their regular clothes for school. 
Diego is being a CRJ in this shot - see his winglets?) 

The toughest part of his day is definitely lunchtime.  The school has lunch included - soup followed by chicken or fish with rice or potatoes and fruit - and none of it has dairy or beef (his allergies).  This means although he doesn't LIKE his food his options are to eat it or wait for afternoon snack.  He has a deal with his teacher that he'll eat five bites of soup - one for each year of his life.  Our progress is that he is trying a few more things.  Now instead of coming home with a changed shirt (from throwing up something at lunch) he comes home talking about how he ate EIGHT bites just because.  Little steps that are celebrated as almost-miracles in the Nace household!  

Still, he is struggling to adapt and you can just SEE the eagerness with which he embraces the weekend.  We are trying distraction techniques, different drop off times, rewards, switching who does the drop off... we may have even used a bit of bribery.  Please keep praying for this little man's adjustments.  We would love to see his excitement for school return.


(Weekend family fun on a rainy day.  Diego says "Tyler Lockett is my favorite player in the NFL.")

Grady and I look forward to starting our first regular semester course and hope life reaches a slower pace.  It is a struggle to retain everything when it is thrown at you so quickly in the intensive courses.  We have been living "corre corre" as the expression goes. (Running, running).  I also hope that Lucas will get back to sleeping... The last week was a big improvement because he only awoke 4-5 times a night instead of 8!  Having a brain that is fully alert would be such a boost to my learning.  This semester begins October 1st and continues until February.


(Keeping life interesting...and loud.)

A few recent highlights to tack on the end:

Lucas - Spends the days holding onto the highchairs at the creche while walking.  He eats soup several times a day like a good Portuguese baby.

Diego - School supplies include hat, sunscreen, toothbrush and toothpaste - all of which are regularly used.  He says "obrigado" (thank you), "sim" (yes) and "não" (no) more often than the english version.  Today he tried pomegranate from our landlords' garden... and surprised himself by liking it!


Sunday, September 13, 2015

Navigating the Doctor's Office








Time to celebrate!  Why? Because I managed to take both boys to their doctor appointments.  No big deal right?  I've been doing it for years now.  Except these were PORTUGUESE doctor appointments and who actually learns medical terms during your first weeks of language class?  

I fretted about it for days.  Grady, my go-to-make-him-talk-in-another-language-I-don't-fully-understand guy, had class but I have no classes on Thursday afternoons.  Lucky me, I thought.  Gah, how am I supposed to do this?  

First victory of the day?  I used my Portuguese to let the ladies at the Creche (Lucas' daycare) know I had to pick him up early for a doctor appointment - yahoo!  And guess what, when I got there, they were actually expecting me.  It's like they understood! :) 

Google maps worked and I found the building, but it turned out to be a complex structure with poor signage, in Portuguese.  Sigh.  I found an office and took a ticket (Portuguese offices love the number ticket system) even though I had no idea what I was taking a ticket for.  It worked, and I got to talk to someone and ask where in the world I was supposed to go.  Go outside, head around to the other side, in to the elevator and up to the third floor.  We've got this Diego!  Or not.  Third floor, another wait for the receptionist.  She kindly checked her computer to find me the right place to go.  Then it was up to the fourth floor.  But there were no signs saying whose office it was, no one was home AND the door was locked.  So it was time to wait and hope that they were just late getting back from lunch and that we were finally in the right place.  Tick.  Tock.  Tick.  Tock.  Do we wait or go back down?  Finally we head back downstairs but as we arrive we hear people walking on the floorboards above and rush back up.  

With much patience and kindness on the part of the receptionists, nurse and doctor we made it through both checkups for the boys.  Height, weight, conversations on diets and baby activities, a prescription for Lucas vitamins AND translated vaccination records all done!  Explanations on Diego's allergies, asthma and current medications - done!  Letters of health certification for their schools - done!  It might not have been pretty or correct Portuguese throughout, but all the points were covered and understood!  When the doctor learned we were moving to Mozambique after this she jumped right on the need to start those vaccinations as well and understood me explaining which ones we had already gotten and why we were waiting for others.


(When you move around with kids, you end up with quite the collection of vaccination records - Costa Rica, Tennessee, Washington and Portugal)

Whew, I got out of that office feeling like I had been run through the wringer and come out on top of the world!  Grady suggested I thank him for giving me this opportunity to triumph . . .  I'm not sure I go that far, but it did feel good (in the end).

So, what does it teach me?  Maybe I will finally start learning to let tomorrow's problems wait until tomorrow before I worry.  

It wasn't until I got home that I realized what I forgot... to tell them about the dead plant Lucas knocked over in their waiting room and all the dirt on their floor.  Whoops, sorry!

Ironically, when I started the next week of classes... we were studying all health related vocabulary.


(So this is celebrating my birthday and not the appointment's success, but aren't they cute!?)


(Diego-Mommy date to Santa-Clara-a-Velha, a convent that was once underwater in Coimbra.)