Chuck and Liz Walton received news that the Portugal Porto Mission they preside over will be combined with the Portugal Lisbon Mission in July. The Waltons will have served 2 years of their 3 year mission call. So, just as you'd expect of Chuck and Liz, they expressed a willingness to serve in any capacity they might be needed for that 3rd year.
And, it appears that they are needed as the first proselyting/leadership couple in the African nation of Angola! Angola is part of the Mozambique Mission because both countries speak Portuguese but they are on opposite sides of the African continent.
Last October the Apostle, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, offered a dedicatory prayer in Angola for the preaching of the gospel and a few missionaries from Mozambique were transferred there. When Chuck and Liz arrive in July 2011 they will oversee the missionaries and the branches (currently 4 but growing) that have already formed in Angola.
It's fun to read Liz's email updates on the missionary work and church growth in Portugal. The members in Portugal are working hard to prepare for a temple in their country (announced in the October General Conference). But in a few months, Liz's reports will be coming out of Africa instead of Portugal but no doubt they'll be just as inspiring.
Liz has such a good attitude and I've come to believe through her emails (and ALL missionaries who write) that part of the "mantle of the call" as a missionary is optimism no matter how difficult the work might be! Liz always plays up the blessings and positive aspects of their circumstances and minimizes the challenges. It's not a bad model for life really!
