MARIA'S PORTUGAL TRIP IN MAY

Maria has had one of the most pleasant visits to her homeland in Portugal.
On the first day she ended the day with different and contradictory sensations; she felt really like a documented Portuguese citizen for the first time in her life but at the same time having missed two essential goals for that day, what made her feel partially disappointed .
At the end of the day she got familiarized with the stage where she would have to perform on the next day in front of an audience of around 800 people, and present them the work she has founded in a very distant place 5 years ago .

And on that day after dinner she left the hotel driven by Cristina, the wonderful volunteer from Aveiro, who took Maria to her home so she would be ready to a great homage party offered by the land that had seen her growing up until her 11/12 years old... AVANCA !
It was a time of full emotions; the local community had joined to a mass in their auditorium ! More than 1000 people to celebrate a party and to do a homage to Maria, the homage done to a daughter of that land, for the great work they had discovered she had done towards the Dhaka children for the good of humanity.
The local authorities have put so much tender in their commitment to receive her ! Priest José Henriques never stopped to move all things ahead in his enthusiasm as he knew that she had said 'YES' to the invitation .
The authorities from the Council of Estarreja and the local Avanca President , José Pereira de Pinho, came to take part in the homage .
And Avanca invited Maria to lend her name to a 3rd age facility to be built there.
Many school colleagues showed up to meet Maria and recall the old times up to 22 years before .
And Maria was taken to seethe small house where she lived for 10/11 years ...
Maria also visited the burying place seeking the tomb of her adoptive mum to make her own homage to the lady, named Cristina, who had taken care of her since her 2 years until she has passed away, when Maria was only 12 yrs old.
And also Maria visited her old and sick teacher in the primary school .
These were emotional moments that left Maria very touched !
It was a true visit to her roots, the second time she got her identity in Portugal during this visit .

Then the time to leave Avanca sounded, and Maria payed a visit to His Eminence the Bishop of Aveiro, D. António .
On the next day she went to Lisbon to be given an audience by His Excellence the Portuguese Republic's President , Professor Cavaco Silva.It was an interesting dialogue, in which the President made a lot of all kinds of questions to know how she managed to go so far in a so distant and difficult place developing her humanitarian action.
And by the end of the day she went to finish steps to get her Portuguese Citizen Identification Card in her hands .