Epistle #11 June 8, 2011
Dear Family and Friends,
It is hard to believe that we are going into winter and you are starting to get hotter. It has been about 2 weeks since the last epistle, and I have gotten a little better at writing in my journal so I can repeat some of the feelings we had during our last Zone Conference in Goiania.
On May 23, we flew to a city called Uberlandia in the state of Minas Gerais, directly north of Sao Paulo, 400 miles. That is one of the cities in the Goiania Mission, which covers a very broad area. President and Sister Prieto met us at the airport and with the whole back end of their big Toyota van pack with things for all the Elders, took us to the hotel where we stayed the night with them. Neither one speaks English and me with the very little Portugues that I have was fun to say the least. Rick was really good to translate and when I could understand I would throw my tiny vocabulary at them and we would all laugh.
May 24. We had a great time with the Elders and Sisters and after the presentation he saw 10 of them who needed help. We followed 4 Elders home to their new apartment that used to be a members home. Wow did we have a look at sparse living conditions. Bare green walls, mattresses on the floor for couches and water leaking just outside their door. I just admire them so. I also thought about our boys and their missions. Sister Prieto left them with warm blankets and boxes of copies of the BK of Mormon and lots of mail and packages. After a great lunch at the Pres. favorite place, we got in the car and started for Rio Verde which is 6 hours by car from Uberlandia. The thing is the roads. The only way into this city they were redoing the roads. So with long waits and bumpy construction, it took about 7 hours. We sang lots of church songs and I studied Port., and they told lots of stories. We stayed overnight again in a nice hotel and had room service with the best French fries for Rick. We were doing computer work till almost midnight there.
May 25. We saw another 3 zones in Conference, and saw 16 missionaries after. They also asked us to bear our testimonies in Portugues and of course the tears flowed in mine. They are such wonderful missionaries. No sisters in this group, so I missed the hugs I normally get from them. I love meeting with the missionaries while they are waiting to see the Dr. because they help me with the language. I try everything out on them and they are so kind to correct me. After the conference we took zone Conf. pictures. Then we got to see again what Mission Presidents do for their missionaries. We went to an appliance store and bought a washing machine for one of the little apartments with 4 Elders. Their lunch was cancelled with a member so they were out on their little porch grilling some fish over two cinder blocks and the rack off of their stove. Creative. We then saw the brand new chapel that was being dedicated on the 2nd of June. It is so beautiful and only has a branch meeting there. We watched them doing the cleaning and dusting getting ready for the big day. One of the cleaning ladies kept looking at me so I went to visit with her and she started to pat my hair. She loved the color and style, president told me. I discovered the Brazilians all dye their hair until they turn 80 or 90. So I now understand the looks I get sometimes.
We had the greatest lunch again. All the restaurants are buffets and grills with fish and meat of many kinds, rice and beans and interesting salads. Even beets and coucous. I try it all, but Rick is still a potato and rice and bean man.. Then presidente took us to get real ice cream shakes. They were wonderful and lasted quite a while. He has this wonderful laugh and reminds me of Santa Claus. This time we traveled only 5 hours to get to the city of Goiania. We sang some Brazilian songs and put some harmony to them. The one was a lullaby that Rick taught me when he came off his mission. Got to the mission home and their son Cesa 23 and an RM and their 13 year old daughter had ordered pizza. They have a lovely big big Apartment downtown. Sister Prieto sat at the piano with me and helped me with another Brazilian song off of You-Tube. It was written by a former mission president. Their daughter Dalaina helped me with the tomato song. They have 9 children and one of their sons lives in Las Vegas.
May 26, This days Conference was the biggest of them all 65 Elders and Sisters. After Rick’s presentation and medical visits (23) they asked if we would join them in singing Sereno, the lullaby we sang in the car. The missionaries loved it. I fell in love with Prietos and their testimonies of the Gospel. They work very hard to help keep the missionaries going strong. They have such a spread out mission it is amazing how they keep up. These people are the strength of the missions and the wards and stakes in their areas. They speak at youth conferences and community events as well. Great, Great people. We flew home that afternoon and are just in awe of how the missions work. Then I went to work transcribing everything Rick had done. I didn’t finish until the next day. We had to speak in church on Sunday so worked there too.
Sunday 28th was Matts Graduation from medical school, and we were so pleased that we could see so much from the boys i-phones. All the siblings were together for the big occasion and Jeri too. They all had a great time. I am actually glad we weren’t there, because they never could have gone.
I am so grateful for skype, because we talked that night to everyone and even got to sing our lullaby for them and Rick bore his testimony in Portuguese. Then we had a kneel down family prayer over the internet. That was such a spiritual experience for us. All of them together without their children and seeing them and their love for each other was such a blessing to us as their parents.
Family is truly the most important thing in all the world. It is the hardest thing to leave them, but the time goes fast and we grow closer because of it. I’m sure we will be doing this again too if our health holds. There are so many couples serving here in their 70’s. I am amazed how some are on their 2nd and 3rd missions. I love the new announcement sent out by the church about shorter missions too. That means more couple should be able to serve.
CTM(MTC) We have 15 new Elders and Sisters that just came in this morning so we will see them on Sunday. I am quite sure some of them came from the Provo MTC and included Doug Roundy’s nephew Jordan Claudio, Lorraine’s son. I hope he is in our branch.
Monday May 31 I was asked to escort a Sister missionary home and so told all the kids at Matts. The church was going to fly me to Matt and Lisa’s for a few days after I dropped her off in New York. But Rick found another girl who had medical problems who had to go too, so they flew them together and saved the church a lot of
money. Elder Hill also had to take a missionary home to Oregon the same day. He took bags home because they are leaving in 6 weeks and had an empty suitcase coming back here. Sooo… I guess you know we had him fill it with chocolate chips, powdered sugar and brown sugar, and he even brought me a slow cooker and Rick a new carry on suitcase. The other one broke big time after the trip to Goiania. It was a wild week to say the least.
June 3rd we awaited the arrival of our newest couple. He is a retired Judge from California and his wife is a nurse and is going to take over some of the paper work duties of the MD’s here and help at the clinic in the CTM. So Sister Hill and I did dinner for them. Rick’s favorite, stroganoff and our tin foil carrots, noodles and chocolate cake. They are going to be fun. She fits right in knits and paints, creative lady. She also gets a language tutor, and she is going to share the stuff she gets from her with me. Nice of her. I am excited about that. I am getting a little better too. At least I am not as afraid as I was when I got here.
June 4, We were invited to President Kretly’s (in CTM Presidency) home for Festa Juninia. Like our Octoberfest. They all wore cowboy costumes and had lots of really good food. I even made potato salad and it was gone before most everything else. So I guess it was good. The Brazilian food was great. But I love it all. Not losing weight very fast because of it too. They danced some Brazilian dances and the one calling the dances was Elder Araujo of the Seventy. What a fun man. He was really good too. The Kretly’s son is coming home from his mission in Japan next week. They are moving out of their 10,000 sq. ft home to an apt. because he is the last and is going to BYU in the fall. Pres. Kretly is also President of Franklin Covey here in Brazil.
Sunday June 5, the Missionary Choir at the CTM was 258 strong and they sang the most wonderful song that is only in the Portugues Hymn Book. It was like an anthem to Jesus Christ and reminded me of something like onward Christian Soldiers, but more exciting. I have the music and will bring it home to teach you all. After the meeting was over President and Sister Clark (pres of the CTM) had them do the song again and videotaped it so they could take it home with them when they leave in January.
June 7, Can’t believe that Gabi and Nick are graduating from High School with honors today. Wow, now if we can only find them to congratulate them. Kelli called and said she had one of her Young Adult guys coming to Sao Paulo this Friday and needed a place to stay. He is so sweet to bring some things for Rick and I. We got him reservations at the Alojamento or Guest house by the temple and then will take him with us to do some sight seeing on Saturday (P-day) and to dinner. He is doing a internship in Landscape Design in Brasillia and Manaus for 2 months and then his parents are coming to pick him up in August.
Guess everyone is at the Call Family Reunion in St George this weekend so will be thinking of you all having fun together. We sent a little box of stuff for you all to be opened there. It isn’t much but is something that came from us, 7000 miles away. Hope you all had fun.
Well, I had better get some photos attach and into the History Book. Rick is working hard to keep the missionaries healthy and taking care of themselves. I am helping him document everything he says and make sure he is fed well and is clean and neat and Happy. We are both very happy to be here and serving the Lord in this capacity. We thank you all for your love and support.
We have decided to do a Scripture of the Week so that you can use it if you want in Family Home Evening or scripture study, or not. Rick wants to do this part of the Epistle. So watch for that when he gets if done. Let us know if it would be better to just do it by E-mail every week.
Love to you all and don’t forget to brush your teeth and say your prayers.
Sister Sue, Mom and Grandma.
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