Hi Family,
This week we hit a few milestones. First of all we passed the one month mark of our mission! On one hand it seems like we just left and on the other it seems like we have been here forever. I think that is pretty normal for anything. Second, we finally got something worked out so that we can get some tv down here. I know that seems weird being missionaries, but things are different for the senior missionaries. Third, we went to the Federal Police and got our official papers. It was a wild ride, that's for sure. At least we saw parts of the city that we never would have seen before. There are some really nice houses here and it is obvious that those people have money and a lot of it!
We had a conference call with Salt Lake on Friday to get the ball rolling on us starting a water project. A couple will be coming down here sometime in Jan. or Feb. to go up to the northeast and get something going. I didn't know this but that part of Brazil is a semi-arid region and they always have trouble with water. Probably the reason why things seem to be taking forever is that they haven't had a welfare couple here for over 10 years and so I think that they don't really know what to do with us just yet. We have a lot of studying to do to research out an area where they would benefit with a project.
We have had a few interesting things happen to us as well. There have been a few times when Dad has forgotten his missionary badge and has had to go back to get it. There have also been some other interesting things happen. The other day I went to brush my teeth and my toothbrush was missing. I asked Dad if he had taken my toothbrush and he said, "No, why would I do that?" Well I found it in the kitchen. (We brush our teeth in the kitchen as that is where our filtered water is.) I told him and he said, "Whoops." I said that he needs to be more aware of what is going on around him. He said, "I guess I have officially reached geezerhood!" Well when we left that day we were in our elevator and I said, "Oh no, I have forgotten my badge." So we had to go back up and get it. That night we were watching some tv and I had on my prescription glasses but I needed just my reading glasses and I couldn't find them. I looked all around the sofa and then I felt on top of my head and there they were! Dad said, "Maybe you need to be a little more aware of your surroundings! I think that you have also reached geezerhood!" I think that it must be the humidity or something! I hope that we make it through as we have a long time to go! We had a good laugh.
Yesterday we went into the city with the other missionaries, there were 16 of us that went. You should have seen that many people trying to get on an already crowded bus! They say that you can always get one more on and I believe it! Boy we were very squished but we didn't have to go very far to the metro station. We went to a monastery in the city center where they had a display of nativities. It was nice. I wish that I could have taken some pictures of the inside of the church but it was prohibited. It was very ornate and pretty and interesting. When we came out, Dad wanted me to take a picture of the tallest building in the world that is completely made of cement. I was trying to get a picture when a man came up to me who had no teeth and his shirt was unbuttoned most of the way and he had some kind of large wound on his abdomen. It actually looked like one of his organs hanging out and he was begging for money. It was obviously fake. We saw something similar 19 years ago in a similar part of the city where a man was lying, well writhing, on a piece of cardboard and had the worst makeup job wound on his leg that I have ever seen. He had cups out to collect money. It is sad that people resort to that. I had a hard time yesterday getting away from that man. Dad took care of me, though, and moved between me and him and ushered me along.
The missionaries are meeting down in our courtyard this evening and singing Christmas carols. There is a nice Nativity display set up down there and also some other decorations. We are going to have dinner at one of the couples afterward. One couple is going home tomorrow. We don't know them very well but it is still sad to see them leave. They are here with their 35 year old son who has something similar to Asperger's Syndrome. He has done lots of names indexing and has also found a lot of family names for the temple. That was his mission call. They are good people.
Well I hope that you all have a good week. We sure love you all very much.
Love,
Mom/Paula
No comments:
Post a Comment