May 29, 2016

Dear Family,

I guess it's about time that I wrote!  As you all know, we are back in Brazil and we are busy!  I guess before we came home I was pretty discouraged because we just weren't very busy and I felt like I was pretty much wasting my time.  It's very different for the senior sisters than it is for their husbands, at least in a country that isn't English speaking.  I've tried hard to learn the language so that I can contribute more, but it is very difficult.  I made a goal in Jan. to speak to someone every day.  That has helped a lot.  It hasn't always worked out but I am trying to go out of my way to say something to someone.  They always appreciate it when they can see that I am trying.  Most of the other senior sister missionaries don't even try to communicate.

The day we left, Dad/Ferron talked to Fernando (our boss) and the other men on our welfare team and told them that we had to have more to do or else we weren't coming back.  Well it must have worked because since we've been back we have been SWAMPED!!  That's good!  We have been very busy every day and we have a lot going on the next several weeks as well.

Last week Fernando told us that we can go anywhere in the country that has a need and look for new projects to open or do some training in fast offerings.  We are going up to the northeast this Friday to look to open a quail raising project.  The Stake President up there (Petrolina in the state of Pernambuco) has 50 families lined up who want to be in the project.  Fernando wants us to start with 5 families but apparently a Brazilian missionary welfare couple had already promised them up to 50 families.  Dad has been in touch with the Stake Pres. and is working things out.  If it looks like they are willing to put in the hard work then we will go ahead with 50 families.  Quail eggs are very popular down here.  We will leave on the 3rd and get back on the 6th.

On June 11th Sister Burke and I are giving a presentation to a stake in the center of the city about dealing with the refugees that are coming.  Europe is pretty much closing its doors and so now there are a lot of Syrians coming here.  It is actually safer for them to fly to Brazil than it is to go by rickety boat to Turkey or Greece and the cost is similar.  There is a Catholic Priest who has a "rescue mission" in the city and he is helping lots of people.  We are going to meet him on Tues and see what we can do to help.  

Fernando met with the President of the Rotary Club here in Sao Paulo and told her (I always thought Rotary was a man's club but now anyone can join) about our presentation.  She told him that she wants us to present it to her club as well!  There is a lot of stuff from our church leaders in it so we'll see what happens.

..

On June 24th we are leaving to go down to the south to see about starting a new gardening project.  Also to meet a sister who we have become familiar with via email from her bishop.  She lives is terrible conditions and is being helped through the fast offering fund. We will be gone for a few days.  I guess that the Stake President has talked about us (or at least Dad) in Stake Conference almost as if we were General Authorities!

When we got back, Elder Holland, Elder Maynes and Bishop Waddell from the Presiding Bishopric were here doing training and checking on things.  Elder Holland spoke at a fireside on that Sunday evening and we were glad that we could be there.  He started out saying, "Irmaos, and Irmas.  Guarana.  Maracuja. Porto Alegre. That is the extent of my Portuguese!"  (Guarana is a soft drink and Maracuja is Passion Fruit)  Bishop Waddell spoke to the workers at the Area office so we got to attend and it was really good.  He came around the office later in the day and we met him.  He is probably 6'6"-7".  We sort of met Elder Maynes as well, in the stairwell.  He and Elder Costa were coming up one level as we were going down.  I said, "Tudo bem, ola.  Oh I mean hello!"  He turned around and was laughing!  Elder Costa saw Dad and said, "You're back!  We were missing our coach!"  That made Dad feel good.

As you can see, I now have more things to write about and not just fun stuff.  We have done some fun things since we've been back.  We went to a special art display from the Museu D'Orsay and it was fabulous!  We went out near Campinas last Thurs. (it was a holiday here) and went to a "farm" that had been turned into sort of a resort.  There was playground equipment, a zip line, tractor rides, a puppet show and the main event was a delicious brunch.  Some of our Brazilian friends took us.  We then drove out through the countryside and it was just plain refreshing.  On our way home we drove into the city to Parque Taquaral near where we used to live 20 years ago.  Our family used to walk down to the park quite often

I have quite a few pictures to send as I haven't been able to send any for a while.  We got a new camera while we were home and it works much better.

We sure love you all very much.  We are glad to be back but it was almost harder to leave the second time.  

Love,

Mom/Paula

P.S.  These pictures are of a city called Holambra.  It is a Dutch community in case you can't tell.  They raise a lot of flowers there that they sell all over Brazil.  It is too hot though to grow tulips!