Tornadoes Afar

Elder Merrell with a couple of missionaries who must have needed money, since they are the finance office. 

Not a lot of excitement nor photos his week. We are getting ready for zone conferences again. We decided to try setting up extra tables so we can be working on sorting things for all six zones (three days of meetings in three places) at the same time. This way we should know if we have missed any mail or packages because every single thing should be on one of the piles. So far it looks good. Our biggest problem this week will be the lack of boxes for putting books and materials into. There will be a lot of Walmart bags used and they are much smaller and weaker than the ones in the US. I suppose since people mostly walk and carry groceries home, small isn't bad.

Elder R. Nunes and A. Ferreira bringing up drinks for lunches at zone conferences. They will have to haul 2/3 of them back down to vehicles, but we feel organized in the meantime. There was a survey of what foods are preferred for lunch and shwarmas were way ahead. Subway was up there and was the choice for this time until they ended their special and the cost was too high for what they'd get.

The other day I sat my purse down as i arrived a work and those tiny ants started running all over - I cleaned it out twice - the first time there were tiny white spidery things crawling on it the next day so I did it again and sprayed every section with bug spray. So far so good. Don't ask me to keep any emergency edibles in there.

We went to a "sort of Mexican-ish" restaurant and it was sort of. Durk's food finally came about the time everyone else finished, pretty sure they forgot to put the order in. The waiter grabbed a napkin to write on since we were a big group (8). The napkins are tiny, BTW. It wasn't quite what he had ordered either. They do have actual sour cream and sort of a "salsa" and "guac" in tiny cups. The decor is colorful decorative skulls painted on the walls and one of the juice drinks came in a lovely glass skull mug. They assume you come to sit and visit and there is not hurry, so it can take a really long time even for those who don't have the extra wait.

Walking from restaurant to "Shopping" where we could catch a taxi, I tried to get a shot of the stained glass.

Meanwhile, we got up on Thursday to news of a tornado right near our house. We were blessed to have no damage at our house, but Jefferson City had a couple of areas hit pretty hard and there are clean-up efforts ongoing. They are using the "JustServe" website to coordinate a lot of the work. Its a really cool idea started a few years ago to help people share information about anything needing help and how to be that help. There was already some very high water and it has now flooded several areas along the river and we hear more storms may be coming. I've always been glad our house is uphill.

We appreciate a friend who drove by our house in the wee hours after the tornado to check up.

Amazing that the trash can is not even blown over, since I've seen them blow up the street in a big storm

Tuesday we just were worn out and not excited about what food was left in the house so we went to Madero's - and there were the Housemans. I found that they have a really good pasta dish with veg, although we till aren't sure what they all were. Every translation we can find for one item says "green smell" and the waiter basically said "uh, it smells?"

We have not had overwhelming attendance at any classes this week, no one at  level 2 English, only one for conducting -- maybe we're not exciting teachers but mostly I think its just the casual Brazilian way. If there's something else going on, you skip class. And they are finding that they need to study and work on it.

Saturday we went early to (big) Walmart and then realized we still needed a few things even though I tried to get the meals all planned. So we might take a walk down to the little corner Walmart. We were hoping to find OFF! for the missionaries, its hard to keep up since you never know when things will be in stock. I hadn't realized Sister Bell had helped buy it by watching for it at Walmart and Carrefour, and I had never even looked. I think Sister Houseman must have spent Saturday driving all over the city buying supplies.

Some good thoughts Durk ran across in his study and prep this week:
 President Ezra Taft Benson said: “Always remember, there is no satisfactory substitute for the scriptures and the words of the living prophets. These should be your original sources. Read and ponder more what the Lord said, and less about what others have written concerning what the Lord said”.

President Marion G. Romney, who was a Counselor in the First Presidency, said: “I don’t know much about the gospel other than what I’ve learned from the standard works. When I drink from a spring I like to get the water where it comes out of the ground, not down the stream after the cattle have waded in it. … I appreciate other people’s interpretation, but when it comes to the gospel we ought to be acquainted with what the Lord says and we ought to read it” .

President Gordon B. Hinckley said: “The reading of our scriptures, for me, is not at the pursuit of scholarship. Rather, it is a love affair with the work of the Lord and that of his prophets. ...“I do not concern myself much with reading long commentary volumes designed to enlarge at length upon that which is found in the scriptures. Rather, I prefer to dwell with the source, tasting of the unadulterated waters of the foundation of truth—the word of God as he gave it and as it has been recorded in the books we accept as scripture. … Through reading the scriptures, we can gain the assurance of the Spirit that that which we read has come of God for the enlightenment, blessing, and joy of his children” 

We really miss our Sunday School class!