Another Temple Day! with ice cream

 

Us, Otacilia, Jerusa, Boston Massachusetts Temple

We found out that Otacilia had a day she could be off work and Crislaine figured we head a total of 6 who could go do baptisms so I quickly went online and grabbed the last free spots of the day for that Saturday. Then no one else (besided Teodoro and Soraia) was going to come, so on the Friday I went in and changed to three so the other slots wouldn't be wasted. About an hour later we got a call from Marcella saying they wanted to bring 3-4 young women and while she was on the phone I hurried online and re-reserved those 3 spots. It was the 1:00 last of the day which is a shame because in the morning the traffic is so much better on Saturdays. Most of us got there early enough to have the Brazilian photo shoot first . Lots and lots of photos. Eventually we got four young women there, I didn't even know we really had that many. And it turned out to be the first time for most of them, so maybe we had a small part in helping this happen.

young women, a mom on right and Marcella left

Teo and the early birds - Soraia in the middle

Gal in the flowered dress near center is from the Spanish family that like the Portuguese branch better so they've come for two or three years apparently. The younger brother likes praying for sacrament mtg, just uses Spanish. In Primary he uses English.

At least four serving windows outsides plus the counter we went to inside, plus mini golf and driving range. I will say the ice cream was extremely good and there were very many good flavors! Seems the Thorpes took Teo and Soraia there on their first temple trip (and sometimes thereafter), so they wanted Otacilia to have the experience. We just aren't they types to drive an hour for ice cream, but if we hadn't gone the opposite way for the McDonalds it would have been less. We felt like we must have driven at least to Connecticut. 

The whole group afterwards with other family members and drivers, then began the big discussion about not liking ice cream(!?) so where to go get food....

Possibly the last gathering at Mary and Tales' for a bit (below) maybe because we didn't get many people. I offered to help with food but no go. It turns out it is Tales who does the cooking! He's the pão de queijo expert and offered to teach me. He says the trick is learning to make it work with American flour since the tapioca starch you get here is not at all the same thing they use in Brasil, it's made by a completely different process, I was told.

They are all facing the giant TV where futbol is playing before and after the lesson every time.

He's had some health problems and I guess is at home now to do it. He and Otacilio teach in primary together - officially nursery but they have been doing the older class recently. I guess when so many go off home for a month or two in the summer there is lots of working around things, as apparently the  youth have temporary leaders too. Otacilio is waiting on the branch president to return from Brazil to get his Patriarchal Blessing recommend, several weeks away yet. We did have a good visit with him and finally pinned down where he is in the Gospel Principles lessons, -w e think. He listens to the Book of Mormon on his drive to and from work which is awesome. We had brought a printout of President Nelson's words about reading every day helps you make better decisions everyday and he really spent some time pondering and talking about it. I like his wife and wish she was more interested in the church for herself, she's very glad for what its done for Otacilio.

Notice the street sign? (You can look up the word for interesting information)

Another round delivering food, fortunately only medium hot weather and a decent breeze, then another appointment canceled - too much traffic delay and she had another appointment later so we filled in with a walk. With food delivering I had over 8,000 steps, no wonder we are tired, though my working on the route and marking where the hard-to-find places are on our little map has made it faster. Sunday we saw cars go through totally red lights, as in "everyone is actually stopped but they decided to go ahead anyway after stopping", at least twice. And again today. I hope Durk's blood pressure can take another 2 1/2 months of driving here.

I found it! at least one version: Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained what it means to “come unto Christ” (Moroni 10:30, 32):

Coming unto Christ is an abbreviation, a way of describing in three words the plan of salvation. It means to obtain the fruits of His Atonement and Resurrection—ultimately eternal life. Eternal life depends on the exercise of our moral agency, but it is possible only through the grace of Jesus Christ. To come unto Him means to do what is required to lay hold upon that grace—the pardoning, sanctifying, transforming, redeeming power of His infinite, atoning sacrifice. (“Why We Share the Gospel,” Ensign, Aug. 2014, 37)

Friday Mission zoom (MBM the Mission Best Mission or the Mission Best Miracles, or other versions playing off Massachusetts Boston Mission). One theme was that we have people of so many countries and languages here, and missionaries talk to them all, teach what they can as they meet, get their information and then pass them on to the ones who teach in the language or area of the person. Like King Lamoni's father started by meeting Ammon but then was taught by his brother Aaron- if someone in the mission baptizes, we all baptize. And there are many referrals (people who request something, usually online - fish jumping into the boat) that need immediate contact - try every way possible (call, text, stop by, email, one more I forget) including one last week where the sisters had a person in their app that had been a referral that hadn't had much contacting so they searched her out. She was actually scared, didn't know why they were "after her" and thought it creepy they had her address and everything. Then as they explained, she changed, told them that just twenty minutes earlier she had been praying that God would help her find a church that would help her and that she would be able to take the sacrament. 

Pres. R reminded us of Alma 26:12,35 and 29:14 - joy in my brethren and their success, and that it wouldn't work if we were in this by ourselves but we can do all in Christ - it is His work. He showed the pictures from zone conf of Jesus embracing someone - this is the love of God we are bringing to everyone we can. One of the sisters in the hugest finding area said they need to show joy and love even when tired and discouraged. (and hot!). 

We're not always sure whether to go to the interview mornings since we aren't on the list, but it looked like they had some good training (we didn't know for sure if there would even be training, we are out of the loop on a lot of things as senior missionaries - and most wouldn't apply to our responsibilities) And we would have been in the bad early morning traffic.... Glen's in-laws sent a picture of them with Elder Wooley's sister who is finishing her mission in Berlin - he's the tall one at the back with Elder Keller, the Zone Leaders.

At MCM Durk asked the RS counselor about some of the names off the lost list that he had moved out and she knew none of them at all, confirming I guess, that no one knows where they are. On the other hand, he did find another person that actually is here - someone had a note he was off to another state or country and apparently he did go - for a couple of months - but came back. If only these people had ministering brothers and sisters that kept in touch! And there isn't really a lot of "institutional memory" because so many of the active members here are relatively new. Durk signed up for one of the online search services to help, and we're going to try knocking on some doors tomorrow from that lost list.

A "district P-day", they went off to a nearby small waterfall with hiking nearby and had fun. I think Elder Gomes and Elder Bam kind of wish there were some other elders in the district but not for now....

And back in MO, Evan and Drew had their fun at a Cardinals game, thanks to the Telfords!

I finally finished writing a talk on fasting (the branch pres. said they get so few fast offerings they couldn't pay one family's monthly rent with the donations from a whole year, so I volunteered) and now need to learn to read and say the Portuguese, hopefully well enough to not be eyes-down reading it the whole time. Though the first priority is that it is understandable. I don't dare tell the branch president it is ready too soon because they're likely to say I can give it tomorrow.

Good Grief! our stake includes bits of New Hampshire and Maine! so the Portuguese branch covers the whole stake.... If all indications are that someone is no longer at an address over an hour away, do we go knock on the door? and without an apartment number....

Wow, Durk was asking if we were hearing thunder or more airplanes (airplanes) when we noticed the bright sun was gone and then bam, like a firehose smashing against our windows amidst actual thunder. Then after a few minutes, bright sunshine again. We don't get this coastal quick-change in Missouri much, but it did cool things off.