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| The first few shots they insisted on my being up front by Karol but then as everyone was leaving someone said they didn't get the temple in the background so quick, another one! and now you really have to look closely in back to see us, but we weren't the important ones that day anyway. Karol, Danilo, and Marta all received their endowments. And we didn't even know that Karol and Danilo had ended up deciding to do so that day! Danilo is in front with the tie and Karol with hand on shoulder - she was limping and once outside used a knee scooter. We had about four times as many people as the last time we did the Portuguese session. Brother Lazenby regularly officiates- |
We finished another round of apartment inspections. I had to figure out why the addresses were disappearing off the forms (the first place to enter it apparently doesn't "stick" so I have to enter it again later). We continue to teach about Soft Scrub (I should get a commission) and cleaning intake vents and oven doors. They mostly do really well actually. It's fun to see the missionaries and talk to them and bring treats. Durk always threatens to eat one of their cookies for each infraction. Several trios this time, partly due to Haitian Creole and Chinese sisters coming off-transfer so a couple of newbies while the departing ones are still here until next week. It's a lot of driving but at least we are knowledgeable about parking now - and for the very first time we actually found a legal visitor parking spot open at the Charlton Bldg! Not the kind of miracle reported at the zoom meetings but it was one nonetheless.
We had a date to the pupusa place for quesadillas and yesterday when we stopped for a better treat for Juvenia's family we got pudim, so plenty to eat here. We finally made it out to Lynn to see Juvenia and her 98-yr-old mother. We had a little treat but found out her daughter was there (moving from Texas) and maybe other kids or grandkids, so we got a cake as her mom had a birthday recently (the same day as Durk's moms' birthday). It was a good visit and we hope to help her get to church at least now and then. We're both a bit off with some possible colds/allergies or something but nothing that's really slowing us down. We're normally pretty slow anyway!
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| Sunday School class for membros novos and often many visitors, Jerusa does a great job - she gets everyone introduced and writes their names on the board,and it flexible with Marcio coming up and discussing things two or three times each lesson. He wrote "oração" then marked ora (pray) and ação (action) and taught that we pray then act, too bad that doesn't work with the word in English |
Durk got a call about another senior couple coming to take over our apartment (Hooray! I was afraid I wouldn't be able to leave the helpful misc like salt, spices, shelf, in place) and then we found out they are already here. They were put in a (very nice, we hear) vacant apartment way down south in Quincy. Makes me want to volunteer to leave sooner since they can take over. They served previously in MLS in Brasil in a very small branch so have a lot more experience at that sort of thing than we do. And now we can pass along all the information Durk has been gathering about people that are really here or not here, etc. As an assistant clerk maybe he can even figure out how to get them into the Tools app so they won't have to wait six weeks to have branch info like we did. Unfortunately they won't be able to help Primary by way of piano playing so there is likely to be a big rush to have the Program before we leave.
They came to church and everyone was afraid that meant it was our last week, really great couple with good experience from former mission and we arranged for them to come over Tuesday so we can pass along a lot of info and make suggestions where they can start.
Belay that order......the Myers went in for their meeting with Pres. R and were told they'd go to Pawtuxet "for now"-
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| someone was directing traffic around the goose parade at Market Basket, and another large group was lining up (quite straight and evenly spaced and single file) to come as we went around |
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| People started taking the teddy bears so Jerusa began grabbing them up to use for another shower -for Rafaela, who hopefully doesn't have to match this one! And I had promised Durk as we sat around for so many hours, that he wouldn't have to attend another one ever. Ailton was with us a good part of the time saying how this late start thing is a pet peeve, he had been up since super early to work in the temple. We were there from 2:45 until around 7 or so because of course there was no clean up plan. |
We went to a FHE at Marcella's place along with the new family that is going to be a really big asset, oldest son just back from mission to Japan, several other sons including one about to turn 18 and preparing for a mission after this senior year. They are straight from Brasil, dad a former bishop, doesn't have a job here yet. Had very typical food - pot of hot dog slices in whatever, couscous and potato sticks and choice of coke or guarana. We do have very spiritual lessons though, people are great about speaking of Christ and the meat of the gospel. Otacilio and daughter showed up later - had been off celebrating her birthday and she had a fuzzy headband with lights. We left for another appointment but while at meeting a message had come in canceling the next.
Marcella had to fill in last minute with the lesson but I liked it and it sparked some really good spiritual discussion (from what I could understand). We sang along to Gethsemane (Getsemani) and then she passed us each a paper that had two words (that basically mean nails) and asked us to mark what kept Jesus up on the cross. Then she passed around a pretty gift box to have us each look in (and not show anyone else) - it had a mirror, so we talked about he stayed on the cross for you/me. It reminded me of Hebrews 12:2 "...Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,"
The sisters said they would come to Maverick about 12:30. Since it was drizzly and the app said 100% chance of rain by 1:00, we hurried and did all the townhouses. We sent the sisters to do the Sumner bldg since they had done it once with me last week, while we did Border bldg. I was feeling bad that they came all that way to just do the one (slightly) smaller bldg, but when they came back and told us the elevator was down and they did it all with stairs, we were super grateful they came! They said they had fun but were glad they hadn't done their stair-stepper exercise that morning. They were fast too! I was tired from not sleeping well due to tickly cough so I would have really been wiped out if we had to haul all the food bags up all those flights of stairs. We used our rain jackets for the second time but didn't end up really needing them, maybe for warmth in cool damp breeze.
We finally were able to get back to visiting Amarildo - his daughter and grandsons have gone back to Brasil. We watched a couple of short videos to start, I think we will start using them more. Then we tied them to some BoM scriptures and read them and talked about them - counsel with the Lord in all they doings....(or rather, Durk did, and they shared who much they love each other)
Elder Gomes had been having to keep off his feet for some time and now is going home, we are taking him to the airport and its been a bit nuts trying to get straight info on how Elder Bam was to join up with the ZL's, etc. We find it very tough to get clear answers on anything - very regularly we ask and get a response that doesn't actually answer the question. I feel like we have to only send messages with one very specific yes/no questions and even then need a check box (yes/no) and the red notification "required answer". We had to get Manderinos to drive sisters to transfers and postpone meeting Jose. Turns out Elder G has been having a pretty rough time health-wise and will transition to service mission. He hadn't heard the "teaching missionaries are the Lord's mouthpiece and service missionaries are His hands" and that service missionaries have opened many doors. Maybe one reason we were here to drive him was to tell him that. Though I'm sure the fact that we were closest to him geographical and closest to the airport had something to do with it.
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| Gonna have to figure out names here....left to right back to front: Elder Nascimento, us, Sister Padilha, Sister Sherinian then Nuttal or Neal, Sis Teerlink, back to left Elder Bamviakades Sisters Omar, Nuttal or Neal. Sister Torres, Elder John and his greenie comp Elder Nelson I had to wrangle my way back into the mission drive and adjustments file and figure out names as best I could. |
Lots of changes in our district! Basically only Sister Sherinian and Sister Torres are ones here longer than one transfer and most are completely new to the district if not to the mission altogether. Elder John, the new district leader, was an AP and is on his last transfer. Two new Portuguese missionaries and again both actual Brazilians so still going to be hard to understand them. Chinese sisters have a trio and they added Spanish elders, so the mtg was 13 people - to welcome them our car found itself heading to the donut store.....and there was construction and we couldn't get in and everything took too long but we still got there before the mtg started. As usual I played piano but at least they didn't have me pick songs - I have sometimes picked ones they don't know, apparently. It's a chance to play on a real piano, though the bench has serious problems and it needs tuning.
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