FHE at the home of Leandro and Tammy

Last Monday night, November 13, we went to the home of Leandro and Tammy for Family Home Evening. At first it was just going to be their family and us, but Brazilians love to get together and party! Leandro and Tammy just returned to Tatui from living up North. Leandro is the son of Kerine, one of our Relief Society teachers. Leandro gave a wonderful lesson and we had fun singing with Antonio and Leandro playing the guitar. Pictured: Front row: Elder Barrus, Gil and Breno, Leandro and Tammy's daughter Helena, in front of Helena, Presidente Edivaldo and Mayra, Gloria and Antonio. Back: Leandro and Tammy's son Bruno, Bruno holding his little sister, Leandro and Tammy, Sister Barrus, Angelica and Roberto.

Festa de Mexicana

Saturday night, November 11, we had a Mexican Fiesta at the Church. It was the idea of Sister Kapp and Sister Gamarano. They decorated and made two pinatas. Al and I got tortillas and made the taco seasoned meat and bought a bunch of picolas (ice cream bars). It was a huge success. We had a great turnout and some of our students from English Class came. They had never had tacos before. I asked them what they used the tortillas for then, the ones there had never used them. But they loved it and wanted to do it again the next Saturday!

Wedding of Edsen and Debora at the Campinas Temple ... Part Three

In Brazil, the law is you have to be married civilly before you can be married in the Temple. The morning after their wedding at the Tatui Branch Chapel, we went to pick up Edsen and Debora to take them to the Campinas Temple. It is about an hour and a half drive from Tatui. Edsen told us Friday night to pick him up at Dalva's the next morning. We arrived at Dalva's at 7 a.m. We woke Dalva up but she said Edsen wasn't there and she wasn't sure where he was. So the saga continues..... We decided to pick up Debora and she would know where Edsen was. We went to Debora's and clapped and Edsen came walking out. Debora had stayed at Angelica's the night before because the water at her home had been turned off. Debora needed to go back to her place to get her make-up and hair stuff. We got there and it wasn't there so she thought it might be at the Church. Just as we arrived at the Church, she decided to just use Edsen's sister's make-up since she was coming with us also. We picked up Edsen's sister and Edsen and Al had to run in and give his other sister's baby a blessing because he had been sick all night running a fever. It was close to 8 a.m. when we were on the road to the Temple. It was a beautiful day and so beautiful in the Temple Sealing Room. We felt so blessed to be a part of their memorable day to be sealed for time and eternity.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Weddings ...... Part Two

At 9:20 p.m. Louisa, the darling little flower girl, walked down the path strewing rose petals. The brides followed, Debora accompanied by her father and Fabula by her uncle, and their bridegrooms waiting beneath the gazebo. At 9:30 they were finally all beneath the gazebo and Presidente Edivaldo began the ceremony, but wait, what was that we started to feel dripping on our faces? At 9:31 p.m. the heavens opened and the rain poured down in sheets. We all ran for the shelter of the Church including the brides and grooms. After some hurried arranging of chairs in the chapel, the ceremony began and the two happy couples were married. But the story is not over, they went to cut their cakes, but someone had forgotten to bring plates, napkins and forks to serve the cakes. It was 10:30 p.m. by this time and Al and I decided it was time to call it a day. We had to be up at 5 the next morning to take Edsen and Debora to the Campinas Temple to be sealed. We heard later that although most of the big grocery stores were closed, they did find a little market still open to get the needed things to serve the cakes. I told Debora and Fabula that this was a wedding they would never forget!

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Weddings ........ Part One

We had two wonderful couples in our Branch who decided to have a double wedding. All the same people would be invited, so it just seemed like a good idea. They decided to have the wedding outside, in the parking lot of the Church. The benches from the chapel were lined up outside and decorated and they made a gazebo where the vows would be taken. The couples were Edsen and Debora and Carlos and Fabula. The wedding was to take place at 7 p.m. on Friday November 10. Al and I went up to Santa Rita and picked up Roniery and his little brother and sister. We arrived at the Church at 6:45. A few people were there but no brides. At about 7:20 p.m. we asked the bridegrooms where their brides were, Debora was at Susi's house and Fabula was still at the hairdresser's. At 7:45 Edsen asked us if we would go pick up Debora at Susi's house. And then Carlos came running up to us in a panic and asked me if I had white thread and needles. I assured him I did and he said Fabula's zipper on her wedding dress had broken and we needed to take her the thread and needles. Then Edsen said to Carlos, I need them to pick up Debora. Carlos in a panic explained he needed us to take care of Fabula first. So we ran up to our apartment to get what Fabula needed and Carlos jumped on a motorcycle and met us there to take the thread, needles and scissors I had put in a little zip loc bag to Fabula. We found out later that when Carlos got to Fabula, he reached into his pocket to pull out the zip loc bag and it wasn't there! He retraced his route back to our apartment and thankfully found it lying in the street. We went back to the Church to get Dalva to show us how to get to Susi's house to pick up Debora. Debora was ready and very beautiful in her wedding dress. Just as we returned to the Church, Dalva said, 'Debora will stay with you and you need to go get Fabula.' We asked where Fabula was, she didn't know. So Debora called Fabula and got an address but the address was not any good. So Fabula was trying to guide us over the phone how to get to where she was, did I mention Fabula is not from Tatui? We were all over Tatui and by this time it was about 20 minutes to 9. We called the Church and told them we had no idea where Fabula was. They sent a guy on a yellow motorcycle to guide us to Fabula. Our little Debora was about in tears. The hairdresser's place was on the opposite side of the city from where Fabula had been telling us she was. Fabula, beautiful in her wedding gown, got into the car and just as we were pulling away, a little red car pulled in front of us and stopped us from leaving. It was Fabula's uncle who was giving her away and a good friend of hers. Unbelievably, her friend's zipper on her gown had broken and she ran into the hairdresser's to have it fixed. They called the seamstress again. Fabula did not want us to leave until her friend's dress was fixed. Finally at 9:10, we left at breakneck speed for the Church with our two beautiful brides in the backseat of our little car. That is Fabula on the left and Debora on the right.

Family Home Evening at Antonio's and Staci's

Each Monday night we have a Family Home Evening with one of the families in the Branch. This night it was with Antonio, Staci and their family. Clockwise: Rita and her baby Larissa (Staci's sister); Yasmim (Staci's daughter); Sister Barrus, Fatima (Staci's mother with Staci's son Carlo sitting in front of her): Gloria; Antonio; Staci and Staci' father Joao. You can tell we had a lot of fun that night.

Tatui Branch Deacon Presidency

Two of the great young men in our Branch, Renato and Roniery. The Young Men always, always, make a point of shaking your hand when they first see you at church and then again when you leave. They all are very much gentlemen.

Tatui Branch Primary Class

This is our darling little Primary class of the younger children. There are just two Primary classes, one for the younger children ages 3 to 7 and then one for the children ages 8 to 11. Clockwise: Louisa, Miguel, Bryan, Gustavo, Nicholas, Isabelle, and

Celebrating One Year Today

We celebrated our one year anniversary beginning our mission today. We had District Meeting in Boituva and took sonhos with us. Sonyo means dream in Portuguese and this dessert is a dream! It is a soft pastry filled with custard. When we got back to Tatui we tried a new restaurant. It was an Italian Restaurant, only Italian, Brazilian style!

One Year Today!

One year ago today, we began our mission. The year has gone by so fast. We have been so blessed as has our family. We are so thankful for all the support and encouragement we have received from family, friends and our Pella Second Ward family. We are looking forward to the next six months here in Tatui working with and loving the wonderful friends here.

Freddy the Frog, Alive and Well in Tatui

     As the children were growing up, Al would make up Freddy the Frog stories that always had a moral to them.  Al presents the theme for the Primary the first Sunday of each month.  So, Freddy the Frog (s) is making his debut in the Tatui Branch Sunday!

Inspiring Wall Quotation

     As you are leaving the cemetery, this engraving is on the wall at the entrance of the cemetery: Translation:  Jesus said: I am the resurrection  and the life, who believes in me even though they are dead, will live.

Dia dos Mortos - Day of the Dead

     Thursday, November 2 was a holiday here in Brazil, the Day of the Dead.  It is like our Memorial Day in the States.  Top Picture: Lots of vendors are selling fresh and silk flowers just outside the cemetery to decorate the graves.  On the other side of the praca from where the flowers are being sold were vendors selling cane juice, churros, bolinhas, churrasco, ice cream and fruit.  It is quite the celebration.  Picture 2: A child's grave is decorated with not only flowers but candy and toys. Picture 3:  It used to be that candles were placed on the graves and burned, but,  as you can imagine, it made quite a mess.  Now two partial enclosures are provided for those that want to, can light a candle for their loved ones who have passed on. Picture 4: A quaint little sepulcher.  Picture 5: The Barros Sepulcher, hmmm, I don't think that would be appropriate for the our wonderful Pella Cemetery.
Picture 6:  Beautiful crypt.  Many of the crypts have statues on them. None of the burial places are in the ground, all are above ground. Many of them are granite.  Granite here is very reasonable, much of the granite used in the States is from Brazil.