Para Bens! Sister Gamarano!

Today is Sister Gamarano's 20th birthday. We celebrated yesterday because we had Multi-Zone Meeting in Sorocaba all day today. Top photo: We went to McDonalds in Tatui for a Birthday Lunch, Sister Gerber, Sister Gamarano and Sister Barrus. We came back to our apartment and had cake and ice cream and opened a birthday gift. Happy Happy Birthday, Sister Gamarano!

Tatui Blooms and Utah Snows!

The trees in Tatui bloom year around but right now there are so many trees in bloom, it is beautiful. The white blooms are jasmine and they just perfume the air as you walk down the streets. The same week we took these pictures, Kylie and Michael sent a picture of Addy reclining in a 'snow chair' in their backyard.

Missionaries on the Go

We are so thankful we have this little car. Elder Barrus has become quite the uber driver. The best use of it is we are able to take the missionaries to more appointments to teach. You have to wait quite awhile for a bus to come by and then the people you have an appointment with may not be there. Sister Gerber and Sister Gamarano are pretty independent but it is nice when we they let us give them a ride.

Paulo's Baptism

The sister missionaries have been teaching Paulo and Jananina. Two of the girls who are 20 and 21 have already been baptized. There is a whole story about this family that I will relate in another photo. Paulo is Jananina's husband. Jananina hopes to be baptized one of these days. Left to right: Sister Gerber, Sister Gamarano, Brother Vagner who baptized and confirmed Paulo, Elder Barrus and Jananina.

Fundraiser for EFY

The mocas and rapazes put on a fundraising dinner to raise money so they could attend EFY in February. The room was decorated with individual tables and they all wore white shirts and black bow ties, chic-ee!

We Will Always Cherish this Great Prophet

New Year's Day

New Year's Eve the three of us stood out on the balcony and watched fireworks going off all over the valley. The Brazilians really like to celebrate holidays and they really go all out on New Year's Eve with the fireworks. New Year's Day we had a dinner of ham and scalloped potatoes. Later that afternoon we left for Sao Paulo to put Kelsey on the plane to return to the States. It was really hard for me to say goodbye to my daughter. Just four more months and I'll be able to hug all my kids and mug on the grandkids!