Being on a mission with your husband ...it's the BEST!

 Life in BRAZIL

Bruce and I had a good laugh this morning.  Yesterday I stayed home all day because I had to shop for food and do some cooking. I was going to have the Stake Presidents family over for dinner on the Thursday, then we were going to have 17 missionaries coming for a going away dinner/temple on the Friday, and we had the Branch President and his family coming for the weekend and.  So I had a TON of cooking to do. Leonora our maid helped me in the kitchen all day.  We had a good time even though conversation is a bit difficult.  The next morning she was talking to Bruce after his run and told him that she had a great time with me yesterday.  She then added with great surprise in her voice, "and she's intelligent"! Well after three months of being in Brazil she discovered that I do have a brain some where in that head of mine :)  So now it is the joke around the house that if I have a good idea...we joke and say "well you are intelligent :)"  I guess if you don't have that much to say (in Portuguese) people think you don't have much up top. 

This past month has been busy...busy ...busy!  We had two full weeks of interviews.... 8 zone conferences, missionaries coming and going, Mission President conference ...along with all the other fun things we get to do in the Campinas Brazil Mission.  Here's some pics of some of our missionaries...

 Sis Costa was one of our missionaries that just finished her mission...we have been missing her a lot and then we bumped into to her 100's of miles away at the Recife Temple during our Mission Presidents conference... :)

Here's another COOL thing I have found in Brazil this past month:  

You know how when you are looking in a parking lot it's hard to find spots.  You have to drive up and down the rows just to see if there is an opening.  Well in Brazil...they have lights above the parking stalls that light up if there is an available spot.  You can see the lights from far away so you don't have to drive for ever looking for a spot.  Red: full... Green: open....Blue: handicapped...and Yellow:  pregnant mom's and mom's with small children 

Our Sea Can with all our stuff from home finally arrived.  It was an exciting day!  All my grandma toys, pool toys, and grandma supplies came....so now the party can start.  Tiffany and her family are coming for 2 weeks at Christmas.

These are two of my little "sweeties" that are coming for Christmas :)

 Leo

 Jade

 Oh...yes these two "sweeties" as well!

 Bruce received a care parcel from his sister Karen.  He was one happy boy....it was a huge "Costco" sized bag of cheezies...his favorite!  

I got a great care parcel from my sweet mother-in-law and father-in-law. I haven't received a care parcel in years.  It was so fun!! It was full of things that are hard to find in Brazil ....like cream of tarter for snickerdoodles, a lace shirt, a melon baller etc.    I was SPOILED!

Our ward put on a special Thanksgiving dinner in October(Canadian Thanksgiving) for us and Sis. Anderson (an American Missionary).  They had it decorated so nice and the food was amazing....turkey and all the fix'ins! They even had red and white plates (Canadian Colors). 

I thought this turkey was creative :)

They gave us these special soaps shaped like Brazil and Maple leafs for Canada.  I think Brazil and Canada look great together.  They were scented with a fruit that is only grown in Brazil.  They are the sweetest people!  They know how to make you feel loved and special!

We had zone conference on my birthday so I got to celebrate my birthday and got pampered all week long.  On Saturday I got breakfast in bed.  Instead of the usual eggs, pancakes and toast ....I got a chilled coconut and some chocolate ....of course :)  Bruce picked it up for me after his run with the assistants Saturday morning.  What a great surprise! 

 The assistants and office staff sang happy birthday(Brazilian Style) to me in the car and gave me the most delicious chocolates.  I had a hard time sharing with Bruce they were yummy :)  The said that they sang to me in the car so I wouldn't be tempted to hug them.   It was a good thing because I would have wanted to give them each a BIG hug.  I love these elders.

Last week Bruce and I went to a seminar in Recife.  It was for all the 34 Mission Presidents and wives.  It was a 3-4 day seminar with Elder Costa, Elder Mazzagardi, and Elder Aidukaitis presiding.  We learned so much and they planned a few fun activities as well.  This was Bruce's mission when he was 19 years old....it was 35 years ago.  He was so excited to return....it brought back tons of memories!

We went on a boat tour and looked at the sites in Recife with all the other mission presidents and wives.  The city is divided by these beautiful rivers.  

 Colorful buildings along the river...

  This is the beach that Bruce used to run on 35 years ago....he was in heaven.  He got up early every morning to run on this beach.

We couldn't swim in the ocean because they were have lots of shark attacks.  

Recife Temple

 Temple at night

 One day we all went to the temple...the Recife Temple was stunning.

This is the post office where he used to collect his letters each week.

The Area Presidency and all the Mission Presidents and wives went to this amazing Churrascaria that had all you can eat lobster and shrimp plus all the other wonderful endless food that a Churrascaria has to offer.   It was a great seminar and we were able to have a little bit of time to enjoy Bruce's old stomping grounds.  

                                        ...MMMMMM!

More experiences in the great country of BRAZIL!

BRAZIL

Everyone has been asking me how my Portuguese is coming along.  It is coming and I can see that I am being blessed each day.  I've improved quite a bit in these past 3 months.  I have gone from smiling and nodding to....what I call "Cave Man Portuguese".  I put sentences together but it's pretty choppy and my conjugations are generally wrong....it's like...."I go store....or....let read scripture". I know this sounds weird but I am pretty happy with this because I'm now slightly communicating with these wonderful people that I love so much. The people here are so encouraging and thrilled for any word I try to say.  It is easy to learn when people are so excepting.  I have to admit that not only have I improved in my "Cave Man Portuguese" but I do it in combination with "charades".  I am pretty good at acting things out to express what I want or feel.  I will challenge anyone one to a game of charades right now....I think I'd win  ...hahaha ;)

This is a picture of my many Portuguese books...

I spoke in 4 Stake Conferences in the past 5 weeks (Stake conference is a meeting where 8 or 9 congregations meet together with about 1000 people in attendance).  I have been doing all my talks in Portuguese!  They are short and far from perfect but I think the people here appreciate that I am trying to learn their language.  After the 2nd stake conference we were invited over to the Stake President's house for dinner.  They gave me a cooking cap and apron to  wear and put me to work.  Their kitchen really unique and I now want a kitchen like this.  It was located outside the main part of the house under the roof but still open to the outside.  It was the coolest kitchen with a chimney like barbecue and brick oven built in to it.  They had a normal oven as well.  They had the most amazing lettuce wraps and grilled meat.  I'm definitely getting the recipe.  

 They let me keep the cap and apron.  

Here are some unique things I've seen in Brazil this month....

 YES....you are seeing right ....they are riding COWS not horses. I didn't know you could ride cows except at a Rodeo.  This was on the way to our district about 3 hours from Campinas.  

 We found a theatre in walking distance from our house that has english movies with Portuguese subtitles.  (Yes we are allowed to go to movies on Pdays:) It's pretty fancy they bring you your food on a tray.  Your water is served in a glass goblet and these plush seats recline.  I love the subtitles in Portuguese...I kind of get caught up in them.  Disney and Pixar here we come!

 I just had to put this in here.  This is a mannequin in a typical store.  Notice the body shape that is preferred.  I love it.

After a busy week Bruce surprised me with this beautiful arrangement.  The roses were so big. 

                                                             This weekend we spent out in our District.  

The District is at the farthest end of our mission.  We have 3 branches there, one in Pouso Alegre, Itajuba, and Oro Fino.  The members in these districts are so faithful  and wonderful.  They are small in numbers but great in spirit.

In Oro Fino they have an outside baptismal font and we were able to go to a baptism of a dear sister.  

This is a picture of some of the great people in the Ouro Fino branch just before the baptism.

These are some of my favorite missionaries in Ouro Fino....Elder Amancia and Elder Alves

 These are 2 more of my favorite missionaries in Ouro Fino.  Elder Cochran and Elder Viana.  I brought them a little taste of home "no bake cookies (messy cookies)"

More wonderful members in Oro Fino!

This weekend Bruce spoke at a Priesthood Leadership, a stake young adult mission prep course, a talked in the Branch sacrament meeting.  Our weekends are sometimes busier than our weeks.  We love sharing our love of missionary work with others.  This picture below is of the young adults in the mission prep course.  

Yesterday we got an invite to a "Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner" put on by our ward ....just for "US".  It was one of the kindest gestures I have ever received!  They are putting on a special Thanksgiving party just for us to make us feel welcomed and at home.  This melted my heart.  The Brazilian people are some of the BEST people on the planet.   

We also had a mission tour with Elder Aidukitis this month.  It was a 3 day tour and all the missionaries attended.  It was highly motivational. It was a privilege to have him here and to help strengthen our missionaries.  We were grateful for the time we got to spend with him too and for his loving counsel.

We are SO looking forward to the general conference coming up this weekend. (October 3rd and 4th) General Conference happens 2 times a year.  It is a time when over 15 million members and millions of friends have the privilege of listening to a modern day prophet and apostles.  Their messages are for our time and are so motivating and inspirational.  Please watch....you will come away recharged and motivated to live better :)

How to Watch General Conference (session times):

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/viewing-times-and-options?cid=HP_MO_9-28-2015_dPFD_fGC_xLIDyH-3_&lang=eng 

...until next month...