A NEW YEAR.... AND MORE EXCITING ADVENTURES!

A NEW YEAR....AND MORE EXCITING ADVENTURES!

January just flew by....with leadership councils, special district leader training, transfers, the arrival of new missionaries interviews, and zone conferences. 

It was sad to say goodbye to Tiffany, Alex, Jade and Leo.  They brightened up our Christmas in every way!  We miss them a whole bunch!

TRANSFERS...(a few people wanted to know about transfers)

 Transfers occur every 6 weeks.  When new missionaries come to the mission we have an orientation and a dinner. Before the old missionaries leave we go to the temple, Pres. Hill interviews them, and we have a dinner.  During this time we make changes in missionary companionships (transfers).  This transfer coming up we will have about 80 changes.  We could have new assistants, some new zone leaders, district leaders, sister training leaders, and trainers. It can be a stressful time for the missionaries as they go to new areas, face different challenges and have different companions. So in our weekly news letter to the missionaries (The GH) President Hill (Bruce) placed this picture of Leo and announced that someone new did the transfers this cycle "Pres. Leo" and to blame him for any of changes :)  

 Who could blame this little guy for anything....surprisingly we didn't get any complaints this time around :)

A picture of Jade in Grandpa's office.  She took over his desk and his heart.

At home in Canada we have a theatre room with a commercial popcorn machine and slush machine.  Bruce has his own special recipe for his popcorn that is just like the popcorn at the theatre.  We call it his "heart attack" popcorn...it can cause instant arterial blockages...but it is ohhhh so good!   He must have been missing it....so this Christmas he went looking for one and found this baby. The  missionaries love it!

...During interviews Bruce brought it to the office for the missionaries to enjoy while they were waiting for their turn for an interview.  Bruce has about around 180 missionaries to interview in a two week period.  Some are done at the office and sometimes we travel to their areas to do the interviews.  It is a special time when they get one on one time with the President.  We go from 6:00 am 10:00pm (including traveling time).  While Bruce is interviewing the missionaries....I am sitting with the missionaries that are waiting.  I have to admit this is really hard for me....but the best for me as well. For 2 weeks straight I am struggling to understand what the missionaries are saying to me... and then the hard part...trying to say something back. ....but this is when I have grown the most.  It is so true what they say "trials are what make us grow and become stronger". I have to admit I am seeing a change and it is getting better.  I've come a long long way from our first interviews.  A long long way :)  Any thing is an improvement from 40 words :) haha

In Brazil they don't celebrate Valentines Day.  At our home it is BIGGER than Christmas.  We celebrated Valentines Day on the 13th this year...our Pday.   It was right after a long stretch of interviews.  It was a much needed break. In the morning we had waffles with strawberries and whip cream.  We made some of my daughter's (Heather) famous waffle syrup to go on top....it was delicious! 

Waffle syrup:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup sugar

1/2tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter-then add buttermilk and sugar--cook until bubbly--stirring constantly--remove from heat--add soda and vanilla.  Serve on waffles with strawberries and whip cream mmmmm....

I got valentine flowers and chocolate...

My chocolate was a little different this year...not heart shaped.  I love Ferrero Rocher chocolates and we found some in a bunny shape and we had to try them.  I know what I want the Easter Bunny to bring me this year :)

It was so so good!

We spent the day relaxing at our pool... enjoying chocolate fondue and dipping the many exotic fruits found in Brazil...poolside dinner...and Applebee's (yes they have Applebees's here in Brazil)   

MORE THINGS THAT MAKE BRAZIL UNIQUE AND WONDERFUL!!

The fruit here is amazing.  They have all the basic fruits we have at home and more....and more....and more....  When I go to the market most of the fruits I don't recognize.  Each time we go to the store Bruce and I try a new one.  This valentines day we tried 3 new ones....

***********************

This is a "Jaca Fruit"....or "Jack Fruit"(in Canada)  It grows on trees and is the size of a large watermelon.  It is hard and spiny on the outside (it doesn't look that tasty because of the strange shell)... but inside there are hundreds of little light yellow fruits about 1 1/2 inches in length.  Each have a seed inside.  The fruit is so sweet and they smell delicious!  The taste is a combination of apples, pineapples, mangos, and bananas.  I'm obsessed!!!

 The second fruit we tried was a "Pitaya" or "Dragon fruit"(in Canada).  It was almost too pretty to eat.  It grows on a pretty tree....(below).  They come in various colors.

This is what they look like on the inside...

They taste really sweet ....something like a kiwi...but much better.   I love them!

The 3rd fruit we tried was the "Cashew Fruit" or "Caju"(in Brazil). I never knew that the cashew nut had a fruit attached.  It is amazing!!  I love cashews...they are my favorite nut...and the cashew fruit is right up there as far as my favorite fruits go.  

This is Bruce's favorite juice ...cashew juice (Suco de Caju).  We buy it by the case :)

It contains 268.6% of your daily vitamin C.

I wish I could bring some home for all of you to taste.  It is "beyond good"!!!

HOUSES IN BRAZIL

Some of the houses in Brazil just like ours and some are a little different. A lot of them are brightly colored and have tile roofs like these...

 Most houses have high gates that have locks.  A lot of the windows have bars. 

Most homes don't have door bells.

Instead of ringing the doorbell you clap your hands (loudly). Missionaries have to be quite coordinated to do this...some have more difficulty than others :)

A lot of homes have high walls with spikes and electric fences to keep robbers out.  Our home has 30 foot walls with spikes and a electric fence on top.  We have bars on the windows too.  

Most apartment complexes and gated communities have a 24 hour security guards in a booth.  

My favorite day this month was when we got to go to this wonderful family's baptism.  They were taught by some dedicated missionaries and each member of the family individually prayed to know if the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints" was the restored gospel of Jesus Christ....the same gospel that Christ brought back when he was on the earth.  Each of them gained there own witness that is was true.  Each of them took the first step in following the Savior's example to be baptized.  They were baptized by immersion by a faithful man who has the authority from God (priesthood authority) to perform this ordinance.  

...a memorable day...my favorite day...

It was a start of a "new" beginning...

   

Our First Christmas In Brazil

Our First Christmas in Brazil

This was our 1st Christmas in the mission field.  I wondered what it would be like this year with out tons of family around, snow, skiing and Christmas lights.  Our 1st Christmas in the mission field was better than I could have imagined because these 4 people arrived.  They had a horrible airplane experience that stretched over 3 days...with missed flights, the airline wouldn't allow carry ons(which with kids... is a must have), no sleep,  2 red eye flights, no luggage when they put them up in a hotel, and then to top it off they lost their luggage....but they eventually made it to Brazil! This is the cute "count down" Tiffany made to get Jade excited about Brazil and to teach her a little about Brazil.

At the beginning of December it started to look like Christmas despite the lack of snow ....Brazil Style....

At our mall they have this giant 2 storey Christmas tree where you get to visit with Santa.  It has a Christmas train that you get to ride that circles the tree.....unlimited fun for the grandkids!

The mall had a phone booth in the mall where you get to talk directly to Santa. I took a picture of Bruce pleading with Santa to be put back on the nice list :)..Santa reluctantly granted his wish.

It seemed a little weird with out snow, real Christmas trees, fireplaces, Snow Angels and snowmen this year...but they sure know how to make things beautiful this time of year.

Everyone was asking us what we are getting each other for Christmas out in the mission field...Tiffany, Alex and their family were the best gift one could have.

Opening presents was so much fun...Jade got fairy wings, play makeup, a Baby Alive doll that really eats and even does the result of eating too :) (it was pretty amazing), hex bug water fish, mermaid tales and a mermaid doll that lights up in the water(my personal favorite). 

On Christmas Day we had the office Elders and the Assistants for dinner and for all the Christmas day fun.  One of the Elders joked that he was fasting for 3 days so he could be ready to eat all the Christmas treats on Christmas day.  We had Turkey and all the fix'ins.  We even had "Hill salad" because my sweet mother in law sent me all the ingredients in a care parcel.  We had other yummy homemade treats thanks to a parcel for my sister Sandy and suitcase full of gifts from Brittany and Jason with much needed ingredients for some of my recipes.  We had 2 types of Cheese cake, carmel corn, dream bars, and a "Canadian" treat called....White Chocolate brownie with ice cream with my mom's famous chocolate sauce.  

We seriously ate all day, played soccer(the Canadian/American/Peruvian team may have won against the Brazilian team...but who was keeping score :) ), played games (Farkle, Monopoly Deal, Bounce Off etc.), watched a Disney movie, played ping pong(they say it like pingy pongy :) ) I'm sure the missionaries favorite part was the the Skype call home.

Natalie and her family have been practicing a special Portugese song from the Children's song book called, "Family's can be together forever". It brought tears to my eyes. I love their sweet voices and miss them all very much! It was touching!

Here are some of the highlights of the Christmas season....

Nap time in Grandma's Hammock

Sergel's Ice....as Jade would say..."it's amaaaaazing"!

The temple here in Campinas Brazil has a hotel for those traveling that also plan to attend the temple, the temple president also lives inside!

It was so nice going to the temple with these two.  

We had a great day at the Zoo in Itatiba...

It was a smaller zoo but very interactive... in some parts you could even touch the animals :)

It was like a jungle at the zoo...this leaf was bigger than Jade...it was so beautiful there!

We found this scared little turtle on the path.

Jade loved touching the animals...after all the kids left she was still petting them.

They also had an area where you could ride horses.  Jade was scared at first but with a little "reverse phychology" she got on the horse.   She loved it!  

Touching the friendly birds was FUN for Jade and even Grandma.

 Jade loves her room at our house. She gets to pick between two beds every night and Leanora disinfects, cleans toys, organizes and makes her bed every day! She also has her own hammock on her balcony.  

We took Alex and Tiffany to a Churruscaria in Campinas.  The food was awesome.  They give you a circle with one side green and one side red, much like Tucano's in Utah.  They come around continually through out the meal with all different sorts of meats to try. All the meats are on a stick.  If you are full you turn the circle to the green side.  Our circle was constantly green so..we could barely move after.  

We all had fun at Taquaral bike riding, playing at the park, drinking coconuts and vitaminas!

Their Salads here are bizarre, yet surprisingly delicious!

And of course like everyone else this month, we saw Starwars!

Play dough time with Grandpa "pumpa"!

Train time...when we were packing the sea can before we left for Brazil...I made sure I packed all my Grandma toys.

When they arrived they had no luggage...so we had to do a little shopping.

Jade got a mermaid tale that goes in the water...she is obsessed with mermaids...she had fun playing in the pool and pretending she was a mermaid.  

Here are some more fun things I love about Brazil....

The birds are so colorful in Brazil.  You see these colorful birds all the time....you can't miss them because they are so bright against the trees and sky.  

Visits from Grandkids...  Jader's is taking over Grandpa's mission office...

...Christmas tours with my family!

We had a talent show at each of the conferences....these missionaries are loaded talents.  We traveled out to each of the areas having a conference in the morning and in the afternoon.  The family got to see the whole mission in 3 days, it was a whirlwind trip.  Not only are these missionaries great teachers of the gospel but they can sing, play the piano, act, draw, play the violin etc.....

Jade LOVED all the missionaries and ALL the ATTENTION...

 I love this pic too...

 We had a blow out on the highway the first day of the tour.

 ....more talents

...more fun

 The Assistants, office Elders, Tiffany, Alex and Bruce went around doing some secret santa surprises...

This is one of my favorite pictures with all our beautiful Sister missionaries and a cute little "Future Missionary" in the center.

Jade was able to participate in all the activities with the missionaries...she was in heaven!

We visited all the zones in a 3 day period bringing out all their packages, letters and Brazilian Christmas cake donated by the Martin family.

The very last day of the Christmas tour we were headed to Pouso Alegre at the farthest end of the mission. We hit what we thought was just some BAD traffic. We later found out that a large pedestrian walkway had collapsed on the highway.  It took them over 14 hours to move it.  What should have been an 1 hour drive took us over 8 hours.  We were stopped most of the time and then when we did move... Jade could have walked faster that the traffic was moving.  We had spotty cell reception so we had a hard time communicating with the final zone on the tour.  At one point we considered taking the next turn back home....but the thought of those sad missionaries faces when they heard that their Christmas packages didn't arrive kept us crawling forward.  At one point we did decided to turn back because it going to be dark soon and we had no spare tire. We got a flat tire the first day of the tour.  It is dangerous to travel at night especially with no back up spare. So we took the turn to go home and Bruce saw these two men on the side of the road and asked them if they knew of any side roads around the accident site.  Well, this was a tender mercy because they knew of an old country road that could possibly lead us around the accident.  This next picture is the road that took us around the accident site. 

A one hour drive turned into an 8 hour drive but we finally arrived over 8 hours later...seeing this wonderful crowd made the nightmare trip ALL worth it!  

It was too late for the talent show and Christmas message but we did get to go out to eat with them and deliver their packages and letters from home.

This Christmas couldn't have been better because we were surrounded by family and 182 missionaries who have become our family too.....