Sunday we were asked to speak in the Ala Parigot de Souza (Ward). Now, normally I wouldn't mind this assignment, but... Don spoke on the blessings of the temple and I basically bore my testimony. The people were very kind. They stayed attentive and didn't cringe when we slaughtered their beautiful language. Fortunately, I had a friend at the temple correct my grammatical errors or it could have been much worse! Don was much more confident in his abilities. He did very well. And one sister even told me that when she closed her eyes she thought I was a real Brazilian. Then she chuckled. So you know what that tells ya. Elder Duran was the other speaker. His companion, Elder Bryan, is from Murray, Utah, and has been out six months.
Afterwards we went to the home of Bishop Fausto Pereira de Oliveira for a wonderful dinner. He and his wife Regiane work in the temple on Tuesdays. They have three cute daughters - Milena (14), Natalia (11), and Talita (6). They are a darling family!
Yesterday was Sand Day with the temple presidency and the temple missionaries. President and Sister Stadler have a home at the beach a couple of hours outside of Curitiba. The day was a little overcast but our spirits were BRIGHT. The food was delicious. The company was lively. And even with the weather not cooperating it's always a treat to walk the beach.
Brazil's Atlantic coastline is more than 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) long with more than 2,000 beaches.
Not everyone wanted to walk the beach. Some thought a nap was a better choice.
Now, for those of you who may be doubting that we are really on a mission, I am including a picture of the temple.
Wow! I'd love to hear you both speaking in church in Portuguese! BOTH of your language skills are very impressive.
ReplyDeleteI bet you did awesome! Besides, you don't want to do too good or other wards might get the same idea and you'll be speaking in every ward! 😉 Jk they are blessed to have you! Beautiful beaches!!!
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