January 27, 2013

On Tuesday this week we headed for the office and it started raining about halfway there.  The wind was whipping our umbrellas and actually turned Mike’s umbrella inside out twice.  The worst thing is that there isn’t much of a place to find cover between here and there.  With all of the rain that we have had, it’s surprising that this hasn’t happened more often.    Most of our rainy days we have been able to walk without getting too wet.

We made a trip to the mission office on Wednesday to take care of our car rental expenses and get a receipt for our tax return.  We had an appointment for 11:30, but the Elder who was to meet with us had been called out on other business.  We waited quite a while and then decided to go to lunch.  When we got back, he was there and we were able to take care of business.  But then he needed us to help get the president’s car to the shop and we had to wait a while to do that, so we spent the rest of the afternoon at the office.  We enjoyed visiting with the Elders, though, and some Sisters who stopped by with a new member.  One of the Elders in the office is from El Dorado Hills, CA, and Mike had assisted him on the day he went to the temple in Sacramento to be endowed before his mission.

On Friday we had a call from Elder Staples in Costa de Caparica that there would be a baptism that night.  After we got home I hurried and made a pan of Congo Squares, which were a big hit after the baptism.  It was another wait, because at first Jessica Pereira (the baptizee) didn’t have a ride to get to the church for her interview and baptism.  The baptism scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM finally began at 8:30 PM.  We find this typical here, as it also was in Brazil.

We had a wonderful email from the District President Clovis Gauer in Chapeco this week.  The area is really growing.  They have reopened the church in two areas in the district and the branches are all growing.  The Church has gone from a frequency of 390 members to 624 in the last trimester.  They had 35 new Elders ordained in 2012.  There are 16 serving missions, with 7 more leaving in the next few months.  He said that the mission president has submitted the paperwork for them to become a stake.   This news gives us great cause to rejoice, as we love the people there so much.

We are invited to the Johnson’s tonight for a going-away dinner for the Orsis. They leave the mission for their home in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Tuesday.  We will miss them, even though we have seen them only occasionally as they have been serving in another area of Portugal.  We will receive another couple in  March.  We are hoping that someone is applying for a mission who can replace us in December.  Couple missionaries are in great demand everywhere.  It is such a blessing to serve and a wonderful opportunity to take part in this great and important work.  Obviously we love serving missions or we wouldn't have come a second time!

How I love the Book of Mormon!  As it says in D&C 17:6, in which the Savior was talking about Joseph Smith translating the Book of Mormon:  “And he has translated the book, even that part which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth it is true.”  This I believe with all of my heart.

Elder Oliveira, Jessica Pereira and Elder Staples

Interesting Building

Roundabout with beautiful rock formation.