December is here even without the snow

This is what the weather is like in December,

a little different than the cold and snow

we are use to in Utah.

We spent the day with Ivete . . . Sousa
Brazilian women include in their official name

a middle name, their mother's maiden name, 

their father's and husband's last name. 

Ivete brought us to her home for lunch.

She and her husband 

served in the Sao Paulo Temple presidency twice.

She has been alone now for over 20 years.

Her husband's picture hangs on the mirror in her hall.

She gives him a kiss every time she walks by it. 

Her Condo is small, but just right for one,
and the beach is only steps away.

The sound of the waves is very calming and peaceful.

The Cardoso's are our newest temple missionary couple.

They have only been members for three years

but have a commitment to the gospel

that is truly inspiring.

Sister Sousa is ready for Christmas

and so are the shopping malls.

We stopped by Santa's house 

for a little while

just long enough to have our photo taken.

Elder and Sister Hadley, 

who went home the first October, 

left us their tree and Christmas decorations.

They really help to make our apartment

feel festive.

We truly love the work we have been called to do 

here in the Recife Temple. We are grateful to all of you, our family

and friends, for your love and support.

Merry Christmas to all! 

Thanksgiving in Recife

Thanksgiving is not a holiday in Recife.

But I invited all the senior American missionaries

to come and celebrate with us after work on

Thursday the 28th

We have a table, chairs, and dishes for four
in our apartments

Claudia and Don Andrews

(our new American missionary couple)

brought their table, chairs and dishes

 and we put them together.

Claudia had brought the napkins from the States

Vernon went to the store on Monday and Tuesday

for last minute shopping for all the trimmings.

Turkey is pretty expensive here

so the Andrews contributed money 

for the holiday bird, made the sweet potatoes

and had brought a can of cranberry sauce 

from the States.

After work Tuesday I cooked the turkey 

de-boned it, and stewed the carcass
and made gravy.

After work on Wednesday

I made the dressing
and put it in the Andrew's frig.

After our shift ended at 2:45 on Thursday

we cooked the dressing in our little oven

and made up some of our microwave apple pudding

and warmed up the meat.

Vernon made his wonderful mashed potatoes

cut up the brocolli and carrots

and the fruit 

We brought the desk in from our bedroom 

to hold most of the food.

The fruit plate, mashed potatoes and gravy 

were on the counter and stove top

Vernon and the Andrews waited their turn

while the rest of us filled up our plates

The Brazilian touch was the Guarana

a traditional soft drink.

Maria Rodrigus (left) is sister Gayla Hansen's
companion. She is Brazilian but lives in Canada,

and speaks English very well.

They celebrate Thanksgiving but on a different day.
She brought the rolls.

Gayla made the pumpkin pie 

and brought vanilla ice cream

whipping cream is hard to find here.

Layne Anderson, at the end of the table,

managed the cafeteria for a prison in Idaho

at one time and loves cooking.

He made a special cake and his famous

sweet pickles and 

some homemade cranberry jelly. 

Pat his wife made the glazed ham and

put together a lovely vegetable plate.

It was a great feast!

Maria and Gayla washed and dried the dishes,

while I divided up the food 

to send home with everyone. 

The best part of the Thanksgiving meal is:

"Left Overs"

After everything was cleared up and put away

we sat around the table

and each shared five things we were grateful for.

It was like a testimony meeting.

The evening was wonderful 

it was all in English 

except for the blessing on the food 

Vernon gave that in Portuguese.

We shed tears as we expressed our love

and gratitude for our families, 

the technology that enables us to stay in touch

the opportunity to serve in the temple, 

for the Father's plan of happiness 

and his protecting care.

We were all grateful for our health. 

our wonderful companions,

the guidance of the Holy Ghost, the scriptures 

and the atonement of our Savior,

Jesus Christ. 

A trip North

During the two weeks the temple was closed for cleaing

we were invited to go on a road trip 

with Pat and Layne Anderson.

NATAL

A sister from Natal had asked the Andersons 

to give a fireside on Family History 

and temple work in her ward. 

We made the six hour drive up to Natal Saturday Oct 12th.

Just below the hotel where we stayed was a lovely beach.

This is a view from the dining room where we had breakfast

Sunday and Monday morning.

You can walk for miles along the beaches in Natal.

The local people relax on Saturday at the beach.

Natal is a sea port 

This is the sister and her husband that invited us to speak.

We had lunch with them on Saturday,

then the Bishop invited everyone out for dinner.

I stayed at the hotel and watched CNN,

I was stuffed after this big lunch.

The bishop's father-in-law, first counselor

and former Stake President,

invited us to his home for lunch Sunday after church.

Over 200 people attended the fireside Sunday night

All four of us spoke (in Portuguese!) 

on to 

FORTALEZA

As you drive inland from the coast 

the landscape quickly becomes drier, almost desert-like.

Lots of cactus trees.

Vernon (grandpa) thought this looked like a volcano.

Many small towns were along the way. 

We stopped in Aracati  to take some pictures.

I  love these open air markets

We rented a two bedroom apartment on the 11th floor

for the four days we were in Fortaleza.

One of the things we wanted to do 

while we were in Fortaleza

was eat at the restaurant owned

by the 1st counselor in the Temple Presidency.

The Queiroz's have three charrascarias (Brazilian Bar-B-Q) 

they are only open for lunch

The father of a member in our Recife ward 

agreed to be our guide for a day.

He is also an officiator at the Recife temple 

when the caravans come from Fortaleza.

Fortaleza is a large sea port.

The waterfront is lined with small fishing boats

and fish markets 

(Mercado dos peixes).

I could not resist another clothes line shot.

Brother Echuchury took us to the site of the Forteleza temple.

This is looking south down the hill,

where the temple will be built.

Brother Buckner who is over temple construction in Brazil

often stays at the Recife alogamento. 

He told us the reason construction has not started is because 

the city says the temple design is too tall,

even though the apartments west of the site are the same height.

This is looking North up the hill where the temple will be built

the whole area is fenced off.

Looking East as you drive in front of the temple site 

you can see the Atlantic Ocean 

Throughout Brazil they still pave many of the roads 

the way they have done it for hundreds of years.

Each granite block (parallelapipido) is laid by hand,

then loose granite gravel is swept over them 

to hold them in place.

This is the result. The roads last for ages 

These granite block roads are a great means of speed control 

in the residential areas.

We spent a day shopping in Fortaleza.

This was like an open air market

but it was covered and had four levels.

Lots of old catholic cathedrals. 

We have heard that as long as it is under construction 

the parish does not have to return revenue to Rome.

I think this cathedral has been under construction

 for over a 100 years.

Before we left Brother Anderson wanted to have a shrimp dinner.

We opted for pizza instead and it was great.

Our next stop was a little oasis 

in the middle of the desert interior of Brazil.

Carauba

People buy memberships to it and come and use the pools

and soccer field and restaurant any time they want. 

and get a discount on the housing.

We were the first ones up so we could get an early start.

We left a Book of Mormon with two woman! 

They worked in the near by food market 

where we bought food for our drive to Joao Pessoa. 

THE END CAME . . . A DAY EARLY

When we arrived the accommodations in Joao Pessoa were not what we had anticipated. Both rooms were on the second floor and there was no elevator. The hotel could not make arrangements for us at their other locations. Everything was booked. fortunately we were able to get our money back for the reservations that we had made online. We had to cancel the second fireside, though, that we had been asked to give on Sunday.  It would have been a repeat of our presentation in Natal. We drove the two hours back to Recife that night. I must say after eight days on the road I was ready to go home and sleep in my own bed again.