Family Home Evening Group

Jan Van Norman is the executive secretary for the Brazil area Presidency. He and his wife had originally been call to the CTM but when they called him to serve in the area offices we were called to take their place at the CTM. Dr. Lindford has served both as the doctor for the CTM and the area doctor at the church complex by the temple. President Woodward has his back to you in the Picture. The leadership here in Brazil is wonderful I took this picture of the temple to show you how beautiful the fountain is. The temple has opened up again and we were able to go last week with the missionaries. We take turns with the Linfords going with the American missionaries on Tuesday. Time before last when we went their were no temple workers that spoke English so I had to do it all in Portuguese. Wow was that ever hard.
Because of the rain the skies are clear much of the time and smog does not seem to be a problem. This is the route we take to get home from the temple and area offices
you see high-rise apartment buildings like these all along the way, mile after mile
The motorcycle riders fill the streets and zip by at high speeds. They fill the space between the six to eight lanes of traffic. If you crowd them they kick your car and sometimes brake off your mirrors. They are the only aggressive part of Brazil that I have observed. The motorcyclist make their living caring mail and packages around the city. The faster they are the more they make. It is rumored that five cyclist are killed everyday in Sao Paulo.

this is the driveway of one home. The plants, wood, stone, and tile that is used in these neighborhoods are just wonderful.
here is the front door of the same home.
Most of the homes have iron gates that separate the home from the sidewalks
this home is where President Faust lived when he was in Brazil and it is rumored that in this home is where the first Black Elders of Brazil were ordained. Missionaries still live here and there are also some mission here. Very few cars in this neighborhood. This man was out walking his dogs. The sisters told me that they go walking in this neighborhood every morning. It is quite, safe and friendly. Many people are out walking in the morning.

On our walk back to the temple complex we encounter this man sound a sleep on the sidewalk. Many people commute from long distances to Sao Paulo for work. People steep when and where they can. I was impressed that he did not wake up and that he did not seemed to be bothered in the least with our walking by.
Here one of the lovely homes in the neighborhood next to the temple
here is another home you can see a tall high rise building in the back ground where many people live and buy apartments
this is the driveway for one home

once or twice a month we get together with the other senior couples serving at the Brazil church headquarters and have a family home evening lesson or an activity which is usually going out to dinner or day it was going out to lunch at a restaurant in the neighborhood that surrounds the temple and the church office buildings
two sisters and one brother is missing. They drove to the restaurant rather than walked because sister Morrell has fallen twice now walking on the uneven sidewalks (everyone here in Brazil is responsible for their own sidewalks--homes and businesses. Many of the side walks are tile and they often have uneven surfaces. The advise to new senior couples is look down while you are walking to avoid falling.
This is a Japanese restaurant in a complex of about five or six other restaurants. The land use to be a nursery and was developed by a member of the church into this complex and restaurants. He use to run them all but now leases them all out except for the Japanese restaurant where we are eating.
Here Vernon/grandpa is talking with the owner. The other two men are the two doctors for all the missionaries in Brazil. Dr. Linford on the left is at the MTC and Dr. Newman serves the rest of the country. We anticipate that Dr. Linford will be replaced by a Dr. Hall sometime before Thanksgiving and we also hear that we will be getting another Doctor so that we have three doctors instead of just two.
We walked to the restaurant. It was delightful to see that there are some very lovely, quite, safe areas where you can walk right in the middle of Sao Paul0