This man in the middle is Jalal Samaha. I arrived in Araraquara as a brand new senior companion just in time to participate in the confirmation of Jalal and Maria as new members of the Church. They had two small girls of about one and a half and three years old. We are standing in front of a chapel built on the plot where the old home stood that we used as a meeting house in 1962-63.
This is Jalal and Maria's grandson, Leandro Gritte. He is about 15 years old and is the 2nd son of Erika Samaha Gritte. He gets up at 6:30 am each mornng, showers, gets dressed, has breakfast and catches a city bus. He makes one transfer to get to his high school. After his high school classes are over, he gets on another bus and goes to a trade school where he is learning about electronics. He has dinner somewhere along the way and then goes to seminary in the evening. He usually arrives home between 8:00 and 8:30 pm. He tries to get in a few hours of home work before going to bed.
This view is looking from the street, Voluntários da Patria, at the chapel through the main gate. Jalal uses a cane after suffering a very serious motor cycle accident several years ago. After 47 years of faithful membership in the Church the whole family are still going strong. One of Jalal's sons-in law is the bishop of this ward.
On the left stands Jerry as I take her picture from the beautiful park that I remember so well as a young, struggling senior companion. The park or "Praça" takes up an entire city block and has dozens of old trees that where huge when I worked here as a missionary nearly 50 years ago.
This veiw looks at the park accross the street from where the picture above was taken. I remember looking accross the street from this very spot seeing this street as a veritable river during a particullay heavy thunderstorm. The cobblestones were covered with swift moving water that was threatening to flood the park and our chapel, but the rain stopped almost as fast as it had started and the water was soon drained off from the street.
There was room for only a few cars to be parked in the back of the church.
Most of the members' cars were parked on the streets surrounding the chapel.
As we were about to leave the chapel after the meeting two diligent members welcomed me and asked me if we were going to work in their ward. They expressed their disappointment when I told them we were only visiting.
This is the kitchen of the Gritte family who had graciouly invited us to a big dinner in their home after church. Sister Gritte and her daughter are busy getting things ready as her second son comes in to see if he can get a sample of one or two of the dishes. I don't think he was successful.
Jalal and Maria on the right, Jerry standing next to Bishop Gritte, and Jalal's brother in the blue shirt. He has had the lessons many times but is not a member...yet. The two girls in the front are cousins.
The Samahas and the Christophersons
Sunday night we had a late dinner back in Maria's home. She comes from an Italian home. Her grandmother and mother taught her to cook Italian dishes. After marrying Jalal she learn to cook Lebonese cusine. Over the years of their marriage they have blended their favorite dishes from the two different cultures into an interesting mix.
They were so gracious and kind to us that we were almost overcome with joy. How wonderful it was to spend time in the city and with the people where my testimony grew and where I learned how to be a missionary. By comparison, the missionaries that are training in the MTCs of the world today are much better prepared to be powerful and effective missionaires than I was.
This man in the middle is Jalal Samaha. I arrived in Araraquara as a brand new senior companion just in time to participate in the confirmation of Jalal and Maria as new members of the Church. They had two small girls of about one and a half and three years old. We are standing in front of a chapel built on the plot where the old home stood that we used as a meeting house in 1962-63.
This is Jalal and Maria's grandson, Leandro Gritte. He is about 15 years old and is the 2nd son of Erika Samaha Gritte. He gets up at 6:30 am each mornng, showers, gets dressed, has breakfast and catches a city bus. He makes one transfer to get to his high school. After his high school classes are over, he gets on another bus and goes to a trade school where he is learning about electronics. He has dinner somewhere along the way and then goes to seminary in the evening. He usually arrives home between 8:00 and 8:30 pm. He tries to get in a few hours of home work before going to bed.
This view is looking from the street, Voluntários da Patria, at the chapel through the main gate. Jalal uses a cane after suffering a very serious motor cycle accident several years ago. After 47 years of faithful membership in the Church the whole family are still going strong. One of Jalal's sons-in law is the bishop of this ward.
On the left stands Jerry as I take her picture from the beautiful park that I remember so well as a young, struggling senior companion. The park or "Praça" takes up an entire city block and has dozens of old trees that where huge when I worked here as a missionary nearly 50 years ago.
This veiw looks at the park accross the street from where the picture above was taken. I remember looking accross the street from this very spot seeing this street as a veritable river during a particullay heavy thunderstorm. The cobblestones were covered with swift moving water that was threatening to flood the park and our chapel, but the rain stopped almost as fast as it had started and the water was soon drained off from the street.
There was room for only a few cars to be parked in the back of the church.
Most of the members' cars were parked on the streets surrounding the chapel.
As we were about to leave the chapel after the meeting two diligent members welcomed me and asked me if we were going to work in their ward. They expressed their disappointment when I told them we were only visiting.
This is the kitchen of the Gritte family who had graciouly invited us to a big dinner in their home after church. Sister Gritte and her daughter are busy getting things ready as her second son comes in to see if he can get a sample of one or two of the dishes. I don't think he was successful.
Jalal and Maria on the right, Jerry standing next to Bishop Gritte, and Jalal's brother in the blue shirt. He has had the lessons many times but is not a member...yet. The two girls in the front are cousins.
The Samahas and the Christophersons 
Sunday night we had a late dinner back in Maria's home. She comes from an Italian home. Her grandmother and mother taught her to cook Italian dishes. After marrying Jalal she learn to cook Lebonese cusine. Over the years of their marriage they have blended their favorite dishes from the two different cultures into an interesting mix.
They were so gracious and kind to us that we were almost overcome with joy. How wonderful it was to spend time in the city and with the people where my testimony grew and where I learned how to be a missionary. By comparison, the missionaries that are training in the MTCs of the world today are much better prepared to be powerful and effective missionaires than I was. 
2 comments:
Not so sure about your last statement. What a wonderful experience to be able to go back.
D.
Brother Vernon,
Ainda me lembro de sua agradavel visita aqui em Araraquara, poucos meses atras. Hoje, 18 de abril, nossa grande familia esteve reunida novamente em Araraquara para nos desperdimos de nosso Patriarca Jalal Samaha. Ele faleceu na ultima quinta feira dia 15 de abril, quando estava apenas no seu primeiro dia como Missionário do Templo de Curitiba.
Ainda esta muito recente para todos nós entender esta morte tão subita. No mesmo dia, 15, pela manhã havia morrido o irmão dele, Yussuf. Ambos foram enterrados ao mesmo tempo, juntos, numa cerimonia espiritual e tocante para ambas as familias.
um abraço
José R Donato
Carla´s husband
www.jrdonato.blogspot.com
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