This is a dead end street that runs east and west and is located directly behind (south of) the MTC. The church purchased a home on this street and removed it. They have made a few parking places where the home once stood. But the principal reason for the purchase was to provide an emergency exit to the rear of the MTC. 
This is the door that opens up to the street seen in the picture above. Behind this door are the parking places and the rear exit from the MTC which is reached by walking through basketball court to this street.
It is a little difficult to visualize it from this photo, but the owners of this home have extended the enclosed space for their car by about two feet into the street. This was done either because they have purchased a car and it wouldn't fit in the space (garage) for the vehicle or because they traded up and now have a bigger car that won't fit in that space. This seems to us, to happen frequently because we have seen this same extension into the street many times since we have been here in São Paulo.
This vine or plant that covers the wall behind Jerry is the best deterent to graffitti that we have ever seen. (The darker green plant) The church uses it on the out side walls surrounding chapels, around the temples and we have some of it growing on walls at the MTC. It must be trimmed from time to time but seems to be a very hardy plant that would be next to impossible to remove from the wall once it has established itself.
This street is called "Rua Relíquia" and runs north and south to the west of the MTC. The street that runs behind the MTC (photos above) runs off of this street. If you were to turn 180 degrees, you would see the same view as in the first photo. This home in front of you is for rent or sale and has been vacant for a long time.
This is the same street as the one mentioned above and is located about a block north of the location of that photo. Across this street is the entrance to the new MTC loading dock, bus loading and unloading area and parking lot. The dark glass windows above Jerry's head is part of the guard booth. The open door above the front windows of the green car is the pedestrian entance to the parking lot and the large army green doors on the left side of the picture are the vehicle entrance doors.
Another typical home in our neighborhood. Inlaid rock or tile is the usual material used for the floor of the car parking area. Most homes have iron fences in the front, which may be low like this one behind Jerry. Other may be six or eight feet tall.
Same home with Jerry's back to the camera. If you were a missionary tracting in this nighborhood, you would normally not be able to open the gate because it would be locked. So if there were no door bell on the fence, you would stand in front of the home and clap your hands as loud as you could. Missionaries learn how to clap loudly enough to be heard by the people inside the homes.
Now we are looking north on Rua Relíquia. About a block and a half beyond the bend in this road is where the new chapel is located that was featured in our last blog. It is at that point that the road becomes quite steep.
This corner snackbar is a favorite of the missionaries. On their preparation day many come here for their favorite snacks. It serves hamburgers and french fries and has an amazing variety of smoothies. They include flavors like maracujá, açaí, caju and goiaba.
This is the street on which the main entrance to the MTC is located. It is found six cars up on the right.
This is Sonia, the tie lady. She used to set up a little cart across the street from the MTCunder a huge umbrella. She was finally able to rent a little cubby hole around the corner from the MTC where she can conduct her business out of the rain. These are my "birthday ties" They are quite economical and are of fairly good quality. We bought two ties for about $8.70 ($R 15,00)
This small corner pharmacy has served the medical needs of missionaries for many years. The pharmacist here has become a friend of the MTC purchasing agent ,Benjamin Braga, and offers the MTC a price on many medications that is competative with the larger drugstore chains.
This is the front of a neighborhood grocery store which is right next to the front entrance of the MTC. Missionaries, MTC staff and even sometimes the MTC kitchen staff are regualr customers here. We buy items here to supplement the meals that we eat in the cafertia. These may include oatmeal and eggs for breakfast, condiments and friut. These are some of the places we see every day here in São Paulo. We will miss these places but will miss the people more when it is our time to come home. Until the next blog.
