Giving Thanks

We are back in São Paulo, but not back to normal. We got in about 1:00 pm on Monday, took a taxi to our apartment, unpacked, then went to the store for some needed groceries. With overcast skies, São Paulo looked like a huge drab city, with no beaches in sight. We are both very tired and came down with colds, but had to plow through the week. We went back to the office by 4 pm and attended family home evening with the other senior couples. It has been quite a while.

Which is the real Papai Noel?

A Christmas tree in our office

When we got back to the apartment we had a new washing machine. We also had a leak, so we waited to wash clothes. They haven't come to fix the leak so we went ahead and washed clothes catching the water in a bucket.

Leaky washing machine connection

We felt tired and achy all day Tuesday, but went to the office to catch up on work we missed while traveling. We had our last English class on Tuesday evening, which called for a party with Diane's gluten-free cake.

English class

Randy Hall had a birthday so we went over to a bakery after English class to celebrate.

Randy with his new headdress

Goody time with the Halls and others

 Wednesday was another dragging day. We needed to get some cash from the bank at lunch time so we ate at the "shopping". We had our Portuguese class then went home early so Diane could make some gravy and a gluten-free pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.

We were back in the office Thursday morning and it was good we went in. Emerson was preparing for a director's meeting for Friday morning and needed a report on what we have been doing. In the afternoon we went to the McAllister's apartment for Thanksgiving dinner. He is the area attorney for Brazil and lives in a nice apartment. It was the only place that could hold 26 people for dinner. It included the São Paulo South mission president (a friend of the McAllister's) and a mission couple.

View of São Paulo from the 25th floor apartment

Table setting for 26 people 

Our table

Gluten-free pumpkin pie (yummy)

Thanksgiving dinner

I haven't been sleeping at night because of coughing. We dragged through Friday, including our Portuguese class, but Paul had to wait for Diane to go to a choir rehearsal for the Area Presidency Christmas Devotional (She couldn't get a sound out but she knows what they are doing). We crashed that evening. Diane got really sick, so we stayed in the apartment Saturday and Sunday resting as much as possible. 

Tomorrow starts a new week and ends a month, November. We'll have to see how it goes with our colds.