The Waterwheelers: Home Sick

This week was Diane's turn to be sick (with my cold lingering). I was able to go into the office most days, but Diane spent Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (with some on Monday and Wednesday) in the apartment. This has been a bad bug. On Thursday evening the Hart's brought some chicken rice soup, which was greatly appreciated. Since we don't have much to show for the week, I'll include some old pictures from my iPhone that didn't make it into previous blogs.

We got a send-off at the airport in Recife. Actually, they were there to send their friend off, but we claimed them anyway. The boy in the white t-shirt has been called to the Salt Lake South Mission, Portuguese-speaking.

Our farewell ambassadors

Two of the icons of the Nordeste folklore are Lampião and Maria Bonita, a cross between Bonny and Clyde and Robin Hood.

Lampião e Maria Bonita

Our flight from Recife to Maceió was on a small prop plane by Azul Airlines (owned by a member of the church - JetBlue).

Not part of the jet set

Our covered walkway

Welcome to Brazil

We did manage to make it to Family Home Evening on Monday. We had a farewell dinner at a churrascaria for the Halls who will be leaving next Monday. Before that we heard from our new temple presidency who barely arrived from the states - no time to change clothes. You get to see the counselor since the picture of the temple president was too blurry (so much for iPhone photos).

We have a very young temple presidency

Last year the Halls visited a large display of the nativity at the São Bento Monastery so we went as a group of 16 missionaries to see it on Saturday.

Missionaries gathering

Diane had been looking forward to seeing it so she took some Aleve and was ready to go.

Does she look ready to you?

A bus ride, walk to the metro station, two metro rides later wee arrived at São Bentos. We must have been quite a sight, all of these old Americans crowding on a bus and walking down the street. When we got to São Bentos there were only a few nativity scenes on display. They had decided not to put up their normal display but to display several small scenes instead.It was a bit disappointing, but it was good to get out of the apartment.

One of the few nativity scenes

We then went to Café Girondina for lunch. The problem was we arrived at 11 am and they don't start lunch until noon. We were a large enough group that Elder Hall talked them into starting early for us. It was good food. I had a tomato risotto.

Lunch time

You can tell she liked the lunch too

We went back on the metro then bus to return to the apartment for some needed rest.

At the metro station

We were able to attend our meetings this Sunday. It has been five weeks since we attended our ward. They must have thought we had returned home to the states. It's now Sunday afternoon and we are listening to a downpour outside. That is good because São Paulo needs the water.

The senior missionaries decided to sing Christmas carols in the courtyard this evening at 6:30 pm. Meanwhile the São Paulo 5th ward decided to have a Christmas program in the courtyard at 6:00 pm. With the rain the ward program moved to the activity room. It took about half an hour to get started so when the senior couples arrived there was no one around to sing to. We weaseled our way into the ward program and had a lot of fun.