Hold the Cheese Please

I wonder how many of the weird misconceptions about what Mormons believe get started like this:

Recently a Burger King opened right across the street from the mission office in Fortaleza, Brazil.  The missionaries were quite excited about it and the new Burger King has had a lot of business from nice, clean-cut, young men wearing white shirts and ties and a black name tag.  The president of said missionaries has enjoyed a fair amount of Whoppers in the last couple of months.  (In his defense, it is difficult to resist the aroma of the flame-broiled beef wafting through the window of your office, especially when you can "have it your way.")  

Said president always orders his Whopper "his way"...without cheese.  

Why no cheese?  Because a) he doesn't really like the taste of it,  b) they take 10 centavos off the price, and c) you have to cut calories somewhere. 

The wife of said president doesn't care to have fake cheese on her hamburger either and also orders the Whopper without cheese.  Recently, she ate there with a sister missionary that opted out of the cheese too.  

A few days later one of the managers at Burger King approached the president with a stack of coupon cards that are punched when a sandwich is purchased.  After a certain amount of purchases a "free" sandwich is earned.  When the manager finished explaining the coupon card, he leaned in close, lowered his voice a bit and said, "And you know, we can make all of these sandwiches 'sem queijo' (without cheese)."

The president was amused that the manager thought that members of the church didn't eat cheese.  He shared this story at a stake conference where he talked about how church members should share their beliefs with friends, family, and neighbors and clear up some of the crazy misconceptions that people have about Mormons.

Shortly after, during a baptismal interview, the missionaries asked a man, who had attended said stake conference, if he understood the limitations of the Word of Wisdom.  He answered, "Yes, I know that alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and coffee and tea are off-limits, but what's the deal about cheese?"

So, I don't know if it is one of those misconceptions that is going to get out of hand or if I need to notify Elder Ballard that he might want to consider adding to his "Fact List" from his excellent talk that Mormons do, indeed, eat cheese.  All I know is that when Rebecca and I went to Burger King the other day the girl took our order and then said, "Now that's without cheese, right?"

A Toast to the World Cup

Brazil's next soccer match in the World Cup is due to start in half an hour.  I'm already hearing some random horn-blowing and the traffic is starting to thicken as people are getting back home to watch the game.  I tell you, everything comes to a halt during the games here.  Stores, offices, and businesses close; even the buses stop.  It's CRAZY!

Well, I'm back.  (You probably didn't even know I left.)  I had to stop blogging for lunch and the game.  It just ended and Brazil lost, 2-1, to the Netherlands.  I didn't even know they played soccer in the Netherlands.  Aren't they supposed to be growing tulips or something?  Anyway, the party is over for Brazil.  Too bad, because they were having such a good time and I was hoping for a match-up between Brazil and the pretty boys of Argentina when Rebecca comes down next week.  There is a pretty intense rivalry between the two countries and that would have really amped things up.

I've been taking pictures when I've been out and about that might explain some of the excitement that Brazil has for the World Cup and soccer (futebol) in general, I think.

Tons of cars have been flying these little Brazilian flags.  I thought the super-fans were the ones sporting two flags, but then I saw this:

  A car with four flags; one for each door.

There were guys at every main intersection selling flags and other World Cup stuff. 

Even one of the guys that goes around pulling a cart gathering stuff to recycle from garbages bought a flag or two. (Or got them somehow.  They do work at night quite often.)

We had to go around the block to get a shot of this bike a guy was riding.  By the time we got back, he had parked it and gone in the pharmacy.  I don't know if you can see all the time he put into it.  It even had a little roof for shade over the top.  I don't know how he could even see through all the streamers.

People had parties with friends and neighbors to watch the games.

People at the airport welcome visitors and share their enthusiasm.

Stores, restaurants, and even the gas stations got in the spirit of things and decorated.

Lots of neighborhoods put up streamers over their streets.  At first I thought maybe the city was doing it, but I kept seeing older bare-bellied men up on ladders stringing up the decorations, and found out it was just something neighbors got together and did.  We drive through this area that I call "The Hood"  all the time.  Let me tell you, "The Hood" went all out.

They started out with the streamers,

The next week there were more streamers plus the flags,

and the painted poles and walls that are around peoples' houses.

Here's a close-up of one of the walls.  Who wouldn't want a mermaid with the thumbs up signal on the front of their house?

The boys in "The Hood" were caught up in the excitement after one of the games.  I think the ball just got kicked into the street as I took this picture.  I never could get a good picture of the street itself.  Somehow, they even painted big flags and other stuff on it.  They must have done it at night, because there is a lot of traffic on that narrow little street.

Even the richer folks got into it.  Somebody hung this big Brazilian flag out of their high-rise apartment with a couple of smaller flags on the sides. (I thought they were Italian, but looked them up and found out the stripes are vertical on Italy's flag.  There are too many flags that are quite similar and I didn't have the patience to figure out which country they represent. If you are interested or bored you can go here and see if you can tell.) 

We got into the World Cup fever a little ourselves and decorated the table for a get-together we had with a bunch of parents and grandparents and other relatives of missionaries that were going home.  I forgot to take a picture of the table before the party, so things look a little trashed.  

Six different missionaries had relatives here and we had nice evening; visiting, eating, listening to testimonies, and saying good-byes.  It is always a little hard saying good-by and we will really miss this group.  They were obedient, hard-working, loving, and effective missionaries.  

The World Cup will be held here, in Brazil, in 2014.  I think some of the games will be played in the big stadium here, in Fortaleza.  I can only imagine the World Cup fever then.  We might have to come back just for the fun of it all.