One Big Question

Where are all the Christmas blogs? I know you are having parties without us, but NO ONE has blogged about a party, a dinner, a gift, or even a holiday family fight. We're thousands of miles away, you know, and we would like to know what's been going on.

What about all you guys with little kids? I know you took pictures on Christmas and couldn't you post a few?

Happy New Year! anyway, even if you are a bunch of slackers.

Merry Christmas, Do I Know You?

Sunday, as we were just finishing lunch, the intra-apartment phone rings and the man downstairs says, "There is someone here with a gift for you." We like gifts so we said, "Sure, send them up."
We do a little spiffing up in the living room and wait, wondering who it could be. The phone rings again. Alan answers, listens, hangs up and says, "I guess they want you to go down to get it." I like gifts so I said, "Sure, I'll go."
I head down. When I get out of the elevator, I look for a familiar face. I don't see one, but there is a smiling face and it is smiling right at me. A little lady starts speaking to me and hands me a package wrapped in Christmas paper. I try to ask her who she is and why she is giving me a gift and if she is sure I am the person for whom the gift is intended. I wonder if she is delivering it for someone else and is making a mistake. She keeps talking.
I understand some of what she is saying. I know Natal is Christmas. I know para voce means; for you. She wants me to open the package and read the card, which I notice is a "Congratulations on your marriage" card. On the inside of it she has written a Christmas greeting. The puzzled lines on my face deepen.
She asks me if I am Catholic. I answer , No. I am a member of A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Ultimos Dias. That seems okay with her and she continues wishing me Feliz Natal. The gate man at the front of the building is also taking part in the conversation. He assures me that she means for me to take the gift. I like gifts, so I take it. I thank her and wish her a Merry Christmas too.
When I get back in the apartment I try to explain to Alan what just happened. We decide he should go down and talk to the man in front and try to clear things up a bit. In a few minutes he comes back about as confused as I was.

Here are pictures of some of the gifts from our secret pal.

An embroidered tablecloth, with matching table runner and placemat.

Alan's favorite: a cover for the water bottle that matches the tablecloth and other things.
(Actually he is not a fan of covers for appliances. He says it's definitely an old lady thing.)

My personal favorite: The catholic charms and the St. Francis of Assisi, or possibly the Pope, key chain. We also got two apron/bibs for wine bottles and 3 nice dish towels, and a picture of the Helena, the gift giver.

I really don't mean to make fun of the gifts or the giver. After all, isn't giving what Christmas is supposed to be all about? I'm just a little confused about the whole thing still. I found out that Helena lives in the building just behind us. Apparently she just felt like giving something to someone and did it. She was just being nice. But I would like to know how she settled on us as recipients. I keep looking over at the other building wondering what apartment is hers. Has she looked in on us from time to time? Were we fully dressed? How did she know we have a round table or did she know? Is she looking back at me right now? Wow, this is almost getting creepy.

I better quit thinking about it and just try to think of something nice I can do for someone at this Christmas season. Thanks for the reminder, Helena.

Branching Out

Last Saturday we went out to Juazeiro. Our flight got in early and we had a few minutes to spare, so we stopped by to see how the new chapel was coming along. It is the first real chapel in the district. Here is Alan in his suit. He looks a little more dressed up than he used to when he was checking construction jobs in Idaho. He really doesn't have anything to do or say about the construction of the chapel. We were just interested in seeing it.


There is a lot of cement involved and they do a lot of it one wheel barrow at a time.

It's hot in Juazeiro. A lot of the construction workers were wearing big straw hats with a hard hat on top. Sort of reminded me of the children's book, "Caps for Sale."

When we got to Zone Conference the Elders were in a pretty good mood. They might have suspected we were bringing cookies or something.

This is the outside wall around the "chapel" in Barbalha. It is a house that was reformed to serve as a church for the branch that was just started there. There will be a new sign, I think. This one was taken from another city where they just got a new church. The elders cleaned it up and stayed up a little past regular missionary bedtime to get it put on the front of the building before church the next morning. I kind of hope there will be a new color of paint on the outside wall too. All the paint on the inside is much more subdued and church-like. It all looked really nice except the outside wall. I didn't know if I should say anything, but I just couldn't help myself. I thought this was a little too French-looking or Scottish-looking. French as is French's mustard; Scottish as in McDonald's golden arches. I didn't say that though. I just suggested they use one of the colors they had used inside. This picture didn't really capture the intensity of the yellow. It really is pretty bright, but maybe it will draw attention and interest and turn out to be a good thing. I don't know. Any thoughts on the matter ?

This is the outside of the house/chapel itself. Elder Monteiro is one of the missionaries serving there. He goes home next week, so I wanted to get his picture. Every one of the missionaries serving there helped with the work on the building this week.
I don't think the chapel would have been ready without them working their tails off. They even got some cuts and blisters to show for it.

They rented a keyboard to use until we are able to get one. The only thing it was lacking was a stand for the book, but Elder Hirata filled in nicely. Elder Peterson plays very well and I didn't hear him miss a note, even if the book wasn't perfectly steady.

A group shot of the 6 missionaries, the branch president and wife, the district president and wife, Elder's Quorum president and some cute kids. There were 57 people there counting us. Too bad I didn't get a picture of everybody. Not bad for a little group that started out with about 6 people. Hopefully it will mature and grow and be strong. With a lot of faith and work, I'm sure it will come to pass.