Chocolate Chip Cookies

Caceres, Brazil

January, 2014

The Sister Missionaries called me for the Chocolate Chip recipe that I have made for the Missionaries from time to time. They taught the YW for an activity night, how to make. 
Isn't it Great? Life is Good!  

Cute Sister....Cute YW in Caceres! 

Missionary Leadership Training

Training with our Zone and Sister Leaders - It is always a good time with the Leaders in our Mission.

This photo is of the South Mato Grosso do Sul

Two more American's arrived January 10, 2014

They arrived on two different flights so we waited at the airport for both of them.  Then we bought them a sandwich at the Airport.  How's that for your first lunch in Brazil?  We have learned that we have to roll with change here.  It is all Good!  

We are happy that they are here and made it safely

 

New Missionaries

January 2014

What a great way to start off  New Year!  Receiving New Missionaries! 

Receiving this group of 13 Missionaries was no easy task.  Seven were coming from the US and 6 from the MTC in São Paulo.  There was freezing temperature, ice storms and wind chills -48 degrees, in the US mid-west which shut down airports causing delay after delay.  Our plans were changing by the minutes as we would get updates from Church Travel.  Slowly and one by one each Missionary would make it but it took 6 flights to get them all here.  Right now it is no easy task to get to the airport and is a single lane in and out of the Airport.  We opted to stay in the Airport waiting another hour for another flight bringing a Missionary,  Then we would wait another hour and another hour for more flights.  It would be easier than trying to  and from of the airport.   One by one and over a three day span we received our Missionaries.  We fed them a sandwich from the Airport!  Hows that for your first food in Brazil?......airport food!  No worries they will have a lot of time to eat plenty of Brazil food.  In this Mission we have to roll with change!  Often times it is just not easy to get here and there.   Still,  this group was worth the wait!  We are excited to receive them all!  We are grateful they are here!

Even with this New group of Missionaries our total number is at 134!  We have tried to increase this number but due to the 28 still waiting for their Visa's we continue to hold at this #.   Our Missionaries are working hard and the Spirit of the Lord is moving this Work forward!  It is a great time to be Serving!  We love them all! 

Loading the Van

President Reber,  Waiting the arrival of our Missionaries! 

 Lunch with New Missionaries and their Traner's

Ramona and Vera

We will never forget these sweet Sisters.  They are mother, daughter.  Ramona, the mother, lives in Tangarra.  She is a member but we do not have missionaries in this city.  Vera is the daughter and she is from Ponta Pora where we have missionaries.  
Their husband/father is very ill in the hospital here in Cuiaba.  They traveled by bus from their city.  It is probably a 20 hr to travel by bus to get to Cuiaba.  They had no place to stay so we opened the Mission Home to them.  Little did we know that they would do more us than we would ever could ever do for them. They gave us the opportunity to Serve.  President Reber had the opportunity to give them both a Priesthood blessing.   It was an opportunity to give shelter, food, comfort, and aid.   Sunday we took them to Church with us.  It was testimony meeting and Vera, the daughter bore a sweet testimony.

They commented that they loved the music playing in the Mission Home.  It was comforting, relaxing and quiet.  Today is Tuesday and the Hospital  has arranged that they can stay in a room there and be close to their loved one.  It will be much better for them.  As they were leaving I hugged them and said "I will always always remember you"!  I gave them a cd of instrumental lds music.   These 2 Sisters did more for us than we did for them, they gave us the opportunity to Serve our Savior !  Sweet experience

Matthew 25:40,  Mosiah 2:17

Christmas 2013

 a good year!

sweethearts forever

 Great friends!

Carolers too

Caceres, Brazil

Branch Christmas party 2013

Teresa and Jaderson Gonçalves

 Cute kids in the Branch

 Ruth Turner

 Wonderful Branch members here

 Boys were so cute