May 29 (DAY 1)

Oi! Bom Dia!

Hello!  Good Day!  I am surrounded by people speaking Portuguese and I read it everywhere and cannot communicate with hardly anyone.  It is a strange feeling.  I understand a little here and there but there is no way I can say anything.

The last couple of days have been pretty crazy- but overall have gone smoothly.  We feel so watched over and blessed.  We arrived at the airport and made it to our flight in plenty of time.  We flew to North Carolina and our flight to Brazil was delayed.  So we spent over two hours in North Carolina and finally flew out at about 10 pm.  We arrived in Brazil at 10 this morning (6 am Arizona time).  A total of 18 hours after leaving Arizona!  Then we had to get our baggage and get through immigration and customs.  I thought that was going to be the hardest part and it was a breeze!  Getting our rental car was the hardest part.  And then finding our apartment in this traffic that is complete chaos was not too easy.  When we got here there was a maid waiting to deliver us keys and she gave the boys chocolate treats that she makes and sells.  So sweet.  She kissed all the boys, which they did not appreciate.  The views from the windows are beautiful.

We had just a little time to relax and re-coup in our apartment before heading to dinner with the family that Matt took care of in Arizona.  So we headed back out into the rush hour traffic.  I cannot believe how the people drive and survive here.  In some places there are not even lines on the road and they just create a bunch of lanes wherever they feel like it.  And the motorcycles weave in and out of it all at breakneck speeds.  I am glad Matt is driving and not me.  

We had an amazing Brazilian dinner in a very nice Brazilian home.  The family was so sweet and we really enjoyed spending time with them.  They want to get together with us more while we are here and we will have to see what we can work into our schedule.  They started us off with Guarana- a Brazilian soft drink that the kids loved and some mini rolls with cheese melted inside called Pao de quiejo.  Then we had a full course meal with a salad that could have been a full meal, Bacalhau (salted and preserved codfish) served in a very luxurious dish with fried potatoes and egg, Rice cooked with some fancy nuts, a vegetable torta with a homemade pastry, and some carne asada (a soft roast) in case the kids did not like the fish!  Then they served two desserts.  One called Brigadeiros (a sweetened chocolate pudding candy- very rich) and the other was Pudim de Maracuja (flan with Passion Fruit).  Wow!  What an introduction to the Brasilian cuisine.  It was all amazing.  

The family has two children.  A 16-year-old girl and 11-year-old boy, Julya and Rodolfo.  They were so kind and friendly.  Their kids both speak English and they were very disappointed that our kids do not speak Portuguese!  It was a great night and they gave us lots of tips for surviving while we are here :-). 

That is pretty much it for now.  I feel like I have not captured the feelings of the day.  So much nervousness, excitement, anxiety, and finally just feeling good at the Brazilian family’s home.

Tomorrow we will hopefully make it to the temple.  The apartment we are in right now has internet access so I will try to check in every night.  In case you are wondering, it is gated with an underground parking garage and a guard on duty 24 hours a day.

May 30 (DAY 2)

Anjos

Today’s word is “angels” because we were guided by them without even knowing it.   Both the kids and Matt woke up quite late. I finally woke up Tyson and Cutler at Noon so we could actually do something.  We went to a mall for lunch and ate at a really yummy place.  Some kind of pannini wraps with meat, lettuce, tomato, melted cheese and sauce.  They all loved them but McKay begged to eat at McDonalds so he missed out.  For dinner he wanted the same option but I didn't let him and he was grateful because it was super good.  We ate dinner at another Mall at a restaurant with Brazilian food.  We had Chicken and Beef and Rice and Beans.  They brought out a bread with a Vinaigrette. Matt was most excited about something called Mandioca.  It was a little like potato wedges but with more flavor and texture.  The kids all liked the food a lot.  

Between lunch and dinner we went to the temple.  We took pictures and walked around the temple.  It was peaceful and beautiful.  Matt and Tyson went and changed clothes and Matt had to run across the street to Walmart (of all places!) and get a white shirt because he left it at the apartment.  Funny.  They went in the temple and were told that baptisms ended at two.  (It was about 4 by now.)  They were disappointed but they told them to hold on and see if they could figure something out.  The people at the front desk checked with the baptistry. They had someone else there wanting to do baptisms.  He was moving to a far out place with only 4 members in a 3 hour radius.  It was going to be a long time before he could get to the temple again and was devastated.  They couldn't help him because they were short one male to help do the ordinances and also needed a male to do the baptisms so the man could also help perform the ordinances.  In addition, they needed a sister to do the baptisms for the female names.  While they were working things out a sister came in that missed the session and they couldn't let her in late and so she agreed to do the female baptisms.  They had exactly the number of people they needed to help this man do his baptisms.  The temple workers said that the Heavens opened and sent everyone needed to do this work.  They had a special meeting with the group and a member of the temple presidency gave a talk.  Tyson was able to baptize 30 people for him and 15 names that Uncle Ted gave us.  It was a neat experience for them both.  They had another building where people stay that come long distances with rooms and showers and a kitchen.  They have a play room in it for kids and that is where I stayed with the kids.  They had a great time.  

I forgot to mention yesterday that I saw my first Favela.  It was such a sad sight.  It is a group of homes that are held up by cardboard looking pieces of metal.  It looks so flimsy and sad.  I have seen pictures of them- but seeing it in real life just hits home.  It was so sad to see laundry hanging across this place that doesn't look like it should have life in it.  And a little girl with barely any clothes out riding a dirty big wheel had the saddest look in her eyes.  Kids should be happy and carefree but she just had the look of someone that has not had a lot of happiness in her short life.  So sad.

May 31 (DAY 3)

Desculpa

The word of the day today is Desculpa  or "I'm sorry."  I used it a lot today as we went in and out of the metro and around the town with people everywhere.  It was so insane.  People everywhere trying to sell stuff to you or trying to get around the "touristas."  

We went downtown to Antonio and Missiany's gas station.  They are the friends of Matt.  He took care of their daughter at the hospital in Flagstaff.  They are such a nice family.  The owner of the apartment had told us to take a taxi to the metro station and then ride the metro downtown.  They told us not to do that.  It was too risky and too expensive.  They had us park at their gas station which is two blocks from the metro and then walk to the metro.  It worked out perfect.  Until the end of the day when we walked back.  We did not realize that when you get off the metro you are on the opposite side of the street then when you get on the metro.  So we walked back two blocks and realized we were not anywhere near the gas station and had to walk the two blocks back to the metro and then realize our mistake and cross the street and walk the two blocks to the gas station, for real this time.  Not fun after a long day of walking.  But the kids did pretty good at keeping it in stride.  They were troopers today.  

We attracted a lot of attention with our 4 blonde boys in the midst of all these Brazilians.  People were watching us a lot.  In two weeks we would have just been more tourists with the world cup.  I can't imagine any more people being able to crowd onto these streets. 

First, we went to the Mercado Municipal and ate a delicious breakfast of some pastry items.  Then we circled the fruit vendors and sampled 15-20 exotic fruits that I had never seen or heard of.  It was quite an experience.  Brayden loves fruits and veggies but he refused to try a single one of the fruits.  Finally the guy gave him a strawberry to get him to eat something.  Some of the fruits were delicious and some were just strange.  We thought the starfruit is a really cool looking fruit and wanted to try it and it was actually disgusting.  And some things that looked disgusting were delicious.  After that we wandered in the meat portion of the market.  We saw entire pigs wrapped up and hanging to be sold.  It wasn't a pleasant thought.  Tail, head, ears, snout.  The whole thing was there.  The market is in a beautiful building with stained glass windows and some neat architecture.

Next we rode the metro to the Cathedral de Se.  It was an impressive building but the environment was not so pleasant.  We felt unsafe and just wanted to get back on the metro.  Such a different feeling than the feeling on the temple grounds where you feel peace and serenity and you are surrounded by beauty on the grounds of the temple. 

Our next stop was Liberdade, which is the largest community of Japanese outside of Japan.  First we ate some lunch which was similar to our dinner last night.  Then we went to the "fair".  As we walked through all the booths and stalls I almost felt like I was back at Swiss days looking at all the handcrafted items.  It was a fun little place to meander through and just see all the cool things that people have made.  It was an interesting experience to see the culture of Japan within Brazil. Matt baptized two sisters and one of their husbands from this area.  One of the sisters went to BYU and married someone she met and lives in Virginia.  The other lives in Japan with her husband and he is serving as a Bishop.  So, we didn't get to meet them here :-).

We made our way back to the car and drove to a pizzeria that our new friends wanted to meet us at.  It was one of the fanciest places I have ever eaten at.  We started with a buffet with foods that looked more like dog food than people food.  I really had a hard time putting something on my plate to make it look like I was enjoying the experience.  The kids (or Matt) did not like it much.  The kids did not even pretend to enjoy the experience.  Gourmet food is not for us.  They decided we should order some pizza since we didn't get much out of the buffet.  It was good pizza.  Different than American pizza but still good.  It doesn't have any sauce on it.  I thought that would make it dry but it was still very moist and good.  However, it was probably the most expensive pizza we will ever eat.  Needless to say, this family is quite wealthy and thinking about the cost of things is not something they do.  They can't understand why we don't buy a cell phone to use in Brazil.  They keep telling us to go pick one up.  I told them that Matt calls me "Mao de vaca".  (tight wad- or literal translation is "hand of a cow- that never opens").  They got a really good laugh out of that.  They thought it was funny that Matt earns the money and I control it.  

Finally, we are home and our worn out kids are back in bed to get ready for another day tomorrow.  We will be going to church in an area where Matt served and then going to an orphanage to visit and leave some school and art supplies, blankets, and children's books that we brought with us.  

June 1 (DAY 4)

Prazer

Prazer...or pleased to meet you...Today it was so incredibly frustrating not to be able to speak Portuguese.  I wish I could have been able to communicate more with people that I met today.  Before, it was easy to have Matt translate to meet all our needs but today it was people that I wanted to have them know how I felt and couldn't express myself.  

We went to church in a ward that Matt served in almost 20 years ago. Although we could not understand a word that they were saying I was so touched by the sincerity of their hearts.  Today was testimony meeting.  They had so many people bear their testimony that when there was over 20 minutes left to the meeting they had to stand up and ask that no one else come to the stand to bear their testimony because too many people were already waiting.  Whole families would walk up together and wait to each bear their testimony.  There were men women and children throughout the entire meeting sharing their testimony.  Their words were so heartfelt and tender that you could feel that they knew the church was true.  The feeling in that room was so powerful.  It was a great meeting.  I really loved the singing because they really sang out loud and strong and beautifully.

Before the meeting the Bishop came and introduced himself and asked for our name.  He announced us as visitors and gave Matt's name.  After the meeting a sister came up so excited to talk to Matt.  She wanted to know if he was Elder Dunn (sounded more like Duhh-nh).  She was married to a man that Matt had baptized.  She quickly went and brought him over and they were so excited to see each other.  They talked and talked a million miles an hour about so many great memories.  It was incredible to watch such a tender reunion.  Their names were Samantha and Carlos.

Matt had taught him while they were dating.  Carlos had already met with the missionaries several times but it had never clicked.  Matt had invited them to fast together and they had fasted every Sunday for a month until one Sunday he realized that he knew it was true and wanted to be baptized.  The two of them were married in the temple and they have two younger boys- one Tyson's age and one around Cutler's age.  The whole family is active in the church and such a cute family!  It was so sweet to meet them.  Samantha had tears in her eyes as she talked to me about her gratitude in words I could not understand but felt her heartfelt sincerity.  And to top it all off- it was Carlos' birthday!

This afternoon we went to an orphanage called, "Casa Limiar", meaning "Threshold house".  What a heartbreaking yet uplifting place to be.  To walk in and see several pack 'n plays lined up with little toddlers sitting in them and a little tiny baby in a high chair crying at the top of her lungs was such a sad sight.  I just wanted to take all those little babies in my arms and comfort them.  It was so sad.  Brayden was very upset and didn't want to be there and it was hard to try and get to know kids that we couldn't speak with while trying to help Brayden feel at ease.  I finally sat Brayden down and read a book called, "Good Night Gorilla" to him and he laughed and laughed.  It relaxed him and he started to play with kids in the pack 'n plays.  He showed them books and then started playing with the other kids around his age.  

McKay jumped right in and started playing with the boys and girls around his age.  In his words in the car after we left, "I couldn't speak their language but I didn't care.  Even though we couldn't understand each other, we could still play together."  I thought that was sweet.  He was so caring.  One time a little boy was under the stairs crying and he went under there and tried to comfort him and help him come out.  It was so tender. 

I asked to hold the baby that was crying in the high chair.  They brought me a bottle to feed it and she drank that bottle faster than I have ever seen a baby drain a bottle.  She was 5 months old and had been abandoned at the hospital.  I felt so sad for her that she will never have parents to love her and take care of her.  She laughed and smiled and played.  She was such a happy baby and so cute.  She had a head full of curly black hair.  Cutler loved to sit by the baby and let her hold his hand.  

In addition to all the infants, toddlers and young kids, there were about 10 teenage kids.  They were such a fun-loving and friendly group.  They all wanted to tell me their names and give me a hug and "beijo" or kiss.  They were so sweet I could hardly stand it.  We brought children's books, blankets, toys, puzzles, and art and school supplies.  The books were a great way to break the ice with the younger kids.  As McKay started handing some of them out, the shyer kids started opening up and coming out to see what else we had.  It was a great way for McKay and Cutler to reach out and make friends.  McKay read to some of the kids.  When Matt told him they couldn't understand him, he started to read louder.  But the kids didn't care.  They just listened to him read to them.  

The older kids enjoyed looking through everything and seeing everything we brought.  I think they will enjoy it all and appreciate it.  Tyson went into the corner of the room with all the teenagers and enjoyed being with them and trying to talk with them.  I was so impressed with his tenacity at being in the middle of all these strangers that he couldn't communicate with and talking with them.  Matt pulled out his phone and introduced google translate.  They found they could say something in Portuguese into the phone and it would translate it for Tyson and then he could answer and it would translate his English answer into Portuguese for them.  They spent a good 1/2 hour in the corner of the room "talking" to each other through the google translator.  There was so much laughter in that corner of the room that it filled the entire room.  It was exciting to feel so much enthusiasm and that we had been able to share in it.  The amount of joy and happiness these kids have found in this home impressed me.  They want us to connect with them on Facebook.  I have never been too interested in Facebook, but now I want to be able to connect with these kids.

A little girl read a book about a train to Matt over and over.  She made up a story about how she was going to go on vacation with Matt and the train.  She read it to him time and time again and changed the story each time.  

It was fun to find ways to communicate.  One boy was sitting on another couch with our backs to each other.  He turned and tapped me on the head and when I turned around he pretended that he hadn't done it.  Then he did it again a couple minutes later and I did it back to him.  Then when he came into the room, I tapped him on the head and he turned and laughed and did it to me.  When we were getting ready leave, he came to me and said, "Tchau" and tapped me on the head and ran away.  I chased him and tapped him on the head and said "Tchau".  He thought it was funny and wanted to be the last one to tap me on the head.  We got in the car and they were all standing there waving good-bye.  I jumped out of the car and tapped him on the head and ran and jumped back into the car with him chasing me.  All the other kids were jumping and clapping and laughing.  We drove away with them yelling "Tchau, Tchau, Obrigado"  or "Bye, Bye, Thank you!"  It was such an amazing experience.  Definitely the high of our trip.  We all had such a feeling of euphoria as we drove away and talked about all our experiences the whole way back to our apartment.  It was incredible.  Tyson had it right when he said, "I wish I could have this memory to watch over in 3-D so that I don't forget the way I feel."

What an awesome day!  Tomorrow we leave Sao Paulo and head to Guaruja and the beach home of Antonio and Missiany.  Looking forward to it!