So
the scary experiences are not life threatening, nor related to our street or
our missionary efforts. It's just that's what you're in for, should you
choose to continue to read.
I have been wanting to share pictures of our street and show a few things we see every day. The bottom line is, Fortaleza is a growing city with some lovely buildings, but no discernible city planning or oversight. Our Street:
I have been wanting to share pictures of our street and show a few things we see every day. The bottom line is, Fortaleza is a growing city with some lovely buildings, but no discernible city planning or oversight. Our Street:
The picture below is taken across the street from our apartment, towards the ocean. In fact, I'm standing on the one block that separates us from the ocean. (So close and yet so far away...) This yellow Pandaria on the corner, which is one building away from our apartment, makes the most amazing poazhinos (little rolls.) When we walk home from the office each day we poke our heads in to find out when the next batch of rolls will be out of the oven, then we plan dinner around that blessed event.
I joked with Craig that one day for
dinner we should just eat those paozinhos and see how many we could eat.
We did that last week - one of us ate 6 and the other wimped out after 3.
With all our walking and limited food options, I would be skinny if it
weren't for these. (Though I don't eat six at every meal!!!)
Crunchy outside, airy inside. Yummmmmm. |
Hard to see, but I didn't dare get closer to take a picture! |
Dang- wish you could see the ocean... Usually so blue! |
No other clothing stores anywhere near... |
100 yards farther up, looking back
towards our apartment you can see that we have a nice condo right next us, and
a HUGE condo being built next to that.
Our Apt is RIGHT next to the building on the right. |
That's a large couch- this pile is huge! And SMELLS!!! |
Up another 100 yards is the end of
our block. Here are "favelas." There are several families
who live here. The floors are dirt and I don't think there is any
electricity. Not sure about plumbing. I try very hard not to stare
into an open door when there is one, but would love to go in with my camera and
understand how they live. The amazing thing is that every morning and every
evening one of the old women who lives here is out sweeping the sidewalks.
It appears that the Brazilians don't care if there's a garbage dump on
their street, but their own personal areas are CLEAN. You can see piles
of sand/dirt - I think it was delivered and they refresh their floors with
this. But when they are through sweeping this dirt there is not a leaf or
piece of trash anywhere in the area. (It was raining this day and nobody
was out this day, so I was able to sneak some pictures.)
This blurry bike (not blurry in real life) is how they make a living- carrying water bottles to people. Hard, hard life... |
This is around the corner from the other side- I pretended I was taking a picture of Craig- thus the shoulder! |
Up three more blocks is this
interesting shot of a lovely new building across from "traditional"
stores. Interesting...
Compliments of Google Earth- but it's how it looks! |
So now the scary experiences.
First was that I was asked last week to give the prayer in Sacrament
Meeting. I asked for a week to practice, and all week felt like a Jr.
Primary child practicing a prayer. But I was able to do it. In
Portuguese! I didn't read the whole thing like I did when I was asked to
give a prayer the second week I was here at a Mission Conference. (Nobody
knew I read it - I was very subtle! And apparently my reading accent is
quite good! :))
The next scary experience is that at
church today Craig and I were asked to speak at a Stake fireside next week.
For an hour and a half!!! At least I get a translator. Any
great stories on how families can be missionaries???? All would be
greatly appreciated!!! Especially if we get enough to fill an hour and a
half!
Lastly, as mentioned last week, Craig and I get to tag along when the Elders give a lesson to a single woman. Our Office Elders (two work in the office with us) are teaching two single women, and one came to Church today for the third week in a row!!! We have a nice relationship, and it's been amazing to be a part of this. We (ok, the Elders!) are challenging her to set a baptism date when we visit this week!!! I will definitely keep you posted (yes, pun...) on this!
Sorry so long. At least you
don't have to sit through 90 minutes of us talking!!! (We'll probably make
it very interactive.) And I apologize for the different fonts and uneven
spaces and stupid little white squares. I have tried for HOURS to fix
these. Either the computer or I am crumbling apart. Please let it
be the computer!
Our Love to All!
Wow! I love seeing all of the pictures of the area surrounding your apartment! That is SO cool that Craig lived so close! Does he have a picture of the house anywhere back home? It would be so cool to look at it and compare!
ReplyDeleteIf your clothes wear out, you get to rock a mini-skirt...awesome! :P Haha! At least they change the mannequin up each day - that's fun. :)
That trash pile is NASTY! Yuck!!! So gross.
My sis-in-law from Mexico was just telling us all about favelas in Brazil and how awful the conditions in them are. She said sometimes they are so bad that there are special favela police because the regular police refuse to go into them.
That bread look delicious! No wonder you had 6! I'm so glad you found a good bakery close to home! I love that you plan dinner around that. :)
Good luck with 90 minutes!!! The only story I can think of off the top of my head is that when we were in NY, my dad home taught an inactive family and found out they had a daughter close to my age who hadn't been baptized. I was almost 8 & she was a little older. He started bringing me with him to play with her while he talked with them and we ended up becoming friends and then we got baptized together (in NY there weren't stake baptisms...so people didn't usually share a baptism day.) It was a good way for me to realize that sometimes just being friendly and a good example goes a long way. Let me know if you want more details on that story.
Also - your blog post looks perfect! Did you fix it or does it just look weird in Brazil? I don't see any boxes, the font is all the same, and it looks evenly spaced!
Love you!!!
-H