After fulfilling our “Gisamba” and work assignments the week of 12/10, seven “SMC’s” (Senior Missionary Couples) departed last Monday morning at 6:30 am in rented cars for a Zone Meeting.
The meeting was held in a lovely home in the small coastal town of Caranguatatuba (“Carangua” for short).
Carangua is situated on the northern coast of São Paulo, on the Brazilian equivalent of the “PCH” (U.S. 1) in California. Of course, here it would be the “BACH” (Brazilian Atlantic Coast Highway), instead of PCH.
Like all Zone Meetings, ours consisted of training workshops (e.g. Canasta; Banana Grams); team-building activities (e.g. crocheting); spiritual discussions (e.g. Church is a bus to get us to the temple); companion splits (e.g. the two doctors and I drove to Picinguaba/Paraty); service projects (e.g. cleaning the pool; giving food to a homeless camp); and even trying out new ways to expand the teaching pool (e.g. hired a small boat from a local surfboard shop owner to visit some remote historical islands). There were also shared meals (e.g. fresh-caught squid, octopus, shrimp, and fish cooked in “alho e oleo.”), plus a variety of fresh-made smoothies from tropical fruits. Lastly, there was plenty of physical exercise (e.g. snorkeling; swimming; scratching sand-flee bites).
Since the group included the two Brazil Area Medical Specialist couples, the two Area Mental Health Specialist couples, the Area Self-Reliance Services couple and Area Humanitarian Services couple, we got plenty of Social Media practice time to stay up with work assignments around Brazil.
In this latter-day dispensation, with internet access, a cell phone and WhatsApp, missionary work can be done from anywhere in the world - even Carangua.... just as Isaiah prophesied. (See Isaiah 40:4.)
On the road to Carangua, you should see all the mountains that are made low (by tunnels), the valleys that are raised up (by bridges), the crooked places and rough places made straight & flat by modern highways.
We made it home Thursday afternoon in time for me to hunt down a missing load of wheelchairs and arrange for delivery to Batatais instead of Ribeirão Preto.
Friday we handed our Christmas gifts to office friends, turned in our monthly financial reports, sent Christmas greetings (and Christmas videos) to partners, and communicated good news to APRAESPI that their Garden Project had been approved.
Today included a trip to the Feira, two grocery stores, letter writing and making arrangements to drive to Batatais Tuesday (4 hour trip) to inventory the missing wheelchairs so we can pay the bill by next Friday.
It was a nice ending to an exhausting week as Senior Missionaries.
Now on to our first Christmas (of two) in Brazil, as SMC!
Luv,
Papa & Gma
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| Entrance to Zone Meeting location (Secure gated-community) |
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| Zone meeting site (taken from beach) |
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| Backyard futbol field |
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| Group discussion and service project (in background) |
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| More group discussions |
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| Service Project #1 |
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| View from back meeting room |
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| Group dinner |
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| Senior missionary couple |
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| Evening Photo |
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| Dark clouds on horizon, but the moon always comes out after the storm |
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| Notice the improvised stars shining down over manger scene in our apartment. Orchid plant was combined anniversary and Christmas gift to my senior comp. |
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