Our Week in Petrolina (9/29/18)

We just returned from our latest trip to Petrolina with our Cordona project (quail). We were asked to visit all 27 families who participated in the project. We arrived after midnight Thursday night. Visits started the next morning, early! I came down with a cold on the flight, so I stayed home and Papa made the visits with local priesthood leaders. Saturday afternoon was the closing activity for the project.... learning to slaughter the birds. Each family donated 3 quail each. They tried to get me to help, but I was lucky to take a few pictures. Papa was a good student! Afterwards they had a huge feast! Papa took me to McDonalds!!! I couldn't eat one of those cute little birds! 

Slaughtering the cordonas 

Cleaning them

Sunday I still felt pretty good, so we went to church.... especially since we were the speakers!! I just had to share my testimony, but Papa gave a great talk.

Afterwards, we went to the Bishop's home for dinner.

Monday morning I woke up with pinkeye and an infected throat, so I went back to bed again and Papa went off to make more visits. He got everything done, so we were able to change our flights and return home two days early.

1/2 birthday party for our boss, Vítor on Friday! (With our Bem Estar team.) 

Love to all,

Papa and Gma

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Just a few more photos from Papa:

Yes, “Spyderman” is loved in Brazil and helps his mom raise Codornas. 

View looking south across São Francisco River to Juazeiro, in Bahia State. Petrolina is in Pernambuco State. Notice the rocks in the river. They are everywhere.

Even though the name “Petrolina” makes it sounds like there should be oil deposits or refineries in the região, the name is just derived from “Petras Lindas” which mean “pretty rocks” in Italian. The first Catholic priest in the region was Italian. Since the Nordestinos drop letters from their words, “Petra Lindas” became Petralina and finally Petrolina. (That explanation was for Bex.)

Adroaldo now has 1,300 Codornas (after starting with 38). He sells and consumes 100-200 Codornas per month and sells 20,000 eggs per month. He is a stone mason by trade, but in the absence of construction jobs, he now supplements income and diet in his family of 5 by raising Codornas. The stake technical experts (Monica and Salviano) are to the right of Adroaldo. (Notice the delicious Graviola fruit and grapes on the table.)

17 of the 27 families succeeded in the project.  The others decided it wasn’t for them for a variety of reasons. 

The white powder on the floor is to prevent “pichelingues” (lice) getting into the birds. 

Humble but happy Latter-day Saints