Happy New Year Letter (1/1/18)

Happy New Year!!!

What a week to report on today! Christmas Eve 3 senior couples, got together for a well planned Christmas Eve dinner… Prime Rib and all the trimmings! We were all excited and ready to eat when we discovered that the meat store had given us a HAM instead!!! Part of the adventure! After dinner we watched “The Nativity Story”…which we really enjoyed! The best part of the day, for sure, was having our family together on “Go to Meeting” for our homemade gift exchange. Always a treat!! Good job everyone! Christmas morning 5 senior couples got together for a delicious breakfast… then everyone went home to talk to kids!

Tuesday morning we got up early to drive 4 - 5 hours to Batatais, to solve some wheelchair issues. Batatais is a small, clean city surrounded by beautiful country side. I wasn't very happy about taking off again for 3 days, but it turned out to be very productive and enjoyable. One of my favorite people, Ana, from APARESPI, was there and we made some new friends. Ana even arranged for the local bishop and 2 elders to visit with and help us assemble wheelchairs! The bishop will represent the Church at our closing ceremony on January 16 th. Perfect!! The elders explained to us that no one will even talk to them in Batatais… but by coming and helping, they were invited into 2 homes! People at the hospital wanted to know more about
the Church! The Lord works in mysterious ways!! We were also able to meet with the Stake President and he has agreed to be our pilot stake to implement the interviews of wheelchair recipients, 6 months after they receive their chairs.

Friday was the best day ever… Emi returned home from her mission!!! 

New Year´s Eve, after Church, we had Rachel and Fabio over for dinner… Papa wanted to share his “supper on a bun”! We even taught them how to play “No Peeky”… Rachel is 86 and didn’t quite catch on, but she had fun! She refused to “pick up” her sandwich and insisted on using a fork and knife… she really reminds me of Grandma Gege! She and her grandson walked all the way to our apartment in the rain…3 or 4 miles! Papa called for an Uber to take them home…they got her in the car “kicking” - she was determined to walk! She also told Papa he had to work on his health! More veggies and fruits… she encouraged lots of bananas, said you can´t eat too many of them! Hum??? Her secret to healthy living is to drink a glass of water, with the juice of one lime every morning! Anna will like that advice! But she would probably reverse the quantities!

New Years Day… We all got together to watch 2 movies and eat more junk! Since we were at the office, Papa chose to get some work done, instead of watching movies…he is so good!
I heard the best advice on setting goals for the coming year. We always set goals like “lose 10 pounds” then beat ourselves up when we eat a second slice of chocolate cake. So, instead, set one-word goals, like HEALTH, so if you do blow the cake part, you can focus on what you DID do, like pat yourself on the back for drinking 8 glasses of water!! It works for me!

Happy New Year to all!
Love you to the moon and back!

Papa and Gma

“There are 2 great days in everyone´s life… the day we are born and the day we discover why!”
- William Barclay

If anyone ever wants to send us a note our address is:
Elder Ray and Sister Marilyn Anderson
São Paulo, Brazil Area Office - Bem Estar
50 East North Temple St.
SLC, Ut 84150

Christmas Eve dinner group. The Moores and the Barretts.

Christmas Eve “prime rib”? !

Batatais - center of town.  

Notice the bushes shaped like Christ on the Cross (behind the girls on the bench). Lots of "bush art" in the park.

Rachel and Fabio after church one Sunday

Weekly Update: 12/17 to 12/23 (12/23/17)

Hi again family!  After hearing about several of Emilee’s & Seth’s Zone Meetings, we thought we should share some insights into our first “multi-day” Zone Meeting.

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

Entrance to Zone Meeting location (Secure gated-community)

Zone meeting site (taken from beach)

Backyard futbol field

Group discussion and service project (in background)

More group discussions

Service Project #1

View from back meeting room

Group dinner

Senior missionary couple

Evening Photo

Dark clouds on horizon, but the moon always comes out after the storm

Notice the improvised stars shining down over manger scene in our apartment. Orchid plant was combined anniversary and Christmas gift to my senior comp.

Weekly Update: 12/10 to 12/16 (12/23/17)

Christmas season is in full swing in Brazil.  That just means it’s warm this year for Asher’s, Shannon’s and Ellie’s birthdays, plus our anniversary.  For those not counting the years. It was 12, 45, 9 and 46 respectively.  

Summer in São Paulo is still like winter in the Dominican Republic!

Special activities for the week of 12/10-12/16:

1) Two new Pickleball sets were ordered.  (According to the USPBA these are the first nets shipped to Brazil.). 

2)  APRAESPI Garden Project Approval document was sent to SLC for final review.  More on this after we buy the rotor-tiller, 50-egg incubator, with candling light, HD Stihl brush cutter and other tools, equipment and supplies.  Main purpose of project is to teach gardening/landscaping/avicultura skills to older students so they can get jobs.  Added benefits are salad fixings for three cafeterias, increased chicken flock for food and organic fertilizer.  

3) “Gringo Idoso Samba Band” performances were well received!

4) Celebrated 46th wedding anniversary at “Rodeo Restaurant” (Avenida Haddock Lobo) that we last visited in 1980. 

5) Resolved issues with FEAPESP (http://feapaesp.org.br/) to proceed with 1,000 wheelchair project and World Health Organization (“WHO”) training for their physical and occupational therapists. 

6) Relieved that Dil’s surgery went well. 

7) Grateful to have a new deacon (Asher) in the Handerdum Clan. 

Com Muito Amor e Carinho,

Papa & Gma. 

"Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand."

–Dr. Seuss

So thankful for our “otterly awesome” family!

“Hand-in-hand” Christmas lasts forever, plus we recover from “Chicken Patty Poisoning,” cyst surgery, bad days and every other challenge that comes our way.

Jesus taught us to always love one “an-otter.”

Glimpse of Gringo Idoso Samba Band (“Gisamba”).

“Gisambas” singing to neighbors in gazebo of Vertentes apartment complex (where most of the senior couples live).

46th anniversary dinner at Rodeo Restaurante on Haddock Lobo in posh neighborhood of São Paulo. It is not every anniversary celebrated by eating the inside of a barbecued palm tree (“palm hearts”). How romantic!

Letter from Grandma (12/11/17)

Hello all!

The heat is picking up and Santa sure isn´t on a sleigh, but the Christmas spirit is alive!  

We have had a full week, as usual.  Lots of doctor appointments, garden projects and a wonderful APARESPI Christmas party.

Monday, Papa had MRIs done on both shoulders and I received a new brace for my finger.  I´m on the mend, but Papa is just beginning.  The MRIs showed that both shoulders needed surgery!  The left one is still about the same, but the repaired right shoulder is torn again.  He is hoping to be able to put surgery off until we get home... we´ll see!  Both of our doctor´s offices are at the soccer stadium.  Kind of fun to look out over the enormous field.  Soccer (futbol) is HUGE here!

Another success this week was getting more food for the "starving" codornas!  After much research, Papa was able to answer questions about eating fertilized eggs and eggs with bloodspots... looks like it´s okay folks!!

Friday, we were invited to attend APRAESPI`S annual Christmas celebration for their 400 employees.  What a party!  They surprised Papa and I by handing us a microphone and asking us to say a few words!  Ray did a great job and I made it through!  APARESPI loves the Church.  While there, Ray was able to get everything worked out for APARESPI´S new 900 sq. meter garden project.

Friday night we had our "Senior" band practice!  We have been asked to perform at 5 events this week!  We are singing (and playing) 2 songs... Bôas Festas and Jingle Bells! It makes me chuckle...

Sunday after church, we made cookies for Papa to take home teaching and 4 dozen sugar cookies for the missionaries in the West Mission to decorate and hand out to investigators.  Baking is a challenge here.  The oven can´t make up it´s mind on the temperature, so I have to keep checking to see that the temperature is staying where it is suppose to. Sometimes the oven decides to shut off, randomly of course!  Only happened 2 times yesterday!  Made for a hot afternoon!

Glad Sara is done with surgery... mend quickly!  Happy 12th birthday to Asher, Shannon is 29?!! today and Ellie will be 9 on Thursday .... PARTY ON!!  

Hugs and kisses to all,

Papa and Gma

"The Savior SIMPLY never took offense" - Lynn Robbins

Future garden spot for APRAESPI  (900 sq. Meters)

APRAESPI’s  team: Leo (biologist), Tucci (MBA), Lair (founder of APRAESPI 50 years ago), and Marcos (former Corinthian soccer player and PR guy). The 4 are siblings!  Annual APRAESPI Christmas Party.

 Gma riding “Haste”

We were called on to speak!

Lair and her husband

Santa’s Elf

Morumbi Soccer Stadium, home of the São Paulo Futbol Club (SPFC).
Our doctor’s offices are here.

Weekly Letter: November 27-December 3 (12/3/17)

The friends have departed, dishes are done, Christmas music is playing (Mary Chapin Carpenter), and the aroma of orange cookies baking in our tiny oven fills the apartment.  It’s a happy sabbath day evening in São Paulo.

Highlights of this last week included:

1) Mom’s finger is healing well. Just a slight misalignment, but not enough to warrant surgery.  The burning & throbbing pain is subsiding.  Going in for another X-ray and check-up tomorrow.  Doctor may place a brace on her hand to permit gradual increase in movement.

2) The Codornas are starting to lay eggs, the gardens are growing, the wheelchair initiatives are rolling forward, and the APRAESPI special needs students are tickled to be Pickle-balled.

3) We are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel after digging out of our Boa Vista Refugee Project accounting backlog.  The funds are once again flowing.  The two housing projects and school are taking shape. Construction should be completed by early January.

4) Our 5-couple “Gringo Idoso Samba Band” is preparing to perform at four Christmas gigs:
a) Dec. 12 (am) - São Paulo West Mission Christmas Celebration;
b) Dec. 13 (pm) - Area Office Christmas Party;
c) Dec. 13 (evening) - Apartment Community Courtyard Christmas Social.
d) Dec. 16 (evening) - Ward Christmas Party

We practice Friday evenings from 7:30 to 9, after a quick dinner.  Last Friday, we tried a small Yakisoba dinner place by our apartment.

Stay tuned for gig photos & reviews!

5) Friday night we stayed up very late (2 a.m.) to attend Dallin’s Men’s Chorus Christmas Concert.  Wow!  What a talented group of college student musicians!  So grateful that we live in a “flat world” and brought a Bose mini speaker with us!  PC buffering wasn’t perfect, but the performance was outstanding. So proud of our grandson and the rest of the Handerdum Cousins!!  Such a blessing to be their grandparents. 

6) Saturday we went exploring in the historic Pinheiros neighborhood.  (Took UBER and came home via bus.)
“Tracted-out”:  a) dive shop (to get snorkeling tips for our upcoming senior missionary trip to Caraguatatuba); b) Christmas decoration & housewares shop; c) Chilean empanada shop; and d) 3 quaint restaurants to try out on future outings (Mexican, Bahian, and Italian).

7) Saturday evening we attended the movie “Wonder” with three other couples. (We read several chapters of the book with Addi before our mission, and promised her we would see the movie when it came to Brazil.)  Please take all of our grandchildren (6 and older) to see it!

Our neighbor, Justin Rindlesbach had a less severe version of the same condition as Auggie. We know how difficult it was for him.  Like Auggie, Justin learned: “You can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.” (Quote by Auggie’s sister Via.)

We pray that all of our Handerdum Clan members will smile as they reflect on their divine heritage, and how much they are loved by their grandparents in Brazil.

Com Muito Amor e Carinho,
Papa & Gma

“When given the choice between being right or kind, choose kind.” (Precept taught in Mr. Brown’s Middle School Home Room Class.)

“Be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle.  Be kind.”
(Auggie)

Malls go all out in their decorations. We hope our younger grandchildren enjoy these  Santa Elf pictures (from the Eldorado Mall a short bus ride from our apartment).

Gma with Elf friend

Budding artist

Santa, Mrs. Claus and young photographer (granddaughter?)

Elf decorating tall tree

Story time

Papa & Gma selfie with Elf photo bomber

Yes, Brazilians know that Santa skis

Rudolph is loved in Brazil!

Our Nativity Corner. The colorful set was a gift from our friends at APRAESPI.  (Their students made and painted the plaster figures.) 

Ready for Christmas!

Photos from Thanksgiving Week (11/26/17)

Samuel & Mari Prieto (son and daughter-in-law of Victoria & Marcos Prieto) in Sorocaba, SP.  I had the opportunity to teach Victoria, her older sister Rosalice, and her brother Fernando, when they were young children growing up in Fortaleza.  (They and their cousins were early members of the fledgling Fortaleza Branch in 1970.)

Baby “Mel” (3rd daughter of Samuel and Mari and granddaughter of Victoria Prieto).  Mel received her name and a beautiful, heartfelt, inspired, blessing today. With families like the Prietos, and children like Mel, her two sisters and other children of the Sorocaba Ward who presented the sacrament meeting today, the Church in Brazil has a bright future. 

“Idoso” couple on P-day (tracting?) near Praça da Sé in the heart of São Paulo.

Senior Companion in Praça da Sé in front of SP Cathedral.

Thanksgiving games

Thanksgiving dinner