Rio Trip Pictures (11/17/18)

Olsens, Andersons and Fluckigers - overlooking Petrópolis

Lunch at Praia Vermelha (Red Beach) at the base of Pão de Açúcar. 

Leme Beach, Rio....  tourists, WHO’S a tourist???

At one time he would have been out there, trying to catch that wave!

Dedo de Deus (Finger of God)

Grandparents can take selfies!

Corcovado - Rio. Where else can you touch heaven at the feet of Christ and see Dedo de Deus in the distance??

Celadon Steps in Santa Teresa (Tiles are from all over the world)

Rio Temple, under construction 

Pedra de Gávea (face of a man in a tall hat - inscriptions across hat - the eyes are caves)

Breakfast at our B&B (Casa Verde) - ( All the furniture is made from reclaimed wood)

A Favela in Petrópolis - the Favela homes in Brazil use to be made of cardboard, scrap metal and wood. They are much nicer now. 

Santos Dumont airplane in Petrópolis. Brazilian’s believe this plane flew before the Wright brother’s plane did. Which end of the plane is the front???

Santos Dumont’s home. Steps are cut so you have to go up “right foot first!”

Entrance to the summer home of Don Pedro II

Catedral São Pedro de Alcântara

Igreja Evangélica de Confissão Lutheran no Brazil - Petrópolis 

Palácio Quitandinha- historic luxury hotel and former casino in Petrópolis 

Rain Forest waterfall - Alto da Boa Vista

Cute Grandma

Santa Teresa “Bondinho” (cable car): This was how we got around the neighborhood of my last “transfer” in February/March 1971. It was also on the “Bondinho” that a “moleque” (street kid) from a neighboring favela ripped the watch off my left arm in 1978. We were showing Gege and P-Pa around Rio.  Shannon was sitting beside me when it happened.  Shannon looked up at me and asked “Why did that boy do that mean thing?” I looked over my left shoulder to see the young man running up the cobblestone road in the opposite direction.  He was looking over his left shoulder with a smile on his face. I was so surprised and it happened so fast that I smiled back. When I told the brakeman what happened, he rolled up his shirt sleeve and showed me a scratch on this wrist.  He said “Ya.  He got mine last week.”  Rio is not the safest city in the world, but it is the most beautiful. 

Just before the lower terminal of the Bondinho (in Lapa), it passes over a massive trestle.  The trestle was once an aqueduct that brought water from the Carioca River in the mountains above Rio to the city center. 

View looking up towards Santa Teresa.  It is the equivalent of Greenwich Village in NYC or Sugar House neighborhood in SLC.

View of Santa Teresa near the apartment where my companion and I lived.  It was on the left side of the Bondinho tracks about half-way down the route. We actually tracted out a Chilean family living in Santa Teresa and taught them two lessons the last week of my mission. They were baptized a month after I returned home. I don’t remember the family’s name, but I remember they had a sweet 10-year old daughter (named “Marisol”) that asked her parents to listen to our message. Ellie reminds me of Marisol.

Trauma (11/7/18)

Hello to all!

I looked at the calendar and saw that I haven't written for a couple of weeks, well, almost 3! I'm sure the delay is from the trauma I suffered from speaking in our ward. A 10 minute talk in Portuguese!! It complicated things when I got a little emotional while speaking and my eyes filled with tears, which meant I couldn't read my notes!! I survived though! Papa gave an excellent talk, as always!

Right after church we headed to Ribeirao Preto (5 hr. drive) for a meeting that evening. We had a great meeting with the Stake President, Public Affair and Humanitarian representatives from the area. After the meeting we drove another hour to Franca. The next couple of days were spent in meetings and doing about 30 post wheelchair interviews around the area. We met some wonderful people and accomplished a lot, but were really glad to get back to Sao Paulo late Tuesday.

Late Thursday, we took a short trip, with 2 other senior couples, to Rio. Our trip was wonderful and we were able to do so much in our 2 days. We stayed at a darling Bed and Breakfast in the Rainforest. We kept very busy and had a ton of fun! Pictures will follow in our next post.

Now we are super busy getting ready for another 2 weeks of Wheelchair trainings in Ribeirao Pires, starting on Sunday.

All for now! We'll send this on with lots of our love.

Hugs,

Papa and Grandma

"Please don't nag yourselves with thoughts of failure. Simply do what you can do, in the best way you know how, and the Lord will accept your effort." Gordon B. Hinckley

Cool Things! (10/18/18)

Hello family!

Cool things happened the last couple of weeks, starting with Conference weekend. What a powerful General Conference! We love Pres. Nelson and his inspired counsel. I am excited to read the Book of Mormon again with a new focus. I had just finished reading it, so the timing was great for me! I love the Book of Mormon and am so excited to keep reading to learn more this time around, especially with the focus being on Christ. Papa is great at helping me understand things I have questions about. Last night we read in Mosiah. We studied about Zeniff and his background. The power of that book really has hit me on this mission.

Saturday morning of conference, the session didn`t start here until 1pm, so we invited all the senior missionaries to our home for a potluck breakfast. It was a great way to start conference, and someone else made the cinnamon rolls!!!!

Sunday, after the first session, there was a knock on our door. I ran to change out of my PJ`s and Papa answered the door in his. He welcomed in Elder and Sister Call, relatively new missionaries here. We thought, how cool is this that they came to visit us. We had a great visit and they just kept staying! The second session began… It was starting to feel a little weird! Half way through the session, Sister Call bolts forward and declares, “Oh my gosh, you AREN`T Dorothy”!!! Another couple had invited them over for dinner between sessions! AND we gave them water!!! She called Dorothy… in the mean time Dorothy had called them several times, even gone to their apartment to find them and when that all failed she was looking for a key to go in, expecting to find them deathly ill or dead! We have all had a great laugh over that!

A few months ago, we were told about a young Venezuelan refugee family in Boa Vista. (Up by the northern border) A young couple and their 2 year old son, Alejandro. Alejandro`s had Microcephaly, the brain defect caused by the Zika virus. – he has a very small head and no spinal core strength. Elder and Sister Ketchesons were in Boa Vista at the time so, with their help, the process to get him a wheelchair was started. Ketchesons returned to Sao Paulo a month or so later, so we never knew if he got a chair. Papa really wanted to head to Boa Vista to make sure he did, but that didn`t happen. (12 hour bus ride from Manaus!!)

Last week we received amazing news. His family had been relocated to Ribeirao Pires. The ward found them a home (and furnished it) across the street from APRAESPI! They are our amazing partner organization with wheelchairs AND a school and medical help for children with disabilities! So, on Monday the Ketchesons went with us to Ribeirao Pires and we met this special family. We were able to get Alejandro fitted for a custom wheelchair and leg braces!! The coolest thing is we were able to introduce them to the team at the school and they are excited to help them! Eduardo (APRAESPI administrative director), said it well… “It is a miracle that they are here and living where they are…. We can help him!” Tuesday we went back again and this time we were able to bring our last Bell Canyon Ward donated blanket to Alejandro. He was freezing! He already had one of the newborn hats that still fit, but someone added 5 or 6 more rows of stitches on the bottom, so it covered his ears. We even got a smile from him!

Tuesday, we also did 30 post delivery interviews in Santo Andres. We met the cutest senior, seniors. Most in their 80`s and 90`s. They love their wheelchairs … guess they were bed ridden before. Their caregivers couldn`t stop talking about the improved quality of their lives!

Thursday we headed to Praia Grande to wrap up the Garden Project there. We just needed to buy a few more supplies for them and visit the families. BUT the rains came and the flooding started, so we bought supplies and headed home! One more visit there, I guess.

Friday we enjoyed a session in the Temple.

Since then we (Papa) taught our Sunday School class. We (especially Papa) spent many hours at the office and good things are happening! The Victor Reader Screen project for the blind is moving forward, two more wheelchair trainings are planned now for November, chairs are getting delivered and so much more…Papa is amazing at making things happen!

Like I said, it was a GREAT couple of weeks! Love you to the moon and back!!

Papa and Gma

“Never give up on anyone. And that includes not giving up on yourself!” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

Saturday morning potluck breakfast

Alejandro and his new blanket

Alejandro will be warm! He likes it!!

This fun guy showed us how he could stand up in his chair!

This sweet lady, in one of our chairs, showed me what she was working on! She crochets all day!

The group of cute senior, seniors at the nursing home. We got to visit with them and check out their chairs.

Raised gardens at APRAESPI for kids in wheelchairs

Buying the last supplies for the Praia Grande Garden Project

Papa's Thoughts: The Power of One (10/2/18) & Senior Mission Labor Pains (10/3/18)

10/2/18

Hi family. Gma and I did the Senior Missionary FHE lesson yesterday evening (Oct. 1, 2018). Attached are the slides we used. There are also a couple of videos that we did not share, but included them because they illustrate the subject matter.

The slides reflect some of the most import gospel principles impressed upon my heart and mind by the Spirit over the last 55+ years of my life. What I finally came to understand (thanks in large part to you) is that this mortal adventure is not about what we achieve. It is about what we become.

I have a testimony of the "gospel change process," but I still grapple with my inner "Cookie Monster."

As painful as it may have been for some of you, from time-to-time, your love, example and friendship, have been my greatest motivation to overcome the "natural man" and become a friend of God.

To associate with each of you throughout the eternities will be heaven to me. To not associate with you would be hell.

Let´s keep the Handerdum Clan moving forward in faith together forever. The circle of love just keeps growing! (Sister Rust, N.J. circa 1985)

Link to the presentation: THE POWER OF ONE

10/3/18

We are on the “homestretch!” 

We’ve decided that senior missions are a lot like having babies.  Before embarking on the adventure, it promises to be an exciting, edifying, spiritual, fun, altruistic experience.  Then reality sets in!  The “labor” starts and it is too late to back out. 

All of a sudden the mission blurs into a challenging, stressful, and sometimes intimidating endurance contest.  Thank goodness it is punctuated by brief periods of peace and calm to catch your breath!  

Despite the occasional reprieves, the labor resumes, the work intensifies and muffled murmuring (including occasional swearing) may be heard from the normally kind and composed missionary couple. 

Eventually, the labor comes to a safe and successful conclusion.  Memories of the ordeal soon fade.  Before long, the couple once again starts contemplating another mission adventure!

Why would any rational senior married couple ever consider multiple missions?  The answer for us is found in D&C 31:5.  (Of course, this assumes Marilyn donates her unused forgiveness credits to her junior companion!)

On this mission, the promise found at the end of D&C 31:5 was vividly fulfilled.  Our family has indeed “lived” both figuratively (i.e. our relationship as husband and wife) as well as literally (i.e. our children and grandchildren, especially our precious Ellie). 

In other words, our Welfare Specialist assignment in Brazil has been exhausting and challenging, but it has been worth it. 

Papa's Macapá Amapá Amazon Adventure (10/3/18)

For some reason, my Senior Companion and our Senior Wheelchair Coordinators (Elder and Sister Dow) weren’t excited about visiting an indigenous island in the Amazon River called Santana while we were in Macapá during the first weekend in September for the CREAP (Centro de Reabilitação Especializado de Amapá).  It may have had something to do with bugs, humidity and hot equatorial sun. 

Our three young wheelchair program trainers (all in their mid-30’s) that were with us were excited for an outdoor activity so I made a call on Friday to a guide service and we were on our way Saturday morning (9/1/18).  

What was supposed to be a four hour “ecotour” turned into a 10-hour Amazon adventure!  We headed out at 10 am Saturday and made it home late evening (8 pm) after being temporarily marooned on the river.  (It’s really good your mom wasn’t with us!)

Our adventure team: Brian (Utah PT), Ana (Recife FT), Juliana (Manaus FT) and me (AP - “Aches & Pains” Senior Missionary).  

Typical river town

Onto the boat

Town beach

Off for a hike.

So this is where Açaí comes from! A type of palm tree!

Yep!  Little hard purple berries that are later squished up and made into all sorts of purple foods (looks like purple mashed potatoes), drinks and desserts.

Tarzan is alive and well! The local indigenous kids love to climb trees to get açai and swing on vines. Our grandchildren would love the Amazon! 

Samaúma trees (also known as Kapok trees) are enormous. They are the tallest trees in the Amazon. The Amerindians use the trees to send messages. They are filled with lots of water so they made a distinctive “thump” that can be heard for over a mile. 

After our rainforest hike, we enjoyed a late afternoon lunch of Dourado fish, mandioca and other interesting local delicacies. 

Big river!

The river fluctuates by 45 feet during the year due to the rainy season and snow run-off in the Andes. 

Outboard motor problems!  Thank goodness we were’t “up the creek without a paddle.” The boat owner called his son on the radio to have him come out with another boat to pick us. 

Sunset over the Amazon

Water levels are still falling (June - November) so many trees are still in the water.

Our little aluminum river boat with motor problems. 

Back into Macapá port. All is swell that ends well!

Papa's Visits to Potential Wheelchair Partners in “Pretty Rocks” and Juazeiro (9/30/18)

While mom was holding down our hotel room in Petrolina, I also visited two “potential partners” in the region. Both look promising in that they are the only resources to help people in the interior SW region of Pernambuco and NW region of Bahia.

There is so much need in the interior regions of the states in Northeastern Brazil!

We tell the “sea star” story a lot. We may not be able to make a difference in the lives of all the sea stars that need help, but working with partners in the communities, we can help a lot more than either of us could alone.

There is a similar story we heard when in the Amazon last month. There was a large forest fire that was causing animals to flee the jungle. One little hummingbird would fly to the river, fill his small beak with water . He would then fly to the fire and spray his water.

All of the jungle animals made fun of him. They said “You are so small. You can’t make a difference.” The little hummingbird replied, “Perhaps, but at least I’m doing my part.”

Of course, in Papa’s version of the story, all of the large birds of the jungle joined together and followed the hummingbird’s example. They may not have stopped the forest fire, but they prevented it from spreading to their homes in the rest of the forest.

The moral of the story is that if we work together to do our little part in our family and communities we can make a big difference.

 Lastly, I visited a community day-care center (run by a private foundation) in Petrolina that takes care of 500 poor children (ranging in age from “new born” to 12-years old) each day so that their parent or parents can work. The parents pay R$5 per day (US$1.25), if they are able. 

Children arrive at 7:00 am and are picked-up by 7:00 pm. The children receive breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. They also go to pre-school and school there and receive medical care.

The foundation was started by a wonderful woman. It is staffed by a group of women teachers and women volunteers. Where would this world be without those female “angels” among us?

I love the quote beneath the sign: It reads: “A pessimist sits down and feels sorry for them self. A optimist gets up and acts.”

Nice example of faith!

Class of 1 year-olds.

I’m sure glad dads in the Handerdum Clan have employment that allows their wives to magnify their eternal stewardships! There is nothing more important for children and society than having a mom and dad in the home.

Gma and I are very blessed by our children, wonderful daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, grand pets and, especially, our darling grandchildren!

Luv,
Papa