Shopping (11/18/17)

Went to Praca da Republica (to find "tribal friendship bracelets" for the teenage girls) and then to the Feira (for weekly fruit & vegetable shopping). My senior companion took full advantage of her "Idoso" mass transit pass. Not only is she in a seat reserved for old or pregnant women, the seat is also reserved for people with poor sight and their dog. I guess that makes me her dog (cao). 

Three Months in Brazil: "Break Time!" (11/17/17)

Three months after our first move to Brazil, in 1976, your mom slipped on the tile walk-way in front of our house.  When I arrived home late in the evening from the office, Shannon and Shayne were waiting behind the security grate of our front window saying that “Mommy broke something.”

Thinking “Mommy” had broken our new stereo system (which was irreplaceable at the time in Brazil), I ran around to the back door and let myself in.  I then rushed into the living room where your mom was laying on the couch with tears in her eyes.  Without thinking, I asked (in a not very kind voice), “You broke what?”  

My heart softened when learned what had happened.  (To be honest, though, I was relieved that the stereo was okay). 

Well, three months after arriving in São Paulo for our mission assignment, your mom decided it was again “Break Time!” This time it was her right pinky finger due to a “trip” (pun intended) to the ritzy Eldorado Mall with one of her senior missionary friends. 

Your mom slipped on an uneven sidewalk walking down the hill in front of our apartment to the bus stop.  To stop her fall, she instinctively grabbed onto a metal fence, which held onto her pinky as she fell. (Are you feeling any vicarious pain yet?)

What would a male do in a similar situation?  Most of us would cancel our initial plans and seek pain-soothing medical attention. 

What did your mom do?  She improvised a splint and continued on to the Mall!  (Obviously, shopping is the analgesic of choice for much of the female gender.)

When she finally got back to the office, and I finished up a work assignment, I took her to the Leforte Hospital just around the corner from our home.  (Leforte is a well-respected, private French-Canadian hospital.)

The diagnosis: X-Ray clearly showed “full-displacement fracture,” just above the middle knuckle her right pinky finger. The “displacement” feature explains the weird angle the finger was pointing when I first saw it.  (Any vicarious pain yet?)

I used my somewhat rusty natural childbirth skills to help your mom breathe through the pain of the doctor manipulating the finger back into position. (Pant, pant, blow guys, the story is almost done.) 

Ryan, do you remember having your leg set after breaking the growth plate while skateboarding?  Well, at least your mom was given a local anesthesia to numb the finger, and the doctor warned her of what was coming next.  She didn’t jump nearly as high as you did when the bone was set!

The bottom line:  In a splint and sling for six-weeks until the bone repairs itself.  Goes to a hand-specialist in two weeks at Albert Einstein Hospital (where Bex was born and Shannon had her appendix removed). 

Follow-up x-ray after the finger was set, showed perfect alignment.  Surgery “shouldn’t be necessary.”

Lessons learned?  

1) Keep the “trips” to the Mall to a minimum during a mission. 

2) Two-left hands (mine and your mom’s) don’t make a “right.”

3) “On the other hand” (pun also intended), the injury could have been a lot worse.

4) Don’t move back to Brazil a third time.  It could really be a “pain in the neck!”

Luv,

Papa

P.S. Photos to follow: (Now you’ll feel the pain!)

All’s “swell” that ends well!

CLARIFICATION FROM GRANDMA: Hey, Dad's letter needs correcting!  I slipped on the stairs in front of our house... and broke my leg...I forgot one stair!  And, my finger is broken at the base of my finger... right above the knuckle joint! More clarification for you!:  I really wasn't smiling much!!  I didn't try to grab the fence... my finger just caught it as I fell...I didn't hit the ground, my friend stopped the fall by grabbing me. I had to put my finger back in line... it was gross!

AND, I continued on to the mall because I promised a friend I would go with her to pick something up... because another friend was taking it to her kids in Provo that afternoon.

So, that is my 2 cents, just so you know!!!

Grandma's "Weekly" Letter (11/16/17)

Hello all!

Wow, we are finally home and settled in again.  What a wonderful month we have had!  Going back to mid Oct. with our 2 weeks of  wheelchair training, then heading to North Dakota for Logan´s baptism and Janey´s first birthday.... and then Ryan´s arrival and visit in São Paulo.  It was so nice seeing so many of you while we were home...it was a special trip!  We definitely love our family!

We had fun showing Ryan around.  We drove around, showing him where he was born, the temple, the church where he was blessed.  We went to Embu for fun shopping, to Pico de Jaragua (the highest peak that overlooks the city),  the street market to stock up on fruits and veggies, the bread store and the meat market. We even took him to our grocery store, so he could see that things really are pretty comfortable for us here.  He even slept well on our hard guest bed!  We went to our ward for church and he was able to meet a few of our friends!  Great visit!  He was only with us for the weekend so we packed a lot in.  We dropped him off at his hotel on Sunday night.

We are back at the office going through our ¨In box¨.  Dad is super busy putting out fires!  

Monday we got a surprise treat... Elder Rasband was here and met with the people in the Area Office.  He opened things up for questions.  Some good questions were thrown out.  One man (We knew 40 years ago) had lost his handicapped adult son a few months ago and he wanted to know why it had to hurt so much.  He and his wife have really been mourning.  They received comforting words and reassurances.  He basically said we all CHOSE to come to earth, knowing it wasn´t going to be easy and we still came and withTemple ordinances we will always be together.  Another question was from a young bishop, the father of 3 young kids who asked how he could do everything he needed to do. ...What was most important.  Great advice... his family comes first!  Everything else will fall into place.  He shook hands with each of us as we left. A nice spirit was there.

Wednesday was Independence day here, so I stayed home to ¨Spring clean!¨  Dad went into the office... he didn´t stay too long because the air was off and the lights wouldn´t stay on!  Dad found season 11 of Heartland, sooo we have been enjoying that at night.  

Love you all very much...it was so good to see so many of you...just the medicine we needed!   

Big Hugs!!

Papa and Gma

"If you want good things in your life, you have to put them there!"

Temple

Here is the view from the peak of the city.... but you kind of have to blow it up to see how massive it is!  

The market

Brazilian bidets aren't nearly as fancy as Becky's!

Os Idosos (11/10/17)

Brasil e tao bom para os idosos!

Note the sign above my new police friend Renato. There is a special parking place for us "idosos" at the Congonhas airport. Yes, those of us "over 60" are treated with kind & loving respect in the land of Becky's and Ryan's birth. People here know how bumpy the roads are to get to the hospital. That alone qualifies even "Young Senior Adults" (like your mom) for parking and bus privileges! Now, if your mom can just find Ryan in the airport, we'll be in good shape.

Logan's Baptism & Trip to North Dakota (10/31/17-11/8/17)

Here are a few pictures from Grandma & Papa's trip to Bismarck for Logan's baptism:

Logan loves his cousins!

Logan is the last one of the Hansen kids to get baptized!

So fun to be together!

The famous baptism ladder!

Janey celebrated her first birthday!

We had to visit Salem Sue.

The milking didn't go so well though.

Gorgeous sunset!

Enjoying our grandpuppy and the beautiful view!

Selfie at the Indian Slant Village

The mounds at the village

Getting in a few "chin ups" to get our blood flowing in the cold weather!

We had to get a picture of the Missouri River.

With Addi and Taegan at the Cultural Center

Traveling back to Brazil in style on Delta One. Thanks, Becky! 

Humanitarian Services (10/27/17)

“It is not okay to do good works to be seen, but it is okay to be seen doing good works.”  (Elder Devin Cornish, Caribbean Area Presidency, April 2014)

Humanitarian Services approves projects to help the poor & needy, and reduce misery.  The focus is always on the people being helped and the partner organizations that support our efforts.  

Opening doors and/or establishing relationships with political leaders is never a factor in approving humanitarian projects. In fact, every effort is made to minimize the Church’s public profile in projects. 

Public Affairs, on the other hand, focuses exclusively on opening doors and establishing strategic relationships with influencers.  Their goal is the “let the light of the Church shine.”

Although opening doors and establishing strategic relationships not an objective of Humanitarian Service initiatives, it is natural bi-product of projects.  

The bottom-line is that both Welfare Services and Public contribute to “bringing the Church out of obscurity” and helping the Lord “hasten His work.”

The wheelchair project we just completed is an excellent example of indirect benefits of Humanitarian Services (see newspaper article and photos below).

Luv Papa 

Our APRAESPI Brazil World Health Organization Wheelchair Training Project team (L to R): Brian McCollugh (Occupational Therapist & former Brazilian missionary-Ogden UT); Marcia & John Dow (HQ Wheelchair Specialists for SE Africa & Brazil-San Diego, CA); Jennifer Terry (Physical Therapist & former Brazilian missionary-Highland, UT); Elder & Sister Anderson (Humanitarian Specialists & Brazil Wheelchair Project Coordinators-Sandy, UT)

More Garden Project Pictures from Papa (10/26 & 10/27/17)

Our Praia Grande Garden Project - Cassio Nascimento, Project Champion (Project Leader).

Cassio's garden

Cassio's wife, Rosani, and 6 yr old daughter Heloisa. Carrot held by daughter was first one harvested. Beautiful, humble family being blessed for their faith and hard work.

Sandwich with lettuce and cucumbers from garden.

Heloisa in her school uniform