"I Had To Repent"

A little over two years ago we visited the town in the westernmost boundary of our mission for the first time. My opinion of the place was less than complimentary. As our plane landed on the small runway of what appeared to be a gas station and not an airport, I looked outside to view a landscape that seemed more like the African or Australian bush than the tropical landscape of Brazil. As I climbed down the ladder to deplane a blast of hot and dry air hit my face. Very hot.

View from window

The Airport

A lot of the streets in this town are mostly red dirt and very dusty. The town consists of a stream of cinderblock garage-like structures housing churrascos, (restaurants) beauty salons, pharmacies, and whatever other products or services one may need to live. The houses nestle in amongst these buildings with a few trees sprouting up in between.The town is ugly. Except for a few brightly colored houses the buildings are mostly red cinder block matching the dust and dirt that seem to cover everything

"What am I doing in this god-forsaken place?" I asked myself. Yep, you heard me right. I actually thought the words, "god-forsaken." I should be ashamed of myself, I know. And I am ashamed.I had to repent.

Not only did I soon discover that God has definitely not forsaken this place but He has in fact raised up a very precious group of saints here.

This past weekend we were there for a District Conference. We try to go at least twice a year. I usually dread the flight because the plane is smaller and the flight is bumpy. And those who know me well know that I do not like bumpy plane rides. (See Blog post: "I'm Not That Girl" to verify my fraidy cat status.)

If you want to know how turbulent a flight that I have been on was just ask to see the condition of David's arm or hand after the flight because he usually has the misfortune of being the one sitting next to me and I tend to grab the arm of the person next to me and I squeeze it with a strength in direct proportion to the amount of flight turbulence. David may have to have physical therapy after this last one. So, needless to say I dread getting to this place. I guess I could choose to stay home, but there's only one problem - I have grown to love the people there so much.

We have watched some of the strongest members of the Church that I will ever know grow from three small branches there into a District. In fact, we were there Sunday to put in a new District President.

We held the main meeting in the "garage" section of the rented building where Church is held.The meeting was packed. There were so many fans blasting hot air that the speakers had to anchor their papers to the pulpit with their elbows in order not to lose their notes. I held onto my talk for dear life because I didn't want to have to improvise in Portuguese. (see "recurring nightmare.") The temperature was so hot that at one point I wondered if we would all spontaneously combust and be taken up in a dusty red cloud into the next realm. But we managed to survive and the Spirit was strong.

Three young men opened up their mission calls which President Lisonbee had delivered to them on the spot during the meeting. That was a lot of fun! This District will soon have 10 missionaries serving! 

The three young men who opened their calls during the meeting and two sisters who already have their calls and will be leaving soon.

The Young Men and Women sang a beautiful rendition of Families Can Be Together Forever

At the home of the District President and his family with one of our converts. His son on the right had already changed out of his Sunday clothes when I said I wanted to take their picture. He ran into the other room to change back into his suit for the picture. Such a great family! The woman in the long skirt is a convert from a year ago. She is leaving a very lucrative job in order to serve a mission to Argentina in January. Someday I will have to share her amazing conversion story.  

The new District Presidency and their families

These two young men are brothers that have deeply touched our hearts. They are the only members in their family. They have been stalwarts in their branch and are preparing for missions. You may remember them from earlier blog posts. We gave him the tie tac two years ago and he always makes sure to let us see that he is wearing it.

On Saturday I did a training in the other building with this great group of sisters. We had a lot of fun realizing that sisters are the same all over the world when it comes to the things that challenge us and make us laugh as well.

Outside the "garage" where the Sunday meeting was held

A beautiful little girl in one of the Branches standing by the wall outside of the meeting house where our District Conference was held. This picture sums up for me the contrast between the people and the place. 

So yes, I had to repent of ever thinking of this as a "God-forsaken place." Is it hot? Yes, very. Is it ugly? Yes, well at least some of the parts of it that man has messed with. But when I think of it now I think of it as also being beautiful. Perhaps it is similar to how the people of Alma felt about the waters of Mormon where they first discovered the Lord and made a covenant with Him. I have come to see for myself that the Lord works diligently to bring forth precious fruit unto Himself even in the nethermost parts of His vineyard. How humbled I have been to be asked to labor in some small way by His side with these very special people.

"And it came to pass the the lord of the vineyard said unto his servant:Look hither, behold I have planted another branch of the tree also; and thou knows that the spot of ground was poorer than the first.But, behold the tree. I have nourished it this long time, and it hath brought forth much fruit; therefore, gather it, and lay it up against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine own self." (Jacob 5:22) 

A tree out in front of the Airport there.