Lunch and Dinner - Brazilian Style

December 20 - Saturday

Yesterday wiped us out! We were responsible for our own breakfast if we wanted anything to eat.  We had a lunch invitation with the family of Gilmar and Andrea dos Santos.  They live up and beyond where the church is – on the other side of the mountain (at least a mile).   It was hot and sunny so I lathered on the sunscreen.  Doesn’t help with the heat exposure, though.  We found Gilmar, Pres. Anderson, and Wilson (a young man living with the family) loading a truck with bricks and grills to take up to the church.  Tonight is the Hortencia Branch Christmas party, and they will be having barbeque chicken.  Ann and I are to bring rice. (Hortencia is the name of the Canela branch.)

We had lunch consisting of what they called pancake carne (a crepe with shredded beef), black beans, rice with sliced beef and vegetables, and a potato/beef stew (their gaucho dish).  This is a typical meal here.  We had a treat of homemade sorvete with chocolate sauce.  The family that was there consisted of Gilmar, Andrea, their daughter Sabrina, and granddaughter Isabelle.  Isabelle was ill, and her grandfather and David gave her a blessing. . . it works just like at home.
It was really hot walking home, and we took a different route.  I felt like we were walking in circles trying to keep “our landmark” (the catholic cathedral) in view.  It kept changing directions.  We finally reached a street that was familiar.  After arriving home, I took a cold shower to cool off.  The men took a nap while Ann and I worked on the rice dish for tonight.

Ann and I went to the church early to practice a number for the program; and I ended up spearing chicken legs onto the spits for the barbeque.  I had never seen so much chicken in one place (200 galinha) – the whole little kitchen at the church was full of marinating chicken.  Janice (pronounced Janeesee) had been working at the church for several hours preparing the chicken.  She is the hardest working, most devoted person I have met in a long time.  She was working alone, so I helped her spear the chicken onto the swords (that’s what they looked like to me).  We were able to communicate pretty well with her little bit of English and my little bit of Portuguese – and some sign language. 

 Merl got involved with hauling the chicken to the grills on the bottom level – fortunately he found the elevator which made it easier.  He also helped with cooking (cozinhando) and had a good time with Clovis and Darci (the newly baptized member).  They got rained on while working in the heat and smoke.  The dinner was supposed to start at 6:30 – and as is typically Brazilian, I think we were eating around 8:30.  Lots of rice and chicken and a couple of salads to feed about 120 people.  Desserts (the best part) were brought out about 10:30.  They were gone in a moment.

 Pres. Anderson handed out wrapped gifts to each of the children, much to their delight. We took the tables and chairs down, swept and mopped the tile floor, and set the chairs back up for Sacrament meeting the next day.  The chapel and cultural hall are all one multi-purpose room on the second floor of the church.  Home again about midnight and to bed.