Sunday

January 18  Sunday

After a restless night's sleep, Merl and I got ready for our trip to Cisco - almost felt like going to the firing squad.  Sister Copa picked us up a little after 8:00 am - in addition to being a senior missionary, she is the District Relief Society president.  She was heading our way for the day and offered to take us.  Otherwise, we would have been on an earlier bus to get their on time.

We arrived shortly before 9:00 and found just a few people there.  I found the primary room, and there were a few children (criancas) and one Primary counselor.  Presidente Marcos arrived a little after 9:00, and Indiane brought a keyboard from home to use in the Primary.  Usually they use a tape recorder to play the songs for the children to sing.  I was able to play the songs today -a first for the children.  There is one electronic piano in the chapel.  The Primary president arrived and started the meeting.  Children gradually filled the room - 19 in all.  After showing the President a photo of the bulletin board Ann is doing in Canela, she was excited to do something similar in this branch.  (We had previously found a bulletin board in a storage closet that we hope to mount in the primary room.)  I took pictures of each of the children - some quite reluctant, but when I showed them what we were going to do, they were willing. 

After two hours with the Primary, we went to the chapel for Sacrament meeting.  I was asked to play the piano for the meeting - and Ann had asked me to do a special musical number.  As the time came closer to when Merl and I were to speak, I became more nervous - take a deep breath is all I could think of.  I "read" my talk which included introducing ourselves to the branch and then a talk on the importance of the names we had been given by our parents.  This lead to the discussion of the importance of the name we had taken upon ourselves when we were baptized - and how we are representing this name.  Afterwards, I was told that everyone could understand me and appreciated my comments.

Merl:   There were supposed to be only three speakers, but Presidente Borba from the Mission Presidency came and sat down next to me up on the stand.  I turned to him and asked if he was going to be a speaker.  He said yes. "How much time do you need?" "Five to Twenty minutes - take the time you need and give me a little at the end."  So now - four speakers.  I quickly cut part of my talk.  I was prepared to do that because High Council speakers never know how much time they will have after other talks.  It was unusually warm on the stand! I just about took my coat off to cool off. Miraculously, I cooled off after my talk.  I think I only slipped up on a few words and I was even able to look up a time or two during my talk which was entitled, "From My Youth I Have Known."
Remember, most of the members here have been members less than one year.  I explained how I obtained my testimony from my own prayer, study, and experiences; and from the training of my parents.  I exhorted the youth to follow this pattern and the parents to have prayer and study in their homes.  After I sat down, Pres. Borba said that all my words were understandable. He stood up and told these good saints that they were the pioneers of this branch, etc.; and I don't know what else he said because he spoke in Portuguese.

The missionaries had two baptisms after Sacrament meeting - one of the girls had been in Primary earlier that day.  I will hopefully add a pictures and names after I hear back from Elder Ribeiro.

Presidente Marcos called a meeting after the baptisms for all organization heads, the missionaries, Sister Copa, and Merl and me.  He plans to hold these meetings after every Sacrament meeting as well as a Priestood leadership meeting on Tuesday evenings in Canela.  He discussed the need to recover all the members (new and old), and assigned each person someone to contact during the week to invite them to church.  Sister Copa then drove us back to Canela where D&A had been waiting for us for lunch (3:00 pm).  We ate the last pan of lasagna from the freezer and quickly made a green salad.  The kiwi jello I had made the night before had still not set up - so we put it in the freezer and later ate frozen jello with kiwi and banana. 

Skyped with April and Brian and went to bed after 1:00 am.  These time zone differences keep us up late!  Off exploring again tomorrow.