Missionary Meeting, Wedding and RS Party Prep

March 20  Friday

This morning, I was finally able to confirm that there is a wedding on Saturday night.  Camila apologized for not contacting me - the Relief Society would like me to do flowers for the bride.  I will need to go flower shopping when we go to Gramado this morning.

It was an interesting site as we walked into the church this morning to find the missionaries blowing up balloons.  I thought they might be throwing a party for Elder Cooper who will be returning home to Tooele, UT, next week.  It turned out that they were helping Sister Copa with her decorations for the Relief Society birthday party tomorrow.  They had a lot of hot air to share!


Elders (back row) Cerrano, Oliveira, Ribeira,
Floriani, Piccini, Gallardo, Cooper. 
Front row: Silva, Rodriquez, Neves

After the meeting, we all met in the cultural hall to set up tables and chairs for the party.  "Brunch/refreshments" today were deviled eggs, chocolate Dauper cookie sandwiches with peanut butter centers, and sliced bananas and apples.  It doesn't matter what is brought to eat, everything is gone before we leave. 






Elder Cooper has only been in Canela for two months, but he will be greatly missed.  He was so willing to help us with our Portuguese and was able to give us better insight into how the church and society as a whole in Brazil works.  Every day we appreciate more and more the missionaries and their unique ability touch so many lives. 

Last time together

Missionaries use the  terms that they are born (the day they arrive) and they die (when they go home)in the mission field.  Today was a graphic display of a death. 

Merl and I went flower shopping after the meeting - Merl's favorite thing to do (actually he was very helpful and supportive).  The store I found good bridal flower last time had a sign that said "Volto Logo" (I will return shortly).  We waited and then crossed the street to the 'National' store to find real lasagna noodles - and we were successful.  But no one had returned to the flower shop.  Being under a tight schedule, we went to another shop and found some flowers that would work - totally different than what I had envisioned doing, but workable.  We also stopped at the Emporium (our favorite bead store) to get ribbon and string beads.

Within the last week, Gramado has turned into an Easter wonderland (Feliz Pascoa).  I started taking pictures of the decorations around the city and soon my battery was dead. . . will return next week for more photos. 

 We went back to the bus station, stopping at the Colonial Bakery to purchase a couple of pãozinhos (cheese rolls) and loaves of moranga and uva cuca (cake bread).  Time to head for home!

After getting off the bus, we stopped at the fruiteria to pick up vegetables for the vegetarian lasagna Ann and I had signed up to make for the RS birthday party.  Merl and I had quite a load to carry home.  We expected David and Ann to already be home, but they were not.

I immediately started working on the flowers, saving a rose for a boutonniere for the groom.  We have not met the couple who are getting married.  The missionaries have been working with the family - they need to get married before the mother can be baptized.  I hope she likes the bouquet.

David and Ann returned with a story of their exciting day (not).  

Later in the evening it was time to start preparing the lasagna for tomorrow.  I boiled the noodles and started preparing the vegetables.  Then Ann and I got to work - we made three pans, two to take to church and one to leave home for the guys to cook for their lunch on Saturday.  All three were different using combinations of summer squash, eggplant, fresh basil, spicy kale, mushrooms, onions, red peppers, garlic, tomatoes, three types of cheese, and sauce.  Hope they are good!  We put them in the refrigerator overnight to cook early on Saturday morning. 

We got to bed late again tonight - and we have a crazy, busy day ahead of us tomorrow.