Missionary Zone Conference, A Little Shopping

March 27  Friday

Today is Zone Missionary Conference - there are now 16 Elders we will be meeting with in Gramado.  Merl and I left the apartment in time to stop at the Fruiteria to pickup up apples and bananas to go with the after-meeting refreshments.  Currently, we have one senior couple (Copas) and two senior couples helping where we can ( the Egberts).  Ann did not go to the meeting today - still home sick in bed.

Elder Gallardo, Chili                               


14 of the 16 - Gramado Elders had to leave early
Back row:  ?, ?, Alva, ?, Christiansen, Sheridan, Rodriquez, ?,  Oliveira, Gallardo
Front: Santos, Viana, Janickyj, Cerrano

Elder Alva, Mexico                       
Elder T. Santos, Brazil
Elder Viana, Brazil
Elder Oliveira, Brazil
Elder Janickyj, England
Elder Rodrquez, Equador
Elder Sheridan, Utah
Elder Cerrano, Argentina
Elder Floriani, Brazil
Elder W Silva, Brazil
Elder Alves, Brazil
Elder T. Lima, Brazil
Elder Gomez, Brazil
Elder Christiansen, Washington
Elder Lopez, Brazil



Strange "Harry Potter" type
of cactus

Sheepskin covers for chairs at
outside eateries

After the meeting, we walked to the Colonial Bakery and each had a pãozinha. Merl then caught the bus back to Canela to meet with Camila to go over his talk. 

David visited with an attendant at the bus station about purchasing our bus tickets to Florinopolis.  After spending half an hour there, starting to complete forms, we found that we needed our passports to complete the process.  We were told we could get the tickets in Canela - so we will try that.  Time is running out before we make the trip - hope there is still room on the bus for us.

We then went to the vinyl lettering shop to get a few letter corrections to complete a plaque.  They were closed for the long lunch hour, so we walked around some new streets and saw some new things. 


 We stopped by a sidewalk stand where they were selling a variety of little Easter crafts.   I purchased two decorated eggs - which entitled me to fill out two entries to win a tour of the Holy Land. (Ann filed out three entries on her recent trip to Gramado.)

25 loaves can fit in each oven after
the flames turn to coals

We returned to our original destination to order the new letters, and stopped back back the Colonial Bakery before catching the bus.  We bought some more pãozinhas, a loaf of morango kuchen, and a loaf of our favorite bread.  Then we were on our way home.

A little later, I went to the photo shop to pick up missionary picture for the new member bulletin board.  I did a little grocery shopping for fixings for lunch for the missionaries on Saturday.  On the bus ride back to Canela, we noticed that the Pasqauo Feliz bazaar was open - along with the Colonial bakery.  Since I was already out and about, I stopped by the bazaar to check it out.  Similar booths to the Christmas bazaar were set up.  I bought a big jar of strawberry jam from a vendor inside and a pastel from the bakery.  I think I need to bring the others back tomorrow.

Ann was up and feeling better - I arrived home to a big pot of chicken noodle soup (minus the noodles - she forgot).  It was warm and tasty - fall is definitely in the air with cooler temperatures and more humidity.  After eating, Merl and David went home teaching - out walking "miles" in the dark.  Fortunately, Clovis brought them home tonight.

Ann and I had been working on some necklaces and had the table covered with our supplies.  We had tried and tried to get the lid of the new jar of jam with no success.  Yay - Merl got it off and fixed thick slices of our new bread with our new jam - and fed it to us. . . our hands were busy.

You won't have to ask me why I didn't return home skinny with all the walking we do. . .