Churrasco and Tubing in Morretes

The Gerhardt Pereira family from Paranagua invited us to join them and a few other families from their ward to a cookout and tubing on one of the several rivers that pass through Morretes.  It was a drizzly day and a little cold but we had a grand time!  Imagine tubing through the Atlantic rainforest.  Not too bad!

Sausage and bananas grilling on the barby!

Dallin came back a little wet and cold.

Family Night with the Augusto Family

Tonight we spent an enjoyable evening with my first counselor and his family.  Lucas, the family's youngest child, made a wand for Dallin. He is quite the inventor.  Ollivander's has nothing on him!

Random Grocery Store Picture

This is Dallin at the grocery store.  I am not sure what the significance is of this picture but he is a good looking kid if I do say so myself.

Hospital Visits

Dallin and mom went to the hospital to visit Elder Brino who had his appendix removed today.  Our dear elder goes home in just over two weeks and this isn't the way any of us envisioned him finishing his mission.  He assures me that he will be out working in the next few days.  He is a great missionary.

FELIZ ANNIVERSARIO BONNIE!!!!!

Today we celebrated Bonnie's birthday by inviting several families from here in Curitiba over for family night.  It was very enjoyable.  We played games, laughed, ate cake and salgados and had a great time.  Abracos para todos!

Bonnie with our two favorite Brazilian girls, Luiza and Emily.  Bonnie loves the Brazilian families and their children.

Presidente Miled and Marli and Presidente and Sister Hepworth.

Dallin hanging out with William and Oliver Triumfo.

Bonnie opens presents with some help from Luiza and Emily.

Mini Tornado in Curitiba

Today is a holiday here in Brazil.  In the United States it is known as Mardi Gras but here it is Carnival, the day before Ash Wednesday for the Catholics.  Bonnie and I attended a zone meeting in the morning and then decided to take a walk in the park after lunch.  As we left to drive down the 5 blocks to the park we noticed a very strange, dark cloud rapidly moving in our direction.  2 blocks from the park we were hit with heavy rain, not real uncommon here, so we decided to continue on to the park and turn around.  As we reached the park the wind picked up and rain was falling horizontally. We turned around at the round about and began to see limbs and branches flying past us.  It was very difficult to see.  Cars were pulled over on the side of the road due to the lack of visibility.  We journeyed on picking our way through the downed foliage blocking traffic.  All of the stop lights were out due to trees down on the power lines.  We were only hit once by something falling.  It really gave us a scare.  Carefully but rapidly we made it back to the apartment and had to climb the 13 floors to our abode.  The storm left as rapidly as it came.  The sun came back out after 10 minutes so we decided to go back down to the park to see the results of the storm.  We bounded down the 13 floors again!  Awesome!  

The park was a disaster.  Trees and limbs down everywhere.  Here are a few of the pictures we took.  Curitibanos were out strolling in the park as if nothing had happened.

Click to Open: The sign reads "Attention: Street blocked on Sunday 2pm - 8pm." It should read Sundays and Holidays!

Click to Expand: Those are some serious roots!

Click to Expand: This tree fell on a building housing a car museum.

Bonnie found this one that took out a surveilance camera with it.

Click to Expand: Bonnie did her best to support this poor tree however in the end, it didn't make it.

RISE UP!  Well, maybe not that much.

Treetop...Gone!

A look of concern and pain! Our poor Parque Barigui.  OUCH CHARLIE!!

Bummer!

Looking back towards our apartment.

This little guy was still trying to escape the destruction.  I had to tell him that it was OK to return to his lake.

Blue skies and palm trees.

The homeless dogs in the park.

Willy Wonka's Chocolate River.

Araucarias!

This is the street where Silvana and Jefferson live.  We couldn't get down to their house.

DALLIN'S EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT IN BRAZIL

Sadly there is no way to rotate any of these...

Balaroti, Brazil's Home Depot.

Saturday's shopping cart full of preparation materials.

Yikes, original color of room.

Yup, starting off with a crazy green and a super dark blue!

Saturday's Workers! Left to Right, Top to Bottom:
Derek Cordon, Dallin Cordon, Osmar
Eduardo, Gabriela, Rafaella
(oh and Mom is taking the picture)

Patching up the walls.

Mowing the lawn Brazilian style!

Applying primer.

Cutting back the jungle grass

In case you were wondering, the snails here are HUGE!!

The picture doesn't give it justice. The thing's shell looks like something
you would find at the beach!! 

After the primer coat.

Kitchen is primed and ready for phase two.

Day one complete!

Monday!!

Our new team of workers! Left to Right, Back Row:
Elder Moody, Derek and Bonnie Cordon, Elders Miranda, Woodruff, Edgar, and Aguiar.
Front Row:
Elders Schmidt, Little, De Magalhães, Gabriel, and Oaks.

Go Cougars!!

Take that wall!!

Painting over the primer.

Painting the ceiling, watch your heads!

No more names on that wall!

Painting behind the closet...a little claustrophobic.

Now the termites can't come down through the ceiling!

Finished painting and ready to roll!