Tuesday, February 14, 2006



Valentine’s Day in Brazil isn’t until June, and even then it’s called “Significant Other’s Day” (or literally translated, Boyfriend/girlfriend Day). I was talking with a friend from home and she helped me realize that Valentine’s Day is much more than that, in the U.S. It’s a day to share your love with everyone, not just your boyfriend/girlfriend. Or in other words, Valentine’s Day gets everyone to spend their money, while the other is only for those who are dating or married.

Though it wasn’t Valentine’s Day here, that doesn’t mean love wasn’t in the air. On my way home from the day’s activities I saw quite a funny scene: at the corner of two cross streets was a teenage couple pretty into their make-out session. Only two park benches away was a homeless man sleeping (bless his soul). Maybe you just had to be there.

The real excitement for today came about 3:00 pm when Humberto, our director from Porto Alegre came to visit us at the SRE. It was a nice visit, a short visit.

Humberto was a little short on time, so he invited us to take a taxi with him to the airport in Florianópolis where he treated us to a good lunch and some dessert.

By 6 pm we took a taxi back to São José, and on the way the taxi driver dropped me off at ‘Ella Hair Company’, a saloon where a member of the church, Eliane, invited us to get our haircut. It was my first time getting cut at a true hair saloon, and quite a nice experience.

As soon as I got home I got into a shirt and tie and went to visit my home teaching companion, Pedro Pimentel. We didn’t have any visits marked, so I just hung out with his family and got to know them. Awesome family; less than a year ago Pedro and Elizeth got married and them and a few of their children were baptized. At home, live three kids, a 13-year-old son, and two little girls, both adorable. Just for fun I showed them a few ‘magic’ tricks that all missionaries learn.

Jenna, Pedro told me that about 10 years ago their house used was where the missionaries lived. It is a house a few blocks in front of the São José chapel, in the fundos of the yard - there are a few houses in the yard. Do you remember where you lived?