Candeias

Later that day we drove to Candeias, about a 40 minute drive from Salvador. Nate found us a driver through a friend of his who drove the missionaries around when he was there. Our driver was a member from Salvador who's currently serving as a bishop. He was fantastic. He and Nate talked church the whole way and Nate invited him in to all our stops (at our first stop he said, "just so you know, visitors are welcome" and he took us up on that). I loved seeing how excited he was to meet other members and how he fit right in everywhere we went. 

Candeias was amazing. That word is so overused these days, but it was amazing. The spirit was overwhelming when we walked into the building that's been converted into a church building. And as Nate introduced me to everyone and told me a little bit about their stories, we both were totally overwhelmed. (I needed kleenex in the worst way possible, but there wasn't any tissue or kleenex in the building.) The ward planned an activity that night for us and for another missionary that had just come home. Nate couldn't believe how much it has grown and what a strong priesthood presence there is now. When he left the area, there were several strong women, but hardly any priesthood. In both Salvador and Candeias we were able to see all the good that has happened in the last 20 years. We've always felt bad that it's taken us so long to return to his mission, but the passage of time allowed us to see the generational impact that has occurred in those years. Families have been sealed, new members raised their children in the church and sent them on missions. One of the members I met that night was a new member when Nate baptized his wife. He could barely read and now he is the bishop of the ward. It was so, so great. And once again, I was overwhelmed by how kind the people were. I wished I could have expressed to them how I was feeling. Hopefully they saw and felt what I couldn't express. 

 

Salvador

After Nate showed me around the city, we met up with his friend Carlos Andre, his son, and his mother (who I don't have any pictures of unfortunately). Nate baptized Carlos Andre. He then served a mission, was sealed in the temple, and is active in the church. Nate was so happy to see him again and to see how he has progressed in the gospel. Carlos Andre took us through a different part of the city to see their friend Fernando. Nate did not know we were going to see Fernando while we were there. Fernando is blind and Nate has not been able to keep in touch with him since the mission. Nate baptized him, but didn't have a lot of hope for him because he was blind and also because right before Nate left the area, Fernando told him his girlfriend was pregnant. Well, fast forward almost 20 years and Fernando is active in the church, has been through the temple, and his son (the one his girlfriend was pregnant with) is preparing for a mission. Their reunion was so sweet. Fernando said, "I didn't ever think I would see the missionary who baptized me again and here you are." It was such a great moment and one I will always remember. We took a picture of Nate by the little lunch stand because that was where he taught Fernando. It used to be a newspaper stand where Fernando sold newspapers. Nate always felt like he and his companion had a captive audience in Fernando mostly because he didn't have anywhere else to be. Little did they know what would become of him. Carlos Andre was his home teacher for a lot of years and stays in touch with him even though he has now moved out of the ward Fernando lives in. 

We then went to Carlos Andre's house. It was his son Pedro's birthday and his wife Rosa was preparing for his birthday party. I was blown away by all the food she had prepared in her tiny kitchen. And even though she had a lot to do, she was so gracious to have us over and feed us. Carlos Andre also showed Nate how to do Capoeira. It's an Afro-Brazilian martial art that Nate loved watching on his mission. Carlos Andre, Rosa, and Pedro were so nice and it was so great to meet them. I felt their love and tried to communicate mine. It was so evident what a miracle the gospel is and how it truly changes lives. Carlos Andre and his family do not have a lot, but I was so impressed with them and how grateful they are for what they have. It was a blessing for me to get to meet them and Fernando.

On our way home, we saw a group of guys playing dominos. We stopped and watched them for a few minutes so we could see them slam down their tiles just like Nate remembered from his mission. And finally, we went in the famous church by our hotel called the Sao Francisco Church and Convent of Salvador, or the "Golden Church." Everything inside, and I mean everything, was covered in gold. It was pretty incredible.  

Bahia

We arrived in Bahia after it was dark. Bahia is the state Nate served in and Salvador is the city he was called to. We stayed in Salvador and traveled to the outlying cities he served in from there. Salvador is incredible! The city is very old with a lot of history. There is a heavy Portuguese and African influence there as the Portuguese settled it and brought African Slaves there. Salvador was a major port for the slave trade. We stayed in the historical center of the city called the Pelourinho. The view out our window was awesome! I loved the colorful buildings, the churches, and the cobblestone streets. Nate showed me around the city the next morning after a really good breakfast at our hotel. Nate hadn't been back to Salvador since his mission and he was so excited to be there. I was equally excited to see the city and more importantly to see Nate so happy to be there again.