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.

Sao Paulo

We spent a short 24 hours in Sao Paulo. We saw some cool cars we thought Josh would appreciate, had lunch at a really good place that I felt very undressed for (which is maybe one of the reasons why I look so awkward in the picture), and admired the view from our hotel room: buildings, buildings, and more buildings. I couldn't believe how big the city was! 

The highlight of Sao Paulo was meeting up with two of Nate's mission companions: Elder Lima and Elder Olivieda. Nate saw Elder Lima when he was in Brazil last year and was so happy to see him again. I was so happy too to meet him and his fiance Dany. Elder Olivieda and his wife Evelyn have come to Utah a couple of times and it was great to connect with them again. They were all so sweet to us and most of them spoke English which meant I could participate in the conversation without Nate having to translate everything for me. It was a really great night! The next day I went to the temple in Campinas while Nate was in meetings. I was hoping to go to the temple in Sao Paulo where Nate's mission president is the temple president, but the temple was closed and President and Sister Silva were visiting family in the states. So, Nate arranged for their driver to take me to Campinas about an hour away (2 hours in traffic). I was nervous about not being able to communicate with anyone and about getting back in time to catch our flight, but I was so glad I went. The driver was a little late picking me up, so I missed the only session I could've done and I missed the only sealer that works there, but I was able to do initiatory. A sweet temple worker who spoke English showed my around and took me where I needed to go. I've done initiatories enough that I was able to follow along. When I was done, I had lunch in the cafeteria (which was serving rice and beans--I love Brazilian rice and beans). As I sat there watching all the temple workers and patrons, I was so touched by how the church and temple work is the same anywhere in the world. I was so glad I was able to go! And even with the traffic, I made it back in time to meet Nate and catch our flight to Salvador.