Bispo Durado

Before we moved here we had heard so many things about the bishop of our soon to be new ward. Trae's family loved him and his family and were always talking about the bispo (bee-spo) which is bishop in portuguese, so naturally we were excited to meet him. Trae and i went to a ward activity the day after we arrived and found out for ourselves why everyone loved the bishop so much. he was full of it. a complete character that you couldn't help but love to be around. We invited him and his family over for FHE the monday after we arrived and spent an entire evening with them. i knew he was pretty special when i saw how much Avery loved him. I've never seen Avery act the way she did around him except for with my dad. she loved him. he cuddled with her, played games with, sang to her. she was completely in her element around him and simply preferred to be with him, even over me sometimes.

That weekend we took a little excursion to Gravata with the bishop and his family and one other family from the area. He and ave were pals the whole weekend. As nutty as he sometimes was, he constantly made us laugh and made us feel so welcome and needed in Brasil. I could tell that it was the beginning of a wonderful relationship with this man.

Yesterday we were finishing up lunch when my father-in-law got a shocking phone call telling us that the bishop had passed away from sudden heart complications. Just like that. One ward activity, two sundays, and one weekend get-away with this man is all i know. My heart breaks for his sweet family and the grief they are experiencing.

I dont know or fully understand why some experience such great trials in life, except that our Heavenly knows us individually. He knows what we are capable of handling, and most importantly I know that He will be there with us through every trial we are handed. He loves each of us and wants us to find happiness in this life even amid our daily trials and challenges.

Elder Russell M. Nelson explained that "Death is a necessary component of our eternal existence. No one knows when it will come, but it is essential to God's great plan of happiness. Thanks to the Atonement of the Lord, eventual resurrection is a reality and eterenal life is a possibility for all humankind.... Now is the time to prepare. Then, when death comes, we can move toward the celestial glory that Heavenly Father has prepared for His faithful chidren. Meanwhile, sorrowing loved ones left behind -- such as our family and me -- the sting of death is soothed by a steadfast faith in Christ, a perfect brighness of hope, a love of God and of all men, and a deep desire to serve them. That faith, that hope, that love will qualify us to come into God's holy presence and, with our eternal companions and families, dwell with Him forever."

While there is very little i can say to comfort this family, I am reminded how grateful I am for the Plan of Happiness and for the knowledge that we can live with our families again after this life.

adjusting

well, we survived our first week here. i'm still wrapping my mind around the fact that this is my new home. this place is not even remotely like my other home. for now, we live on the beach, on the 11th floor of a sky scraper apartment building, next to the miles and miles of other sky scrapers, with 4 million(+) people, all of whom i can not understand a lick of what they are sayin. i just might be a little claustrophobic from it all.

however, it's exciting to think that the next year or so will be full of so many new adventures.

like, coloring my mother-in-laws hair because she doesn't trust/ know anyone here to do it.

or realizing that if you sit on a glass table it will indeed break into pieces.

or figuring out how the people 11 floors below us walking on the street can hear Avery say 'hi' to them 55 times a day.

or my favorite, enjoying simple days on the beach.

I miss home like crazy most days (okay, lets be honest, every single day). This 'new home' is so far from what i'm used to and comfortable with, and it will surely take some time getting used to, but i'm pretty sure we are gonna be just fine here.

whirlwind

(dont mind the raggedy-ann look we're sportin, it was a long day)

oh my, what a few days it has been. pleased to say that we made it safely to brasil. i should have known better than to freak out about how avery would do on the enormously long plane flight. she did amazing. seriously never cried once, didnt ever ask to walk around in the isles, and slept practically through the night on our red-eye flight.

but my goodness it is another world down here. so many people, so hot, and so abslolutely crazy. if i make it out of here with out some crazy brazilian driver hitting me i'll be lucky... (just kidding mom, we'll be safe). i'm quite sure i can get used the living right on the beach though. we're gonna be just fine here.

it was not near as bad saying good-bye to my family as i had imagined. probably because i knew what it is really like having had my in-laws living here for the the past few months, and plus, i'll be home in august, but i can not wait for august to come.

wish me luck.