Our New April Missionaries Have Arrived!

We happily welcomed our new missionaries from 4 different countries to the Curitiba Mission today.  4 of them arrived after a very long flight from the United States and 9 came direct from the CTM in Sao Paulo.  We are very excited to have them here and know that they will work miracles amongst the great people of Parana. They are Elders Bestenlehner (Vernal, Utah, USA), Olmos Rios (Antofagasta, Chile), Batista (Maceio, Brasil), Jeppson (Sandy, Utah, USA), Rico (Chillan, Chile), Blanco (La Rioja, Argentina), K. Silva (Guarulhos, Sao Paulo, Brasil), Merrill (Grass Valley, California, USA), Ramos (Maceio, Brasil), V. Silva (Campina Grande, Paraiba, Brasil), Nilsen (Eugene, Oregon, USA), Young (Vernal, Utah, USA),  and Christensen (Parker, Colorado, USA).

April Departures, Part II

Today we said goodbye to 15 missionaries from 4 countries.  Two left this morning for Argentina and Uruguay. The rest left this afternoon after a lunch with us in the mission home.  We have grown to love each of them so much.  We will miss them terribly and look forward to hearing of their life adventures in the future. Pictured front row, left to right: Sister Miranda da Silva, Presidente & Sister Cordon, Sister Barbosa da Silva; Back row, left to right: Elders Reynoso, R. Smith, Cruz, Oliveira, Borges, Serrano, Bruce Fernandes, Joas Oliveira, Diamond, Brooksby, and Miranda.

(Click to see full picture)

Sister Cordon is sad to see these two dear Sisters, Miranda da Silva and Barbosa da Silva, leave.  They have fulfilled their calling and their families are anxious for their arrival.

Assistants, from front to back Elders Schmidt, Arriola, Gabriel, and Barkdull, rearrange the mission board in the mission home following the transfer meeting.  We have four assistants now in order to prepare for the mission division in July.

April 2013 Transfer Day, Part I

Today's departures started early as we had two Elders returning to other Latin American countries that had to catch flights before their counterparts.  Elders Palacio Ancheta (Uruguay) and Barrios Luna (Argentina) served well and will be missed.  It was great to have had them with us and learn from them. Hasta luego mis amigos y companeros!

Brazil Curitiba Mission Presidency

It is hard to express the great appreciation and admiration that I have for these two great men.  They have served very well as my counselors for the past year.  I will be forever grateful for their support and love.  Presidente Amaury Augusto, Presidente Cordon, Presidente Lustosa Araujo

The Final Interview - Elder Serrano

I had final interviews today with our Elders going home.  Elder Serrano asked to have his picture taken with the shovel used to break ground for the Curitiba Temple.  He is returning to New York City.

Sister Freitas, Get Better Soon!!

Sister Freitas left today due to a stress fracture in her foot.  We hope she is able to

recuperate quickly and return to the Lord's service.  She has been progressing so well

and we will miss her.  

New Missionary Training

Training for our new missionaries that arrived in March was held today in Portao.  It was great to get everyone back together again and review the things that they have been practicing so far in the field.  I usually try to pick just one picture to represent the event but I guess our missionaries ought to be able to download the ones they want.  

Assistants Training

Dear Sister Ecker from Fazenda Rio Grande, Estaca Jardim do Sol, stopped by to say hi to us and her trainer, Sister Milani.  She has submitted her papers and is awaiting her call to serve as a full time missionary of the Lord.  We can't wait to hear where she will serve.

Boqueirao Zone Conference

The President hits the big 50!  Today we spent the day at the Boqueirao stake center in a zone conference.  The zone leaders baked a cake for me.  It was a Betty Crocker cake mix that one of them had received from his mother.  AWESOME!!  (Elder Trevisanut, President Cordon, Elder Barkdull)

Ponta Grossa Zone Conference

Why is it that everytime we have a zone conference in Ponta Grossa it is a feast, spiritually and physically?  Irma Bernadette Virginia always make the best food for the missionaries.

Sunday Morning Breakfast before General Conference

We made waffles for the Hepworths and one of our former missionaries, Elder Eric Costa, who works at the MTC in Sao Paulo.  He returned for the weekend to visit former areas and see friends.  It has been great to see so many of our former missionaries recently.  The Hepworths are getting ready to head home to Idaho during the temple closure for cleaning.

Elder Costa with Presidente and Sister Cordon.  He is doing a great job of teaching our future missionaries at the CTM.

Our First Mission Reunion in Curitiba

This Friday night before General Conference we had our first mission reunion held here in Brasil.  It was great to be with Sisters Silva and De Jesus and Elders Andrade, de Jesus, and Fernandes.  They are all living again here in Curitiba.  Sisters Silva and de Jesus are the most recent to arrive back here in Curitiba.  We had a wonderful evening remembering the great times we had together.  OK, we really will miss our great young men and women.