Hello Family and Friends

Dear Family and Friends,

Hello from always warm and green and usually sunny Brazil.  We are in the rainy season right now which makes the heat a little more bearable.  

We had a wonderful holiday season spent with my family in Sao Paulo, friends and missionaries.  It still doesn't feel like Christmas though without children, grandchildren and sledding.

We celebrated the New Year here at home watching fireworks in all directions from our balcony and bitter-sweet feelings knowing it marked halfway for our mission.

Seems like everyday I'm more in love with this country and these people.(and the tropical fruit)  I've always loved our missionaries!

The work here continues.  It seems lately that everywhere we go people are contacting us!  People who once had missionaries and want them again and people who have questions.  We're always more than happy to send the missionaries to answer any questions they may have!  They are always so excited to find us and be able to talk to us.

Last week we had the privilege of speaking at EFY for the youth in our mission.  It was a huge gathering with so much enthusiasm and light!  One of the wards asked the missionaries for several copies of the Book of Mormon to give to the hotel employees where they were staying.  The future here in Brazil is in good hands!

Whenever we actually find time for a P-Day we love to go exploring.  We have discovered many beautiful waterfalls and breathtaking vistas!  Yesterday we discovered a tiny little town at the end of a dirt road that drove us through fields of sugar cane.  It was near the end of the Piracicaba River and is famous for the many birds that can be found there. It was absolutely charming and the people so warm and friendly,  We bought some fresh cheese and ate fried tilapia at a little hole in the wall by the river.  It was delightful!

BYW I'm sure our missionaries are the cutest, sweetest, and usually the most diligent that you'll find anywhere.  It is always so hard to see them go, but we're always blessed with a wonderful new army of warriors to take their place.

We love and miss you all and feel your prayers in our behalf.

Feel free to come visit!  We have room for you and would love to have more visitors!

Love,

Mom/Lissa/Vovo/Sister Bangerter 

We love our senior couples!

Delicious fresh fruit we eat every day 

 Just thought I'd throw that in there for fun.

 The sign from a place where we bought cheese

 Glad to know they're putting a limit on those things here in Brazil. Lol!

I love it when we connect with people our children taught on their missions!

Our beautiful Piracicaba River 

Our mission pin. Our Christmas gift this year. 

With family at christmas