"A Nation on the Move" and life at the "CTM"

ELDER HOLLAND VISITS SAO PAULO

Chatting in a park in Sao Paulo~

http://www.lds.org/church/news/elder-holland-reports-brazil-is-a-nation-on-the-move?lang=eng
                                                       



On Thursday, August 21 Elder Holland came to our MTC  to speak to the missionaries.

Everyone here calls it the CTM -  pronounced "c t emee" because that's how they say the letter "M"
There are about 300 missionaries here now.   We were invited to this devotional because we work each Sunday here.   Craig is a counselor in the Presidency of one of the English branches.
It was an amazing event.  In Salt Lake we take these things for granted and forget what a blessing it is to be in the same room as an apostle.   Sister Swenson is the wife of the CTM president and she spoke briefly at first, of how we rejoice in Christ.  amen.

We entered the building and all the missionaries were in their seats.   As we waited for Elder Holland to arrive we watched Bible videos in Portuguese ? maybe Spanish.  We have many missionaries from other South and Central American
countries so Spanish is an option but all of them will be serving in Brazil so they are learning Portuguese.      It wasn't long before the apostle entered the room as we stood.  The missionaries were instructed to line up for headphones if needed and to shake hands with Elder Holland.   We were hoping to be included in that line but there were too many people.  Then there was a indescribably beautiful choir number by all the missionaries in Portuguese.  Come Thou Fount.  Love that hymn.

The meeting was mostly in English as some very skilled translator spoke the Brazilian language.  It's impressive when they can do that and keep up without any pauses.  I thought maybe the talk had been "sent ahead" but it became obvious that he was speaking without a "written out talk."

President Claudio Costa

Before Elder Holland spoke, we heard from Pres. Costa and his wife.  He is the Area President for Brazil.  Sis Costa told of  how she kept the letters from her missionary sons and copied all the "spiritual parts" and put them in a book to give to the boys when they returned home.  Fabulous idea!  Another fun missionary mom idea is to put notes in your son's luggage, scriptures, socks, etc to be found later to surprise, encourage and lift up your missionary.   Pres. Costa told his amazing conversion story.  Short story is, he met the missionaries when he was 12.  Later when he was living in another city, his family was baptized.  As a young adult in his 20's he read about Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon and prayed for about 14 hours straight.  He approached the missionaries and wanted to be baptized immediately.  They persuaded him to wait 2 days so he could be "taught" and then he was baptized!

Elder Holland spoke of Pres. Faust and his love for Brazil.  His wife says he was a different man with a different personality when he was in Brazil.   He is known to say that there are 2 kinds of missionaries, those who serve in Brazil and those who wish they did.  :)   This is his native country, spiritually speaking.  He was reborn there as a citizen in the kingdom of God.  

Elder Holland spoke of how he received life-long blessings from serving his mission in England.

He got kind of funny, encouraging the elders and sisters to "go out and talk to the Brasileiros!  You know the gospel and they don't!   They don't know ANYTHNG - they are still weeping about the World Cup!  They need our plan of happiness."

Being there gave me the "chills" but not from the AC which is usually what happens.
      They really crank it up for the Elders in their suits!
All three of us were so grateful to be included in this event.  An amazing spiritual highlight.
Thank you Elder Holland!

This is inside the entrance to the CTM.  It used to be in a building next to the temple but it quickly became too small.  About 1993 they opened this new one. Capacity now is 600-700.  It takes 30-40 minutes to drive there on a Sunday morning.  The first weeks we carpooled with other couples.  Then our first week to drive, Craig had "checked out" a car and parked it at our apartment.   Sunday morning it appeared our battery was dead.  Luckily someone else hadn't left yet and jumped the battery and we were on our way.  After the meetings, it wouldn't start again!  No one else around except the Oversons who had come with us.  After some discussion, we're grateful that Clay remembered that in these cars, you must put your foot on the brake to start it!   Just another weird thing we didn't know.  :)

The following few weeks we drove by ourselves, using "Tom Tom" gps.  It is the most annoying system we have ever used?heard.  She says strange things that we choose to ignore or change and now 3 weeks in a row we have been, not exactly lost but definitely taking the     l   o   n   g    way!  During Sac. meeting we were sitting in the back, Craig looking at his gps/phone.  It was quiet, I think during the sacrament.  Then suddenly the girl from the phone says "Turn around when possible."  All the Elders turned around!  Such prompt obedience!  And listening to the still small voice to "find another path".   Craig blushed and quickly turned our girl to OFF.   We understand there is another, better system that we probably need to experiment with.  Or go back to carpooling with someone who knows the way. ;)



Our normal "block" is the standard 3 hours but we always have extra meetings and lunch, so we are gone usually about 7 hours.  Lunch is such a welcome relief and the Brasilian food is  always delicious, at least to me.  No Sunday cooking or cleanup for me :)  A genuine Sabbath day.

This is Elder Tata da Silva.  Before he entered the CTM he lived here with his family in Sao Paulo.  He attended the English classes that we have been helping with on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  One day he brought his guitar to class and played while the teacher, Cookie sang A Child's Prayer in English for the other students.  Most of them are not members of the church.   There were more than a few tears by the end of the song.   Tata brought a sweet spirit into the room.  The following week I was not there but I learned that  he had been set apart as a missionary and was wearing his suit.  He seriously lit up the room as he came in.  He was so excited.  Then the next week, there he was at the CTM,  ready to serve.   He stays only 12 days because he already knows Portuguese!

Working at the CTM is a wonderful blessing.  

Almost every week, I see my husband weep as he fills with the spirit. 

 Randy, in the past would rarely sing hymns and often sleep in Sunday meetings.  

Now he is singing from his Portuguese hymnbook and is alert and engaged. 

When we were at the Provo MTC, our good friends John and Jan Kirkham (going as legal counsel to Ghana) were there with us.  They had not met Randy before.  

On the 2nd day she told me that she had felt his spirit and said a prayer in his behalf. 

 That touched me so deeply, she was so sweet and sincere. 

We see the miracle of the gift of tongues every week.  We have come from finding challenges in our opportunities to finding opportunities in our challenges.

We learned a definition of a missionary:

Someone who leaves their family for a short time 

to help others find theirs for eternity.

This is helping me keep things in perspective

 and try not to miss my children and grandchildren so much.