Best Friends and Neighbors Abandon Us 8(

 Oversons Start Packing!   waaah......

They are a unique missionary couple.
 They served a year in Salt Lake while waiting for their visas.

She studied the language and when they got here she could actually speak Portuguese!
She truly had the gift of tongues.  Inspiring~

 They extended so they could be here for a year.  

They were the neighborhood "over-achievers"!  

Up at 6 to go to the gym, work all day at the PEF and Self-Reliance office.  

Taught 8 English classes a week!  Some until 9:00pm. 

Then entertained the rest of us on P-days.  Went to the mall often to catch a movie.  

Every where we went, he was giving away candy to random bus drivers, security guards etc.

and she was slipping pass-along-cards to strangers.

Then they did our 6-7 hour block on Sunday at the CTM.

Tough act to follow!

heading back to St. John's, AZ

 perhaps a little "trunky"?

 final FHE at the "Greasy Spoon"

SOME LAST TIME ACTIVITIES

 dinner at Piemonte with 2 girls from UT, church employees, 

former Brazil missionaries,  traveling here in Brazil

This center couple are the Camargos, true Brazilian LDS pioneers

He spoke to our FHE group about the history of the church in Brazil.
He told of when the Sao Paulo Temple opened in 1978.  It was the first temple in South America.
He and his wife became ordinance workers and their shift was from 10pm-4am!
The demand was very great!
The announcement of the blacks to receive the priesthood was an "unbelievable miracle".
Most black members never expected this to happen.  They had not dared to hope.
After this event, the first black man to serve a mission was from Brazil.
And then his father, a Brazilian, became the first black general authority.  Helvecio Martins.
The presentation was extremely interesting.
And they are the cutest couple ever!

They lived in Utah many years ago, close to where Craig lived as a child.

Bro. Camargo's son was one of Craig's elementary school friends.

Small church world!

Most interesting market so far - Oversons know them all

Mercado Municipal - it's on the "Things You Must See/Do in Sao Paulo" list

 gummy lovers paradise!!

 view from upper level

some beautiful stained glass in the upper windows

 this guy had a fun bubble machine

street entertainment~

cute little singer

Cookie is far left, then Sis. Avila
(Eliane now - since she and her Dr. husband are no longer missionaries)

She invited us as her friends to her new apartment just a few blocks away, for lunch 

and to say goodbye to our dear Cookie Overson.

There's also Gloria Swensen and Maria Schioser

 The  Stasevkas also live not too far away and wanted to host another farewell dinner.  

They are Brazilian friends from the CTM.

They serve in a Portuguese branch.
He is also employed as an engineer with the church.
She now attends my English Conversation class.

Cookie wanted to visit the Sao Paulo stadium before she left so
Lelia Stasevskas drove us there and walked us around.

mural on an inside wall

play areas for active children

they can ride inside this "soccer ball" out onto the track area

So now Oversons are gone.
We were very fortunate that we arrived in time to get acquainted.
 I can't even imagine coming here and not having their support.
They were our guardian angels.
 It's very quiet here now on the third floor.  

(except when I turn on the liquidificador (blender)!)

We have to learn to create our own adventures 

and try to "pay it forward" to the new seniors now arriving.

Thankfully we have found 2 other couples who like to play "5 Crowns"!
The Kwais and the Zauggs.  A fun game to play and you can speak English or Portuguese
and still know what's going on :)

This is the photo she sent after arriving home.
They are at the temple with their children and one granddaughter
who has her mission call to serve in December in BRAZIL!
Hope she gets her visa on time~
It's such a blessing to attend the temple with family.
Clay and Cookie are very happy to be home.