Settling in Here

Well we have been here for a week and a half now.  We love it here in the Campinas area, and our apartment is just great.  We had a good rain storm yesterday in the late afternoon and the temperature dropped to 69 degrees.  The power went out twice but came back on after a few seconds each time.  We have been shopping here at Wal-mart and Sams Club and have been to 2 large shopping malls.  In a way it feels more like home than Manhattan.  We have a Magic Jack phone connected to our computer with a Logan, UT phone number.  The internet connection here is faster than in our home in Utah, so the quality of the phone connection is great.
Other missionaries who have cars, or sweet members, have taken us shopping when needed.  We haven't used the buses yet.  We went for a walk with some of the Brazillian senior couples around the temple grounds which are grand and had a fun time visiting with them on an informal basis.  The church owns the whole mountain on which the temple stands.  The temple hill is just across the street from the Notre Dame college and the area had that name because of the school.  Since the temple has been built, the area is now called Mt. Zion and not just by the members.  The address is  Rua James Esdras Foust 400.  It is really quite a bit of exercise to walk up that road on the left.

Our schedule is 8:00 to 3:00 Tues and Wed. and 2:30 to 9:30 on Thurs and Fri.  Saturday is 6:00 to Noon.  We have one meal in the temple at the cafeteria and breakfast at home each day.  Verae went on a session yesterday with the headphones in English but finished the session in Portuguese.  I am picking up the Portuguese faster than I expected.  President Oakes asked me how our first week was and I told him, much better than I expected.
Some of the Brazilian couples have asked us to teach an English class which we will be setting up.  We have been welcomed so warmly here.  I hope to be able to serve these wonderful people here and learn to have more generosity in my service.
We love you all
Elder and Sister Hansen