I have been meaning to blog but I have been up to a lot. Time is just passing by. The guys who are doing the exchange program in Florianopolis came to visit us and went to the Cristo Redentor again and Copacabana. I never cease to be amazed by the grandeur of that beautiful statue. I love how Christ’s arms are open to all. The following day we hiked Urca again and saw so many monkeys. We also went to Ipanema where I made the mistake of going too far out into the ocean. Thank goodness for the lifeguards! That was a great life lesson!
The guys were heading back to Sao Paulo for the week and I decided to go with them, since I didn't have class. We took a six hour night bus ride to Sao Paulo. That was the first time I had been there since I had been a missionary. We saw a beautiful cathedral and got to watch a service. I love the tradition of Catholicism, and I wish I knew more. We walked on Avenida Paulista where I had proselyted as a young missionary in the MTC. We took a train through several favelas to get to Jundaï, and from there we picked up and taken to Lorena’s house.
I knew Lorena in the MTC and she met the boys in Florianopolis where she goes to school. She and her family were so amazing and it felt so good to hang out with a Brazilian family again. I must admit that it felt good when they slipped and called me Sister, I even learned how to make feijao(beans). We went to a giant young single adult dance. I ran into a lot of friends and companions from my mission. I got to see Sister Hilaria Britos who came to be one of my best friends. It was so fun to catch up! We even got to stop by the temple to take a picture.
I spent the weekend in the capital of Sao Paulo where I went to a beautiful park and saw some of the coolest trees ever andthen church, it is always so good to know that wherever you go the church is the same. All in all, a great trip!
