Great Old Friends

This entry may not make much sense to you- depending on who you are. I’ll give you the moral up front: It’s great to get to see people you loved long ago.

As many of you know, I lived in Brazil twice before coming here. The more resent time I lived in Rio do Janeiro. The first time, however, I lived here for almost 2 years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My guess is that most people’s reaction to missionaries is that you either love ‘em or you hate ‘em. Most of the population would most likely fall into the latter category.

At times, as a missionary, you knock on a door of a house and the door is actually answered (and not slammed in your face). These cases are relatively rare, but the point of the work these missionaries do. The luckiest of these missionaries, finding a few people during these two years who are looking for what you have. In the very rarest of cases, they actually find you.

I was one of these “luckiest”. Carmelinha stopped my companion and I one day as we walked down the street. She wanted to know about our church. She and her two boys eventually joined- and not long thereafter I was sent to work in a new city. It was 2 years before I heard from them; this time her son Cassiano was leaving to be a missionary just like I had been.

Fast forward to yesterday when my wife and I hopped in the car and drove the 4 hrs to their small town. We checked into the hotel and went to find them, not knowing anything about what had happened in the last 7 years. Carmelinha answerer the gate and when I asked if she recognized me she said my last name. She did! Cassiano was called and quickly appeared with his wife and two year old daughter. We spent a wonderful evening with them, and had it not been for a fussy baby, would have probably stayed until late in the night.

I can’t express how wonderful it is to reunite with people to whom you gave such a valued gift. There is a bond that is indescribable. I truly felt blessed. Here are a few pics from our trip.