What a week this has been! On Monday, I had a really full day, squeezing in a counseling appointment in every possible hour. The reason for the full day is that Tuesday morning I left for a flight to Salvador, Brazil, to present on mental health at a zone conference. One reason that I was looking forward to visiting Salvador is that my son Matt had served his mission here. My grandson Kaleb's wife, Lauren, had also served in this mission just a few years ago. I was excited to see the places that they had seen. I arrived at the mission home of the Salvador Mission (which used to be the Salvador South Mission until a couple of weeks ago) around 3 pm and had lunch with the missionaries receiving leadership training. It was so fun being with them.

The next day, I did my first presentation to one group of missionaries, and it went so well! I loved teaching them and they seemed to love learning about the things that they can do to take good care of themselves mentally and emotionally. I loved that it was in the Amaralinda Chapel, where Lauren said that she got a lot of her zone conference trainings. I loved sending her and Matt photos of Salvador and getting their comments back! Lauren also recognized the mission home photos and the views of Salvador.

 

 

In the afternoon, I was able to meet with a dear friend and his family. He was a former student of mine when I was a Pathway Missionary years ago. Daniel Eduardo and Daniela and their daughter Helena live not too far from Salvador and rode a bus all night to come to see me. It was so good to see them and meet them in person for the first time. We had dinner together on Wednesday night, which tasted wonderful, but we wonder if the appetizers were all right, since all the adults felt a little sick the next day.

On Thursday, I traveled to the Camaçari Chapel, about an hour from my hotel, and did another session of zone conference. I loved it again! Elder Cavina was my translator and he was such fun! I left the chapel after my presentation and got back to the hotel around 12:30.

 

Our driver, Bishop Ryan Gramosa, works for President Martins of the mission, and had a couple of hours to drive us to places in Salvador. I went only with Daniel because Daniela wasn’t feeling too well. I felt bad about that. I hated that she traveled to Salvador to see things and didn’t get to see them. Hopefully, Daniel can bring her back and show her all the things we got to see.

 

 

 First, we stopped at Salvador’s statue of Christ. While not as famous as the one in Rio de Janeiro, it is just as loved by the people of Salvador.

 

 

 

Then, we went to Farol da Barra (a lighthouse), which was built in 1839 and was part of the Forte Santo Antônio da Barra, the first fortress in Brazil. Begun in 1536, the fortress guarded Salvador from invasion by the sea for hundreds of years. Now, it sits in the midst of some beautiful beaches!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, we went to Elevador Lacerda, which is an elevator that takes people from the upper city to the lower  one, by the beach. It costs only R$0.15 (approximately 3 cents in American money) to ride, so it is cheap enough for everyone to use. The view from it is magnificent and there, I was able to fulfill a goal that I had had for almost 30 years! When Matt came home from his mission to Brazil, he brought us a painting of the women of Salvador (called Baianas), dressed in traditional dresses. On the second Thursday of January every year, they gather to wash the steps of the church of Nosso Senhor of Bonfim (Our Lord of Bonfim). I have loved that painting ever since we received it and I heard that there are women who still dress in that traditional dress at other times of the year. I wanted to find some and have my picture taken. And, at Elevador Lacerda, I was able to do it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last place we went was the old city, Pelourinho, to see the beautiful old buildings and browse some of the shops. We couldn’t stay long, because Daniel was starting to feel unwell, but what we saw was magnificent. I loved seeing the colorful old buildings, hearing the drums being played in the piazza, and just enjoying the feeling of excitement that was there. The best part was, with Daniel as my guide, I felt safe. Since he is Brazilian, fluent in Portuguese (of course!) and  male, I could relax. As I have said before, like with many other places in the world, it is hard to be a single female traveling. But this was a great experience for me!

 If you want a refreshing drink, you stop by a stand to get some fresh coconut water. They will cut the coconut right there for you!

The next day, it was back on a plane to São Paulo for me and back on a bus for Daniel, Daniela, and Helena. Thank goodness, they were all feeling well again!

On Saturday, I had many more counseling sessions to make up for my time gone to Salvador.

Then, today was church. I got to the chapel and there were no headphones waiting for me and no translator. We had had several missionary couples go home and I was the only one left who didn’t speak Portuguese. My friend, Bro. Torres, told me that I would have a “Translation Angel” to sit by me in the meetings, but that it was time for me to start speaking and hearing Portuguese! My Translation Angel in each meeting was a sister who was fluent in English, but she only helped me when I asked her for assistance with a phrase or the location of a scripture. Other than that, I was expected to get it! And I did (pretty much). I was proud of myself that I could understand so much. Our Relief Society President told me that she wants to speak better English, so we are going to meet for an hour each week and 30 minutes will be in English, while 30 minutes will be in Portuguese. I think the ward has taken me on as a project!

I also was able through Zoom to listen to the homecoming talks of two of the couples that recently went home. Their talks were excellent, and it was so good to hear them, but I could tell how much they missed Brazil and serving on a mission.  It made me much more determined to enjoy every day that I left to me here and not waste a day!

You don't have to know me very long to know that I love to travel - and this month, I was able to travel twice. The end of May, I went to Atlanta for a wedding and this week, I traveled to Vitória, Brazil for some mental health service. Both were amazing trips.

I was happy to go to Atlanta, not only for Liza's and Will's wedding, but also to be back in the USA. Liza is no longer Liza Cheek, but Liza Sears and they both seem so happy! It was also wonderful to see all the grandchildren in the "Atlanta Cheek" family. It seems odd to call them that, because half of them are in Utah now.

There was a lot of preparation to do, from cutting up fruit and making Cowboy Caviar (a bean and corn salad that is yummy!) to ironing 18 round tablecloths, 10 long tablecloths, a wedding dress and three bridesmaids' dresses, setting up the cultural hall and decorating it, picking up a cake, pies, cupcakes, and cake pops.

We were busy!! But everyone worked together with a lot of good cheer, and it make the work seem a lot easier! (I didn't realize how tired I was until I got back to my apartment in Brazil after everything was over and spent most of the next 24 hours resting!)

 

One fun thing we did was the grandkids and I went to Chick Fil A after the temple sealing. I told them it was a family tradition now (we had gone there before, after my granddaughter Rachel and her husband Will Martin were sealed)

 

Also, Susan told me about how she and her friends had won an award for their funny video of D&D Book of First Nephi. Here is a link to it if you want to see it:   https://youtu.be/DNWRMdcmY8c. It is really cute - but it was surprising to hear Susan's voice coming out of Father Lehi!

 

 

On Monday, May 29, I flew back to Brazil, and had 14 sisters and 3 elders on the same flight, going to the Brazilian MTC. Our plane was delayed 3 hours and they all just got out their Uno cards and played in circles on the floor in the waiting area. They were so enthusiastic about going to Brazil on their missions that it was like traveling with 17 puppies!

This week, I went to Vitória, and it is so beautiful, on the Atlantic coast, with ocean breezes and miles of beach (Praia da Costa). I saw almost no graffiti there, very few motorcycles and it seemed very safe. Motorcycles are not bad in themselves, but in São Paulo, many motorcyclists break the law, riding in between cars and running stoplights. Motorcycles also are used by thieves, grabbing phones or bags from pedestrians. When I don't see motorcyclists, I feel safer.

I had to leave for the airport at 5 am. It was hard to get up! By 9:30, I was at Vitória. Two STLs (Sister Training Leaders) met me at the airport. They were so nice! They showed me around Vitória and took me to a convent (Convento da Penha), which dates to 1558.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many Brazilians make pilgrimages there to be cured of illnesses and leave notes of thanks for being cured. It was nice for us that it was Dia dos Namorados (Valentine's Day) and there was a special mass to celebrate it. We got up to the top where the chapel is just as it was letting out and we could see the priest sprinkling people with holy water as they left. Across the chapel, the door was open, showing a beautiful view of the city. It was just a breathtaking scene. I wanted to take a picture, but thought it might not seem respectful, so I didn't.

Then we went to lunch and the sisters were excited to eat at - Burger King! (And later, for dinner, I got Pizza Hut). This food is missionary heaven - but just not what I was hoping for! They were so happy, though, that how could I say anything?

The next day, the missionaries waited with me at the airport to meet President and Sister Turner. I really wanted to meet them, as I had heard a voice message from President Turner and he had a North Carolina accent! I looked him up and found they were from Cary, North Carolina, only about an hour from where I went to college. When we met in the airport, I told them that I had gone to school at East Carolina in Greenville, and Sister Turner said, "I grew up in Greenville." I found out that she was the daughter of Lionel Kendrick, our branch president there - and that she had known Wayne when he lived there! It was such a tender mercy for me and for her! We both cried.

Lastly, this is a special month for the Utah Cheeks! There are five birthdays in one side of the family. I got each of them birthday cards but couldn't send them from Atlanta because it was Memorial Day, and the post office was closed. I sent them by pouch when I got back to Brazil - I hope they made it! It was fun also sending them e-cards to their email addresses and money by Venmo. I loved hearing about what they did with the money! 

I hope your June is beautiful. Next month, I will be able to go to Salvador, to present at a zone conference in the Salvador South Mission. It will be on mental health (of course) and I am excited to be preparing the presentation. I really like helping the missionaries to better take care of themselves.

p.s.  The elder that I told you about, the one who was so sick and nearly died, went home last week to a happy reunion with his family and friends. He will finish his mission locally as he recovers his strength. But you never saw such happy faces!

 

 

Today is game day in São Paulo! The mall is full of people getting food before the game (especially Carrefour, the grocery store). People selling shirts and flags are lining the streets and everyone seems to be dressed in red, white, and black (the colors of the São Paulo Futebol Clube. It is a professional soccer team that was started in 1930 and has a huge following. Three hours before the match, the main road nearby was already blocked to vehicles - pedestrians only. The match will start at 7:30 here, and even though I live a couple of miles away, I will hear the fans from my apartment (through the closed windows!). It is fun to see entire families, even multiple generations, all wearing their fan shirts and going to the game together.

I have done some fun things during the past two weeks:

I normally don't eat at street kiosks, but I did last week - I had a churro that was filled with doce de leite (caramel) with nuts on top! 

The other thing I did was to go to a place called LP Minerais do Brasil, which had so many beautiful rocks and minerals. They were from Brazil and around the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I particularly loved the birds made out of stones. They were beautiful. 

 

 

I got some stones and made myself a couple necklaces. It was a fun day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

They turned out to be very pretty necklaces! I am still enjoying helping missionaries, but the workload is easing somewhat and I am very thankful for that. I have a little more time to do fun things like making two necklaces! 

I hope things are going well for you and that you are enjoying coming out of that long winter. I heard that there is flooding in Utah. I hope everyone is safe. 

And I hope that all of you in other parts of the USA, Brazil,  and the UK are doing well. Please leave a comment!

p.s. It's still an hour to the game and I am already hearing the cheering coming from the soccer stadium! :)

One of the most beautiful places in Brazil is Iguasu Falls. It is Niagara Falls x 10! It can be seen from both the Brazilian and Argentine sides and its size is breathtaking!  In Portuguese, it is "Foz Iguaçu." "Iguaçu" is an indigenous word that means "the river that is as big as the sea" and "Foz" doesn't mean "Falls," - It means "Convergence" or "Joining."

April 27-29, I was able to visit there with some senior missionary friends - Elder and Sister Jackson, who are part of the medical team, Elder and Sister Blaser, who are part of the legal team, and Elder and Sister Ripplinger, who are part of the Visitor Center team. We stayed at the lovely (and expensive) Hotel Das Cataratas for two nights. It is right in the park and was built in 1925, with an effort to have the flavor of Portugal. It was so luxurious and old-fashioned that I felt I should be wearing a dress, a hat and gloves while I was there!

The first thing we did was take a whitewater boat ride up the river to the base of the falls on the Brazilian side. We got totally soaked, even with raincoats/ponchos on. One crazy family in the back of the boat kept yelling "More, more!" so the guide took us to the base of the falls three times!

Then, we went to a churrascaria (Brazilian Barbecue) and saw a show of all kinds of dances from thoughout South America. I have a five-minute synopsis of the dances if you would like to see them. You have to go to a link, though, because the file is too big to insert:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/vicDTATs3kmekzRo9

The next day, we went to the Argentine side of the falls. We went to the park visitor's center and rode a train to the falls. 

 

 

 

 

We saw the falls and got wet again, just from the spray!

 

 

 

As we were getting ready to leave the station to go back to the visitor's center, a coati came up to the car ahead of us. It looked so cute that the man petted it - and it jumped into his lap! He threw it off and it came back! He threw a bread crust far away so it would leave. When the bread crust hit the ground, about ten coatis appeared out of nowhere and started jumping on the train! Everyone was yelling, the coatis were fighting for the crust of bread and it was pure chaos! We pulled out and left them behind. There is a REASON the park people say not to feed them. Their bite is terrible and they can carry rabies!

We got back to the hotel and had a wonderful buffet dinner. Then, on our last day at Iguasu Falls, we went to the bird park and saw the most beautiful birds. 

 

 

 

 

Then it was back on the bus, the plane, and back to São Paulo. When I got home, I had a surprise birthday party that some friends gave me!

And the last thing - I know you are wondering how Elder Hodges is doing. He is doing great! He still has a tracheotomy, but they have something that he can close so he can talk. He is breathing on his own now and the trach is still in just as a precaution for a while. He is feeling better and optimistic about going home soon, so he can finish healing. It should still be at least two weeks before he can come back to the States, but he has definitely turned a corner.

Thank you for your birthday wishes, for the phone calls, the comments on my blog, and for the love you send me. I appreciate it so much!!

 

Hello everyone! I have had a lot of adventures this month and I am excited to share them with you.

April 4

Today, I helped a mom with her missionary son, who is in the hospital here in São Paulo. He is the one I asked you to pray for. He has been extremely sick with Dengue Fever. He also had a mild infection, which, because the white blood cells were wiped out by the Dengue, turned into gangrene and pneumonia. His lungs stopped working and he went into septic shock. The church paid for him to be flown down here, to Albert Einstein Hospital, which is one of the best in the world.

I taught her how to talk with him and give him suggestions of healing to his subconscious mind. She is happy to be able to do something. I also was happy to see her happiness as it affected him positively. I got an email from her, saying:

"[My son's] blood pressure monitor kept sounding, so I went over and talked to him about what a good job his body was doing regulating his blood pressure and it quit going off! And it has stayed off! You are seriously my favorite health care provider right now! Thank you so much! 

While I know that she would never trade me for one of those incredible doctors, it really makes me happy that I can help her. He is slowly getting better!

April 8

Well, it happened again today. I woke up just trashed from a difficult night's sleep. The last few days have been draining, and especially yesterday. . . I looked at my appointments for 9, 10, and 11 and wondered how I would be able to do anything worthwhile for those missionaries. But all three appointments were great! Heavenly Father helped me and carried me and enabled me to say just the right thing to help each one. It made me feel so good to see the light come on in their eyes as they caught hold of who they really are and how much Heavenly Father loves them! And the neat thing is that there is no pattern to it. I say different things every time, things that seem to be coming out of the blue.

The funny thing is that I have to start talking before it happens. The first few sentences I say don't really say very much - then I notice that I start saying something else and I see the missionaries start to pay really close attention to what I am saying. They start taking notes and writing things down. Sometimes, they say "That is exactly what is in my patriarchal blessing." And they start getting excited about the vision of their gifts, or their future, that they have caught.  I think about that scripture, "Open thy mouth and it shall be filled (Moses 6:32)."

April 10- 14

I have been in Goiânia. It is in the interior of Brazil, with wide open spaces and it looks like "Big Sky Country." I was there for zone conference, which I taught on Tuesday, Thursday, (and Friday morning on zoom for missionaries out in Uberlandia).

 

 

 

I also got to do fun things like help get the pizza for lunch on interview days. I taught three different types of classes, which I loved. The mission leaders told me the kinds of challenges they were having in the mission, and I created the classes to fit the needs. Lots of fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday morning, I counseled missionaries, but in the afternoon, Sister Hancock and I went for a drive of a couple hours out into the country. It was beautiful and green and reminded me some of the mountains of Virginia. And every evening, we watched Korean rom-coms together and talked and laughed. President Hancock thought we were crazy, but we had such fun!

April 20

Now I am back in Sao Paulo and back at work. I really missed the slower pace of life in Goiania, but I am happy to be able to help missionaries. 

Before I end, I would like to share a wonderful story that my friend, Sister Ingrid Jost, shared with me. As she works with BYU-Pathway, she got to see this first-hand:

She said that there was an American missionary in Brazil who was transferred home to a service mission. He wanted to continue serving in Brazil and volunteered to lead a group of EnglishConnect3 students for BYU-Pathway. But they didn't need anyone for EnglishConnect3 in BYU-Pathway for Brazil. So, he led a group in Africa for a semester. The next semester, he again asked to lead a group in Brazil. He was given the best time and day (8 pm on Thursdays), but no one signed up for his class. They wanted to be in the classes of other leaders, whom they already knew.

There was one mission, however, that was starting a new program, in which Brazilian missionaries would learn English. Again, no group leaders were needed - but the senior missionaries coordinating all the groups for the mission needed an assistant to help with all the groups. The assignment was given to him - and he found out that he was being assigned to his old mission, to help his old companions and friends in learning English. One more evidence of Heavenly Father's love! 

Have a wonderful week - and please leave comments!

Hello everyone,

Things are going much more smoothly here. I still have many of the same challenges, but I am learning how to deal with them in better ways. Here is a description of the last eleven days:

On March 15, I started the day with an emergency. I was able to help a missionary and I was happy about that. I was also very impressed at the loving way that the president helped him.

Right after that, I got an Uber and went to a chapel for a zone conference in the southern part of São Paulo. It took me nearly an hour to get there. I grabbed lunch at what was left of the buffet and taught a class on Limited Thinking (cognitive distortions) three times. I talked for 2 1/2 hours straight, then caught an Uber home. While I was in the Uber, I was in a Brazil Health Council meeting on zoom for 45 minutes. I got home around five and I was tired!

I watched a K-Drama (Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung) for a couple hours and then did a mild exercise video. I like watching K-dramas (Korean shows). They are fun, especially with the dialogue in Portuguese and the subtitles in English. I am actually starting to understand what they are saying in Portuguese!

March 16

Today was an amazing day. I woke up feeling trashed - I was so exhausted from yesterday - but I had two really good sessions with missionaries. In one of them, the missionary caught the vision for the first time of who he really is. A light came into his eyes that I had not seen before, and he just lit up! It was wonderful. Then I went back to the zone conference - it was an hour Uber ride there and 1 1/2 hours coming back. But I taught three more classes, and the missionaries asked such thoughtful and sincere questions. It was such a pleasure to teach them! They really wanted to know how to balance tasks, how to feel good about themselves, and other questions. I loved teaching them. I came home so tired and hot from the Uber ride that I had no energy to eat. Fortunately, I had felt prompted to make a protein smoothie this morning and I just drank that. I watched some more of the K Drama and I am going to bed. (I am also working with one of the mission presidents' wives to come up with a stretching workout for missionaries to help them to relax at night so they can sleep better). A really good day!

March 21

I had trouble sleeping last night. I woke up around 3 and was having trouble relaxing, so I took a walk - in my mind- I walked through the woods and meadows near Northampton that I had walked with Jack and Sarah last year, and I felt the tension just melt away as I looked at the fields and the woods full of bluebells. I was able to go back to sleep.

March 23

Today was a crying day - but they were good tears. I had the last session with a wonderful elder who is finishing his mission. I have worked with him off and on since last September. He had some real burdens to carry because of his family. He was such a humble, sincere young man that it was a pleasure to work with him. He was so intelligent that he asked wonderful questions that I could tell he had thought a lot about. He will finish his mission next week and I couldn't be prouder of him. Our session consisted of him asking questions and me helping him to find answers. It ended up with both us being tearful. But they were happy tears.

This afternoon, I got a message from Elder and Sister Jeffers, who are home from their mission and back in Las Vegas. I sent them a WhatsApp message and told them how much I missed her knocking on my door and giving me a hug! So, she sent me a little video – I loved it! It made me cry. But they were more good tears.

I also talked to Brittney today about my taxes - but mainly about the family and how everyone is doing. I really miss news from home. I love hearing about family! (I have also appreciated emails from Simon and Rachel, Zoom meetings with Joseph and Rosa, calls from Liza and Matt, and texts from Susan, too!) I appreciate hearing from you so much!

Saturday, I went to Embu des Artes ( a local artist colony about 30 minutes from where I am in São Paulo). I got an Uber, but the driver got confused and took me to a really sketchy part of town and told me that we had arrived. I tried to explain to him that this wasn't correct and finally got him to understand. I could tell that it was a lot further than he really wanted to go. When we got there, I asked him to wait and in 10 minutes, I would be back and would need a ride back home. I was only there to pick up a painting. He needed to be paid in cash for the ride back, because it wasn't going to be through Uber. So, after I got the painting, he brought me to Pão da Açúcar (A grocery store one block from my apartment) and I got some cash (It is safe to get cash there). I came out and paid him R$100 for a R$55 trip. He was so happy! It only cost me nine dollars, but I know it made a big difference to him. I love that with so little money, I can really make someone's day!

In the evening, Elder and Sister Blaser and I took a walk up to the "Monkey Park" where we got to see the little monkeys come down to eat. It was a great day, but I was SOO tired by bedtime!

 

 

 

 

Today, I sang in the Relief Society choir for Sacrament Meeting. Relief Society was nice, but I was probably more interested in just reading the talk that the lesson was based on than listening. My brain was tired of trying to understand Portuguese, so I just zoned out. After I had a wonderful salad for lunch, I took a three-hour nap and then had three zoom meetings in a row. At 4, I talked with Barbara and Mark Martin and Penny and Eldon Anderson, my friends from when I lived in Pennsylvania. Then at 5, we had a Brazilian Mental Health meeting, where I presented on some of the power point presentations we have been putting together for mental health therapists to use. Then, I talked with Lauren and Kaleb for nearly an hour. It was so good to hear from friends and family today!

Lastly, I had strawberry shortcake with the medical team, while we discussed the needs of an elder who is very sick with Dengue Fever. We are hoping that he won't die. All the senior missionaries are praying for him and we each have put his name on the prayer rolls- so he is being prayed for in temples all over the world. If you would add your prayers for “the elder in Brazil who is so sick from Dengue Fever” I would appreciate it!

It has been said that the person who benefits the most from a mission is the missionary himself/herself. I know that my mission is changing me a lot. I have had to give up things that I used to depend on, but that have been replaced by better things. I mentioned it just a little in my last blog, but the way mental health treatment is going to be done in Brazil is changing, to bring it more into line with Brazilian law. The laws here regarding mental health treatment are very strict and although we are considered “pastoral counselors,” not therapists, such a term doesn’t seem to exist here. So, my responsibilities are going to change – exactly how is still unclear, although there are some indications as to what they might be. This has been difficult for me, to feel in limbo. During the last six weeks, I have tried so hard to do meaningful work here in Brazil, only to hit dead end after dead end, I have been pretty frustrated and discouraged. But this has also been a time of great learning for me – learning about my weaknesses and how I need to improve and learning about my relationship with Heavenly Father.

Learning about my Weaknesses and My Strengths

Weaknesses I feel like I have come out of the discouragement that I have been in for the last six weeks, and I finally have realized what the problem is – I have felt like I had no future. Taking care of my parents in their last 12 years left me frightened of getting old and isolated.  And when the changes in mental health treatment came in Brazil, I felt like, “It’s starting. You are being cut off from the people you worked with and just given computer tasks to do. This is the first step to your becoming isolated and forgotten.” I tried to think of positive things in the future and couldn’t, for the first time in my life, think of a single positive thing to look forward to. I know this seems overblown, but it has been my greatest fear for several years and it felt like it was staring me in the face.

Then, after a lot of prayer, fasting, scripture study, and pondering, I realized that I have the power to create my future – to choose to be healthy and to become stronger, so I can have a good future life with many fun things to look forward to.

Strengths Even though my personal life has been rough, I am having wonderful experiences in talking to missionaries. It is amazing to me that I can listen to a missionary describing complicated problems and suddenly, I will know exactly what the problem is and what to say. I will see the missionary, who may be shaking or tense, settle down, relax, and start to smile. It is wonderful to see that change – and sometimes, I am not even sure what I said that made a difference. I know part of it is just listening. But something I said resonated with the missionary. What a blessing this is to me!

I am also enjoying working with a missionary in one of the missions who came up with a mental health topic, based on what he had seen me teach. He wanted to teach it at a zone conference, and I helped him create the presentation. Now he is teaching it and he is so excited that the missionaries are learning how to simplify their lives so they will enjoy their missions more. It was fun to listen to him when he returned from teaching the first time, and all went well!

My Relationship with my Heavenly Father I am learning to ask deeper questions. I am learning to ask Heavenly Father more often whether what I am doing is right, and whether I am doing not just the right things, but in the right way. I am also learning to ask Heavenly Father, “What do I need to focus on today?” and then listen to the answer.

Lastly, I am doing something new and special. I put together sections from blessings that I have received over the years (ones that I have access to because they have been written down and are available digitally) and then I started color-coding them.

• The color yellow highlights my characteristics. I read that when I feel down on myself and want to feel better.
• The color green is my relationship with Heavenly Father. I read the sections in that color and I feel loved.
• The color pink is for parts that talk about trials. I read that to help me understand how to deal with trials and to see all the trials that I have come through in the past.
• The color blue is about things that I need to do. I read that to check whether I have done them and to see if paying more attention to those things would help me now.
• The color orange is for promised blessings or blessings I have already received.

Doing this has helped me to see patterns of things that Heavenly Father has been telling me for years, and the different ways He has said these things. I also see counsel from the past that is even more applicable today than it was then. This is like inspiration, or scripture just for me- The Book of Cheryl. Reading it really helps me to have an eternal perspective and to realize that I am a daughter of God.

Lastly, here are some fun photos of a trip we made downtown last weekend to Farol Santander, a building that was patterned after the Empire State Building. Today, it houses Santana Bank headquarters and a museum.  I hope you can see from this video - São Paulo literally goes for miles. There will be a downtown are full of skyscrapers, then a group of lower buildings. Then in the distance, you can see other groups of skyscrapers! 

Here are some photos from the museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also went for Tex-Mex food (hard to find in São Paulo). They seated us right up front. I think Elder Blaser being a real cowboy was seen as good advertising for them!

 

 

 

And Easter is coming! These are chocolate Easter eggs, wrapped in pretty paper and hanging from the ceiling in a supermarket. A pretty sight!

 

 

 

One last thing! It rains every day here, which I am grateful for, because it lowers the temperature from around 90 degrees to 75 degrees. We are coming out of the heat of the summer and we are heading into fall now. Here is a video of the streets when it rains!

The last two weeks have been an interesting combination of highs and lows - but all missions have those, don't they? The lows that some potential changes in how mental health treatment is handled in Brazil may mean some changes in my responsibilities. It is hard to handle change sometimes, but I am doing my best to exercise faith and wait for good things to come.

On the positive side, I have had two really nice things happen during the past week. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Elder William Jackson of the Seventy visited São Paulo. He had a devotional with the missionaries of the São Paulo West Mission, which I was able to attend. And because he is over Missionary Medical and I am part of the medical team here, I was able to go to dinner with the team and Elder/Sister Jackson. That was nice. We also went to the MTC here (Called the CTM in Portuguese, Centro de Treinamento Missionário) the next day for lunch and another devotional. It was wonderful and spiritually uplifting.

But the nicest thing for me was that the Jacksons used to be in the 18th Ward, which was my ward when I lived in downtown Salt Lake City - and Sister Jackson looked at me and said, "I know you." I was so surprised that she remembered me when we had only met once, years ago. I had helped her with her computer when she was going to give a Relief Society lesson. She was so kind and warm and, while the physicians were talking with each other, we talked and walked some and just had a nice visit with each other. I enjoyed it so much, visiting with someone from my old ward. I think she did too, as they had moved out of the ward shortly after I did.

Another nice thing that happened is that for two days, I was able to go to Campos do Jordão, which is an incredibly beautiful place in the mountains, about a 3-hour drive from São Paulo. It is the highest point in Brazil, about 5500 feet above sea level. We left heat and humidity in São Paulo to find beautiful green forests with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Heaven!

We toured beautiful gardens, ate wonderful food and slept in quiet places far from the sounds of traffic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also saw wildlife that was new to us and ate lots of chocolate. 

 

 

 

 

 

We stayed at a bed and breakfast and our hostess was wonderful. It was so relaxing at the end of the day to sit around the fire and just talk. She spoke a little English and we all spoke varying levels of Portuguese (some fluently, some partially, some very little), but it was just fun. Now, I am back and São Paulo again, feeling more rested and ready for the new week. 

 

A few extra photos:

 

When I came back to Brazil, I had people who asked me if it was hard to come back. After being home, they wondered if I wanted to come back to the mission field. The answer is that it wasn't hard to come back- I really like it here and I like what I am doing. I loved being with friends and family at home and I miss them, but Brazil also feels like home to me. Here are some of the things I love about Brazil and about my mission:

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  Fresh squeezed orange juice - you squeeze it yourself! (And it costs only $2 for a bottle!)
• Really fresh fruits and vegetables - so fresh that you need to use the fruits in just a couple days, or they will go bad.
• Amazing mangos- sweet and delicious. Never one that is underripe or rotten.
• A lovely lady who cleans my apartment and cooks for me! She works only for the missionaries. She comes to my apartment on Tuesday afternoons from 1-5.  She is a really good cook and will cook up a week's worth of food in one afternoon. I feel so spoiled!
• Free transportation on the subway and the metro. You just have to show proof of being over 60. (Somehow, I never even have to show proof. I wonder why that is??)🙂
• People are so nice - if the bus or metro is crowded, someone will ALWAYS offer me a seat.
• Very supportive friends who are missionaries- especially my district leaders, who are very kind.
• I am doing something that really has meaning to me. For example, this week, I was in contact with an Area Mental Health Advisor in Mexico. He was referred to me by the person at church headquarters who is over Missionary Mental Health for the whole world. He contacted her, needing some audio-visual material on the Adjusting to Missionary Life Manual. He needs it to make presentations at zone conferences in different missions. I showed him what I had, which was a five week, one-hour a week workshop, but he needed something lasting 30 minutes. So, I created one for him and used my translation app to put it into Spanish. He still needs to have it checked by a native Spanish speaker, but it is done. It was such fun to do it and to stretch out of my comfort zone a little! My supervisor saw it and would like a copy in Portuguese. Things like this really give my life meaning!
• I am with a group of people who love to do fun things. Yesterday, we got a rotisserie chicken at a stand on the sidewalk, went to a Dinosaur restaurant and got lava cakes and I ended the day at a Lebanese restaurant! What a fun day!
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This holiday season, I was so blessed to be able to see so many family and friends. I traveled back to Utah and stayed with family for 12 days (Thank you Matt and Brittney!). I arrived on December 15 after a pleasant trip. I had Christmas presents for family members in my bags and a few clothes. In addition, I had a few presents other Senior Missionaries wanted me to take to the States for them. I was happy to do this, although it was a challenge to deal with two big (50 pound) suitcases, one regular suitcase, and one large bag! I arrived in Salt Lake around 11:30 am and Brittney got me at the airport. Since I was hungry, she asked me where I wanted to go and I chose Cafe Rio- I have missed that! It was wonderful!

December 16

I was able to use one of their cars to run errands. It was so great to be able to drive to the store, see what I wanted on the shelves, buy it, and drive it back home! I had a list of things that I wanted (my favorite brand of toothpaste, pump hair spray) and some things that other missionaries had requested that I bring back for them. I felt a little like Santa Claus, bringing presents! I also got my hair cut (hooray!). I hadn't gotten a good haircut in Brazil and my hair was looking pretty shaggy!

December 18

Today was a wonderful day. I went to two sacrament meetings- the first with Matt and Brittney in the early morning and then went to church with friends in my old ward. In the second sacrament meeting, we listened to Bishop England (our former bishop) and then the closing talk was President M. Russell Ballard (who is a member of the ward). He just gave what I call a "Grand Old Man" talk, where he just tells stories. Although the main point of his talk was that at Christmas, we need to remember that the Savior said, "Send me." We also need to remember all those two words entailed for Him. But he also told stories about having been a junior companion to LeGrand Richards for many years and being trained by him. He said that he has now been traveling for 48 years and has been to nearly every country in the world. One of the things he has learned is to work with translators who translated his words into many languages. He said that wherever he is, once he begins talking about the Savior Jesus Christ, a different spirit settles on the translator and on the congregation and there is more understanding.

December 19

My fiftieth wedding anniversary. I had thought that it might be a sad day, but it was a happy day! Yesterday, I had a zoom call with just my children (and their spouses) and me. With no grandkids there, it was a quieter call, just reminiscing and seeing how everyone is doing. The highlight for me was when Matt, Joseph, and Sarah said how happy they were to be in our family and to have Wayne and me as their parents. That meant so much to me!

Today, I had lunch with some famiy members and then, we had our traditional $10 night with other family members. On $10 night, we each get $10 to spend on soemone in the family whose name we choose out of a hat. It is a tradition we had had for over 40 years! We ended the day at a frozen yogurt place where we exchanged presents.  It was a really fun day that seemed full of love! (Thank you Matt and Brittney for organizing so many fun activities!

 

It has been a bit of an adjustment to the cold. It was 12 degrees outside!  And then the furnace went out and was out for four days! It took that long to get the needed part. During that time, the house was around 50-55 degrees. I was so cold- Matt and Brittney let me have one of the two space heaters they had, but it only heated about one foot out from the heater. I was dreaming of the warmth in Brazil!

Other fun things I did while in Utah-

• I also had lunch with Matt - we both love sushi, so of course, we had that. And talking with him is such a treat! He always is thinking outside the box, so a conversation with him is always full of new ideas and new ways of doing things.
• The whole South Jordan Cheek family went to an improv comedy club in Provo one night. I really liked that!
• I also had a dental appointment come up while I was there and so I got my teeth cleaned!
• I was able to exchange presents with the South Jordan Cheeks (Matt's and Brittney's family) on December 23 and Christmas Eve. I then exchanged presents with the Provo Cheeks at Joseph's and Rosa's new home on Christmas Day. I was so happy to give the gifts that I had collected for each person over the past two months. I searched to find just the right gift and I was so happy that they liked them!
• Lastly, I connected with some good friends. I didn't have time to see everyone I wanted to see, but I was so happy to see those I could.

I can't talk about going home without talking about the big event- the wedding! It is the reason that I was able to come home.

Simon and Kayla were married on December 21 and it was a wonderful day! All the family was there, with the exception of Sarah and Jack in the UK. Simon looked so happy, as did all the family. And Kayla and her family looked equally happy. I think Simon married into a very friendly and loving family. It was great to see nearly all of my family at Simon's wedding  It felt like a gift for my anniversary to see my family all together and happy.

 

 

 

The next day, some of the Atlanta Cheeks and I went to the Tree of Life (a favorite place of mine) and had an evening on Temple Square. There, another favorite thing happened! While Liza and Rachel toured the Tabernacle, Will and I sang along with a choir of sister missionaries on Temple Square. We sang Christmas Carols. It was wonderful to be singing among all the Christmas Lights in the evening in such a special place. I would rather sing than eat, or do almost anything else, so this was super special to me!

I started loading up the suitcases with things to bring back to  other missionaries in Brazil, like A&W root beer (yes, I did fit three bottles of A&W into my suitcase!), Stephen's Cocoa Mix, Ivory Soap , some games, some jigsaw puzzles . I also got a new telephone for me. It is a Google Pixel 7, supposed to be the best translating phone (to help me learn Portuguese).

My trip back to Brazil was rougher than the trip to Utah. I got as far as Miami all right, but then my flight was delayed 9 hours. It would have been all right if I had known at the beginning that it would be nine hours, but first it was two hours, then 6, then 7, then 8, and finally 9 hours. The good news was that it was a mechanical issue, so I could get a hotel voucher. The bad news is that all the hotels that were close were full and I had to get an Uber to one further out. (I hope to get reimbursed for that expense). Because I didn't know of all the delays, I thought I had to be heading back to the airport at 4 am. I was able to get one of the last three rooms in the hotel and could only sleep for 2 hours - but I was safe and not having to stay in the airport overnight by myself. I finally got home around 9 pm on December 27. It was a total of 27 hours of traveling. But my bags didn't get lost!

Then on December 28, I was visited by Silvio and Norma Guimarães and their children. We went to lunch at a really good Lebanese restaurant in São Paulo and had gelato afterwards. It was a wonderful afternoon, but I was really jet lagged!

 

 

 

December 31

I still am somewhat jet lagged today, but it is getting better. I found I had real problem with my legs from sitting too long- the insides of my ankles broke out in big red spots and bruises from lack of circulation, and my legs started swelling. The swelling is going down now and the red spots are fading. I am working hard to strengthen my leg muscles from now on. I will also take aspirin and wear compression stockings when on planes from now on. I hate to admit it, but I am getting older.

We went to a churrascaria (Brazilian Barbecue) this evening. Almost everything was closed for New Year’s Eve, so we were fortunate to have it open. But we arrived at seven and it didn’t open until 8. But silver-tongued Elder Muse got them to let us in early and we had the restaurant to ourselves! What a treat! A great way to end the year!

Happy 2023 to all of you!