Unexpected awesomeness.

Now Grace and Miles are sick with fevers.  We will get them to the doctor tomorrow.  Hopefully they won't be as bad as Abby.

I planned to stay a little after church for the baptism of Mateus.  Earlier this week I gave him a white church shirt and a scripture bag.  I am really grateful I had something I could share.  (And I hope that Oliver and either Felix or Miles don't notice that they have a couple less things.)  Then I talked Oliver and Abby into staying so he could have a little more support from the Primary.  But right before the baptism I learned some very special things.  Mateus is the nephew of Alteide (aul-tee-dee).  Alteide is a really nice seventeen year old boy that is the only member of his family.

Several months ago I offered to help him with his English, but it didn't really work out.  It was during the summer and honestly too hot to sit outside on the street for an English lesson.  So it just didn't happen.  But today he asked again if I could help him, and of course I said yes.  I really want to do anything I can to help anyone have a better life here.  Then I learned that Alteide was going to be able to baptize his nephew.  That is something so special.  Not only will he have another member of his family at church with him, but he will be able to use the Aaronic Priesthood too.  This is a really great kid.  Today he reminded me of Helaman's Stripling Warriors.  He has such pure faith in the midst of great adversity.  He really is an amazing example.  And it turns out he has been learning the Army of Helaman primary song in English with YouTube.  Awesome.

The baptism itself was just amazing.  Poor guys the water was cold again (like it was with Oliver).  But you really couldn't tell from the way they looked.  Alteide did the Baptism Prayer just perfectly.  And did everything so well.  Heaven really felt so close!  While they were still standing in the water, Alteide gave Mateus the biggest hug! (I have seen a lot of hugs in Brazil, and this by far was the best!)  Afterwards Oliver said that he wanted to baptized again.  He wanted to go under the water again and have the same amazing feeling inside that he had when he was baptized.

It turns out that Alteide can only do English on Sunday, so we invited him and Mateus over to our house of lunch and English class.  It is neat to think that Mateus has joined our church family and in a way has become part of our family too.  He is such a sweet kid.  He comes from a very humble street in a humble part of town, but he shared the M&Ms that I gave him as a present to everyone there at the baptism.  I really wanted him to have a little something special but instead of saving it for himself he gave it all away.  That is awesome.

Mateus played.  I helped with English.  Jamison grilled.  We ate.  After lunch Alteide and Jamison helped tune my berimbau. 

And gave my first lesson on how to play it.  It was awesome. I am really not very good at all or at least not as good as I thought I would be, it only has two notes!   I just really don't have the coordination yet (like rubbing your tummy and patting your head.)  I had to hold a rock with my left hand, while holding the instrument with my left hand too, play a stick with my right hand, and then move the whole thing close to my stomach and then away whenever I put the rock on the wire string. How could such a simple instrument be so complicated.  But I will get it.  If you want to watch me doing something that I am no good at click here.  If you want to see how it is actually supposed to be done click here.  (PS, random youtube video)

Also a funny note.  Mateus brought out a tambourine and was asking Alteide about it.  I didn't understand all his words but he said, "what's wrong with this.  It is missing the top."  Here they use a drum like top with the sides of a tambourine (see a visual here )
He didn't know how to play it.  "You just tap the sides," I advised. 

I thought it was awesome we saw a capoeira demonstration yesterday at the school, and today I got a berimbau lesson.  And since I don't do soccer anymore maybe it is time to give capoeira a try.  


(I told Alteide that his name is too hard to say and that we should just call him Brandon (after a workout video he likes.) Alteide even has a nickname, but that is too hard too, Pitico.  When I tried to say it everyone laughed because I called him an appetizer.  Maybe he should change his nickname too.) 

Anyway, back to the title.  We didn't expect any of these awesome spiritual and cultural experiences today.  But it made for an awesome day.