Saturday, August 29, 1970

Today is the day of the biggest festa that has ever been seen in the Maceió Branch, the first annual (and possibly last) Feira Familiar. As one entered the front gate of the church, he was met by a money changer collecting entrance fees of Cr$3,00 per family or Cr$1,00 per person or Cr$0,50 for children. The next vital point was a ticket booth which sold ingressos of Cr$0,10 (100 beans) each to be used in the many booths.

Out in the garage we had a sponge throw, ring toss, fishpond, bottle throw, ball in the basket, dart throw, and ball in the mouth booths. The fishpond and bottle throw proved to be the most popular booths. Each of these booths was two ingressos each.

Inside we had the food booth, under direction of the Relief Society, selling popcorn, candy, hotdogs, punch, cookies, and cakes. Food is always popular. A marriage booth attracted what few teenagers showed up. A cakewalk and the quebra potes were both very popular. All the prizes won at the several booths and everything else we were trying to sell were featured in a general store, Lojas SUD. In every part the rooms of the church, the chapel excepted, were decorated. A carnival atmosphere was in the air.

Starting at 7:30 this morning we slipped over to the church to finish decorating and everything else incident to the fair’s opening at 3:00. How we ever made it I’ll never know, but we met the deadline and the doors opened on schedule. Afternoon traffic was slow. In the early evening almost everything stopped. All of a sudden, people showed up and we kept ourselves more than busy. Zezira showed up with the hotdogs at 7:00, not realizing that we were starting at 3:00. The festivities ran on until after 10:00 (and we had thought of stopping at 8:30).

The members at no point had ever caught on exactly the scale of this carnival we were planning. Hence, not as many people as we needed showed up. The purpose of all this was to raise money for an organ in an animating way. But some of the members did not realize money was involved and did not tell invited friends to come prepared. Without a doubt the fair was wholly animating.

The help we received from Elders Morrell and Prisbrey was invaluable. Never would the four of us survived without them. They leave tomorrow morning on the 6:00 Recife bus.

We collected Cr$463,00. Considering how many people attended, we must have wrung every penny out of them. That represents about Cr$230,00 profit. It if had not been for Aldo, the fair would have been a flop.

Friday, August 28, 1970

The entire week was spent in feverish and exhausting preparations for the carnival. Since Thursday was a holiday, we had a workday at the chapel for all the members. All day today was spent decorating.
Elders Prisbrey and Morrell arrived this evening from Recife to help us out tomorrow. We sure need them. Elder Camargo planned to come with Elder Prisbrey but could not because he works with MIA in Recife.

Elder Christensen conducted Monday’s district meeting. Fasting and prayer as missionary tools was the assigned theme.

Sunday, August 23, 1970

Today was a full and interesting day. Elder Smith and I left at 6:00 this morning for Recife. I went to attend a branch presidents meeting with the other leaders in the Pernambuco District. I also met with Elders Brinton, Ferrin, and Sarager in a planning meeting. The Recife Relief Society had a lunch prepared for us. We headed back at 1:00, reaching Maceió in time for choir practice. I had left Elder Blackham in charge of the branch during my absence. Edmilson taught the priesthood lesson this morning.

Last night at MIA we held a really sharp talent show with Pedro Maia as emcee. I didn’t realize we had so much talent in the branch. Alexandre and Betânia both sang with the guitar. Singing solos were David, Vitória, and Pedro Maia. Virginia played a piano solo. Nádia, Agamemnon, and Sônia participated in a jogral. Simone and Aida Santos gave poetry readings. Elder Smith played a trumpet solo with my accompaniment on the piano. With guitar, Elder Blackham sang some solos and a duet together with Elder John (Elder Christensen). The whole evening was animating. Attendance was very good.

Friday, August 21, 1970

A letter came today from Elder Brinton, the new zone leader in Recife. Elder Christiansen headed south together with Elders Dabbling, Carter, and Hironymous. Four new elders came north, including Elder Ferrin, who is the new district leader of the Recife District and also the teacher of the leadership course that will be given. Elder Morrell came from Fortaleza to be in Boa Viagem. He had been zone leader and branch president there. Those jobs are now divided among two elders. Elder Paige Jeffs is the new branch president.

Apolinário was feeling sick when we went by Tuesday evening. Yesterday Elders Blackham and Christensen went to check up on him. He was not home.

We have been working on preparations for the Feira Familiar the last few days. Elders Blackham and Christensen have bought some prizes, also Elder Blackham and I. At Aldo’s house we have been making quebra potes (piñatas) for the carnival.

Elder Smith has tried all week to get a trumpet to play in tomorrow’s talent show. He tried the Assembly of God Church, but the minister said their instruments were consecrated and could not be given out to pagan hands. He finally found a pretty bad trumpet today just before Primary at the Escola Técnica Federal de Alagoas.

Tuesday, August 18, 1970

A letter to my dad and mom that I started yesterday and finished today:

This week’s letter is going to be pretty short. Today we had visiting with us from Recife 12 more elders to meet in a zone conference. That took most of the day, and so there is no time left to write a letter.

[Next day] Here it is Tuesday already, meaning that it is illegal to write letters. I just wanted to mention briefly a special youth home evening we held Sunday. It is held weekly for 12 young people who are from part-member families where it is impossible to hold home evening in the home. Every person had to list five specific reasons why he liked another given person. You cannot imagine how positive and how love-filled such a session was, with the Spirit being poured out in rich profusion before we had completed. It was truly fantastic, something every family in the Church might profitably use. Tears filled many eyes: tears of gratitude, tears of pure love, tears of happiness.

Sunday evening our branch choir sang for the third consecutive sacrament meeting, a special arrangement of “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet.” I spoke on the life and teachings of Joseph Fielding Smith, including the visit Jerry and I had with him and Sister Smith four years ago in their Salt Lake apartment.

I subscribe my full love and gratitude. I pray this finds everybody healthy, happy, and smiling.

Monday, August 17, 1970

About 10:30 today Elders Christiansen and Greenhalgh arrived from Recife. I went to the church with Elder Christiansen to audit the financial records. About noon the rest of the elders from Recife showed up. Shortly thereafter we held zone conference in the chapel. We received the third scroll: “I Will Persist until I Succeed.”

In the afternoon we had arranged to play basketball at the SESC gym, but when we arrived there at 2:00 the baskets had not been put up. We bagged the idea of having a district-against-district tournament but put up a net and played volleyball instead. Recife and Madalena won two out of three games over Maceió and Boa Viagem. Then everybody played futebol de salão. Before returning to Recife, the elders ate at the Sayonara. Aldo’s family came to see Elders Camargo and Prisbrey.

Tomorrow President Johnson will be in Recife. He is closing a deal on land being bought in João Pessoa for a chapel. A major transfer is in the wind. Elder Christiansen was instructed to buy four tickets south, but he does not know who is leaving us. Hopefully (and probably) Maceió will remain untouched.

Sunday, August 16, 1970

Continuing in the same fine tradition, our third youth home evening was another special experience. When all the smaller kids were around, they created such a bagunça, but they finally left, and we had a memorable spiritual experience that I’ll not soon forget. Each person in the group had to list five specific reasons why he liked another determined person in the room. After that anybody could add other observations. With a little bit of pulling previously, I had Elder Blackham assigned to me. It is strange what an experience like this can do to people. I really have grown to love Elder Blackham but have never thought of particular reasons why I did. He has so many great qualities that my choosing involved selecting the best five for the particular moment. I appreciate him and am grateful for his talents (especially his singing), for his eagerness to work and serve, for his humility, for his ability to love others, for his sense of humor, and for his testimony. Such a great positive feeling of love was generated during our session that all were uplifted and edified.

Yesterday afternoon Elders Blackham and Christensen taught a first lesson to Pedro Guimarães and his wife, in our area. They said it was sharp.