Rosa's Story in Stone...

Rosa Helena Monteiro Veiga gets up early 

to break rocks for a hour or two each morning 

before going to work to clean casas or the capela. 

When she returns from work she starts the firewood 

to prepare dinner for her family, 

and then she will break more rocks. 

Her goal is to go with her husband to the Temple.

(his health makes him unable to work)

It takes piles of broken rock before there is enough to sell.

The rocks will be used to make cement for the contruction of home foundations, sidewalks, and walls.

 Grandpa along with some of our young adults decided to help. We met at 7 am the first morning, but after a few hours it was very hot, so the next two days we started at 6 am. Some came late and some left early - some came every day and some for one day...but all in all, together, we put in well over 40 man-hours  (with only four hammers and 1/2 (mine kept breaking)! The rocks that we broke during those three mornings will hopefully sell for about 26 dollars.

This is my bucket and the hammer I moved up to when my handle kept falling off!  

It gets a bit easier on the third morning,

Admiration is what we feel for Rosa who has done this for 15 years.



I have just a slight itty bitty hint of a tiny tip of the tongue taste

of the work she has done diligently for so long, oh...and three sore fingers...

one per day when the hammer hit the wrong target. 

You know Grandpa, he will always sing or make them smile and laugh while working!
It was fun to hear them sing: "Put your shoulder to the Wheel" to the sound of hammers on rocks!

Every moment needs to count on a mission, so activities need to be multi-tasked at times!
It is wonderful how little things become big with some Angelic help.
 As Dist. President, Grandpa had three goals for this project:
1.  Help break rocks so this sweet family can pay for a small part of their trip to the Temple.
(self sufficiency is an important principle whether we are rich or very very poor)
2. Help teach the value and joy in work to some young men preparing for missions.
(service is a special kind of work that teaches this quickly)
3. Visiting and friend-shipping the son of this family who needs some good friends.

but in reality 4 things happened.

4.  Grandma fell in love with Grandpa yet again...  (happens alot on a mission!)

I spent three early mornings witnessing my many blessings,
learning how to break rocks, enjoying these young people, and
being thankful to witness the amazing missionary work of your Grandpa.

You will love serving your mission someday!