Prayers, Bananas and Baptism...

We had a wonderful trip to Boa Vista, including a fun training with their Relief Society.
It was so fun to meet Maria, Itelvina, Izy, Helena, Maria, Tanha, e Tataxa and
some of their children.

Itelvina (colored stripes) made us Bolaches de Chuva (yummy donut holes)
when we visited her home,
Izy gave us some sea shells that her family had collected
when we went to her home for FHE,
and someday you have to hear Helena's story
(she is the RS Pres. on my right with the red and black striped skirt and black top,
but today I want you to meet Maria (everyone calls her Edna)
she is in red above holding her daughter next to me. 

Maria de Jesus Semedo Fernandes moved to Boa Vista hoping
for more opportunity to work and feed her family.
She had a great desire to take her children to church,
but could not find one that felt like the one she had attended
a few times when she lived on Sal.

One day while she was selling bananas,
her neighbor, Tataxa (Conceicao Dias Garcia), came rushing over.

Tataxa (tatasha) wanted to buy some bananas and she said, 

"Rapido porque eu estou com um bacalinho de pressa para eu ir a igreja"   

"Hurry, because I'm in a bit of a hurry to go to church!"

Maria asked her what church she attended.
Tataxa said, "A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Ultimos Dias."
Maria's eyes sparkled.  She said that she had attended that church
before moving from Sal, but she didn't know it existed on Boa Vista.
(It had opened on that island just a few months earlier.  
At first, church was held in a motel room and now they meet in a rented building). 
So they hurried to
get the children ready and they both attended church.

Last weekend when Grandpa and I went to Boa Vista, the missionaires called us
just as we were getting off the plane and ready to find our hotel,
they asked if Grandpa could be at the church at 7 pm to give a Baptismal Interview.
We found the church first thing and that is when we met Maria.
It was wonderful to attend Maria's baptism the next morning,
so full of exquisite color and emotion!  

Maria handed me her story on a small torn piece of paper after church the next day.
Though written in Creole, I can understand much of what is written.
She wrote about her banana story, and then says that she is very happy! 
'contente'
She knows the Church is true and 
she is happy that her children will be blessed by it also.  

 
I am thankful we got to be there on such a special day
for such a special woman, Maria--the sweet Banana lady!