Internet woes

Bob and I actually have two offices. The one in the mission office is kind of small and crowded, but we have keys to get inside the outer gate, and the door, and we know the code to disarm the burgler alarm, so we can come here anytime we want to. The internet here is pretty slow, I don´t know why. Right next door, actually in a connected building is the institute, where college age kids take college level religion classes. We have a nice, huge office there with plenty of space to spread out projects. They have a wireless network there. The mission office can´t use a wireless network because of all the confidential and financial records on their computers. Maybe the mission office internet is slow because it´s extra secure, I don´t know. Anyway, in the institute, they have large classrooms, study rooms, lounges, a game room, with ping-pong, foosball, air hockey, a pool table. There is a kitchen, teacher offices, etc. The director, who, beleive it or not, is named President Moroni(he is a stake president)doesn´t want to give us a key to get in the building. We have a key to our office in the institute, but we can only get in the the building if someone else with a key is there. They have very irregular hours. But I discovered today that I can upload and download and publish a picture on their internet! So I am going to try to spend some more time over there. I emailed some pictures to Eliza, and she said she would post them on the blog. But I actually posted the horse-drawn recycling center. You see these all over Porto Alegre all the time.

I´m sorry if I sound like I´m complaining. I´m grateful to have an office, a computer, the internet, this blog and the blessing of being able to communicate with loved ones around the world.

Speaking of grateful, we had a 6 kg. turkey (they call it peru) stuffed with rice, and mashed potatoes and gravy, and from there nothing traditional for our Thanksgiving dinner. We had the 5 office missionaries for dinner, and we all said in Portuguese what we were grateful for. I cheated halfway through and finished in English. Three missionaries are Brazilian, and this was a first Thanksgiving dinner for them. It turned out really well. I´m glad we have a holiday like Thanksgiving. Gratitude for abundance, and appreciation of our blessings. Bob said to the missionaries: "Here we are together with everyone we love--except our families!" We have really learned to love these good young men. But we do miss our family and friends at home. Not really missing the cold weather so much yet. Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving Day. Love, Vonnie