Easter in Votuporanga

So Easter in Brazil is kind of strange.  In the first place there ends up being a holiday on Friday for Good Friday and one on Monday for some dentist who was a revolutionary in Brazil.  So there was a four day weekend or feriadão, as they call it here, which just means big holiday.  This also meant that basically everyone left town and everything closed because unlike in the United States, people observe national holidays and nothing opens.  We were lucky to find a LAN-house opened. But this also means that not a whole lot happens to observe Easter except the giving of monstrous chocolate eggs, often between people who are in some kind of romantic relationships which makes it kind of like Valentine's Day at the same time.

I think that it is important that we remember what Easter is really for--the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  His Atoning Sacrifice is very important and most of the Catholic festivals and rituals that are observed in Brazil (and in the Catholic world in general) are centered on this.  But as Mormons, we remember that every week when we partake of the Sacrament.  Easter is to remember a different gift that the Savior gave us, His triumph over mortal death.  He died and rose again, never to die again.  And because of that, all of us, regardless of how we live, will be resurrected to a body of glory, without physical pain or sickness.  That is pretty awesome.

The week has been pretty good.  This week we have a picture of the Votuporanga District (and Thales, a member of the branch who stole a tag for the picture)  wishing you all a happy Easter.

I love you all and hope you had a great and meaningful Easter.

Elder Russell 

Votuporanga District

After watching General Conference