Even though the Ponta Grossa Brazil Stake is 350 miles southwest (near Curitiba) of the Sao Paulo Temple, stake members have set an example of temple attendance. They frequently ride buses, and after the 10-hour ride, arrive at the temple filled with joy and enthusiasm. Still, they were concerned that the greatest part of their work was for names from the temple file instead of their ancestors.
On one visit in 1995 while stake members were assembled in the chapel for a devotional service, temple Pres. Athos Amorim suggested they bring names of their ancestors next time."From that moment on, we decided there wouldn't ever be a stake excursion without taking the names of our own ancestors," said stake Pres. Lenilton Cardoso. The stake immediately called more leaders for the stake family history center, and wards called more family history advisers. Hours of the centers were increased from 10 to 50, and weekly attendance jumped from 20 to 160. Members were also taught to search for their ancestors by visiting their living relatives, going to cemeteries and to local registers.
Illustrative of their dedication is Daniele Straub, 11. One evening she came to the center and asked what she needed to do to be baptized in behalf of her great-grandmother. She learned that first, she needed to order some microfilm. She left, and Leonaldo Ferreira Nunes, stake family history director, thought the girl was just curious. But she returned with her parents, and the film was ordered. Daniele soon had the information for her great-grandmother and 32 other family members.
"She caused me to have a strong feeling of love for her ancestors, as I never had before," said Brother Nunes.
Results began to appear well ahead of the next scheduled temple day. A month before that date, all the seats on the buses and cars were reserved. Members had submitted and cleared some 1,800 names of their ancestors.
"The trip was called, `Excursion For Our Ancestors,' and was very successful, said Pres. Cardoso. On the next trip, among those who went was Daniele, now 12, who was baptized for her great-grandmother and a number of other ancestors.
