SÃO PAULO, Brazil – In the two days following a historic meeting with the first lady of Brazil, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles also visited several state and city leaders in the expansive South America country.
The visits included donations ranging from playground equipment to hospital equipment to disaster relief; and gifts such as small ceramic statues portraying a family and leather-bound, inscribed copies of the Book of Mormon.
But at the heart of Elder Andersen’s interactions and the most powerful expressions were the Apostle’s teachings and testimonies of the Savior Jesus Christ and His gospel and Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation.
Elder Andersen and Sister Kathy Andersen, his wife, effectively communicated the latter to a recently widowed state governor, who tearfully listened to their testimonies of the eternal nature of the soul and family relationships.
On Monday, March 6, the Andersens — joined by Elder Joni L. Koch, a General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the Brazil Area, and his wife, Sister Michele Koch — called on First Lady Rosângela Lula da Silva, wife of recently elected Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. During their meeting in the nation’s capital of Brasília, Elder Andersen told the first lady of a donation from the Church to help feel needy children.
On Tuesday, March 7, the Andersens and Kochs met with the governor of the state of Pernambuco — Brazil’s seventh most populous state with nearly 10 million residents — and then with the mayor of Recife, one of the country’s most important economic and urban hubs and the capital city of Pernambuco.
And on Wednesday, March 8, the Andersens — accompanied by the Brazil Area presidency of Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, Elder Koch and Elder Juan A. Uceda and Sister Elaine Parrella — visited the governor of the state of São Paulo, home to 40 million people and a state that accounts for an estimated 40 percent of Brazil’s gross national product.
‘The best gift we could give you’
Tuesday in Recife started with a visit to Pernambuco Gov. Raquel Lyra — the first female governor in a major Brazilian state — in Palácio do Campo das Princesas, the state house.
Elder Andersen and Elder Koch told of donations of intensive care unit equipment and surgical block equipment to a children’s cancer hospital in Caruaru, where both Lyra and her father served previously as mayors. The governor mentioned that one of the first Latter-day Saint meetinghouses in the city was built on property her father had owned.
Sister Andersen and Sister Koch presented a small statue of a family and Elder Andersen presented a leather-bound, inscribed Book of Mormon to the governor, whose husband had suddenly died from a heart attack in his mid-40s during last year’s fall elections, leaving her a widow with two young children.
“Our conversation became even more special when we spoke to her about our belief in Jesus Christ and of eternity,” said Elder Andersen, recounting how Sister Andersen spoke to their host about the importance of family and the truthfulness of eternal life. Elder Andersen then reassured the governor about the eternal nature of the soul.
“Looking into her eyes, I said, ‘The best gift we could give you is this absolute assuredness that life goes on after this life,’” said Elder Andersen, then speaking of the governor’s late husband. “‘He lives, he has the same personality. He loves you, and you will see him again.’ And she was very, very moved by that.”
She was so moved that instead of simply seeing her guests off as they left the office, the governor walked with the Andersens and Kochs through the halls and down the stairs to the building’s main entrance to offer a heartfelt goodbye.
Playground equipment and mobile classrooms
Before going to Recife’s city hall for a luncheon date with Mayor João Campos, the Andersens and Kochs stopped off at one of the nearly 100 city-sponsored nursery-age day-care facilities, accepting children ages 0 to 6 and caring for them from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. at no cost to working parents.
The Church donated playground equipment for toddlers for the courtyards of each of the 90-plus centers as well as wooden educational toys for the classrooms. The Andersens and Kochs walked through the classrooms — joining one group of children to participate in a rendition of the children’s song “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and watching younger children enjoy their lunch.
Campos joined the Church leaders at the preschool center to greet them and join them for interviews with the attending Recife media.
Elder Andersen said he told the mayor and the press, quoting Luke 18:16, “Jesus loves the children. ... Jesus said, ‘Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not.’”
All left the preschool care center and reunited at Recife’s city hall. The mayor showed several large trucks that had been converted into an expandable mobile classroom for teaching and learning activities. The Church’s name is included on the sides of the trucks-turned-mobile-classrooms.
“It was so good to be with the mayor, with these children, and to see the happiness this donation of the Church is bringing to mostly poor children who wouldn’t have this opportunity.”
Donation for flood, landslide victims
Elder Andersen and the area presidency went to Palácio dos Bandeirantes, the São Paulo state hall, to meet with Gov. Tarcísio de Freitas and his wife, Cristiane Ferreira da Silva Freitas.
The leaders told the governor the Church is donating money to help victims of recent flooding and landslides in the northern part of the state that killed dozens and left many homeless. Appreciative of the donation, De Freitas spoke about what state leaders wanted to do to help those affected by the natural disaster.
Elder Andersen followed by speaking of the Savior and His teachings of helping others — particularly the poor, the hungry, the needy and the children.
Sister Andersen and Sister Parrella presented a family statue and Elder Andersen followed with a Book of Mormon with the governor’s name inscribed on it.
“The governor’s wife said she wanted her name on the Book of Mormon along with the name of her husband,” Elder Andersen recalled. “She emphasized that they were very much wanting their marriage through the coming decades.”
The Apostle opened the book to 3 Nephi 11 and invited de Freitas to read. He read aloud the chapter heading then started into the verses. “He read several verses, continuing until Elder Andersen suggested he could read later,” said Elder Parrella, saying everyone smiled at his interest in the Book of Mormon.
A common thread
Elder Andersen said he has seen a common thread in the meetings this week in Brazil with the first lady, governors and Recife mayor — and expected to continue when he meets with Brazil’s Sen. Marcos Pontes.
“We have seen it over and over again — the Lord is with us. He’s blessing us. His Spirit is with us, and people feel that Spirit,” he said.
“They are identifying that there is a spiritual power at work, but they may not know exactly why this happens. While they feel their own spirits being enlarged, we see that the Lord is working on them and working with this great country of Brazil.”
