Words from Elder Clay & Sister Cookie Overson in Brazil

"Today we experienced our first World Cup game here in Sao Paulo and what an experience it has been. In the pictures, you can see one apartment decorated with Brazilian flags, a car with flags on both sides and on the rear view mirror and you

see us with our official Brazilian futebol team shirts. Everywhere you look there are Brazilian flags and yellow and green is definitely the color combination of the month. And I really wish I could share the noise with you. The horns, which people have been blowing all day, sound very much like fog horns. And the fireworks, which people have also been setting off all day, sound like bombs being set off in the courtyard of our condominium. Today was even a State holiday because of the Cup. I don’t know if it was nation-wide but I wouldn’t be surprised. These people love their futebol soccer)!

Today was like the Super Bowl in the U.S., only bigger, with everyone having BBQ’s and parties with family and friends. The streets were packed before the game, getting ready for the party, and empty during the game, except for the places where they had the big screens set up outside for the crowds to watch. This is bigger than Christmas or New Years and it seems to be the one thing that brings the Brazilian people together. We watched the game with a Brazilian friend instead of watching it with the other senior missionary couples and that was fun. We’re really glad that they won the game but hope that the celebrations end before midnight so we can get some sleep. If you

saw the game, you know that Marcello, Brazil’s own player, made the one goal for Croatia. According to the Brazilian announcer, that’s the only time that has ever happened in a World Cup game. How fun to be Marcello! We watched a few minutes of the ESPN broadcast and were surprised at how well they captured the atmosphere and the spirit of the Brazilian people. We can honestly say that we haven’t personally seen any scantily clothed women dancing in the streets as shown on that broadcast, but we do see the joy and the love that these people have for life. It is a wonderful place to be and each day we are grateful for this incredible opportunity. We love the Lord, we love each other, we love our Brazilian friends and we love each of you."