Pages

Thursday, February 1, 2018

My in-laws Edmundo and Fátima - A Sunday Not to Forget

It has been said that the gate of history turns on small hinges, and so do people's lives. These small hinges, or the small decisions individuals make daily, can end up having large effects with the passing of time. Such was the case with my father-in-law and mother-in-law, Edmundo and Fátima Leite, with a decision made many years ago on a particular Sunday.

Fátima & Edmundo Leite
Children: Ricardo and Lia
June 1981 - "Festa Junina"
Nearly four decades ago in Brazil, Edmundo converted to the church his wife Fátima belonged to, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormon church”). Edmundo was very excited and happy to be a new member, and he loved the missionaries who taught and baptized him. He developed a strong friendship with the missionaries and thoroughly enjoyed being warmly greeted at church by them.

One day at church, Edmundo met a new set of missionaries that had arrived. He learned the ones that helped baptized him were no longer in the area. This greatly dampened his enthusiasm. Edmundo didn't end up feeling the same friendship or affection for the new missionaries – they just weren't the same and weren't as warm or friendly. For that, Edmundo didn't want to go to church anymore and stopped going altogether. Fátima, however, continued attending every so often.

Edmundo soon found himself creating excuses why he wouldn't go to church on Sundays. He would talk to Fátima on Sundays in a manner such as:

Oh, we need to go to the beach... today is Sunday.”

Want to go to a churrasco?” [Brazilian barbeque]

“Do you want to go to a soccer game?”

He was also invited by others to participate in such things on Sundays, particularly during church hours, and he would accept the invitations and go.

Some time passed, and on a certain Sunday, Fátima spoke with Edmundo and said, “Today is Sunday. Let's go to church.” Edmundo responded in the negative. “No. We're not going to church. Let's go somewhere else. Let's go to the beach!”

Fátima sternly replied, “You can go to your beach, your churrasco, your soccer game, to wherever you want go to. . . but me and my children, we are going to church!!”

Edmundo was shocked. Fátima had never addressed him in such a manner with such vigor and firmness. He watched her gather the kids and things until her arms were full. He remained silent. Out the door Fátima went carrying a diaper bag, a bag for babies' bottles, scriptures, and one of the children in arm. She took the second child by the hand to walk along side of her. Down the stairs they went, and off they were to catch a bus.

Edmundo continued watching from a window and saw Fátima board the bus with kids and bags in hand. The bus was also full of people (mostly men) dressed in shorts and without shirts going to a soccer game. The bus then drove away.

Edmundo remained standing at the window pondering about the situation. He thought to himself, “You are such a coward. How can you say you love your wife and kids, yet leave your family in a complicated situation like this? You are not worth a thing.”

Fátima (4th from the right), Edmundo (3rd from the right)
At church in Belém, Brazil, ~1982 
From that day onward, Edmundo resolved he would never miss accompanying his family to church due to his own choice. He is certain today that if Fátima had said to him on that particular Sunday, “Yes, let's go to the soccer game,” or to go anywhere else except the church, they would both not be attending church at the present time. Fátima's choice to attend church, alone with the children in spite of the difficulty, was a life changing experience for Edmundo.

The decision to keep the sabbath day holy and attend church that day, the “small hinge,” has had a tremendously positive influence through time and also far-reaching effects for good. Edmundo believes that his and Fátima's lives, along with the lives of his children and grandchildren, would probably not be what they have become today had Fátima chosen not to go to church that day.

Fátima is also grateful for the way she acted that Sunday. She believes that if she didn't remain firm in her conviction, it's possible she and Edmundo would not have even stayed together as a married couple. Fátima has said, “The church helps us in all things … and helps us overcome challenges and difficulties.”

Fátima and Edmundo Leite
At church in Utah, 2017
***

Adaption by Tom Hartley, son-in-law to Edmundo and Fátima Leite. Based on a video interview with Fátima and Edmundo completed on July 12, 2017 by their daughter Juliana Leite Hartley. Additional consultation done with Juliana to clarify details. The original interview, in Portuguese, is located here: https://youtu.be/mHKRB4NY9uc

No comments:

Post a Comment