Fernando Pó week 5

This week we gave even more preisthood blessings. I hope that people do not begin to spread the word about the Elders using their magic powers to cure people. The kids on the street already ask us to show them magic tricks. I got another haircut today. The barbers here take time when they cut your hair. This week as well there were a lot of deaths in our area. Some old but some are a lot younger, like 40. The funeral services here are a sight to see. Women wailing and everyone within a mile radius standing around in the street. One time a band started playing super sad music with a trumpet and all. We marked a family to be baptised on the 24th of this month. Dulce, a single women, and her three kids. I hope it will work out, they came to church this Sunday. Because of our contact with sick people I am feeling a cold coming on again, but I don´t think that it will be too bad. I had a great experience testifying to a less active who had relapsed into smoking of the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. He is commited to not smoke any more. I know that Jesus Christ is our savior.
Oh and I included a picture of a burger I made.

Fernando Pó week 4

This last saturday we had the Baptism of Sandro. He was baptised with two other people from the sisters in our ward. He was completely prepared and now he seems even happier in his life. We had zone conference this week, and some things felt a little different. I think Presidente Amo is starting to crack down on the rules more. I have heard that a lot of mission presidentes start to become more strict as they go along, but Presidente Amo is still a great guy. This week I was able to assist with one preisthood blessing and give another blessing. One was for a kid that the sisters had baptised this saturday. He was sick with some sort of Bronchitis and so long story short through the preisthood blessing he was able to be baptised. The blessing that I gave this week was for Zuleika, an investigator of ours. She was also sick with a lung infection, which was probably because of her working in a fish processing factory where it has to be super cold. She told us how the factory jobs here are terrible and do a lot of illegal things. No one here really does anything about it. Then she explained her experience with the missionaries. During a time when her family had practically nothing the missionaries and members came and helped them out. She started to cry and then Elder Sailors started to cry, which was suprising. It was a great lesson with her. Anyway things are still going here. I love it.

Week 3 Fernando Pó

I am now over 1/4 of the way through my mission. I can´t believe that it has gone by so fast. The day of carnival here was not really how I expected it to be. All of the parades and comotion was in the city. We do our work a little bit away from the main city so it was not bad at all. In fact. All of the people went to the city and so the streets were empty where we were. We stayed at a ward activity mostly. One of the memebers cut my hair for free but he cut it a little weird. At the activity I got to play some ping pong. We brought some investigators and less actives, and I did my best to involve them with the members. This week we will have the baptism of Sandro, a boy of about 15 years in age. He is very intelligent and a great kid. We were worried about his mother not approving because she is Catholic, but when we talked to her she was very cool about it. Little does she know that we will start teaching her the lessons and give her the baptismal invite. Some people are just ready, prepared by the Lord to be baptised. It humbles me to see the faith of these investigators and new converts. The mission is continuing to help me do things that are not comfortable but are necessary. Like serving other at all times. I know this church is The True Church of Jesus Christ. I don´t know why but in one of these pictures I look like I am half asleep.

Fernando Pó week 2

This week in Fernando Pó, which is in the city of Mindelo on the island of São Vicente, we worked harder still, and I have learned a lot from my new companion. Carnival is tomorrow and we had a conference in our zone just to come up with ways to protect our investigators from the temptations and evil. Actually Carnival has already been going on for a while but the main day is tomorrow. Luckily our ward is having an activity that day so we can go to that for most of the day. Today I was able to play soccer with all the other Elders in Mindelo. There is about fourteen of us and it was fun. I did not have an opportunity to do this on Santo Antão. Here in Mindelo there are also a lot more things available such as food, cloths, etc. As far as the work goes I would say that people are a little more accepting here. We are teaching this old guy who is progressing at the rate of a turtle. He reminds me of Yoda with all the wise sayings he has. I suppose his height has something to do with it too. We are helping him drop coffee and he has stopped but he has bad headaches now. We normally offer a substitute coffee called Brasa or Boleiro to help people stop drinking. We have a few baptismal dates marked with some rapazes or young men. They are pretty cool. Anyway things are going here in Cabo Verde. Here is a picture from out my apartment window.

Fernando Pó week 1

Hello from a different island this week. I was transfered this past monday and now I have been in Mindelo, São Vicente for a week. It has been great here it is only on the island across from Santo Antão. Carnival is coming up and in our apartment there are always parades going past with idols and the like. The noise is super annoying at night, but I have hot water and in general this apartment is an upgrade. I included a picture from Santo Antão as I was leaving and then one in Mindelo where I am now and some goodbye picks. My companion now is Elder Sailors. He is a convert from Texas and is a super hard working missionary. I don´t think I have worked harder in my entire life. But it is great. He also has a rediculously deep voice. I will say more next week bye.

Week 18 in Porto Novo

Hello, I am just finishing playing another great game of soccer. Our team won, 30-28. These are highscoring games. We will receive our transfer calls some time this morning I hope. I could leave or I could stay. One thing I have been blessed with on the mission is good health. I am thankful for not having been sick yet. But I am sure that I will get some sort of disease eventually. This last week of the transfer was a bit slower, mais tranquil. We have been working with a girl named Ericka. She has a lot of potential to be baptized, and I believe that one day she will. We have a lot of dates marked for February, and I don´t know if I will be here for them. I would like to tell you guys about a member here named Jeremias. He is a very interesting person. Unfortunately he is a pathological liar, and is famous here on Santo Antão and São Vicente. He has a good heart, but I never can trust anything he says. Some of his stories are pretty funny though. This week I have loved reading on The Book of Mormon about the preachings of Alma the younger to the people of Zarahemla. He exorts us to be a seperate people(Alma 5: 57) and not be trying to blend in with the world. I really liked that. Don´t try and be like the people who are of the world. Be an example. Live so that they notice that you are different. Thanks for the support that all of you have given. Here is a picture with the homies.

Week 17

This week it is hard for me to remember much of what went on. We had two divisions this week, one with the zone leaders and another with the other Elders of Porto Novo. Both were in our area but they were actually pretty fun. I continue to learn from each new missionary that I work with. We are teaching a guy named João who at first was more hesistant to our message because of another religion but after a few visits he has come to love our messages. He truly has real intent to learn more. He came to church this week which was great. We are working with a lot of less actives right now and many are atending church. I love seeing people that we are teaching arrive at church because I know that it will make them so much happier. Carnival will start here soon and already you can hear drums at night. This morning we played soccer in the concrete court they have at the chapel. I am tired but I need the excercise and it was fun. Also I need new shoes because I am still wearing the ones I have had since freshman year of high school. Here is a picture at a family night with a bunch of members and one investigator.