Breaking Records

Yesterday we had forty baptism in the Cape Verde Praia Mission. Today in the Praia First Ward meeting, seven people were confirmed members of the church. That doesn't happen often in a mission or a ward so I wanted to record it.

Four Seasons

We didn't think it possible but we have discovered that Cape Verde really does have four seasons. Season one is the no weather season, in that you have the same weather - bright and sunny - everyday for months and months and months. Then comes the rainy season, always cloudy with occasional gushing downpours. We have seen those two and have now just entered into the third season, the windy season. It blows constantly, stirring up everything and  making things look hazy. But it does make for some incredible sunsets.

The last season is a killer. The wind keeps blowing until the sands of the Sahara Desert literally blow over the ocean and cover these islands. Last year it was so bad they had to suspend all air traffic for three days. We will let you know how that goes.

Fast Ferry Fun and Fury

So here we are again needing to send 12 boxes to Fogo. We went to the Fast Ferry window that morning and paid for the shipment and were told to be back at 1:30 sharp when the truck would be there to load the shipments. We arrive at the designated time but could see that the truck had yet to arrive. But the minute we start to turn into the parking lot a guy starts banging on our van. It is some fellow that has helped us before. He wants to help again. He needs the money. Robert nods to him and he grabs his friend to help. We park and they unload the van near where the Fast Ferry truck should be parking, any minute.

 So the wait begins. The parking lot looks like this, people everywhere waiting to receive packages or load them. Then not one, but three trucks roll off the Ferry and into the parking lot and the bedlam begins.

This is our helper.... #50 Foley....not his real name!!

You can see our boxes here at the bottom.

You have to understand it takes a while to get everything off these trucks. They are packed high and with anything and everything. Take a look below at what was squeezed into the side of one of those stacked high trucks for the three hour trip on the ferry. A mama goat ....

And four babies.

So after all was unloaded, the loading process begins. This is when things got dicey. We had made a verbal agreement with our two guys who had waited patiently with us and were now shouting to get our stuff on the first truck. But that truck was going to Brava, the island beyond Fogo, so they went to the next truck and started the negotiations of what order your shipment is placed on the truck, which really amounts to who can yell the loudest or who knows the guys on the truck the best. Our guys were holding their own and it looked like we would be the second to load, when all of the sudden the guy we call, "I you best friend" that had helped us a while back spots us and starts trying to negotiate for us, but we don't need him. So our two guys and Robert tell him we don't need him but he still elbows in and grabs a box or two of ours to help finish getting all the boxes on the truck. Then he turned around to someone else to get their business and Robert paid the two guys. We start walking out of the crazy crowd when "I you best friend"comes up behind Robert and starts demanding he be paid. Robert told him several times we didn't need or ask for his help and he isn't going to pay him. He starts yelling and making a scene in this already crazy crowd and I get nervous. I was ready to run. But Robert rises to his full height and leans over this guy and yells right back. Now I am really nervous, but the guy finally backed down and we got safely to our car. I told the missionaries Elder Mathews nearly got into a fight and they thought it was so cool. Sigh. Boys. I think we are going to bring a couple of big missionaries with us to help with the loading next time. Or as our German visitors suggested we might hire a broker to do all the pick-up and shipping for the mission. They aren't sure how much it will cost but after this experience, I don't care. I'm all for it.

The perks of being the "Gofers"

We really are what we call the "gofers"of the mission. In other words, if there are any loose ends that need to be taken care of, we are usually the ones asked to "go fer it." This often takes us on some wild and crazy adventures which adds a lot of spice to the mission. For example, we needed paper plates and cups for the mission. An easy enough trip to Walmart, right? Well, not so here. After 3 days of looking we finally stumbled onto  a place that supplies bakeries and there they were! Large paper plates and cups, and forks too. Then as we examined the store further we found a huge bag of - you will not believe this - chocolate chips! I am thinking buy, buy, buy until I see it cost the equivalent of $64. I told you the bag was big, but not that big. So we asked the owner if he sells them in smaller quantities and he said no, BUT another store owner buys that size bag and divides it up and sells them at her shop in smaller quantities. Off we went! I made Power Cookies a few days later. Yum.

Also the church's humanitarian efforts are alive and well here in Cape Verde. The church has been involved with getting special equipment to the neonatal nursery at the hospital here. That was our first "gofer" experience. They actually sent the equipment with us in our suitcases when we left the States. The church has also brought in many wheel chairs. They have also been helping with a huge water project on Fogo. The country will do the work to bring the water into central stations but the families are responsible for getting the water from the stations to their homes. Most can't afford to. In some of the places we pass through on our trips to the other end of the island, we are still amazed to see how many people are lined up at such station with water buckets to take back to their homes. In fact we know of some that still do so in Praia. The church has spent the last couple of months in Fogo helping nearly 200 families get the water from the station into their homes and into a school there. So while the humanitarian missionaries were busy on Fogo, a shipment arrived with two computers to be donated to the public library in Tarrafal. So "go fer it" we did. We got in the car last Monday and drove once again to the far end of the island. This was our first obstacle.

Then there were the four mountain ranges with their winding roads - yet beautiful vistas. But we managed to get there in record time. Once there, we went to the library and began setting up the computers. The youth that were studying there started gathering around.

When the President (the government official equivalent to their mayor) arrived, it started to sink into the youth that these computers were for their use. They were pretty excited. The President asked Elder Mathews to give a few words and then he spoke. They both talked about how the internet and other things that these computers could do could unlock the world for them and help them to achieve even their highest dreams. To grasp the significance of that, you have to realize that what you are seeing behind these students in that picture is the entire inventory of books in their library and most of those books are for younger children. Truly being involved with this was a bigger perk than finding the chocolate chips.
And yet another gofer experience. I am still not sure how I became the mission seamstress, but I should have been suspicious when Sister Oliveira just gave me the mission sewing machine to keep at our apartment. I tried not to sound like a sewing machine snob when she presented this machine to me. She had it out in her car and when I offered to help her carry it up to our third floor apartment, she said there was no need. Now Sister Oliveira is tiny, she makes me look tall. But up the stairs she came with this wonderful ... plastic, almost toy looking ... machine. Yet in the course of the last few months I have altered one suit coat and about 10 pair of pants to help our outbound missionaries fit into the donated clothing we have been given to get them prepared to leave for their missions in other parts of the world.  Here are two more that I was able to outfit.

This last one, standing with his father, came a bit late. His flight was leaving in 30 minutes and yet he needed a suit, three pair of pants and some shirts. This suit coat fit him perfectly (we even found one for his dad) but the pants were too short. We are at 15 minutes now and he is trying on pants and shirts while I hurriedly take out the hem on the suit pants and ironed the hem the length it needed to be. That is when I realized this machine doesn't have a blind hem stitch. Where's my Bernina!!! So okay we go to hand stitching. But before I could thread the needle the missionary said in broken English, "Sister, I ... must ... go. I ... can. " Then he does the motion of hand sewing. Bless his heart, this sweet missionary will be hand sewing the hem on his suit pants somewhere on the way to Brazil. Though I know I will continue to whine about the machine, I really love being part of this "gofer" job. These outbound missionaries are so sweet and humble, and so grateful for everything we give them, even down to the hand-me-down socks.

The Cape Verde Praia Stake has its first Stake Conference

The Cape Verde Praia Stake was formed at the end of April and held their first semi-annual conference last weekend. Here is a picture of the choir practicing before the meeting. They were AMAZING. We are so happy with how much the Stake has grown, not only in numbers but in leadership ability. So many of the leaders are young. In fact the Stake President is only 31 years old. But they love the gospel and they are willing to work hard to be the best shepherds they can be over their flock. It is inspiring to watch them! It was a great conference.

Second thoughts about hitting the Beach

We were driving around the other day and saw this man, an artist, selling things near the beach. He had some carvings and sand paintings that were really nice. I think I will have to buy some before I leave. And then he had of all things about four of these. Shark jaws.

Apparently the locals find them all the time along the beach. They say you can tell how old they are by the number of rows of teeth. This little guy was about 2 and 1/2 we were told. Anybody for a swim?