When we step off the Fast Ferry from Brava, we immediately went to work. The first stop was a Zone Conference. The whole Zone - which covers both islands - was there with us and the Benedicts, who have been on Fogo since they began their missions.
Then that evening we held a leadership training for the Sao Filipe branches. Yes I said we. Robert worked with the Elders Quorums and I did training with the Young Women and Primary leaders. This was facing my fear. I can't speak Portuguese well enough to do this, so I made a power point in Portuguese and Sister Benedict helped translate the other things I needed to say. Crazy Sister Benedict - and she is crazy with a camera - took pictures of me teaching.
It actually went fairly well. Sister Benedict and I joked that we were so good together that we should take our act "on the road." And we did. We did it the next night in Mosteiros and Relva. But only one sister came. This is there planting season. So they spend this time of year up on the mountains planting in hopes there will be enough rain to get a crop. Timing is everything. The crops have to be in before the rains hit. So this sweet sister walked down from the mountain after working probably ten hours planting, took a shower and then walked all the way to the chapel. It was a big sacrifice for her and she was so amazing. She is the Young Women's president. One of the first slides on my power point talks of "beginning with the end in mind." I asked her what her hopes and dreams are for the young women she teaches. She lit up and talked a hundred miles an hour for 5 straight minutes. I couldn't understand all she said but I saw the fire and love in her eyes. It was a great session.
The next night we went to Cova Figueira and taught probably 10 more sisters. Again it went well. Robert too had a great experience with these young Elder's Quorum leaders. So young and so excited to serve.
So that is what we did at night. During the days we did apartment inspections with the missionaries. We put in CO alarms and smoke detectors.
In between all of that was the fun. We went out to dinner a couple of times with the Benedicts and I fear one night we talked about family and missions well past curfew. It was great.
The drives around the island brought on both fun and fear. Fogo is the volcano island. On one side it looks fairly normal but on the other side is where the volcano juts up and it looks as if at some point when it blew it took a good part of the island off. It now just slopes right down into the ocean. The only problem is to get around the island you have to drive on that slope. Some parts are steep and the roads are cobble stone and narrow with no railing. Umm But it is pretty.This is a picture from the plane to show the slope.
I loved this road sign. I think it means you are about to climb a mountain with narrow roads.
And we did.
These are some of the lava runs that are etched into the mountain. You do not want to be at this place on the road when the rains come. The rains have been know to bring water rushing down these lava runs with such force they sweep cars off and take them all the way into the ocean. True story.
On Saturday we attended the District leadership meeting were all the leaders came in by bus from all over the island. Again it was a great experience.
We hope we left a good impressions on the sweet people of Fogo. They left us with some sweet memories. And speaking of impressions here are our footprints in the black sands of Fogo.
Still smiling after a long week of fun and fear.
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