My Missionary Companion - Feliz Anniversario!

My companion is amazing!!!  Whether studying the scriptures, talking to the Leaders of the Mission, playing 'Amigos de Joe' with the youth, teaching Institute, encouraging one on one, helping Seminary kids memorize scriptures, teaching a lesson in a home, walking all over to find a rose for me on Valentine's Day, or accepting a call to become Presidente Benedito, a counselor to the Mission President Oliveira...he is an amazing Missionary who gives 100 % to everything he does.  I am thankful to learn from and to love him!  His Happy Birthday is this week! 15 official Birthdays old this Wednesday, Feb. 29th!!! 

Cabo Verdian Children

Children come to earth with happy and hopeful hearts. Teachable and easy to be entreated...It is small wonder that we must become 'as a child' to inherit a place in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Color

My heart is drawn to color much like flowers reaching for rain. My first impressions of Cabo Verde must include the amazing colors all around us and the warm, wide-open arms and smiles of the Cape Verdians who call out "Bom Dia...Boa Tarde...Boa Noite" as the day progresses...(and they are right)...it's all good!"    

Market Day...

We are safe if we soak our fruits, vegetables, and eggs in timed clorox water.  We are safe if we drink ONLY bottled water. We are safe if we never eat Pork on this island.  It is SAFE to say that I giggle at their shared happiness each time I look at the photo of these friends sitting on the sidewalk. It is also SAFE to say that I see them and become quiet inside...sometimes wonder why I was born in America free to drink from a faucet. And oftimes while timing bananas in clorox water, I wonder at the great blessing of sharing the gospel with people who are truly teaching us about 'great' and 'simple' faith (and I am becoming aware that those words are oftimes synonymous). And it is more than SAFE to say that we are very thankful.

our home in Sao Filipe on Fogo, Cape Verde

We are on the top (3rd) floor of the light aqua building here.

This is the view from our front deck.

our back deck view uphill off our neighbors.

and the view from our back deck looking down to the ocean.

  We live in a nice (aqua outside, pink inside)apartment with kind neighbors...and when the water works and when the electricity is on, it is very convenient.  The walls on this side of the island are all made of cement and/or covered lava rock... so the happy-culture sound of birds, roosters, goats, children, roosters, vendors, cars, birds, roosters, dogs, Cape Verdian music, announcements from loud-speakers atop cars winding their way through the cobblestone streets, and roosters (with no sense of time or pitch), bounce and echo-dance around us through our days and nights in this great little city of Sao Filipe. 

Our Mission President and His Sweet Wife

President and Sister Oliveira have the wonderful open Brasilian hearts that make us all want to work hard and smile alot.  They are both from Brasil and moved to Bountiful, Utah, a few years ago... so their English has a great accent and their Portuguese is native.  They come with vision and leadership, with fervant prayers that bless the missionaries, and abracos (Brasilian hugs) as well as handshakes. They are a blessing in our lives.  

Even before we entered the MTC, President Oliveira sent us an email. Following are some of the kind words in that email:

"It was with great measure of happiness that we received the news of you calling to serve with us.  What I can say is that this is a great people with much love to give and ready to receive in the same measure. To anyone truly angaged in the Lord´s cause there is no other place to be, it is just majestic the greatness and humility of their souls. Sister Oliveira and I love them with all our hearts. We love the missionaries serving with us. They are wonderful, as you will find out.

We already love you and cannot wait to see your happy faces shining in these white fields of the Lord."