A Fun Fogo Fireside Visit!

We just got back home from a wonderful visit to Fogo.
We saw well over 200 of our friends there, 
before, during, and after 2 firesides.
One fireside in Cova Figueira and one in Sao Filipe.
Our message was about the importance 
of living up to our Privileges and our Potential,
and how very blessed we are 
to be able to make and keep sacred covenants.

It was wonderful fun to see so many friends!
We had time to make a few home visits as well.

We came home with more beautiful memories, but less luggage...
Hopefully, the airlines will find our suitcase sometime this week?!
(We kinda need our iron, our clothes, and this n' thats!)

Just before we went to the airport this morning,
we walked down to the beautiful black sand beach.
On Fogo, the sand is a sparkly Ebony color.  
On Boa Vista and Sal, the sands are varied linen-light Ecru colors.
The Sands are absolutely Striking.  Really, incredibly Beautiful. 

Each experience on a mission is as varied as the Sands.
And each one is our favorite!

Mariama's Special Days!

Mariama was baptized Saturday and confirmed yesterday.  She asked Grandpa to 
perform those special ordinances for her.  It was a very special Sat. and Sunday.
One we will not forget and we all felt her Joy!  She gave a talk in Sacrament meeting
and told of the Greatness of our Forgiving and Loving Father in Heaven.
She said we must all have faith and courage to keep the commandments.
She asked me to translate her English into Portuguese for the congregation.
(What experiences we have been blessed with and how humble it makes us when we receive
Heavenly help to do this Missionary work.)

Mariama has been sending me her (incredible) life story
 as she writes her memories, usually a paragraph at a time.
She says she must share this with her daughter and her people someday,
so they will see the Love of our God in taking care of us and showing Himself to us.

There is a scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 18: 13-18 
that best describes how we felt when Mariama shared her testimony with us,
early this morning, when we received the following email from her.

I want to say thanks to God Almighty and for our Lord Jésus Christ who came to this world to save our sins . I also thank God for our prophet Joseph Smith to instole thé Church of latter days saints ,i also believe in thé living prophet. I want express my feeling about my baptism, how i feel, and how greatful i Will always be with sister and elder Benedict, it has been à long time for me searching for church were i CAN find peace and thé way to lead me to my Heavenly Father, now that i find thé way in thé church of Jésus christ of latter days saints and am baptisé i feel gréât and compleat and i also feel pure with my life. I ask my Heavenly Father in Jésus name to continue to guide in his ways, as i am stronge also in m'y heart to keep his comandment for ever and ever till m'y days are pass away.To be continue

She ends every email with the words 'To be continue' Pure truth!  Life is Good!

You must meet Mariam!

We first met 'Mariam' when she was sitting in our courtyard with her cousin 

who is the guard for this apartment building. 

He is very kind to us and we enjoy visiting with him. 

He introduced us to her and she immediately wanted to know 

more about our church.

She is from Sierra Leone, Africa, where she grew up in a Muslim home 

until the age of 9 years when her parents separated. 

Shortly after, she lived with another family 

so she would help with their children and cleaning. 

She learned about Christianity in this home.

The things she has experienced in her life due to war, family, 

broken family, evil, death, destruction, goodness and love,

is amazing all in one lifetime.     

Her voice is wonderful to listen to, as is her heart.

"God start to show himself to me during war." 

She told us: "I don't always go to church 

but I don't joke with my prayers in my heart." 

She told us that she has tried everything the world has to offer too many times 

and it didn't work.  It did not bring her happiness.  

Would we please help her know "how to come closer to God"

We told her that we can show her how to receive her own answers

because Heavenly Father will not lie 

and she assured us that she would pray to know

if what we are saying is true.

That was a Monday eve.  She asked us to come to her home on Wed.

"Maybe I will get my answer tonight," 

she said as we were leaving for an appointment, 

"God don't waste time with me!"

Wednesday evening found us teaching

the Gospel to her in English, the language of her country.  

(so fun for us...although we have to reach for some English words now) 

She had a dream and said, "Yes, this is true".

She uses my scriptures and reads everyday.

When we arrive for our visits in her home, 

she is usually out on the deck of her apt. waiting. 

She was mopping the floor when we arrived for our first visit.

She had washed everything in her apt. and thrown her cigarettes away.

"I was thinking last night that I must quit smoking to be clean."

During that visit she took all the alcohol and coffee 

from her cupboards to the trash.  

She was waiting for us Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago 

by the tree below our apt. She wanted to attend Church. 

I translated the best I could during the meetings 

and she was very touched by the things she heard and felt

as people shared their testimonies.

She read 1st and 2nd Nephi in 4 days and asks great questions.

We love teaching people who have read the Bible.  People who are 

searching for Truth and have real questions are especially fun to share with.

  

I was concerned about just how to tell her about Modesty. 

This is a very warm country 

and modesty is not a natural part of anyone's thoughts...

but the moment we brought up the subject, 

up she jumped and ran to her closet,

and brought out her new shirts.  "I know, I know!" she said.

"I know I must dress betta to be clean. 

Yesterday I knew I must dress betta"

The 3 of us watched the Sunday morning session of  General Conference 

in our apt. on our computer.

She wanted to hear a real Prophet speak and she was  thrilled.

We showed her the Churches website after conference 

and she wanted to see if the Church of Jesus Christ is in her country.  

We pulled it up and YES!  There were also videos about her country.

We watched a short video of one of the humanitarian wheelchair projects there.

During part of it, she stood up! "This is my tribe, this is my home!"

She was filled with joy when she saw the streets she knew in the film.

She wants to know how she fits into the House of Israel and Abraham's promise.

Her questions are sincere from her reading.  

"What does it mean that they crucified their God?"  

From 3rd Nephi 17:  

"What does it mean when the people asked Him to 'tarry' a little longer"

Did they want him to stay overnight?

She is writing her story.  I am humbled as I read it.
She set fruit in front of us for our visit.
Last night was our fourth lesson and she glowed.
"It was difficult to quit smoking for three days", she said
"but everyday I am saving money now...
I tell my friends that I could not be the same person.  If they will not try to
understand what I am reading, they will have to go from my house, because this is my house.
I am happy...everyday I am more happy...I know it is true."

This is a very special week for all of us.
We will walk to the ocean for her Baptism this Saturday.
Her cousin, our guard and friend, will bring his family too.
He sees her smile and he wants to know more.

technology...just saying...

Our camera died a few months ago.  

One day the lens would not go in and out due to the sand in the air, we think. 

President Oliveira (so thoughtful), let us borrow a camera, 

which I try to protect
because we send photos of apts. missionaries and experiences in this work. 

The fancy telephone that Grandpa uses is amazing as well.  

Sometimes, it calls people by itself. 

In the middle of the night, I heard the phone come alive.  

The recorded voice said the number we were trying to reach was not in service. 

Funny, neither were we at that time. 

I got up and looked around.  

Dad was asleep, but the phone on the dresser was trying to call a number.  

I unplugged it.

This morning the elders called back as we had tried to call them during the night.  

That happened a few weeks ago
when the phone called the missionaries on another island 

every ten minutes for about 2 1/2 hours in the middle of the night.  

They finally unplugged their phone when we didn't respond to their tired hellos!
We learned about it when they called and then we looked at our phone history...
sure enough!????? 

The electricity is off sometimes, like this morning, and so maybe the phone just got excited 

and took off calling with an electrical surge?!   

Our computer is going out slowly.  

This morning we thought it was gone.  

It is old enough to be rightfully tired, 

but we are hoping that it will last just two more months 

so we can send our love before we give hugs in person!  

If these messages come to a standstill, 

it is because our technology is about to stand still. Ha!

just saying...

Heidi's Smile and Question!

Heidi asked her family this question a couple evenings ago. It made me smile when I read Elisa's emailed words:

"Last night we were talking about The Book of Mormon and why it is called the Book of Mormon. Then we said that's why people call us Mormons, etc. Heidi (without missing a beat) said, "So if his name would have been Bob we'd be called Bobs?" 

Ha!  I love that we think alot alike Miss Heidi!  

(Plus, I like dogs too!)  

Sure do miss you.  

The following cut n' paste is a little part from my journal 
A conversation I had with my father when I was about 8 yrs.old (long long long ago!) 

"I
asked Daddy if Jesus was a Mormon.  He told me that he was not.  I
wondered why I needed the book if Jesus didn’t have a copy.  My
father smiled.  I think he liked it when I asked questions because he
knew I wanted to know the truth.  The truth was that if Jesus wasn’t
a Mormon then why in the world did I want to be one?  He told me that
The Book of Mormon was a book of scripture all about Jesus Christ and
His gospel plan.  That’s when I learned that we are only Mormons
because people nicknamed us that. Mormon was only a man, although a
very good one, who became a prophet and compiled ancient records and
journal writings into a book.  My Father said Mormon wrote in the book
to tell us why he loved Jesus Christ, and to tell us about The Gospel, like some of the
other authors did. 







 Before Mormon died, he gave the records, mostly
engraved on gold plates to his son and told him to take very good
care of them. His son, Moroni, buried those records before he died
and they stayed buried for a very long time until Heavenly Father
wanted us to have those testimonies again.  I like that!








I
thought about that conversation a lot; it was interesting that we
were called Mormons because there are so many prophets and men of God
who have written scripture. So, we could have been nicknamed Pauls
because he wrote lots of letters in the Bible.  We could have been
the Lukes.  He wrote the story of Jesus’ birth that we would always
read on Christmas Eve (right before we’d open our new pajamas and
act surprised).  We could have been Jeremiahs or Exechials or Nephis
or nicknamed Joshuas or Ruths but somebody wanted to
call us ‘Mormons’. 







At church we call each other ‘brother’ or
‘sister’ because we know that we are all related.  Daddy told me
that we should be called ‘Christians’ because we worship Jesus
Christ.  He said that we shouldn’t feel bad when people get things
confused a bit. When people call us by a good man’s name, whatever
the nickname is, then that is pretty good.  When people know the
truth and call us by a perfect man’s name: Jesus Christ, then that
is even better.  We know who we are.  We belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day-Saints.  I was okay
with that and glad that Daddy helped me understand it.  If Mormon had
gathered these writings together into a book and gave his life for it
then I decided I had better take care of it.  I never put it on the
floor again.  It went on my dresser next to my Bible, which I knew
was more journals written about Jesus.  All of the authors in both
books adored Jesus and wanted to share all they knew about him.  









Daddy
said there will be more writings about Jesus that will come forth as
witnesses that He is the Son of God.  That really makes sense to me. 
God would not quit talking to people just because one book was
already made.  He loves you and me as much as those who wrote in
their journals long ago. We are His children too!"







My Heidi,







I am forever thankful to be a Christian.  

I am so thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. 

It means that we can be a family forever and ever, 

because the Priesthood Keys have once again 

been restored to the Earth.  I love that!







And...I am ok with being called a Mormon.   

People can call me about anything they want to.  

(and sometimes they do!)    

Doesn't change a thing!!!   



Love you Honey!

to be continued...(maybe in the morning!)

Miriama

Grandpa and Avelino

**********************

Something about a mission.

About being in the middle of making friends, missing family, witnessing miracles, memorizing moments

Amazing!

Sleep sneaks in fast and deep at the end of each day.
I remember the same feeling on our mission in Brasil.
Sometimes at nights I'd think, ok Brenda, move your arm, it will be more comfortable,
or just adjust your pillow a little teensy bit to the left...
and then I'd yawn...yeah...

ok....
I will ...
in a minute....

and then it is morning!

We spent this morning with Avelino and this afternoon walking all over Espargos
searching for the right apt. for the new couple that will be here in another month or so
to replace us on this island. It will be so fun to meet them. They will love serving here!
 So many thoughts trickle through our minds.

But, I will have to tell you about them another day,
For reals...I am falling asleep in my chair.
I can't wait to tell you about Miriama, 
and about Avelino, and about some of the missionaries here,
About our zone conference this week and our visit to Boa Vista.
About our First Fast Meeting in the new Church building, 
about the sweet experience in the Seminary/Institute class.
About CONFERENCE  (WE LOVED EVERY WORD SO MUCH!)
about the wedding and baptisms for this Friday and Saturday, 
about so many blessings,
and I can't wait to tell you about...

ok...
I will...
in a minute...

(or maybe in the morning...)    




***********************

We love you all so much.  Sweet Dreams!

CONFERENCE! http://www.lds.org

We are so excited for Conference!

What a blessing to listen to inspired words from 

our Prophet and Apostles.

The whole world may be 'backwards in the streets' 

like Isaiah prophesied,

but we can put things 'frontwards' in our homes.

We know that Jesus Christ is guiding His Church

 that He will help us understand our part, our lives, 

our trials, and our blessings as we come to Him 

*in faith *with a sincere heart *and with real intent,

HAPPY CONFERENCE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY!

~We love and miss all of you very much~