Baia dos Gatos and Dancing

Dear family, 

We are both doing well, and hope you are also.  Hope that Jen had a nice birthday!
This letter is from our journal.

On Tuesday we had an activity day with the other missionaries—we went to the beach where we had cleaned in January, and just enjoyed a couple of hours of games in the sand and walking on the beach.  Some members went along also, and they went swimming. 

I love the name of the beach:  Baia dos Gatos --  Bay of the Cats!  We didn’t see any cats, though, since they detest water!  The surf was high and very beautiful, and it was so peaceful to hear the constant rushing and ebbing of the waves.  The biggest reason for the trip was to get away from the city during the time of Carnaval, because the atmosphere was not pleasant to Church people’s ears.  Loud “music”, drums beating frantically, people dressed in costumes with painted bodies, etc.  At night all missionaries were told to stay in their homes and not have teaching appointments.  The mission president is from this city and he knows what goes on during this time, so he wisely counsels us all.

Last Friday we had a dance at Outreach and 45 young people came.  It was really fun to watch them—it was for the Dia dos Namorados (day for lovers=Valentines Day)  and the dance committee did a fabulous job on decorating the big room, and we also had a full dinner of chicken and tuna steak at 10:30 p.m.  Since we were in charge of the building, we stayed till 11:30 when everyone left, so we could lock up.  We sure slept in the next morning, though!

Yesterday after a 4-month wait, we finally bought sewing machines, 5 of them, for our prison sewing project.  It takes forever to get shipments of items here, and the poor man who owned the store had us asking him 2 or 3 times a week since November 1 if the machines had arrived yet., and he was powerless to do anything about getting them. Then we got a phone call from another store that day that they had machines for us, and before we decided to buy theirs, the first store owner called and said that he had machines, so we went looking.  We are so glad that now we can teach the women prisoners how to sew.  One of the machines was bought by me for use in this home by the mission couples—when we leave here, I am donating it to the mission to stay in this house.

We have also begun a new project, working with the Red Cross, to furnish some needed items for a home for the elderly---mattresses and bedding, a washing machine, towels, and games and books for them to have something fun to do during the day.  They will need pillowcases for the pillows, and since those are easy to sew, that will be one of the first sewing projects we do with the prison ladies.

Next week is District Conference for members and missionaries from the 3 northern islands—lots of preparation is going into these meetings, and we are involved with meetings and music.  Then the first week of March, our Europe Area directors will visit us here for 3 days and see what projects we have and how our life is going.  A few days later, the former mission president of Cape Verde and his wife, from Salt Lake, will visit us for a week.  At this same period of time, there are specialists from Salt Lake coming here in gardening and soil projects for agriculture.  The first weekend of March, we will have the General Young Mens’ Presidency and the General Sunday School Presidency from Salt Lake speak at our Sunday meetings and a fireside for the youth and leaders.  Having so many visitors (not staying at our house, just in our city) will be exciting and spiritually uplifting and FUN!

It never was cool here like the natives expected at this time of year; instead, it seems to be getting hotter.  We have three kinds of weather:  hot, hotter, and hottest.  Last year they said it was really cold with lots of wind, but not this year, at least not yet.

We love each one of you and pray for you all daily.

Love, Elder and Sister, Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa

And You Think You Have Problems!!

Hi all,

I (Elder Goff) swept our back, walled patio about noon today.  I looked out again about 5:30 and the patio was covered with sand (picture 1).  So I swept the patio again and you can see the pile of sand I swept up. (picture 2)  I wonder how much dust the Sahara has left.  We do a batch of laundry every morning and before it can be hung up on the lines in our patio, I have to sweep the sand up.  What fun!  I never knew a mission would turn into a good sweep daily.

Love to all,

Elder Goff  (Larry and Pat)

Picture 1 -- The first sweeping...

After only 5 hours!! -- Look at all that dust!

Jen's Birthday and Carnaval!!

Dear family,

HAPPY  BIRTHDAY, JEN, ON THE 15th.  Hope you and Dann enjoy the day together.

The past two weeks have sped by so quickly--we have been really busy with school projects,  in which we got to visit 3 of the 33 schools we helped with school kits.  It was so wonderful to visit with the children; they are well-trained by their teachers and very polite, thankful for the Church's help in providing supplies for the less advantaged among them.  We also have set up appointments to work with the Red Cross, but don't have any specifics yet.

Our good friend here, James, went with us last Thursday to see and evaluate areas of the city which do not have water in their homes.  They use a central well and carry it to their homes, often over a few miles.  The Church's project would pay for piping the water from the central system into the individual homes, a marvelous help to the people.  We are happy to be representatives of such an organization which helps so many.

A funny happening this past week is about one of the district leader elders who had just moved into a newly built place, with no water or electricity turned on yet (the electric company is slow to go to the homes and flip the switch, so to speak).  The elder lay down on his mattress on the floor (his metal bed was rusted and broke when they tried to move it on the truck), so he wanted a short power nap.  He happened to be chewing gum, and when he woke up, there were ants in his mouth wanting the sweetness of the gum!  Yukky! but funny to write home about!

It is Carnival time here, Jan. through March.  It is much like the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, except here the revelers (only a small part of the people) paint themselves, wear wierd and scary costumes, and parade through the streets, beating loudly on drums.  In fact, they are doing it right now in the afternoon, as I write this, but more often it is in the evening; thankfully never late at night.  It all ends before Easter, so they can repent and be "clean" for that day!  It seems harmless to many of the young people, but the spirit in the group is much like a hard-rock concert with tons of people and anything can happen.  The Church plans alternative activities for the youth on these scheduled nights of revelry, but some still go to the festivities.  The elders and sisters have a harder time with proselyting during Carnival months because the ordinary population doesn't want to repent until the FUN is over!

The Church is growing well here, though, and we are headed to a baptism this afternoon.  We had Zone Conference last week, and District (branches) Conference in 3 weeks, visitors from Germany in early March (our Area supervisors), and members of the General Sunday School and General Young Men presidencies are coming the first weekend of March to speak to the members, especially the youth.

We are thinking of each of you with much love, and pray for you every day. 
Love, Elder and Sister Goff (Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, etc., etc.)

Sister missionaries in our zone, with mission president's wife at far right, Jan. 30.

A good friend at a couples' dinner for the district.  He has only been a member for 6 months, is the branch mission leader, and has brought over 15 people onto the Church.

School children with their kits.