Everything Always Seems to Fall in Place

Last time we wrote, we said that we would be having a Health Fair "the next day", but it did not happen then because of big mix-ups in flights and cancellations of planes, so the mission nurse did not arrive when expected, and the mission president arrived about one hour before the Zone Conference. 

 The materials for the Health Fair which the nurse was bringing did not arrive on the plane with her, but came Saturday evening, after the Fair would have been over.  Oh well, she will return in two weeks to do it.

So she returned this past Thursday, and we had a wonderful visit, and prepared and presented the Health Fair yesterday.  Our Young Adults were trained by her the evening before the Fair, and they did the teaching of the different parts--What to do for Fever, Burns, Cuts, Nutrition, Blood Pressure, how to make a sterilized bandage with fabric, newspaper, and a hot iron, and how to care for dehydration and diarrhea.  We also had floor games for the kids; many people came and stayed most of the two hours, everyone went home with a first aid booklet from each of the displays, and it was just really FUN! 

The water project for Mindelo is moving along quickly and we are receiving much help from the government and from engineers here.  They have made a contract for us to have approved by Church headquarters about us (the Church) providing the supplies and materials for the water and sewer pipe.  Since work cannot be done during the rainy months of September and October (and maybe August), things need to be in place and ready for work as soon as the rains are done in October.  We will let you all know when exciting things happen about it, but for now it is just laying groundwork.

We have been teaching a Gospel Principles class at the prison on Saturday mornings.  It began with the women, but the men wanted it too.  Now it is just the men--we do not know why the women do not choose to come--perhaps the ideas were too much for them to grasp, and we will have to find out how to remedy the problem.  The men are very receptive, 2 of them are members, we usually have about 20 in the class, and they are eager to read parts of the lessons and to respond.  We even sing a hymn each week, mostly "I Am A Child of God".  I can tell which ones are members, because there is some light in their eyes and a look of desiring to hear more.

On Sunday afternoons one set of elders conducts a class at the church called "School of the Prophets", and I have been attending that.  They help the members learn the missionary lessons in "Preach My Gospel" and we practice giving them to each other. 

Last Friday night at Outreach, the Young Adults were trained for the Health Fair the next day, and after that, we had fun dancing to the nurse's CDs (she also teaches dance on her island here). 

 They were fun group dances, round dances, and one that the grandchildren will enjoy:  we danced the "Chicken Dance", exactly like Ryan, Nicole and Christian have done at the school dance festival. 

Happy Father's Day!  Apparently it is not celebrated here, although Mother's Day is.

June 14 was our "Hump Day", 9 months filled, 9 months left of our mission.

 

We love each of you and pray for you every day, and miss you.

Much love to all, Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Elder and Sister