Beach Party!!

Dear families and friends,

Our big happening this past week was the beach party on Friday afternoon/evening.  The Young Adult committee hired a city bus to take the 35 of us to San Pedro Beach, about 15 minutes from the church.  We had been there before, and the waves are always high, so no swimming, but it is so beautiful and even has a lighthouse high on the rock cliffs.  We built a bonfire after dark and told stories and ate a picnic supper, furnished by the committee.  Before dark we played beach games in the sand and had lots of fun.  We all got real dirty in the sand!

Playing games around the fire on the beach!

Elder Goff and I have received a container on a ship from USA (bales of items from Salt Lake City sent to New York by train, then on ship to Mindelo, Cape Verde).  In this container (a container is like a railroad boxcar, filled with cardboard boxes of items like wheelchairs to distribute, school kits, hygiene kits, newborn baby kits, boxes of new young child toys like stuffed animals, blocks, dolls, etc.).  We now have the wonderful privilege of deciding, through prayer, where would be the best places to give these items.  We also talk with leaders of various organizations, on this island and other islands, to learn about needs of the people for these items.  It is amazing to see how much can be done to help here, and how all parts of the decisions seem to fit in place together.  It truly is the Lord's work, and we are instruments to help Him here.  We will need to travel to other islands in the next few months to distribute items.  For example, the toys come in a box of 100 each, and there are 16 boxes=1600 toys!  Over a thousand school kits, hygiene kits, newborn kits.  We are going to hospitals, daycare centers, public school districts, the prison (they have school there and need school kits supplies), Red Cross, etc., etc.  We want to get all the items distributed by the end of this December.  (Good luck!!)

If any of you watched the TV program earlier this year about Cape Verde (Sherrie told us about it), it mentioned a branch president who had been Br. Pres. for 15 years--he was just released last Sunday--many people were touched by his ministrations.  We knew him and loved him too--he is on the island we visit by boat frequently.

I read the American Heritage School newsletter on the computer, and noticed that school begins there on Aug. 30.  When does school start for Matt?  It starts here the last week of Sept., but they did not get out of school until the last of June. 

Another fun thing we did: this past Saturday, the mission nurse and mission president's wife came here and taught a dance class:  square dance, other group dances, and we had so much fun and got so energized (meaning hot and tired but happy).  They left us a CD of the music and a book of instructions for each dance, so that we can use it for Outreach activities.  Since all square dance calls are in English worldwide (they need to rhyme), Larry will likely be the "Caller".  Fun!

We are thinking of each of you and pray for you every day.
Much love always, Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Elder and Sister

Sunset on the Beach

Last night we had a beach party with our Young Adults--they filled a city bus, almost 40 people--the surf was too high for playing in the water, but we played games on the beach, built a bonfire, told stories, etc., and had a picnic supper.  The stars were so big and beautiful, and we enjoyed the sunset over the ocean.

Baptisms and Dancing!

Dear families and friends,

Aside from being very hot, we are sure having a lot of fun activities here.  One that is not as fun, however, is the water shortage--we still have some, but really have to conserve--when tourists come in the summer, they use so much water, not realizing what that does to the residents' supply. 

Back to the fun:  A side effect of the water shortage is not having enough water in both chapels to have weekly baptisms (fill the font), so we have all the baptisms for the week at the other chapel.

Baptism of a special friend.

Last week when the water level was somewhat low in the font, the baptizer had to lean way over to get the person under the water.  For two weeks now, we have all gone to the other chapel via a hired "bus"--last week it was a pick-up truck with seats in the back for the men, and the women rode inside.

"Bus" to the baptisms.

Yesterday we had a station wagon type van in which everyone could be inside.  As we rode through the city both weeks, we saw the lineup of taxis with honking horns and flashing lights meaning a wedding had just taken place (we wrote about that in April).

At Outreach on Friday night, the Young Adults put on a 60's dance!  Fun, fun!  Many of them, boys and girls, came in costume, and danced to some Elvis Presley music and Brazilian rock n roll.  We had a big turnout, as usual for dances. They downloaded the music from the Internet.

Today for church we were the speakers at the other chapel, and also the pianist and chorister.  It was lucky that our assignment was today, because we had visited the sister of our favorite missionary elder on Friday, and invited her to church.  She came!  The elders are teaching her.

Our prison class for the men in Gospel Principles is going very well.  One of them asked for a copy of the Gospel Principles book, and several asked for copies of the Book of Mormon, both of which we gladly supplied, and they are so willing to read aloud in class and even to pray in class. We will be getting more copies of the Book of Mormon to give out next week (the box of them had been sent from the mission home, supposedly here, but were accidentally diverted to another island).  The men's interest in the gospel is a real spiritual uplift for us each week. 

If we remember correctly, this is the week that Matt returns from his summer trip.  Is it really almost time for school to begin??  Good luck to Matt and Davy in their school beginnings.

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