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