Featured in the Brazilista Publication

Dear Family,

 

The is part of the Brazilista publication that we receive regularly.  In it Alf Gunn talked about the cruise they took from Italy to Brazil.  This is what he wrote about their stop in Cape Verde.  This goes out to several thousand returned missionaries from Brazil in my general period of time, the 60's and 70'.

 

If you want the whole story, I can send it to you.  Have a Merry Christmas.  We love all of you dearly.

 

Love, Dad

 

We had a warm day in Mindelo, Republic of Cape Verde, about 400 miles off the coast of Africa. Mindelo has a deep water port that is an old volcano crater. A senior missionary couple, Elder Larry and Sister Pat Goff, had arranged with a member, Mauro Reis, to provide two busses and four members who speak English as well as Portuguese to give us a tour of Mindelo and the mountainous island of São Vicente. The day’s highlight for those of us who did it was to attend a baptism service in one of the two chapels we visited. A fine young man was baptized. We met Sister Jamilee Lords from Washington and Sister Peralta from Portugal who had found and taught him, and four Elders too, two from the USA one from Brazil and the other from Portugal but raised in Australia. The Sisters are confident that the young man who was baptized, Saturnino Rodrigues, age 20, will serve a mission.   

  Elder Goff had served in Brazil during my mission in the mid-‘60’s. He and his wife Pat are serving a welfare mission in Cabo Verde.

  Others of our group who attended the baptism included Elder Kent Jolley, former member of the Second Quorum of Seventy, and his wife Jill, and Lynn and Kay Wallace, who presided over the Florianopolis Mission and the Maputo Mozambique Mission when it was organized.

  Cape Verdeans are mostly of African descent and were left impoverished in 1975 when they gained independence from Portugal and the Portuguese took or destroyed the wealth of the area, so it is pretty bleak now, but improving. My guide, João “James” Tavares (who was born in Santos, Brazil), and the other principle guide, Mauro Reis, a Cape Verdean, were very impressive returned missionaries and spoke excellent English. Brother Tavares is in the district presidency at Midelo and is strong in the faith and excited to see the Church growth. One of Brother Tavares’ former mission companions, Manoel Coelho, was another guide.

  The gospel of Jesus Christ is beautifully simple and simply beautiful and changes lives when lived, in any part of this world. I am thankful for what the Lord has provided at great cost for me and for all who will accept and live it. The gospel is true. The Church is true. That is our faith and there is nothing like it in this old world. What a blessing and privilege to be a member of this Church and have that testimony and the association of men like João “James” Tavares.

 

This part was also included.

 

Item:  Here is more information from the Goffs concerning their mission in Cabo Verde, from a note sent last June: “My wife Pat and I are currently serving in Cape Verde as the welfare couple there in the country. There are about 10 islands in Cape Verde. We are on the island of São Vicente, in the city of Mindelo.  All this is located about 400 miles off the west coast of West Africa in the Atlantic Ocean.  Naturally the language is Portuguese, and I had to get my rusty Portuguese out and brush up on it. Pat learned a little at the MTC before we left, last September, and is still trying to understand what is going on here. We are involved with the Outreach program for young single adults, age 18 to 30. We meet two nights a week at the chapel with them. Wednesday evening is Family Home Evening night where we try to have a religious message delivered to the youth. On Fridays we meet and have an activity night. Last Friday we celebrated birthdays for all who had them during the past quarter of the year. We played games and then had cake and waffles. Other weeks we have movies, debates, talk about Pioneers, service projects etc. We are also involved with the Perpetual Education Fund helping the local institute leader. This also includes the employment specialist calling which we will over-see. Then there are the humanitarian projects we are working on such as supplying school kits to needy children in the town, helping at the local prison by teaching sewing to the women prisoners, helping paint a local school, helping the Neo-Natal doctor who came over to teach the local doctors, set-up a clean water project and then supervise it etc. Needless to say, we are keeping busy and loving it.”

--Elder and Sister Larry Goff (BSM 64-66)

 

The Goff’s are hoping for a couple to replace them early in 2011 when they complete their mission.