Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Rooms to let 50 cents

Hello Family!

I didn't even realize it was transfer time until people started talking about it. I just figured I'd be staying and Sister Gomes would be staying and we are. But apparently we're getting another dupla of Sisters who will stay in our house and split the area. That should be fun....though I should say that if a house without water doesn't support two sisters, it probably won't support four. Man, I love Cabo Verde. Anyway, for that reason, Sister Oliveira wanted us to look for a new house. More or less the last thing in the world I want to use my time doing. And also more or less the most impossible task ever! We've had zero success. I was ready to live in Safende, but apparently the gangs and shootings make it a little less than an ideal location for sister missionaries.

Did I tell you we haven't had water for six weeks? That's not technically true. We have water; we just don't have a lot. We have to call the water truck every week which means we don't have enough water to use the washing machine. That's right. I wash my clothes by hand!! Goodness. I love the mission.

This week was a great finding week. We got a ton of references and tons of new investigators. I absolutely love one family we're teaching now. We're teaching a woman named Branca and her four children (ages 8 to 16 -- perfect). Her husband lives on the island of Sal and just got baptized a little while ago. She also went to church there and studied with the missionaries for a while. She'd really like to be baptized and so far is doing everything she needs to to prepare--including coming to church! I was so happy. I also love teaching them. We talked about the Book of Mormon and I really like to use the pictures at the beginning to explain it. Anyway, so as I was teaching, all the kids and some neighbor girls came and sat on the floor to look at the pictures. It felt like story time. Her second youngest, Jennifer, came in during one of the first lessons and said, 'Mom! I want to be baptized!' Of course!

We're also teaching a really cool couple Susana and Zemar. They really just need to get married. Susana's been coming to church for quite a while but Zemar's in the army and he's 'Catholic' so it's taken awhile to get him to church--but yesterday he came! And Susana, in the opening prayer of Principles of the Gospel, prayed that her 'husband' would like church. It was awesome. We taught them yesterday and it was just a good lesson. They don't have any chairs, so we all sit (slightly awkwardly in skirts) on a rug on the floor. It's a little bizarre, but it's actually a really good atmosphere. Their little tornado of a son, Ivandro runs around the whole time and it just feels like a family. (Wish they'd make it official with a wedding.) To top it off, Zemar made popcorn, so we were just sitting on the floor, around a big bowl of popcorn, telling almost complete strangers that they need to get married! And Ivandro kept coming over and sharing his popcorn with me and then cuddled up next to me. I realize, that's completely against the rules, but he's just so little and cute! Anyway, the two of them are super funny together.

I really like teaching. It's definitely my favorite part of missionary work. It's frustrating when people don't understand or don't pay attention, but it's so good when a principle is explained clearly and the Spirit can testify of its truthfulness.

Oh goodness. We taught another reference this week and during one of her prayers she said, 'Please bless Sister Gomes and Sister...the Sister whose name I don't know.' It was funny. Brooks isn't even the hardest name out there. No one could ever say Sister Turnbow's name. I usually just get called 'Sister Brocks.'

The highlight of the week was the activity on Saturday--Night of Theater, for all the branches in Praia. It was SO good. It was like a real ward party. Two of the branches put on plays (one about Adam and Eve and the other about Ammon protecting the King Lamoni's sheep) and they were so good/hilarious/ridiculous. And then...the missionaries performed. The Elders (and Sisters) put on a skit about Joseph, fleeing from Potiphar's wife (never miss a chance to teach about the law of chastity). And it was in Krioulu. Everyone loved it. It was so good. Everyone was laughing SO hard!! Unfortunately, I gave my camera to someone to video it...and it didn't get videoed. But I'll steal it from Sister Laimana. The Sisters were the wives of Jacob. We didn't have to say anything (though I kept calling Elder Rodrigues (Joseph) 'Nha Fidju!' because I was Rachel). Anyway, the Elders took a few liberties with the script, adding things like a bartering session because Potiphar and the merchants who bought Joseph from his brothers--for some reason, it helped to seal the deal for Elder Josephson to do a flip on the stage. Goodness. It's probably not appropriated to have that much fun at the church, but it was a good night. And then we even had a little dinner afterwards. It was great. It would have been better if all the members had invited a friend, but you can't win 'em all.

Okay. Well, I love the gospel. I love being a missionary. And this is the greatest and craziest country in the world!

Love,
Sister Brooks




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