One Long Sunny Day

Okay, first off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to everyone. Charlotte, Dan, Sister Turnbow and Sister Walker. Un monte de alguen.

The week was nice and long. A few more downs than ups, but we worked hard and the branch was packed on Sunday, so that's nice.

The week started with a lesson Monday night with a boy named Danielson. We contacted him Sunday night and spent 15 minutes trying to talk him out of going clubbing and listening to our message instead. It didn't work. The ironic/depressing part is that he's the younger brother of a previous investigator who was at church last Sunday and then as we talked to his brother that night, he informed us that Walter was sleeping off his post-church alcohol. Que raiva. Making it worse, Danielson told us that he planned on drinking a whole lot more than his brother during his clubbing hours. Yups. So we ended up running into him on Monday and he said he wanted to talk to us so we sat down with Tchilatchy and him and were about to pray when his mother enters. For about 10 minutes she vents to us about her disappointments in her two sons and asking us what she did wrong and how her sons could have turned out so badly. She told us that they needed to change but even with the older one going to church, he still drinks. It was HORRIBLE and completely broke my heart. Even worse is that the boy just sat there, not even paying attention. I was hoping it would soften his heart, but it did nothing. I felt so, so bad for that mother. For all mothers in Cabo Verde. Argh. Anyway, we still tried to teach a lesson, but he wasn't listening and I couldn't even look at him I was so upset.

I don't know if you want to put this on the blog or not. It makes me sad just writing about it. I was bawling during that lesson. The moment I thought about how I would feel if Mom said those things about me, I just burst out crying. I couldn't go on. Sister Laimana had to take over and Tchilatchy couldn't figure out what he was supposed to do.

Anyway. Luckily, afterwards we went to a good family night where I realized that bingo is as boring as I remembered it. The lights went out near the end so we all walked back down the hill with our cell phone lights. The members in Cabo Verde really are amazing. Just thinking about the amount of temptations and problems they have, it's so amazing that any of them can stay active. I love them.

A missionary returned this week. He served in the Salt Lake City-South mission. It'll be really nice to have him here after we leave. We already showed most of our recent converts to him so they don't get completely forgotten.

We did a whole lot of walking this week and it was extra hot. I didn't think I could get any darker, but I might have actually got a little bit burnt this week.

Ups of the week: we're teaching and preparing Ineida's niece for baptism. She's a sweetheart as well and loves coming to church and the activities. Also, we found a young woman who was taught a lot by the sisters in the past, even had a baptismal interview but then something happened. She's excited to talk to us again and came to church with her daughter and younger brother who's already a member.

Eliandro was supposed to get baptized on Saturday...but we think he got cold feet. We talked to him about eight times on Saturday, but he said he wanted to wait a week. Well...with the help of the returned missionary and other members, he had a really good experience in church and he said that now he feels ready to get baptized next Saturday. He's a really good kid. He goes to everything on his own and shows up to church in a white shirt and tie. I think he's also helping his semi-less-active brother be a little bit more firm in the church. He's a funny little kid. He's all ready for baptism. He already had his interview and everything.

Best part of the week. We had our little kiddo recent convert activity again on Friday. It was so good! Eddy and Tchilatchy taught them about the Word of Wisdom. (Yes, Sister Laimana and I picked the topic--we're hoping for two things. To start them young in keeping the commandments and also to create a little support group to help their brothers and fathers start to keep the commandments.) We went and bought a big sheet of butcher paper and Eddy drew a person on it. Then we had five cups filled with mud and other gross looking stuff and labeled the cups (Cafe, cha preto, alcool, tabaco, drogas) and five kids got to splatter the figure with the substances. It worked really well and they all learned the five things that will destroy our lives! I love those kids.

And Eddy and Tchilatchy continue to be awesome. Eddy is so cute with the kids and tries to hide it from us, but Sister Laimana and I are on to him.

Sorry about this email. I feel like a LOT of things happened this week, but mostly it involved drunk members and earrings and you probably don't want to hear about it. And there's a huge city wide party coming up and I'm sure the alcohol consumption will be going up (hard to believe I know).

But I love you all lots and loved reading the news from home.

Love,

Sister Brooks

PS Probably next Monday we'll be on the Fast Ferry to PRAIA!! For a double zone conference. We'll be there for a couple days and then head back for our last weeks in Fogo. Sniff.

Oh, and our house flooded. We've been running out of water and light like crazy this week and so I guess one waterless day, one of the sinks was left open and while we were all out teaching, the water came back and left a few inches of water on the floor. Pretty much nothing got damaged....except for our area book and my Preach my Gospel (I was really sad)--we don't have desks, so they were on the floor. Anyways, my PMG is almost drying out. Almost.