Out of Control

Hey, family.  I have so many great pictures for you, but this computer isn't really up to the whole uploading photos thing.  Oh well.  You'll see them soon enough.

So...this week was good.  It pretty much flew by and it doesn't help that I'm sitting at the same computer as last week....feels like no time has passed at all. 

Bad news of the week: Eliandro is still unbaptized.  Now it looks like his mom and/or grandma aren't too excited about his baptism, but I feel like everything will be sorted out this week.  We've been stressing out a bit, but it was still great to see Eliandro showing up on his own to church in his white shirt and tie.

Good news: Clecy and Dira were baptized!  Clecy is still as sweet and cute as ever and seems so much happier.  And the best part of it all, her mom, two aunts and little brother were there to see her baptized!!

(I guess the baby brother didn't really have a choice, but we were praying that her mom would come to support her.)  We started teaching her mother as well and hopefully we'll be able to see her progress before...you know.

Dira was definitely our miracle for the week.  We literally had to do nothing.  Everything we taught, she already remembered and everything went smoothly (except she was a little late for church because of some delay with their cows and milk...I don't know) and her brother was there for her baptism and it seems to have helped him remember the importance of church as well.

We've been doing quite a bit with Lu to help her get her mission papers in order.  She's such a funny girl, but she's going to be a pretty amazing missionary.  It's been a little weird going through the same process I went through a couple years ago.  My memory is really bad.

Speaking of missions--Samila's finally getting out!  I'm pretty sure she'll be coming to Boston with us!  But then I think we get separated.  I was really hoping we'd be able to go the whole way together so you could all meet her.  Oh, I love that girl.  And I have officially won the heart of her niece Rafaela (the nephew Rafael is being a little bit more stubborn).

We had our weekly recent convert activity which more or less turned into 'Gather all the children ages 2-13 in the area and stuff them in a small area and try to keep their attention long enough to teach them something.'  At least the ones that are actually our recent converts are still doing great and they're the ones bringing their little brothers and sisters and cousins with them to the activity.  The best part of this week is that Tchilatchy and Eddy pretty much did everything.  We just brought the cake.  And wait until I tell you about the cake...

We're out of control.  It just so happened that Friday was our 18 month mark.  Crazy and terrifying, but true.  So we made two cakes and decorated them as our name tags.  Yups.  I wish I could send the picture. Maybe next week.  And we also bought birthday candles and we made them sing happy birthday to us.  And most of them now think that we are twin sisters who have the same birthday.  They sang to us, we blew out the candles and then they gave us beijos!  On the cheek of course and only from the girls (and the very little boys).

 I think I had a slight allergic reaction to fish yesterday...but Sister Laimana had it too, so we're not sure what it was.  A couple members were grilling fish outside as we were walking home and they offered us some. Can't really say no, so we each accepted the offered two small fish wrapped in notebook paper.  It was really good, but after eating about one and a half my tongue started hurting and swelled up a little...don't really know why.  But I did suck the eyes out of its head and then got the gibblies and had to spit it into the sink.

Water's been coming and going--ironic that I complained about a flood last week since this week we've been showering...infrequently with very small rations of water. :)

Tomorrow we're off to Praia, but now we're flying.  Probably better for me--I'll save my vomidrine for the long trip home.  Excited for the conference, but we're even more excited to hear about the STAKE!  Looks like this weekend they'll be officially creating a stake in Praia!  So awesome.  I wish we could be there, but instead we'll be back in Fogo for the...

Festas de Sao Filipe.  Apparently it's HUGE.  The members have told us that we will not be teaching a single lesson since no one will be home and that everyone will be drinking and if they're not drinking it's because they're out of money so they're going to rob us.  Really wanted to take pictures with people this week, but looks like I won't be carrying my camera around with me. :)

The work's going really well.  Our 11 year old recent convert Elvis brought two friends to church and he said that next week he'd bring two more!  He's so cute. 

Oh yeah, and Mom and Dad (this is against the white handbook rules) but I'd like you to adopt a boy named Bruno.  He's 16 or 17 but I think he'd make a great little brother.  And he really needs to get out of Cabo Verde before he gets even more corrupted.  I'll send you a picture soon.

All right, I love you all lots but there's things to do.  

Love,

Sister Brooks