Week 90, Transfer 15

Hey you!! Sorry last week the power went out in the city so we couldn't do internet again. 

Today has been a bit stressful because transfers were yesterday. Sosa and I are staying together for another 6 weeks, which was a bit of a surprise to be honest because we both go home on the same day and 2 Zone Leaders can't leave at the same time because the next Zone Leaders would be completely out of it. So one of us might be finishing the mission as a ZL. 

I have a lot of pics to send, I just hugged Burch goodbye! He's done!! It was kind of depressing, he's definitely one of the best friends I've ever made. I think we are going to be roommates for college, that's the plan so far at least, haha. This is our last picture together, I was so sad. 

 

Mission council was great, I enjoyed it a lot. We had our Zone meeting and it was dope! This is our whole Zone. 

And like every week... we got soaked again -.-' I hate rain now...

Everything in Assomada is turning super green because of the rain. There's tons of mosquitoes at night, so we bought those mosquito repellent things that you burn so we don't get eaten alive in our sleep. 

Week 81

My week was very interesting and busy. On Tuesday was Council day, we had to wake up at 5AM to catch an hour-long ride to Praia, but I woke up at 2 in the morning because of a HUGE roach crawling on my face. I don't know if I told you, but our house is INFESTED with roaches. I have never seen so many in my life. But yeah, I felt something on my face, woke up and slapped it away and it landed on my pillow. Then I realized it was a roach so I grunted "freaking roaches" and slapped my whole pillow off my bed, but it landed on Mortensen and woke him up, lol. Then we kept trying to kill it and it kept running back and forth between our beds, so I lost a good 45 minutes of sleep there.
But the actual Council itself was awesome, it really opened my eyes to how much planning and stuff goes on behind the scenes. It was awesome seeing people again, especially Elder Young and Romano and Burch. We got back to Assomada around 8:30ish at night so we were exhausted by then. Wednesday was a normal day, except we stayed up late finishing up all our plans and trainings for the next day, which made us lose a few more hours of sleep.
Zone Meeting was sweet! Or at least it was for me, lol. Everyone seemed to like it, and it was nice seeing everybody from the Zone again.
Right after Zone Meeting I left on a division with Elder Sosa to a city called Calheta, he's still soft lol but it was way cool being able to serve with him again.
I didn't get back until Friday, when I came home to see that our apartment had been sprayed with poison for the roaches. There were THOUSANDS of baby roaches all dead throughout the kitchen. I thought that was going to end the roach problem, but I think it just made it worse. Now they moved out of the kitchen and into the rest of the house. So now there's even more roaches in the bathroom, study room, closets, EVERYWHERE. I hate this house, lol.
Yesterday was awesome, the zone all came together and more than doubled the number of investigators in Sacrament Meeting. Two Sundays ago the number was 13 (I know, super low) and yesterday as a zone we had 27 (more than we have had in 3 months) so I'm super excited for Zone Conference in 2 days, we are going to keep pumping up the zone so we can keep improving.
Also, Burch and Elder Lopez (the APs) are coming over tomorrow for a division, so that should be fun.

Random Pics: Elder Mortensen still doesn't smile, haha.

Week 80

I'm sorry I didn't email mom and dad, I read their email twice and I thought I had responded but I guess I really didn't... brain fart.
Guys I don't need clothes for the cold, but the socks will actually come in very handy since most.... all of my socks have holes in them, but don't go overboard because my luggage is super heavy now. I really don't want anything... maybe just some stretch bands so I can work out. It's hard to get in shape when my only two choices are push ups and sit ups.

So this week was very tiring, we have been preparing for Zone Meeting which will be on Thursday and Zone Conference which is in 10 days. Both days we will be presenting zone plans and goals for the month of August and we will also be preparing trainings to go along with those plans. I was never exactly "gifted" when it comes to talking in front of people, so it should be interesting, lol. All week we have been praying, fasting, and studying to know what plans we can do to help out getting investigators to church.
Also, tomorrow will be council, which is in Praia. All the Zone Leaders and the 2 AP's go to a meeting with President Matthews to follow up on last month's goals and talk about next months' plans and stuff. It will be my first one and I'll get to see Elder Burch for the first time in about a year, and others more than that, so I'm pretty excited for that. I'm also a bit nervous because everyone at council is like the "top dogs" in the mission, everyone is smart lol. I feel like I was made ZL because I work hard, not because of my brains haha.

Week 77

Hi! This week was pretty good, it definitely had it's ups and downs. Zone meeting was this past week, it was way sweet. It was the first time I got to see Elder Reid since we stopped being comps back in Santo Antao. I finally got your package! I now have 5 contact cases, lol. And freak you sent a ton of cookie stuff! Thanks, those things are worth their weight in gold out in the mission haha. Also, we had interviews with President Mathews yesterday, I feel like I trust him more and more every time I talk to him. He helped me out a lot with some things that have been bothering me for the past few months.
Transfers are this Sunday! I only have 4 more after this!!! That's nothing! It goes by like in a month!

Also, here's a random picture of me and Elder Kabanako the one time we went in the caves.

Week 28

Life is good, I had a great week. Remember how I said we got smitten last week at church?? Well this week we focused a lot on the work again and had a frequency of 36! And hardly any of them were little kids, they were all less actives and strong members. We had 2 investigators there, Danielson and Izagi. They both are getting baptized on August 9th, I'm super excited for them.

We had Zone Meeting back in Mindelo so I was able to receive a package but it wasn't yours, it was from Mom. It had some Spicy Ketchup, Old Spice, and some razors so I was a wayy happy guy. On the boat ride back from Mindelo I met a Seventy! His last name was Martino or something like that haha. They are having FSY here in Santo Anto this week and he's gonna be there to give a talk and stuff. It was awesome getting to know him and take a picture with him.

This week was way buys, every time we go to meetings in Mindelo we travel for 2 days and spend A LOT of money on the boat and car rides. In 2 weeks we are going back again for Zone Conference so we will be loosing another 2 days of work here -.- It's kinda annoying traveling that much but it gives us a chance to talk to our Mission President and Zone Leaders and other people, that's always nice.

So it's funny how you said in your dream that I owned a hole-in-the-wall store cuz that's how most stores are in Cabo Verde, basically just caves haha.
And man, I'm DONE with energy drinks for a while. I'll send a pic next week of our collection.

Oh I forgot! I walked in the rain for the first time on my mission! It's a saying we have, that every time a missionary walks and works in the rain, their future wife gets prettier. I had to hike up a freankn mountain while it was raining so My wife better have hips like Shakira :p
Most of the year is dry here, but during August and September its rainy season. And when it rains here, man it rains HARD. Yesterday wasn't much, just enough to soak us after a while. But when the real clouds come in, most of the roads will be flooded. That's why everyone builds their houses on mountains and stuff, to get on higher ground and avoid the floods.

I had already sent you this pic, but this is a different angle.

Sisters are tiny, lol. This is my district. From left to right there's Sisters Santos, Walker, Pina, and De Pina. Sister Santos is Brazilian, Walker is American, and the Pinas are both Cabo Verdeans from Ilha de Fogo. Then there's our area 70, me, and Elder Burch.