Week 67, Now In Chao Bom!

Chao Bom has been quite the little adventure. First of all, I arrived in Praia on Monday night, around 10ish, and they stuck me and another 2 Elders who were also traveling in a house with only one extra mattress. You can do the math and use your imagination lol. It was SOOO HOT sharing a tiny mattress, so I just threw my pillow on the tiled floor and slept there.
The Southern islands are VERY different, the culture changed like crazy. I couldn't understand the Creole here to save my life for the first few days, but now I get most of it. On Tuesday morning I got on a car at 11ish and took a 2 hour car ride to get to my area. I couldn't take pictures in the car because they crammed 20 people into a small van and I didn't want to get robbed or something. I told the hiace driver to drop me off at the church building, but there was nobody there when I arrived and it was locked up. I had no idea where to go, so I just stood outside with my two suitcases talking to people on the street. After about an hour, one of the people I talked to had a friend who was a church member, so he went and got him. I then used the member's cellphone to contact the elder in this area, who, it turns out, was waiting for me at the next city away from here.
I am way in the ghetto side of Cape Verde, everyone is poor and Chao Bom is super undeveloped. There are no paved roads, only the main one to get here. There are pigs running around everywhere and everything smells like poop lol. But I still love this place.

Here is my last picture with Chevy, btw. I have another one with McMullin, but he was in a rather compromising position so I'm not going to send it.

My new comp is Elder Barros, he is way cool and a super hard worker. We taught 36 lessons in less than 6 days, I'm excited to serve with him, we are gonna destroy this area. Here he is next to a cow.

This is the view from our balcony, if you zoom in you'll find a pig lol.

And you were right about the packages, I do get them a lot sooner. You sent a ton of granola haha thank you sooo much! I'm gonna enjoy this next month diarrhea-free! And gosh dang it I have never laughed so hard reading a letter. That Nacho Libre pic made me crack up for a good 5 minutes and my comp had no idea why I was laughing lol. 

I also got a package from mom and dad. Dad apparently sent me Sponge Bob pajamas, here is me rocking them lol. 

So remember how I had that rule about food, that if I can't pronounce it's name by the third try I won't eat it?? Well, I broke the rule today.... and it was the worst decsicion....dessestion....decition.....choice I've ever made. I helped a member make "Borrorre" which is a vegetarian dish from Senegal. It was fun helping her make it, my comp took a video of it but it took me a lot of tries to say it. When it was time to eat, it was probably the hardest thing I have ever tried to put down lol. Never again. I can't pronounce any of the ingredients lol and it looks good, but it has a super salty weird taste. I don't know how to describe it, but here is no way I'm ever going to be vegeterian lol. 

So I'll be using Skype to call this Sunday at 7ish over here, which would be at 2 in the afternoon over there. What's your Skype name again? Mine is christian.zuniga81.

I gotta go now, talk to you Sunday!

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.

Week 22, A Beautiful Island

I have no clue why they transferred me out here but I love it. Really the only think I don't like is not being able to play soccer -.- but whateves. Oh and there's so many dirty women that try hitting on missionaries. A few days ago one of our investigators asked me to marry her! She's like 30 years old and has 3 kids. She's like "if I stopped drinking and made myself look beautiful, would you take me with you to the states and marry me?" I always used to say "I already have a girlfriend" and I was about to say that but then I realized that I don't anymore, so I was like crap! haha Me and my comp just ran away haha.
Oh and I didn't even tell yo about my comp did I? His name is Elder Sanchez, even tho he's not Mexican at all haha. We get along pretty well and he goes home in like 4 days!! Crazy huh?
Man, I'm loving my area so much. It's sooo beautiful! But it's way hard on your legs. We hike up mountains a lot when we visit other smaller zones in our area. People are so humble, a lot of them just grow and harvest their everyday food in their small gardens.

Sundays here are rough. It's sad when only 32 people show up to sacrament meetings. It reminds me of the good old days back in Port Isabel. I also gave a class in Elders Quorum. There's so many people here that have the most ridiculous excuses of why they don't want to get baptized. There's this one guy that goes to church, keeps the commandments, but ONLY wants to get baptized after he dies. Like, baptism for the dead in the temple. I was like WTF mate?? Thanks to whatever Elder taught him that lol.
Hey speaking of Old Spice, they don't sell that in this country!! And I ran out, so it would be pretty cool if you sent me some whenever you can. Along with ketchup, I love ketchup.
Well I hope you're doing great, I miss you tons and thanks for everything!!! Buh bye, love you!!

-Elder Zuniga

Week 21, Emergency Transfer to Santo Antao!

Lol gosh dang your emails are always my favorite to see on P-Days! The gif worked here and I just cracked up about the basketball one in the middle of a tiny internet shop packed with a ton of people.
And man I had the craziest week! I got emergency transferred to the middle of nowhere! It's a super beautiful island called "Santo Antao" (Saint Anthony). I got a call Tuesday morning around 12ish telling me I was going on an emergency transfer, so I went home and packed and got a call at 2:55 that my boat was leaving at 3! I was in such a hurry but I somehow managed to get there on time. I was super sad to leave all my investigators :( but still very excited to work here, not a lot of missionaries get a chance to serve on this island. To get to my area (Ribera Grande) you drive down this road that looks like a desert for about an hour; it just keeps going and going for eternity. Not really, just an hour, but yeah, a very long time. This area is sooo beautiful, these pics can't really compare to real life, especially since I suck at taking pics.

There's mountains all around my area; these pics were taken from our window in our house. The branch here is actually pretty dang small. This Sunday the attendance was only 36, but without a doubt it will start growing.

This area is gorgeous, it's called "Figueral." It's basically a trail up the side of a mountain, it kills your legs soo bad tho haha. It's a good workout.
Well I g2g or else I won't have time to email mom lol. And send more spicy ketchup! I finished it all, lol.
Thanks for everything you do, you're the best!! Love you!! Bye

-Elder Zuniga

Week 19, District Leader!

Hey I just got dearjohned! Lol. I'm laughing right now but I'm probably gonna cry myself to sleep. Lol, jk.
But good news, I got your package!!! Man you're the best sister every! Soo much ketchup!!! I wrote you a letter telling you thank you and stuff so that's all I'll say for now. Dude! I'm District Leader now! I found out last Monday night. I feel super out of place cuz I'm like the youngest in the district lol. But Elder Olsen is District Leader too so he helps me out. Now I live in a 4-elder house! The 2 other Elders are Elder Burch and Elder Pumbumua (from Mozambique and from Utah, guess which is which, lol.) I was already good friends with Elder Burch before so this transfer should be fun. Well, sorry for not having tons of time, I wrote Yari a whole book saying it's OK lol. Well, take care!! I love you tons!!!

-Elder Zuniga