Bom dia familia e amigos,

Tudo bem! I love the mission so much. There is so much work and so much good stuff going on. This last week we had a Christmas party with the mission president and his wife, they came out to Fogo to have a party with all of us. We had a white elephant exchange and i got a pen holder that was painted that said `Cabo Verde. The person that made it is also going to paint my favorite scripture and my name on it (my favorite scripture is Ether 12:27). We had so much food – a ton of chicken, mashed potatoes, rice and unlimited pie. It was the best.

We did divisions that day with some elders that came to Sao Filipe. I got to lead our proselyting without my companion. It actually went really good, I’m surprised how much I knew and could understand without my trainer. The next day we traveled by yas ( a van in which the driver fits as many people as he can to a destination. I think I counted 20) to Mosteiros. We went to attend a wedding that my trainer had set up last transfer. It was cool, there was also a lot of food and cake, it was bomb. There was lamb and potatoes, it was so good. We had our first baptism this transfer with Jardell. A 15 year old boy that has had like 3-4 baptismal dates. When we went to his house to do the interview he wasn’t there! We searched for 35 minutes, went around the entire neighborhood 3 times and knocked on his house twice. We were about to give up when we knocked one more time and he was there. He did the interview and he was ready! The next day we had the baptism and i couldn’t stop smiling.

Some of our other investigators include Auginaldo, who when we met him was completely drunk (and he had a baptismal date when he was drunk). He has now been sober for more than 2 weeks and will be baptized this week. Then there is Maiza and her 2 kids. They are seriously golden, the love the church, they love learning about it, they believe it and they are preparing for baptism. Maiza's husband Manuel was in Praia (another island in Cabo Verde) for a while but returned yesterday. We talk him and he was very excited, we set him to be baptized on the same day as his family. Then we got a reference for a family of like 12. We split up the guys with us and the girls with the sisters. I think we have like 7 guys that we taught. They live 30 minutes away in Ponta Verde and they come early every Sunday so we can teach them. They're age ranges from 24-54 (something like that). They are all very interested. We have taught them twice and they too will be baptized on the 12th of January. We have two other family references that we will teach as well. These are a few of the people we teach. I sincerely love each and every one of them. I will do everything I can to help them better they're relationship with they're Heavenly Father and come unto Christ.

This gospel is 100% true, i know it and I love it. I would die before I deny this church. Feliz Natal (Merry Christmas) everyone. This is a time of year to remember the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World and he was sent into the world to help us be clean of our stupid mistakes. Christ is the light and life of the world and only by his name can we be saved. This is not a little thing. Remember what Christ did for you and do everything you can to pay him back. That’s why I’m here. I love you all and miss you all!!!!

Love

Elder Rice

Hey Everyone!!!

I’m on the island of Fogo and its awesome!!!! I seriously love it here. I don’t think it’s ever been so easy for me to pass out at the end of the day. The entire island is uphill and then eventually downhill, by the time the day is over I’m dead. Last night I was just relaxing and accidentally fell asleep at 9:45, and forgot to plan and go to bed at 10:30, i was pooped. Anyway, we had a sweet week!!

Last p-day we went out to eat as a district, it was a lot of fun and really good. I never knew that mayonnaise could be so good on beans and rice, its delicious, try it!!! We had zone conference on Tuesday! It was awesome, some other elders and sisters from another area of Fogo traveled here and stayed the night at our house! There was an elder from Ethiopia, one from here in Cabo Verde. The one from Cabo Verde, elder Nhfe, had a beaten up, ripped paper back Book of Mormon for his main scripture, i don’t even think it had the d and c. I had an extra hard back Book of Mormon that I think Roman Laws gave to me and I gave it to him, i think he was pretty excited. Any way at zone conference I had to bear my testimony cause i was new, we learned teaching techniques, talked about goals and all shared a miracle that we had seen in our mission. I told the one about me in the airport getting past security.

I got to do my first division from my trainer Elder Christensen, having only like 7 days in the field. This wouldn’t be so bad if all the people here didn’t speak Creole. To make it a bit more intimidating, I had an elder that has only been out for a transfer come with me. He doesn’t know Creole yet either, awesome!! However, it went REALLY good! We were able to teach 4 lessons, us newbies. We taught Koko who had been taught in the past and had two Book of Mormons and a bible. We taught the importance of the Book of Mormon and challenged him to read and pray to know the truth. Our next lesson was Sarah at 6:00. I had to put my scriptures in my bag at the church so we ran to the church to get them. At that point we were already late for the lesson. Then I got us lost cause I don’t know the area that well. We ended up being 30 minutes late, and we knocked and she wasn’t there, I thought it was my fault. Then we talked to guys in the street that my temporary companion knew from his mission called Col Fageira on the island of Fogo. While we were talking, Sarah had just arrived back from work. If I hadn’t left my scriptures, got lost and talked to these men from a different part of the island, we wouldn’t have talk Sarah. Sarah is awesome, she has such a strong desire, but she works on Sunday, i think things will work out.

We found a golden investigator. Her name is Maiza, we contacted her on the street and she was talking about how she wants to learn more about our church. She wanted to know if she could live with her daughter after this life, we explained the plan of Salvation, she loved it!! Then we taught the restoration and asked her to pray for the truth. She prayed and says that she knows that we are from God and this is the correct path for her. Maiza, her daughter and her husband will be baptized on the 5th of January, awesome!

We have been working with Jardell, a 14 year old boy who has been taught for months, he has had like 3-4 baptismal dates set, but he always missed church. He will be getting baptized this week on the 22nd. Also, Auginaldo hasn’t drunk in 4 days and has a date for the 29th. He came to church and seemed to very interested

Before church, we had a referral from our branch president about an entire family that drives 40 minutes to come church that want to be taught. We talked with 2 of these family members while, the sisters talked with the others. We have committed them to be baptized on the 12th. After this meeting with this family, we had 10 minutes to go around our entire area and pass everyone to make sure they were coming to church; we sprinted the entire city in our suits and made it!!! we were worried about Jardell but he showed up after the 1st class. We have received 3 referrals for full families that want to learn about this gospel. I know that the Lord has prepared this people, they are ready for the gospel of Jesus Christ in their life. What seemed like so-so transfer may turn out to awesome!

This probably isn’t even half of what happened, but overall, this is the best mission in the world! I love serving here, talking with these humble people and sharing the best message in the entire world. I know the Lord is watching over me and will help this work progress. I love the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints so much, seriously, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, the way we can live with our families forever, i love it so much, i couldn’t ask for a better call.

Love,

Elder Rice

Dear Family and Friends:

 

I cannot believe that i am in Cabo Verde, the mission is going so fast!  this place is awesome, its seriously so beautiful, i love it so much.  One thing that kind of is bugging me is the Creole, just about everyone here talks creole and I cannot understand one word that they are saying.  However, when they switch to Portuguese I can understand everything.  its so frustrating that I learned Portuguese for 2 months and now everyone talks a completely different language.  The people that speak Creole mumble and slur and its impossible to understand, its basically butchered Portuguese.  However, I am getting much better at speaking Portuguese.  So we arrived in Cabo Verde and I got punched in the face with the humidity and heat and started sweating hard (Im getting used to it now).  We landed in Praia (the capital) and got picked up by President Oliveira and his wife and the assistants.  They are so nice, i love them.  Then we found later that day where we would be called.  3 of the 5 in my MTC district stayed in Praia, while Elder Martinez went to Santo Antao (i think) and I got sent to the island of FOGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Heck yeah, they have a huge volcano on the island (fogo means fire in Portuguese).  So I stayed the night at the Assistants house, condensed my luggage to 44 pounds a back pack and a carry on and went and checked out the city.  The food here is awesome, especially the bread!!!  I was supposed to be picked up at 2:30 by a member but they must have forgot cause its was 3:15.  My temporary companion elder Talbot took me and Elder Santos and I to the airport in a taxi.  Then when we get there we find out that I can only have a 40 pound bag, so i have to get rid of stuff.  Then we found out that you can only have one 5kg carry on, i have at least 30 kg worth of carry on with books and other stuff that I need. The security guy wouldn’t let me in and the plane was about to leave.  I said a quick prayer and then I see Elder Talbot talking to the guy.  For some reason I knew things would work out.  The man suddenly put an approved sticker on my bag and let me through.  I know that I wasnt supposed to be picked up at 2:30, because without Talbot i wouldn’t have got on that flight, I know that God was watching out for me.  When i arrived in Fogo i met my new companion Elder Christensen. He is tight and funny, pretty goofy too, but i like him.  He is helping me about a bunch.  

 

So the last elders that were in our area apparently didn’t fill out an area book, that means we have no addresses, no information about them or anything.  We have to start from scratch.  however we did have 1 piece of paper with names.  We went around the area asking people if they knew those on the paper we have.  Its weird have everyone knows everyone and knows where they live.  We taught a few lessons, to Dino (has a baptismal date) and Jardell (14 year old boy).  The days following, we went around trying to find everyone on the paper and doing our best to get to know the area, because neither of us have been here.  There are a bunch of drunks in the street, apparently our house  gets robbed frequently, people breast feed during lessons and there are always naked babies around.  We barely had any food this week, except bread, big change from the MTC.  Its very hot and there is a lot of uphill.  In all honesty, i have been called to the best mission in the entire world, this place is something special.  The people here are VERY open to hearing the gospel and they all love the missionaries, i love walking down the street and the little kids yelling ´´Eldahs, eldahs´´ and then they run up and give you a high fives, they are so cute.  

 

The members here are awesome, they are always working to help the missionaries, they truly love the gospel.  You can tell such a huge difference in the members and non members, you can just see it in there eyes, if they are truly happy or if they just get drunk for no reason.  There are a few young men in our ward that have sent in the papers, will send them in or have got their call (most to Mozambique).  We have had probably 4-5 different members walk with us and help us out, its bomb.  Its weird how almost every person we have talked to has either talked with the missionaries before or have already been baptized and are inactive.  Inactivity is a HUGE problem here, many are baptized without a firm foundation, maybe being baptized just for the missionary or they don’t know the proper way to be converted.  That’s something that bugs me because a lot of it is due to the missionaries that just want to get a baptismal date and they want numbers.  In my opinion, that is not the way to do it because many of these people will say yes to baptism any way, they need to learn to be converted.  By the way, i got to invite two people to be baptized yesterday, Jardell and Neta, they both said yes.  Neta works every Sunday so we have to figure out how she can keep the Sabbath day to be baptized. 

 

I have so much to work to do, so much to learn, I have been so humbled in my circumstance.  I am so excited to love the people of Cabo Verde and serve them.  This gospel can change lives, and it is so apparent when we got to church.  I couldn’t be more excited to be here, i love this place so much.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true and the fullness of the Gospel in contained in the Book of Mormon, this I know.  And I know that any willing person so read the Book of Mormon, I promise, and willing person to read the Book of Mormon and pray will receive an answer.  An answer that will lead to happiness in this life as well has eternal life, happiness and joy in the life to come.  I love you all so much!

Com Amor,

Elder Rice