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