Hey Everyone!!!!

 I can´t believe I am about to end my first transfer already, that went to fast!! Seriously 6 weeks just flew, i don’t know how that’s possible!! So the new house we moved into is awesome! Its clean, there’s not as many bugs and it doesn’t get robbed. Funny story, the first night we were trying to get into the house, we were told that the lock is a bit faulty and you have to maneuver it a certain way. Me and my companion tried for a good 20 minutes, didn’t open. Then it was my turn and apparently I turned it the wrong way and it got stuck and the key would NOT come out. After a good 15 minutes of jiggling thing, my companion starts kicking the key, why i don’t know, and it he bent it haha. After another 20 minutes we ended up having to get one of the managers (who was drunk, since it was new years). He wiggled it for like 10 seconds and then broke the window. We got in! We had a Family Home Evening that night at a members, which was bomb, we all talked about goals we wanted for the new year. One of recent converts goals were to prepare to serve a mission and keep the commandments, yes! That night, music was blaring so loud, all night, couldn’t get to sleep at all. The people in Cabo Verde will party for days on end, it was 6:30 am and people were still blaring music and dancing haha.

This week we started up teaching a guy named Kookoo. He is 20, he has a brother that is active and he has been taught in the past. He works to build houses all the time and he is hard to find. We set up a baptismal date with him and we will continue to teach him. Then there is Catiu, who is never at his house, no matter what time of day or if we set up a lesson with him. He is 12 and has family who are members. He has a grandma that usually just yells at us when we come by, cause we pass so many times. Catiu also has a baptismal date. We are also teaching a brother and sister named Marcira and Marcio. We challenged them to pray together and they did that night, we also gave them a Book of Mormon, we will see how they did today. The family that lives in Ponta Verde is doing awesome! President Olivera (president of the mission) came to visit Sao Filipe and he went to visit the Ponta Verde family. He likes them a lot, and he is considering opening up an area down there if the family will help spread the gospel with others. We taught them before church this Sunday, they are awesome. I think we may be going out there by taxi sometime this week. Maiza has had doubts about baptism ever since her husband came home, she actually told us to wait a week before we came back, its kind sad, because she was so solid.

 Our recent convert Aguinaldo is a boss. He loves coming to church, all the activities, baptism, special events and others. he is the man. I love him. He hasn’t drank alcohol, he is reading in the book of Mormon and he is even singing in sacrament now. he bore his testimony at the baptism and on Sunday, it was awesome, i couldn’t stop smiling. During church, he asked me when he could pay his tithing!!! And we had a lesson on the priesthood that day and he wants to receive the priesthood. We talked with the Branch President after church.. It will be sweet! Aguinaldo´s kid hates us because one day we were in town and he found us and he wanted us to buy him a remote control car from the Chinese store and we said no. He doesn’t talk to us now.

Overall awesome week, this week should be even better! I love the work. I know this is the RESTORED Gospel of Jesus Christ. The exact same doctrines that Jesus Christ taught back in his day. I know that we have a living Prophet that holds the proper keys and authority to direct this church, and through Joseph Smith we now have The Church of Jesus Christ, just as it was, one more time before the Coming of Christ. The message is real, this message changes lives, i don’t know how id live without it.

I love you all

Elder Rice