Hi:

I received some of the most joyous news this last week, my heart is filled with so much joy. About 1 year and a few months ago I served in Assomada on the island of Santiago. Assomada has to have been one of my favorite areas I have ever served in. I loved my companions, I loved being a zone leader, and I loved the members. We worked really hard with the members. We had the chance to teach and baptize 2 young men named Wilson and Hernani. They were so incredible. Wilson used to come out and proselyte with us even before he was baptized. They both developed very strong testimonies and loved working with us. I just received a call this last week that they both have callings, Wilson is the secretary and Hernani the ward mission leader. Both of them have officially put in their papers to serve a mission. They should be receiving a call any week now. And also another young man, named Edy in Mosteiros, has also started his mission papers. I was so happy to hear this news. I know that they will be great missionaries.

Our recent convert Chidi is doing great, but he is going through a bit of a rough time. As I have probably already mentioned, he has been stuck here in Cape Verde for 17 years and has not been able to save up enough money to return home. He just wants to go home. This week he couldn’t help but break down. He shared with us how he was feeling. He really doesn’t even like Cape Verde at all. His dad is sick and he wants to see him before he may die. Some fellow Nigerians have been able to contribute for his journey to Nigeria, until this point about 73,000 escudos has been donated, which is probably around 900 dollars. He needs 20,000 more escudos (like 300 dollars). He had received a few let downs and just about lost hope, but we have been stopping by every day, sharing scriptures, praying, we did a fast and now he seems to have much more confidence. I gave him my English quad (Book of Mormon, Bible, D&C, Pearl of Great Price) and it was pretty much the happiest day of his life. He said he wouldn’t give up those scriptures for a thousand dollars.

This week was party week. This ginormous party was called ´´Festival´´. It went on from Friday to Sunday. It started at like 8 o clock at night and they would stay out until 7 o clock in the morning. Everyone just drank a bunch and it had a very negative effect on our teaching at church. During the day, everyone was sleeping.

We have been working with a man named Immanuel for a quite a while now. The only problem is that he is constantly going to the island of Santiago for business and we haven’t had very much time to teach him. However the lessons we do have with him are always awesome! This guy is probably one of the smartest men I have met and he is exactly what the branch here in Santa Maria needs, a mature adult that can lead. I know we didn’t find him by coincidence. The Lord needs him on His side. He has really sincere intent to know the truth and I am positive that as he reads and prays he will receive an answer from God, just as I have read and prayed.

I studied a very powerful story this week in the scriptures, one that will forever change the way I see God. In Moses 7:23-37 tells the story of a vision that the Lord let the prophet Enoch see. Enoch saw Satan with a great chain covering all the face of the earth and he laughed. What a disturbing image. Satan is taking more and more control over the earths habitants. And when a man succumbs to his carnal desires against the nature of God, he pleases the enemy, and he laughs. While all of this iniquity and wickedness is happening, God look to his people and he wept. Enoch asks, how is it that you weep? The most holy, the most eternal the most superior being, how is it that you weep? The Lord explains that we are the work of His own hands, he sent us to see if we really love Him and would keep his commandments, but we hate our own blood. We are children of the most high, we are His special and His priceless children. This story demonstrates to me the love that God has for each and every one of His children. Just think about the Prodigal son. The prodigal son left his father and took a part of his inheritance to a far land and ended up losing it all. When the son finally came to his senses, he returned to his father. And what did the father do? After all of that time of his son being wayward, he saw him, he RAN to him, threw himself on his son and kissed him. That is the Love that God has for His Children, that not even 1 of his children should be lost. How great the joy in the heavens, when just 1 is repents!? When we sin, we please the enemy, he is laughing at us, while our loving heavenly father, that only wants our eternal happiness weeps. Think twice before you want to do something that is cool, or feels good or what everyone else is doing.

God loves us, we are His children, and our value is infinite. Our bodies are temples, gifts of God, let us show are love for our Heavenly Father and do what he asks with a humble heart. We should be willing to sacrifice everything for Him, thing about who He sacrificed for you.

Love,

Elder Rice