Hey!!!!

This week was incredible. This is the best work in the world I love it so much. I would rather be nowhere else!!! This week we moved out the other Elders to their new house. They finally got a washer and dryer and other stuff. Turns out the house has some problems, like they only get water from 600am to 1000 am. And it has cockroaches and other stuff. They seem to be getting along alright haha. Our recent convert Edy is amazing. he is so incredibly awesome. He has such a strong testimony of this gospel, he knows he received an answer from God when he prayed about Joseph Smith. he is 17 and he is going to institute because no one teaches seminary here (there is a solution though which i will say later). He reads the Book of Mormon every day and is helping us to bring his friends and family unto Christ. I love the kid.

We like I said, they don’t have anyone teaching seminary here so I offered to teach it for a week until President Tocai can find a teacher. I’m actually really excited. 6 of our recent converts in the area should all be attending. Elder Mckissik and I are going to teach about the New Testament, I’m excited because i just recently started form the beginning. I have never taught seminary before but with the manual its pretty easy. We are going to switch off each day with the other elders here, should be legit.

This week we had the baptism of Lali, ita and Rolina!!!!! They are such an incredible family, i love them so much. It’s funny to think that we just stopped them on the road said hi and asked if we could talk and now they have been baptized 4 weeks later. They can’t stop saying how happy they are!!! We did the baptism in the sea again. But this time the sea was a lot more crazy and deep. I got into the freezing cold water and it was up to my neck... then the waves started coming in. I was struggling haha, i was getting dragged out to sea. Then they thought it would be good to throw in Rolina, the one most scared of the sea and the one that doesn’t know how to swim. In that moment I had to save myself and rescue her haha. it was crazy, we finally just got out and found a more calm spot. Elder Mckissik forgot his flipflops so i just ended up baptizing them all. it was really awesome. After the baptism we had a little family night at their house. We talked about the Restoration of the true church and how all of them had found the truest church in the world. Edy our recent convert helped us with the spiritual message and talk about Joseph Smith and bore his testimony. It was powerful and he teaches SUPER good, he would make a supreme missionary. We then ate donuts (they have some AMAZING donuts here) and drank some juice and of course played water in the face. Awesome Saturday!

I can’t even tell you how many miracles I have seen on my mission. Prayer works. I don’t know how else to say it. Prayer works. We are promised countless times in the scriptures that if we pray with faith and nothing doubting we will be answered. They are true words. I know prayer works. Whenever Elder Mckissik and I don’t know what to do or where to go or are frustrated, down or anything, we pray and get answers every time.

This week we are really going to focus on the family of our recent converts. As we were walking home yesterday, the Catholic mother of our recent convert Edy stopped us and said “Thank you for helping my son be a good kid, he is different, he doesn’t hang around the bad kids, he is always talking about what you teach him and church, thank you.” This was a bit strange because him mom didn’t really like us that much at first, but now we are going to try and teach her.

The gospel changes lives, I know it. There is not one thing on this earth that could make me leave what I believe. I know this is true, I feel happy, what greater blessing is there. It doesn’t matter what anyone says how much we go through, always remember what we have. I love you all so much!

Love

Elder Rice

Hey everyone!!!!

We met this incredible 15 year old boy this week. We were actually trying to talk to his mom, but she couldn’t talk so he wanted to. We taught him the Restoration and he thought it was awesome. he went on to say that he could feel that this story was real. he told us about a few dreams he had, he said he was waking on water and performing miracles with Jesus Christ like curing people. he asked if this was possible and then we taught him about the Priesthood, literally the same power that Jesus Christ had which has been restored to the earth, it was sweet. Then he went on to say that he had a doubt about where we go after this life because he heard a pastor talk it on the street and he was confused. We went on to explain a little about the Plan of Salvation and shared Alma 40 with him, it was awesome!

The other Elders, Elder Guy and Elder Lopez have been living with us for the past week and a half, but their beds, stove and washing machine have arrived in the new house that we found them. Unfortunately they will be moving, i love them so much. They are such great elders! We will see each other for district meetings and church, but still. The French elder, elder Guy has made us ratatouille twice. it is absolutely incredible. never thought i would have ratatouille in Cabo Verde.

We had zone conference this week in São Filipe, it was sweet! We took a yas at 600 in the morning and got to zone conference at 900. We had some very good training given by some missionaries from Mozambique. The focus was using our faith to perform miracles and teaching this gospel with joy. Our countenance and our appearance has a huge effect on the people around us. The power of a smile is incredible, it can help someone to know that you have the light of Christ. The eyes are also huge indicators of the light of Christ as stated in the scriptures. Always keep a smile and be sincere with everyone you meet, you would be surprised at the difference. Sometimes its difficult after walking all day, but its always important to act like Christ and treat others with charity.

I’ve found that one of my weaknesses is my similarity to Christ. Everyone can always improve to be more like Christ. We can love every single person we meet, be diligent, obedient and always serve others. It makes such a huge difference; it just brings happiness knowing you have treated a person like Christ would have.

We should be having the baptisms of Ita, Rolina and Lali this week. They had a doubt that they were not ready and they want to attend church more, but I know they are more than ready. We will keep teaching them this week and try to help them feel comfortable. I love them so much, they re such a special family! We are going to continue to work with them, the husband and the others sons but we haven’t had the best luck finding them. Should be a great Saturday!

 This work is amazing i know that it is 100 percent true and it brings so much happiness and joy I cant explain. I know that complete obedience to the commandments brings so many blessings and will help us to live with our father in heaven again.

Mosiah 2:41

 Love,

Elder Rice

Hey,

Wow, it has been one incredible week! I can't express to you in words the love I have for this work; this is the best time of my life.

This week we actually did not have the chance to watch General conference, but this Saturday and Sunday I believe we will watch it on a computer in Portuguese. At least it’s not in Creole. I’m pretty sure I will be able to understand all of it, there are still some words I don’t know. This week has been crazy! We had transfers this last Sunday but I didn’t even know it because our phone was pretty much broken. Apparently I was supposed to receive a call from President Oliveira but it never came. Anyway, we found out that two more elders would be arriving here in Mosteiros and that Mosteiros is now its own district!! And apparently I’m the district leader. I found out like 2 days after it happened! I couldn’t be more excited to do my part in this incredible part of the Lords earth. This week, two new elders arrived, Elder Guy and Elder Lopez. They are two INCREDIBLE elders and I love them so much. They are some awesome elders and they are going to perform some great work. We finally split up the area so we don’t have to go so far and split up our week in such a weird manner. We are now going to focus in Queimada Guincho! It was just so hard splitting up our week and not being able to give the proper attention we needed to investigators in two areas that are very far away.

The two Elders are currently staying at our house until their fridge, washer and oven arrive and their beds. How long that will take I have no idea, apparently they might be sending it from Praia... Anyway, it’s been really fun have 4 elders in the house. Elder Guy is from France and he is awesome. He likes to make these pastas that are really good. I also created some fairly incredible food this week. We had some extra curry seasoning so I made this curry pizza. I had cream, chicken, pineapples, onions, peppers and curry mix and it was mind blowing, I never thought I could make that.

Anyway, we have been doing divisions throughout the week because the other elders didn’t quite know their area and we had a bunch of lessons marked. It’s been a fairly productive and successful week. We have met with several less active that want to come back to church. One in particular says he wants to serve a mission, so we are going to help with that.

I forgot to say but last week we had the baptism of Pedro. Pedro is an awesome young man! He has a lot of friends in the church and he always just has this smile on his face when he is in church. We also baptized him in the ocean, it was awesome. He actually couldn’t come to church last week so he received the Holy Ghost yesterday it was awesome!!! He says he needs a new book of Mormon because his is old, we will help with that.

We are currently working with an incredible family! We actually found them in Feijoal by accident. We just stopped them on the path and started talking, we sat down with them in their family’s house and invited them to baptism and they accepted. Turns out they live in Queimada, right next to our house. We have been teaching them and their desire and faith has just continued to grow. They have come to church the last 2 Sundays and are preparing to be baptized as a family on the 20th of April. They are so awesome, and they are coming to Family night tonight!!!

This week, I led my first district meeting. It was actually really cool. It’s kind of sweet how I can observe us as missionaries, see where we are weak and then do a training to help us all progress and have more success in the area. This is going to be a FUN transfer! We got to sit down and have a lesson with our recent converts Edy and Waldir. They are so great! They really love the gospel and they are so determined to endure to the end. They want to share the gospel and they both feel so happy because of this church. They both bore their testimonies yesterday. Edy´s testimony was incredible. He has such a strong testimony of Joseph Smith; he says he has received an answer from God. He always says he feels so much happiness and joy in his life. Edy has one of the strongest testimonies I have seen for a person with so little time in the church. I love them both.

Also, last night we sat down with Zazinha and Sequeira and discussed the Family Proclamation to the World. It was really cool to sit down with the entire family and talk about how they can be together forever. We had a member named Abundio with us that helped out a lot.

I see the Lords hand in this work every single day. God exists, and he loves us so much that he gave us a way to return and live with him. I’m so glad I found this path and I’m so glad I have the opportunity to help people do the same. I love the mission!

Love,

Elder Rice

Dear Family and Friends:

This week has been incredible. It’s amazing how much the Lord will give you if you just ask. I have been so humbled by the Lord this week. He shown me my weaknesses, and now I know that through I’m weak I can be made strong. I am nothing unless I utilize the authority and power that I have been endowed from heaven. The Lord always hears our prayers. It’s according to our faith and the Lords time that his answers come, and trust me they are not always they way we want them but they always come.

We had a great family night on Monday, we played lots of games and then they all started telling jokes in Creole. Creole is hard enough to understand on its own, but when it’s a joke you have to understand every part of the story and then get the punch line, it was near impossible. Then they told one in Portuguese and I got a good laugh. One of the little kids told the story of the 3 pigs and the big bad wolf in Creole, it was awesome.

While we were in an area called Feijoal this week we met a daughter and a mother that were going to visit family. We got to sit down and talk with them and it turns out they live right next to our house. We set up a time with their family and taught them the restoration! They are so interested in the story of Joseph Smith and they want to be baptized. We invited them to church and we stopped by Sunday morning and nearly the whole family was ready and they brought a friend! This family is incredible; we will do our best to help them enjoy the blessings of this restored gospel.

  We went to go visit Rapazinho in Feijoal and he is so excited for baptism. Usually he is all dressed in ragged clothes and they are kind of dirty but today he had a nice jersey on, shorts and a hat and he just looked different. I am convinced that his baptismal date has helped him to shape up and clean up a little. Rapazinho is a great guy but he cannot remember anything for more than 2 minutes. We will explain ask him what it is and he won’t know, then do the same 5 minutes later and he forgets. It’s not a bad thing, we just need to keep teaching to his need and teach at his pace because we are throwing a lot of new things at him!

We met a man named Chris that lives in Mosteiros Traz. He actually speaks English so we have been having English lessons. He has a huge problem with drinking so that has been our focus. He wants to be better so we promised we would help. He has a ton of interest in the Book of Mormon, we are going to try and find one in English for him. He reads the Bible a lot. Because he lives so far away from us we have to call him every day because we don’t have enough time to travel that far every day. He loves talking to us and he has a desire to be baptized in this church!

  Elder Mckissik and I have made it a habit to always say a prayer whenever, we feel frustrated or we just don’t know where to go. The Lord has never failed us. The Lords always listens and shows us exactly what we need to do, it’s incredible. My testimony of prayers has increased so much this week. I know that the Lord guides us if we ask him.

Apparently they will be putting more missionaries in this HUGE area that we are currently tackling on our own. They are going to be placed on the opposite side of us I believe to help split of the area. We had to look for a house for the first 5 weeks and now we found one and I think they will be living there. Finding a house and preparing it to be rented out is surprisingly easy. We visited a house told they guy we need a place to put a washer and fridge. They didn’t have a place for either, so they just started building a new room for a washer and making a spot for the fridge for us when it wasn’t even official we were going to live there. Then the owner just gave me the keys to the house even though we don’t have a contract and we haven’t paid anything. The system here is pretty relaxed, which makes it easy.

  This is the best job in the world, I feel so privileged to give my life for 2 years to serve my Heavenly Father!

Love

Elder Rice