Well week 42 has been an adventure. We began the week with ending our stay in Mindelo and saying goodbye (tchau) to all our friends. It is hard to leave those you have grown close to and start a new adventure. We were really getting to feel comfortable in Mindelo, liking the people and just feeling we could get around without any problems. Then we get transferred! This has been really hard on Sharon and I know she wants to follow the desires of President Tolman but change for her comes very hard. But she has pressed forward and tried to keep a stiff upper lip most of the time.
We left a great group of missionaries in Mindelo, and we have seen the work increase and gospel grow because of their great efforts. We left on Tuesday with a short 45 minute flight to Mindelo. We traveled with the Zone leaders, who were off to Praia for a Training meeting. This worked out well as they each took one of our extra suitcases so we avoided the extra weight charge. All our suits weighted under the 20kg limit. We arrived in Praia to a dusty Broomaseca day and were met by the AP’s and Elder Lopez. Then it was off to the Mission home where we were to stay for 2 days before heading to Fogo.
President Tolman wanted us to meet the new couple coming in the next day, E/S Brewer, who will be taking our place in Mindelo. This would give us an opportunity to fill them in on Mindelo. We had a pleasant afternoon, Sister Waller & Tolman made cookies while I attended part of the Zone Training. The cookies were great as well as the lunch. That evening we had a delicious Hawaiian haystack dinner with the Zone leaders and President and Sister Tolman. Wednesday arrived and we welcomed the Brewers, who survived the long flight from SLC and a 7 hr lay over in Boston, then the 5 hr. flight to Praia. They seemed ready and alert, that lasted for just a few hrs then we sent them to bed. That evening all the couples went out for dinner, it was a nice time to visit. The Brewers are from North Ogden. He is an educator by profession and they have 4 children. The people in Mindelo will love them and they will do wonderful things and will be of such great help to the missionaries.
We were to leave on Thursday for Fogo but we had our flight time wrong and missed the plane. So we spent another night at the mission home, which was fine as Sharon really enjoys being with sister Tolman. They made a delicious lemon chicken dinner ( Sister Delgado’s recipe). We finally got under way on Friday to Fogo. But not before they tried to charge us over weight charges on our luggage. I questioned them and said they were fine in Mindelo and we had not added any weight. The check lady looked unhappy, as I insisted they weight was wrong. So she let us go without further charges. I think it is a form of skin tax!
The flight was a short 20 minutes to Sao Filipe airport where we were welcomed by Elder Fortes and Kinghorn, our new zone leaders. The airport is even smaller than Mindelo’s. You get your luggage through a window!! Soon, we were off to Sao Felipe. We arrived at our new apartment, located about 100 yards from the church. We were not impressed, if fact it just took a few looks and Sharon started to cry. This was not what she had envisioned. The kitchen was very small, the doors quite unsecured and very little to no furniture. She didn’t feeling it was safe at all and I knew I was in trouble!! I called Sister Tolman and told next time she should pick out the apartment. So we went and looked at a few apartments around and after seeing some of what was available decided well maybe it wasn’t as bad as we thought. We talked to the Landlord and he assured Sharon it was safe and that he would change the locks, added screens and plumbing for the washer as well as some more lighting in the Kitchen. I think I made President Tolman nervous about the whole thing and I feel bad about that, but it is hard when your wife is crying and you want to make things right for her. It is difficult enough to get your wife to follow you around the world and live in not so standard environments, so you try hard to make it as comfortable as possible. Well we began to look at what could be done and I think I have her convinced. But then the next morning we woke to no water, so no shower before Church, and the crying starts again. I have to work on the water as well as the other problems, got to have a happy Sharon or it will be a very long 9 months!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mt. Pico on the island of Fogo, active volcano.
Our plane from Praia.
Luggage handling through the window.We attended Church in the Sao Felipe Branch and met some charming people. Many speak some English which will help. I had to speak for 5 minutes and gave a brief description of our family. They seem very happy to have us here especially Sharon, who brings music. When we went back to the house after Church the water was back on, that helped. We took a short walk around the neighborhood after church and the town is clean, fewer dogs and less blowing dust, both a big plus. The Branch President is to visit this evening to discuss the problems in the Branch, and then we are off to a FHE with a member. So as the song goes, “We are back in the saddle again”.
The Gospel is true and we are grateful to be able to serve the people in this part of the vineyard. We know at the end of our time here, we will have mixed emotions about leaving these beautiful people. We also know the missionaries are really happy to have us here. We are now serving with; Elders Fortes, Kinghorn, Badesso, Da Cruz, Hernandez, Silva, Da Luz, Thompson, Mendonca, De Cruz and Sisters Delgado and Marinho. They are great missionaries and we will grow to love them all.
This email will probably be a few days late as we have no internet as of yet. Love to all.
E/S Waller, Mom & Dad, Bama & Bampa
No comments:
Post a Comment