A Very Missionary Christmas

Missionary Christmas Party

On December 15th, the Praia East, Praia West and Assomada zones gathered for a Missionary Christmas Party.  A highlight was the skits.  Each District developed a skit.  Most were about some aspect of Missionary life here in Cape Verde.    Our favorite was from the Pedra Badejo district.  Elder Peterson is the District Leader, he is also the Branch President in Pedra Badejo.  Their skit showed a "typical" Sunday meeting.  Elder Peterson is in the middle with the elder on the left playing an angel and the one on the right the adversary.  The angel and the devil were vying for President Peterson's attention as strangers, drunks, and others wandered in and out of the meeting.  And yes, these things do happen on a fairly regular basis.  President Peterson made the right choice in dealing with each situation.

Of course no Christmas party would be

complete without a visit from Santa (Elder Lunt).  Sister Amo, President Amo's wife coordinated the creation of Christmas treat bags with the Senior Missionary couples.  Although many missionaries received packages from home, some packages do not arrive in time for Christmas.  At our very first zone conference last April, Christmas packages from Christmas 2016 were still being delivered.

Family home evening.

Elder Biven has two families he is assigned to home teach.  His companion, Br. Fernandes, is on the high council and travels, so often Elder Biven and I visit the families.  It’s tricky, home teaching Kriole/Portuguese speaking members when we don’t speak Portuguese that well, so we take a short thought and a video on our iPad.

Two weeks ago one of our families suggested we do a family home evening together.  Which sounded ambitious, a lesson, a game, snacks, but we agreed.  I made three dozen peanut butter cookies, because lots of cookies are always a good idea.  Elder Biven prepared to have the family members read the Christmas story in Portuguese and then he had a short thought about Simeon, the man who was promised that he would see the Messiah before he died, and indeed he met Christ as a babe in the temple shortly after his birth.  We also prepared a really simple game—it’s all about the game here.

On December 18th we arrived at 7:00pm as agreed, and interesting things began to happen.  The family we home teach was not present in the large home as we entered, but another family was there and we visited with them.  And then more ward families appeared, lots of them.  Yes, they had invited the entire ward.  And since we love the members of our ward very much, while we were a little unsure how we were going to deliver said family home evening, we were otherwise happy to be there.  Fortunately, the Lord sent our young missionary Sisters along with the rest of the ward members, and they were able to translate for Elder Biven as he taught his lesson—because it’s one thing to pick through your words in a small group, but you really can’t do that in front of a room full of people.  Elder Biven was amazing, teaching about how men should live to be worthy to receive Christ, as Simeon was.  The plate of three dozen cookies made it all the way around the room.  The game was okay, my friend Fabrily loved it, so I guess that’s all that matters.  Above is a photo of my young friend Fabrily, she was in a wedding recently, so she was all dressed up and I took a photo.

Kansas City Tuna

On the evening of December 22nd, we had our Christmas potluck dinner with the senior missionaries on Santiago island.  It was also a farewell party for the Lunts, who leave in a few days.  Presidente Amo grilled some delicious steaks and I took Kansas City tuna. Everyone loved it.  I didn’t bring any home.

What is Kansas City tuna?  Hahaha!  At our farewell party before departing from Liberty my dear friend Renee Creswell gave me a suggestion, she said “enjoy living by the sea”.  And that was very excellent advice.  She also said she had a fantastic recipe for tuna which she gave me as we left.  Then just recently, as I was going though the important papers I brought with us, I found Renee’s recipe!  Just in time for Christmas!  I made it for us and it was great.  So I made it for the party and when people asked what it was I told them.........Renee’s Kansas City tuna!

Renee’s amazing Kansas City tuna:
A container of cream cheese
A can of tuna
4 Tbls mayonnaise
2 Tbls lemon juice
Some salt
Some diced onion
The final, key ingredient is CURRY, the recipe calls for 1 or 2 Tbls, but I put in about 6, maybe our curry is not as bold here.

Mix everything up and let it sit for a couple of hours for the flavors to blend.  Serve with crackers.

Singing in the Plaza on Plateau

Nativity on Albuquerque Praca

On Christmas Eve the missionaries in Praia gathered in Albuquerque Praça (the main square) on Plateau, and sang Christmas carols.  Many people gathered nearby to listen and take photos.  Some joined with us to sing, which is a witness to the beautiful hearts of the people here.  We felt great joy in this little act of Christmas service.

It was a moment that meant a lot to me, to be one of the missionaries in the Park.  Eighteen years ago Elder Biven and I were spending a weekend in Madrid when we encountered missionaries in a park.  We had been married for fifteen years.  While I felt strongly about my faith in Jesus Christ and the restored Church, I had always respected Elder Biven’s choices and he did not want to “be a Mormon”.   Then, in November of 1999, new missionaries transferred into our ward and they visited our home.  They asked Elder Biven if they could teach him.  I was surprised when he said yes.  

Missionaries and Stake Choir Singing

The missionaries came to our home to teach Elder Biven on Saturday evenings.  During that time of teaching we took a short trip to Madrid.  On Saturday evening as we walked through a park in Madrid, a group of LDS missionaries were out talking to people in the park.  They did not speak to us, but they didn’t need to, we felt God knew where we were, and he had sent missionaries to fulfill the teaching  appointment.  It spoke to us of God's love.  It was after that time that Elder Biven felt it was right to accept the invitation to be baptized and live the principles and beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

And so yesterday, in Praia, Elder Biven and I were some of the missionaries in the park!

Serra da Malagueta

P-Day Hike

A couple P-days ago, Sister Biven and I went hiking in the Serra da Malagueta National Park.  Serra da Malagueta is on the northern part of Santiago Island at the top of the last mountain range before getting to Tarrafal.  The weather was perfect and the scenery was magnificent.  As we reached the highest altitude, roughly 1000 meters, we walked through small groves of pine trees.  Panoramic views of the whole northern part of Santiago were stunning.  There are several trails in the park.  We look forward to having an opportunity for further exploration.

Sister Biven Near the Start of the Trail.

Looking Down the Mountainside at a Woman Carrying Forage on her Head.

Looking Northeast Down a Mountain Valley.

Sister Biven on the Trail.

Southeast View with the Ocean in the Background

To the Southeast.

Another Southeast View with the Ocean in the Distance.

Looking Southwest at Sister Biven.

Down the Hillside by which Sister Biven was Standing.

Looking North along the Road to Tarrafal with Tarrafal in the Extreme Distance.

A Small Dot of Color. 

Primary Presentation, Mission Tour and Sao Felipe Basketball

Palmarejo II Primary Presentation

Our wonderful little primary had their presentation on December 3rd.  I shamelessly took a photo of them singing......parents were also doing this.......it was just so beautiful.

Mission Tour - President Johnson

President Johnson, the area president, came and encouraged us.  We were grateful for his thoughts.  It was a special bonus for Elder Biven and I that he spoke in English.  We were reminded that the Jaredites were pushed forward by ferocious winds, while they sang hymns and praised God.  And those furious winds got them where they needed to go, to the promised land!

Elder Biven donned an apron to help serve the missionaries, about half of the mission attended the Praia conference.  The meal was catered by a restaurant the Mission has used for years.  The menu seldom varies:  chicken stroganoff, lots of rice, french fries, and a salad of sliced cucumber and tomatoes.  For dessert we had a cup of fruit. What a great meal.  No one went away hungry.

We enjoyed taking part in the group photo, President Johnson and President and Sister Amo are at center in the back.  The Elder holding up a Book of Mormon is Elder Bowman, from Missouri.  He is a seasoned missionary and nearing the end of his mission, so he showed off a little by bearing his testimony in the native Kriole language, rather than Portuguese.  The missionaries just have to figure Kriole out, while they learn Portuguese in the MTC, when they get here they find out that many people speak Kriole.  So in order to teach them they have to learn at least some, which many of them do!

Sao Felipe Basketball

In late November we had a new project approved: Sao Felipe Basketball (SFB).  SFB's long term goal is to strengthen the Sao Felipe community.  To do this they will focus on strengthening families, starting with the youth, using basketball as the vehicle.  This past Saturday, Bila Santos (Coach Bila), the President of SFB invited Players from three other programs he has been involved with to Sao Felipe for a four team tournament.  The objective was to build excitement in the local youth and stoke their desire to participate.  There are few, if any, indoor basketball courts in Cape Verde and the outdoor courts share space with the concrete soccer fields. 

 

Setting Up the Basketball goal

The backboards and hoops had seen better days however Coach Bila brought new nets for the occasion.

You Need Two of Them

Coach Bila, in blue, Addressing the
 Assembled Players

Hands in - Ready to Play

Sao Felipe Basketball is a coed program and will start with youth from 8 to 12 years old.  Each year as a new group of 8 year olds join, the age range will expand until ultimately covering youth from 8 to 18.  SFB will use the mentoring relationships that they develop with the youth and will partner with other community organizations to provide the youth with education on health, self reliance and other life skills.  Community service projects for the youth and parents will teach the value of serving others.