Old Friends / New Friends

Old Friends

Elder Vieira's Arrival

Last week was transfer week for the missionaries.  After we said goodbye to missionaries who have been wonderful friends, we began to say hello to arriving new missionaries.  We welcomed missionaries from other parts of the mission to Fogo.  Here is a photo of the newest Zone Leader, Elder Vieira, arriving with his luggage.  He previously served as a zone leader in Assomada, so we knew him well.  He joined Elder Giraldez (with his hand raised) to lead the work on this island.  We actually report to the zone leaders, and do things for the zone on assignment from them.  It is a tender mercy that during our first transfer on Fogo we will work with two zone leaders with whom we have had great friendships and for whom we have so much respect.  The Elder to the right of Elders Vieira (from Portugal) and Giraldez (from Peru) is Elder Ferrin from Oregon.   He is fun.

Agri-Norte Pigs

With transfers behind us, it was time to get back to work on our Fogo humanitarian projects!!  We started by going to Ponte Verde to take a look at our pig project with Agri Norte.

Agri-Norte Pusilga

Here is a photo of the stalls (Pusilga), and a young man learning to care for the pigs.  The stalls were so clean!!

Toty Pires, Elder Biven and Helper

This is a photo of the project leader, the president of Agri-Norte, Toty Pires, and Elder Biven taking a look at the stalls.  You can see that the pigs have a beautiful ocean view!  They are doing well, and the project is off to a very good start.  The first cycle of this project will help 30 families in the Ponte Verde area to become more self-reliant. The project is designed to be self-sustaining so over time many more families will have the same opportunity.

Doctors Moreira, Moreira, Pereira and Bernardino

Three weeks ago we facilitated a meeting between our partners, the eye doctors at Hospital Agostino Neto, and representatives from Charity Vision, a Utah based NGO focused on eliminating preventable blindness.

These are the eye doctors who are doing the work to help us provide eyeglasses for the poor and needy on the island of Santiago.  We have enjoyed working with these good people.  Dr Bernardino is the head ophthalmologist, he is seated.  Second Row from the Left, Dra Evondra Moreira,  Dr. Emilio Moreira, and Major Dra Jaqueline Pereira from the Cabo Verdian Army.  Dr. Evondra is the niece of Dr. Emilio.

Sinks Being Installed

Our partners from previous projects in Varzea, the Black Panthers, invited us to tour the unisex hair salon they are building.  

When finished, the salon will provide several jobs and job training for 20 unemployed young adults annually.   The funds generated will be used to provide meals for the 25 residents at the Black Panthers home for indigent elderly and the 64 students at the Mini-Black preschool which serves preschool children from indigent families. 

Sr. Amarante, Elder Biven, Elder Kempe

Senhor Amarante is a very gracious and dedicated community leader.  He has led the Black Panthers for 37 years and has accomplished much for the surrounding neighborhoods.

New Friends

Bemvindo and Johannes

With our arrival on Fogo we have begun looking for additional partners, here is photo of Bemvindo and Johannes, two hardy souls.  Bemvindo is Cape Verdean by birth but lived in the US and Europe for many years and Johannes is a German citizen. 

They moved to Cabo Verde for one reason; to do good.  They independently work to provide eyeglasses for the poor; to provide food and other supplies, particularly to needy elderly residents in their neighborhood near Cova Figeira; to teach hygiene; and to work with the local schools.  There goal is to teach the people, through their actions and their examples, that they can be responsible for their own lives and situations.  It was a delight meeting them and visiting with them about their work.  They are also creating a museum in their home of Cape Verdean life.

Moving To Fogo

Farewell Dinner

A big week with many goodbyes.  It started with a farewell dinner for ourselves and the Andersons, the office couple who are going home.  Our sweet Brazilian friends the Moraes and the Portelas did the work and President and Sister Amo joined us.  Delicious Brazilian foods and fun and laughter in Portuguese.  What a wonderful group of people.

Two photos of the dinner

Farewell Dinner 1

Farewell Dinner 2

On To Fogo

Plane to Fogo

Then we flew to Fogo to our new assignment.

Volcano over Cova Figeira

The volcano looms over the island and can be seen from many places, here is a photo from around Cova Figeira.

Sunset on Fogo

And the sunsets can be spectacular, here is a photo of the sunset over Brava from our hotel room window.

Sao Felipe 2 Relief Society

We arrived on Friday and stayed in a hotel for a couple days as the the Martineaus prepared to leave.  We attended our new ward and the sisters in Relief Society sang a beautiful song of parting “Cesara” I believe it was called, to Sister Martineau.  It was so touching.

Sisters Dutkewietz and Miller

Then, on Monday, the Martineaus and the departing junior missionaries flew to Praia to begin their journey home.  We felt very blessed that we we are to say goodbye to Sister Miller, who is the granddaughter of the Millers, assistant matrons of the Kansas City temple.  She returns to her family in Nashville.

One Last Trip

Last(?) Inspection of Assomada Zone Apartments

Monday we inspected the Assomada zone apartments once again.  We love our sweet interactions with these missionaries.  Apartments tend to have plumbing problems here, including no running water and leaks in kitchens and bathrooms.....very few of the apartments are totally dry and some are worse than others.  We were so pleased to find that President Amo has been working on housing and the companionship in the area that has never had running water is now in a lovely new apartment with no apparent problems.  Another companionship, one in an apartment with perpetual leaks resulting in a wet kitchen floor for a year, they are moving Monday.  One other companionship has a new place identified and is working on it.  This is a very good thing.  We try to fix the plumbing problems when we go but it is very frustrating, as you can imagine, with limited access to parts and tools, and some really crazy plumbing configurations......

And we thought perhaps it was our last inspection but we have been asked to continue to do the Assomada inspections when we visit from Fogo!  We love those missionaries, we just might say yes!!

Praia Lighthouse at Dusk

Fat Tuesday Parade

Missionary Experience in the Mountains

On this inspection trip the sky was very clear and we could see the outline of the island of Maio to the east, in the clouds, as we approached Pedro Badejo.  It’s not impressive in a photo, it just looks like a shadow.   But we have never seen Maio from this island before, so it was exciting.  Then as we traveled into Tarrafal, as we came over the mountains into the city an outline of the volcano on Fogo appeared in the clouds over the sea to the west.  Brumaseca is over, the sky is clearer, and for a little while we have a view.

As we left Tarrafal we wanted to take the old cobblestone road through the mountains, something I have not done.  The scenery was spectacular, up in the mountains over the sea.  As we came around a hairpin curve a transport truck was disabled in the road and a handful of passengers were standing around.  A man, we assumed it was the driver, motioned for us to stop.  It’s important to be cautious here, but something on the drivers face caused us to pay attention.  We stopped and rolled down the window.  He spoke to us in kriole.  We replied that we only spoke a little Portuguese.  He said are you going to Assomada?  I have a passenger that needs to get to school in Assomada.  We said yes.  He went to the truck and returned with a well dressed young woman.  She got into our car and we drove on, climbing the mountains on the cobblestone road.

She asked what country we were from, we said “dos Estados Unidos”.  She seemed pleased. A lively conversation was not possible because of our limited language.  I had a box of American candy bars (purchased in Fogo, of course) and I handed her one, with a smile.  Some time later she asked about us again and I told her we are humanitarian missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  She said she would like to go to our church.  I pulled a Book of Mormon out of the glove-box and handed it to her, “a story of Jesus Christ”.  She was pleased.  She was 19, studying Portuguese at a school in Assomada.

We dropped her off just north of Assomada and didn’t see her again.  What a tender mercy, to be able to help a young woman stranded in the mountains.  A missionary blessing.