Baptism, Glasses and Tire Change

Baptism in the Ocean 

Salinas Tide Pool

On Sunday we drove to Salinas, Fogo for the baptism of the daughter of the previous branch president of Ponta Verde.  What a beautiful setting for a baptism, you can see the crystal clear water in the tide pool behind us. 

 

Elder Edu at Salinas

Elder Larsen performed the baptism.  This is his companion Elder Edu from Nigeria.

Eyeglasses

Glasses for Delivery

We have provided about 500 pair of eyeglasses to needy recipients in Cape Verde.  These glasses were ordered in early February, arrived in Cape Verde in March, and were just released from customs through the work of a valiant Church distribution center employee (we made him chocolate chip cake).  There are about 85 pair in this photo.  Today we took them to our partner, ADEVIC, who makes the phone calls and distributes them.  

As we were taking the glasses to ADEVIC we got another call, the glasses we had ordered in April and May had also cleared customs, and in our last hours in Praia we were able to take the second group of glasses to our partner.   Now all but our very last orders, made in June, have come through.  We are praying that these last orders arrive and clear customs by the time we leave.

When we returned to Fogo we had another wonderful surprise, the eyeglasses had, amazingly, astonishingly, been declared a donation and there were no customs fees.  That has not happened in the past, no matter how convincingly anyone has tried. What a beautiful experience.

Tire Change

Tire Change in Mosteiros

How many missionaries does it take to change a tire?

Some weeks we drive to Mosteiros with our Zone Leaders for a district meeting.  We enjoy it and it’s a big help to the Zone Leaders when we provide transportation and they don’t have to ride in the hiaces.  After the district meeting often we go to lunch.  Today we finished eating, looked over at our car, and saw that the back tire was flat!  Wow, did the missionaries make quick work of that flat tire!  Elder Alealua and Nelson picked the car up so we could get the jack under it, Elder Vieira figured out how to get the jack out from under the front seat, Elder Price found the rest of the tools in the trunk....... they took turns with the nuts on the tire, and it did take Elder Biven's brawn to actually get the tire off after the nuts were removed (we all applauded).  What amazing service was rendered!  And I was very thankful because usually I am the assistant and it looked like a pretty hard job.