Christmas Week

Christmas Week

We celebrated Christmas this week and, as usual, we were quite busy.  All of the missionaries received Christmas hats and wore them on Christmas Eve.  The red stars on the hat band had little blinking lights.

Elder Adriano and Elder Flake

On Christmas Eve all of the missionaries in Mindelo joined together and sang Christmas carols on the praça downtown.  Sister Ribeiro kept us on tune with her flute.

Two years ago we never would have thought that we would be singing Christmas carols with missionaries from five continents on a small island off the coast of Africa.

We woke up Christmas morning to our presents.

Elder Erickson received a new shelf for the office and a new tie from Cape Verde.  Sister Erickson received a new pan and pillow covers (in the package).  We both received sand filled water bottles for exercising.

Christmas evening many of the missionaries came over to our apartment after having made their precious telephone calls to their families.

Homemade apple pie, cookies and ice cream were excellent attractions.

Isamira gets her Mission Call

Isamira, a young woman in the Mindelo 3rd Ward, finally submitted all of her mission papers and was waiting for her call. The stake president had received Isamira's mission envelope and gave it to us to deliver.

She has been excited for several weeks.

By the light of a couple of mobile phones she reads her call.

"You are called to serve in the Brazil São Paulo South mission and need to report to the Mission Training Center in São Paulo on April 3, 2019."

A proud mother and an excited young woman.

Toothpaste for the Prisoners

In October we presented the prison with educational materials to assist with the education of about 75 prisoners.  The ministry of education provides the teachers, the prison provides the classroom (and the prisoners) and LDS Charities provided the material including workbooks, notebooks, pens, rulers, etc.  These inmates are trying to achieve a seventh grade education before being released.  That level of education opens more opportunities for them and assists them to assimilate back into society. The picture below shows the ceremony in October celebrating the start of the classes.

On Friday we returned to the prison and presented the students with dental hygiene kits which included a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, a roll of toilet paper and a bar of soap.  These items are not furnished by the prison.

The Couple of the Week

On our trip to the humanitarian aid conference two months ago we met a number of senior couples with very interesting assignments.

Elder and Sister Canfield are serving in Rome, Italy as Area Refugee Specialists.  They train other senior couples that work directly with refugees and friendship centers.

Tonight we were invited to attend a family home evening with some new members of the Church.

Maria and her daughter, Mercedes, (in front).  David, Elder Erickson, Elder Boehme, Elder Gale and Christian.  David and Christian are sons of Mercedes.

We wish all of you a very Happy New Year!!

Until next week.  Tchau!!