Ola everyone!!!!
This has been such an incredible week! And I am now officially into my final week with only 5 days left before I leave for the mission field in Cape Verde, Africa! And I found out today that my visa and passport just arrived this morning. So I am all set and ready to leave. To be honest, I have been nothing but excited for months about my mission. And especially these last two weeks I've been feeling confident and comfortable about the language. BUT...then I went to my first Creole class on Wednesday with my companion. A guy who served there 4 years ago in Cape Verde set up the lesson for us to teach us Creole. It is sooooooo African and soooooooo difficult!!! It does not sound too much like Portuguese and NOTHING like English. I think what made me begin feeling nervous is that after our lesson was over, I asked how often he would speak Creole vs. Portuguese while serving there. He told us that after his first month being there he spoke nothing BUT Creole. Then I asked then why the heck do we have to learn Portoguese. That's when he said it's because there is not literature in Creole...not a thing. And that the scriptures and everything is in Portuguese. So we have to be fluent and both reading and speaking in Portuguese good enough to read the scriptures to our investigators and to then be able to translate everything into Creole during lessons. When I asked how well they would be able to read and understand the scriptures in Portuguese, he told us at this point we are probably more efficient in the language as far as reading goes then 80% of Cape Verdians.....and THAT'S when I started freaking out juuuuuuuuuuuuuust a little bit. Nonetheless, I am excited more then anything to have this opportunity and to get out and learn the 2 main Creole dialects spoken and continue my Portuguese studies so that I can share this great message with the people of Cape Verde.
So Bradyn got his mission call to Tampa Bay, Florida, huh?!?!?! YEAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! I love Tampa. I drove through there a few times when I was living in Florida this last year. There will be a lot of gator hunting around there which is PERFECT for Bradyn. And I am soooo excited that he's going to be learning and speaking Spanish. There will definatly be tons of Cubans where he will be to teach which will be incredible. I am so happy and proud of him!! And he was such a stud in the prom pictures. Mail me more pictures in the mail!
Let's see...like I said, this has been a great week. We have had "pretend" investigators we have been teaching everyday for 4-6 weeks now (depends on which investigator). We have one getting baptized on Saturday and one on Monday! The one who is getting baptized on Saturday had to actually get married first because him and his spouse had been together for 10 years but never legally married. So my district did service to raise 150 euros in order to pay for his wedding this last week. We raised the money and had a pretend wedding yesterday. It was hillarous!!!! My teacher pretended to be the bishop and then the micky mouse ears hat I took of bradyns that he got at disneyland was the wife Marta. I took a video of it all but I don't know how to send video home. We were all rolling in laughter on the floor because it was so dang funny. I'll try and see if I can't figure out how to send video home.
Oh and yes, Elder Richard G. Scott of the 12 aposltes (for those who don't know) came and spoke to us at a devotional Tuesday night. He spoke about the Spirit and the Power of Prayer and it was such a powerful talk. The spirit was so strong in the room. At the end of his talk, he also gave us an Apostilic Blessing to those of us learning another language to have the Gift of Tongues. I wish you could of all been there to see and feel how powerful his words were. Him declaring that blessing upon us all has brought me a lot of comfort...especially after our Creole class.
Well, my time is up. Love you all!! Talk to you next week when in Cape Verde!!
Até Mais!!
Irmã Beus
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