View from the top of the Mountain

Hello Family and Friends,

 

This was a REALLY great week!!!! Our investigator Flavio got baptized on Saturday!!!!! Flavio is the 29 year old man we have been teaching who is 85% deaf and who only speaks and understands a little Creole. This entire week we passed by his little cardboard box/metal sheet home every day to make sure he was ready and prepared to be baptized. And EVERY DAY without fail he would get the most giant grin on his face and yell out "OOOPA!!!" each time we walked up to his door in excitement to see us. Flavio was seriously the most excited person I have ever scene to be baptized.

 

On Saturday Sister Namwanje and I were the first ones at the church for the baptism, so we stood and waited out front of the church building to wait for the others and for keys. After 10 minutes, we look down the road and see Flavio walking sooo proudly towards the church with the biggest smile on his face with his striped button up shirt and poke-a-dot tie!! AND he spent what little money he has on going to the barber to get clean shaven and cut his hair to look his best for his baptism day :D When asking him how he was feeling he replied in his 'deaf accent creole', "Mi sta feliz! Mi te aleg no mi coracao!"...meaning I am HAPPY! I have happiness in my heart!

 

The Branch Mission Leader was the one who baptized him. It was so great and the spirit was so strong. I gave a talk on the blessings of the Holy Ghost at the baptism and felt so proud of the 5 who were sitting there in front in their white baptisimal jump suits all with smiles on their faces prepared for baptism. It was a beautiful baptism. After Flavio was emeressed in the water, he turned to me before getting out and gave me a big thumbs up. He was soooo happy!!!! At the end each person who got baptized stood up front one at a time and bore their testimonies. Flavio was the first, and only one to bare his in Creole and not Portuguese. Everybody there was so proud and happy for him. In a way he is kind of like a little kid with his hearing and understanding disability. I felt like a proud mother does when there child has a great achievement. I have wanted nothing but the best for him and have grown to love him as I have watched him come closer to making this important step in life. Now that he has made that choice and step to coming closer to Christ and making that first covenant with God in his life, I could not feel more happy for him!!!

 

Sister Holland also had a baptism this week. It was exciting to be there together and both see the change the gospel made in lives of people who we have grown to love through teaching them. It is amazing to see how far we have come since our time together training in the MTC...and now here to where those we teach are making those life changing choices!! The gospel is incredible and this church is true!! I have never KNOWN it more strongly in my life then I do now as I see what it does to those who accept it and live it for the first time in their lives. It is a blessing to be here and represent Christ as I teach about the truths of his gosple being here on the earth again today.

 

Thank you all for continuing to send your love and support. I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life. You are all truly wonderful!

 

Com amor,

 

Sister Beus

Flavio's Baptism

Hello Family and Friends,

 

Here are the photos from Flavios baptism. This was such a happy happy day!!! Sister Holland (my MTC companion) also had a baptism on Saturday!! So we took a photo of the two of us together with our investigators who were getting baptized. The two of us were both SOOOO happy this day if you can not tell by the huge grins on our faces. I felt like a proud parent when Flavio got baptized!!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sister Beus

Another Week in the MIsh!!

These are photos from this last week. Our Mission President came to Mindelo and we had a training all day Thursday and also Friday morning. There were 8 of us Sisters together. Sister Walker, my trainer/companion from Sal, was also there. But she missed out on the photo cause she was in having interveiws with the mission president when we took it. She is serving now with Sister Macamo, my companion I served with last transfer in Praia from Mozambique.

 

The photo of me and the other Sister is Sister Turnbow. She is one of my FAVORITE sisters in the mission. We took a picture because we were dressed as "themes" this day...she was a cowgirl that lacked her hat and boots, and I was on a Safari...dont ask. Then there is another photo of my area thrown in there for fun.

 

Love you all!!

Sister Beus

Hello Friends and Family,

 

Another week has passed here in Mindelo! My companion and I are having a lot of success in our area. We are teaching some INCREDIBLE people who I have grown a great love for. This last week my Mission President came to our island and gave us a training all day Thursday and part of the day Friday. We learned a lot of great things that are going to better our missionary work a lot! Our new mission president is incredible and has a lot of BIG ideas to better the missionary work here in Cabo Verde. He challenged us each to think of someone we are teaching and who we feel could be ready for baptism this week. The first person who popped into Sister Namwanje and I's head was our investigator named Flavio. I wrote about him a little bit last week. He is this incredible 29 year old guy who is about 85% deaf and also has a problem with understanding a lot of things. He only speak and understands Creole. Every time we pass by his house, he has the BIGGEST grin on his face and shouts out "OPAAA!!" to greet us when we first arrive. He lives in a little one bedreeom home made out of tin pannels and cardboard. He has a 7 year old daughter who lives with the mother and then a baby boy who is less then a year old that lives with his mother (two different women). I have never met someone who is soooo excited to learn more and more about the gosple as Flavio. With his learning disorder and hard time understanding our Portuguese, it makes it a bit challenging. We have had to rely on drawing lots of pictures and hand gestures to help him understand. But the moment he "gets it", he lights up with a fire of excitement (He has the learning mentality of about a 12 year old...but is sooooo soooo sweet).

Yesterday at church he was able to get permission from the mother to bring his baby boy with him to church. When I walked in he was already there sitting down in the lobby. When he saw me, he immediatly came up to me to show off his baby and see my excitement to see him have his baby with him at church. He was so proud. I do not really now how to describe it. Anyways, we are preparing him to be baptized this Saturday. When we first told him that we were going to change his baptismal date to this week instead of next week, he was happier then life!! So pray that it all works out!!

 

There are about 11 people we are currently teaching that are STRONG and progressing. Most of them usually come to church every time by their week and are doing everything we challenge and invite them to do. This area truly is incredible.

 

One of the other women we are teaching is named Rute. She is in her mid 20s with two little boys who are 1 and 2. We first started off teaching her and the father of her boys together. But they seperated for the millionth time this last week. I think this time there seperation is for good too. He is into drugs and is not a good father or husband. He has not had a job or contributed to raising his family for months and is not helpful at all to Rute. We were trying to help them work things out and progress towards marriage before baptism, and even trying to help them find jobs. But now we are only teaching Rute. My heart aches for her. She is now alone raising her 1 and 2 year old and makes "pennies" a day for a living. She is currently without a home and trying to provide the best way possible for her two babies. In an hour my comp and I are actually going to go meet her and take her to a members home in our branch. He said he could help her better find a job that will help her provide better for her two babies. She also asked us on Saturday if she could go forward and get baptized. She said the only thing giving her peace right now in her life are the things she has learned in the church and in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the only things in her life she can turn to for hope and love and she wants it to be a permanent part of her life.

 

I have sooo many others I want to tell about and share but I am out of time, again. I love you lots and lots. Until next week!

 

Love,

 

Sister Beus

Love Mindelo!

Hello Family and Friends,

 

This has been a great week. I am absolutly loving Mindelo!!! I am especially loving my area. We are teaching some of the most amazing people. One of them is named Flavio. He is a 29 year old man who is 90% deaf. The little that he can hear and understand is only Creole, no Portuguese at all. He lives in this half underground home that he built and created out of cardboard boxes. But he is truly truly incredible. He has the biggest and warmest smile everytime we see him and a HUGE desire to learn and know more about the gospel. Since he has a harder time understanding, we rely on drawing and showing pictures and hand gestures to help him understand. He comes to church everyweek by himself and usually stays after to help pick up and collect all of the hymn books by himself. He is just wonderful.

 

Another family we are teaching are Ruth and Erickson and their two little boys that are 1 and 3 years old. We are currently helping prepare them to be married so that they can get baptized. They also have very little in their lives. Sister Namwanje are going to spend our afternoon going around and trying to see if we can help Erickson find work since he is without it right now. We are also in the process of helping them with their wedding papers and get thing prepared.

 

We have a lot of other really strong and great investigators that we are working with. We had seven come to church yesterday which we were so excited about. I love when people just "get it" and continue to progress. It is one of the most exciting things to witness as a missionary.

 

Well, sorry to keep this short. But I had to use my time to do some other things that needed to get sent to the mission home. I love you all. Thank you for your continual support, love and prayers.

 

Com amor,

 

Sister Beus

 

Mom,

 

Here is a pic Sister Brooks and Laimana sent me. It is the three of us and one of our FAVORITE restaraunts called Segundas in Praia.

 

Love,

 

Taryn

Serving in Mendelo

Hello family and friends,

 

Everything is good here in Cabo Verde. A LOT has changed this past week. As I mentioned in last weeks email, I have been transferred again...this time to the island of Sao Vicente in the city of Mindelo. My area includes working in one of the richest and nicest area in Mindelo. It is a new area for sisters that has only had Elders working in for the most part until now. I am companions with a girl names Sister Namwanje. She is from Ughanda, Africa. We have been focusing this last week on just trying to find investigators that the Elders before us had been teaching. It has been difficult because there were no teaching records for any of them when we arrived to the area. So we have had to rely on help from members in our branch to help us find everyone.

 

One of the people we are teaching is named Flavio. He is INCREDIBLE!!! He is in his early 30s and mostly deaf. He also speaks zero Portuguese (only speaks Creole). So our lessons with him include us speakin VERY slow and very loud...and then every sentance we have to pause so that our member helping us can repeat what we said and translate it into Creole slow and loud for him to hear and understand what we said. But he is soooo amazing. We can tell he TRULY wants to understand and know everything there is to know about the gospel. He lives in such poor and humble circumstances too. He comes to church by himself and stays after Sacrament Meeting to help collect all of the hymn books and puts them away...and he is not even a member!!! He is just seriosly amazing and so hungry to learn more. We invited him to be baptized this last week and are preparing him to be bapitzed a few weeks from now.

 

Other then that, we have just done lots and lots of walking this last week as we have been trying to learn our new area and meet new people. Our area is surrounded by mountains that we have to climb everyday. But we are ok with that because every mountain we climb up has the most incredible view of Mindelo and the ocean.

 

Well, I am out of time. Enjoy the pictures. Oh, Sister Holland did splits with us for an entire day while her companion was in Praia for a training. So all of these pictures were taken the day she spent with us teaching in our area.

 

Love you all!!

 

Sister Beus

I'm Being Transferred...AGAIN!!

Olá Family and Friends!!!!

 

I hope everyone is well. Things here are as good as ever...but a little crazy at the moment. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we received a new mission president 3 weeks ago. And with that, we figured transfers this month would not have too many changes. But boy were we wrong...EVERYTHING is changing just about!

 

I recieved a call Saturday night from my mission president where he told me he is transferring me out of Praia. I will be transferred and fly to the island of São Vicente here in a few hours where I will be serving in Mindelo and OPENING a new area for sisters...again! Before now, there have only been 2 areas in São Vicente where Sisters serve....and today a 3rd one has been opened. I will be serving with Sister Namwange who is from Uganda, Africa. Sister Namwange has been serving in Sal this past transfer...she is the one who took my place when I got sick and had to be transferred to Praia. This will be an interesting transfer and I am excited as ever to get started in a new area!!! It is kind of crazy that every transfer so far here I have served on a different island...that almost never happens. But my health last transfer was the cause of that happenning to me. I am pretty sure that I will be spending a looooong time in Mindelo now, but Mindelo in my opinion is one of the coolest of all of the islands. So I am excited!

 

My area here in Praia has been cleaned...meaning none of us (me and my companions) who have served here this transfer are staying. Sister Lourenço (from Angola) left this morning to go serve in Fogo, and Sister Macamo (from Mozambique) is going to go serve SAL with my trainer/first companion Sister Walker!!!!! I am a bit envious and jealous of her because I love and miss Sal like crazy...but I am really looking forward to the work in Mindelo. I will be serving in the same district as Sister Holland too (my MTC companion)!!! So I will get to see her again at least once a week.

 

These past few days have basically involved packing things up and saying our final goodbyes to all the members here in Praia and to all of our investigators who we have been teaching.

 

I look forward to the new adventures and experiences that await for me in Mindelo. Until next week...love you all!!

 

Sister Beus

Another Week in Africa

Boa tarde minha familia and friends,

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY to you all!!!! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day full of fireworks and joy as everyone celebrates. My celebrations today for the 4th consisted of deep cleaning my apartment for 3 hours, doing weekly planning for 2 hours, and eating a big lunch in the African Market across the street. All in all, its been a great and productive day.

A lot has happened this week. First, we got a new Mission President this week!! President Neves and his family returned to the island of Mindelo to their home last Wednesday after the arrival of our new Mission President, President Oliveira and his wife. They are both from São Paulo, Brazil. I met them both on Friday at my first zone conference. They are amazing people and it is easy to see that we lucked out with getting yet another amazing mission president. Although we will all dearly miss President Neves and all that he did with us, President Oliveira will be great and I look forward to working with him.

I wanted to share one personal experience that I had this week with everyone. So I live in a two story apartment building with my two companions. We live on the first story and we have another family living above us on the second story. We have met the women who lives above us a few times while hanging laundry out to dry together on our roof that we share and have been able to talk to her a little here and there. When we came home from our zone conference on Friday afternoon though, our apartment door downstairs was wide open held open by rocks. We assumed that our neighbors above us were possibly moving, which would explain the doors being wide open. So being the missionaries that we are, we decided to walk upstairs and see if they needed help. However, as we approached their door, it too was open and things were very quite. We put our heads in the door and said hello, right before seeing an alter at the end of the hall with people sitting in silence. It turned out the husband had passed away from a heart attack the night before, and here they have what is like a little "viewing" more or less at the home where they sit and look at a memoriabilia (sp check) alter of the individual who passed away. We decided to go in and pay our respects and to see what we could do for the woman who we knew. However, she was not home at the moment. So we decided to leave to teach a few lessons and then return.

When we returned later that night at 8, two young men from our branch asked if they could come along. So the 5 of us (my two comps, the 2 young men, and I) went back to our neighbors. When we got there the home had mostly emptied out and she was sitting alone next to the the little table alter of your husband. She seemed so lonely and heart broken. We sat with her and tried to give her some words of comfort for the first 15 minutes or so. We then decided to maybe invite the spirit by singing a few hymns to our dear neighbor. As we sat and sang hymns to her, I couldnt help but notice how lost and truly heart broken the woman seemed. My heart ached for her, but at the same time rejoiced...I rejoiced because it hit me that when I lose loved ones, all though I am deeply sadened for the loss of their lives, I can rejoice because I know that God has created a greater plan for each one of us. I know that when I lose a loved one, they go to a greater place and watch over me until the day that I will see them again. How truly blessed are we for having the great knowledge of Gods plan for each of us, for the Plan of Salvation. It is truly a blessing and a comfort to know that this is not the end.

As we ended by singing Till We Meet Again, I couldnt help but think about my Dad. What great comfort and joy I have in my life to know that he right now is watching over me while I serve here in Cabo Verde, as he has my entire life up to this point...and that he is waiting for me to `Meet him Again`. As members of the church, we have such happiness and joy in the knowledge we have of the truth of the restored gospel. I realized this week that I have the opportunity now to share this with all those who are here in Cabo Verde, and hopefully bring them the same joy, comfort and peace in their lives through the truth and joy this gospel brings to lives as it has brought to me in my life. I am so grateful and honored to have this calling.

I love you all tons. I also really appreciate all the continual love and support I recieve. You are all in my prayers and in my thoughts.

Com amor,

Sister Beus