Date: Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 1:47 PM

Hi Mom,

 

I didnt sleep very well last night so I am not really in the mood to write a mass email. So I am only going to email you this week. Before starting though, here are some pictures I attached of our baptism this week. Her name is Katy (Like Ka-teee). We have been teaching her for two months and she loves me. The baptism went really good. When Katy got up to bear her testimony at the end, she completly froze. So I went up and whispered to her what to say and helped her with her testimony. Shes cute.

 

Well mom, thank you for all your encouragment, love and support. You really are wonderful and I wouldnt have ever made it out here if it wasnt for all that youve done for me and for all of your help in my life. You are the greatest mother ever!!!

 

I hope school is going well for you and Im glad you are almost done with your classes. Tell Rex I say hi and everyone else.

 

Com Tcheu Amor n' mi coracao,

 

Taryn (Sister Beus)

 

p.s.- my Kriolo (Creole) is finally starting to come slowly but surely. It helps to have a native companion. Learning it kinda gives me anxiety for some reason and stresses me out cause its harder then I expected. I can understand just about everyone when they speak to me in Kriolo...I just have a super hard time responding back in Kriolo. Its fun though. I'll get it with time.  

 

Mousseaux Mistake :)

On Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 5:56 PM

Hey Mom,

How strange, I did write to you last week...infact, you were the ONLY one I did write. I even sent you photos. But I just went to look in my drafts and outbox folder, and NOTHING. That is soooo weird. I did write though, I swear. I just dont know what happened to it....

.....ok lied. Went through my sent folder again, and I embarresly sent last weeks email that I wrote you to the Mousseaus!!! I was tired. hahahaha. That was probably the worse email for them to get too. It was an email definatly from a daughter to mother...and not for them. hahaha. oh well. I forwarded it to you though. So now you can have two emails.     

This last week was good. PLEAAAASE send me the general conference addition of the Ensign ASAP once you can get it....I watched 3 of the 4 sessions in Portuguese with our investigators and my attention span was short lasting during most of it. You know how sometimes its hard to pay attention when watching it in English...well Portuguese is even worse...especially when the translators speak with a THICK Brazilian accent and the Portuguese accent. I watched Sunday morning session in English with some of the other American missionaries at our Senior Couple missionaries home, Sister and Elder Broderick. They made cinnamonroles and it was great. But we had investigators at all of the others so we were told if we had investigators, we had to stay and watch the sessions with them. So the others I watched in our chaple. We watched all the sessions Live...3-5pm being the first session, and 7-9pm being the second, both days. Kinda misserable. But it was conference which I always love so it was good. Did you know that ONE YEAR AGO I was sitting there at the conference center with Matt Kimball. Made me a "little" homesick. But i am good now. Because of Conference we couldnt have baptisms. We will be having 4 this Saturday though. It is also the last week of this transfer...meaning next Monday are transfers!!! I have a good feeling that I will be staying in my area with my mini...cause President called this last week to ask if she wanted to stay another transfer or go home and she said she would like to stay another in this area. So my fingers are crossed that we stay togetether. She is INCREDIBLE!!! I think my favorite comp of the mission. She is adorable and so much fun...but also very hard working with a BIG testimony and sweet spirit. Today we took a truck taxi up to the highest mountain here on the island of Sao Vicente. We were driven as far up as possible and then climbed the rest of the way. We also took a little gril and made lunch up at the top. We went with a few members and played Mankula and cards and some other games and just hungout and enjoyed the day. It was a lot of fun. It was nice to get out and do something else for once. We had a view of the entire island. It was beautiful. They have a maker that marks the highest point on the island where we were so we stood on top of it and took pictures...and stated that we now were HIGHER then Sao Vicente. It was a lot of fun. I sent some pictures up there and in the truck. I also am going to send a picture with two girls, Iarine (11 years old) and her sister Jodaline (18). I love these two and infact, their entire family. Jodaline helps us teach a lot and she just always laughs and is so great. Her younger sister Iarine is one of our 4 baptisms that we will be having this Saturday.

How did your music program go? Im glad to hear you enjoyed conference. I did here Sister Daltons talk...she spoke Sunday morning so I was able to hear it in English. I too thought of dad as she spoke. I loved President Uchdorfs talk at the Relief Societ General Broadcast last week...we watched that with the Senior Couples at their home last week during lunch after church. He is one of my favorite speakers. Just like you said, he speaks clear and direct and its always just so good.                                                                                                     You will read later in my email I sent last week (that went to Ralph and Barbara) that I was feeling really home sick...that has passed now. I am anxious for the next transfer to begin and REALLY hope I stay in my aread with Sister Vicente. We will see. This weekend we have District Conference which includes all of the branched from this island (Sao Vicente), and the two islands of Santo Antao and Sal. All three islands make up one district. That means I will be getting to see a handful of people from the branch in Sal and I am soooo excited!!! I miss everyone there so much. That branch and my current branch are my two favorite that I have so far served in.

Well, that is it for this week. I am pooped and we are suppose to start teaching in 30 minutes so I have to go. I love ya tons!!!!

Com amor,

Taryn

P.S.- Sister Vicente and I have been blessed to have 10 baptisms this transfer after this Saturday. Our mission in Total had 97 baptisms this last month of September!! That is a record for our mission...I think. The work is going really really well here and we love it!!                    

Busiest week of mission!...3 baptisms and a wedding‏

Ola!

 

This has been an exciting yet very busy last week. I am excited and proud to say that my couple, Rute and Erickson, who we have been working on trying to get married FINALLY went through with it!! They are officially married!! On Thursday we went with them to the courthouse and witnessed the two of them take a big step forward in their lives together. The only ones that were there to support them were each of their two witnessess that they chose, our branch president, our recent convert, Nilton, the son of one of the witnesses, and my Sister Vicente and I. I had never before scene a civil wedding before done in a courthouse so it was very interesting to see. Afterwards some members held a small party for them at their home to celebrate where just a few people came by to congradulate them. All though it was a very small ceremony and not the typical big celebration that we are use to in the states, it was perfect. Just from knowing that they two of them are officially married makes them so much happier and everyone can see the joy that has entered into their lives.

 

Two days later on Saturday we had 3 baptisms! One of them including Erickson! The other two were a 17 year old girl named Denise who has been talking with the missionaries for months before I even arrived in this area, and a 25 year old girl named Tatiana. Tatiana had first been introduced to the church a few weeks before I arrived in this area about 3 months ago by a good friend of hers who is a member. The Elders began teaching her 2 weeks before I came here. She had only talked to the Elders twice when we had first met her so we taught her basically almost from the beginning. I have grown very close to Tatiana and I was so proud to see her make this step in her life of being baptized and entering into a covenent with our Heavenly Father. She gave the most profound testimony at the end of the service too. Everyone was left speachless.

 

This week we are preparing our little 8 year old, Katy, to be baptized on Saturday. Katy is the youngest child of a family where all of the family are already members. My first week in this area Katys brother asked us if we could start teaching his sister so that she could be baptized too like the rest of the family. It has taken her a while to get to the point of baptism because she is VERY VERY quite and has a little bit of a learning disability. So we have had to teach what would normally be taught in one lesson, in two or three lessons. But, she is finally ready and very excited to be getting baptized on Saturday.

 

I can not wait for general conference in two weeks. We have a bunch of investigators who we have already committed to attending and who are all excited and looking forward to hearing words from our living prophet. There are two imparticular, Farreira and Antonio, who are excited. Farreira and Antonio are two men that we recently started teaching. They were references and friends of our recent convert Nilton. Antonio is 33 and Farreira is in his 50s. They are currently two of our FAVORITE investigators. Both of them only speak Creole and they both have a lisp. It is hilareous. Farreira also has SIX toes on one foot!!! It is pretty creepy and weird. But we love him more for it. They are both soooo interested in the church after witnessing the baptism of their friend Nilton two weeks ago. Antonio this week told his work that he cant and will no longer be working on Sundays because he has to go to church. Sister Vicente and I almost jumped out of our chairs when he told us that this last week. They are both commited and looking forward to one day soon being members of the church.

 

Well, that is all the time I have for this week. Love you all!

 

Com amor,

 

Sister Taryn Beus  

 

Here are photos from this last weeks 3 baptisms we had of Erickson, Denise and Tatiana, as well as a few photos from the wedding of Rute and Erickson.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sister Beus

 

...off to work!!‏

Ola Familia e Amigos,

 

So this week went good and bad. Good because Nilton, a 31 year old guy who Sister Namwange and I contacted in the street our first week in this area and taught from the beginning, got baptized!!!!!! He was my first investigator to be baptized who I contacted and taught from the beginning. It was a very very happy day!! He has actually been one of my favorite people to teach in this area during the time I have been here. He always ONLY speaks Crioullo (Creole) because he thinks its funny watching me concentrate harder to understand him. That, and he is not very comfortable with speaking in Portuguese cause he has to think harder to know what to say. But his baptism was so great. Him and 3 women were baptized this day. And at the end when they each got up to bear their testimonies, he was the last one to stand and was also the ONLY one to get emotional and shed a tear...and also the only man. Everyone could tell that he truly felt a change and the spirit was strong. It was a proud moment for me.

 

This last week we also started teaching some of his other friends (all men). Two of them came to his baptism to support him and the same two, plus one more of his friends, came to church the following day. After church, all of them said they want to go every week now because they could feel something different inside our church and also said they wanted to talk more with us to see what they had to do in order to also get baptized!!! Sister Vicente and I were amazed to see these 3 grown men so excited and anxiouse to have the same light that they saw enter into their friend Niltons life.

 

So this week was also bad because we did not get out and get to do a lot of work. We had to stay in a lot because I was sick.....again...shocker! I had a high fever of 102 Friday after having had thrown up for two days. I had also thrown up a little blood which worried me for a while. But I recieved the most amazing priesthood blessing from one of the missionaries named Elder Brown who blessed me with good health and now I am feeling a lot better. Still not 100%, but A LOT better!! My stomach has just hated me since beginning my mission and I cant quite figure it out. But, it is not gonna stop me from fulfilling my purpose from being here. I love it here, and all though I was slowed down a little bit this last week, Im back to working at a 100% this week.

 

So this week is going to be crazy. We currently have the amount of work as what normally 2 companionships have. We are teaching almost 30 people right now in our area (all being strong), and about 10 more who we have contacted and seemed really interested, but who we have not been able to go back and visit or teach because we just dont have anymore time. The maximum number of appointments we usually have as a missionary is 8 appointments a day...this week we have somedays where we have had to schedule as many as 13. That is pretty much impossible to do and I dont know how we are gonna get to all of them...but we are gonna work hard and do all we can to make it to all of them.

 

This week my couple who we have basically been marriage counseling since I have been in this area, Rute and Erickson, are FINALLY getting married on Thursday!!! And what is also great, is that Erickson said that he knows the church is true and also wants to get baptized....so he is getting baptized this Saturday after he gets married!!! It is a very busy and full week. But Sister Vicente and I are excited as ever that the work is progressing to well.

 

Speaking of Sister Vicente...on Friday our Mission President called and told her that her mission call had arrived. He gave her the choice of waiting a few weeks until he came to bring her her call for her to find out where she was going, or for him to just tell her. She wound up having her just tell her over the phone. So, Sister Vicente will be serving in the Boston, Massachusets mission!!!!!!! She is the FIRST Cabo Verdian to ever go serve there!! And out of all the places to serve in the states, Boston is the one place that has the MOST Cabo Verdians living there. There are almost as many who live there in Boston as who live in the country of Cabo Verde itself. It is a huge blessing and honor for her to serve there and she is super excited.

 

Well, That is about all I have for this week. I love you all and thank you for all the support.

 

Com amor,

 

Sister Taryn Beus

 

 

 

Hey mom,

 

First of all, do not worry after reading my mass email...I am ok. I have had some serious health issues, I swear. My body just hates me. But I just laugh it off and continue forward. I really am doing a lot better though. I did not eat for 3 days and I was having the runs and throwing up at the same time with a fever. It was fun stuff. My stomach still has some pain. But I am A LOT better. A few more days and I will be back to 100%.

 

So my area has just exploded with work. It has been crazy. This week we are way over our head and it is going to be a busy busy busy week. But we are really excited. I cant wait until this darn wedding is over with so that I dont have to stress about them anymore.

 

After this weekend, I will have had 10 baptism...all but one of those being just in this area. I think 10, maybe just 9...now I cant remember.

 

I do not have a lot of time left. I loved hearing about the movies and about Ryans farewell and everything. I want to comment back about it all but I just dont have time.

 

My comp is INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, LOVE HER!!! And she is going to serve in Boston. I explained all about in the other email.

 

Oh, and my investigator who got baptized Saturday, Nilton...he is incredible!

 

Anyways, I really gotta go. I love ya so much Mom. You are such an amazing mother...seriously.

 

Lots of love,

 

Your little girl in Africa

Niltons baptism‏

Hello friends and family,

 

Here are photos from Niltons baptism. It was such a happy happy day. He came dressed up in black dress slacks and all...first time we have ever scene him like that.

 

Here are also some pictures from lunch today. Just wanted you all to see what we eat on a typical day for lunch...fries in a bag and a cheese sandwich...yum!!!

 

Enjoy!

 

Love, Sister Beus

12/05/2011
Hi family and friends,

Here are some pictures of my new area. We had one baptism on Saturday of this 11 year old boy named Daví. The baptisms are all in the town of Cova Figueira since they have a chapel and a baptismal fonte and we dont. Cova Figueira is about a 35 minute Hiace (that is a type of van for those that dont know) ride from Mosteiros. We travel there every Friday for district meetings and Saturdays for baptisms. We drive a long one side of the base of the volcano every time. Its neat. 

The other pictures are random photos of my new area here in Mosteiros.

Enjoy!!

Sister Taryn Beus