He's here! 7 pm arrival from Lisbon. So much better than the midnight arrival. Especially when it takes an hour to an hour and a half to get a visa and your luggage.
Arrival photo just outside our apartment.
Photo with "tia" Mami (from Senegal) at her crafts table in Cidade Velha. She is such a sweet lady.
The whipping post and pillory, where slaves were whipped, hanged, and sold.
Rua Banana, where some of the slave quarters were.
Fortaleza Real de São Filipe, the fort above Cidade Velha. We think this is a cistern (water tank).
Cidade Velha through one of the fort "windows".
Mike and Sister Alvarez decided to join the low impact aerobics class by the beach. They were able to keep up with most of it.
View of Assomada.
Parque Natural de Serra Malagueta.
Boogie Boarding friends in Tarrafal.
The market in Tarrafal.
Praia da Ribeira da Prata (Black Beach) just outside of Tarrafal. It may look brown, but it is definitely black.
Mike had so much fun with these children with the app that takes weird photos and videos of them. They laughed and laughed. So contagious!
It was so fun to have Mike visit! Of course it made us wish we could see all our children and grandchildren. But just a few more months (9) and we will be back. Loving it here. Will have very mixed feelings about leaving.
We went to Madrid, Spain, for training. Unfortunately, Sister Alvarez had forgotten to replace the card in the camera, so we don't have many photos. We don't have any of the training and the awesome people we met there. Fortunately, we were able to spend a little time with our dear, dear friends/family, the Benitos.
The Plaza Mayor.
Last Sunday we went to visit Edson and his wife Leiza, and their sweet 3-year-old daughter Cibele. Edson is a guard on our street. His wife Leiza is a member of our Church. She works at a Chinese store on Plateau (the downtown area). As you can see, Cibele loves Sister Alvarez and Sister Alvarez loves her.
We met Leiza's mom, who is a beautiful woman (far right). She had eight children, her husband left her, and even though he helps with expenses, she still works in the fields to help feed her family.
On May 6, 2017, at 10 a.m., a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the construction of a new chapel in Praia. The chapel will serve the two large Palmarejo wards which have grown from their small beginning as a group in 2014.
The project manager is explaining the building, its capacity, and uses. It will be expandable, which is great because the work is growing so fast here.
Pres. Teixeira, the stake president, addressing the group. Behind him is the JAS (YSA) choir.
The stake presidency: Pres. Monteiro (counselor), Pres. Teixeira (President), Pres. Pires (counselor).
Placing the first stone.
Elder and Sister Alvarez
The current mission presidency: Elder Alvarez, President Mathews, and President Mendonça.
