Welcome, Volcano, Miracle, Farewell, Piano, Salsa

Welcome, President and Sister Amo

We are so happy to welcome our new Mission President and wife. They are from Brazil, and are very loving and kind. We look forward to wonderful times working together.

Besides welcoming them as senior missionary couples, we also celebrated Sister Amo's birthday with a wonderfully delicious cake made by Elder Anderson.

Sister and President Amo.


Visiting Fogo

Elder and Sister Martineau are such wonderful hosts. We visited Fogo for audit training. When we are there, we never have a dull moment. They took us on drives and hikes and invited us to dinner. They are amazing, and we love them!

We were visiting this old dilapidated water containment system on the beach. This lady and her husband were there fishing and eating the fish meal they had just cooked. She wanted us to take a picture of her with her fish :) 

Inside the water containment structure.

Elder Alvarez

Beautiful beach

Four missionary friends forever.

There are lots of beautiful bridges with arches.

Elder and Sister Martineau


P-Day on an Active Volcano

We didn't really want to hike all the way to the top (about a 4 hour hike). So we hiked part-way. The hike was intense on this loose lava. It's steeper than it looks in the picture.

We hiked to a place where there is a hole that is as hot as a furnace. The air around the hole is very hot and smells like sulfur.


Chã das Caldeiras and a Modern-Day Miracle

The last eruption was in November 2014 and it completely covered the town of Chã das Caldeiras. The houses you see here have been built on top of the lava that buried the town.

After we hiked back down, we stopped where some men were building a water reserve right in the middle of the lava. This is one of their buildings.

This is one of the buildings that had lava pouring out of it.

We visited the home of the only member of the Church in this town. This is a very interesting story. The family had been living with her in-laws while they built this home for themselves. They had just finished the home and were getting ready to move in when the eruption happened. They had to evacuate, and the husband went up on the side of the mountain to watch and see what happened to their home. This wonderful sister says that she thought, "It is what it is. We will deal with whatever happens". She says she never got upset over the situation. As it turned out, the lava filled their entryway, completely filled the dining room (you can see the lava pouring out of the dining room on the left), and poured through the fireplace into the living room (on the right). But the rest of the house was intact. And the mother-in-law's home was also intact. They were the only two buildings that were not destroyed by the lava.  

On the left you can see what was supposed to be the dining room, and on the right you can see the lava that poured out the fireplace. The cool ending to this story is that this situation has provided the family with income. They built some guest rooms which they rent out to tourists who come to visit the town and the volcano, and of course all the tourists are curious about the house that was saved.

This is a picture of the lower part of the city, which was completely covered. Only the rooftops are visible.

Wine grapes are grown in an area near this city. The vineyards were started by a Frenchman, who left many a blonde-haired, blue-eyed descendant. :)

The triangle in the middle of this photo is the tip of the roof of the old Catholic church. The grey brick is the wall of the new church that they are building on top of the old one.


Baobob Tree

This is the island's oldest and largest Baobob tree.

One of the black beaches on Fogo. 

This is a sign indicating the beginning of the town of Brandão on the island of Fogo. Brandão is the last name of very good friends of ours in Brazil.

Farewell to Achada Mato

Sunday, July 23,2017, the Achada Mato Branch became the Achada Mato Ward. These are some of the pioneers of this ward. It was a day of mixed feelings for us because we were re-assigned to the São Pedro Branch and will no longer be meeting with all these lovely members. We have truly enjoyed our time in this Branch (now Ward) and have life-long friends here. But we know we will also make great friends in São Pedro. So now off to another grand adventure.

Sister and Elder Alvarez with newly ordained Bishop Nuno de Pina.


Piano Lessons

Several weeks ago, after Sacrament Meeting, a sister in the ward approached Sister Alvarez and asked her if she would teach her two daughters piano. Then the Relief Society president also expressed her desire to learn, so despite her misgivings, Sister Alvarez decided to give it a try, and it has been a wonderful experience. This is Ines locating all the C keys.

 Toia and Ines are sisters. They both love piano and are very diligent with their practicing and attendance.

This is Cátia, the Relief Society president. She said she has wanted to play the piano since she was a little girl, and she is learning so fast. She is also very diligent with her practicing and attendance. It's exciting. We will soon have someone to play during Sacrament Meeting, since Sister Alvarez will no longer be there.


Salsa

Elder Alvarez and Elder Anderson making homemade Mexican salsa. They used the local chile "malagueta", which is VERY spicy. They did such a great job. Now we have salsa for the rest of our mission!!!!!

Farewells are hard to do

Farewell to missionaries

A large group of missionaries leaving. We lose 15 and gain 9. Numbers should increase in about September or so. In the front is Elder Velasco, from Chiapas. We get to know and love these missionaries. They are awesome!

 Farewell to President and Sister Mathews

We got together for dinner on the deck of our apartment. All the senior missionaries on our island were there. It was great! Burritos! Yay for Mexican food! Extremely rare around here. We have to make our own, and use substitute ingredients in some cases.

President and Sister Mathews, headed back to the USA and their family after 5 years of service: 2 years as senior missionaries and another 3 years as mission presidents on top of that. Very dedicated to the Lord and His work!

This is our Temple Preparation class. One of the sisters was missing that day. They have now finished all the lessons and are working on getting passports and visas so they can go to the temple in October. We are so happy for them. They are stalwarts and a great strength to the branch!

Family Home Evening with the Assistants and a lovely family they are teaching. So much fun!

FHE and Couples Activity

FHE in Monte Vermelho

Last Monday the Zone Leaders in our area invited us to a FHE at a member's house. The elders were actually on splits that night, so there were four elders there. Elder Cannon and Elder Robertson are our zone leaders, and Elder Mangeris and Bowen were here from the island of Maio for the Zone Conference the next day. There was an investigator there, and a couple of new members. What we love so much is how happy people are.

We parked the car in front of an elderly lady's apartment, and she came out to say HI. She has been a member for 6 years. When the missionaries told her we were going to a FHE, she said, "Where? I want to come."

The apartment is very small, and when we arrived, I thought it was going to be crowded. People were sitting on the few chairs, and some buckets, and on the bed. But then, more people started arriving. I think we probably ended up with close to 20. And they would just keep coming in and sitting on the bed or standing. We had a lovely lesson by the ZL, and then played a couple of fun games, and then had cookies and punch.

Group photo outside the apartment, which is on the roof of the building.

Happy girls.

Couples Activity in Achada Mato

This was a branch activity for couples encouraging couples to go to the temple to be sealed. Three of the couples are just finishing up our Temple Preparation class and will be going to the temple in October. The Church's Temple Patron Assistance Fund pays for their travel there (they have to fly to Brazil), and the couples and families have to pay for their passports, visas, and lodging and food at the temple. Last year the cost of the visa was doubled, so it has been very difficult for many of them to save enough money to go. We are so proud of the three couples in our class. It has been a long road.

This activity was held in our Branch President's home. He is the one standing holding his baby.

Yummy food and good company. The biggest challenge for the Alvarez' is that the native language isn't actually Portuguese; it's Creole (Kriolu). In Church most of the meetings are in Portuguese, because Portuguese is the official capeverdian language and the official Church language. But in social settings, everything is Kriolu. Elder Alvarez is learning Kriolu, but still can't understand when they talk fast. And Sister Alvarez hardly understands any. But everyone speaks the language of love.