If you watched the video "Land of Light" that is in our March 12 post, you may recognize Sister Beatrice Lima. She was the first R.S. president in Cabo Verde. Saturday we went to look at an apartment for some sister missionaries to move into, rang the wrong doorbell, and there was Sister Lima. She was very sweet and welcomed us into her home. This is the same apartment that you see in the video. It's so much fun to meet all these awesome pioneers!

Every Saturday there are stake baptisms for convert baptisms. Yesterday there were about 9 or 10 baptisms. The father in this picture was baptized yesterday. His wife, Ani, was a member, but inactive. The missionaries helped her become active again and her 9 year old son Edson was baptized recently (the boy in the red shirt). The dad was upset and wouldn't go to the baptism. He almost kicked out the Elders, but didn't. Gradually he changed his heart and became converted. They say he is a new man. After the baptisms, they have time for the converts to bear their testimony, and he was the first to bear his. So brave! This little sweetheart likes to smile and give hugs. She is so beautiful!

This is Pascual. He was also baptized yesterday.

In the Land of Light video, you may have noticed Brother Lucilino Mendonça who was featured as a recipient of the PEF. He was the first bishop in Cabo Verde. Today he is the Self-Reliance Director for the islands and a counselor in the mission presidency.





After the baptisms, we saw this lady carrying all of her grocery shopping in a tub on her head.

This little sweetheart stole our hearts in sacrament meeting today. He was sitting right in front of us, and apparently was with his grandmother. He was so reverent, but every so often would reach out his hand to touch one of us or to give us a low five or a thumbs up :)

Today the stake president came to our ward and announced that they are starting a dependent group that will meet temporarily in the group leader's home. After sacrament meeting, the bishop told Carlos that we have been assigned to that group and will be in charge of getting couples to the temple to be sealed. What an enormous opportunity. That area has a lot of inactive members, and we hope to be able to help activate a lot of them and build up the group until it becomes a branch.









During church I noticed a sister wearing this beautiful reversible African necklace. After church I told her I thought it was pretty, and she took it off and gave it to me. She said her daughter makes them and that she will have her daughter make her another one. Such a generous people!

 The rounded corner of the building on the right is our church house. If you look closely, you can see a golden plaque with the name of the Church.

 On our trip around the island today, we saw these terraces where people plant corn and beans together. The beans wrap around the cornstalks as they grow. Right now it's really dry, but in August and September the rains come, and the crops grow. They harvest in November. These crops are totally dependent on rain. When the rains don't come, which happens occasionally, and happened a couple of years ago, people go hungry.

The landscape reminds me of Mexico.

Cabo Verde is a series of ten islands that were formed by volcanoes. The terrain is very rugged.

People carry things on their heads a lot. You see it everywhere, in the city and in the country.

A reservoir in the agricultural area of the island.

Agricultural area of the island, surprisingly green compared to the rest of the island right now. They apparently use the water from the reservoir to water the crops.

People here generally have wonderful posture. I think we should all grow up carrying things on our heads :)

At this time of year, they gather the cornstalks, etc., from the fields to start preparing the ground for planting. Apparently they take these plants home to feed their animals. We saw houses with lots of these stalks up on the roof.

A beautiful ocean inlet.

Today there were lots of people hanging out. I guess they were still celebrating the results of the election for Prime Minister yesterday. One party had been in power for 16 years, and yesterday the opposing party won. We heard all the celebrating late into the night.

Red tile roofs, reminiscent of Mexico and Spain.

This is the branch president of Calheta. The Carnells, humanitarian missionaries from Alberta, drove us to Calheta where they had to deliver a screen to a school where they had donated computers. Because of the elections yesterday, the school was closed, and we couldn't find the missionaries' apartment. "Coincidentally" we stopped by the side of the road, "coincidentally" right in front of the business where the branch president works. "Coincidentally" he saw us from his office and came down to talk to us. He called the principal of the school, who met us at the school.

It's interesting how the Lord uses "coincidences" to further His work :)  This is the school where the computers were donated.

The principal of the school, Arlindo, with Sister and Elder Carnell, and Sister Alvarez.

And Elder Alvarez.

Women carrying bundles of cornstalks on their heads.

This is a beautiful bay with a nice sandy beach, which is quite unusual on this island. Most of the beaches are quite rocky. As you can see from the lines in the sand, the boats had just been pulled in from fishing and the people were doing whatever they do to the fish. Downtown we saw women sitting by the side of the road with tubs of fresh fish for sale.

The same beautiful bay with our new friends, the Carnells. They have been so gracious to show us around the city and today around the island.

I think this was my favorite spot of the whole tour.

This was an interesting house. It looks like it was built into the part of the mountain that had those big rocks on top.

View from the top of the mountains. On the highest mountains there are pine trees.

I believe this is Assomada in the background.

The political poster in this picture is of the candidate who won the elections and is now the new prime minister.

Lots of papaya trees.

Carnells have stopped here several times to take pictures, especially because the lady has lots of beautiful children. But the children were gone today. She was outside doing her laundry by hand.

After a long drive, yummy Italian food back in Praia. This is vegetarian lasagna, with cooked vegetables covered in a yummy green sauce.

Cachupa, the typical meal of Cabo Verde. We thought cachupa was a stew, but at this restaurant is was dry. Apparently, this is a version called "cachupa frita" (or fried cachupa). It's made mainly of a corn similar to hominy.

In the center, President Manuel J Fortes (Espargos Cabo Verde District). We're so glad we decided Carlos should bring a couple of suits, even though the senior missionary clothing list only said slacks with white shirts and ties. :)

On the left, Elder Moreira's secretary, Leonel Da Cruz. In the middle, President Cesar Augusto Medina Fortes (Mindelo Cabo Verde Stake).

Saturday was CCM meeting with the Area Authority Seventy, the mission president and all stake and district presidents. In this picture are President Alector Manuel Gomes Torres (Assomada District), on the left, and Elder Joaquim Moreira (center)

This is the Relief Society president of our ward and her little family.

Our first Sunday at our new ward, the Ala Praia Quatro. This is the Rafael and Albertina Vieira family. Their 12 year old daughter was the first one converted to the gospel 3 years ago, when she was 9. A year later her parents were baptized.

The wind was blowing so hard we could hardly stand up straight.

Lovely sunset from the Faro (lighthouse).

A leisurely Sunday ride to the city lighthouse.

While waiting at the bank, we saw this beautiful little girl that reminded us so much of Cora because of her sweet smile and personality and of course, her curly hair. :)

This is one of the seminary teachers and his family.

The Stake presidency of the Praia Stake. On the left is the Stake Clerk (irmao Da Cruz), then Pres. Monteiro (counselor), Pres. Teixeira (President), Pres. Pires (counselor). Pres. Teixeira is the first stake president in Cabo Verde and was installed in 2012. Look how young they all are.

Beautiful sunset in Praia.

The neighbors in back of our apartment are building something. We haven't figured out what yet, but notice how the workers are laying the cobblestone on the left. Almost all of the streets here are cobblestone, each stone laid by hand one by one.