Happy New Year!!!! Goodbye 2015.... Hello 2016!!!!!!!!!!!!

First off... Transfers one week early!!
Sister Zhuwaki (my comp) was transferred to Praia.

Sister Gimo is my new comp BUT she is going home next week. So next week I will get another new comp. Right now I do not know who. Sister Gimo is from Mozambique!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is my 3rd companion from Africa! I love AFRICA!!!!

Second... Christmas! Christmas Eve we opened all our presents, which were really just the package my mom sent, and a few other things but nothing huge and crazy. Then at night we went to the top of our house and had a small dance party. Then Christmas all the sisters in Mindelo came to our house for lunch. We ate chicken, potatoes, salad, brownies, and Coke! It was great!

After I Skyping with my family!! Cannot believe it! Only have one more skype until I come home! Wow!! Time goes by so fast!!

Christmas was fun! It was great seeing how a different culture celebrates. Here people have parties in the street. Starting on Christmas Eve at midnight and lasting for 4 days, every night at midnight until about 4 on the morning.  Christmas Eve it seems like everyone buys the presents and food for Christmas Day. Then Christmas during the day people are with their families or sleeping. It was my first Christmas without any snow. It did not have the Christmas fee. But it was nice not freezing.

Third... Today my district went to Mount Verde, the highest point in Sao Vicente. At the very top was windy. It reminded me of a snowy day in Utah. SO COLD!! The car ride up was so pretty! We could see all of Mindelo. Also saw some of the other small towns on the island. I forget how small these islands are until we can see almost all of the island.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and will have a good new year!!

Love,

Sister Burke

Christmas Came Early

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT WROTE ME LETTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was a really nice surprise!! It is really nice to hear how everyone is doing. Thank you so much!!

Christmas miracle! Friday morning we woke up and my companion comes in yelling WE HAVE WATER!!! I jump out of bed WHAT!?!? We then go running into the other sisters room NOS TEMOS AGUA!!!! The other sisters jump out of bed we are all freaking out. 21 one days or 3 weeks exactly without water.

Cool experience of the week. My grandma sent me some Joy to the World pass along cards that I started giving out. As we were walking home one night I saw a man who had no shoes and homeless. I felt impressed to give him a card. So we walked up to him.  We then shared our quick message with him and gave him a card. He smiled at us and said thank you. This is the spirit of Christmas. It was not huge but it made me feel like I made a difference in his life. Christmas is not about the gifts or what we get but it is about making a difference in the lives of other people!

I hope everyone has a very nice Christmas! I also hope everyone stays warm! No worries I am enjoying perfect weather!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Feliz Natal!!!!

Love,

Sister Burke

Feliz Natal!!!

Christmas, here no one has Christmas lights yet. Only like one house on every block.

But what they do here is paint. Everyone has a fresh coat of paint on their houses; even the sidewalks and even the trees get painted. Everything here is about being new. Fresh coat of paint is new.

This week we had another baptism. Remember the story I told you about the first lesson I had in Sao Vicente and about not understanding the creole? Well that story, that person, was this baptism. I have no idea how I taught her but hey the spirit really does the teaching! This is truly the Lords work. I am learning and understanding the Creole in this area a lot faster than the other one.  I think it is because I understand Portuguese a lot better now too.

Short on time this week but I love you all!! Have a safe and fun week! ONE WEEK TELL CHRISTMAS!!!

Love,

Sister Burke

PS: 19 days with now water and counting, ugh!!

#ASaviorIsBorn

Christmas time!!! Watch this video!!!!

#ASaviorIsBorn

After watching the video share it with the WORLD!!!

My week... 10 MONTHS on a mission!!!!!!!!!! What!?!? Only 8 left!!!! I am now in double digits!!! Wow!! Time goes by so fast!!!!

We also had zone meeting this week...

I got all dressed up because another sister had a hair straightener... Wow, felt so nice to have straight hair!! Only problem we have not had water in our house for about 10 days. We keep going to the other sister’s house filling up water bottles to make our life a little easier. So bucket showers are no fun. For that day it was nice feeling all dressed up. It was also very interesting seeing a different zone. There are a ton of new missionaries that barley understands Portuguese. That is the moment you know you have been here a long time.

This past week my mom asked a ton of questions I bet a ton of people have so here are my answers..

Does it feel more like a touristy area than the last one?

Oh yes!! In my area not really but on P-Day when we go to the City to buy food TONS of tourists and the stores are way more money!!

Do the people seem to have better homes to live in?

Homes are the same as the other island. Have parts really nice and parts not so nice.

Is it hot like the first time you were close to the coast?

Right now it is winter so the weather is perfect!!!

How do the shopping markets differ?

Way more money and way more souvenirs like a touristy place, Other than that exactly the same.

Hope those answers some questions people have.

I hope everyone has a good Christmas Season!!

Love,

Sister Burke

Happy Thanksgiving

This week, Whelp my new area is named Monte.... Which means mountain, which means we climb up hills all day, and then climb down hills...

I love it but my muscles are super sore. For the first half of my mission I was in the Island of Santiago which has a very different creole then here. I know the creole from Santiago. So my first day teaching we were teaching about the Sabbath day. I asked her if she had been to church before. She then said something that sounded like Chinese. My companion was waiting for me to respond. I was hoping for just a yes or no answers but she told me this long story. I had no idea what she said. So I asked if she liked church. Once again a yes or no answers but nope a story. I then looked at my companion and smiled really big. She then answered for me. I have no idea what she said. After I laughed so hard, you would think almost 10 months on the mission I would have the language by now....NOPE!! Ha-ha creole that really messes me up. But by the end of the week I was able to understand a little bit better what they are saying. Most the time I just laugh because I have no idea.

 I hope everyone had a good thanksgiving! I was the only American in my house so I made cinnamon rolls, potatoes and gravy and stake. Then to drink we had Coke. Oh it was a fun thanksgiving. I made the table all pretty. My companion ate a ton of food after we were all in food comas. Perfect thanksgiving on a mission!! But next year cannot wait to eat turkey!

Also, on a funny note.... It is pretty much December and I have allergies... Who gets allergies in December?! What is this!? Ha-ha

Love,

Sister Burke

Transfer 7.... Did not see this coming!!!!

I have been transferred to the island of Sao Vicente. My new area is called Monte Sossego.

My new companion is Sister Zhuwaki from Zimbabwe!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did not see this coming!!

Only had 2 transfers in Assomada, I really thought I was staying and my companion was leaving but nope!! The Lord has different plans for me. I am really excited to get to know a new island but this also means I have to learn a new creole! Oh no!!! But I can do it!! In order to get to my new area I had to take a 40 minute Hiace ride (like a bus) and a 40 minute PLANE ride!! How cool is that, transfer by plane!!!! So far, from what I seen of Sao Viciente is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love it!!!

This last week in Assomada it was perfect!!! We had a wedding and a baptism!!! I love this family!!! I remember the first day we taught the wife. She was really against everything but was willing to listen to us and the message we were sharing. Her husband is a less active member but wanted the family to go to church. We started working with her and trying to get her to just read the book of Mormon. That is when everything changed. She has been coming to church ever since. She finally agreed to get married and baptized. Her wedding was a special day, she was so happy. She really made us feel like a huge part of this special day of hers. When in reality all we did was ask her to come unto Christ. I love this family. Every one of them is active and I am praying next year they go to the temple. I saw her change right before my eyes, one of the coolest things to witness is the change people make as they come closer to Christ.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Have a safe and fun week!!

Love,

Sister Burke