The End of June?

This week I met a Russian!! What?! I thought that was the coolest thing!!

We also have this lady who is silly! Every time she sees us she asks for a picture of Jesus. The first time we gave one to her and she then kissed it. The next day she asks for another one and we give her one. Once again she kisses it. She is silly. We started saying no because she has about 20 of them now. This past Sunday she asked for another one and we didn't have any of them on us but we did have a Mormon.org card so we gave that to her instead. She then kissed that card. That card does not have a pic of Jesus on it, it has pictures of Mormons. She is silly!

This week we also started teaching English class. To start the class we said a prayer in English. I gave it. I had no idea what to say and it sounded so funny to me!! I am not use to hearing prayers in English at the moment. We then had no idea how to teach English to people that didn’t know English. It was a very funny hour.

I am excited for this week…

We started teaching this lady that we had contacted a few weeks earlier but she never had time to listen. Then a random thing happened and one day we asked if she had time and she said yes. She has talked to missionaries in the past but never progressed. She has been married for 35 years, which is a miracle by in itself. No one gets married here because it cost too much for one reason. We then asked them to come to church with us. She says yes but her husband says no, he has something else he needs to do. We say okay and tell them the member they know will be there to pick her up. So church, Sunday we are waiting to see her. The member shows up and says she had pain in her back. We were really sad. (PS we have Relief Society and Sunday school first) Then we walk into the sacrament meeting and there she is sitting!! But not only her, her husband too!! What?! They came!!! They liked it too!!! Amazing!!

Yelp!! It was a good fast week!! Today we hiked Mount Vermelho. It was lots of fun!! We did it as a district. Really pretty from the top!!

 Until next week!!
Sister Burke

Last week of June, Seriously?!?!


Annoying moment of the week....

So every time you shower here you lose all your hair… Or it feels like it just because the water is terrible. So it isn't bad enough that you lose all your hair every time you wash your hair and then you go to church and every little kid thinks they can take one little strand of hair off your head. They think you can’t feel it but it hurts so badly!! So do you turn around and tell them no or just pretend you don't feel it? I am pretty sure I lost over 100 pieces of hair between my shower and all the little kids taking a piece.

Amazing moment of the week…

Last transfer I contacted this French lady.  She seemed golden. She had a Book of Mormon and went to church already!! We called her once but she didn't have time and then we forgot about her. This past week we had nothing to do so we were knocking on doors (well buzzing buzzers since everyone has gates). We came to this house that had 3 buzzers; I wanted to buzz all three. Well I only got to do 2 because the lady I contacted over a month ago answered and remembered me! How crazy is that? We contacted her on the street then knocked on her door about a month later!! We are now teaching her. Truly a miracle right there! But what is even cooler about her is she is from France!! She has a French Book of Mormon and says her prayers in French. I really wish I remembered French.  I only took for 4 years; yet remember nothing!! Ha-Ha

Funny moment of the week…

We were walking to a member’s home to mark a day for them to come out teaching with us. As we walked up to the door we see the member in the corner of her house screaming. We walk into find out she had rats in her kitchen and she really as a fear rats!! We laughed so hard because they were just baby rats. The mom is no were to be found. So her son is teasing her with them. We can’t help but laugh at her fear.

Good week lots of good moments!

A mission is more than just a check box of saying I served a mission. It is truly having an understanding of your savior and what the gospel has to give. I have only been here for 4 months and it has blessed my life so much. I am so excited to see what the next year and 2 months has in store!!



Lots of love,
Sister Burke

Beginning to feel like summer...

Another week and it is starting to feel like summer.... Which means it fiesta time here, everyone here has a fiesta party every day and it is all day long!!!

Wednesday we knocked on doors since no one was home or on the streets. Knocking doors is kind of fun, you never know who is going to be on the other side. We met 2 maids, a Joavah Witness, and a man who has been to SLC Church headquarters but doesn't want to hear more. That was rejection. I never thought rejection could have been harsher and truly hurt, but it didn't. Maybe if I did that every day it would hurt. What really hurt’s to me is when we have to drop investigators because they aren't going to church or reading the book of Mormon. Knowing the message we have and the things that we are teaching will change their life for the better. Plus after teaching and getting to know them for so long, then having to tell them we can't pass by any more. This really breaks my heart. I have come to love them so much!!

This past week I shared a message with a family preparing to go to the temple and I felt it was powerful moment!! A lot of the time I have no idea what I am saying words just leave my mouth. This time was no exception but it was the spirit speaking. We talked about how each of us has our goals to get eternal life How going to the temple will help them. It just put life into perspective. We only have a short amount of time on this life then we will return to live with God but we have to make goals to obtain that if that’s what we want. The Temple is always a good goal. 

Members are awesome!! This past week we got to help a member wash her clothes!! Saturdays in America = yard work. Saturdays in Cabo Verde = wash clothes. Both are hard work!!! I have no arm muscles. Lots of fun!! 

The language... 

Imagine going and learning English in Mexico. That is how I feel. Everyone speaks creole and you have no idea what they are saying. So then you just say I know the church will bless your lives. Then they say something else and you then invite them to church. Everyone says one day you will just wake up and understand creole. I am still waiting for that day. As for my Portuguese it is coming along. I really have to speak in simple terms because no one understands it. Which is good and bad I can teach great but I will not leave my mission knowing a lot of Portuguese. This just makes me study harder.

Funny story my comp and I invited this crazy guy to church. We met him on the street and talked to him for 30 minutes. We have no idea what he said. Sunday comes and he shows up!! What?!?!  Okay... 1st he doesn't live in our area so it isn't our investigator; 2nd he isn't full there in the head. He then followed us around and after church he followed us to our meeting. Then an Elder stepped in and helped him leave. It made for a very entertaining Sunday.

Well until next week.

Lots of Love!!

Sister Burke

Transfer 3!!!

I am staying in Achada Santo Antonio, Praia!!!! With Sister Gates!! This is her last transfer!!! Crazy!!!!!!

 

 

I also hit 4 months this past week!! Where has time gone?! I say that every time another month passes but really!!!
 

My mission is already going to fast!! It needs to slow down!! As for time I don't have a lot of time to email this week so sorry!!! But I will say one thing. The one thing that is hard here for the people is reading. They don't have glasses so they can't make out the letters on the page which makes it hard because to gain a testimony of this gospel you need to read the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon testifies of the truth. It is really so simple and lots of people are being held back due to a lack of reading skills or no money to get glasses. I know the Book of Mormon is true!! The Book of Mormon is so simple to read can make the biggest impact on your life!! I know that!! I have seen it change my life!! If anyone is going through a hard time pick up the book and read it!!! :)

Lots of Love,

Sister Burke

June already!!

Whoa!! I think I blinked! The month of May is gone!! Last week after the light house, which was amazing!! I quickly realized after I finished emailing I had forgotten to put sunblock that morning... Yup I got sunburned so bad!! But don't worry I am know getting a nice tan!! Only problem is my feet tan line are not even. One foot is lighter then the other. Drives me crazy!!!

This week I had my 1st zone conference. That is were the entire zone comes together to get training from President Mathews, this time it was all of Praia and the island of Maio. It lasts for most the day and is amazing!! So many good things come from zone conference!! What amzaed me was how much I understood. Yes the training is all in portuguese. I prayed to understand a lot and the Lord blessed me!! I don't know all the details that were said but I know what the Lord needed me to hear. The Lord continues to bless me!!

This past week was also divisions again. This time I stayed in our area and had to take the lead on everything. Which means I had to know everything. I was worried because we marked with a lady who only speaks creole. I have no idea what she said but I spoke and gave a great lesson that applied to her!! The power of the Holy Ghost is real!! Also while on divisions it showed me how far I have come! 12 weeks ago I couldn't have done all that teaching in Portuguese but now I can and from here I will only improve!!

Other cool things... MANGO Season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When people says Cabo Verde has the best mango's they are right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THE MANGO'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are so sweet and soooo good!!!!!!!!!! I am in love!! I am so happy I get to be here for 2 mango seasons!!!

Love,

Sister Burke