Week of Miracles!!

First off, I want to share something to think about through this week. ‘Optimism... A great irony of our day, we are blessed with so much yet can be so unhappy with our lives. Happiness comes from the inside..’ (All is well, President Uchtdorf, June 2015 Ensign)

Second, I had a baptism this past Saturday! It was beautiful. She is a lot younger then my other baptism and really understands the gospel. During our lessons she would take notes. She was a reference from other missionaries here. She was really easy to teach and is so happy now. She does not have a crazy story like my other recent convert but she was prepared. We just need to show her the way.

The amazing part of this week... Be prepared, this only happens in movies but it actually happened to me!!! We have been working with this family for a while now and they come to church every other week. Well... after church the dad calls me over tells me to sit down then looks me in the eye and says I want to be baptized, what do I have to do!!! WHAT!?!?!?! Really, this only happens in the movies! So we told him we would come by his house later. When we got there we told him he has to get married first since he lives with the mother of his 2 kids. Which this can cause a problem; they are not from Cabo Verde so to get married they need a ton of documents.  BUT, they have them all but 1!! The one is in their native land and really easy to get. Another miracle! Usually foreign people don’t have all the documents. I am still in awe!!! Crazy!!!! Hopefully within the next 2 or 3 months we can get the family married WOW!! Truly this is the Lords work and people are prepared we just have to find them!!!

Have a good week!!

Love,
Sister Burke

Transfer 4

Drum roll please!!!!!!!!! I am staying in Achada Santo Antonio and Sister Gates is going home. I am very sad to say goodbye to Sister Gates. I will miss her dearly!

So my new companion is............................. Sister Ferreira........... I am so excited!!!!!

 She is from Brazil but moved to the United States (Utah) when she was 15. It's so lucky for me because she knows perfect Portuguese and pretty much perfect English!!! It is going to be a great transfer... I have a feeling!!

Not much happened this week that was cool. We were planning on having 2 baptisms for Saturday 25 of July (this coming Saturday). However last Saturday night our investigator turns to us and says 'I have to be honest I don't want to get baptized. I was already baptized.' What!! NO!! That is the main problem here. People listen and love hearing more about Christ and the gospel but don't 100% understand the doctrine of why we baptize. Plus they are were babies when they were baptized!! Baptizing babies is pointless. Babies are perfect in the eyes of God!! So we are going to continue to work with her but for now only one baptism for Saturday. I will tell you more about it next week after it happens.

Welp!! Sorry for the lame post this week. I am still sweating a ton!! Yep, super hot here still!! HaHa Definitely the land of the light!!! SO MUCH SUN!!!! I walk out of the house everyday smelling like I am going swimming but nope... So sad. I can't wait for the day I can go swimming again!! I love the smell of sun block and bug spray all mixed together with a bucket or two of sweat! HaHa Until next week!!

Love,
Sister Burke

Summer!!!!!!!!!!!

Whelp... Summer is officially here. Kids are finally out of school which means people leave for other islands and we have no one to teach but the work goes on.

Last Monday I had the opportunity to go to Cidade Velha. Wow! I pictured a tourist town with lots to see. When in reality it was a town with people living there and working there. Yes there were the few historical buildings but overall it was just a normal town. A member showed us around we walked and walked and walked. To get to the lookout area where the cannons are was a very long walk. But not only that, it was super humid and super-hot!! Oh boy!!

It was amazing hearing the history of this wonderful country. It was also really pretty for Cabo Verde, lots of green trees and of course the beautiful ocean.

Also we saw a Cathedral that was destroyed. It was huge!! I can just picture it all built and I think it would be the biggest building here. When we had finished our site seeing we sat down and ate some eel, I ATE EEL!!! It was really good. Don’t know how to describe it. Then we came home. That little trip felt like a vacation and that I wasn’t a missionary.

Later this week we were doing contacts and we contacted this man. It was my turn so I was talking about Joseph Smith and showed a picture of Joseph. The man stopped me and asked who that was, even though I was telling him. He recognized Joseph Smith but has never heard his name or seen the picture. Missionary work isn’t about teaching people new things. It is about recalling information people already know. Everyone on this earth already knows Gods plan we just have all forgotten it. Missionaries are here to help recall the information everyone has forgotten. It was amazing to see him realize he knew this man but not physically remembering him. God works in mysterious ways. I love missionary work.

Love,
Sister Burke

July whoa!!!

This week was my recent converts Birthday. So we went over to say hi to her. As we turned the corner we saw her dumping out water from washing her clothes. We quickly grabbed a chair from her house and told her to sit and relax, it is her birthday!! She got mad but we told her to relax. We then started dumping the water out into the street. She jumps up and tells us no!! She told us no because we were dressed nice... Just because we are in a skirt doesn't mean we can't help. So we tell her it is okay and she sits back down. People here work so hard!! I also got really good at dumping out water in the street. It's lots of fun!!

Then the 4th of July. We made really gross hamburgers and chips with Coke to drink. The chips and coke were good, not so much the hamburger. Not like back home anyway. Other than that we worked hard! Then the 5th of July was Cabo Verdes independence day. We made rice and beans. No one really celebrates here. At midnight for 10 minutes there were fireworks. I woke up because they were so loud!! My comp didn't even wake up.I have no idea how she was able to sleep and not wake up!!

We taught English class again this week. It was better. We went through the ABC and found words that sounded like the letters. We did this all on the spot, which was bad. For B we did bubbles and O, object because we couldn't think of any other words. I am slowly forgetting English. Never thought I would see the day!!

Oh one last thing!! I hit my 5 months this past week!! Whoa!!! Seriously!?!? 5 months?!?!?!?!?! Doesn't feel like it!!! Time is going to fast!!!!!

Hope you all have a good week!!

Love,
Sister Burke