RAIN!!!!

Guess what!?!?!

It rained!!!

Not a ton, like for 30 minutes, just a sprinkle but no one wanted us to teach them because of the rain. Everyone was freaking out that we were outside working. We just laughed it was nothing. People where using the window wipers. They had NOTHING on their windshield.

Everyone says August is the month for rain. I am just waiting for the major down pour!! I love rain storms!! But Cabo Verde doesn’t get much rain. Everyday about 3 pm there are dark clouds over our head and we think it is going to rain. Back home in Utah it would rain with those clouds but for about 10 minutes, then later the sun is out. Also the other day the clouds where so low, I looked to my comp and said it might snow (PS it was cold I had to wear a sweater). We then looked at each other and laughed so hard because that was not cold the clouds where just low. But it had that it is going to snow feeling.

Then we had this lesson, in this house where... There where 2 dogs and 3 pigs, dirt floors, which has all the animals pee on it. Let’s just say it was a miracle I didn’t puke. Worst smell ever. This was rare people usually have the animals outside but the lady is the most humble lady I have ever met and am really excited to continue to teach her.

Then one of the families in our ward had this 6 year old daughter. She thinks I am a vampire because of my fangs. It is so funny. Her mom invited us to her birthday party but she yelled and pointed to me she can’t come she will bite me!!! HaHa We all laughed so hard. Then as we were leaving she hissed at me. She is so cute!!

Tomorrow, I hit 6 months on the mission!! 1/3 of the way through, I never thought that would happen!! My Portuguese has improved a ton! I can understand what people are saying and I can teach lessons. I still struggle but I can survive. I only have a year left. Missions go by so fast!! But I still have a year full of adventures. The past 6 months I have learned a lot and so excited to see what else I can and might learn. Happy 6 months!!!

PS. I found a penny, (1 escudo), on the street taht never happens!!!! Lucky escudo!!!

Until next week!!

Love,
Sister Burke

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

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