President visits the new Achada Grande Ward and Building!!

President Oliveria visits the new Achada Grande Ward and Building!

Achada Grande Ward!!

This week was a pretty good one. We had a baptism, and everyone in the district had one, for the third week in a row, which is super good.  The work in really progressing, and Achada Traz is sweet!  Church was good, we didn't get too many people there, and we need to find more people with desire, but we're gonna do that a bunch this week.  I'm stoked. But President Oliviera came to our sacrament meeting.  Just because we are using the new chapel, and we are a ward and he wanted to see how everything was going. I think he posted some pictures on the mission Facebook
 page about it.

Our baptism's name is Alaida. She is 18 and she is the best.  She is Dorecy's best friend. Dorecy was our baptism from a couple weeks back, now she is a sweet member.  Dorecy gave us a ton of references that are pretty golden.  Alaida is sweet, and she read the Book of Mormon, and prepared well.  Its such a good feeling to see people progress and change!  

This week I also did a division with Achada Mato.  I hung out with Elder Pau in my area, and we both learned a bunch.  I love teaching with new missionaries, because they teach super simply, and it helps remind me how simply we really can teach.  He is a stud, and I loved spending time with him.  He is a Tongan, which by trade means he is always hungry, so we kinda ate a lot.  And it was sweet.  He also bought a basketball because he wanted to play, so we have been playing a little bit in the mornings, and that's super good.

  

We also had a goofy experience this week. So I was at the Dauga, which is the farthest east out area goes.  And we were teaching a lesson when secret agent Fonseca called. (His named in Brother Fonseca, he was an A.P. missionary here, but now he is off his mission, and is the elders quorum president in our ward.) So he called and told me that Sister Olivera was in Achada Traz to look at our new house.  (We are geting a house in Achada Traz because we keep getting robbed in the path to Achada Traz) But the house was on the other side of Achada Traz, over by Norberto's house.  He said that we better get there quick because Sister Oliviera wasn't gonna wait on us.  Which makes sense, they are the busiest people in the country. So we ended the lesson super fast, and took off in a dead run across Achada Traz.  We ran from one side, to the other side of Achada Traz, in our church clothes.  It was crazy.  So we show up to talk to Sister Oliviera, all sweaty, and trying to catch our breathe.  It was super funny, and strange.  We should move into that house at some point in the near future.  

The other sweet thing that happened this week was that I had the chance to do a division with Elder Bruce, the A.P.  It was the day that I had to do interviews, so we just walked around for a while. But we talked a bunch, and I learned a ton of stuff.  He is seriously possibly the best missionary in the world, and it was great getting to spend time with him.

 

It's good serving with Elder Amado, he helps me with the language a ton.

  

We also had a good district meeting. I gave a training on inviting people.  I prepared it with Elder Bruce, and it was super nice to have his help. We talked about separating the baptism question from the rest of the lesson.  Because sometimes when I teach, I just get so excited because we have this message that everyone needs, and I just get to excited. And he told me he had that problem, and he still teaches with energy, he just learned to channel that into the spirit when he asks questions like that.  It was super good, and I tried to share that message with our district.

  

This transfer will be one week longer because the flights are messed up.  But that's just life in Cape Verde!  I hope I stay, but we will see what happens. I Love my area, and I am in the best mission in the world! Thank you all so much for everything you have done to help me get out here! 

Much Love, Elder Jarvis

The Weekly from Cabo Verde

This week was pretty sweet in Achada Traz. A lot of stuff happened.  This was our first week being a ward, and we also opened our new chapel.  So a pretty big week for the people of Achada Grande!  Its a ton closer, and our church moved to nine in the morning, and that helped us a ton getting people to church.  And the church is super nice inside!  It was a little stressful because no one has callings right now because we are switching from a branch to a ward, so we had to do a ton to help them get ready.  But the people were so excited for the new chapel, and it really was such a fun experience.  I wont lie, it was a super stressful Sunday, and I didn't really have the chance to enjoy it as much as I would have liked, but our job is to work so everyone else has the chance to enjoy it.  I was honestly more tired this week than I feel like I have been in my whole life. But I'm sure that never goes away.  Our district had 8 baptisms, and I did six of the interviews, and I had to call President about some of the interviews, and it was just a little stressful.  But like I said, I doubt that ever goes away, and I'll learn to get used to it.  

Elder Amado and I definitely don't see eye to eye on everything, or anything for that matter, but we're making it work, and he will be ready to train by the time we are done.  We had a couple of baptisms, and that always solves a lot of problems.  We baptized a 17 year old kid named Patrick, and he is a stud.  It was actually pretty interesting how we ended up finding him.  His brother Nunu was a reference from like three people, so we contacted him, and had a lesson with him.  Turns out he is kind of a fubecka.. But during the lesson, his brother came in and said that he wanted to talk to us.  So we started talking with Patrick, and it was pretty awesome.  He was prepared, came to stake conference with us, and church one time, and he was baptized last Saturday. He just had a super desire to serve god, and he read the Book of Mormon, and that's all it takes.

  

The other is named Delcy.  It's a very interesting story with her.  So she lived with her mom, and her one brother and sister.  Then her mom started liking this guy named King, and he moved in with them.  King is an interesting story.... He lived in Achada Grande, and was a recent convert to Elder Montes, and Godfrey.  So he was baptized, and then he broke the word of wisdom before he was confirmed.  So that was a big long thing, but he finally got confirmed.  But now he is living with this other lady, and they are not married.  And he is kind of breaking the law of chastity, and the palavra de sab (Word of Wisdom).  So we go over there to talk to those two about marriage.  Then realize that Delcy has already been to church one time.  So she came one more time, and we kept teaching her, and she was baptized last Saturday.  She is pretty quiet, but she had a pretty big desire to follow god, and that's always a good start!  So we baptised those two, and it was pretty sweet. 

Also this week, Elder Pau'u, from Tonga, missed basketball, so he bought a ball! There is a "court" down in Lem Ferra, and we got to ball a couple times this week.  It was super nice to hold a ball, and it was the first time in a couple months Ive gotten to do that.  It sounds strange, but I really don't love playing basketball out here.   It just makes me think of the gym at CV and makes me miss home.
  

This week I also did a division with Achada Grande.  Elder Conduane and Elder Amado worked together in Achada Grande, and I worked my area with Elder Dorff. We  had a pretty solid day, and did a couple of practice interviews.  The point of the division was just to give Elder Conduane a chance to lead his area, give my comp a chance to speak portugese a little more freely.  And I'm supposed to do divisions with everyone in the district.
  

We have also been doing lunch with Elder Accord and Elder Gooch quite a bit.  Those guys are awesome zone leaders, and it is nice to talk to those guys on the phone almost every night.  Elder Accord goes home soon, and he will be passing my Cedar at some point in time, so be looking out for him Jarvis Family!  He told me he is going to stop by and say hi to Ben just to make me mad.  Elder Christensen actually told me the same thing, so be on the look out for those two clowns.  I look up to those guys a ton, and the mission is really going to change between them going home, and President Oliviera going home, and it will be a little weird..  I'm looking forward to it though.  Transfers are in a couple weeks, so that will be intersting to see what happens.  Elder Bruce has been A.P for 5 transfers, and it will be interesting to see how much longer he stays.    Honestly we have the best missionaries in the world here, and I'm super blessed to get the chance to work with them.  I love all of you guys, and am so grateful for everyone of you.
Much love

Elder Jarvis

The Branch becomes a Ward, Doing the Training, and trying to get along with Amado

February 10, 2014

So this week will definitely be memorable..  It started off with Monday night.  I had like two hours to talk with Elder Christensen about how to give my training and what not.   He was the A.P for 5 transfers, and he also opened up the island Miao.  So he is a boss.  And he taught me a ton about how to give trainings.  Most of the material I used to talk about the book of mormon I got when I studied.  But he helped me put it all together, and just showed me how to give it.  Because honestly how you present something is more important that what is actually coming out of your mouth.  So we just talked about never standing still during trainings, and always looking as someone, and asking specific people questions. But I was still a little nervous, it's a training in front of 75 missionaries and president.   I learned a bunch, and I definitely
 need to thank him.  But the training itself went pretty well, or as well as it could have.   Obviously it wasn't perfect, I'm in my fourth transfer, and everyone there speaks better Portuguese than me.  But it went as well as it could have. We also did the scripture game in Zone conference.  My scripts were the forth article of faith, and a scripture for repentance, super easy ones.
  

This is a crazy part in the week though.  So we hadn't baptized yet this transfer, because Elder Gooch and I really didn't set up this next transfer well.. And we didn't have one for this week.  But the night after zone conference, we got a text from the zone leaders, and they said, "We learned a bunch today, put your faith to work, and find one more person for baptism this week."  So Elder Amado and I prayed like crazy to find someone.  And Wednesday we passed a less active house, and they weren't home.  So we had an hour. Our window to find.  So we said a prayer to find someone.  And seriously right after the prayer, a kid walked out of the house.  We talked to him a little, and he had been to church a couple times, but was never baptized.  He is 17 and his name is Leo.  So we went in, and had a pretty good lesson with him and his die hard Catholic mom.  And he was iffy about getting baptized on Saturday.  He didn't really have a strong belief in anything we said.  So we left, and finished the day.  And at the end of the day, we passed by his next door neighbors, members, to see if they could pass by him, and maybe convince him to get baptized.  Long story short, he doesn't go anywhere right now, and hes not ready to get baptized.  

But as we are leaving the members house we start talking to their other next door neighbor, an 18 girl named Dorize.  So we talked to her, and had a sweet conversation!  We call them conversations now, not lessons.  But she asked why there were so many churches, and was confused about that.  So we explained how all the churches were formed by man, and without power.  4 nefi 26.  And she said it all made sense.  So we marked a date for that Saturday. And we passed by her everyday, and she was ready for baptism, and was baptized on Saturday.  Such an answer to our prayers, and a true testament to the Lords power with faith.  She was a great baptism too.

Also, Friday was my six month mark.  It feels weird to be 25 % done with the mission.  I don't really feel like I can remember any other life than cape verde.  Its crazy. I had an Oreo today, and its crazy the things that make me home sick ha.  But to celebrate six months, we made cinnamon rolls, and burned ties, it was great!

Another funny thing that happened this week was at church.  We were sitting in Sunday school, and the teacher had asked someone to read.  It was a little quiet, and no one was reading.  Then Norberto said really loud, "Igor ler" Igor is his kid, and he just told him to read.  But he was so loud and demanding, it was hilarious.  It is like on Glory Road, when the mom goes to class and tells her son to answer every question the teacher asks.

Also, this week our branch was made into a ward.  It was super nice to see that finally happen. We have been a branch for a while, and we have been working really hard to get less active people coming back, and baptizing more.  And to see it actually become a ward was such a great feeling.  I got up and bore my testimony, and just thanked all the members for the help we have received.  We really received a ride home from achada traz everyday this week, mostly from Norberto, but  it was super nice.    I'm in the best mission in the world, and I love my area so much.  I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.  Its a little tough workin with Elder Amado, because quite frankly he just doesn't like me.  And he broke our toilet this week so we're going to have to call someone to fix it.  Like, he wasn't used to using an indoor toilet before his mission.

But I'm tryin my best, and we're so blessed out here.
  

Thanks so much for all the emails and letters.  Keep writing, I love all you guys.  

Love Elder Jarvis, Cape Verde Praia

Another Week in Paradise

So this week was another baller week in Cape Verde.  Just trying to stay alive.  Honestly Africa is kicking my butt right now, and I’m more tired than I’ve been in my entire life, but I love it.  I think I’m getting a little better at the language, and that’s one great thing Elder Amado is helping me out with.  He is a boss.  He already has a ton of his scriptures memorized, and he just does work.  Its definitely weird not having an american comp, but we learn and we grow.  So I’m gonna complain for a little, and if you don't wanna read the next paragraph don't, haha.

 

This week I felt like Bob the Builder, or Joe the Plumber. I’m not sure which reference is more appropriate.  Living with a couple natives is just a little different.  Neither of them have really had these nice of showers, or sinks or anything.  So when I went to get into the shower this week, it was completely filled up with dirty water that they had used when they showered, like it just wasn't draining.  So I asked those guys what happened, and of course they said “no faz mal”,  which means “I didn't do anything wrong”.  So I call up a neighbor, and get a screw driver.  And I spend an hour cleaning out hair, and plan of salvation pamphlet pictures, out of the dirty shower drain.  Not sure how or why those pamphlets were there, but they were haha.   So yeah, that was kinda super gross, but it had to be done.  Then after that, literally two days later I went to wash some dishes, and the water didn't wash down the dish sink.  So I got under there, with the screw driver, and literally took the whole sink apart.  Dad, I think you would be impressed.  So I took everything apart, and cleaned everything.  It was gross,  but I couldn't really find the problem.  Then I got to the last pipe, and I took it out, and just like a pound of dirty spaghetti and other gross rotten food fell out.  It was the grossest thing I've seen in my life.  And I gave Elder Conduane and my comp a little fauka (chewing out) because they eat the spaghetti every single night, and just throw the rest down the drain.  And obviously that doesn't work here.  But yeah, that little project took about 2 and a half hours, but it was worth it I guess.  I don't mean to complain, I was laughing about it the whole time, and I tell Elder Dorff all the time.  I say this is literally the only time in our lives we will live, and sleep, with native Africans.  And I really do love both of them to death.  They are good missionaries, and they work their butts off.  They just grew up with different things, currently living in the nicest houses they have ever lived in.

 

The other kicker this week was when I was sitting at home studying on Wednesday.  I get a call from Elder Bruce, one of my favorite missionaries, one of the AP’s since the day I got here.  I get a call from him and he says that I have to give a training on Tuesday, tomorrow, in zone conference.  And the zone conference is with our Praia zone, the other Praia zone, and the Acamada zone, three zones over 75 missionaries.  Almost half the mission.  And it has to be 45 minutes long, on the Book of Mormon.  oh, and President will be there...  So I have to prepare that tonight, and it’s been kinda stressful trying to get ready for that, I won't lie,  I hadn't even finished  the Book of Mormon a year ago, and now I have to give that training, in Portuguese, in front of all those people.  I probably haven’t been more nervous for something like this since the high school basketball days. I’m super looking forward to it tho, I'll learn a bunch.

 

Also this week elder Dorff, and Gooch and Accord made hash browns, eggs and pancakes with us, it was phenomenal.  Super good.  I love the mission life so much, but it’s honestly kind of kicking my butt right now.  But I’m super glad that I get this chance because its just gonna make me better, and I’ll look back on this for the rest of my life.  

Also, this week Elder Christensen came in.  He is the one that got drafted by the Royals.   I talked to Norberto, a recent convert, and he hooked me up with a baseball glove for today.  So we played catch this morning. It was so nice to hold that baseball and throw.  It was probably a little scarier catching for Elder Christensen with him throwing gas, and me having a crappy Cape Verdian glove, haha. But I love him and it was super fun.  

Dad, I also gave a bunch of the ties that you sent me on Christmas to investigators.  I gave one to Norbert, and one to Louis, and told him to wear it on his mission.  I’m stoked for that. I gave one to Zito, the first baptism, and to Derre, who is just a boss.  We taught some good lessons this week, it’s weird getting used to teaching with other people.  I really kinda gave Elder Amado the reigns because that's the only way he will learn how to teach.  It was interesting, but he got a lot better.  We’ll have a bunch of baptisms here in a couple weeks, and that’s always good.  Its a little overwhelming at times, but I love it, and I know I’ll grow.  

I hope everything is going well with everyone at home.  Keep sending mail, and emails, I love getting it!  Love all of you guys, thanks for everything!  

Much love,  

Elder Nathan Jarvis

The New Kid

Nate meets Elder Amado for the first time

Chegadas Jan 2014, Portugal, Tonga, USA, Brasil e Cabo Verde
(the new missionaries this transfer and where they are from, Nate's new companion Elder Amado is 2nd from the left)

I got a feege!

So this week was sweet.  I didn’t get my comp until Thursday, so I hung out with Elder Evans until then.  We worked Achada Traz during the day when we could, and we worked Achada Mato, his area, at night.  It went well.  Taught some sweet people, marked a couple dates and it was sweet.  We also made brown sugar rolls every day, which was incredible.  He had a member that showed him how to make bread, and we found some brown sugar at this American store!  It was super good to spend so much time with Elder Evans, he’s a boss, and we’ll hang out after the mission. A funny thing that happened when I was with him when we were at a member’s house.  There was this little kid, 2 or 3, with a diaper on.  And he was screaming like crazy.  So the mom takes the diaper off, and put him in the little pool of water that they have in their house.  And he immediately poops in the pool of water, like within 2 minutes of getting in! It was super funny because this kid had a diaper on for 2 hours before that, and right when the take it off he decides to let loose.
 
So on Thursday we received our new companions and that was sweet! It was clearly the first time I have ever met Elder Amado, and he is a boss.  He is from Cape Verde, the island of Fogo, and has been a member for a year, and already knows a ton of the missionaries in the mission because they served in his area on Fogo.  He is super sweet though, and will help me a ton with my Portuguese.  We'll work hard together and it’ll be fun.

It’s a little weird to have a normal comp, because I was the most blessed person in the world with my first two comps.  Having Elder Caplin in the MTC was super easy, and then Elder Gooch was my best friend for my first 4 months in Africa.  It’s just different because I don’t have anyone to really talk to a ton, but I speak English with Elder Dorff in the house, so that’s super nice.  It will be a great experience serving with him,  I’ll learn a bunch and I’m super looking forward to it.  A couple things about us.  We established day one that we are buying our food separately, ha ha. I made him pancakes his first day, and he didn’t really love those.  So I think we’ll do food separately, which is alright! I’ll just eat American stuff, and he will cook what he likes.  It’s kinda funny, I tied his tie for him the first 3 days we were together, then I taught him how to tie it last night.  That’s a pretty big cuza (creol for thing) for missionaries to know how to do.  But he’s a boss, and I will love serving with him.  (Nate told us Elder Amado has never had a working sink, washing machine or fridge, until coming on the mission….)

So this was also my first week of being the district leader, just me.  Between starting to train elder Amado, and doing that it was kind of a stressful four days, but I’m getting used to it.  Just trying to adjust.  This district meeting went pretty well too.  I was a little late because I was doing one of Achada Matos interviews.  But it was good.  I gave training on why goals are important to missionaries.  Just talked about why we set goals, and the importance of them.  Then we talked about the three people that need to be aware of your goals.  You, God, and the investigator.  We also talked about the importance of using calendarios to help our investigators.  Elder Gooch and Elder Accord helped me out with that, and it was sweet.  I Love having those guys as zone leaders, and its super sweet!  I look up to both of them a ton, and there is a reason they are both Zone Leaders.  I’ll definitely hang out with those guys a bunch when I get back.

Yeah, so a pretty normal week.  Had Friday Pizza with the Zone leaders as always.  Also Elder Evans got his new missionary.  His name is Elder Pau'u from Tonga.  His last name translates to bread in Portuguese ha ha.  He is a boss, and he is huge.  I give Elder Evans crap and tell him that he is going to go broke the first week of the month because his comp will eat so much, ha ha.

I’m not sure why this week I couldn’t stop thinking about my big brother.  Its crazy he’s almost done with his mission.  There are so many people out here that I’m like great friends with that will go home the same time as him, that he will have to look up and be friends with.  Also, Elder Christensen will come to Praia for Zone Conference next week, and I talked with Norberto, our recent convert, about getting me a glove so we could play catch, and he said he could!  I’m super stoked for that.  I miss baseball and basketball as much as anything.

But tonight we have a family night in Achada Grande.  People don’t really do Family nights in Achada Traz, but I invited Noberto and Enice to come and see how they do it.  Well try to get a family night in Achada Traz someday this week, that would be sweet! Our family night is in like 20 minutes, and I haven’t planned a spiritual thought yet, so I’m winging it!

I love all you guys so much, thanks for all you do and all the letters, it literally makes the mission!

With Much Love,
Elder Jarvis, Cape Verde.

Nate, Elder Evans and the New Guys

Behind the scenes pictures and a new companion on the way

So two Elders from the MTC wanted "behind the scene pics" of cape verde.  So here are random pics I took before transfers. 

Where we always get robbed!

Where we go shopping each week

The Hill in Lem Ferre we walk up every day

Where we pick up bread every morning

A playground in our area, Achada Traz.  I had to be sneaky when I took this because Traz is such a sketchy place.

Our apartment in Achada Grande

So we had transfers last night, and for the first night on the mission, I received a call from President Oliveira.  I was honestly really nervous when he called, obviously.  But he said that I was staying in Achada Grande, and training a new missionary straight from the MTC in Brazil.  He is from Cape Verde, and will be serving in Cape Verde.  So it will be super nice to get a lot better at Portuguese with him.  It was awesome though because Elder Gooch became Zone leader in my Zone, so he literally just moved down the street.  He is my Zone leader, and I'm in his district and everything.  Also, he is serving with Elder Acord, who is one of my favorites also.  He was my zone leader my second transfer, then he got moved, then he got moved back! So its gonna be a ton of fun.  And we'll still do Pizza Fridays and everything so I'm really looking forward to it!

But this last week with Elder Gooch was sweet!  We worked the area a little, and its doing well.  We should have a couple baptisms here in the next couple weeks.  I wont lie, I feel some pressure leading this area because its been doing so well, and I really just don't just wanna mess it up.  But the week was good.  I did a division with the Achada Mato elders on Thursday and that was way fun.  I went down there and worked with Elder Evans.  He was in the MTC with me, and we are awesome friends.  He will be my comp till Thursday when my new comp comes in.  But he is from Vegas, Legacy High School.  We were in the MTC together, and he was in Cedar all the time because his cousins live there (Lauren and Lindsey Olsen), and I actually know them!  So we talked about Cedar, and Las Vegas a lot.  Their house is one of the crappiest on the mission, but they always have running water, and they have a fan, which is nice.  But the house itself is really awful haha.  But it was a ton of fun to do the division with him.

Also this week we had the big scripture game, and that went better than expected.  Two weeks ago I did a training in Zone Conference, and it was on diligence.  And the Zone Leaders asked me to come up with a date when everyone in the zone would have all 42 of their scriptures memorized.  They asked me in part because I was giving the training, and because I was the youngest one in the zone.  So when I could have them is when everyone should have had them.  So I said two weeks, which was really a stretch for me.  So the last two weeks, in almost any free time I had, I just studied, and memorized like crazy.  And its amazing the power God has to help us do things.  Because before the mission, I really couldn't memorize things very well at all.  But I prayed like crazy, and just asked for His help.  And one thing I love was a quote by Elder Smith, our ZL, and he said "When we make a mission goal, its not just a goal.  Its a covenant with God" And I loved that because it super helped me a lot.  By the time we had our district meeting I had most of the scriptures memorized, well all of them.  But it was just such a testament to the power of God.  Because obviously if I make a goal working toward memorizing scriptures, God isn't gonna leave us hanging and say "ha, sucks you can't memorize very well".  Like it was a goal to get these scriptures down.  And obviously he wants us to know the scriptures, so he will help us.  And it was just amazing to see his hand in my life. 

Last week I got an email from an Elder I was with in the MTC, and he said he wanted the "Behind the scenes" look on Cape Verde.  So I took a bunch of random pics and sent them to you guys.  Also right now, apparently its some sort of holiday.  Pretty much an excuse for people to not work.  Which they don't really do much anyway, so its not a ton of a change.  But everyone marches up and down the streets and plays trumpets, and a ton of drums just as loud as they can.  And its giving me a bad head ache right now, but its also just kinda funny.  Its seriously like they gave little kids drum sets and told them to go crazy.  Like it doesn't even sound like music, they are just playing as loud as they can, and its been going All Day 

Long.

  

Another funny thing they do is honk their horns on the cars.  Kinda like when you let your little kid sit in your lap when you drive, and they keep honking the horn because they think its the coolest thing ever that it makes noise.  Its like that, but everyone in the country does it, its pretty funny.  

But overall I still love this place.  Super excited to get a new comp, and have a chance to get better at the language.  It'll be a little different living with an African, but I'm super excited for the opportunity!  I love all you guys, keep sending pics! 

Women are usually carrying something on their head.

Where I get my haircut.

Igor, Dino and last week with Gooch!

January 13, 2014

I'll be honest, that last week went by super fast and I really don’t remember a ton of it. Monday night we had a family night, and that was sweet!  Tuesday was a pretty sweet day!  We did a division on Wednesday with Elder Doorf and Elder Conduane.  which really wasn’t much of a division because we live in the same house...  But Elder Conduane came with me to Achada Traz, and Doorf went with my better half to Achada Grande.  

My job in the division was to make Elder Conduane a little more happy, because he never seems that happy, and Elder Gooch says I'm one of the more positive people he knows. So the whole time during comp study we talked about happiness and stuff.  And I used a ton of stuff that my dad talks about. I Just said, in Portuguese of course, "do you know what my dads job is? and of course he said no, and I said, "Seu trabajalo e para adujadar triste pessoas ser feliz" I said my dad's a therapist, and his job is to make sad people happy. So we talked about that a lot.  And I did this example where, and this will happen in Cape Verde.  where there are a lot of people in our area that won't get to talk to the missionaries. There are just too many people.  So I said, maybe there will be someone on the street that only sees the missionaries one time in their entire lives.  They might never talk to us ever.  And there one impression about the church will come from seeing Elder Conduane, or Elder Jarvis,  walk down the street.  And their whole belief about our church will be seeing us that one time.  And if he sees us and we look sad, what is he going to think?  Well clearly he is going to think that that church makes people sad.  But if he sees us smiling and laughing as we walk, what is he going to think? Of course that this church makes people happy.  So we just always need to be happy whether we are  really happy or not.  Because we never know when there will be that one person looking at us to the the light of Christ.  And if we are sad, we might have just cost that person a chance to be interested in our message, and I feel like that's just one of the worst things ever.

      And the other thing we talked about was just telling people that you love them.  Because one thing I’ve learned out here is that you can never tell people that you love them enough, and actually mean it.  Its definitely one of the things I wish I would have done more before I left.  So I asked if he tells elder Doorf that he loves him. And he said that he has never said that to anyone in his life.  So we did a practice, and it was actually kinda funny, where he told me that he loved me. And when Elder Doorf, and Elder Gooch got home the first thing he said to Elder Doorf was that he loved him.  

      And Its just one of the best things I learned from my mom and dad.  Like two years is seems like a long time.  And if you aren't happy and love what you do every single day, its gonna be the longest two years of your life.  But its like Elder Holland says "The biggest regret people have before they die is that they wish they would let themselves be happier. People have this thought that there is always some obstacle in the way, keeping them from having that happiness.  Like a better cell phone, or a nicer car, or a better comp, or running water, or hot showers.  But in reality, there’s always going to be those things in life.  And if we chose to focus on them, life's gonna suck.  But it was really nice for me to do the division because it made me think about what makes me be happy everyday.  And I always knew, but helping explain it to Elder Conduane really opened my eyes, and hopefully helped him out a little too.  

     But other than that the week wasn't too bad.  We didn't teach too many lessons, but I taught 5 tree of life lessons, and got 26 references for us to contact this week, so that’s all we will do this week is contact and try to get new investigators.  Last week all we did was pass by our baptisms for the week Igor and Dino.  

Nate, Igor and Elder Gooch

      Igor is Noberts and Nices kid, and he was the only one in their family not baptized. We had tried to teach him before, and he had desire.  But he was completely honest with us, and said he had a girlfriend and was not going to stop breaking the law of chastity.  So we told him when he decided to change, the doors to the church were open, and we knew Nobert would help him get there.  So hes been to church three weeks in a row, broke it off with his girl, and was baptized this last week.  He said that  he noticed his family was happy and he wanted to be happy like them.  So now their entire family is preparing to go the temple in a year from now and be sealed. It's pretty sick because I'll still be on my mission.  And to go home,  we fly out of Praia, so i will definitely see them as a sealed family before I go back to America which just blows my mind to thing about.  They are the coolest family ever.  

Nate, Dino, Dina and Gooch

     Dino is Dina's son.  Our baptism from my second transfer.  We have baptized him, his mom, and his sister.  So we will continue to work with Tito the husband, and another one of her daughters.  One of her daughters doesn't really believe in God, so it will be interesting to teach her, but were gonna try this week.  But Dino is 16, super prepared to hear the gospel and it was sweet!.

      I also did baptismal interviews last week.  I interviewed a ten year old, and a 26 and 27 year old couple that just got married, so that was sweet! Everything went well with those, and they were all baptized.  We also had a less active get a calling, which is one of the main goals for the zone right now.  

     But other than that everything is everything in Cape Verde.  Today was my four month anniversary with my better half, Elder Gooch.  so we went out to lunch and it was great! But I still love it out here and i love hearing from all you guys.  Keep writing and sending pictures!

Gooch and Jarvis, one last lunch

Com muito amor, seu amigo na Africa,

Elder Jarvis