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.