Well friends and family, I think it finally hit that I'm on a mission, for better or for worse. This week, it crashed from every angle, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Elaboration you ask? Here goes, sport.
Physically: Well my body I think finally realized that it is definitely NOT in Kansas (or St. George) anymore. My stomach has been murmuring like Laman and Lemuel. To top it off, I've had a fever and a sore throat for the past three days. And to top that off, my body is just exhausted, something close to "Mostly Dead" (a good ol' Princess Bride humor never hurt anybody haha.) But it's all good!
Mentally: My brain is MUSH. I feel like my Portuguese steadily grows worse and worse, which is probably not true, but my little brain is slower than a sloth. But it's all good!!
Emotionally: BRING ON THE WATER WORKS! Because to sum up, I haven't had this good a cry since.... a really long while! On Tuesday night, everything just crashed on me. I'm here in Africa, no idea what I'm doing, no idea how to talk, no idea how to ANYTHING, without family, friends, or anything I'm used to. I feel like I've lost a huge part of my personality because I can't speak to anyone, so I just feel like a turtle always hiding in her shell. BUT IT'S ALL GOOD!!
Funny Things: I have three. 1. Can we just talk about the new Book of Mormon videos? Well they are a HIT here in Cabo Verde, everyone loves them. They're great to show as people start to read the Book of Mormon, it makes it easier to see it and picture it, ya know? It's been a great tool here in Cabo. 2. I LOVE KIDS!!!! Of course I can't speak with them, but I can let them play with my hair, I can make funny faces, and I Definitely can give them great big hugs when they run up to us in the street. I LOVE THEM! 3. Well our rice was infested with some not so lovely bugs, but we needed to use it right away for what we were cooking for lunch, so we ended up having to sort through every grain of rice in the bag and wash it afterwards so we could eat. It was NOT fun and it took foreeeever, but now it's a funny story.
Spiritual: Oh I love this part!! Every day here and in the mission is spiritual!! But a quick couple of thoughts: During my personal study this week, I stumbled upon 2 Nephi 32:9--"But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul." I absolutely LOVE how Heavenly Father TELLS US to communicate with Him before we do anything and everything. He wants to be in the major and the not so major details in our lives, even if they might seem as a grain of rice (haha). But truly, He wants to be with us. To go along with that, while we were leaving the house one day, our neighbor said, "Vai com Deus!!" or "Go with God!!" to us on our way out. So I challenge all of us to involve God in all we do, "counsel with the Lord in ALL thy doings," and then...VAI COM DEUS!! And what a blessing it will be to have Him as we go and do.
Oh I love you all!! Go with God!!
Your one and only,
Sister Melo
PICTURES!!
Sister Fialho came out in this and said, "Do I look like a missionary yet?" I died.
Book of Mormon video watching with Romão.
Guess who had to organize the 8 year old Area Book? WOOT WOOT!!
The Night Set-up, featuring our little DVD player that plays my church music, my journal, my two month old Smart Water bottle (he needs a name, ideas?), and the frizzy-haired missionary.~
Mosquito bites the size of a golf-ball? Welcome to Cabo Verde!!
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