Monday, January 31, 2011

Got transferred today to Tarrafal

I got transferred today. I'm no longer in Praia. I'm in a city on the other side of the island called Tarrafal. There is only one missionary companionship, and the whole city is ours. We have to get to Assomada every Wednesday now for District meeting. It's going to be quite a change.

The last week in Praia was extremely busy. I left that area with 5 baptismal dates set for February.

Tereza is doing fine. Elder Rodriguez stayed in that area, so he is going to take good care of all the other people.

My new companion is Elder Fonseca, he is from Mindelo Cape Verde. I'm going to learn a lot more Creole from him, which is good because that is what all the people speak here. They understand when we teach them in Portuguese, but they always speak back to us in Creole.

Eduino is awesome! He attended a baptismal service and felt the spirit very strong. Celso did too. We have another investigator who is starting to progress very well. Her name is Naldina. She went to church yesterday, and she's very happy that we're teaching her. Elder Rodriguez will keep me updated.

Everything is well. I know that there is already a baptism set for next weekend. so that is going to be cool.

I'm happy to be here, and I'm excited to get to know the area.

Elder Cuestas

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

P Day - eating pizza and playing soccer with my companion




I'm doing amazing. Wow this week FLEW! It seems like I was in this Internet cafe yesterday. I'm doing excellent. The week felt like an hour. We taught 32 lessons.

Tereza did not make it to church, but Eduino did, and we also have another investigator named Celso. He seems really interested, and he made it to church already 2 times. Life here is so busy and we had some very good lessons with Eduino and Celso. José Miguel is now an investigator and we like teaching him.

My companion and I went on an exchange. I stayed in my area and worked with Elder Sargent. He was pretty cool. It felt strange speaking English.

My companion, Elder Rodriguez is great! We get along great and talk all the time. I have learned to cook. I have even learned to make Pizza. Elder R, however likes to cook, so mostly I just let him. So houses here don’t have gas. Instead the stove is attached to a big tank of gas, kind of like a grill. We have to light a match and light it like a fireplace.

I'm doing so well. I have had some of the most spiritual moments of my life here. I am grateful every day to the Lord that he directed me to serve a mission. I have already experienced some of the happiest moments of my time in the church on my mission. I am safe and healthy.

Elder Cuestas
A Igreja De JESUS CRISTO Dos Santos Dos Ultimos Dias

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Cape Verde

This week was extremely busy. We taught 34 lessons. We have 10 new investigators and 4 came to church, which is a HUGE step towards baptism. It was so cool to see them there. Tereza was one of them. Toto is struggling. He says he doesn’t drink anymore yet we still smell alcohol on his breath.

As for the stores here, there is a Supermarket group called “Calu & Angelas” that is as close to an American store as it gets. It’s a little bigger than a Walgreens would be and offers everything we need. The other stores are all pretty much the same. All the stuff is thrown all over tables or stuffed in the shelves on the walls - nothing like any store in America.

We were extremely busy with some very promising investigators this week. Tereza is actually the mom of the second counselor of the branch presidency. He's very happy that we are teaching her and that she is moving along. We found Eduino last week, and he came to church yesterday as well as two other teenage girls. A less active member that we were working with came to church. The church was very welcoming and they were all very happy to be there. Of course, we were happier!!

Nevertheless this is a new area, so it may take some time to see progression of someone getting to baptism, but it will come. My faith is stronger than ever on the fact that I am called to be here.

Life is good. It’s tough but rewarding. I come home every day so happy to be a missionary. I love that I am making a difference in some of these peoples lives. Tereza really looks like she is going to make it to baptism. That makes me happier than anything.

Life here is great, and we are just working our 2 years away. I am joyful, and I am completely accustomed. I am busy, and I am more faithful in our Divine Savior than ever.

I know that this plan that I speak of every day is of a Loving Heavenly Father that is eager for each of his children to return to him. I know that our beloved prophet Thomas S. Monson was chosen of his divinity to serve this planet and call us as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ to help this people.

I testify that the Gospel is the only way to true happiness and that it is available to every one of God’s children including the people of Cape Verde, and I say that in the name of his grace, our master Jesus Christ.

Elder Cuestas

Monday, January 10, 2011

Achada de Santo Antonio - Cape Verde

I want to say that the accustomation period was a lot shorter than I thought it would be. I feel fully settled in and I am so happy right now. I am happy beyond belief, and I am so glad that I am serving here!

Ok so I am going to start by answering some of your questions. I am serving in the suburb of Achada de Santo Antonio. I live about 100 feet from the church. Achada is like the industrial area of Praia.

My companion is amazing. My Portuguese is good, and I only have trouble with the people when they begin to speak Creole...ha-ha. But I can still understand them. My companion and I teach in perfect unison. We have several investigators and 2 that have baptismal dates. I think we have like some 19 or 20 investigators right now.

P Day is pretty cool. We get up at 6 and take a taxi to Achadinha where my zone leaders are. We play soccer with the whole zone and usually a few local Cape Verdians and then we have breakfast at the zone leaders house. We then get on the Internet, and then clean our apartment. Then we go shopping for food and then we usually go exploring the area.

We see our zone leaders every week at football. I will be going on an exchange with one of them. I will be with one of them for the day on Thursday in their area and the other will be with my companion.

I forgot to mention that we are in an area that has never had missionaries before. That is called being WHITE WASHED in to OPEN an area. My mission president is in my branch (Like a ward but smaller) so I see him every Sunday.

There are challenges here beyond the conditions. But it’s funny to think that the conditions don't seem like a challenge to me. I'm happy, and I'm so grateful that the Lord has blessed me to adjust to here.

Our entire zone is pretty cool. Most are Americans. There are a few Cape Verdians and Brazilians but mostly Americans.

We have two progressing investigators right now. One is Toto and he's a bit slow.... we have to make lessons very simple for him. The other one is Tereza. We just have to get her to go to church.

I know that I was placed here for a reason, and I know that I will have success in finding the people that I was placed here to find. I know that if we are faithful we will be successful in this life. We owe everything to our Divine Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and I as a missionary owe everything to him.

Ate mais!
Elder Cuestas

Achada de Santo AntonioPraia
Ihla de San Tiago
CAPE VERDE
A Igreja DeJESUS CRISTO Dos Santos Dos Ultimos Dias

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Cape Verde


My message on gratitude

My companion is really nice. We are getting along great. He cannot speak English, so it gives me a chance to get even better about Portuguese. I miss Elder Gunter, but I am really grateful for my companion here. We teach well together. We are getting to know each other more and more every day, and we are finding that we are more and more alike.

I have been humbled and the accustomation period has begun.

The people here have a lot of respect for us, and we are already teaching about 25 lessons a week. We contact about 50 people a week, and people are very humble and receptive to our message. We have been instructed well on where to go and where not to go, what to eat and what not to eat.

The Lord has called me here for a reason. I have already learned more in these few weeks than in my whole life. I have a bright future and a great mission ahead of me.

Keep your faith. It’s all we’ve got, and I am a personal witness of the divinity of his majesty, Jesus Christ. He is our savior and redeemer. Know that! Remember it.

Ciao!
Elder Gianluca Cuestas