This week flew by!!!

Almost pioneer day!
Bom Dia!
I realized it is almost Pioneer day! Weird. But I hope you guys have fun and enjoy some of the yummy food that you always make mom! I would love some good food right about now! I print out the emails I get so I can reread them during the week too!
Oh my goodness week 4 went by so fast I don't even understand! Now we just have this week and next week and the transfer is over. I'm pretty sure I will be staying in Sao Filipe but we'll see if any of the other sisters get transferred.
So yeah this week just flew by. I can't even remember very much of what happened. We did do service one morning for a family the other sisters are working with. We took EVERYTHING out of their house, cleaned the house and all their stuff, and painted it and hung up a bunch of church pictures! We were using a washboard to clean their curtains and their sheets and lets just say Sis. Alvarado and I were sore the next day! Sis. Graca was working the paint and they painted two walls green and two walls white. It was just four walls because their house is one room. Irma Candinha and Irmao Nene were so excited and so were their kids! Haha I think their daughter Jéssica had never seen a white person before ... she was mesmorized by my white legs! She just kept laughing and touching them haha! We all forgot our cameras to take a picture of what it looked like after but when the sisters visit them again I think they could take one.
This week was mine and Sis.Graca's turn to cook lunch. When found ground beef at the store! I was so excited and made us some awesome Hamburgers one day! I didn,t know how much fat was in it though so I made the patties kind of thick. Wellll turns out their was not a lot of fat in them and when they were done they were massive! Oops! But they were so good. We decided it was the most meat we had eaten at one meal the whole time we have been here haha!
Short funny story- We saw one of our investigators this week walking in the mini catholic parade. But not just in the parade, but holding the image of the saint and leading the parade! Haha he just had this huge grin on his face I think it was a little bit awkward for him. Haha, oh Nelson.
There is a program called the First 12 Weeks and this is what missionaries use to be trained. You read PMG, do practices, watch the district, and gradually every week do more teaching in the lessons. This past week I was teaching the atonement and studying more about it. Serious the Atonement is so amazing. It is what makes everything possible in the Plan of Salvation. The Gospel is so perfect.
I sent some pics from this week- cous cous is that white stuff it is made from corn and was really tasty. Tuta is a recent convert (she is happy just the cabo verdianos just dont smile in pictures) her super cute daughter is Daisy they are great we see them everyday. Also last p-day we bought these AWESOME soccer uniforms! Haha soccer is serious business here so I attempted to take a serious picture. And this morning us sisters all wore them and played soccer at the church and the mini field that really is the size of a basketbal court. It was so fun! Also one of Sis Graca and our neighbor Sandrini who is a member. Oh and one of breakfast the other day! Yep portuguese cereal, baby food, and a multi-vitamin. Its not wheaties but it's pretty close to the breakfast of champions!
A scripture that helped me this week is 2 Tim 1:7. It reminded me that the Lord doesn't give us feelings of fear so we needn't be fearful in doing this work!!
I love you all so much and am always grateful for the family and friends I have been so blessed with!
Love,
Sister Turner

Tuta, a recent convert & her super cute
daughter Daisy 

I attempted to take a serious picture

AWESOME soccer uniforms!

over looking part of the city & out into the sea

cous cous made from corn and was really tasty

Portuguese cereal,babyfood & multi-vitamin

Random pic...no description given by Sis Turner

Two month mark!


NelsBoa Tarde! It's July 15th and I entered the MTC on May 15th so today is my 2 month-iversery!

Hi hi hi! I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the summer! This week didn't have too much excited stuff but it did go really fast. Due to the lack of excitement I was really bad about taking pictures ... but I have some from earlier weeks that I didn't send that I will send today!
We had divisions, so I was companions with Sis. Llano on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was fun and weird and a good learning experience because she trains and teaches differently than Sis. Graca. Haha one funny story: we went with this member Fabio to go contact his friend and try to teach her. First we think her name is Lela, then we talk to another member who says no her name is Viviani and then when we go meet her, her name is really Miriam. Ah! Any who Miriam was playing cards with some ladies and didn't really seem like she wanted to talk to us. Sis. Llano asked if we could come another time and she said 'uumm I don't think so'. So we left. Afterwards Sis. Llano says to me 'If they don't want salvation, FINE!' Hahaha sassy Filipino! Also during divisions we started teaching Eveline. She is a neighbor and friend of a recent convert and is awesome! We taught her the first lesson, invited her pray about Joseph Smith and the message to know if it is true. Sis. Graca and I returned a day later and she did pray and she knows it is true! Now we just need to keep teaching, her help her to keep the commandments and then Baptism!
Random things- People here LOVE music. We start every lesson with a hymn and sometimes end them with hymns too! But the members have like ten hymns that are their favorite so we usually sing the same ones like We thank thee oh God for a prophet, How great thou art, Israel Israel God is calling, Called to serve and some others, its great. I forgot to mention that when we arrived the mission office gave us a bar of anti-bacterial soap that we have to use to wash our bodies. The other night Sis. Alvarado said that Sis. Graça and I were talking to each other in our sleep. It´s just she was speaking Portuguese and I was speaking English haha. Oh yeah and remember how everyone and their dog said it never rains here? It rained THREE times this week!! One day it was so bad but we were in our awesome first lesson with Eveline so we were saved. But the other sisters were out walking and got drenched!! Oops.
We didn´t have a baptism this week but some of the other companionship's did so that was good. Also their was a double wedding on Saturday and one the groom got batised on Saturday night after the wedding! So cool! The picture with all the kids in the truck were the one who were the damas and cavaleiros. Kind of like bridesmaids and stuff but they are young. After the wedding ceremony the wedding party goes and drives around the city blaring their car horns and then come back to the church for the reception. haha They were having too much fun!
The other pictures: me and my friend Andrea who was a dama for the wedding, this little girl Erica who I call Tia which means aunt, a youth with a fuse-ball table because fuse-ball is serious business here, and a couple pretty ones I took last week by the sea. And one of me and shay when I saw her after the Work of Salvation my last Sunday in the MTC!!
One more story- the other night when getting ready for bed & we decided to have some fun >:}   ...  Sis. Llano was showering, the rest of us set up this sling shot contraption using an exercise band outside the bathroom. We had a roll of toilet paper locked and loaded. And then we waited. And waited some more. I did a practice shot against the Wall and it was perfect. So then we wait again. Finally like 5-10 minutes later Sis. Llano comes out aaannd ... misfire. The roll of toilet paper just kind of fell out of the sling shot and rolled half way across the room. Sis. Llano comes down the hall in her towel and yells with here Filipino accent ´YOU TRY TO KILL ME!! hahaha we were laughing so much because of all the build up and then it didn't work!

My scripture this week is Alma 29 verse 9, it is great and all about missionary work. Thanks mom :)

Can´t believe I am half way through my first transfer and really here doing this. It is hard but so great. Love you all soo much and look forward to talking more next week!

Com muito amor,
Sister Turner

Me and Shay at the Work of Salvation
on my last Sunday in the MTC!!

Damas & Cavaleiros from the Wedding

Andrea who was a dama in the wedding

Erica who I call Tia which means aunt

 A youth w/ fuseball table, fuseball is serious business

Pretty pics I took last week by the sea

Hot hot hot here in Fogo!

Boa Tarde!!
It is hot here in Fogo. Like the only time I am not sweating is ... while I am shower and that is because it is a cold shower. Which feels so nice!
This week went by so fast it was a busy one! We watched the Work of Salvation (in Portuguese... good thing I was there when it was English) and saw us in the choir so that was fun. We work with members every single day here so they are a big help.
Pres. Olivera came to Fogo for interviews so the sisters from Brava came over and spent half a day with us. It was nice to see Sister Bradford who was in the MTC at the same time as me!
So the power has been going out in São Filipe like every day or every over day this week so that always makes lessons a little more interesting haha! Lets just say I carry my head lamp in my back pack every day. Speaking of head lamp, Grandpa should be happy to hear that I found some cheese crackers here that are pretty similar to the ones he loves! And on the note of food they have awesome mangoes here! Like so juicy and sweet you eat it all the way down to the pit!
The couple in the Baptism pic are Livia and Kaka. They got married this week and then Kaka got baptized on Saturday. They are so great and Kaka is going to be a great priesthood holder here in São Filipe. The food picture was from their luncheon, it was fun to eat real Cabo Verde food! Also on Saturday Juelma got baptized. She to is just awesome. That whole baptism was a neat experience and all 8 of the missionaries in the two São Filipe branches sang A poor wayfaring man at the baptism service. Except I was the only one singing alto so that was tricky...
Oh good news I found out a trick! So for packages if you add "VIA PORTUGAL" at the end of the address like after Cabo Verde, they will actually get here! And in only 2 weeks! Missionaries here are able to receive their packages when sent like this! Also speaking of packages thanks so much Mom and Dad ,I was patient and didn't open them till I got here and they were great!
Other pictures I sent: Mom remember those crazy cool flowers we saw at Olson´s green house that one time? Yep I found them here! These people sell home made ice cream pops and it is super good and only like 20 cents. Please also enjoy my whispey hairs going cray on the side of my head. I sent one of Daisy who is a daughter of a recent convert who helps us a lot. Her face is kind of squished in that picture but she is such a little cutie! Oh and Sis. Graça had her big hairs down the other day it was great fun!
We have a new investigator named Wilma! She is 12 and has some extended family who are members so that is how we met her. She is so happy and so ready for the gospel it is just crazy. Her family is pretty strong in another religion but we have faith that Heavenly Father will help us and help her to be baptized.
We have been teaching a lot on investigators about the importance of families lately.Not a lot people here have traditional families like we think of. Whenever I get to share my testimony about families it reminds of how grateful I am for the amazing family I have and how much of a huge blessing you are you. I love you guys. Also thanks for the emails. I love reading them and hearing how things are going.
Well that is all for this week, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. And so is the Book of Mormon. I love that book. I love you all and am praying for you always!
Until next week,
Sister Turner

All 4 Sisters serving in Fogo

Sis. Graça w/her big hairs down, it was great fun!

Cool flower, this is for you Mom!

Daisy! Such a little cutie!

Home made ice cream pops here in Fogo

Livia and Kaka

Food from Livia & Kaka luncheon

Saturday Juelma got baptized

Bom Dia from Fogo!

Yes I am on the volcano island of Fogo serving in São Filipe! You can Google it and see where I am walking around every day!

We took a pic with our teachers and our district before we left the MTC on Monday. We arrived last Tuesday and even after a 8 hour flight we were so excited to be here! (not to mention the 5 hr flight from SLC to Boston and then a 6 hr layover at the airport) I sent a picture from the plane and of all of us in the huge 15 passenger van they had to use to pick us all up from the airport. We spent the day in Praia and some people left that night. It was hard saying bye to those who we had been with every day for 6 weeks, but we have work to do! I sent of pic of Sis. Biggs and I. Sis. Willey is on São Tiago in Terrafal, Sis. Biggs is in Praia and Sis. Nelson is slothing over on São vicente in Mindelo! She is also slothing in the van picture! haha.
Wednesday morning I flew to Fogo with my companion Sis. Graça. The flight was literally less than half an hour ha! Sis. Graça is awesome! She is from Portugal and has been in the field for about a year and has been in Fogo for 3 months so she knows the people and the place well. Her parents are actually from Cape Verde so she can understand and speak creole. Huge blessing for me because I can not understand it at all! Haha the members tease me when I tell them I can't understand creole so they just speak it more! But then I start speaking english and it levels the playing field. ;)
There are four sisters on Fogo including me. Sis. Llano is from the Philippines, her comp Sis. Alvarado is from California. They live just down the street from us and we have lunch with them everyday, we take turns making it! The pic of us in the street is silly but there apartment is in the background next to the Orange one.
This place is crazy! It is not like anywhere else I think. It is not like Africa, or Europe, and I see american things everyday. I don't even know where to start with describing the people. I have never seen people like this before. Brown eyes, blue eyes, green eyes, black, brown, blonde even red hair and a range of skin tones! They are great. They are so unique and lovable and crazy all at the same time! The only white person I see all day is myself in the mirror! haha. There is this old man we walk past everyday and when we wave he yells ´Americano! Portuguesa!´ haha its great.
I sent a pic with me, Sis. Graça (she snuck in last second) and two of the young women. With the purse is Eldimira who got baptised like 2 months ago (she is always wanting me to teach her English so I taught her to say ´whats up?´ haha) and in the purple dress is her sister Juelma who is getting baptised this saturday. (I love Juelma she really reminds me of Randi Dandi actually!) The missionaries have been teaching her for ages and she finally accepted this week! They are hilarious and when they speak creole it is beautiful and sounds like music.
I sent of pic of the view from our apartment. Our apartment is WAY nice! It is huge and new and has a filter and washer and all the things we need! In the pic you can see the Island of Brava off in the distance, it looks kind of far but it is actually really small and really close like only 30 minutes by boat. The pic of the sunset was from last night and was gorgeous! The little bump on the horizon is this TINY uninhabited Island that is really close to us too. I am not used to seeing the ocean everyday, it is beautiful. Our area is not the part by the sea which is good because it is a lot smaller which means less walking :) There is a pic of me be the sea today on p-day and  I hope you can see a little bit of the black sand beach, and the cemetery behind me is a ´Branca´cemetery so if I die I will get to get buried there haha!
It really is great here, I love Fogo. I love this gospel and being able to see it change lives. And most of all I love all of you and am so grateful for all the love, support and prayers. Let us all press on in this work of salvation.
Until next week,
-Sister Turner

  Last pic with our teachers & our district
before we left the MTC on Monday

Picture from in the Plane

 Us in the huge 15 passenger van they
had to use to pick us all up from the airport

Until we meet again!

Sis.Graça, Juelma, me & Eldimira

 In the streets of São Filipe

 The sunset last night,
it was gorgeous!

The view from my Apartment

´Branca´cemetery, & the black sand beach
below it and the ocean