First Week in Assomada!!!

Hello Everyone!!

This first week has been crazy adjusting to a new area but it has been good! Assomada is a lot bigger than Sao Filipe and part of it is a city so I have been walking a lot more here! Our apartment is right in the city and is it super convenient because it is right across from the produce market. :) Only one morning this week was clear and we could see Fogo (in the distance) from our apartment and I was so happy! Also, Assomada is in a valley and it has been raining SO MUCH EVERYDAY! We are just walking in water sometimes I feel like I am hiking the narrows in Zion! Also going through mud to get to our investigator Yuri's house I joke around and say we are doing one of those 'mud runs' or the Dirty Dash! I bought an umbrella from a Chinese store (there are tons of Chinese stores here) so that has helped.

So this island is a lot more African and so many women will use a wrap and just carry their babies on their backs with no hands! And a lot more people here are from Africa like Nigeria, Guine Bissau and speak 'English' ... African English is really hard to understand because of their accent and their grammar. But we taught a lesson in English to Sandra and her daughter Faith the other day. They are from Nigeria and it was so bizarre to teach in English! I mean it was way easier to explain scriptures in English but it was hard to not say certain words and phrases in Portuguese like Espirito Santo, or to bear testimony of the Book of Mormon. Her husband Smile is a tailor and was working but is super nice too and we are looking forward to teaching them as a family. Faith the little girl is 5 and speaks English, French, Portuguese and Creole which really just means when she is excited and talking really fast she mixes up all those languages and we cannot not understand anything!!

The work here is going great! Seriously we are being so blessed with new investigators and families to share the gospel with. Last transfer the sisters here were preparing Samira and she was baptized this Saturday. I haven't know her for very long but she is really nice. And funny story: it was my first lesson with her this week and she said "I think I know you/I have seen you before." Sister Wilson said "I don't think so this is one of her first days here." But I asked Samira if she was in Fogo recently and she said she was staying there for 2 months with her aunt! She was in the area of the sisters in Sao Filipe where we would go to email and shop on p-days and she totally saw me walking around Sao Filipe! Haha small world! Also small world- Sister Wilson, my companion, is the friend of Sister Bradford who was forwarding me her emails before I went in the mtc! We live with Sister Valenzuela (was in the MTC with me) and Sister Anderson and they are awesome sisters too, we have a lot of fun!

I am so excited about Tim's blessing and homecoming date! They both sound like they were great! I am bummed I couldn't be there but I want to see pictures from the dance! No package yet, still put VIA PORTUGAL on packages but I don't think you need to for just letters which actually get here pretty quick from what I hear.

I am loving the work and hope everyone is happy and enjoying the blessings of the gospel. The time to email always goes by too fast but I love you guys so much and will write next week!!

LOVE,

Sister Turner

Fogo from our apartment in the distance.

A picture of the city from our window.

 Lunch with the Sisters!

Transfers!!

Hello! Sorry this will be VERY short today because of transfers.

I´ve been transferred! My time in Sao Filipe is done, we flew out this morning! It was hard to leave the members and investigators I love so much but I know this is the Lord´s will and I am so excited to be serving here in Ãssomada!!

I sent a picture from the car ride so sorry it´s not a super high quality picture ... but I had to show you where I am now! Assomada is on the island of Sao Tiago and is about an hour away from Praia. It is so cool here!! We are up in the mountains and it is foggy and it reminds me of the jungle off of King Kong! I am so excited to be serving here with Sister Wilson! We have a lot of work to do here and the ward here is getting ready to split!

I know that isn´t much but I will write more next week!! LOVE YOU!

-Sister Turner

Last time together on Sao Filipe

My time in Sao Filipe is done,
hard to say good bye

First Pic of Assomada on the
 island of Sao Tiago

Chuvas!! (rain!!)

Familia!
It sounds like you guys have had some crazy weather this weekend in Utah- so have we!! This morning was I think some sort of tropical or African or some kind of CRAZY storm. Yesterday was sooooo wind (a struggle trying to keep control of my skirt haha) and then it rained all through the night and even when we got up at 6:30 it was still pouring. And kept pouring. And pouring and gusting winds. The roads were flooded and a mess so we couldn't leave the apartment to do our p-day stuff like shopping and email until after 11 am. It was crazy! But then it stopped and was fine. And it is not very hot today which is nice :) I sent a picture of when it was flooding the other day too during lunch before baptisms!

I do not even know where this week went! On Tuesday was our investigator Arlinda's 19th birthday. (Same day as Makenzie! Happy Birthday Kenz!) We had a family night there and that was fun. Funny thing- all the get togethers here have the EXACT SAME treats: cake (bolo), popcorn (pepocas), juice (sumo), and crackers (bolachas). And if it is a special event then they will have the pudding de leite, which I love. I think it might be like flan? But I think it is different because I didn't like flan very much when I tried it before. Anywho it was good and she is doing so good too! When I first saw her I didn't really think at all that she would want to be baptized She looked kind of intimidating because she has scars on her face from a car accident, has tattoos and had multiple piercings. But then we started talking to her and getting to know her and she is so awesome! Then we started teaching her, she felt the spirit, she prayed, she started living the commandments, and she followed her desire to follow Jesus Christ. She was baptized on Saturday and received the Holy Ghost and confirmed a member of the church on Sunday :) She is so great we love her!

Also this week irma Zelena was baptized Haha she is the tiny one who I look like a giant next too. Her children went out of town this week so they weren't baptized and her daughter didn't want to be baptized yet. So even though she was going through with this all on her own she still kept going! She is an awesome lady and really proved her faith to the Lord. It made me really think about how we react to difficulties we can choose to keep going and be strong and prove our faith to the Lord.

Sorry this wasn't much this week the power keeps going out and we have to go to other places to try to find internet! But I am excited for this last week of the transfer! The president will make calls on Sunday so we will know what is happening with our area. I am so grateful to be here and for the love, the prayers and the support!

Until next week,
Loooove Sister Turner

Another GREAT week!

I will just get right to it, lots of great things happened this week including the baptism of Pedro!

I am glad you guys got my letter! haha oops sorry Dad that you couldn't read it.. was it my handwriting or your eyes? haha it was my handwriting for sure because you are still so young!! :) The camping sounded & looked like a lot of fun! Haha and the pictures of Puddles (haha or should I say tubby?) were funny.

Sis. Llano went to Praia for training this week. I slept over at the sisters house which was a hoot being with Sister Alvarado and Sister Pitts, she just kills me and both nights I was there she was telling me to make crepes! Then during proselyting I did divisions with some members. Which means for the first time I was the trainer/senior companion! Like, make the decisions, start and lead the lessons all that stuff! ahh! BUT due to much prayer, faith, preparation (training), awesome investigators and most of all tender mercies of the Lord, it actually went pretty well! .. I think! I sent a picture I was with Irma Didju (who did my hair) who is the relief society president in our branch and she had gone and taught with the sisters and elders many times so she knew the ropes. Haha it also helped that she speaks creole, and that I can finally understand her Portuguese accent! We had a great time walking and teaching together!

Also we had this neat experience...so we went to teach irma Rosas (haha irma Rosa is old and pretty much has the bible memorized & she is funny) & she said we could come back and teach her in a little bit because she was busy. So we start walking over to where our investigator Andreia usually is. But I have to tell you first that all last week we were trying to find Pedro's dad to get him to sign his baptismal form so he could be baptized this week. WE COULD NOT FIND HIM... or sober. The two times we did see him he was too drunk to try to talk to about the baptism form. We would come after 7 pm when he is off work and never saw him. We even went there at 6:30 am once to try and catch him before work. Nothing. But we need him to sign the form! So anyway back to divisions- we are walking to Andreias' and its like 5:30 and I get this feeling we should go to Pedro's house right now and see if his dad will sign the form. Weird because it is 5:30 so he shouldn't even be there. But I decided we are going to follow this prompting and so we turned and went to his house. And irmao Manuel was there AND sober! AND he signed the baptism form! Miracle! Following the spirit is definitely the most effective way to do missionary work hands down! So all the other preparation went smooth with Pedro and we had a great baptism on Saturday! Elder Ralph who is from Florida baptized him and it was funny because they looked like they were brothers! It was sad that none of his family came to his baptism but he was so happy and excited he showed up to the church an hour early! Can I remind you he is only 12! He is awesome we love him.

Also another neat thing- we are teaching this couple Adi and Eloide that have a little baby. I think I have talked about them before but they are progressing and it is AMAZING. I remember the first time we tried to teach them about the Restauration almost 2 months ago with sister Graca. We were there for probably an hour and didn't even get past prophets because irmao Adi had so many doubts and questions. After many more visits and many spiritual experiences and Adi exercising his faith and keeping our invitations to pray, read the book of Mormon, and come to church ... yesterday in our lesson he said he feels that Joseph Smith was a prophet!! AHH!! I was so happy! He has come so far already I can't wait to see the continued progress as they prepare to get married and baptized hopefully in October! If I don't get transferred I will be so happy to see this all happen!

So much good things happened this week I don't have time to write them all! But yesterday our investigators irma Zelena her daughter Keury and another investigator Arlinda (the sister of Tuta) came to church! They had good experiences and as long as everything goes well this week they will be baptised next saturday!

And a mini market opened that has tons of american products! So moral of the story I had Skittle & Peanut M&M's for the first time since the MTC and oh man soooo good! Oh yeah one other thing. Sis. Llano's goal is to get fat so she is making 4 cakes and 2 ice creams this week ... hmm we'll see what happens!

It is still hot and beautiful here! I am so happy to be here right now doing the Lord's work trying to help His children. I am so grateful for this opportunity and for all the love and support I have! I love you all so much!!

Love-
Sister Turner

At the baptism of Pedro

 Pedro

 irma Lopes & I

2 month mark in the field!

Hello!!
Yep yesterday was my two month mark in the field! Crazy it has been two months since I saw you guys at the Marriot center! Yesterday/this week was full of miracles! Thank you so much for all your prayers, I know they are making a difference in the work here. :)
Yeah, yesterday guess how many investigators we had at church?? For I think a month we had not had ANY investigators coming to sacrament meeting. Yesterday there were 6!! SIX!! The family I mentioned last week, irma Zelena and her 3 kids Jovani, Deury, Keury all came to church, irmao Adi an investigator who we have been teaching since I was with Sister Graca last transfer came for the first time, and another investigator little Pedro came too! It was awesome!! After sacrament irmao Adi said he liked it and will come again next week! When investigators come to church they can feel the spirit, partake of the sacrament, get to know members, see how we worship every week and they can receive answers that this is the true church. Sim!
Also the conversion of the family of irma Zelena that we are seeing is a miracle too! Every time we go see them you can see how much happier they are, you can see they have a thirst to hear the word and have desires to follow. Heavenly Father blessed us this transfer with the opportunity to teach them, help them prepare for baptism, and hopefully become strong members of the church.
This weekend we were working SO HARD to help our investigator Lile prepare for baptism next week. We went to her house I think at least 100 times. And spent 2 hours on Saturday morning searching Belches to try and find her and I got sunburned. haha its a little late now but I am going to buy sun block today. Annnyyywho lets just say she isn't quite ready yet to be baptized which means we were not going to have a baptism again. It has been hard because every week this transfer something has happened and the baptisms we have had planned keep falling through. BUT then we keep working hard and the Lord blessed us and gave us a miracle! The Lord gave us a miracle and guided us to Pedro who we feel is ready to baptized this Saturday! He has been going to church with his aunt and uncle and has been taught by the missionaries before. He is 12 and is such a smart little guy, has so many good desires and has an infectious smile! We are so excited for him!
Also this week we had divisions! I was companions with Sis. Alvarado for two days this week. It was a good experience and I realized how much I have progressed in these first two months. From when I first got here and could barely speak portuguese or understand it, to this week with Sis. Alvarado where I was teaching and leading the whole lesson! (Praying a ton and trying the follow the spirit of course :) Haha in these moments I also realized how much more I have to work on and improve! It was good though and I am so grateful for how much the Lord has helped me progress thus far. Oh and the picture with me and sis. Alvarado ... she had a sore on her face and didn't want to go out alone and be the only one with a band-aid on her face. She insisted that even though I did not need a band-aid I must wear one too! Haha so I did. We both looked ridiculous with little band-aids on our faces but it was fine it was only for one day!
This morning we went to irma Didju's to get our hairs cut! I think she cut like an inch and a half ... but I am not really sure because I don't know how to say 'inch and a half' in portuguese. But after she cut it I told her she could 'pintiar' my hair or put braids in it, and then today I am like a real Cabo Verdiano!! Haha she did an awesome job!!
I keep forgetting to tell you that since the new rule about back packs I found a great Converse shoulder bag here in a boutique! I have been using it during proselyting and I can still use my back pack as my carry one for when we travel for transfers! Haha thanks Dad for the photos of you and Tim it looks beautiful there and like you are having a great time! And Tim-Tim I like your new sunglasses. I'm sorry you guys are still having car problems but Mom in your email when you said your horse would die I was laughing so much! And also about Grandpa and that lady who hit him, I can just see that in my head! haha!
Well just about out of time but I hope everyone is doing well and I am so grateful for all the prayers and support I know I have back home! I love you all so much and am looking forward to hearing from you next week!

Com muito amor MUITO,
Sister Turner

2 hrs on Saturday searching Belches,
I got sunburned

 I am like a real Cabo Verdiano!!