About time Missionary Mom posted something about her son in Cape Verde

Familia e Amigos,

 So this week has been a pretty solid week. We taught less lessons but in general things still worked out well. The branch is really improving here and I am way glad about it. We as well have some people who are really progressing twoards baptism which is just awesome. I guess I don't have many stories to tell about the week but I kind of just want to share something that I learned this week. So I was talking with my mission president. And he mentioned how a lot of the time at the start of things that we can see a hugge amount of progress. And then we hit this point where things just fall. And we just start thinking. What am I doing wrong? Or we start even doubting the success that we had. And it's really not that. There is a moment when thigs are down that we have to turn to God and ask Him to lift us up again. And as we continue to ask God He will continue to lift us up until we can become really what we need to be. And it's been something that has been on my mind. You know it applies a lot more broadly than just the mission. In any case this is true and the moments that we do this God will make us strong and qualify us. There are a lot of good things that are going on and I know that as hard as I work it's only because I have been given all this through God. I love being here. There are so many things to learn and it will never stop. I hope that you are all doing well. I love this work and I love this Church,

 Peder

Having a great week in Cape Verde

Familia e Amigos,

 So this week has been pretty chill. So as far as the area is going everything si pretty chill. We had a good amount of lessons this week and we were able to find a couple of new investigators. So some more marking lessons of the week were actaully the ones that happened yesterday. So yesterday morning we were teaching this guy named David. So David speaks english which is pretty different. And in all truth I get a lot more worried about teaching in english now then in portuguese. But as we were teaching we decided to read the family proclamation to the world which luckily I had in english. So as we were reading it I have never seen someone so touched by the words there than anyone else. Man it was just amazing. And I don't feel that I stumbled in English. except in the prayer where instead of always I said sempre. Dang.

 As well I have an amazing person that we are teaching called Nanda. So just some background about Nanda. So she is a lady who ever since we started to talk to her has been super psyched for baptism. She also can't see from one eye. So we left her with a Book of Mormon the last time and you know even with her lack of sight she has been reading like no other. And not only reading but reading and asking questions. Holy flip it is amazing. She brought her son to church yesterday as well which was just sweet.

 So I guess if I had to some up a week just have to say that you truly can make the best of any situation. You know we as american missionaries don't have everything and in truth I am not the smartest guy in the world. Actually pretty far from it. But with all these things there is a lot to be excited about and a lot that we can do. A lot of people do that here, living in the poorest of situations and they are just stinking happy and we as well can do that. We have so many things every single one of us and really we can always find at least one thing that's good. I love you all and I know that this church is true,

 Peder

A few weeks of posts from Peder--sorry I got behind, friends.

Familia e Amigos,

 So things here are going well. This week has been an interesting one and in all truth was one of the first transfers for my comp so he was thinking a lot about what would happen with transfers. So to explain briefly Elder Teixeira has been transferred to Taraffal. And I am going to serve with Elder Montes. Elder Montes is way chill and I'm super psyched to serve with him. In all truth I don't have a ton to write but I just want to let you all know that I love you and that I know that this church is true. I know that this work is so important and we are here really saving people. It's weird to think but we are giving everyone their chance to come unto Christ and to feel his love that he has for everyone one of us. In speaking of that I was reading Jesus the Christ this week and I read something that made me think a lot. So there was a guy that did a study on the death of Christ  And what he concluded is that Christ probably died from a ruptured heart which is due to much spiritual anguish. And you know He paid that all for us. It really made me think how much he was thinking about us all. It is just amazing to think of it all. He really loves us all. And I know that all He want's is that we can come unto Him. And there, for a surety, we will find rest.

 I love you all and I hope that you all have an amazing week. 

Familia e Amigos,

 So this week has been pretty sweet but the most awesome things were what happened at the end of the week. So we have an investigator named Ricardo who was baptized this last week. Man it was stinking sweet. What was more awesome than anything was him after the baptism. We were teaching him and his sister and he just said straight out. If anything I do know more than anything that this really is the church of Christ  Holy flip it made me happy. Just hearing such a sincere testimony makes me so happy. 

 After that we had church on Sunday  So this week was fast and testimony meeting. So what was sweet was that one of our recent converts bore his testimony in sacrament meeting and as well one of our investigators that had showed up to church for the first time bore her testimony in church. Man it was stinking sweet. And to top it all off as well one of our investigators said that she would be baptized during church. Man things just kept getting more awesome and awesome. Altogether I would just like to say how happy I am to be here. I know that this time is blessed and I love these people here. Honestly the work is going well and I am really just loving these members. They are just amazing and I feel  close to them all. 

 One thing I just wanted to say is how stinking powerful a testimony is. It is something that only really takes one second but it is just something that you know that makes you feel so good. And to truth I know that I am supposed to be here. And I know that as I work I am loving these people more and more. I love you all. You are all stinking awesome, 

 Love Peder

 ps Grandma I am getting your emails. Sorry if it seems that I am not. But I love you a whole lot. 

batismo de ricardo

Familia e Amigos,

 This week has been pretty stinking chill. So this week started off with my birthday. So in truth there was not much different about my birthday than any other day. But one thing that happened that day at the end was that Elder Teixeira invited someone for baptism and she accepted. It made me super happy as we were walking home. So in truth that what I feel my birthday present was. 

 The rest of the week continued to go well. We were able to find a lot more people and just talk with a bunch of people. One thing that happened specifically was that we talked with this guy named Carlos. So with Carlos we were talking and we invited him to pray at the end. Most people respond to that and are pretty hesitant. He didn't hesitate at all. He started to pray and it was just an awesome prayer. He was so sincere and I just loved it. 

 After that we also had a baptism this week of our investigator Ze Carlos. Man it was a sweet day and his girlfriend got baptized on the same day. Right now they live apart but they are planning on getting married which is even more awesome. What was funny was that Elder Teixeira said that most of the time that we have met with Ze Carlos' girlfriend she seems a little unhappy. But on the day of her baptism she was just smiling the whole time. It was just sweet.

 Altogether I am loving the area. The work here is goig well and I really love these people here. In truth I am not much for working in the city areas but I am loving it here. 

 I love you all and I hope that you all have an amazing week. Invite everyone to hear about the gospel. Because that really all we have to do. Love you, 

 Peder

Not much to report, but a good attitude and that's enough sometimes.

Familia e Amigos,

 So this week has been chill. We have had some days that went by a little slow but altogether  was happy with the week. So in all that I was thinking was just the fact that we have been called for these things. Man the other days I was reading my calling as a missionary and it made me feel so much better. And in truth we all have a calling that God has given to us. It may seem small or that we can't do it but God qualifies us to meet the expectations. In all truth I don't have a ton to write this week. All I really wanted to write is that I know that we all can fulfill our potential and we can be happy doing it. I love you all and I hope that you have an amazing week, 

Peder

Return to Praia and More Baptisms.

Familia e Amigos,

 So this week has been awesome. So I feel that I am finally getting to now my area better and I am so glad because of that. It has been amazing the work that we have been able to do here. We are working in a new branch her in Praia and it meets in the afternoon but it's all good. The members here are a huge help and I am so grateful for all that they do for us. 

 So specifically this week we had the baptism of a man named Mais Alto(or in english more tall). Man it was a sweet baptism. So in the picture I sent has Mais Alto and the guy that was baptizing hime. So Domingos, is a recent convert, and this was the first time that he was baptizing someone. And one thing that you can probably see is that he is quite a bit shorter. In truth during the baptism I was a little worried that he wouldn't be able to do it. But in the second time he was able to do it and it was awesome. Man on sunday as well Mais Alto boe his testimony about how he knew that the church was true and that he was happy for the elders(who he had forgotten the names) but it was so awesome. It was so awesome and what was even cooler was a guy that we marked a date for baptism with the day before bore his testimony about the baptism. Man stinking sweet. 

 You know I've thought at times that things could get old or that the gospel has an end of being so great but it doesn't. Everytime that we help someone or that someone recognizes the truth i their lives it is just amzing.  The gospel is so true and regardless of how many times we have heard it or how many times it seems impossible to do, it will bless our lives. I know that this is true, I love you all and I hope that you have amazing weeks,

Peder

(April 8th email.  Hope you know that the picture above goes with the latest letter.)

 So this week has been pretty sweet. So first off I am now in Praia. It is quite different here than in Calheta. I am serving with a missionary from Fogo named Elder Teixeira. He is actually waiting for his visa so that he can go to england. So right now I will be working to teach him english. The only problem is the slight accent I have makes it harder to understand. But it's all good. 

 This week we are still working on getting to know all of our investigators but it's still been a very good week. So we had conference this week, which was sweet, and during that it was quite intersting. A couple instances in particular. So after the first session I felt like we shouldgo and just look for people to go to the next. And luckily my district leader felt the same. So we booked it and we were ale to find two more people to go. As well in the last session we were as well looking around for people. And after we passed by the people who said they would come and they wern't there, we then decided to pass by one other person. And luckily it was someone who had been looking for us. And it was just awesome. You know truthfully God is guiding us. He is helping  us  and He wants us to succeed. Man I love being on the mission. I love it here and I just want to do everything I can for these people,

 Love you all,

 Peder

Ed Vera....

Familia e Amigos,

 So this week has been pretty awesome. So to start off I want to mention something that happened this last friday. So there is a scripture in 2 Nephi 28:5 about some of the things that people will say in these days and one of those things is eat and drink and be merry because tomorrow we die and God will save. So that is a form of people tricking themselves. So on Friday we had to go up to Assomada to do a baptismal interview. So as we were going up to Assomada there was this guy in the car who was just talking a lot. So as he was talking eventually he looked at us and asked if we were part of a church. We explained who we are and then he asked what the main thing of the church is. In that car with everyone there we were able to explain a bit about the restoration and prophets. But what was funny was that after all this he said 'nha igreja é comi bebi' or in English' my church is eat and drink'. holy flip the Book of Mormon is true. 

 So then on Saturday we had a baptism. holy flip it was one of the best baptisms I have ever had. so to explain why our investigator has fear of the sea. so for a long time she had a lot of fear about the sea and about baptism. So on Saturday we got to the beach and Fatima was feeling more or less. but we were going over and when we entered into the ocean we grabbed Fatima by her hands and walked with her. She said that when we were there with her she didn't feel afraid. and specifically she said that she could go to Tarrafal and back because as she said God was with her. even though Fatima was made fun of a bit she was resolute and it was just stinking sweet. 

 and after all of these sweet things that have happened. I am being transferred to Praia  i'm excited but i am going to miss this area so much. I stinking love these people here and yesterday i was about to cry because i was leaving. the people here are amazing. It's so small here but it has been one of the most incredible places that I have served  I am so glad to have had this time here. I know that the church is true and I know that it will bless the live of everyone. I love you all,

 Peder

here's some pics of Fatima's baptism, and the other one is with nelson, nozinha, sandra, claudia and my comp, 

Desabafo and trying a bit of Caldo de Cana, or Sugar Cane Juice

Add caption

So one is me with Carlos e Preta, one with Elder Araújo and then just a goofy propagando things that kind of looks like missionaries. Love you,

Familia e Amigos,

 So this week has been quite interesting and quite a bit of things have happened. So I would first like to mention that I drank one of the grossest things that I have ever drank here this week. It is caldo de cana, or juice from sugar cane. uhhh. It is probably the only time that I have told someone that I did not want to drink more of something. Just really nasty. 

 But what has been interesting this week is that I have been able to see a pretty interesting contrast. So with the guy that offered that drink we actually had taught him about the restoration and why we are here. And for the first time ever I have heard some just completely flat out say ' I don't believe you. I am sure that that is not the truth' Hmmm pretty interesting. Especially because when he had said that it was because we had told him that we aren't paid and that we worked to get here. But it was just really interesting. As well we had some other person mention that the people we are talking with won't do anything. Hmmm

 But you know with all those moments I had one thing that was more interesting than anything else. So yesterday we had a family home evening in the house of one of our investigators. So that same gy who said that he didn't believe us came in. And like usual he mentioned that he did not believe that we are exactly who we are. With this was exactly the fact that he doesn't believe that we don't date. So what was interesting more than anything was the fact that we didn't have to explain that we don't but all three of our investigators did for us. There was one point when I remeber our investigators actually saying tht they know that what we are saying is true. And specifically one of our investigators said that she would stick her hand in the fire in hell because she knows that what we are saying is true. Man it was incredible. 

 And you know just thinking about this makes me very happy. You know as hard as it is to believe some times I am so grateful that I can believe in something. That's what makes me happy and I love it here. The work is hard and sometimes it may appear to other people as useless but I know that it is not. I love it here. I love you all and I hope that you have an amazing week,

 Peder