Strange Times

I feel like Dan Auerbach describes my life right now when he sings that, 'strange times are here' ;as if it hasn't been a strange enough transfer already, this week was just as weird, if not even weirder.

I'm starting to learn that you can't pick and choose exactly how stuff works out, no matter HOW much you want to.If I coulda picked and chosen exactly how this transfer would work out, I'd still be serving in Sal right now, but I guess that's not what I'm meant to be doing; otherwise, I wouldn't be here on the island of Fogo.

This past week, Elder Gunther and I were put in a triple with Elder Pettingill, which was sorta strange; when you're put in a triple, you start to understand exactly why we're put in 2s, and not 3s, just because it's just so darn weird!! Being with just one companion makes things so much easier (as long as you like your comp that is), so basically for us this week, we were finding ways to work in our area, and in Elder Pettingill's area, all why trying to focus on our investigators at the same time. TRIPLES ARE TOUGH.

This week, we had planned for this couple Elder Gunther had been teaching, Zelito and Salete, to be baptized this past Saturday, and so over the course of the week, we'd been doing all we could to prepare them for that day, but because of all of our complications this week, and other problems, it didn't end up happening. Kinda like I was saying, sometimes, you just wanna choose exactly how everything will all work out, to exercise peoples agency for them, but (un)fortunately, Heavenly Father doesn't work in that way. Salete has been having some troubles with finding an answer for certain that this is what she wants to do, and so for now, it's a matter of helping her find that which she still lacks. It's been tough for Elder Gunther and I, because they are such awesome people and have been so prepared to receive the gospel, and since Elder Gunther leaves here in two weeks, he's getting extra anxious about them. I guess if I've learned anything, it's that we've gotta trust through the Lord in the 'strange times', and know that all is right in his timing. Sometimes it's just SO darn frustrating!

We did find ways to have fun over the last few days, in that we celebrated a certain Independence Day that doesn't even really matter to me. This past week marked the celebrations of Canada Day, 4th of July, AND Cape Verde's Independence Day on the 5th, so it was basically just a week devoted to being proud and wearing ties with red in them. We made a distinctive effort to celebrate the 4th of July through making a darn American lunch. Elder Pettingill went out of his way to get a grill from a member so he could grill us some BBQ chicken and hamburgers, and I made mashed potatoes and a Star-Spangled-Cake which I was rather proud of. The whole sum of the parts eventuated into a rather proud gathering together and celebration through wonderful food, Mountain Dew, and BBQ sauce. It was truly wonderful. 

The last cool thing from this past week was going to church up in the other zone we have, Estancia Roque. Because our area has two congregations, we split up and go on divisions with members, so that we can have a missionary at either service; fortunately for me, it was my turn this week to head up the mountain to go to church. However, it WAS Fast Sunday yesterday, meaning I'd been fasting since our overly American lunch the previous day. I was pretty worried about how it was all going to work out, especially since I know how whiny and tired I get when I fast, but through much prayer and pleading, Heavenly Father gave me the strength I needed not to whine my way up the mountain, and make it there. It was actually a really cool experience for me to see, just how our Heavenly Father knows us so individually, and gives us help when we really need it, even if it is just through helping a 19 year old missionary not whine walking 5km up a mountain on an empty stomach. Needless to say, church up there was AWESOME. I loved it. 

 

Church - Cape Verde style.....surprisingly they have the same chairs!  (but little else....)

So, just to close out, and to finish with my theme of Strange Times, this transfer got even stranger in that I know have my 3rd companion and 3rd area in the same transfer, which is crazy. We recieved a call from President Mathews this week saying that Elder Gunther would be getting a greenie, whie I would be going with Elder Pettingill in his area. Yeah. It's been weird. 5 companions in 4 transfers...

Love y'all! 

Elder Massey, Captain Canada