DEVELOPING A LOVE FOR CAPE VERDE

After our conference in Madrid last week we traveled directly  to Cape Verde to train a new couple, Elder and Sister Gerritsen.  The Gerritsens arrived just a few weeks ago. They both have talents which will make them valuable to the work in Cape Verde.  Sister Gerritsen served as a young sister missionary in Brazil and speaks Portuguese fairly well. Elder Gerritsen has worked as a vision specialist.  We are hoping that perhaps sometime in the future a vision project might be able to be initiated by the Gerritsens within their mission.

I (Eileen) always make our travel arrangements. I started eight weeks ago trying to get airplane and hotel reservations to go to Cape Verde. It was really difficult to find availability.  As it turned out we were going right during the middle of “Carnival,” which is a huge holiday in Cape Verde. 

The Gerritsens are living on Sao Vicente in the city of Mindelo.  They will also be covering other islands in the northern half of the Country.  Cape Verde is a chain of islands 300 to 400 miles off the west coast of the Mauritania-Senegal (Africa) border.  The official language is Portuguese, with Creole spoken in the homes and amongst friends.  We found that the people of Cape Verde consider themselves more like the Portuguese than the Africans.  In fact the temple district for Cape Verde is Portugal. Many newly called missionaries travel to Brazil to attend the MTC and the temple.

Mindelo Harbor

Santa Antao

It was interesting to note how much my attitude towards this little country changed during the week.  My first couple of days I was feeling so badly for the Gerritsens, grateful that I was serving in Germany. Today as I travel back to Germany I recognize the love that I have developed for this sweet group of people and for their rugged, arid country.

 Because all of the hotels were booked in the town of Mindelo, we stayed out by the airport; a drive of about 20-30 minutes.  On Sunday morning we took the free hotel shuttle into town.  We were told that the shuttle driver could drop us off near the church which was on his way.  The bus was full of tourists in beachwear and we were in our church clothes. The driver didn't speak any English. He drove into town and pulled up in front of a white church with a cross on the top to let us off. Russell and I both looked at each other thinking to ourselves, we are in big trouble!  We had been told to look for “the green church with graffiti.” This church was white and obviously not ours.  The directions given us were that after we arrived at the church we were supposed to then walk to the Gerritsens apartment, which was around the corner and “in front of the house with pigeons.”  We had heard that it was very difficult to find locations in Cape Verde due to the lack of formal street names and addresses, but this gave new meaning to the challenge.  We got off the bus and started walking. We were the only white people on the street, didn't speak the language and my phone wasn't working as it was out of roaming minutes.  We walked for about 25 minutes looking for any building that looked even remotely green.  I was praying, pleading with the Lord that we could figure out where to go.  We saw a gas station and I went in and asked in Spanish if anyone knew where the Mormon Church was located.  A man responded in French and I switched to French. He said he would point to where the church was. As he walked outside with us he switched to English and said he would walk us to the church.  He said his name was Rui and he was a member of our church, although obviously not intending to attend that day.   I was thrilled to find Rui!  What a tender mercy and a direct answer to prayer.  When we found the church I was so grateful for Rui’s help. It would have been impossible to find on our own. 

The church congregation was small however everyone smiled and was friendly.  An electronic organ was playing pre-recorded hymns. I asked if they wanted me to play. The bishop was happy to have a pianist. Apparently there isn't anyone within the ward that plays.  After church a number of children gathered around the organ looking at the magical way the organ made music when my fingers moved. There was a wonderful spirit at church, although by the end I realized how fortunate we are to have church meetings in English. It definitely is difficult to attend three hours of meeting not understanding any of the words which are spoken.

The LDS church in Mindelo

Boys from branch learning I am a Child of God from Eileen

Sister Rice has been serving in Cape Verde and received her first letter-she was ecstatic

Bishop Neves (center), Paulino Russo,-the two young men are returned missionaries engaged to be married this summer. They have just started washing cars to earn money with a newly formed Member Welfare project 

 On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday we did our normal humanitarian and computer programs training.  Tuesday evening we went to town to have dinner.  The town was packed with people-both foreigners and locals dressed in crazy wild costumes.  I have always thought of Carnival as something kind of risqué, which this particular celebration was not.  This seemed to be a combination of Halloween and the 24^th of July parade in Utah.  The huge Carnival parade with floats was to be held on Wednesday, however by Tuesday night the floats were starting to line up, people were waiting along the streets and families with children in different costumes were waiting along the parade route.  It was fun to see the families doing something together. They were obviously enjoying themselves. Vendors were out on the street barbecuing chicken, selling drinks and nuts. It was quite festive. We just drove by in our taxi after our training rather than watching the parade. Our taxi driver stopped and took a few pictures for me. 

Watching the parade

Aladdin float at Carnival

Chicken being barbequed on the street

Wednesday we took an early morning ferry over to a neighboring island named Santo Antao.  The Gerritsens had arranged for some appointments with potential NGO partners.  The first location we went to was a hospital on the island. We were met by a gentleman that apparently did fundraising for the hospital.  His requests were for money and consumables (like syringes), neither of which were items which LDSC Charities could provide.  We inquired about other needs, but he seemed pretty determined as to what he was hoping we would donate. While at the hospital I wondered what would happen if you had a real medical emergency.  On the return ferry we found out.  There was a young man on a gurney, an IV in place and a neck collar on. He was being transported to Sao Vicente.  My heart went out to him as it looked as if he was either heavily medicated or comatose. 

Russell and Elder and Sister Gerritsen on ferry

It was a 90 minute drive to our next appointment. We went over the top of several mountains.  The drive was unbelievable.  The road was cobblestone the whole way.  We climbed 6400 feet until we overlooked a volcano cauldron and beyond to the coast and ocean below.  During our drive we saw people walking up or down the mountain, some barefoot.  I wondered where these local’s final destination was.  To walk from the village to the top of the mountain would have taken most people several days.  We saw no stores or water sources.  Cape Verde is very arid getting very little rainfall.  The mountains are terraced. Unlike Indonesia’s terraced hills with an abundance of greenery, these mountains were rocky and dry.  Stones were lined up on each terrace.  Children played literally on the side of the mountain.  Several came out to watch us drive past and waved.  I wondered how these people survived.

This man was at the dock with an LDSC wheelchair, he said he was a member of our church

Village on Santo Antao

Houses built into the hillside

Anyone want fish?

Steep, dry mountains

Women can be seen with all sorts of loads carried on their heads

We met Elton, a teacher for one of the schools in the mountains.  Elton had a small request by US standards.   He wanted two sinks and 2 toilets for his school of 24 children and similar facilities for another school in the area.  Elton’s school is a 1&1/2 hour drive from his home in one of the three main cities on the island.  He goes to school on Monday and stays until Friday and then comes home.  The other school was an additional one-hour walk from Elton’s school. At neither location was there any running water for the school or in any of the homes where the students lived.  Elton explained that it was difficult not only for the children but also for the teachers to learn under these circumstances.  Elton is a returned missionary of our church who knows several languages fluently.  He is the ideal example of someone who is trying to give back to the community.  He married a girl he met at a single young adult conference in Cape Verde and now they have a 3 year old son.  We were so impressed with Elton’s efforts, attitude and story.  While providing bathroom facilities in a location where the water source is difficult, we hope that somehow the Gerritsens will be able to help the children in Elton’s small school up in the mountains.

We were late for our appointment so our meeting with Elton was in our taxi (Elton in yellow)

Interesting but good-papaya jam with goat cheese

Sun setting over Cape Verde

As we returned back to Sao Vicente on the ferry I remarked to Sister Gerritsen how fortunate I felt to be able to visit her in such a remarkable place. The living conditions are hard, the language is challenging, the food very different, mail delivery is almost non-existent, but what an adventure!  In a 24 hour period of time we had seen Carnival, driven to the top of a mountain, taken two boat rides and eaten two fresh fish dinners.  We had become friends with several of the locals and even invited our cab driver to join us for a meal. The people are warm and welcoming.  Russell and I really enjoyed our visit.

We went back to our hotel to find over 30 emails awaiting us (just from one day), with several issues that needed to be addressed immediately.  We were both so grateful for this opportunity to visit Cape Verde.  A general authority from our church, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin delivered a conference address a few years back entitled “Come What May and Love It.”  He happens to be Sister Gerritsen’s father. The people of Cape Verde and the Gerritsens don't have all the seeming necessities of life, but they appear to epitomize being happy regardless of their circumstances.

(Russell’s note) Eileen mentioned how we met Rui on the street while trying to find the church building.  During our visit we also met three members of the church working at the hotel where we stayed, and a taxi driver we flagged down on the street turned out to be a member.  The young woman who checked us out of the hotel did not say much but she discreetly showed me her CTR ring.  It was a good reminder to me to that people are watching me and that I need to act accordingly.  In Germany, if I keep my mouth shut, it is possible to almost blend in.  Not in Cape Verde!  Between the white shirt and tie, skin color, and missionary badge almost everyone knows who you are and they notice how Christian your words and actions are.