The only weight we gain here Sister, is SPIRITUAL!! April 16, 2012

Haahahaha. Oh what a week. Things have been going great here in Sal! We went to São Vincente this week for a training from President. We spent three days there and went on splits with the sisters there. I really like going on splits. It was nice to see how other people work. It helped me alot in the way I teach investigators. I was on splits witha Sister from Mozambique. Her name is Sister Macamo. I learned alot from her. She's a bit intense, but I think she's super funny. She speaks alot of English. She kept asking my why I do certain things the way I do. Most of the time I responded "I don't know" but I really loved my time with her. I learned ALOT. It was also good seeing all of my friends from the MTC at the training. hahaha. Everyone is getting so tan!

Speaking of which.... I hope everyone enjoys my pictures from this week. :) I don't have any sandals like the rest of the sisters here. I haven't found any that I like and I've really only went to like 2 stores. Ok, so like 5 China stores, but all of them only have like 5 pairs and I dont want a pair that will break in a week. And I have to be able to commit myself to a weird tan line for the next two years... everyone here has Chaco tan lines. Sigh. Maybe someday soon I´ll have some sandals.

             

Remember the lizard last week. He returned. We chased him out of our apartment from door. During this chase, he recieved the name Bernardino. I've attached a picture of this booger of a lizard. If anyone finds out what type he is, I'd be curious to know too. :)
                      

So our Mission President's wife doesn't want us eating member's or investigator's food. Well, We were offending alot of people so we asked her again this week. She clarified to just use wisdom, but don't offend the people. As long as it looks clean or that they made it clean, we can eat it. And if it doesnt and we don't have a way out, to say a prayer. hahahaha. Well, I'm glad we asked for an explanation because we had food shoved in our face ALOT this week.

Saturday night, we were at an investigator's house and his stepdad is a fisherman. The stepdad asked us if we wanted a fish. Sure we want a fish! We thought he was going to give us a fish to take home. Nope. He uncovers a plate that was on the table, a fish that had been cooked earlier in the day WHO KNOWS HOW LONG AGO and slaps it on a plate for me. It still has fins, it still has a head, and it still has eyeballs LOOKING AT me. (Sidenote: CV water isn't clean, so the cleansliness of the dishes is also questionable in this situation) Then he slaps on rice and beans, and frenchfries. All of which has been sitting out for a bit. He tries to feed us juice but luckily my companion tells him that we can't drink CV water because it makes us sick. Then he makes his son go buy us milk. Which, they don't have alot as it is. So we felt bad. And he made my companion and I drink the whole liter of milk by ourselves. (CV milk is imported, and is made to last for like... a whole year. In result, CV milk tastes funny. And when I say funny, I mean that I don't like it.) Hahaha. AND THEN he gives us bread that tastes like toast and makes us eat that too. AND buys us doce. A coconut cookie something-or-other for us to take home. (thank goodness, I hate coconut)

Cape Verde people are sweet,... I'm glad I have a tough stomach bc I'm pretty sure I accidently swallowed alot of spiney things from fish.

OH! And last night our investigators made us eat Cachupa. They get really happy when americans eat their food. My companion woke up in the middle of the night last night with a stomach ache, but she's good now. :)

Yesterday it rained so our numbers were down in church. CV people don't know how to deal with the rain. And we lost an hour of visiting people too.

If you are wondering who the three people are wrapped up in covers in my pictures... those our 3 of our favorite investigators. hahahhaa. We were waking them up for church.

As for the actual work in the area....
The calendars are working out super well! The investigators and we, love them! We've been seeing alot of progress with Eddy and Vania this week. They've been helping wake up other investigators for church and explain things to other new investigators that show up at their house when we teach. I'm excited for them to get baptized and help us teach other people. Eddy's entire family came to church Sunday except for Helton and their mother. Helton said he went to priesthood the first hour, didn't like it and went home. He was in the wrong priesthood class though. He said he'd try agian next week. Their mom says that she has talked to the missionaries before, but we hope to start teaching her again sometime in the near future. It'd be really amazing for all 5 kids to be baptized(there is a 6th but she's too little) and their mom! Eddy's baptism should be on the 5th with Helder's. :) :)

We've seen alot of progress with Helder. His reading has been getting better and he REALLY loves the scriptures. :) We've even heard comments from his mom about how he's a changed young man. :)

While we were gone to São Vincente, Eddy and Helder played soccer with alot of members. We are really grateful for the role that the members have played in including them in wholesome activities. :) Members really do make all the difference in missionary work.

We should be having 2 baptisms this weekend. :) But definitely 1. We are still waiting for permission on the other.

OH And my companion saw a little boy crying because he ran away from his mom trying to beat him. My companion is awesome. She taught him how to pray and bandaged up his bleeding knee. He felt so much better after. I just love missionary work!

Anyways, my time is spent. But I hope all is well in the good ole USA!


Love, Sister Buhler

P.S. I've gained 5lbs since the MTC...... :( Who goes to Africa and GAINS weight?!

PPS. I had a dream about icecream last night... I woke up sad. hahahahah.