Semana 2! (Week 2 I think) in Cabo Verde

*Note from Karen - While I usually go through and format and fix spelling, the shift key was working intermittently as she wrote this and I am not going to fix all the capitalization.

Ola amigos!

Wow, this week was crazy, haha. Sister Garcia has been sick since Tuesday, but we have still gone out and taught basically every day. She´s someone who will probably work herself to death if the rest of us will let her. She has been able to keep down bananas and water, and yesterday she also kept down some crackers, peanuts and some other things, but it's pretty crazy. Hopefully she won't throw up the breakfast that we just ate, but it had ham and cheese, so that would be a big step.

I have really, truly, genuinely fallen in love with these people! i really learned, too, how to begin to lose myself... at least, i learned to recognize the mindset i need to adopt to lose myself in this work. as I have looked into the eyes of those we teach, seeking to know what the Lord wants me to say, to know what they need to hear, slowly but surely i have received direction and inspiration so I know what i need to testify of or emphasize or what questions i should ask to help these people. it has been amazing.

I was pretty frugal before the mission, and i am already wondering if i will be super stingy when i get back. its so humbling. This week Carlos and Sonia asked us for help paying for their oldest daughter to start school (they have four kids, ages 2 to 5... no twins) probably because we told them that if they ever needed anything, they shouldn't hesitate to call us. we get 19 mil (19000) escudos every month, which is the same salary as a teacher or professor... something like that. it is about 200 USD, i think. 80 escudos = 1 usD.. dad can do the math, haha. It costs 1500 escudos to send a child to school, which is about 20 USD, and they weren't sure where they would get  the money. its crazy. rent here is around 3000 to 5000 escudos a month, I think. the people who have a bit more money tend to have more than one room in their house, or they don't have a shared kitchen area, things like that.

It is so amazing to watch the light of the gospel touch peoples hearts and to see it start to light up their eyes. its not something I could really notice before. It's so incredible to see the people here begin to develop faith, to trust in the lord and to be so willing to become humble followers of Christ. I have found it really easy to love the people, to love each person we teach, and that makes it so much harder when they don't do those things that would bless their lives and bring them so much comfort, peace, and strength. but those who do... its amazing. We have been trying hard to contact more people if we aren't sure where to go... which mostly translates to ME contacting people if we aren't sure where to go, since i need the practice. at least half of the people i have contacted have been drunk, i have found out later. also, lately i have been getting reminders of how much i truly am back in the real world. i heard the f word used in context for the first time yesterday, as an... interesting... lady who moved here a few years ago from Holland warned us about places to avoid walking at night. haha, we just thanked her, left as quickly as we could without being rude, and just laughed it off. (also, mom, don't worry, we don't walk in the sketchy parts of Espargos at night). she also kissed sister Garcia on the lips when they were doing the cheek kiss thing that everyone does here. oh, the perks of being raised in Utah.

Yesterday we talked to a man who had gone up to sister Garcia last transfer and told her that he wanted to change, but he drinks and smokes a ton. when we met him, i just looked in his eyes and tried so hard to see him as the lord sees him.. that's always the first thing i try to do when i meet someone new. and in his eyes, I just thought of the phrase, sin-sick soul, because i could see that. and after we talked to him, both sister Garcia and i talked about how we were able to see him as god sees him... we could picture him with the light of the Gospel in his eyes, shining where the atonement had cleansed him completely of that burden of darkness and guilt. she kept remarking how she could see him as a bishop. it was a cool experience. hopefully we can help him find a place to move, because he basically lives above a bar and right next to somewhere where he can buy cigarettes, and he lives in this tiny room and pays like 5 mil for it, not including electricity or water. man, the lord has really helped me love these people so much! we made some goals with him about not drinking or smoking as much, and we are going to try our best to help him. that look in his eyes, that weight that i could see there... we are going to do whatever we can to help him turn to the lord and receive his healing, cleansing grace.

We have an investigator, Dirse, who is the daughter of a recent convert. she has gone to church three times and is getting baptized this Saturday! we were a bit worried that she would feel like it was too fast, and that we would need to bump it back a week, but she is completely on board with getting baptized this week. she has been praying to know if this church is true, if god really exists, and she has been reading the book of Mormon every day, and she finally got her answer Thursday night! she told us that she prayed and asked god for a sign that he really is there and really loves her. then she started reading the book of Mormon. she heard someone call her name twice, and she asked her son if he had called her, and she asked a lady who was on the street outside her house, but no one that she asked said they had called her name. it kind of freaked her out, but she also knew that god had answered her prayer. she is so humble and has such a desire to have faith and to follow Christ. i think thatºs why she got the answer she did. she was so excited about her answer, but she really cherished it too. it is so wonderful. she has really been someone that i have been able to see the light of the gospel develop and begin to shine in her eyes. wow, it has been amazing.

We have been doing a lot of work with recent converts and less actives, too. there are a lot of people who were converted to the missionaries and not really to the gospel, and now they are less active because those missionaries aren't here anymore. we have really been trying to help them gain that testimony that they should have had before getting baptized, but its so sad.

One thing that i really love about sister Garcia is that i can see the love that she has for each person that we teach. she has so much charity and she works so hard because she has such a strong desire to help these people. it is so wonderful to be her companion!

Well, I love this work so much. I have never felt so stretched or had so much opposition from satan-almost all of it internal-as i have experienced every day of this mission, especially in the field. i think if i had really understood how hard it would be, i wouldn't have gone on a mission. so then, the question is, why am i still on my mission? because i didn't really understand how close i would be to the lord every day as i do his work. because I have never experienced so much joy and happiness or worked so closely with God and felt the grace of the atonement so fully in my life as i have this past week. i wouldn't have gone on a mission if i had really understood how hard it would be, unless i had also truly understood how incredibly worth it a mission is.vI am starting to lose track of time and days out here. i think it is a sign that i am starting to lose myself in this work. i love it so much.

I love you all! i can really feel your prayers... i know i have said that before but it is just amazing to me how much i can feel your support and your prayers. thank you so much. I am praying for you guys, too. love you!

love,

Sister Zimbelman

Week 7 - First full week in Cabo Verde

Well, I survived my first week in Cabo Verde! haha :)

Life is good.  I am doing well. I have helped teach a lot now, and I have really enjoyed it! It is really hard, though.  I am doing a pretty good job of focusing on one teaching appointment, one moment throughout the day, at a time.

I am in Sal, in a town called Espargos, and my trainer is Sister Garcia.  I already love her a ton, and I think we are going to be really good companions. I understand a lot of what people say here, and I am starting to wonder how much of what I don't understand is because it is Creole, not Portuguese.  It seems like EVERYONE speaks at least a little bit of Creole with their Portuguese.  I still have a lot to learn, but I can communicate pretty well.  I understand a lot more than I can speak.

I have just been trying to try to kind of soak up the culture. I tried not to come in with any expectations, and it helped a lot, I think. The people here... it's pretty crazy.  They don't have debt here, so people build their houses one step at a time: you will see one level/room that has colored cement over the cement bricks, then half a level of cement bricks above that.  But, inside the house they will have tile, a bed, some chairs... pretty nicely furnished inside.  Everyone has a cell phone and a TV.

Sal is the tourist island. It is where everyone in Europe goes/stays when they go to Cabo Verde.  Santa Maria is the tourist city, but I think Espargos is still fairly nice for Cabo Verde.  It doesn't smell bad here like it did in Praia, which is good :)

Friday we had a wedding, and Saturday they got baptized! It was pretty exciting.  But apparently the work isn't typically like that in Sal. And a lot of Cabo Verdians will commit to do something, like going to church, but then by the time Sunday comes they won't answer the door when we come around.  There are 150 people on the records of the church for the branch we work with, but only about 1/2  of them show up to church consistently. But, on Sunday there were 102, and six of our investigators were there! There are two branches in Sal, but a big concern here is less actives. It is hard to get people to be truly converted to the Gospel.

I already love the people here. Even when I can't understand their Creole very well, I have really been blessed to be able to see them as the children of God that they are. It's so fun to teach the Gospel and to feel the Spirit.  And I love it: when I smile at people, genuinely smile at them, they will often give me a beautiful smile back.  These people already have my heart, but it sure makes it hurt when they decide to reject the truths and light we have to share with them. I haven't had much experience with that yet, because everyone is so sweet. It's the long-term commitment that is the biggest challenge here, I think. Well, I am doing well. I love it here. I can't think about how long I will be here, or really anything long-term, because then I start to feel overwhelmed. So I am taking it one day, one moment at a time, trying to do my best, and moving forward with baby steps.

Pres. and Sister Mathews are just awesome. I really feel like they are my parents! They are going to take such good care of the missionaries here, don't worry.

One of the rules here is DON'T EAT the food, unless you have bought it. This is a really hard rule, because all the members want to be hospitable whenever missionaries come over, but they really can't afford it. It's hard, though, because all the missionaries I have talked to eat the food.  They told me that if I eat it I will get sick, possibly get a parasite, but after that I can eat whatever I want here. This puts me in a really difficult situation, because I don't want to offend anyone by not eating their food (and people take offense pretty easily here... that's why a lot of people are less active), but Pres. and Sis. Mathews told us not to, and even if the other missionaries do it and call it a "strong suggestion", I feel like it is just as much a rule as the other rules. I really want to be exactly obedient, because I can't stand it when I lose the Spirit, even for a moment... especially because the Spirit is the true teacher when you're on a mission. So I think I am going to need to learn how to say "no" nicely. That has been the hardest thing this week, I think: learning the rules and culture of the mission and the people and trying to be exactly obedient, not just almost-exactly obedient.

I am really learning how to have patience, too! Mostly patience with myself. We share a residence with another dupla (pair of missionaries), and one of them is Cabo Verdiana and the other one has been out for almost exactly a year longer than I have. Sister Garcia has been out for almost nine months, so everyone is really good at speaking/understanding Portuguese, and it is really easy to try to compare myself with them or I often find myself wishing my portuguese was a good as theirs. But, I know the gift of tongues is a real thing, and I have been receiving it. I can always follow what Sister Garcia is teaching, and often how the pesquisador responds, so when she turns to me I can always contribute at least a little bit. It is really hard, but I love it, and when I am with people and talking to them, I can forget about myself, my portuguese, and try to figure out what the Spirit wants me to share.

Oh, and we have running water, but there is a filter on the kitchen tap. We have two showers: one with a bucket and one with the type of spout that is connected to a hose and you have to hold over your head/hook on the wall. there are no shower curtains, and in order to use the toilet we have to turn the water on to the toilet, let it run for a few minutes, then it will work. So, it's not as rural as I expected. :)

It is more humid here than Utah, but less than Boston was. Also, rainy season starts this month! :) We aren't by the beach, so it feels like we are in Nevada or Mexico... somewhere rural very brown... plus a little humidity.

Oh, and to date, I have five mosquito bites on one foot! that's been pretty exciting to see, and I have started spraying myself with bug spray like crazy. The mosquito bites do this weird thing where the skin around the mosquito bite gets a darkish pink color, but Sister Garcia says that's totally normal and nothing will happen unless you scratch it. :) So yeah, it's been pretty different. Honestly, I'm not sure how I'm not super shell-shocked, how I can just take all thins in stride and already love the people and teach/testify a bit. The Lord is definitely helping me, and focusing on one day, one moment at a time has helped a TON.

It is so amazing to share this Gospel with real people, not just our teachers pretending to be someone they taught. They love so much, and it is amazing to see the light of the Gospel in their eyes. People always say "sister" when we pass, and everyone greets each other simply when they pass each other on the street. The branch is so awesome. I love it here.

Oh, and I feel overdressed here. There were so many people wearing jeans at church, because they don't own any other pants. I think if I even had one more thing, like my glasses, I would feel SUPER overdressed. In a place where many people don't read, I have gotten the sense that it is a sign that you are well-off if you own glasses. These people are so humble, but so loving and warm! I love it.

Sister Garcia is awesome! She is from North Carolina, and she is super friendly, funny and she puts her heart into this work. I feel like we are good friends already, and I can see how she gives her all to serve and love these people.  It is so great. Also, she is really good at getting to know people, which is exactly what I need to work on... I wasn't super good at it in English, either, so I am excited to learn that from her. :)

So, all in all, I am doing well! I love you all, and I will tell you about some of our investigators/recent converts later, when there isn't so much NEW stuff. :) Love you all!

Love,

Sister Zimbelman

Week 6 Going, going... HERE!

Monday July 7, 2014

Sorry, this is completely unexpected, I know.  But they told us that today is basically P-day, and I specifically asked about email and got the OK... so I will email one last time na CTM! :)

Haha, I think I jinxed us when I told you all that the exciting things happen Wednesday - Saturday... because Sister Nasau got another migraine suddenly on Wednesday morning, right after class started.  SO, two MRIs (with an IV each time), one more blood sample, and at least one more shot ( I can't remember anymore, haha), one trip to a neurologist, one change in prescription (no more flexeril but now she has amitryptiline.. which I can't really spell), and one Physical Therapy appointment later, she is NOT coming with us to Cabo Verde tomorrow.  They found she has a 5 mm microadenoma in her pituitary gland, but they aren't sure if it's causing her headaches because it's so small.  The second blood test is to see if her hormones are all normal, because if not it means her pituitary gland isn't functioning properly.  Also, she got her glasses on Saturday, and it has made SUCH a difference for her headaches!  She still has had other symptoms like nausea, lightheadedness, and weakness, though, so there may be something else going on.

It seems like now the doctor is sending her to an endocrinologist who can figure out what needs to be done about the microadenoma, or how he can shrink it if he needs to. The Physical Therapy is to help her neck and upper back, because when she was 12 she fell backward down a few stairs and landed on the back of her head, right above her neck... and that's when she started to get migraines.  Hopefully they can get it figured out quickly!  We don't know how much longer she will be in the MTC, but another sister is staying back as well because of some health concerns, so they will be companions.  And she gets to stay with my teachers! (lucky... :) )

I am doing really well.  I am working on managing my time better, but I have learned and grown so much through all this.  I think I am learning to see everything through an eye of faith and to stop fear from entering my heart.  None of this is really phasing me anymore.  I am still concerned, but I can feel the Lord lightening my burdens and I can feel "[His] angels round about [me], to bear [me] up" more and more each day.  I have seen miracles here.  Most of them seem small, but they are all miracles.  And especially in this last week, I have seen the power the Atonement has to change people.  It has truly happened to one sister who was especially struggling to rely on Him.  Then she started to turn to Him more, and it has been an incredible miracle.  He truly can change our very natures and make us into more than we could ever be on our own.  I have often seen that in my own life, especially in the MTC, but this weekend I saw the effects of the Atonement in the life of another person more clearly than I had ever seen it before. I am even more excited to go now!

I think I can count on one hand the number of times I have been to class in the past two weeks, which has been really hard. I really loved class, even though it was HARD! I have never been so grateful or felt like I have to put so much faith and trust on the Lord and rely on Him for so much.  I have hardly spoken Portuguese with people in the last two weeks, because I have hardly been around people.  But I know the gift of tongues is real, and I know that it is the Lord's will that I didn't get much language training these past two weeks.  I studied it on my own (or tried to... studying in the residence hall for hours on end foi muito DIFÍCIL!), but it's not the same.  But, I am just focusing on how grateful I am for this opportunity to rely on the Lord more and to see His hand in my life as I learn a ton of Portuguese in the Field.

I love this Gospel so much.  I know I am incredibly inadequate, and more inadequate than I expected to be in Portuguese by this point, but I just don't really care.  I can bear a testimony, and I have learned SO MUCH about the language of the Spirit, about "faith, hope, charity and love with an eye single to the glory of God"! Woah... I didn't even really mean to quote that scripture... haha :) But it's true.  My faith has grown so much; I have learned to look for the tender mercies of the Lord even when it seems like nothing is going my way; I have developed so much charity and compassion for those around me and those whom I interact with; I feel so much love in my heart for those I have been blessed to interact with; and wow, I have really learned to watch my thoughts and focus on the Lord and on His work, to really take it one day at a time and take baby steps, just like Irmão Duerden told me a few weeks ago.  But wow, the Lord loves us SO MUCH.  Each of us.  That is why I don't even care that I am so inadequate.  Because I am also companions with Him.  This is His work, and He will help me and bless me and make me into who He needs me to be.  I can feel a tiny portion of God's love for His children, but it just overflows my heart.  That's why I am so excited to go into the mission field.  The MTC has come to feel like a temple and like home, but I will leave it in a heartbeat so that I can share God's love for His children, especially with the people of Cabo Verde.

I will miss my teachers, my zone, my branch presidency, and my district (and I will miss running into the many friends I made here/knew before the MTC), but I am so excited to go and do the Lord's work and to serve the people of Cabo Verde.  I can't wait to share this light, joy, and LOVE with those people, and to invite them to come to Christ.  Wow, this is almost bordering on gushing, or it almost seems over-enthusiastic... but that is all I can think about right now! :)

I love you all, SO much! I don't know if we could work out the call so that I could talk to all of you, but I have a calling card and I will probably call right around 1 pm UT time. Wow, this feels so surreal! Love you all!!!

Love,

Sister Zimbelman... who will soon be in CABO VERDE! (or on the way there, at least) :)

Wed July 9, 2012
Well, I am alive and well! These past two days feel like one day, but I am doing well. This morning I spent some time with a pair of sister missionaries, neither of whom really speak English. It was a bit overwhelming, but I think that is also just because everything is so new.  The people here are so great, and I have had a lot of fun already! We taught a less active sister, and I could follow what they were saying, for the most part, and contribute to the lesson about prayer and the importance of reading the Book of Mormon.  It is beautiful here, in its own way, and I will shortly be hearing where I will get to start out.  Love you all! It was so fun to talk to you all yesterday!

Love,

Sister Zimbelman

Week 5: Ola

Haha, it seems like everything crazy happens Wednesday-Saturday. :)

Sister Nasau had a crazy migraine Monday-Saturday (she didn't really let me know until she started throwing up just how bad of a headache she had).  Haha, I have felt a lot like a mom, the only sister still going strong and therefore doing a lot of supporting and helping all the others.  Everything is good now, don't worry. :)  After Sister Nasau got three different medications on three different days, got an order for some glasses (it was really weird to be in Shopko as a missionary!), six shots total on four different days, visited instacare at IHC (Wed), had her blood drawn (Wed... I think), visited urgent care at the Student Health Center (Sat), visited the health clinic at the MTC a TON of times (the receptionist and I are really good friends now :) ), she is better! Yay! I had to have a cell phone as my companion twice so I could go to some of class while she rested in the health center, and I have never hated a phone as much as I hated that one, haha.  Hopefully her glasses will come tomorrow, and that should help some.  The doctor said he thinks she has recurring migraines exacerbated by stress, tension in her neck, and eye strain, so glasses should help.  But heat and light tend to set off her migraines, which last a week, and that concerns me because she's headed to Cabo Verde, where she'll be walking up and down hills in lots of heat and tons of light.  And even after she was on anti-pain, muscle relaxant (for her neck), and anti-nausea medications, on Sunday she still had to sleep for 4-5 hours in order to stop herself from throwing up and to help her with her lightheadedness and blurry vision, which started when we were in branch council meeting that morning, because the light was on in that room. And that was after she slept for 10-11 hours Friday night, 2-3 hrs Sat morning, 4-6 Sat. afternoon, and the full 8 hours Sat. night.  I have learned a ton about migraines this week, and I have never been so grateful that I don't get them. :)

The sisters' companionships got changed, which took a huge toll on the two sisters who were doing well... and then pretty literally got stuck in the middle of all the drama, then changed back during all of this.  Pres. Jackson had a talk with the struggling sisters where he apparently "laid down the law", and since then, they have been trying harder than ever before to work together, serve the missionaries around them (and serve each other), and hopefully change into who the Lord knows they can be.  Yesterday was such a wonderful day: Sister Nasau felt completely normal and didn't need to take any naps, she was herself again, and it was so fun to have a "normal" day with the three of us in our district and little or no tension to worry about among the other sisters.  I guess other missionaries have more "normal" days in the MTC than abnormal days, but this felt like a first in a very, very long time. :)  I don't think I have ever had so much fun or been so grateful for a normal day, one where we completely follow the MTC schedule and learn spiritual truths, along with Portuguese!

I have learned so much from all of this! It has really felt like the refiners' fire, but that has been so good because I have developed so much more charity, patience, and gratitude.  It has helped me refocus on my relationship with God as I learn Portuguese and learn how to teach, and has helped me really remember that it is vital to focus on that relationship so I can better help others develop a relationship with Him, too.  It really is the most challenging experiences that seem to help us grow the most as we rely on Christ and trust that His atonement will help us through our trials.  It is so important to learn to trust, too, that God loves us and will bless our lives and take care of us as we let Him guide us and as we ask for His help.  None of this... excitement... really felt like it phased me, because I am really learning to exercise faith and to see life through an eye of faith.  Don't get me wrong, it was crazy hard and I am so glad it is over, but I never really felt fear or felt super overwhelmed or totally lost, and I think it was because I was trying so hard to trust in the Lord and to rely on Him. It made it all okay, even though it was still hard... like in Mosiah, when the Lord makes the peoples' burdens light, even that they cannot feel them on their backs.

Yep, so we got our travel plans! We leave July 8 and we... get... to be at teh travel office at 2:30 am... woo hoo! Haha :)  Our last flight will land in Cabo Verde at 4:30 am their time on July 9, so that will be super fun, too! Haha, but seriously, I don't think I've ever been so excited to get so little sleep and to sleep on an airplane in order to get some rest before we land at 4:30, with a full day of work ahead of us, probably. :)

Also, on Saturday they moved all the Portuguese missionaries to the main floor of 18M, so we only climb stairs when we're coming from our residence to the classroom.  It's pretty great, but part of me kind of misses climbing 3-4 flights of stairs... I'm not exactly sure why. :)

I am learning and growing so much, and it is amazing to see the miracles the Lord is working in the lives of other missionaries, too.  When Sister Nasau follows the promptings of the Spirit, it is SO powerful!  We had a great lesson on the Plan of Salvation with Bruna last night (we didn't teach very much at all last week because of the migraines... :/), where it really felt like the Spirit just enveloped and connected all of us with her as we testified of the truth of what we were teaching.  Plinio committed to being baptized on July 5, and Bruna agreed to be baptized, on July 12.  It's funny, because they are really just our teachers role playing, but the excitement and joy and the Spirit you feel as you teach and as they progress is just SO real! Elder Pauli has such a strong, humble testimony and so much love and selfless service to share with those around him.  We've started teaching each other (one of us is the investigator and the other two are the missionaries), and that has been such a wonderful experience, too.  God truly loves His children so much, and as we serve Him we witness miracles every day.  It's just amazing!  None of us are good enough to b e participating in this work, the work of helping God's children come to Him and receive the blessings He so urgently wants to pour out into their lives.  We are not good enough, but we are so blessed to be a part of the work, to work so closely with God and Jesus Christ.  We are not doing this alone.  

Matthew 11:28-30 says: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and Iwill give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek andlowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Ether 12: 27 says: And if men come unto me I will show unto them theirweakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

We are not doing this alone. If we trust in the Lord and ask for His help and direction, and as we strive to be yoked with him instead of trying to carry our burdens by ourselves, we will be so blessed!

This opportunity to be serving a mission is such a blessing. I don't do it because I have a duty to do it, because I don't.  I am serving because God asked me to.  Because I want EVERYONE to know what I know and have the happiness, peace, and innumerable other blessings I have experienced and am still experiencing as a member of Christ's true restored church.  This is my last P-day at the MTC, and I just can't wait to be able to bring this Gospel to God's children in Cape Verde! :) I love you all! Have a WONDERFUL week!

Love,

Sister Zimbelman