Miracles and Minor Surgery

This week will be kind of short as well. It was kind of a slow week this week in terms of teaching, but it was still good. We finally sat with one girl named Darleen. She had come to church for 5 weeks and wouldn't sit with us (I think this means meet for a discussion), but now she has and will be baptized in a week!

I do have two way awesome stories to share. First, last week I felt, honestly, really crappy. I was annoyed with people, I was tired, and I felt a little homesick. But there was a day when my companion noticed and he asked what was up, and I explained. He said, "Just go read your scriptures. That's what helps me." So I decided to read the Liahona, and I came across a story that was written by the lady who wrote Thomas S. Monson's biography (Heidi Swinton). She was sharing different experiences the prophet had had. While I was reading it, I felt the spirit so strong, and I had tears in my eyes because everything in there was what I needed to hear! Just one of the many things I learned from that talk was a quote by the President that goes "whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies" and that hit me so hard! I am called to be a missionary, and even when I feel insecure or like I shouldn't be here, He knows what I can do, and he will give me the strength I need to do it. I just need to go to work! 

The next story happened yesterday! I was at church listening to the weekly announcements, and then it was time for the confirmation of the sister's baptisms. They asked the first woman who she wanted to say the prayer, and she chose me! I have never even studied how to do that, let alone in Portuguese! But this week we had a stake presidency member there and he spoke English. He called me up, and as I went up to the front, he said to the others in the circle, "It will be okay, he has the Spirit." I regret to say that I thought it wouldn't be enough, but boy was I proven wrong! He helped me get through the part that you have to say, and then he said "bless her". Until this point I had totally forgotten about that part!!! So I paused, and thought, and then all of a sudden I knew what to say! It was amazing. It was as if the moment my mind was about to run out of words to say, someone just popped a sentence in! I know the Spirit was with me, and that the Lord gave a blessing through me. It was my hands and my mouth, but it was all His words and love! I know the Lord loves us, and will help all of his children in ways that we really won't understand or comprehend! He is always there for us!

Now again, Mother. Don't freak out, call the mission president, send an email, or complain to the First Presidency (I guess that's a problem), but I am having my toenail removed this week. (Mom's note: I get the feeling he believes I harass everyone like I harassed him about homework in high school... :) I have had an ingrown toe nail the entire time I have been in the field, and it has gotten pretty bad. I did everything to help it heal, but it's not working. They have found a really clean and good clinic to do it at, and the President's wife is really looking out for me! So no worries! (Another note: He didn't know that his brother Makay also had to have a toe nail removed last week!)

I am currently in Praia, but I hope to go back to Sal! I am a lot more comfortable in Portuguese, and have been able to talk more often. Creole is a nightmare, nuff said. My companion is your typical skater, but he is way cool! Got to jet, though. Love the pictures every week! I love you all!

Love,

Elder Naylor 

The Field Is White

     Day life at home is sounding crazy! I love hearing about my teams, and the weather! We have had some good rain here. 
     We had another two baptisms this week, and their names are Telma and Francesca. They are both awesome! Telma was the one who had the problem with smoking, but she has over come it! She gave us 8 people's names who she already has talked to about the Church, so we are hopeful that they are ready! We really want to teach all of Francesca's family (she is only 17). If we did that, it would be sweet!
     I have gotten to know some of the members here really well, and they are awesome! Stephan, and Ed Neilson! Two way awesome people! Stephan is our branch mission leader!
     The general age of the people we talk to is about 17 to 30; a lot of young people! This week was hard because, I just feel tired now. We hope for another successful week.
     The other elders in our house are from Cali, and Arizona, and we share a house with them, and then the ones in the baptism pictures are from Salt Lake and Brazil!  The couple is from Idaho! I will have you know I have almost filled the journal you gave me! I have not missed a day in the field and they have been 3+ page entries. I plan to type all of them out when I get home, and make a book of them!

Love,

Elder Naylor

I Really Am in Africa!

     Well, another week has gone by, and I have another baptism! This one was great! I was actually here to teach her all of the lessons, and when it came time for her to decide who would perform the baptism, she chose me!!! :) And to make it even better, it was in the ocean! I will send some pictures home! We had to time it so that we didn't get hammered by a wave in the middle of it! We have a senior couple here and he was doing a baptism before me, and it knocked both him and the convert over right in the middle of the prayer! :)  When I went out, the water was at my knees, and a wave came that went over my head! These were some big waves! Luckily I was not praying at that moment! 
 

Baptism group

Our investigator that I was asked to baptize

Baptism in the ocean.

     In even more great news, my baptism from 2 weeks ago now has the Priesthood, and is teaching the Gospel Principles class next week in church! He has given us 5 solid contacts, and he is always telling friends about church, and reading the Book of Mormon at work. This guy is just awesome! 

 

Our first baptism and a look at his house

     We have two more baptisms next week and they are both ready. The only problem would be if one of them smokes, but she fasted last Sunday for the strength to not smoke! Who has ever heard of an investigator fasting?!? :) All is still going well and I have almost completed my first transfer! 

This is someone's whole kitchen

The Room where we hold sacrament meeting

we had a pancake activity to find new people! they also watched the restoration! dad would be proud i made some beast pancakes!

Attempt at a burger :)

     About daily life... P-days we clean and relax. Here on Sal we don't really play a sport, but I heard in Praia, there are huge soccer games, because they have more elders! Our food is rice and beans and pasta. It's really boring but it keeps us going! Today, however, we went to one place that sells burgers! Clothes are washed in a washer in our house and hung up to dry, and we are very lucky to have these washers!! Even houses that have plasma screen tvs don't have washers! And everything is on foot! We walk about 5 miles, if not more, a day! Our area is way big! I am in Espargos, but we do go to Santa Maria. You should try and find my house! There is this base thing on the hill and it has this ball building, but the road that comes down from there goes right past the back window of our house!

16°39'11.19" N  22°53'50.40" W

     Got to go. Will send some pics! Wishing everyone the best!

Love,

Elder Naylor

Two month mark! Exactly, actually. :)

     Well, here we are, 2 months in and 22 more to go! :) I am doing great, and the people of Cape Verde are as well. We have about 30 investigators. It's really hard to find families here, just because marriage is expensive and people live together and then they live with someone else. Geneology would be a nightmare here! So that kind of stinks! (The law of chastity is a big lesson here! :) That's always fun!) But we have 3 people who are set and are going to be great, and we have another 9 who could be soon! 
     The ward is great. All the members are supportive of us and each other. They are always willing to give a name, or even come teach with us! 
     So in the next two weeks we have 3 more baptisms, and all of these people are just awesome! One was a smoker, so we taught the Word of Wisdom. The next day when we stopped by, the ash tray that she kept on her table, that was always full of used and new cigarettes, was flipped over, and she has been clean for the last 5 days! 
     One awesome thing is that people are very accepting, and anyone is willing to talk with you and at least listen, and a lot want to follow! Just this last Sunday, I had to go help in another ward because an elder went home, and this ward/branch has only been established for 3 weeks--the same amount of time that I have been here! They have sacrament meeting in a member's house, and there were only two other people that held the priesthood there that were not missionaries! I had the opportunity to bless the Sacrament in Portuguese, so that was really cool! 
     The language is really starting to come! It's been hard because most people speak Creole, which is nothing like Portuguese. I have a tough time knowing what they are saying. But most, as soon as I start speaking Portuguese, flip and then you can talk with them! I have been talking more in the lessons, and yesterday I held a real conversation with someone! 
     It sounds like all of my teams are doing well. That makes me happy!
     I will send more pics next week and try the new way!

Well, that's all for today! Tchau

Love,

Elder Naylor  

First Area - Sal, Cape Verde

Chilling in Boston

Plane to Sal, Cape Verde

     One week down while living in Africa, and guess who has a baptism?!? That's right, this guy!!!!! :) :) I am loving working here. We are having a ton of success, and the people are just great! I think I have kind of gotten over the culture shock now, but who knows what's waiting around the corner for me! :)

Praia, Cape Verde

     There is so much that happens, I don't know what to write! We have had limited water the past couple days, and so that means dirty dishes, and really quick showers, and the rest we put into bottles for the rest of the day so we actually have something to drink! :) It seems our tank refills a little every night, even though our pump is broken!

     The language is as hard as ever, and half the people speak Creole, which is nothing like Portuguese! So for half the lessons, I walk out and have no idea what they said! :) 

     I got a little sick over the weekend, which was expected! I had a fever and the runs, so I got house-grounded for a day! :) But all's good in the hood now, and nothing to worry about! :) 

     Not any huge stories happened this week, so this will probably be short. Sorry. Love you all, and I will have a lot more to write about next week!! :)

Houses in area

Our church

(Direct answers to Mom's questions...)

My companion's name is Elder Gilbert. He is from Idaho Falls. I am currently on Sal (island) and we eat a ton of rice, beans, and sausage. Our house is actually really nice. I will send some pictures home today! l love you all, wish you the best,

Me and Elder Gilbert

Kitchen

My apartment

Elder Naylor

Africa!!

     Well, I am in Africa now. This is the most crazy thing I have ever done!! To start off, it's so poor here, there is trash everywhere, and people will just use the bathroom on the side of the road! There is no such thing as a dryer, and everything here smells weird. The water in our house has to go through three different filters before we can drink it!!! And I could go on with a ton more!! 

     BUT I am doing great. I am way out of my comfort zone, but I am happy to serve the Lord where ever he needs me!! :) What I thought I knew about Portuguese is nothing out here! They all speak Creole, and speak so fast! The past few days I have pretty much been silent! :) 

     The message I want to share with everyone is to be grateful for what you have! In one of the lessons I was teaching, we were in a house that has been built out of complete scrap. Scrap wood, meat concrete (?), so forth. There are easily 500 flies all flying around! As we were teaching, this little girl comes in with a sucker, probably the size of a dum dum (sucker) and she starts sharing with the other 6 kids in the room. They pass it around and each takes one little suck on it. Then one kid took two, and this other kid straight up punches him in the head, and knocks him over!!! My heart hurts so much for this family. All the kids were under 10 and they were in dirty clothes, or at least part outfits. We were sitting on crates and broken chairs. So love what you have, and who you have, because there truly are people in the world who have nothing! They live the hardest lives ever! 

     I helped carry water today to a (church) member's house from where they get water, and the walk was 250 yards with heavy buckets, and that was what they had to do, or else they didn't have water. 

     So much more has happened, but I need to bail. I am proud to be the Lord's missionary and to be able to bring joy and comfort to these people, showing them that they are loved and things will be alright! 

Love

Elder Naylor

Week 6 - MTC... On his way!

     So I get on a plane tomorrow!  I am so excited and ready to go! I am really not that nervous or scared, but I will probably get a wake up call when I get there! ;) 

     Not a ton has happened this week, so I really don't know what to write. I will leave just a small spiritual thought! :) The Lord loves all of us and he cares about every little thing we care about. I was able this past weekend to see a perfect example of this. Sunday morning I was just thinking "I should try and find everyone I want to say goodbye to today." Sundays are easy because everyone's schedule is mixed so you have a great chance of seeing them. I went through the day and saw one guy here, another there, and I had set up to meet Kyle (Todd's cousin) after the devotional (he left early Monday morning). When I got back to my room, I realized I had seen every single person I wanted to. I didn't even pray, but the Lord still made it happen. And even if it hadn't happened, I would have been like, oh well! :) 

     Then, that night I was getting a bag ready to send home and I thought that I was done, and right when I was about to finish my packing, my companion says "Think I should send my big Preach My Gospel home?" and I remembered that mine was under the desk, WAY out of sight, and that I wanted them to go home. The Lord cared enough to have my companion say the right thing that helped me remember something. 

     The last example actually happened yesterday! So I was in class studying, and I ran out of water in my water bottle. I went out to fill it up in the hallway, and right when I turned to go back into my room, I hear someone say "hi Elder Naylor". I turned around, and Julia Bunting is standing right there!! I talked with her for a few seconds and then she needed to go, but I just got thinking, what are the odds of that!! It was her first day and I leave in two days, and she was in 1 of 19 buildings that all have 3 plus floors, and she got hired to one specific job out of the millions that are here. And she was standing right outside my class!! There is no way that the Lord was not involved in that!! And for what specific purpose? I am not sure, but it was nice to see another friend before I left!! 

     So the Lord wants to bless all of us, and he will! Maybe sometimes its hard to see for ourselves, but He always is! Just stay strong and keep praying! :)

Elder Naylor

Me being Awesome!

Elder Brinkerhoff

Temple Walk

Last day with all the Elders

Elder Furniss

We are the best, and best looking

Iramao (brother) Taylor

We were trying to eat the ENORMOUS pile of food/candy!

Iramao (brother) Chamberlain