The Tree of Life

This week was tourist week.  Well, not really because as missionaries we are never supposed to look like tourists. But we visited a few of Assomada's prime sights.

This morning for a little P-Day adventure we hiked down to the "Tree of Life". This tree is at the bottom of Boa Intrada, and it looks like it's straight our of The Lion King. We sang a little Lion King while playing on it, and you know that we sang the tree song from the most recent Hunger Games on the hike down, "Are you, are you, comin' to the tree?" You betcha!
 

On Tuesday the sisters in the Assomada house and I ran to the cross on the hill - on the hill being key. It was about a mile and a half run up hill. It felt so good to run hard! But we were all feeling it the next day.

On Tuesday Sister Friaca and I also visited the cemetery of Assomada. We arrived just before a funeral procession and so we stood in the back and watched a Cape Verdean funeral.  They are not quiet events. It's tradition is Cape Verde to cry and wail at a funeral, and when they cry, they cry prayers; so it sounds sad but pretty at the same time, like a song. The people are not buried very deep and so we had to be careful where we walked, didn't want to step on anyone. But a lot of the people had succulents or flowers planted on top which was a pretty contrast against the black cross that read their name.

Assomada Cemetery

Spiritual thought for the week:

Before heading out on the mission, I spent a lot of time deciding on a blog name. Too much time actually, and I only chose Covered by His Grace because I stumbled upon a font with that name, and I thought it had a pretty ring to it, but there wasn't really any meaning to it.

However, since I chose that title I've become really interested with "grace", and I've noticed that the apostles have too. Elder Uchtdorf spoke on grace this past General Conference (can't wait to get a copy of it), and in this past month's Liahona, Elder Bednar spoke on grace as well. 

I love his thoughts on the topic, he said that grace is to "receive strength and assistance to do good works that we otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means."

That is literally my mission, I am literally being covered by His grace. If left to my own means I could not maintain a mission schedule, hike the hills of Boa Intrada and Achada Gomes (I truly hike the "Y" at least once a day), and do this "good work" that I've been called to do. But with His grace, he's got me covered, and I have strength beyond my own. 

Love you all!
Sister Hanzel