Feb. 28, 2010

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We have had an enjoyable, busy week. We have had the news on to
receive the news about the earthquake in Chile. In our Sacrament
meeting this morning, one of the speakers talked about the "signs of
the times" and said that St. Vincent's disaster would be to have the
volcano La Soufriere erupt. It has not erupted for several years and
nearly wiped the island clean in the early years of the 1900's. It
erupted in 1979 and did a lot of damage but not nearly as devastating
as in 1907 or 08. The Caribbean also experiences hurricanes but St.
Vincent has not experienced a devastating one. Brother Rappley, who
was here from CES this week also talked about circumstances that would
make the people ready to receive the gospel. It is important to be
watchful but not fearful. "If you are prepared, you need not fear."

We had Elder Alvarado, an area Seventy, and Brother Rappleye, CES area
director for the Caribbean, here to train seminary and institute
teachers and coordinator and to have a fireside. It was a spiritual
feast to sit in a room with 7 of us and learn. Elder Alvarado has
been here in St. Vincent twice since we arrived and is a delight to be
around. He has recently been called as the mission president in the
Puerto Rico mission. He is only 40 years old and has been an area
seventy for six years. As we were in a training meeting, Bro.
Rappleye and I realized that we were related through John Lathrop who
is the fifth great grandfather of the prophet Joseph Smith. As the
day progressed we found other connections we share. He is living in
the Dominican Republic and Cindy Acevedo is in their ward there. So,
I hope someone will let Robert and Marlene Acevedo know. The other
connection is that he has served as a stake president and Holly
Bollwinkel was his stake Relief Society president. It is a small
world. We also had the wife of a young medical student from Granada
fly in for the training. We had met briefly when we were in Granada
for zone conference a few weeks ago and it was good to get to know her
better. We also have recently learned that the seminary coordinator
and teacher here in St. Vincent is experiencing a miracle. She is in
her 40's and has no children, neither do any of her sisters. She is
pregnant and is experiencing a miracle. She is absolutely tireless in
serving the Lord. She teaches early morning seminary five days a
week, makes sure that there is a teacher for Calliaqua on Saturday
afternoon (which is usually her) and teaches another group on Friday
afternoon. She and her husband also teach literacy in the Kingstown
branch and she is the historian for the branch. We are so excited for
her and her husband. She is planning to go to the Dominican Republic
before she is too far along to receive her temple endowment in the
Santo Domingo temple. Elder Alvarado and Bro. Rappleye gave a
wonderful fireside which emphasized the importance that the island
youth will play in continued growth her in the Caribbean. Great
stuff. We had a day breather before President Gamiette (Mission
President) arrived for interviews with the branch leaders and temple
recommend interviews. It was wonderful to see the branch members
lined up waiting for the turn to be interviewed and be able to
continue to plan for the trip to the temple. We had great visits with
the members as we facilitated the interview schedule. President
worked from 1 pm to 8:30 pm. straight and was understandably tired and
hungry. We had a quick dinner before he continued to make transfer
calls to the missionaries for this coming week. Elder Wheeler took
him to the airport at 5:30 am on Saturday and if Liat was on time he
had four hours with his family before presiding at the stake
conference in Trinidad. Makes you tired just to read about it,
doesn't it. Elder Wheeler is also very instrumental in helping the
branches here with their semi-annual audit. We also are preparing for
transfers this coming Wednesday. It is hard to get so close to these
young missionaries and them have the fly off to another country in the
mission to serve. We will lose Elders Vi, White and Barker who have
served so faithfully here and are so loved by their converts and the
members.

It is time to go to Kingstown for the audit there so we will call it a
week and send our love to all. We know that the Restored Gospel of
Jesus Christ is true and that we have such a bright future by living
by it's principles and the commandments.