s,
We have had a good Sabbath and hope that you all have too. It is so
fun to go to so many different branches and wards and see the
consistency with which all the meetings are conducted. We had Stake
Conference today and it was great. The building was filled to
capacity and the talks were all very good. The Stake President was
called out of the Stake unexpectedly and the first counselor conducted
and gave two good talks. He was a missionary 4 years ago. He is now
married and serving in the Stake Presidency. Amazing what is
happening and how important Seminary and Institute are in preparing
missionaries and future leaders. It is good to watch the youth and
feel so confident that we will be in their care in the near future.
Last week we were concerned with health issues for two of our
missionaries. Elder Wilkinson's parents arrived mid-week and that was
such a blessing. We are hopeful that he will be able to travel to the
States Tuesday with his parents. There is a cardiologist from Salt
Lake flying in to travel with them. Elder Vaea had a good appointment
at the U.S. Embassy and they kept his passport and said they would
deliver it to the Mission Office. It hasn't happened yet but we hope
that it will happen tomorrow. We have a ticket for him on Tuesday
also and hope that the passport and visa come in time for him to use
that ticket. It is so wonderful to have all the technology and
knowledge so readily available to us in dealing with these
circumstances. Our faith is tested and after all we can do the
miracle happens. Tomorrow is another Zone Leader Council. It will be
held via the web instead of flying all the zone leaders to Trinidad.
We tried this while we were in St. Vincent. When they finally get the
bugs worked out, it will be a great blessing.
Elder Wheeler is working with apartments and vehicles. The wheels
turn slowly in these matters and it is a test of one's patience. The
van that needs to be sold should have been sold over a year ago. The
apartment that is needed will only be needed for a short time and
there three others that are unoccupied right now. Interesting! Also,
immigration is always a chess match with transfers. There is no time
to get into a boring routine for sure. We can see the Lord's hand in
the things that are happening even though logically it doesn't make a
lot of sense.
We love you all and pray for that the Lord's tender mercies will be with you.
Much love,
Elder and Sister Wheeler
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
August 22,2010
Can summer be over and school back in session? Time is flying! School
will start here on September 6. The traffic gets crazier after school
starts. We are also hoping that we will be able to see Mars the end
of the week as it is supposed to look as big as the moon. We live in
an area where it is hard to see the sky because of buildings and trees
etc. so we hope we don't miss it. It is always good to hear from you
and to hear about what is happening in you world.
This has been quite a week. We have had a number of unusual things to
deal with as well as receiving and sending home missionaries. It has
also been transfer week with lots of travel, funding and immigration
issues. We were supposed to have seven new missionaries and we only
got four because three had not been able to get their visas. So, they
will be temping in the States until that happens. They come in with
their eyes big and ready to go. It is fun to watch how quickly they
adjust and get into the work. We also had nine Elders return home.
They have mixed emotions, so excited to being going home to their
families, friends and school and yet hate to leave those they have
come to love here in the West Indies. The Assistants to the President
took them to the airport and they said there was not a dry eye in the
van. We have served closely with some of them and love them like
family. We have watched them boldly share the Gospel and care for and
love the people. Great memories that will make us dear friends
forever. President Gamiette interviews each of the incoming and
departing missionaries and it makes quite a couple of days in the
office. President and Sister Gamiette also have them to the mission
home for dinner and a devotional. To add to the dynamics, we had an
Elder collapse in his apartment and was taken to a hospital. The
hospital was not the best so they took him to another private
hospital. He has been in ICU with heart problems. His parents are
trying to get here but they do not have passports. This young Elder
has only been here 8 weeks and is trying to do missionary work from
his hospital room. He is writing down the names of contacts and
calling people etc. Hopefully they will be able to stabilize his
condition and get home to the States this week. The sad side of all
of this is that Pres. also had four disciplinary councils with two
being sent home. SAD!!! Mission presidents pack a hefty load. Every
time there was a change, it meant changes in assignments and new
needs for travel, immigration and funding. We had a total of eight
transfer sheets before it was all said and done. We are still trying
to facilitate a visa for Elder Vaea and have an appointment for him at
the U.S. embassy at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow. We have no doubt that the
Lord will make the right thing happen. Even through the difficult
things this week, there has been a spirit that the Lord's will would
be done. Obedience is such an essential principle and keeps us sa
We had a great experience yesterday. Elder and Sister Angus,
humanitarian missionaries, invited us to attend a 'handing over"
ceremony with them. It was held in Port of Spain at the International
Red Cross facility there. It was a container, semi trailer load, of
wheel chairs, new born kits, school kits, hygiene kits, clothes,
blankets and toys. It had been packed in Salt Lake City and then
trucked across the US and then sent by boat to Trinidad. They don't
always get the kits like they did this time but felt like the Lord had
blessed them as the community of Chaguanas had been flooded the last
couple of weeks with all the rain and was in desperate need of the
supplies that were in the container. It also helped those who are
trying to get ready for school to start. The ceremony was impressive
with the Stake President, Emrol Gould, handing it over to the Red
Cross and Missions International for distribution to those who were
most need. There were members of the cabinet (government) and the
media. there also. All 40 wheelchairs had already been spoken for.
The wife of the administrator for Missions International said that
they were so impressed with the way the kits had been put together.
She said that women must have been a part of that because they were
put together in such a caring, organized and thoughtful way. People
were so grateful to receive them as they were struggling! Our thought
went to home and they days that the youth and Relief Society work to
put these kits together. We saw first hand the gratitude from those
who receive them. We came away knowing that there are caring
thoughtful, good people everywhere. The administrator of Missions
International is a wonderful man who works tirelessly for the good of
others. Elder and Sister Angus are doing a marvelous work throughout
the mission and most especially in Guyana. Watching this will make
fasting and fast offerings more personal. It is so wonderful to be a
Mormon and to be a part of this great work.
We hope you all have a great week!!!
will start here on September 6. The traffic gets crazier after school
starts. We are also hoping that we will be able to see Mars the end
of the week as it is supposed to look as big as the moon. We live in
an area where it is hard to see the sky because of buildings and trees
etc. so we hope we don't miss it. It is always good to hear from you
and to hear about what is happening in you world.
This has been quite a week. We have had a number of unusual things to
deal with as well as receiving and sending home missionaries. It has
also been transfer week with lots of travel, funding and immigration
issues. We were supposed to have seven new missionaries and we only
got four because three had not been able to get their visas. So, they
will be temping in the States until that happens. They come in with
their eyes big and ready to go. It is fun to watch how quickly they
adjust and get into the work. We also had nine Elders return home.
They have mixed emotions, so excited to being going home to their
families, friends and school and yet hate to leave those they have
come to love here in the West Indies. The Assistants to the President
took them to the airport and they said there was not a dry eye in the
van. We have served closely with some of them and love them like
family. We have watched them boldly share the Gospel and care for and
love the people. Great memories that will make us dear friends
forever. President Gamiette interviews each of the incoming and
departing missionaries and it makes quite a couple of days in the
office. President and Sister Gamiette also have them to the mission
home for dinner and a devotional. To add to the dynamics, we had an
Elder collapse in his apartment and was taken to a hospital. The
hospital was not the best so they took him to another private
hospital. He has been in ICU with heart problems. His parents are
trying to get here but they do not have passports. This young Elder
has only been here 8 weeks and is trying to do missionary work from
his hospital room. He is writing down the names of contacts and
calling people etc. Hopefully they will be able to stabilize his
condition and get home to the States this week. The sad side of all
of this is that Pres. also had four disciplinary councils with two
being sent home. SAD!!! Mission presidents pack a hefty load. Every
time there was a change, it meant changes in assignments and new
needs for travel, immigration and funding. We had a total of eight
transfer sheets before it was all said and done. We are still trying
to facilitate a visa for Elder Vaea and have an appointment for him at
the U.S. embassy at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow. We have no doubt that the
Lord will make the right thing happen. Even through the difficult
things this week, there has been a spirit that the Lord's will would
be done. Obedience is such an essential principle and keeps us sa
We had a great experience yesterday. Elder and Sister Angus,
humanitarian missionaries, invited us to attend a 'handing over"
ceremony with them. It was held in Port of Spain at the International
Red Cross facility there. It was a container, semi trailer load, of
wheel chairs, new born kits, school kits, hygiene kits, clothes,
blankets and toys. It had been packed in Salt Lake City and then
trucked across the US and then sent by boat to Trinidad. They don't
always get the kits like they did this time but felt like the Lord had
blessed them as the community of Chaguanas had been flooded the last
couple of weeks with all the rain and was in desperate need of the
supplies that were in the container. It also helped those who are
trying to get ready for school to start. The ceremony was impressive
with the Stake President, Emrol Gould, handing it over to the Red
Cross and Missions International for distribution to those who were
most need. There were members of the cabinet (government) and the
media. there also. All 40 wheelchairs had already been spoken for.
The wife of the administrator for Missions International said that
they were so impressed with the way the kits had been put together.
She said that women must have been a part of that because they were
put together in such a caring, organized and thoughtful way. People
were so grateful to receive them as they were struggling! Our thought
went to home and they days that the youth and Relief Society work to
put these kits together. We saw first hand the gratitude from those
who receive them. We came away knowing that there are caring
thoughtful, good people everywhere. The administrator of Missions
International is a wonderful man who works tirelessly for the good of
others. Elder and Sister Angus are doing a marvelous work throughout
the mission and most especially in Guyana. Watching this will make
fasting and fast offerings more personal. It is so wonderful to be a
Mormon and to be a part of this great work.
We hope you all have a great week!!!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
August 15 2010
Another rainy week in paradise. We love this rainy season and we know
that it is harvest there and it needs to be sunny and warm. We hope
that the Fall is a good one for all of you. We hope that you will
enjoy the Fall season for us; we miss the harvest, the cool nights and
mornings, the colors, the canning and storing the garden and the long,
hard working hours and those who helped with the harvest. I miss
making cinnamon rolls for the harvest crew and the blessing all these
good people were to us and to our children. We are so grateful for
all of you.
We had two experiences that we would like to share with you. There is
a missionary from Tonga that we served with in St. Vincent and also
have had the opportunity to spend time with here in Trinidad. He and
his companions were amazing, dedicated missionaries. In St. Vincent,
they went into the community of Diamond and walked the hills and gaps
and met all the people. Elder Vaea shared with me on Friday the
experience of finding "Bailey". Bailey was drunk and sitting in a
heap on the roadside. Elder Vaea told him who he was and asked him
what he wanted to do the rest of his life. " Do you want to drink
more? Do you want to smoke more? Bailey said, "No, I want to change
my life!" Bailey was not a youngster but an older man. He has come
to Church almost every week in the Calliaqua branch since then. He is
a strong member and has baptized others. There are many who will be
forever grateful to Elder Vaea and his other companions. Elder Vaea
is strong and of good courage. However, he has not been well most of
his mission and has kept it to himself. His situation has become more
evident and the mission nurse, Sister Ellison, has had him to many
physicians and had many tests and they have come to no conclusions
about his malady. The Church has made commitments that the
missionaries will return to their country of origin at the conclusion
of their mission. Because of this important commitment, it is hard to
get visas for missionaries that are not US citizens to make any stop
at all in the U.S. As we have looked for options for Elder Vaea, we
found that we were coming up short everywhere we turned. We needed
Missionary Department approval, General authority approval, physicians
recommendations from here and in the U.S. as well as legal advice,
very involved and complicated. We had Zone Conference tour the past
two weeks here in the West Indies Mission. Elder Coleman of the
Seventy and his wife were a part of this tour. They were in Trinidad
last Monday and Tuesday. Monday night Elder Vaea had an episode and
collapsed in his apartment on Monday evening. The Elders took him to
the hospital and Sister Ellison and Pres. and Sister Gamiette met them
there. There were some anxious hours and a powerful blessing from
Pres. Gamiette was given. The tour continued to Guyana and then they
had Friday afternoon again in Trinidad before going on to Suriname.
Pres. Gamiette and Elder Coleman came to the mission office directly
from the airport and things began to happen. There were many phone
calls and much finding of information. Pres Gamiette would come to my
desk and ask for things every few minutes and Elder Morris (Office
Elder) helped with sending information to Salt Lake City via the
internet. Elder Vaea, who has been serving as Elder Morris' companion
for the last few weeks, was right there at my desk and we were sharing
memories of St. Vincent. Just as this started to happen, Elder Vaea
had pulled up the pictures from our blog and we were sharing memories
shared in St. Vincent. We watched as a mountain was beginning to be
moved to allow Elder Vaea to receive medical help in the States. This
coming week will be important in scraping the dirt around and
smoothing things but we have seen a miracle. Sister Mele Vi, who has
helped from Salt Lake and is the mother of Elder Vi who served with
Elder Vaea in St. Vincent, has helped so much and has facilitated an
appointment with a doctor in Salt Lake as well as being his Tongan
family in the States. Elder Vaea's release date is the last of
September and he wants to serve right up to the time he leaves. Pres.
Gamiette has given him the opportunity to train a new missionary until
he goes to the U.S. and before going home to Tonga.
The other experience happened this morning at the Couva branch. In
Sunday School, we were talking about being guided by the Spirit.
Sister Hyman, a Hindu convert, shared an experience. She said that
she and her daughters had been to the Church to help clean on a
Saturday morning and had returned home. As they entered their home,
Sister Hyman felt she should lock her door. It wasn't long until her
brother came to the house and called in. He asked why she had locked
her door and she continued to talk to him through the window. Her
daughter pointed out to her that he had a large cutlass hidden behind
his back. He was very agitated and he said to her as he was leaving,
"It is a good things you locked your door, you know!" After Sunday
School, I told her that I appreciated her sharing her experience. She
began sharing more experiences and told me with tears in her eyes how
the feeling in her home changed as she put up pictures of the Temples
and that she would read the Book of Mormon and then embrace the Book
and cry and then repeat the process. We embraced as sisters with
tears in our eyes. We are so blessed to be members of the Church and
it says something about the choices we have made before this life and
in this life. Heavenly Father blesses us for every good thing that
we do be it immediate or sometimes when we least expect it. Again, we
heard a marvelous, first generation story of conversion.
We are enjoying our mission so much! We love the West Indian people!
We enjoy the people we serve with! It is important to thrive where we
are and to find the best in our associates. There are so much good in
people everywhere!
that it is harvest there and it needs to be sunny and warm. We hope
that the Fall is a good one for all of you. We hope that you will
enjoy the Fall season for us; we miss the harvest, the cool nights and
mornings, the colors, the canning and storing the garden and the long,
hard working hours and those who helped with the harvest. I miss
making cinnamon rolls for the harvest crew and the blessing all these
good people were to us and to our children. We are so grateful for
all of you.
We had two experiences that we would like to share with you. There is
a missionary from Tonga that we served with in St. Vincent and also
have had the opportunity to spend time with here in Trinidad. He and
his companions were amazing, dedicated missionaries. In St. Vincent,
they went into the community of Diamond and walked the hills and gaps
and met all the people. Elder Vaea shared with me on Friday the
experience of finding "Bailey". Bailey was drunk and sitting in a
heap on the roadside. Elder Vaea told him who he was and asked him
what he wanted to do the rest of his life. " Do you want to drink
more? Do you want to smoke more? Bailey said, "No, I want to change
my life!" Bailey was not a youngster but an older man. He has come
to Church almost every week in the Calliaqua branch since then. He is
a strong member and has baptized others. There are many who will be
forever grateful to Elder Vaea and his other companions. Elder Vaea
is strong and of good courage. However, he has not been well most of
his mission and has kept it to himself. His situation has become more
evident and the mission nurse, Sister Ellison, has had him to many
physicians and had many tests and they have come to no conclusions
about his malady. The Church has made commitments that the
missionaries will return to their country of origin at the conclusion
of their mission. Because of this important commitment, it is hard to
get visas for missionaries that are not US citizens to make any stop
at all in the U.S. As we have looked for options for Elder Vaea, we
found that we were coming up short everywhere we turned. We needed
Missionary Department approval, General authority approval, physicians
recommendations from here and in the U.S. as well as legal advice,
very involved and complicated. We had Zone Conference tour the past
two weeks here in the West Indies Mission. Elder Coleman of the
Seventy and his wife were a part of this tour. They were in Trinidad
last Monday and Tuesday. Monday night Elder Vaea had an episode and
collapsed in his apartment on Monday evening. The Elders took him to
the hospital and Sister Ellison and Pres. and Sister Gamiette met them
there. There were some anxious hours and a powerful blessing from
Pres. Gamiette was given. The tour continued to Guyana and then they
had Friday afternoon again in Trinidad before going on to Suriname.
Pres. Gamiette and Elder Coleman came to the mission office directly
from the airport and things began to happen. There were many phone
calls and much finding of information. Pres Gamiette would come to my
desk and ask for things every few minutes and Elder Morris (Office
Elder) helped with sending information to Salt Lake City via the
internet. Elder Vaea, who has been serving as Elder Morris' companion
for the last few weeks, was right there at my desk and we were sharing
memories of St. Vincent. Just as this started to happen, Elder Vaea
had pulled up the pictures from our blog and we were sharing memories
shared in St. Vincent. We watched as a mountain was beginning to be
moved to allow Elder Vaea to receive medical help in the States. This
coming week will be important in scraping the dirt around and
smoothing things but we have seen a miracle. Sister Mele Vi, who has
helped from Salt Lake and is the mother of Elder Vi who served with
Elder Vaea in St. Vincent, has helped so much and has facilitated an
appointment with a doctor in Salt Lake as well as being his Tongan
family in the States. Elder Vaea's release date is the last of
September and he wants to serve right up to the time he leaves. Pres.
Gamiette has given him the opportunity to train a new missionary until
he goes to the U.S. and before going home to Tonga.
The other experience happened this morning at the Couva branch. In
Sunday School, we were talking about being guided by the Spirit.
Sister Hyman, a Hindu convert, shared an experience. She said that
she and her daughters had been to the Church to help clean on a
Saturday morning and had returned home. As they entered their home,
Sister Hyman felt she should lock her door. It wasn't long until her
brother came to the house and called in. He asked why she had locked
her door and she continued to talk to him through the window. Her
daughter pointed out to her that he had a large cutlass hidden behind
his back. He was very agitated and he said to her as he was leaving,
"It is a good things you locked your door, you know!" After Sunday
School, I told her that I appreciated her sharing her experience. She
began sharing more experiences and told me with tears in her eyes how
the feeling in her home changed as she put up pictures of the Temples
and that she would read the Book of Mormon and then embrace the Book
and cry and then repeat the process. We embraced as sisters with
tears in our eyes. We are so blessed to be members of the Church and
it says something about the choices we have made before this life and
in this life. Heavenly Father blesses us for every good thing that
we do be it immediate or sometimes when we least expect it. Again, we
heard a marvelous, first generation story of conversion.
We are enjoying our mission so much! We love the West Indian people!
We enjoy the people we serve with! It is important to thrive where we
are and to find the best in our associates. There are so much good in
people everywhere!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
August 8,2010
Good night from Trinidad,
We have had great news from home with two new baby boys being blessed
in our family the last two Sundays. They are Andrew Beer Wheeler
(Kory and Heather ) and Kasen Krew Wheeler (Seth and Tiffany). We are
so grateful for these new little ones in our family. It sounds like
fall is fast approaching and that school is starting again soon. It
is hard to imagine when they seasons change very little here. The sun
comes up and goes down the same time all year round. I take that
back, it changes by about twenty minutes. The sun is up about 6 a.m.
and goes down about 6:30 p.m.
We have had a busy week in the Mission office as we have been
preparing for the Zone Conference tour with Elder and Sister Coleman.
Elder Coleman is a member of the Seventy and will tour the whole
mission with President and Sister Gamiette. We are also preparing for
transfers and the arrival of 7 new Elders and the departure of 9
Elders. It is great to see both as the new Elders are so ready to get
started and the departing Elders have mixed emotions. It is such a
great experience to see the growth that comes to these young
missionaries. Our Heavenly Father is definitely in charge and has
such a great plan for us. We are also watching the progress of a
Senior Couple from the Netherlands and a young Sister from Nepal as
the prepare to come to the West Indies Mission. They were having a
lot of challenges satisfying the immigration requirements but the past
few days things have opened up for them. It is amazing to watch this
young woman from Nepal and we look forward to getting to know her
story. It is very cold in Nepal and she will have quite an adjustment
as she comes to the Caribbean. We also had a wonderful P-day on
Saturday. We went to Maracas beach with Elder and Sister Childs and
had Shark and bake, which is a must according to everyone. It is deep
fried shark and a scone like "bake". We took the mountain road back
to Valsayn where we live. It was beautiful rain forest with some very
interesting road conditions. This island has it all, beautiful
beaches, flat crop land, swamps and rugged mountains. The population
is very diverse and we have come to love the East Indian people.
They are beautiful, well mannered, family oriented and hard working.
Well, we best call it a night as we have to be at the airport at 6
a.m.to pick-up Elder and Sister Harris (CES couple) who went to
Suriname for a Seminary Graduation this weekend. We have been
studying about inspiration and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. We are so
grateful for the " tender mercies" we receive as we are guided
through the complex matters that present themselves in the Mission
office. There is no doubt that we are blessed each day! D&C 8:2-3
"I believe that one day, when we are allowed to review the scenes of
mortality from a grander perspective, we will be astounded at how
closely the Lord directed our paths, orchestrated the events of our
lives, and in general led us by that kindly light we know as the Holy
Ghost." May you be blessed this week!
We have had great news from home with two new baby boys being blessed
in our family the last two Sundays. They are Andrew Beer Wheeler
(Kory and Heather ) and Kasen Krew Wheeler (Seth and Tiffany). We are
so grateful for these new little ones in our family. It sounds like
fall is fast approaching and that school is starting again soon. It
is hard to imagine when they seasons change very little here. The sun
comes up and goes down the same time all year round. I take that
back, it changes by about twenty minutes. The sun is up about 6 a.m.
and goes down about 6:30 p.m.
We have had a busy week in the Mission office as we have been
preparing for the Zone Conference tour with Elder and Sister Coleman.
Elder Coleman is a member of the Seventy and will tour the whole
mission with President and Sister Gamiette. We are also preparing for
transfers and the arrival of 7 new Elders and the departure of 9
Elders. It is great to see both as the new Elders are so ready to get
started and the departing Elders have mixed emotions. It is such a
great experience to see the growth that comes to these young
missionaries. Our Heavenly Father is definitely in charge and has
such a great plan for us. We are also watching the progress of a
Senior Couple from the Netherlands and a young Sister from Nepal as
the prepare to come to the West Indies Mission. They were having a
lot of challenges satisfying the immigration requirements but the past
few days things have opened up for them. It is amazing to watch this
young woman from Nepal and we look forward to getting to know her
story. It is very cold in Nepal and she will have quite an adjustment
as she comes to the Caribbean. We also had a wonderful P-day on
Saturday. We went to Maracas beach with Elder and Sister Childs and
had Shark and bake, which is a must according to everyone. It is deep
fried shark and a scone like "bake". We took the mountain road back
to Valsayn where we live. It was beautiful rain forest with some very
interesting road conditions. This island has it all, beautiful
beaches, flat crop land, swamps and rugged mountains. The population
is very diverse and we have come to love the East Indian people.
They are beautiful, well mannered, family oriented and hard working.
Well, we best call it a night as we have to be at the airport at 6
a.m.to pick-up Elder and Sister Harris (CES couple) who went to
Suriname for a Seminary Graduation this weekend. We have been
studying about inspiration and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. We are so
grateful for the " tender mercies" we receive as we are guided
through the complex matters that present themselves in the Mission
office. There is no doubt that we are blessed each day! D&C 8:2-3
"I believe that one day, when we are allowed to review the scenes of
mortality from a grander perspective, we will be astounded at how
closely the Lord directed our paths, orchestrated the events of our
lives, and in general led us by that kindly light we know as the Holy
Ghost." May you be blessed this week!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
August-1-2010
Dear family and friends,
Last week was the first time on our mission that we missed a week
writing. We hoped to not let that happen again. We hope that your
summer is going well and that you are looking forward to the beautiful
Fall weather and school starting again. We are experiencing the rainy
season and everything is lush and green. We had an especially heavy
storm on Thursday which knocked out the power and flooded many of the
roadways. When we say pouring rain it is something that we do not
experience in Idaho.
Last weekend we went to the other side of the island for a get away
with most of the Senior missionaries. We had a marvelous time! We
went to see the leather back turtles. We checked into our
accommadations and went to the beach and the Turtle Center. We went
back to our rooms and went to bed. At 11:00 pm we were called to come
to the beach, that there was a turtle there. We arrived and there was
a large leather back turtle, approximately 800 pounds, who was
engaged in digging a hole in which to lay her eggs. She dug a well
sculptured 3 foot deep hole and then went into a trance as she began
laying her eggs. The eggs are about 2 and a half inches in diameter
and she lays between 80 to 100. She came out of the trance and
covered the eggs up very carefully. She then made her way back into
the ocean. She had been tagged in Australia. She will come back 4
or 5 times every few days and lay that many eggs again and again. She
then is on her way and may return to the same beach in another 10 to
25 years. We saw three other turtles coming in but they never did
come onto the beach. It was a beautiful moonlight night and we had
trouble seeing everything. We missed the height of the season when
there will be 200 turtles on the beach a night. There mortality rate
is astronomical, only 1 in 1000 will survive. We took a walk on the
beach the next morning and there were dogs and vultures digging up the
eggs etc. The little ones need to be back in the ocean before it gets
light in the morning. They hatch after a couple of weeks and have to
dig their way to the surface. When anyone finds one they put it in a
container and hide it until it gets dark and then release it into the
ocean. All the odds are against them and yet they are still here.
Brings to mind a quote that I have become well acquainted with by
President HinkcleyHinckley, "Things will work out. Keep trying. Be
believing. Be happy. Don't get discouraged. Things will work out."
We have welcomed another Senior Couple, the Harris from Layton, Utah,
this week. The are CES and will travel to many countries helping to
establish and encourage the Seminary and Institutes here in the West
Indies Mission. They arrived Monday night about 11 pm. and we got
them to their apartment about 12:30 am. The airport is so busy that
time of night with people loving to board a plane and sleep as they go
to Europe, the US, Africa and other destinations. It has been fun
getting to know them and helping them get settled. They are
experiencing some culture shock even though they are loving it here.
We took them to Maracas beach on Saturday afternoon and had a great
time. We walked the length of the beach and then had the "must have
shark and bake" at Richard's. We met some great people on th beach
and really enjoyed the day. Harris also attended the San Fernando
Ward with us today.
Sister Cummings is the Gospel Doctrine teacher and shared a great
experience she had this week. She works for a construction company.
She had not been feeling well and was making mistakes. Friday, after
an especially discouraging day, she returned home and found no one
there. She knelt down and prayed and expressed her frustration and
asked for help to know what she should do. She went to work on
Saturday expecting a large order for cement, very costly. The cement
company had broken down and the order was delayed. Because she had
time, she began to go over her figures and realized that she had not
figured correctly and she needed to change the order for the cement.
Her supervisor said to her, "God is with you!" The help is there if
we will ask, then listen and then act.
We are very aware of our blessings. These are challenging times......
but exciting times to be here on the earth. We are blessed to be a
part of this great work and to help prepare for the Second Coming of
our Savior. May each be blessed as you strive to be faithful.
Last week was the first time on our mission that we missed a week
writing. We hoped to not let that happen again. We hope that your
summer is going well and that you are looking forward to the beautiful
Fall weather and school starting again. We are experiencing the rainy
season and everything is lush and green. We had an especially heavy
storm on Thursday which knocked out the power and flooded many of the
roadways. When we say pouring rain it is something that we do not
experience in Idaho.
Last weekend we went to the other side of the island for a get away
with most of the Senior missionaries. We had a marvelous time! We
went to see the leather back turtles. We checked into our
accommadations and went to the beach and the Turtle Center. We went
back to our rooms and went to bed. At 11:00 pm we were called to come
to the beach, that there was a turtle there. We arrived and there was
a large leather back turtle, approximately 800 pounds, who was
engaged in digging a hole in which to lay her eggs. She dug a well
sculptured 3 foot deep hole and then went into a trance as she began
laying her eggs. The eggs are about 2 and a half inches in diameter
and she lays between 80 to 100. She came out of the trance and
covered the eggs up very carefully. She then made her way back into
the ocean. She had been tagged in Australia. She will come back 4
or 5 times every few days and lay that many eggs again and again. She
then is on her way and may return to the same beach in another 10 to
25 years. We saw three other turtles coming in but they never did
come onto the beach. It was a beautiful moonlight night and we had
trouble seeing everything. We missed the height of the season when
there will be 200 turtles on the beach a night. There mortality rate
is astronomical, only 1 in 1000 will survive. We took a walk on the
beach the next morning and there were dogs and vultures digging up the
eggs etc. The little ones need to be back in the ocean before it gets
light in the morning. They hatch after a couple of weeks and have to
dig their way to the surface. When anyone finds one they put it in a
container and hide it until it gets dark and then release it into the
ocean. All the odds are against them and yet they are still here.
Brings to mind a quote that I have become well acquainted with by
President HinkcleyHinckley, "Things will work out. Keep trying. Be
believing. Be happy. Don't get discouraged. Things will work out."
We have welcomed another Senior Couple, the Harris from Layton, Utah,
this week. The are CES and will travel to many countries helping to
establish and encourage the Seminary and Institutes here in the West
Indies Mission. They arrived Monday night about 11 pm. and we got
them to their apartment about 12:30 am. The airport is so busy that
time of night with people loving to board a plane and sleep as they go
to Europe, the US, Africa and other destinations. It has been fun
getting to know them and helping them get settled. They are
experiencing some culture shock even though they are loving it here.
We took them to Maracas beach on Saturday afternoon and had a great
time. We walked the length of the beach and then had the "must have
shark and bake" at Richard's. We met some great people on th beach
and really enjoyed the day. Harris also attended the San Fernando
Ward with us today.
Sister Cummings is the Gospel Doctrine teacher and shared a great
experience she had this week. She works for a construction company.
She had not been feeling well and was making mistakes. Friday, after
an especially discouraging day, she returned home and found no one
there. She knelt down and prayed and expressed her frustration and
asked for help to know what she should do. She went to work on
Saturday expecting a large order for cement, very costly. The cement
company had broken down and the order was delayed. Because she had
time, she began to go over her figures and realized that she had not
figured correctly and she needed to change the order for the cement.
Her supervisor said to her, "God is with you!" The help is there if
we will ask, then listen and then act.
We are very aware of our blessings. These are challenging times......
but exciting times to be here on the earth. We are blessed to be a
part of this great work and to help prepare for the Second Coming of
our Savior. May each be blessed as you strive to be faithful.
July-18-2010
Dear family and friends,
We are so grateful for the blessings of this week. We have had great
news from home with the arrival of another grandson. Kory and
Heather's Alexander arrived on July 15. Two more grandsons while we
have been here on our mission. We are so grateful for the Internet
and Skype and being able to see and talk to our family. It is also
wonderful to receive e-mails and sometimes instantly respond. Almost
like a good walk and visit with good friends and family.
We have had unbelievable rain this morning which kept us home from the
beach. We also have been waiting for the senior couple from St.
Vincent to come to Trinidad before returning home from their mission.
They have been exceptional in their assignments and a great example to
all. They have not arrived yet because Liat airlines is having "much
trouble today". Their flight was to leave at 7:40 a.m. and they
finally left at 3:00 p.m. Their plane had trouble and had to land on
the island of Canouin which is a small island just off St. Vincent.
It is now 6:30 p.m. and we are still waiting to hear from them. We
have so much to be grateful for by living in the United States and
enjoying the best that is available. We had a quiet dinner with two
other senior couples last night and talked at length about the
challenges that so many have in just living from day to day. The
Angus couple are back in Trinidad from their Humanitarian assignment
in Guyana and they have so many interesting stories about life there.
Our thoughts are with you at home and with our ancestors as July 24
approaches. We have so many in our families that have shown such
courage in facing hardship and trials of their faith. We face a
different challenges and have their example to live up to. So many of
the Conference talks of the importance of our families and drawing
close to each other. We love you all so much and pray for you every
day.
We have had an exceptional week with missionaries. We spent Monday
with Elder Roeper and Elder Lubberink who are from Holland. They came
to Trinidad to renew some immigration requirements that they could not
accomplish in Suriname where they are serving. They were both
exceptional young men. We had a great day with them and then had FHE
with the Childs(senior couple), the office Sisters and these Dutch
missionaries before they left for a late flight back to Suriname. We
will remember with fondness the Dutch missionaries we have met. They
have a politeness and quiet manner that is engaging. Tuesday, the
local missionaries from Guyana. Suriname, Haiti, and the Bahamas
arrived from the MTC in the Dominican Republic. It has been a joint
effort to satisfy all that is required for them to serve and so we
feel like we know them even though we have not actually met them.
There was a wonderful spirit in the office as they were oriented and
taught by President Gamiette. They will be a strong force for good as
they serve their missions and will be a firm foundation for the Gospel
to grow from in the Caribbean. Elder Franklyn Smith from the Bahamas
was taught and baptized by Shawn Jones, Randy and Charlene Jones son,
a year ago. The missionary from Haiti is a sister missionary and had
such courage and confidence. Unbelievable what she went through to be
able to serve. Great smiles all around! They are pioneers here in
the Caribbean! We have felt so many blessings as we have stretched to
meet the demands of serving in the mission office, "tender mercies".
We have even felt that the rain has not fallen so we could get our
walk in the morning. It has been raining when we woke up and it was
raining when we left for the office. The walk is a great way to start
the day!! We know that our Father loves each of us and we feel his
blessings every day.
We look forward to hearing about how you all will celebrate July 24.
We look forward to the Choirs broadcast! The Fauxs (senior couple)
will return home on July 23. It will be a long day for them and they
will arrive home late that night. Elder Faux said, "We get home at
11:30 p.m. and it is a good thing because they are going to have a
parade for us the next day." Great sense of humor! What a delight
they are!! Sister Faux cut my hair a few times when we would go to
St. Lucia for Zone Conferences. Our thoughts and prayers are with
We are so grateful for the blessings of this week. We have had great
news from home with the arrival of another grandson. Kory and
Heather's Alexander arrived on July 15. Two more grandsons while we
have been here on our mission. We are so grateful for the Internet
and Skype and being able to see and talk to our family. It is also
wonderful to receive e-mails and sometimes instantly respond. Almost
like a good walk and visit with good friends and family.
We have had unbelievable rain this morning which kept us home from the
beach. We also have been waiting for the senior couple from St.
Vincent to come to Trinidad before returning home from their mission.
They have been exceptional in their assignments and a great example to
all. They have not arrived yet because Liat airlines is having "much
trouble today". Their flight was to leave at 7:40 a.m. and they
finally left at 3:00 p.m. Their plane had trouble and had to land on
the island of Canouin which is a small island just off St. Vincent.
It is now 6:30 p.m. and we are still waiting to hear from them. We
have so much to be grateful for by living in the United States and
enjoying the best that is available. We had a quiet dinner with two
other senior couples last night and talked at length about the
challenges that so many have in just living from day to day. The
Angus couple are back in Trinidad from their Humanitarian assignment
in Guyana and they have so many interesting stories about life there.
Our thoughts are with you at home and with our ancestors as July 24
approaches. We have so many in our families that have shown such
courage in facing hardship and trials of their faith. We face a
different challenges and have their example to live up to. So many of
the Conference talks of the importance of our families and drawing
close to each other. We love you all so much and pray for you every
day.
We have had an exceptional week with missionaries. We spent Monday
with Elder Roeper and Elder Lubberink who are from Holland. They came
to Trinidad to renew some immigration requirements that they could not
accomplish in Suriname where they are serving. They were both
exceptional young men. We had a great day with them and then had FHE
with the Childs(senior couple), the office Sisters and these Dutch
missionaries before they left for a late flight back to Suriname. We
will remember with fondness the Dutch missionaries we have met. They
have a politeness and quiet manner that is engaging. Tuesday, the
local missionaries from Guyana. Suriname, Haiti, and the Bahamas
arrived from the MTC in the Dominican Republic. It has been a joint
effort to satisfy all that is required for them to serve and so we
feel like we know them even though we have not actually met them.
There was a wonderful spirit in the office as they were oriented and
taught by President Gamiette. They will be a strong force for good as
they serve their missions and will be a firm foundation for the Gospel
to grow from in the Caribbean. Elder Franklyn Smith from the Bahamas
was taught and baptized by Shawn Jones, Randy and Charlene Jones son,
a year ago. The missionary from Haiti is a sister missionary and had
such courage and confidence. Unbelievable what she went through to be
able to serve. Great smiles all around! They are pioneers here in
the Caribbean! We have felt so many blessings as we have stretched to
meet the demands of serving in the mission office, "tender mercies".
We have even felt that the rain has not fallen so we could get our
walk in the morning. It has been raining when we woke up and it was
raining when we left for the office. The walk is a great way to start
the day!! We know that our Father loves each of us and we feel his
blessings every day.
We look forward to hearing about how you all will celebrate July 24.
We look forward to the Choirs broadcast! The Fauxs (senior couple)
will return home on July 23. It will be a long day for them and they
will arrive home late that night. Elder Faux said, "We get home at
11:30 p.m. and it is a good thing because they are going to have a
parade for us the next day." Great sense of humor! What a delight
they are!! Sister Faux cut my hair a few times when we would go to
St. Lucia for Zone Conferences. Our thoughts and prayers are with
July-11-2010
Dear family and friends,
Good day from Trinidad! It is celebration here tonight as the World
Cup just ended. There are several parties in the neighborhood and it
is a lot like Super Bowl Sunday. Traditions are important! We just
need to think about what those traditions are celebrating. We are
looking forward to next weekend and receiving the broadcast
celebrating the July 24!!! It was fun to hear the members here talk
about the pioneers and their tremendous sacrifice. They were truly in
awe! We have much to be grateful for with that kind of an example.
This week was transfers and it went smooth for the most part. We are
being blessed! The only problem that happened of note was that one
Senior Couple had been waiting for an Elder to fly in for three hours
and he will not arrive until next week. They had not looked at the
date on the ticket and the Assistants had not talked to them about it.
This week we will welcome six local missionaries to the mission.
They have been in the MTC in the Dominican Republic and will arrive a
week later than those from the MTC in Provo. It is wonderful to see
these young people serve here and know that they are the future of the
Church in this part of the world. The Humanitarian Senior Couple, the
Angus, arrived back in Trinidad from Guyana on Friday. They will be
in Tobago in the next couple of weeks with a large project there.
They are helping an orphanage with much needed furnishings like beds,
a stove and other things. It is one thing to help those who are in
need but the challenge comes with working with all the different
governments involved. Childs, Senior Couple over audits, have
settled in for the most part. They have been here three weeks. We
went to Manzanilla beach with them yesterday. They planned to attend
the branch in Sangre Grande today and wanted to find it yesterday.
So, we had a great walk on the beach after finding the branch
building. Manzanilla beach is on the windward side of the island and
so there was plenty of surf. I have never seen foam on the beach from
the waves before. Today, we went to the other end of the island to
the San Fernando ward. It was delightful. Great talks and great
people. One of the Sisters who talked in Sacrament meeting has been a
member since December. After meetings, we had a great visit with her
family and she shared her conversion story. She said that she was in
a deep depression and was crying a lot. She saw the Elders on the
street and asked them, "Can you please help me." That lead to a short
conversation and they invited her to come to Church the next day. On
the way to Church, she was hearing words of discouragement like you
don't want to go, you will be totally out of place in those white boys
Church and other such things. She persisted in her journey. She felt
such peace after arriving and after the meetings the Elders taught her
the Restoration lesson and asked to pray and ask if it was true. Her
life has been a total turn around since then and she is so happy, as
is her family. She is married and has two daughters. They want us to
come to their home in the near future. We will bear witness of the
blessings of the temple when we go. We miss the temple immensely.
There are three couples from St. Vincent, that we worked with when we
were there, that will go to the temple in the Dominican Republic in
August. Our hearts will go with them! President Gamiette's
responsibilities are daunting. The blessing of "run and not be weary
and walk and not faint" come to mind often as we watch from a
bird's-eye-view. No one can do the Lord's work without His help
especially Mission Presidents and General Authorities.
We have felt such an outpouring of the Spirit and we are so grateful
to be here in the mission field together. May each of you be blessed
this week and always.
Good day from Trinidad! It is celebration here tonight as the World
Cup just ended. There are several parties in the neighborhood and it
is a lot like Super Bowl Sunday. Traditions are important! We just
need to think about what those traditions are celebrating. We are
looking forward to next weekend and receiving the broadcast
celebrating the July 24!!! It was fun to hear the members here talk
about the pioneers and their tremendous sacrifice. They were truly in
awe! We have much to be grateful for with that kind of an example.
This week was transfers and it went smooth for the most part. We are
being blessed! The only problem that happened of note was that one
Senior Couple had been waiting for an Elder to fly in for three hours
and he will not arrive until next week. They had not looked at the
date on the ticket and the Assistants had not talked to them about it.
This week we will welcome six local missionaries to the mission.
They have been in the MTC in the Dominican Republic and will arrive a
week later than those from the MTC in Provo. It is wonderful to see
these young people serve here and know that they are the future of the
Church in this part of the world. The Humanitarian Senior Couple, the
Angus, arrived back in Trinidad from Guyana on Friday. They will be
in Tobago in the next couple of weeks with a large project there.
They are helping an orphanage with much needed furnishings like beds,
a stove and other things. It is one thing to help those who are in
need but the challenge comes with working with all the different
governments involved. Childs, Senior Couple over audits, have
settled in for the most part. They have been here three weeks. We
went to Manzanilla beach with them yesterday. They planned to attend
the branch in Sangre Grande today and wanted to find it yesterday.
So, we had a great walk on the beach after finding the branch
building. Manzanilla beach is on the windward side of the island and
so there was plenty of surf. I have never seen foam on the beach from
the waves before. Today, we went to the other end of the island to
the San Fernando ward. It was delightful. Great talks and great
people. One of the Sisters who talked in Sacrament meeting has been a
member since December. After meetings, we had a great visit with her
family and she shared her conversion story. She said that she was in
a deep depression and was crying a lot. She saw the Elders on the
street and asked them, "Can you please help me." That lead to a short
conversation and they invited her to come to Church the next day. On
the way to Church, she was hearing words of discouragement like you
don't want to go, you will be totally out of place in those white boys
Church and other such things. She persisted in her journey. She felt
such peace after arriving and after the meetings the Elders taught her
the Restoration lesson and asked to pray and ask if it was true. Her
life has been a total turn around since then and she is so happy, as
is her family. She is married and has two daughters. They want us to
come to their home in the near future. We will bear witness of the
blessings of the temple when we go. We miss the temple immensely.
There are three couples from St. Vincent, that we worked with when we
were there, that will go to the temple in the Dominican Republic in
August. Our hearts will go with them! President Gamiette's
responsibilities are daunting. The blessing of "run and not be weary
and walk and not faint" come to mind often as we watch from a
bird's-eye-view. No one can do the Lord's work without His help
especially Mission Presidents and General Authorities.
We have felt such an outpouring of the Spirit and we are so grateful
to be here in the mission field together. May each of you be blessed
this week and always.
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