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.