Dear Family,
Last Monday I got “extension to stay” immigration papers ready for the four new missionaries. We postponed our weekly devotional because Pres. Hendricks had an appointment with the Humanitarian Missionaries (the Schaefermeyers) and the Island Housing Authority. That night we went to the Medley’s for Family Home Evening to celebrate Pres. Medley’s birthday. They showed us the new One in a Million link on LDS.org. Their daughter, Giordayne is one of the first seven children featured there. On the way home we mentioned how refreshing it was seeing fathers interacting with their children. We don’t see that much in Jamaica.
Tuesday is our regularly scheduled Mission presidency meeting. Afterwards, I scanned and sent some files to the area presidency. I also had some orders for the Distribution Center. I received some documents for two “soon coming” missionaries so started immigration paperwork to get their work permit exemptions so the Missionary Travel Dept. can apply for their visas. We had our monthly Family Home Evening with the senior couples Tuesday night since Pres. Hendricks had a conflict on Monday. We watched the movie, Secretariat. It was the second time for us, but we still enjoyed it. I answered an email to a girl in our home ward. She was called to the Jamaica Kingston Mission as a part off “Missionary Week” in Seminary. I shared the demographics in our mission and some of our recent experiences.
I went grocery shopping Wednesday morning with Sister Herbert while the Office Elders covered for me at the mission office. Unfortunately, the store was out of oatmeal, powdered sugar, and bell peppers (no, they are not all in the same recipe!). I still can’t get used to stores not being fully stocked.
Thursday Elder Daniels tried without success to wire some money. Evidently even though he got cash from the ATM, the bank would not allow the wire transfer unless you have an account with them. We count our blessings every day for how much easier it is to do business in the US. I called Annette to wish her a happy belated birthday. I’m so grateful we can phone and email family. That night we were awakened at 2:00 a.m. by the security company that the alarm in the mission office went off. So after a trip there to check things out, we discovered that the motion sensor in the Institute room set off the alarm. Nothing seemed amiss, so we came back to go to bed. It was a short night for rest that night.
Friday I got the DHL mailing off and we picked up the passports and extension to stay paperwork for the four new missionaries and dropped off the paperwork for the two soon coming missionaries work permit exemptions. We have to have the paperwork notarized but there is a notary who comes to the mission office. We “donate” $1000 JAD for each set of paperwork plus a bag of candy! The mission secretary before me made sure I knew not to forget his candy!
We received several packages from SLC, so I inventoried them and got things to the missionaries who placed the order. Our mission letterhead stationary finally came! We ordered it in November as soon as our address was updated in the Church’s system. When I called in late December to check on when we might receive it, I was told that we needed to order through our area. Why no one said anything when we placed the order is a mystery to me. Then it still took two months working through our area. Now you know why “soon come” is a phrase we hear often here! We found a store that had cake mixes and powdered sugar on Friday. I needed it to make two cakes for the Young Adult activity Saturday night.
Saturday after our housekeeping activities, I made the two cakes and wrapped six gifts for the YA activity. I accompanied the singing and we were chaperones at the dance. The Flakes spoke on etiquette, the Herberts on music and dance standards, and the Schaefermeyers on dating. Then the senior couples served the dinner. They had a couple of games before the dance began. The activity started at 4:30 and went to 8:00 p.m. We were happy that two of the girls in our branch came.
Today we were back in Yallahs for our church meetings. Elder Daniels ended up being the only speaker—one didn’t come and one said she wasn’t prepared. I helped in Primary again. I taught one piano student while Elder Daniels had interviews. Then we visited three members before driving back to Kingston. Elder Daniels has some challenges to work with as Branch President.
Another interesting challenge this week was a branch president emailed that one of his members needed a replacement copy of her patriarchal blessing. Since they didn’t have all the necessary information they couldn’t order it on the church website. So I tried to find the name of the missionary who was a patriarch and received permission to give blessings all over Jamaica. It was also unclear when he was here. Our records only go back to 2005 and we knew it was prior to then. I asked the Pres. Brown, CES Director and member of the mission presidency, and Pres. Medley, Branch President and former member of the mission presidency and got the last name and very different approximate dates. Then I found both the patriarch’s full name and the date he was here on a box in the supply closet marked “patriarchal blessings” that contained tape recorders.
We hope all is well with you. We love you.
Love,
Sister and Elder Daniels
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