Dad called and learned that our visas have arrived! We plan on driving to Utah next Friday and Saturday, Sept. 24-25, to enter the MTC Monday, Sept. 27th. We will drive home Friday night and Saturday, Oct. 1 and 2, and fly to Jamaica Monday, Oct. 4th.
Email 10/17/10 Picture from MTC Showing Where we are Going:
Dear Family,
We are just now getting around to some email since we're settled into an apartment (we were at another couple's apt, then the Mission Home).
Mom will be the new Mission Secretary; Dad will be the new Finance Secretary. The couple we are replacing will be here about another month, and live in the same apartment complex we do (in fact, we have shared a car sometimes). In addition we are assigned to the Yallahs Branch (more than 20 KM east of Kingston, on the south coast). Because of road conditions it took us about 2 hours to get there the first week (we had to stop for a car repair -- see the pictures). This week it wasn't raining, and took much less time (no car repair). Today we traveled with the Mission President and his wife to attend the Yallahs Branch Conference. Dad was sustained as the Branch President. We both spoke in Sacrament Meeting, and Mom started some music lessons while Dad was interviewing.
Dad has driven a couple of weeks now (left side of the road). The other drivers are typically more aggressive than we are accustomed to. Also, the general street/highway infrastructure is not as well maintained as at home (a lot of potholes, a lack of street signs, etc.).
We find the people friendly, the economic condition very depressed, the other missionaries supportive, and our days long but full. The city is very congested with many modern buildings interspersed with old deteriorating ones. We have been into some very humble homes.
Here is a brief description of each attached picture:
1142 -- Driving along a street in Kingston. Sometimes the roads are flooded.
1148 -- After fording two flooded areas of the road on our first trip to Yallahs
we thought we were dragging something. We were: A guard strip
under the front bumper. One of the locals wired it back on.
1151 -- Some of the branch members who were present on our first Sunday
in Yallahs. The brother on the far right was ordained an Elder today.
1162 -- Visiting an investigator at Morant Bay. This was humbling: On the
left is the town garbage dump. The dwellings are in the grove of
trees beyond the dump. We are walking on a dike. To the right
(out of sight) is a river. The river empties into the Caribbean Sea.
1163 -- Still on our way to meet with the investigator. The shanties are
behind the tin fence.
1164 -- Going into the investigator's yard.
1165 -- Preparation Day. Kingston Harbor is in the background. We had
lunch there with the other area senior couples, and were enter-
tained by sea birds that were fishing.
Have a good day!
Elder & Sister Daniels
Jamaica Kingston Mission
10/21/10 News Update from Jamaica:
Dear Family,
FYI, Sister Meddow is a member of the Yallahs Branch.
Love,
Dad (aka Granpda, aka Elder Daniels)
10/26/10 Answers to questions:
Dear family,
We enjoy talking to you on the phone. We also love emails! I have been meaning to answer some questions every day but I haven't been able to do it. We are very busy and when we get home I'm very tired! Some of this we mentioned on the phone but in case we left it out to some of you, I'm writing this now.
We had to find our own apartment. Some of the other senior couples gave us names of real estate brokers. We were hoping to find an apartment for $1000 but were not able to. We found one we really wanted for $1500 but they would not go any lower. We ended up taking the apartment of the couple we are replacing. They were able to rent the apartment upstairs for the month we overlap. It is in an apartment building with 4 units and an adjacent building with 8 units. We have a security gate and guard. The apartment has a small kitchen, living room, 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. I'm getting used to having to throw the breaker and then a switch to have hot water. We also have to turn on a switch for the stove to work. There are wall unit air conditioners in the bedrooms. We have louvers on the windows and have two portable fans that we use in the other rooms. There is a washer and dryer a little ways away from our apartment we can use, but they are very old and there is only cold water available. The water pressure is so low that I carry tubs of water fill the washer to lessen the time it takes to do laundry. The dryer also takes a long time so we hang lots of things around our apartment. The refrigerator is about a third the size of mine at home but seems to work fine. The apartment was furnished so we did not have to try to find furniture, kitchen ware, etc. Of course we had to replace some things, like the iron, and pillows, etc.
Food is quite expensive since so much has to be imported. I was surprised that there is not more fruits and vegetables available but there have been tropical rains that destroyed all the island produce. The produce in the stores is not the quality we are used to and very expensive. We have bought very little and mostly use canned food. We were shocked to spend over $500.00 US ($48,000.00 JA) the first time we went shopping. We just got enough food for a week or so but bought soap, paper goods, the iron and pillows.
We leave our apartment by 7:30 each morning to get to the mission office by 8:00. It is less than five miles by my calculations on the map but the traffic is horrific. We are supposed to leave by 5:00 p.m. but are often here until after 6:00. We are there Monday through Friday. Saturday is our preparation day and Sunday we leave for Yallahs by 8:00 a.m. and get home after dark anywhere from 7:00-9:00 p.m. We are trying to start leaving Yallahs by 4:00 so we will be home before dark. The roads are very windy and full of potholes. At least we aren't getting lost as often anymore. It is very challenging to drive since there are very few street signs and some are even pointing the wrong way. Everyone seems to drive by landmarks instead of using street signs and maps. Of course, one of the challenges to leaving Yallahs earlier is that many people want interviews with the branch president and the missionaries don't have a car so want us to take them to visit some of their investigators. There is certainly much work to be done!
Dad is responsible for maintaining iMOS missionary accounts, rent, utilities, and petty cash. This is complicated because our mission includes four countries that have different currencies (Jamaica, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and the Cayman Islands). Since we have been here they are changing out the mission vehicles and phones so that has added additional financial involvement. Also, our mission office is moving to a new location this week.
I will have responsibility for maintaining missionary paperwork, immigration, correspondance, ordering materials, answer the phones, administering the temple patron assistance fund, and being the President's secretary. Again, immigration is challenging since we are dealing with several countries. When missionaries are going to be transferred off-island the proper visas and work permits have to be prepared several months in advance.
Even though Dad was called as the Branch President in Yallahs (about 20 kilometers from Kingston) we won't be going there except on Sundays. The road conditions make it take from 1-2 hours to get there. It is much harder to drive after dark because of the pooly maintained roads.
I am using the church music materials to teach keyboarding. I have three students currently and several others have expressed interest. I teach after the block while Dad is having interviews.
A phrase we have come to know here is "soon come". Jamaicans may mean well but sometimes you don't know when they will do what they say.
They say the water is safe to drink but we use a Brita water filter at home. We haven't drunk anything at investigators homes though.
So far my allergies have not been too much of a problem. I brought my sinus rinse and that is helping. The rough roads do aggrevate my sore ribs but I brought my TENS unit and that helps. I wish I had brought some of the blue ice pack, though. I'm going to look at a couple of stores this weekend that Sister Cheesman recommended.
We will not be able to attend the temple while on our mission. People from our mission attend the Panama temple since you have to travel through Miami, FL to get to the Dominican Republic and it is very hard for them to get US visas.
Our mission president is T. Scott Hendricks from Amarillo, TX. He is a retired FBI agent, former temple president and counselor, stake president and counselor, and bishop and counselor. We have already learned many things from him. We have weekly office devotionals and of course zone and district training meetings and conferences. His wife is a wonderful hostess and very supportive for President and the missionaries.
We hope this answers some of your questions. Feel free to continue asking if you have additional questions.
Love,
Mom
11/5/10 Grateful Jamaicans:
We were very grateful this morning to find that the tropical storm, Tomas, had passed by without causing much of the antipicipated damage. We were prepared witih stored water and food in case we were housebound without electricity or water as often happens after these storms. We had been praying that the elements would be tempered so that lives and property wouldn't be destroyed.
You may want to go to the website www.stormpulse.com to see each of the hurricanes as they come through the Caribbean.
We had been under a storm watch most of the week. Tomas was predicted to be a class 2 or 3 hurricane and hit Jamaica. Gratefully it was only a tropical storm and turned so that we didn't even get the full impact of the rains and wind. It has strengthened to hurricane force now and is currently over Guantanimo Bay, Cuba and headed to Turks and Caicos. Hopefully it will downgrade before more people are affected. Both Guantanimo Bay, Cuba and the Turks and Caicos islands are part of our mission.
Love,
Mom and Dad
(Sister and Elder Daniels)
11/16/10 Love from Jamaica:
Dear Mike and LeAnn,
I'm looking for the recipe for lemon pie from scratch. I'm supposed to make one for Thanksgiving at the mission home and we can't find lemon pie pudding mix here. I'd like to try to make a pie this weekend to practice since I haven't used my oven yet. I am also making a fruit salad and the fresh cranberry relish if I can find fresh cranberries and some way to chop everything up. It really makes me appreciate all the gadgets and utensils I have at home when I don't have access to them! What are you doing for Thanksgiving?
How did Randa's wedding turn out? Were your parents able to come? We are so happy for her to have a companion who has similar goals and values.
Saturday we went on an outing with the senior couples to Strawberry Hill. We drove an hour into the Blue Mountains to Strawberry Hill. It was beautiful! You could see Kingston and the Caribbean in the distance. There were beautiful flowers and plants of all description. It was the most lovely place we have seen so far.
Sunday we were late getting home from Yallahs. Dad had several appointments after the block. We were surprised to have our neighbors, the Cheesmans, bring us supper. They had extra chicken soup. It was great to not have to cook when I was so tired!
Monday night we had Family Home Evening at the mission home with the senior couples. The Flakes showed pictures and videos of their mission in Nauvoo. The Cheesmans bore their testimonies since they are going home this week. We will miss them and hope we have learned what we need to be successful here in the mission office. We really enjoy our association with the other couples.
We have been working very hard in the office. Tonight three new elders come and later this week three Elders and the Cheesman's go home. I'm glad Sr. Cheesman could walk me through the necessary steps we do here in the office for incoming and outgoing missionaries. It is transfer week, too so that involves other changes.
We are working late because just as we were leaving some missionaries called to say their power was cut off due to late payment. Dad is researching it and paying the bill. Hopefully it won't happen again. Due to moving the mission office, not having internet for almost two weeks, just getting our phones and fax working some things got missed.
We love you all and hope all is going well for you.
Love,
Mom
11/22/10 Packages to Jamaica:
Here is information if you want to send packages to us. Please remember that we don't expect you to send things, but they will certainly be appreciated! Please don't send too much and make it too expensive for you. We love being able to receive emails and talk to you. The following is what Sister Cheesman sent to families regarding Christmas packages. So since you didn't receive it earlier, you could plan on Valentines packages if you want!
WHERE TO SEND:
It is best to send the packages to our P O Box
Elder/Sister__________
Jamaica Kingston Mission
P O Box 2316
Kingston 8, Jamaica
We are moving our offices, so don’t send the packages to 36 ½ - 38 Red Hills Rd.
Also, be sure and write CHRISTMAS on the box in big bold letters.
WHEN:
Normally packages take 3 or 4 weeks to get here. But it does take longer at Christmas time, so plan on getting it sent by the end of October/first part of November (just to be safe).
WHAT:
We encourage you to send simple gifts. Clothing, ties, socks, CD’s, Beef Jerky (can’t get it here), candy, family photos and various stocking stuffers. Also, if you are so inclined, you could send extra items for the local missionaries here, who generally do not get anything from home. (label, please)
Please do not send electronics including cameras. Customs opens all the packages, and they will charge duty fees on expensive items. (then your missionary has to pay extra to pick up the package) We have not had any problems with items being stolen, but they will open and inspect the boxes.
Thank you so much for doing your part for your missionary to have a wonderful Christmas. We appreciate all your love and support and prayers.
If you have questions, feel free to email us.
Jamaica Kingston Mission
Love,
Mom
11/28/10 A Few More Pictures from Jamaica:
We have attached some pictures for you.
Love,
Sister and Elder Daniels
Jamaica Kingston Mission
12/28/10 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Jamaica! The most significant event this year for us was for Paul and I to accept a call from the prophet to serve as missionaries in the Jamaica Kingston Mission. We were busy with medical checkups and paperwork to apply for the mission call the first part of the year. We were able to visit our grandchildren, Stephen and Kaylene, a couple of times this spring—once when Amy, Lizzie and I were in Las Vegas for Amy’s music therapy convention (I was the nanny J). The second time when Paul and I were on the way to niece Keri Lunt’s wedding in St. George, Utah. We visited Sarah, Craig, and Leo in the summer. We were happy to visit Paul’s cousins, Nancy and Sherri, while in Colorado. We were happy to attend grandson Killian’s 8th grade graduation and have Stephen and Killian visit us this summer. Kaylene was unable to come since she had a job.
We entered the Missionary Training Center Sept. 27th and arrived in Jamaica Oct. 4th. Paul and I are very busy and starting to acclimate to our new surroundings. It has been very different with driving on the left side of the road, different foods, meeting new people, etc. A particularly challenging thing has been seeing the poverty so prevelant. Paul and I leave our apartment about 7:30 each morning then drive to the mission office where we work all day and get home anywhere from 5:30 to 8:00 at night. We are supposed to be there from 8 to 5. Paul has been staying late to learn the financial responsibilities and systems. Then the traffic is always a challenge The roads are narrow, windy, and filled with potholes. If the traffic is heavy you spend lots of time in stop-and-go conditions.
I am the mission secretary, responsible for all the missionary paperwork, immigration, ordering supplies, applying for grants for people to travel to Panama to attend the temple, answering the phone, keeping up with emails, faxes, etc. Paul handles all the financial operations. Our mission has missionaries serving in four countries, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos so that keeps me busy with immigration paperwork whenever someone needs to go from one country to another. Paul has a bigger challenge with there being four countries because it involves three different currencies!
We have been happy to get to know the people we meet with both here in the office and in the congregation we attend church with. We travel about an hour from Kingston to Yallahs where Paul serves as Branch President (the presiding officer) and I teach keyboard lessons before and after church. I am very happy to be able to teach music. The students may quality for a keyboard of their own if they complete the training course. That would be such a blessing because then they can practice at home and develop skills to be able to continue playing after we leave the country.
Our mission president mentioned in our Christmas program that we are serving as messengers of Jesus Christ at this special season. We do testify that Jesus is the Christ and our Redeemer. What a wonderful message to be able to share. How blessed we are. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season.
Love,
Shirleen and Paul
1/27/2011 Hello again from Jamaica:
Dear Family,
We have been busy in the mission office recently. No wonder the prophet is asking for more senior couples. We could use double what we have and I am sure other missions are in the same situation.
We had Zone Conference two weeks ago. I always enjoy being taught by our president. I got to accompany our singing on a real piano instead of a keyboard. The APs also presented and they had a testimony meeting for the newbies and those for whom this will be their last zone conference. It was a great meeting. The President spoke on obedience and taught how to teach Sabbath observance. He said too often we invite to come to church without really teaching Sabbath observance first. He went through the Creation--God resting and sanctifying the Sabbath, the Passover, and then the atonement. He told how he was struggling when he was first with the FBI because he was having to work about every other Sunday. He fasted and prayed and got the impression that everything would be all right. He wondered if the Lord had excused him since he had a job that demanded some Sunday work, or if he would be led to employment that wouldn't require working on Sunday, but it turned out that he was never again called to work on a Sunday. He said his cases demanded other very inopportune times--when he had family commitments, when he was very tired, etc. but never again did he have to work on Sunday which conflicted with his worship or church responsibilities.
I was ill a couple of weeks ago with a sore throat, headache, etc. and then developed a fever and awful headache the night after zone conference. We went to the office the next morning long enough for me to get the weekly DHL pickup ready and get some immigration papers notarized so after the President signed them the next Monday, they could be dropped off to be processed. Then Dad brought me home and I took a long nap. I was better on Saturday and improved every day thereafter. This is the first time I've been sick on our mission.
Dad and I were awakened about 11:30 p.m. Sunday night, Jan. 16th. The alarm at the mission office went off and we needed to go meet the security people. Dad went through the building with one guard while I stayed in the parking lot with another. It took about an hour to determine that everything was all right. But the mission van was missing, so Dad called the alarm company to get it's location (it has a tracking device installed) and discovered the zone leaders had it. We finally got back to bed. We went to the office early the next morning because Dad had some things to do before going to Spanish Town to a Food for the Poor meeting. He left before our weekly devotional.
After the devotional, I was busy getting immigration papers ready to be dropped off when I overheard the President on a phone call. One of our missionaries was hit by a bullet that came through the back of the van. Eight missionaries had been together for a P-day activity and got between a truck of police and the "bad guys" who exchanged gunshots. He was a Jamaican elder who was due to complete his mission Feb 8th. Sadly his mother recently died, in fact, her funeral was only a week and a half before he died. Elder Walker has a sister who is just 14 who is now living with an aunt. President and Sister Hendricks met the 7 missionaries who were with Elder Walker when he was injured at the hospital and then went with them to the police station where each missionary was questioned. The Flakes, Herberts, and Schaefermeyers were also in Spanish Town at the meeting Dad attended that morning to learn how Food For the Poor can help needy members. (All the Branch Presidents on the island were invited, along with many other groups). Anyway the Schaefermeyers called the office to vallidate hearing that we had a missionary hit, and I directed them to the hospital so they were there to assist Pres. and Sr. Hendricks and the other missionaries. (One of many tender mercies that day). The Pres. and Sr. Hendricks stayed with the missionaries at the police station until they were through giving their statements, and the senior missionaries came on back to Kingston and got dinner ready. All 7 missionaries involved in the shooting had dinner and stayed at the mission home that night. The President invited Dad and I to come to dinner and stay for the meeting after. Pres. Hendricks asked me to play prelude before we sang some hymns and then he spoke emphasizing "we grieve because we live together in love" and "there is no sting in death for those that die in the Lord." He shared some insights relating to things we learn in the temple. He talked about the tremendous work to be done among people who were for so many years denied the blessings of the priesthood. He taught that people on this side of the veil are taught and then challenged to be baptized. Those on the other side are taught and given a promise instead of a challenge: they will have the opportunity to be baptized, but have to wait until members of their descendents will do the work for them. He told of people who left journals praying for freedom from their hard lives in slavery through death. Can we imagine how they felt with the cruel realization that they were then in spirit prison? He reminded us that through Christ, "the prisioners shall be freed." His breadth of experience from being a bishop, temple president, stake president, as well as his professional experience in the FBI provides wonderful teaching opportunities. Afterwards he invited all to bear testimony who wanted to. It was a special, spiritual meeting where many mentioned the peace they had felt throughout the day. I was happy to be able to accompany our hymn singing. Elder Walker was a quiet, humble, wonderful missionary who impacted many people's lives. I am grateful for the gospel that helps keep things in the proper perspective. I am also grateful to have been able to know Elder Walker and these other remarkable young missionaries.
It was really busy at work after that. I had lots of phone calls--from families, from the media, from members of the Church, etc. I also sent out emails or phoned all the parents of our missionaries to let them know what happened and to reassure them that their son/daughter wasn't involved in the shooting. I had calls from three local newspapers, a radio station, as well as the Church News. I called Elder Walker's sister to ask if she wanted me to give her number to people who called expressing their condolenses. I learned Elder Russell M. Nelson had also called her. The police came by to let Pres. Hendricks know the status of the investigation. They were surprised to learn Pres. Hendricks was in the FBI for over 30 years. Pres. and Sr. Hendricks drove to the other side of the island to meet with Elder Walkers sister, aunt, and grandfather to return his personal effects and plan the funeral.
Tuesday, Jan. 18th, we traded vechicles with the another senior couple so they could deliver a wheelchair to a member in their branch. We were saddened to hear that they were robbed after someone broke into the pickup while they were stopped for lunch. So our pickup went to the shop for a new window. We are happy to have it back.
Last week I finalized the details for a woman to attend the temple in Panama. We have members who apply for grants through the "Patron Assistance Fund" to attend the temple for the first time. I submit the grants, purchase the tickets, arrange for the housing at the dorms near the temple, etc. It is such a blessing to the people here. Most could never attend the temple without the assistance.
Last Saturday, Jan. 22nd, we went with some of the senior couples on a p-day activity. We drove to the north side of the island and then rode bamboo rafts down the Rio Grande River. About half way down, we had a very typical Jamaican dinner prepared by a woman there on the river bank. We had jerked chicken, rice and peas (kidney beans), fried plantain, dumplings, breadfruit, bok choy and carrots, and a coconut/ginger candy. We had never been to that part of Jamaica before. We always enjoy being with the other couples, too.
Sunday, Jan. 23rd, was the first time no Primary workers came to church, so I covered it. We had three children there. I decided I'd better get some Sharing Time activities ready--after singing and the lesson we used up one hour, but I had them for one more! We sang more songs and played a couple of games.
We had a memorial service for Elder Walker on Monday, Jan. 24 at 11:00 a.m. in Spanish Town. I printed up an 8x10 picture of Elder Walker to display and took a small journal for people to sign. Sister Flake took other pictures and some beautiful flowers. Elder Schaefermeyer wrote an arrangement of "Called To Serve." He directed the missionary choir (all the missionaries there). I accompanied them on an electronic keyboard. We went a couple of hours early so I could set the registration and get used to the instrument. We also had a practice for the missionaries choir. I played about 45 minutes of prelude (thanks to Amy for the music she scanned and sent. I couldn't find what I wanted on the internet so asked her to send some I had at home). Elder Luke from Yuma (Elder Walker's companion for the last 5 months) spoke. President and Sister Hendricks and Elder and Sister Coleman of the Area Presidency also spoke. Elder Schaefermeyer and I sang "Consider the Lilies of the Field" with a taped accompaniment. Many of the Jamaican members came and all the missionaries in our mission except the 10 off-island were there. We took the mail so afterwards the missionaries were happy to receive it. We had a late lunch with the other senior missionaries and then we worked at the office until about 8 that night.
The family will have a funeral later. They are not members of our faith and we don't have details of when it will be. It was over six weeks after Elder Walker's mother died that they had her funeral. Pres. Hendricks said that it lasted over 6 hours with numerous preachers participating. Pres. Hendricks got permission to take Elder Walker to attend her funeral.
This week I downloaded forms to apply for TRN numbers (similar to SSN numbers) so we can apply for Jamaican drivers licenses. We have a set of six people that we are currently processing for these drivers licences. At night, I started crocheting a new tropical bandage. I typed in our mission baptisms yesterday and tried to order Books of Mormon to be directly shipped to the Bahamas or to the Cayman Islands. It doesn't make sense for the Church to ship them to Jamaica and then we pay to ship them to our off island locations. The software won't allow me to add these locations--it adds Jamaica after whatever address I put in. I called Salt Lake yesterday and again today without resolving the issue.
This week President and Sister Hendricks and the assistant have been traveling for off-island zone conferences. I have been busy with correspondence, distribution orders, new missionary paperwork, and immigration. Dad has set up some spreadsheets to track bills so he won't have missionaries having power or water cut off. Waiting for bills to come either via the internet or the mail was unreliable. He could call and go through long phone trees to get billing information but a few times someone would get missed. He has also been trying to get the payments increased so off-island missionaries can pay insurance, rent, etc.
We hope you are well. We love to hear from you.
Love,
Mom and Dad
P.S. Sorry for repeating the news of Elder Walker's death. I wanted to include it with the rest of our last couple of weeks activities even though I had sent you the previous short email. Hope you enjoy the pictures. We are finding p-days really help to reinjuvinate you!
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