Dear Family,
Last week when Aunt Irene mentioned in her letter that she was watching a lizard run up and down the wall, it reminded me of an experience I had last Sunday. I played the prelude standing up but when it was time to play the opening hymn for Sacrament Meeting I pulled my pile of three chairs over so I could sit down (the keyboard is on a table so I need to be higher to play). I was startled when a large lizard jumped off the chairs and onto my arm! I jumped and bumped the chairs making a racket which I hope wasn’t a long-lasting disruption to the reverence of the meeting! We do have lots of lizards here but they usually scurry off when they see someone.
Monday morning the man came back who came asking for a “Mormon Bible” last week. We told him then that we could sell him the Bible for $150 but the Book of Mormon could be a gift. He took the Book of Mormon and came back today to purchase the Bible. He was very animated and asked if he could give me a hug—I said “NO!” But he came up and gave me a hug anyway! I was very uncomfortable. Then he talked about being pushed down on a street corner the day he got the Book of Mormon. When I asked for more details, he said “Satan pushed me down because he doesn’t like your church.” He proceeded to pull up his pants to show the abrasions on his leg. I was relieved when the Assistants to the President came up to talk to him and I retreated down the hall to Elder Daniels’ office.
Monday night we went to the mission home for a potluck dinner and Family Home Evening. We were telling the Herberts goodby who started home the next morning. The dinner was delicious, and we were edified by the President’s remarks on the role and importance of senior missionaries. Of course, he was thanking the Herberts for their service but included us all in some of his comments. One thought that stayed with me was that if when we get to the judgment seat and need someone to vouch for us, President Hendricks would be first in line. He mentioned how much senior missionaries are needed and that our sacrifices were known to the Lord. We ended with a testimony meeting. We have been blessed to serve with some remarkable people.
Tuesday I had to call the notary back because he missed one place to notarize the immigration papers for a missionary to go to the Bahamas. By the time he came, I missed the DHL pickup for the day, so the papers were two days later getting sent off due to that one omission. I saw it Monday right after the notary left, but when I called he didn’t want to come back until the next day. There is really a laid back, “soon come” attitude here. I also sorted a large Distribution order because the CES missionaries, the Andersen’s, told me they would deliver items when they went to visit seminaries and institutes the next couple of weeks. Our mail is hand-carried by people going to areas where the missionaries are.
Two auditors came from the Dominican Republic Wednesday and Thursday. This trip was primarily training for Elder Daniels, although they did work through some of the challenges he has had. Dayanara told him this time she came “with love”, next time it will be as “the judge!” The auditors also worked with the facilities maintenance people. We received another Distribution order and recommendation for a new missionary coming in July. We received a phone call from the Nebraska Omaha Mission wanting information for a young man wanting to be baptized. I thought it odd that someone younger than 18 would be away at school. Come to find out they were not seeking parental permission, but he wanted to know when and where we had church services in Freeport, Bahamas so he could encourage his parents to attend.
Thursday was Craig’s birthday. I had a big project—making 50 copies of the 14 page Caribbean Area Plan. I also typed a letter from the Mission Presidency to all twenty branch presidents. I made a file so I can print these envelopes whenever I need toPlus I had a letter from the Mission Presidency to go to all twenty branch presidents. I did a file so I can print then envelopes whenever I need to. Our new printer requires me to hand feed each envelope and remove it from the back before starting the next envelope, so it is time intensive. We were happy to watch BYU win its game in the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament that night.
We received all the supporting medical information so I could send three missionary recommendations to the Area offices on Friday for two Jamaican elders and one sister. Hopefully they will all be assigned to our mission. We were at the office working late. Then when we were home eating supper we received a call from the APs. They had forgotten to ask for their passports to be able to travel to the Bahamas the next morning for a Branch Conference. So we went back to the office to open the safe and get their passports.
Saturday we didn’t have any branch commitments so spent our entire preparation day shopping, cleaning, and doing laundry. We were able to send a referral to the missionaries here in Kingston, because we met a man at one of the stores who was looking at our nametags. He asked where our church was and Elder Daniels told him and gave him a pass along card with the Articles of Faith. Oneil immediately started reading them and then asked us more questions. He said he would go to church Sunday. We hope he did. That night we were happy to see BYU advance to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. They have some very talented players.
We drove to Yallahs for our meetings there yesterday. Two of the three speakers came, so Elder Daniels called on Elder Snelson (who will be transferred this week) to bear his testimony. Then Elder Daniels spoke on commitment and missionary work to conclude the meeting. I helped in Primary. I did the music, then the Primary president gave the lesson. I think it was her first time ever using the manual—previously she would just use the pictures from the Gospel Art set and the scriptures. Then she went to Relief Society and I had the children for the remaining hour. I need to plan other activities—you can’t do another hour of singing time! I did read them a story from the Liahona. I taught a piano lesson after the block while Elder Daniels was conducting interviews. Even though we only visited one home afterwards, delivered something to a member of our branch who was in Kingston, and delivered a wheelchair to the humanitarian missionaries here (the Schaefermeyers), we were late getting home. We finally ate supper about 7:30 and then enjoyed talking to some of our family on the phone.
The Lord is blessing us here and we hope he is blessing you. We included a couple of pictures taken on our way back to Kingston after we were in Yallahs. You can see Kingston across the bay behind Paul in the first and you see a landmark for us--someone's beachfront property is slipping away into the Caribbean!
Love,
Mom and Dad
Sister and Elder Daniels
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