Dear Family,
Pictures include Elder Daniels in our apartment parking lot next to our pickup and under the ackee tree. Followed by a close-up of ackee—one mature and open and the other still closed. Ackee and salt fish is a very popular dish here. It tastes very much like scrambled eggs. Next, Sister Daniels is under the poinsettia in the back yard of our apartment. Then Nicholas, the 7-year old son of our neighbor’s cleaning lady, eating sweetsop. Lastly, Elders Hobbs, Michael Stewart, Elder Hitchcock, and Elder Daniels at Brother Stewart’s farm in Yallahs.
Last week Pres. Hendricks met with the consular general at the US Embassy while he was in the Bahamas for their conference. Monday I sent a follow-up letter to the Embassy. We are trying to help more people be able to qualify for short-term visas so they can go to the temple. Then on the way home we mailed a DVD, Between Heaven and Earth, about temples to the consular general.
Tuesday we got the notice of the Church Educational Service missionaries who arrive in May. The Wrights are from Idaho Falls. We wondered if they know Annette and Grant.
Wednesday we found out that a group of LDS dentists are coming hopefully in April (if they get clearance from the Minister of Health). They will set up a clinic to do cleanings, fillings, and extractions and offered to do checkups and necessary work for prospective missionaries. We also got four more missionary recommendations. These four Elders will arrive in June. I worked on paperwork while Elder Daniels did several errands.
Thursday was zone leader training at the mission home so it was quiet around the mission office until the zone leaders came to pick up mail and supplies. At lunchtime we took papers to the mission home to be signed since Pres. and Sister Hendricks went to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba directly after their training meeting.
Friday I got the DHL packages sent and then went to FedEx to send 56 copies of the Book of Mormon to the Turks and Caicos Islands that were mistakenly shipped to us. We buy a paper each Friday on the way to the mission office. We saw a couple of items in the entertainment section that were really telling. The first was a play titled, “Where Is My Father?” We commented that could apply to the majority of people here. The second was on the first page of the entertainment section listing major events. It announced: Friday Fun—Hang out at Intoxication tonight at Margaritaville, Main Street, Ocho Rios, St. Ann. Admission $600 Jamaican dollars (approximately $7.00 US), women in bikinis free before 11:30 p.m.” You can see how hard it is for people to live moral lives here—the alternative is right out there in your face.
Yesterday we had a day at home to do household chores and just rest. We loved it! It was the first nonworking P-day in a while. Then we joined with the other senior couples for dinner at a favorite restaurant here—Gauchos which is under new management so is now called South Avenue Grill. We were happy they kept the same chef. Everything we have gotten there is delicious. That evening one of the other missionaries asked Elder Daniels to compute the price of gasoline here--since we buy it in liters and with Jamaican dollars. Guess what 1 liter of gas @ $106.90 Jamaican turned out to be? $4.97 US per gallon! Since we use diesel fuel our costs are a little higher still.
Today Giulivani was confirmed in Sacrament Meeting. He was baptized two weeks ago but last week his mother called to say none of the family could come due to no money for the taxi fare. His brother and two sisters came with him to church today. After Fast and Testimony meeting the missionaries taught Sunday School since neither teacher came. We had a challenging time in Primary with some children who don’t come often struggling to keep still. They loved making their paper bag puppets during Sharing Time and then telling Bible stories with them. I taught one music lesson before we visited some branch members and drove back to Kingston. We had some good phone visits and emails this week. We love you and are happy we are able to keep in touch via email or phone. Love,
Sister and Elder Daniels
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