Note: Photographs (that could be located) edited in 25May2016 -- PJD
Dear Family,
This week pictures include:
·
Prince Harry and Usain Bolt (one of
the fastest sprinters in the world) ←
·
Lani, Dave, Sister Whitehead coming
down from the rooftop chicken coop
·
Chicken coop on top of Jamaican home
(note blue tarps for rain and shade cover)
·
Dave, Paul, and Sister Peart with her
80 chickens
·
Yallahs Branch members 18 March 2012
·
Family Home Evening with the Medleys,
Martins, and Hamiltons ←
·
Sumptuous spread for Family Home
Evening ←
Sorry we missed sending a letter last
week. We are busy with finishing things
up before coming home and enjoyed Dave and Lani’s visit from Sat., Mar 10th
to Wed., Mar13th.
Elder Gurr gave the thought in Devotional May
5th. He focused on the trials
of our faith. When you think that it had
only been two weeks since his mother passed away, it was easy to see why he had
been studying that topic. He is a
remarkable young man with a positive attitude and pleasant personality.
When the Smiths came for three more days of
training on Mar 6th, they brought a crockpot of soup for our
supper. We invited the other senior
couples to join us. Before we started
eating the electricity went out. We used
our candles and hurricane lantern until the lights came back on. The Whiteheads and Larsens said it was just
like being back in Guyana.
Mar. 7th, the Smiths brought a
newspaper with articles of Prince Harry’s visit to Jamaica celebrating Queen
Elizabeth’s 60th year as monarch.
We saw his motorcade several mornings on our way to the mission
office. There were some motorcycles,
several black sedans, more motorcycles, more black sedans, followed by more motorcycles.
A challenging assignment last week was
scheduling a trip for Pres. and Sister Hendricks. They needed to go to the Cayman Islands for
some interviews on a Friday, then fly to Freeport, Bahamas on Saturday for
Branch Conference the next day, then back to Jamaica Sunday evening. I had to work with several websites to find
flights that would work. Then I had to
contact hotels directly since the websites reported no vacancies. There are few direct flights between
Caribbean islands so the travel is challenging and can be exhausting. When I asked Sister Hendricks about the trip
when they returned, she said she hoped they didn’t have many more trips
visiting 4 countries in 3 days! (They
had to fly to Miami, FL for connections).
Saturday we borrowed the humanitarian sewing
machine so I could hem some flannel for a baby blanket and secure the top of
some kitchen towels so I could crochet on them for gifts. I wanted to make a gift for Sister Scott’s
new grandbaby and a wedding gift for Rondall Anderson and Tracy Meddow.
Dave and Lani came Saturday night. We took them with us to Yallahs Sunday. We were happy to be able to introduce them to
so many people that we have come to love.
Elder Daniels had Branch Council and two disciplinary councils after our
meetings. So after my music lessons I
took Dave and Lani to visit some people in our branch. Monday we took them to the mission office to
see where we work and meet the people there.
After our weekly devotional and doing some urgent business in the
morning, we spent the rest of the day showing them around Kingston. We had lunch at Scotchies so they could taste
traditional Jamaican jerk chicken, rice & peas, and festival (fried
bread). We went by the two chapels in
town, the former mission office, the University of West Indies campus, Hope
Gardens, and then to Devon House for ice cream and souvenier shopping. Then we went to the mission home for Family
Home Evening, so they met the other senior couples. The Larsens showed pictures from their
mission to England and served a delicious trifle for dessert. A surprise that day was that Lani is Elder
Larsen’s cousin! Another surprise was
that Elder Whitehead taught at the junior high she attended! What a small world! Elder Larsen gave me a wooden nativity set
he carved from Jamaican cedar while Sister Larsen was teaching music lessons.
Tuesday the Whiteheads took Dave, Lani, and us
on a tour of Humanitarian projects. We
saw the chicken coop built on the roof in a crowded neighborhood in Kingston, a
large garden in Spanish Town, another chicken coop in Linstead built on a very
steep hill, and the pig farm where they buy pigs for individual projects. That night we took them to Chilitos for
JaMexican food.
After a leisurely breakfast of patties (meat
pies) and turnovers we took them to the airport Wednesday morning. We really enjoyed their visit and being able
to share part of our mission experience with them. Shortly after getting back to the mission
office we got a phone call from Amy telling us that Karsten arrived that
morning after only 3 hours of labor. We
are thrilled that he was safely here.
Bryce sent us pictures that night.
What a blessing to be able to share in this wonderful family event when
we are so far away.
We worked late at the office the rest of the
week. The Smiths were gone all week
since they had a daughter and her family visiting.
Saturday we called to wish Craig Carda Happy
Birthday. After doing all our chores, I
went to Spanish Town to the district Relief Society Birthday Commemoration with
the Larsens, and Sister Whitehead while Elder Daniels worked at the mission
office. They had over 250 in
attendance. It was wonderful to be able
to see so many friends that I probably wouldn’t have been able to see before we
left. One lady had on a beautiful
African dress and I learned that she came from Swaziland in 1968. Each branch did a skit or song before they
served a dinner. A few days earlier I
was asked to give the invocation, but was also asked to accompany the opening
song when we arrived.
We had a record attendance in Yallahs last
Sunday—47! We had 11 in Primary. After our meetings we visited Sister Almond
and Mike Stewart. Our neighbors, the
Smiths, invited us for dinner. We had
red snapper cooked whole including everything head to tail. We were happy to visit with Amy’s family via
Skype. We were able to see the whole
family, including Bryce’s parents, his brother and fiance’. Lizzie was bouncy, bouncy, bouncy and busy,
busy, busy while baby Karsten slept through it all.
Monday the Smith’s, our replacements, moved to
Kingston. They ended up back at our
apartment since their apartment fell through.
So they were out looking for an apartment while we went to Family Home
Evening with the Medley family. After a
short lesson by their daughter, Giordayne, we played a scripture quiz game,
before having dinner. We had salt fish
fritters, jerk chicken, green salad, mango and Jamaican apple salad, fried plantain,
homemade rolls, cookies, and brownies.
It was very nice of them to invite us to thank us for our service here.
We got notification that an office couple will
arrive July 6th! Curtis and
LeAnn Harris from Kaysville, UT will serve for 18 months. So we will train the Smiths, who will train
them. The Smiths were able to get an apartment. It is right behind Chilitos restaurant. That night on the way home we stopped to see
their apartment and had tacos from Chilitos for supper.
We hope Mike and LeAnn and having a wonderful
week with LeAnn’s family on their trip to Florida.
I am finding this last week of our mission to
be very emotional. We are excited to
come home but will miss the people here.
Love,
Sister and Elder Daniels (Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa)
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