Note: email did not fully copy in, so applicable photographs edited in -- PJD 27Apr2016
We attached pictures of those attending our branch today (I was the photographer). The other pictures are of an unusual flower we saw when we went to Strawberry Hill—one shows before it is open.
This next week is transfers. Elder Ngubane (En-ga-bon-ee) arrived yesterday. He is from South Africa and attended the missionary training center in the Dominican Republic. We will lose two missionaries this transfer—one left early last Friday and one goes home Thursday. It is always easier to welcome new missionaries than it is to say goodby. We also found out that one of the missionaries assigned to the Yallahs Branch is being transferred to Mandeville. We will miss Elder Diehl. He has been working with us for about six months. We look forward to working with Elder Hitchcock and are happy to still have Elder Weldon.
Tuesday we received a big shipment that had been held up in customs. I was happy to get the supplies to those who had ordered them. We found out some men had been sleeping on the grounds of the mission office. That concerned us since we are often the last there and the first to arrive. Gratefully the increased security will deter them. Sister Hendricks’ car steering broke again. A tender mercy was that it happened in her driveway and not in a busy intersection. Elder Daniels arranged to have her car towed to a repair shop.
I bought more plane tickets for people to attend the temple this week. This month we have 17 going to Panama and 1 going to Orlando, Florida. It is wonderful that they will be able to receive temple blessings. We are so grateful for the Temple Patron Assistance Fund that allows people to travel to the temple who could never afford it on their own.
I started immigration papers for two more missionaries to be able to be transferred off-island. One will go to the Bahamas and the other to the Turks and Caicos Islands. It takes over three months for us to receive work permits for some of the countries.
We worked just half a day Thursday and then went to the mission home to have Thanksgiving dinner with the other senior couples. I made fresh green beans with caramelized shallots. We had turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, jello salad, rolls, butternut squash casserole, pumpkin and chocolate pies, and apple cake. Dinner was delicious and we loved being with the other couples. We missed you and hope you know we love you.
Friday was the first day for Elder Gurr as an Office Elder. He will liven things up since he has a good sense of humor. I had several phone calls from the MTC President in the Dominican Republic since he discovered that Elder Ngubane didn’t have a visa to come to Jamaica. I sent another copy of the work permit exemption letter and he found the original and the letter to the embassy I had sent to the African travel office. I suggested he try to find a Jamaican embassy there and see if we could get the visa. He reported that $240 and 5 minutes later they had the visa! We were at the mission office late finishing up letters to each branch announcing when the mission presidency would be visiting next year. We also had several copies to make for the Young Single Adult activity this week.
Saturday Elder Daniels went to Spanish Town for a Priesthood Leadership Training meeting. I stayed home and did laundry, cleaned, and did some mending. It is so nice to have the loaner sewing machine from the Humanitarian missionaries.
Today we had a nice day. We had a fair attendance at our meetings. Sister Lofters did an excellent job combining two lessons in Primary. We are running out of weeks in the year and had not finished our manual. We also practiced for the Sacrament Meeting Presentation that will be in two weeks.
Love,
Sister and Elder Daniels
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