Scot and Jeralie

2011-08-31T10:11:00.003-04:00

After Seminary and Institute graduations, and after our responsibilities at the branch, we ladies decided to leave our men to their audits and interviews and do a little island sight seeing. Here we are at Devil's Bridge. And below, Sisters Stecker, Alvarado, Button and myself took a little beach walk to cool our feet. What a glorious day to be out with friends.

This was a cool little old church we spotted along the way. Very old and colorful.
You can't really tell from here, but this is a pineapple field. Pineapples grow from the ground. Just cut off the top bushy part and stick it in the ground and a new one grows. These pineapples are really small and very expensive. About $8 per pineapple. Or pines as we fondly call them in Guyana.

2011-08-31T09:52:00.002-04:00

Here are our Young Single Adults that completed the Institute Program this year. Raymond, the Young Man standing on the Right at the front got a 4 year diploma. Way to go YSA. We are thrilled that this group is having their monthly YSA activities. The challenge in this branch is that they have about 10 returned missionaries and very few ladies to choose as eternal mates. So we are working to get a Caribbean YSA facebook page to help expose them to each other. There are some wonderful YSA through out the Caribbean. We just need to get them together.

2011-08-31T09:46:00.002-04:00

This particular branch conference day, Scot helped with Priesthood and I taught YW. We happened to get 3 new Young Women presidents. So our lesson was on leadership in Christ's Church. After Branch Conference, everyone stayed for the Seminary and Institute graduation. Here are the youth that completed 80% or more of early morning daily seminary. We hope to have even more this next year. We love to visit seminary when we are in town. Sister Defretis has done a wonderful job this past year.

2011-08-31T09:39:00.002-04:00

This branch happens to have LOTS of youth. Elder Button got to teach the Youth Sunday school class. They have Young Women activities regularly on Friday nights, but need to work on the YM program. We have great youth, that just need a little purpose and direction. They are the future leaders of the church. As a church, we are trying to put our best resources toward the youth to help them be happy, successful, gospel centered individuals. Go Youth!

2011-08-31T09:34:00.002-04:00

As part of our Antigua Branch conference, each of the mission presidency got to help with the classes or meetings. Here is Hermana Button reviewing songs with the Primary children. What is not fun about popping balloons or using a humming jar during singing time. Sister Alvarado helped out with Sharing time and taught the children the importance of the temple.

2011-08-31T09:15:00.002-04:00

In our last general conference, the Prophet asked us to have a day of service in our community. All over the world, saints gathered to respond to this request. As part of that request, each of the branches in our islands found a service project to do. In Antigua, we were able to gather at this catholic church that houses children who's parents cannot care for them for what ever reason. We got to clean the outside of the building and help with a little yard work. There were 3 girls living there at the time. One of the girls was having her 13th birthday that day. With no family or friends to speak of on that special day, we bought a small cake and became her friends for the day. We invited the 3 young girls to help work with us. They jumped at the chance to serve, wear the yellow vests and be with us. It was a really fun day. In the group picture, the girls not in the helping hand vests were our 3 non members. The indian lady who cared for them also finally joined in the fun.

2011-08-30T23:47:00.002-04:00

Elder and Sister Anderson from the Caribbean area presidency came the beginning of the month for a mission tour. After meeting with all the stake presidents in Puerto Rico and having 5 zone conferences in a matter of days, they began touring the islands. One of their first stops was St. Thomas. We don't have full time missionaries on that island at the moment, so Scot and I had to hop a plane the night before so cars, hotels, branch leaders and visits were all arranged for the Andersons visit. Next to us is our mission President and his wife, the Alvarados. The Andersons are on the right. We sure enjoyed our day with them.

2011-08-30T23:26:00.002-04:00

Earlier this month we had a mission tour from one of the area presidency members. His name is Elder Anderson. We had the pleasure of meeting Elder Anderson once when we were in Guyana. This time, he and his wife were here to tour the mission. He requested a meeting with all of the couples in the mission. We had about 6 or 7 couples that are serving as service missionaries from Puerto Rico in attendance. We had 2 sets of service missionaries from the islands and 6 sets of full time couple missionaries fly in for the meeting. We flew the couple in the day before. They had a little time for shopping, going to dinner and enjoyed a little socializing. They don't get many opportunities to get together. later The next morning they enjoyed Elder and Sister Anderson remarks at a zone conference, went to lunch, had a little personal time in the afternoon, and that evening, came to our place for a little island specific meeting where we discussed the area focus for the next few months, the importance of seminary and institute enrollment and graduation for the youth and young adults as well as some new in field training guidelines to help them teach the lessons of the gospel. It is great to get together. Sorry we didn't have the people in the back stand up to be seen. At this point, the Steckers are in Antigua, the Hadlocks in St. Kitts, the Icelys in St. Croix, the Babcocks and sisters Walthers and Cooper in Dominica, the Vickery's in Tortola, and the Murdocks in St. Thomas. What a great group of servants we get to work with.

2011-08-30T23:17:00.002-04:00

These two are the Hanleys. He was just released as the branch president after several years. He and his wife were just called as new service missionaries. Sister Hanly served a mission as a young lady. Serving a mission for her husband has been a dream for a long time. He is thrilled that his dream can now come true. They have been married for several years and just had their first baby a month ago. Lots of new changes in this little family. They will be learning about humanitarian aid projects that can be done on several of our other islands and helping those projects become realities. We are soooo excited to have them serve in this capacity. Their official missionary name tags are in the mail. We had them over for dinner and their setting apart for this new assignment and calling. They will be a great addition.

2011-08-30T23:11:00.002-04:00

Baptisms are the best thing. But it is even more sweet when the local members help with the teaching, fellow shipping and participating in the ordinances. That is the gospel at it's best. These two tall Nigerian men will be a wonderful addition to the branch.

2011-08-30T23:03:00.002-04:00

Of course the highlight for any missionary is a baptism and we were lucky enough to attend one in St. Kitts on this visit. The couple in the picture are the Hadlocks. They are doing a wonderful job on the island. In addition to missionary work, they are finding humanitarian projects for the islands. Their first mission to Jamaica was as humanitarian missionaries. The two good looking men in the picture were being baptized this day. They are both from Nijeria. One is attending medical school and the other was attending Business school here in St. Kitts. One of them has a brother in Nigeria who had joined the church and so when he got to St. Kitts, wanted to learn more about it. It is sooo great to belong to such a world wide church!

2011-08-30T23:00:00.001-04:00

I made it a point to sneak a little snorkeling in between meetings. See my catch of the day?

Brimstone Fort

2011-08-30T22:44:00.002-04:00

We have been doing several branch conferences on the islands lately. Earlier this month, we were on the island of St. Kitts. While Scot was in meetings, I asked Sister Hadlock, the senior sister, if she would go with me to see Brimstone Fort. I was told it was really great and lucky for me, she had a pass for us to get in at no charge. We had a lovely afternoon exploring the Fort and enjoying the views. Here are some of those pictures. I had lots, but this gives you the idea. There is a lot of history in these islands of forts that protected the islands. Sometimes they were possessed by the British, sometimes the French. For some of the islands in the Caribbean, the Dutch and Spanish fought for possession. St. Kitts was won by the British.

The Flower Show

2011-07-30T10:37:00.002-04:00

One day, Sister Edwards, who works in the Employment Center, took me to an annual flower show. Here we are enjoying our Pinapple colatas. A sweet highlight. We were on the street enjoying the flowers and atmosphere. But in so doing, we didn't even realize we missed the real flower show that was held indoors a huge hall. We had a great day none the less. Orchids everywhere.
We tasted this little weird fruit from Asia. It was great. It was soft and sweet.
Orchids are plentiful here. They even graft them on trees and they bloom for months. I have never seen so many kinds and colors. It was a wonderful day.

Tarpon Fishing Day

2011-07-30T09:27:00.004-04:00

On their last day, Cameron our fisherman of the family REALLY wanted to go fishing. So we found a local fishing boat and went tarpon fishing for half a day. We were in a salt water lagoon near the airport. There is a beautiful bridge that is lined with flags that where the family fished. Again, it was a beautiful place to fish and it looks like everyone got a bite. Of course all the fish lived because it is a catch and release thing. That's how we do it in this family.Cameron is our ultimate fisherman. But if it is big action, Nathan is in. Thanks Cam for the idea.
Even our beginner, Megan caught a tarpon and really seemed to enjoy the day.

Swinging through the Rain forest

2011-07-30T07:38:00.002-04:00

We found an outfit that met us at a central location and drove us 1/2 to a rain forest in Caguas. There, we geared up and started a little hike up through some water falls. It was beautiful, cool and so refreshing. After hiking up some lovely little falls, we repelled down this 82 foot waterfall drop. It was about a 30 second repel, but was easy and refreshing. Once at the bottom, we hiked 5 more minutes to a few zip lines. Wow, what fun. At the conclusion of our jungle adventure, we were treated to a typical Puerto Rican lunch of chicken, rice, beans and flan. Ziping, and a waterfall repel were among the highlights of the day. Pretty adventurous, eh?

What a great way to see the rain forest and be together in this beautiful place. Here is Nathan doing a little rope climbing. Above is what we saw when we hiked for 10 minutes. Our kind of hiking.

Vieques , Puerto Rico

2011-07-30T00:23:00.004-04:00

We visited the island of Vieques. It is a small island East of Puerto Rico, yet is part of Puerto Rico. We took a 50 minute ferry ride in the evening. Once we arrived, we checked into the Casa La Lachita, a lovely little hotel on the beach a 5 minute drive from the ferry. The hotel owner picks you up at the ferry and takes you to his place, where he rents you a car, provides snorkeling, launday facilities, maps, sets up tours, and recommends places to eat. They are lovely suites with kitchenettes, and a great pool. After dinner, we took the famous Misquito Bay Bioluminescent tour. This Bay has the perfect balance of temperature, salt and protection for these micro organisms to thrive in. We gathered at the bay and Kayaked to the center of the lagoon. We jumped into the warm water and moved our arms to find the water glow. When we lifted our arms, sparkles trickled down our arms. It was the coolest thing. Best done on a moonless night. It was just our luck to have one. But the sky was full of stars. It was definitely a highlight.
The next day, we played around at the most gorgeous beach. Unfortunately, this does not do the color justice. The water was as aqua as that pool in the picture above. Here we are at Red Beach

Enjoying the ferry ride from Fajardo and arriving at our charming hotel on the beach.

2011-07-29T23:57:00.003-04:00

We declare, Megan, the Kite Queen for the Day!

Afterwards we went to Recies to eat. Not such great food, but terrific and authentic Puerto Rican atmosphere.

2011-07-29T23:49:00.001-04:00

2011-07-29T23:37:00.003-04:00

Everyone had a fun time with the kites. Cameron's had a mind of its own and Megan seemed to have the longest success. We'll have to do this again sometime. If you ever go to El Morro on a Saturday or Sunday, you will see 50 plus kites flying in front of the El Morro. Always a wind.

Before leaving El Morro, we decided to do a little kite flying on the beautiful lawn fields out front.

El Morro

2011-07-29T23:16:00.004-04:00

I love the old arch ways that lead into what we thought might be the Sleeping QuartersCameron taking moment to enjoy the view from the fort. You could see forever

Would you look at the size of these cannon balls? And check out the size of this cannon.

The first day that the parents and kids were here was great. We toured the National Park, El Morro. It is a historic fort here in Puerto Rico. It was better than I thought it would be. It had 3 levels and great views, a movie and even cold water. I couldn't get enough of it.

Family Vacation in June

2011-07-29T22:43:00.007-04:00

Here they are on Father's Day with this serious Chocolate Cake. Check out how tall it is!

June was a terrific month. One of the reasons for this is that our parents and 3 wonderful kids came for a visit. The parents were here for 3 days before the kids came. We visited Old San Juan, explored the Camuy, the world's largest radar radio telescope, and enjoyed hanging out. Then after a few days, Nathan, Megan and Cameron joined us for more fun. We enjoyed church together on Fathers day and really enjoyed Toms favorite Chocolate cake from Costco and Scots favorite, Tacos.

2011-04-16T16:01:00.003-04:00

This trip interfered with Chucho Alvarado's, ( the 7 year old son of the President) school Turkey bowl. This is a special day at his school where the kids race to see who can win a turkey. Because he missed it, we brought a small wrapped on along and had a special race on the beach. We drew lines in the sand and had the Pietz couple hold up the finish line. And of course, Chucho was the winner. Here is the winner with his family. After, we took a dip in this beautiful Caribbean water. This really was the color. Best quick ocean swim I have ever had.

Vieques , Puerto Rico

2011-04-16T15:54:00.002-04:00

Just a few weeks after we got to Puerto Rico, the mission president and his family, us and one other couple decided to meet another couple on the island of Vieques. We actually went to see biolumincent micro creatures in Misquito lagoon. But you have to go at night and we went in a kayak. So no pictures of that, but here are a few pictures of our 24 hour trip. Here we are under this monster tree.

2011-04-16T00:08:00.003-04:00

Some days you just feel like clowning around. And this particular day, I found a clown, clicked his picture with some of my friends on our way to a zone conference. Anything to add a little spice and color to our day. Here I am with the clown, Sister Button, on the right, the mission secretary and Sister Icely our mission nurse on the left. Sister Icely really serves in St. Thomas, but comes to San Juan for zone conferences to visit with our young missionaries and give little health presentations.

Jeralie celebrates her birthday in style

2011-04-15T23:52:00.002-04:00

Many of you may not know my feelings about birthdays but I think they are all about creating memories. So here is what we did at the end of Feb. for mine. I called it a ladies day out. And boy did some husbands grumble. The mission president hates to know there is a party going on and he wasn't invited. Anyway, I invited all of the senior sisters missionaries and the mission presidents wife and 2 daughters and a friend to go on a boat ride, which was free, to a restaurant for lunch. It was such a pleasant day. It took about 45 minutes to get there. Very peaceful and unhurried. Then, on the way home, some of us stopped into to Maggie Moos for ice cream. We had a great time.

Young Single Adult Snorkeling Party

2011-04-10T21:57:00.002-04:00

The St. Kitts branch recently organized their Young Single Adults. They are a great group. There are about 8-10 in the branch. Mostly girls. We planned activities for the next 6 months. Last month they went on a hike organized by the one non member man of the group. It was a smashing success. That young man Ricky, was baptized last week. Yahoo. The Elders quorum have scooped him up and are becoming fast friends. Then, yesterday, they had their second activity. They planned a snorkeling party. They were encouraged to invite their friends. So they did. And 20 people came. They spent the afternoon eating, socializing and snorkeling, which many of them had never done before. They can hardly wait for their activity next month. Way to go YSA St. Kitts.

2011-04-10T21:54:00.002-04:00

Great Sign Ehh?

Monkeyin' around

2011-04-10T21:43:00.002-04:00

As we were driving around the island, we saw this rare sign. Monkey crossing. Nevis and St. Kitts are among the only islands on our mission that have monkeys. They were brought over years ago as pets by the English. When the English left the island, they left their pets. Monkeys are actually a problem to the people because the monkeys steal their mangos from the trees before they are ripe. And many people depend on mangos as a staple. But I must admit, they are sort of cute.

The Allen Family on Nevis

2011-04-10T21:34:00.002-04:00

After church, we went with Brother Croft to visit the Allan Family. The Allens have been members of the church for 25 years. They cannot afford to take transportation to get to the family group. So we visited them. Brother Croft is a priest. We invited him to prepare himself for the Melchezedek Priesthood and then prepare to go to the temple. He got excited about those ideas. Then we asked his son Evenson if he was interested in serving a mission. He is 19. He said he was. We spent a little time explaining that missions take sacrifice and hard work. We also explained the blessings of a mission that will come to him, his family and the members on Nevis by his serving. If he and one other person from St. Kitts serve missions, the mission president will send full time missionaries to their island. Evenson does not have a penny to his name and is looking for a job. Jobs are so hard to find on this island. We will come back next month and see if we can find a way for him to prepare himself to serve. With the help of the nearby branch and a miracle from the Lord, I'm sure he can have the desire of his heart and bless others along the way.

2011-04-10T21:25:00.003-04:00

Went to the small island of Nevis today. It is just off St. Kitts. We took the ferry which took about 30 minutes and drove to the Croft family home. They are the family that holds the family group meeting each sunday. Sister Croft picks up the members and brings them to their home. Today, only 1 lady, Franchesca came to church. We sat on their porch and enjoyed a lovely lesson by sister Croft on the Priesthood. After a great lesson (yes, with the whole family) we had sacrament meeting. We sang, prayed, Brother Croft blessed and passed the sacrament and we all shared our testimonies because it was fast and testimony sunday due to general conference. What a sweet spirit that resided there. Unfortunately, the Crofts will be moving in two weeks after Brother Croft graduates from Medical school. We will need to find or activate a priesthood member to keep the family group going.

Starting a new mission

2011-03-26T11:42:00.003-04:00

We have now been on our new mission for almost 5 months and apologize for not updating our blog. We are serving in the Puerto Rico Mission. It was two missions, until this last July, but has been collapsed into one. This mission serves all of Puerto Rico, and eight other islands. They are Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts and Nevis, St, Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola and Virgin Gorda. Nevis and Virgin Gorda have family groups that are associated with neighboring islands. Scot is in the Mission Presidency serving with President Jorge Alvarado. Though we have a nice apartment in San Juan, our assignment takes us to the six major islands each month. We spend 3 days each month on each of these islands where we get to know the members, work with the missionary couple on each island and train the local leadership on the area priorities. It has been great to get to know the members through out the islands. We also enjoy our time with the couples in San Juan. The things we have learned in St. Lucia, Guyana and Tobago have been valuable and helped us in being familiar with both mission and island culture. We are settled and ready to share our adventures with you. So stay tune.

2009-07-29T21:02:00.002-04:00

A few months back, we had a visiting Authority come for a training visit. In preparation for his fireside, the young adults sang a special musical number. These are the young adults who preformed. I taught them the song, but Sister Kippins, a Returned Missionary and current District Young Womans president, actually conducted the song. Afterwards, it was rice Krispie treats all around. They did a fabulous job. I was so proud of them. They really brought the spirit as they sang How Great Shall be your Joy. Very appropriate, since Elder Johnson taught us about who our sheep are.

2009-07-29T20:52:00.002-04:00

This is a typical house in many areas of Guyana. Many of them are one room. This house is about 10 by 12 feet. An amerindian family of 6 lives here. We had to walk over a plank over a little trench to get to their home. This trench is where this family gets their water. Quite a humbling experience.

2009-07-29T20:42:00.002-04:00

One day when we were out in Canje, Scot was asked to do a second interview with a man who was to be baptised. He does all the second interviews for all the baptisms of the country. A person needs a second interview if they have had an abortion, have been in prison, or have children from another woman. When we arrived, he had just gone to visit a friend who had a family death. So we visited with this sweet family. The wood structure behind the family is their outdoor cooking area. You cant see the outhouse, there is no electricity or running water. They live upstairs but spend time under the house playing and cooking. That is how it is with many of the people here.

Amerindian Primary children

2009-07-29T20:30:00.002-04:00

Look at the sweet faces of these three primary children at their home. Only one was old enough to be baptised, but the other two were anxiously awaiting the day. After a short visit, we all sang, I am a child of God. Nice to know that some things are the same everywhere in the world.

2009-07-29T20:14:00.002-04:00

Earlier this month we went to Canje to attend a zone conference there. These fine sisters can make a mean hawiian haystack meal for hungry missionaries. Afterwards we went shopping for bread for a delicious spagetti dinner at the Lingrins home. It is so fun to get together with the other couples. Seems like all we do is meet and eat.

Sister Missionaries

2009-07-29T20:05:00.001-04:00

2009-06-14T21:42:00.002-04:00

During this weeks zone conference, which is actually is made up of 3 zones, our zone the La Grange zone, prepared a special musical number to sing . These Elders sounded great! They sang How Great Shall Be Your Joy. We even had an award for the best smiler. This was a special zone conference. It was our President and his wife, Reid and Diane Robisons last conference here before they go home to Provo, Utah in about 14 days. They have been wonderful models for each of us. We wish them the best of luck in their new chapter as they leave this West Indies Mission and pick up where they left off at Brigham Young University.

2009-06-14T21:33:00.002-04:00

This is our new zone. We are called the La Grange zone. But everyone has ordered alligator scripture covers, or hymn books, or tote bags. We are thinking of changing our name to the La Gator zone. We look pretty snazy with our gator scriptures. The Elders even convinced me to purchase an alligator purse. Not a fan of so much gator, I did get a purse (which I needed) but the purse I got does have a alligator on it. Oh, how I love to be part of the zone.

Shadetts anyone??

2009-06-14T21:16:00.002-04:00

Here we have Scot with a Shadett. What the heck is this? Well, it is better than a grapefruit. In St. Lucia, they weren't quiet this large. This one is huge. They are hard to come by. They are not as juicy and you peel them and eat them as an orange. This is our favorite fruit here. It you love pink grapefruits, you'll love Shadetts

2009-06-14T21:09:00.002-04:00

One of the things we just do here in Guyana is eat out a lot. We seem to celebrate birthdays, going aways, its monday, just about any reason to get together and it seems to be more often than not. But we love getting together and we love working with these other couples.

Our last time as a Diamond Zone

2009-05-17T20:27:00.002-04:00

Here is the group we occasionally hang out with. Great group of guys and sisters. Imagine serving this crew breakfast every 6 weeks. We tried something new this time. The night before, we made a breakfast casserole with cut up pieces of bread, cheese, eggs, milk, vanilla and added cooked sausage and beacon on top, and let it sit overnight. In the morning you top it with diced tomatoes and green onions and bake. Was pretty easy and made the for a smooth dish. Sister Handly brought tons of fresh pineapple, watermelons and bananas. I think we might just have to do that again. Don't these elders look well fed and content?

Testing out the ping pong table

2009-05-17T19:46:00.003-04:00

These fine elders of the Diamond zone love not only to get together every six weeks for an hour or so, they just love each other. Did you know they end all their phone calls with "I love ya" which was sort of weird when the first one said it to me. I don't really hear it often, but they sure say it to each other. They are really known as a band of brothers.

Pre transfer missionary breakfast

2009-05-17T18:33:00.003-04:00

Look at these goofball elders. At this point our lovely breakfast is over and they are waiting turns for pingpong on our dining room table. Most of them get to stay, and oh, how we will miss the others as they transfer to a new area. Good luck gentlemen!

Manatee's at the Park

2009-05-17T17:22:00.002-04:00

Today, we were suppose to drive to Canje for an interview after church, but it was postponed. So on the way home from church, we stopped at the Botanical gardens (not what you are imagining) for a little picnic and to see the manatees. We spotted about four of them. They posed for us as long as we fed them a little grass. They are about 8 feet long and live in this large pond. We were a little suprised that they let us pet them. A face only a mother could love.

A green parrot day

2009-05-17T17:17:00.003-04:00

One day this week, I was on my way to pick Scot up from the church after an afternoon with the sisters and I heard this loud cawing sound. I pulled over the car to catch these green parrots up in a tree. There were about 15 in all. How often do you get to see a bunch of parrots in the wild, or shall I say in the neighborhood. It was pretty neat. Glad I had my camera. For a really good glimpse of these parrots, just click on the picture and you can see their beauty up close and personal.

Sister Juman and the Prime Minister at the Celebration

2009-05-11T00:03:00.003-04:00

Sister Juman and I happened to be walking toward the enterence of the National Indian Arrival Day Celebration just as the prime minister was entering the grounds. He was surrounded by body guards, but she wanted to shake his hand, so she did and there I was with my camera. It was sort of a thrill. He even shook my hand. Probably because I was the only white person on the entire celebration grounds. He didn't stop for anyone else. I just drove by his house yesterday in downtown Georgetown. Perhaps I should pop in for a visit sometime and bring him rice krispie squares or brownines or something. You never know when it might help to know people in high places. Then again, maybe he wants to learn about the church. You never know.

Indian arrival Day Celebration

2009-05-10T22:38:00.003-04:00

May 5 was East Indian Arrival Day. I went with sister Juman and she explained the festivities. Here we were on a ferris wheel. It was her first time on one and she kept her eyes closed the whole time. There was traditional dancing, floats depicting the history of the people, music, dancing, traditional costume, food and all sorts of cultural mixes. It was fun and there is so much to learn about these people. And this is just the East Indians.

The East Indians comprise of the Hindus, the Muslums and the Christians. Each with their own traditions. But they all get along because they all came as endured servants 171 years ago. They share that important part of history.

These children represent the early school children. They don't dress like this now, but all the students here from kindergarden up through high school do wear uniforms.

Apparently, these children on this float represent the way the early hindu people were married. They had arranged marriages of children and later, when they were older, lived together. The boy here wasn't too happy about the whole thing, but the girl seemed pretty happy.

This was just one of the performing groups. It is all drums. And frankly...... I don't get it. It sounds to me like 10 minutes of the same beat. So I must be missing something. But they seemed to know what they were doing. We also watched the Haricrishna groups play and dance. They might be hindus that believe in Christ. I'll have to look into that more.

Cute little frogs

2009-05-09T22:20:00.003-04:00

See this cute little frog? We have these visitors each evening. We think they climb in through one of the drains. They are only about an inch big. But we end up chasing one around the living area each evening. See, what they don't realize is that if they come inside for the evening, they will shrivel up and die by morning. So it is rather important that we catch them and save their little lives. By save, I simply mean I catch them and toss them outside near the drain. This one was found in the dishes in the kitchen sink. The chase is on. If I win, we both win, or, another another one bites the dust.

Mother's Day preparation in the Garden Park Branch

2009-05-03T19:23:00.003-04:00

Check out this great group of Garden Park Primary kids. They were preparing three songs for mothers day next week. They are singing some song I vaguely remember from my primary days as a youth, Love is Spoken Here,

and a Happy Family. They are also having two primary children speak and one child give a poem. What an awesome tribute to mothers. They practiced smiling and the whole performance bit. I can hardly wait to see them next week. They Rock. And their leaders are pretty cute too. I love that where ever I go in the world, Primary children are learning the same songs. I need to brush up on some of them. I get to teach them songs when I visit their branch and we have such a fun time.

Seminary Rocks in the West Indies

2009-05-03T19:02:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures of some of the seminary students in our district. We had a special seminary fireside this saturday. Elder Gamiette, our soon to be mission president and current CES director for the West Indies came to spend a day with the youth. They played a fun Scripture Bingo game that really challanged them. They were split into 4 teams. If a team thought they had a bingo, they had to either stand and recite the scripture (one of the 25 they are to learn for the year) or read the scripture and relate a personal experience. So many of the kids are receint converts to the church and were so quick to apply the scripture to their lives. I was in AWE. Guess I'd better buckle down and learn these scriptures. They were so into it and Brother Gamiette is soooo motivating. He will be replaced by Brother Alverado of Peurto Rico. He too is a really fun guy. He lead a great discussion with the young Adults that evening. WOW!

Two of our favorite friends

2009-05-02T21:43:00.003-04:00

Here are two of my favorite people here in Guyana. This is the darling wife and son (Rande)of our new District President. They got to spend a little time at our home one sunday afternoon while our husbands had meetings. It was fun. Is this not the cutest kid you have ever seen? He is always smiling. Sister Vonella Goodluck happens to be the sister of one of our St. Lucia friends, Kendrea from the Castries Branch. The world is getting smaller every day.

The sheep and the goats

2009-05-02T21:28:00.003-04:00

This land is full of wild life. This troup of about a dozen goats and kids crossed out path the other day. We stood on the side of a bridge to see if they would confront us or not. They didn't seem to have a problem sharing the road with us. They are cute little critters. They are all over the place. Makes us feel a little like we live in the country.

Shrimp for dinner, maybe

2009-05-02T17:20:00.003-04:00

On our way home from Conjie the other day, we stopped on the side of the road along this trench to visit with this little family. A mom, her 4 year old boy and these 3 daughters were attempting to catch shrimp in this trench. The two older girls about ages 12 and 10 were swiming in the water with their net while the rest of the family walked the bank with a basket to hold the caught shrimp. When we asked them how long it would take to catch, they said this was their first time and that they had no idea. What a fun family activity, catching dinner.

Rice Drying on the Road

2009-05-01T23:07:00.003-04:00

Guyana is famous for their rice. Part of the rice drying process is to pour the rice out of its 50 lb bags onto the road and spread it out to dry in the sun. Every 15 minutes or so the workers walk through it to help it dry. After several hours of drying, they scoop it back up and take it back to the mill to separate the rice from the dried outside cover. Here is a father working with his son and sister Hymas who thought it looked fun. What a way to toughen your feet.

Trenches of Guyana

2009-04-23T13:29:00.003-04:00

In order to get to many houses, you have to cross these planks or bridges as they call them here. We were doing a little exploring and saw these kids who wanted a picture with us. So we all made our way onto the plank for the perfect picture. That trench below is where the little caiman alligators and who know what else live. We never did touch the water, but my friend, Sister Bullock fell in once at night. Creepy.

A glimps of nature

2009-04-23T13:04:00.002-04:00

We often interact with nature out here in Guyana. We compete with roaches, ants and tiny frogs on a daily basis. But the creatures I love to watch are the birds. We have two kinds that really draw our attention. The first is this bird that jumps. Every morning we look out our bedroom window and watch this bird hop off the wall or branch of a bush about 3 feet in the air and down again. He will do this repeatedly. We call him the jumper. But there is this other bird that we love to watch. This colorful character is called a kisadee. This kisadee is sitting on the wall, watching for grasshoppers in the field below. He enjoyed a wonderful breakfast.

Shampooing in the Rain

2009-04-23T12:57:00.002-04:00

I was taking a shower one morning and as it happens often, the power went off. Now, I don't really understand why the water goes off when the power goes off, but it does. So there I am with a head full of shampoo and no water. I wrap myself in a towel and head downstairs to see if Scot has any bright ideas and he does. He reminds me that it IS raining. Surely there must be a pipe that catches the water on the roof and drains in the yard somewhere. And sure enough, right outside my kitchen door I see the pipe above. So towel and all, I finish my shower, under the drain pipe and in the rain. What a refreshing shower it was. Only in Guyana.

There's a New toy in town

2009-04-20T20:08:00.002-04:00

We figured that there really wasn't a lot of things for the elders to do here. I remembered Nathan played ping pong on his mission. So we purchased some ping pong balls and paddles, taped up a paper net on our dinning room table and let them have at it. They were thrilled. Let the games begin!!! The chocolate chip cookies at the end completed the activity. We'll have to restrict this activity to preparation day, but it is nice to have laughing young men with a little competetive edge in our home again. We sort of miss all our hockey-boy live ins. We are responsible for 8 of these fine young men in our District. If they have any medical needs, need supplies, need help with interviews, or need an occasional meal, we are the parents away from home.

Power of the Priesthood

2009-04-20T19:20:00.002-04:00

We visited the little branch of Parika yesterday. After everyone had left, I had just finished picking up and arranging chairs after a YW lesson. On my way out, I caught sight of this sweet moment. A new member, David, who was baptised the day before, and given the Holy Ghost in sacrament meeting just hours earlier, was quietly being ordained to the priesthood. His wife and daughter were present along with a 17 year old who had been a member 1 week. He was next to be ordained. It was a sweet, quiet moment. Just a little family, 2 elders, 2 priesthood visitors, the branch president and the only other active priesthood member. I was thrilled to be a fly on the wall this day to see the kingdom strengthened with Christ's priesthood authority.

A visit to the Parika primary

2009-04-20T18:49:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, we went to a small branch about 40 minutes away. The branch usually has more people, but this particular day, this was the wonderful size of the primary. The primary president was scurring to prepare a lesson and cover for a teacher, so I got to teach these children some primary songs. They didn't know hindges, a happy family and teach me to walk in the light. We had a great time together. I just happened to have some chocolate chip cookies with me and there was pleanty to share. This was such a great group of kids. I have 7 new great younger friends there. Each time I go to visit that branch, I get to teach a few more primary songs. Guess I'd better get learning. They are hungry to learn and sing.

Caiman's make good pets

2009-04-18T23:03:00.001-04:00

Here we are with Elder Leishman and a few boys in the neighborhood who caught this caiman in the trench that lines the streets. The boys said that it is their pet, but I know that people eat them. Our friend sister Bullock, who is taking us on visits in her area, has had occasion to fall into one of these trenches. Who knows what else learks in these trenches. This is the first one we have seen, but something tells me it won't be the last.

Caiman for dinner???

2009-04-18T22:47:00.004-04:00

While we were walking to our car in Canji, some boys noticed us and invited us over to see the Caiman they had caught. They have him by a rope by the tail. They just pull him out of the trench when they want to play and let him live in the trench during the night and when they are at school. This Caiman was about 4 feet long. That is a missionary tag along side his mouth. Isn't he cute? Other missionaries have been known to cook and eat Caiman.

Kids in the neighborhoods in Canji

2009-04-12T21:34:00.002-04:00

When we were strolling down the streets in Conji earlier this week, we stopped to visit with some of the neighborhood children. They were all smiles and totally delightful. As we walked through their streets, I was struck as to how little they had. But they seemed so happy. Most of the homes didn't have real runnng water, or electricity, and in this particular area, homes were made of wood slats and very small. Happiness is an attitude. I guess that is why the elders love teaching the gospel here in Guyana. Theses humble people are hungry for the gospel.

The latest Gumboot Fashion

2009-04-12T16:46:00.002-04:00

Now it isn't all sister missionaries that have the opportunity to wear these fashionable gumboots, but here we are. These three friends, Sister Hymas from BC, Sister Leishman from St. George, and Sister Bullock from Oregon have been reunited in the wonderland of Canji, Guyana for a day. We were told that if we click our magic gumboots together and say we want to go home, it will happen (one day). But for now, we are more interested in showing off our stylish boots, our lilly white knees and sharing the day together. What a lovely combination. I'm quiet sure that these special addition boots are only sold here in Guyana. Perhaps we can take special orders.

Mundy's Angels

2009-04-12T14:11:00.003-04:00

Here we have the three amigas, Thelma, Louise and their side kick. Elder Mundy prayed all three of us here to Guyana. He thought we would be his dream team, but because we are separated two hours apart geographically in a triangle, we will have to be Mundy's angels.

2009-04-02T10:43:00.002-04:00

Here is another family who travels to church together. Everyone knows their spots and travel in the most economical way they can think of. How daring. What some people will do to keep their covenants and bring up their little family with the life changing principles of this gospel. WOW!

Priesthood bretheren bike to their meetings

2009-04-02T10:33:00.002-04:00

This is one of my favorite all time pictures. Here are two members of a branch biking to their leadership training meeting. They biked about 10 miles each way to get to their meetings. Most of the members here don't have cars. It makes me pause to wonder if I would be as dedicated to do the same. Where there is sacrifice, there is growth and power. Love to see those ties flapping in the wind.

2009-04-01T14:34:00.003-04:00

We have a neighbor named Layla. She is so sweet. We were driving by her home and saw here out watering her plants. So we stopped to introduce ourselves. She knew who we were and took us to her back yard, where she cut open a couple of coconuts, gave us the coconut water and jelly and introduced us to her parrots. They were beautiful. She then introduced us to her two grandsons ages 6 and 8. How nice to have neighbors who are willing to share themselves. She even invited us to dinner on the spot, but we had to decline. We have been told not to eat at anyone's home for health reasons. So I guess I might have to learn how to cook after all.

A few sights of Guyana

2009-04-01T14:26:00.003-04:00

There are about as many dogs as there are people in Guyana it seems. We live outside Georgetown. This was a little bit of an unusual sight. Every where there is building going on, there are these piles of white sand, which aid in the making of cement used to build houses. Her we have one lazy dog sitting as king of the hill. He was so relaxed, off the road and didn't seem to bother anyone. That is kind of how it is here in Guyana.

Lambert gets dunked!

2009-03-14T15:31:00.002-04:00

Today was Lambert's Baptism. He is the husband of our Relief Society President, Myla Santos. She has been praying for this for a long time and exercised quiet faith. And it happened. Look out Lambert, Pres. D saw you in a dream as one of his counselors. The Lord has such great things in store for this family. We are so proud of your first step. Keep up the great work. The best is yet to come.

Movie night with the Ladies

2009-03-12T23:32:00.002-04:00

Tonight we had ladies movie night as a fun get together with the RS sisters. Boy can they laugh and tease with each other. We watched the Movie Emma which was sent to me just days before from my friend Suzie Larson. Thanks Suzie. The girls loved it. Wow, all of our trials pale to the lessons and experiences of Emma Smith. We will think twice before complaining about our trials. And we would all gladly keep our trials rather than trade for hers. Emma truely was an elect lady and a wonderful example to us all.

Garvan our Car washer

2009-03-12T13:24:00.003-04:00

This is our land ladies nephew Garvin. He is a great young man. We have been a bit tight financially lately but our car was so muddy and gross, that we finially had Garvin give it the wash it was used to. It was a beautiful day for car washing and he does such a great job. We feel so much better with a clean car. He is wonderful. Just thought you might want to see both our car and the cleaner. They come together with the apartment. It is great. We are going to miss both Garvin and our little truck.

FHE with the Andre Family

2009-03-09T23:18:00.002-04:00

Tonight we had a great little FHE with the Andre Family. They are investigating the church. They are such a great family and would make a wonderful addition to our Castries Branch. Beverly the mom cooks for a very expensive restraunt up north. She has three terrific teens and a darling 3 year old. This family is all smiles. We just love them.

Picnic in the park

2009-03-07T21:07:00.002-04:00

It's not every day that we get to go on a picnic. But today was a beautiful saturday and we were suprised by a visti from our friends the Elliots. It was a wonderful day at Pigion Point. Lunch was terrific, and the short hike was wonderful. Don't you wish you were here?????

A picnic with the Elliots, friends from the Okanagan

2009-03-07T21:01:00.002-04:00

We took the Elliots who are friend from the Okanagan area of British Columbia, on a picnic at Pigion Point. They live about 1 hour away to the south of the island. They have been in St. Lucia for about 5 months and will be going home to work their apple orchard in Oliver soon. It is so fun to get together with friends. Yes, that is an old cannon we are sitting by. Sure hope it doesn't go off accidently. Don't we look like a happy lot?

My Dear Deaf friend Chandra

2009-03-07T20:36:00.004-04:00

Here is my friend Chandra. She works at a grocery store near me. She is the single mother of these two wonderful children. The thing that is great about her is that she is deaf and is a beautiful signer. So we are instant friends. Her son Christian was having a little problem coming home from school on time. She was going to punish him by not letting him go to our church. So I challanged him to come home on time for 10 days. As soon as he did the 10 days, I was to take the family to the beach for a little outting. Lucians don't go to the beach much and rarely do family activities. He loves primary. He has been 3 times. His sister has been twice. Tomorrow, his mom wants to come. They have no idea what they are in for. I will be Chandra's interperter for the day. Good luck to us both.

My volunteer work at a Montessori School

2009-03-06T12:13:00.003-04:00

On of the highlights of my week is to volunteer friday mornings at a Montessori School. This is where my heart loves to be. I once heard that one should be with a child or an old person every day to have your soul nourished. And it is true. These are great kids. I usually listen to them read. But this particular day, they were having a little geography lesson on where the US, Canada and Mexico were and what our motto is. In God We Trust, they learned. The St. Lucia motto is the Land of People and the Light. Funny, they say a prayer before snack and sing songs about Jesus. Perhaps their motto should be In God We Trust. As a nation, God seems to have a stronger place in their lives. I must say, it was refreshing and I felt right at home.

A Quick glimps of our apartment

2009-03-05T19:05:00.003-04:00

Here are a few pictures of our lovely apartment. We love it. It is wonderful for entertaining, meetings, studying, preparing lessons and what ever else we do. We have a lovely deck through those glass doors behind that one couch. We love to have breakfast and cut Scots hair on that wonderful deck. And thanks to the Sherwoods, the couple before us, we have the most marvelous bed in the mission. Makes it easy to go to bed at night and hard to get up in the morning. But more than our apartment, we love our land ladies Agatha and Jennifer. They are great friends. Their home is just upstairs. It is just them and us.

2009-03-05T18:59:00.003-04:00

Here is a picture I have been saving for a special occasion. And today is the day. Yes, you guessed it. Laundry day. I know you were wondering just how we did it. We do have a small machine in our kitchen. But nothing beats the cool St. Lucian breezes do dry our clothes. So this has become a weekly ritual. Our clothes lines are under our home. The door to the apartment is just at the top of those stairs. Joanne and Debbie Cutler, I think of you girls each week that I hang my clothes to dry. Joanne, because I always loved your monster clothes line, and Debbie, because I just picture you here doing this. I can't help it. See what fun you are missing out on?

2009-02-28T13:47:00.002-04:00

How could anyone feel bad about getting older when you get wonderful cards like these. I feel like a million bucks. They say if you want to gain perspective, just spend a little time with a child. It is sooo true. I love my birthday cards from the girls.

My birthday friends

2009-02-28T13:26:00.002-04:00

Here are 3 of my neighborhood favorites. These girls brought me flowers and home made beautiful cards for my birthday. Sister Lee made me a little cake. Who better to share it with than these cute girls? We give these little girls a ride to church each week because they live on our gap. We sit together each sunday in sacrament meeting, and they tell their primary talks as we drive. They are the best. If you ever have a down day, just drive up the gap and they all come running to greet us and visit. We love them. What a way to spend a birthday.

Our Souper Visiting Teaching Conference

2009-02-28T11:20:00.002-04:00

These are the sisters of the Castries Branch that came to our first Visiting Teaching Conference. Debra slipped out early and the little gal next to me is a visitor. We had a great time, learning about visiting teaching and loved the fact that it is a wonderful program of the Relief Society (women's organization) that happens all over the world. We are excited to get started and let each other know that we love and care about the women of our branch.

Our First Souper Visiting Teaching Conference

2009-02-28T11:08:00.003-04:00

Here are the real movers and shakers of our branch. We had invited them for our first Souper Visiting Teaching Conference. They were not too familier with the concept. And it really wasn't happening in our branch. We explained that Visiting Teaching is the life blood of the Relief Society program and that they were the eyes and ears of our President, Sister Myla Santos. We taught them, that as members of the church, we need to look out for each other and visit regularly with each other. As ladies, we need to lift, encourage and nourish each other. They seem excited to start as they heard who their partners and visitees were. We watched a short humerous visiting teaching video on how not to do it after explaining what a successful visit is. We all enjoyed taco soup, home made buns and rice krispie treats. On the table are handouts in a soup can all about visiting teaching. What a fun enrichment night we had.

2009-02-27T16:51:00.002-04:00

We were blessed this week with 6 missionaries from Guadalupe. The french island of Guadalupe has had some protesting these past few weeks. But it finially got bad enough to evacuate the missionaries and send them to Guyana. Lucky for us, they spent a few days in St. Lucia along the way. They arrived on their preparation day, got changed, and came over for a quick lunch. Between the Collings, a BC couple's two laptops and our two lap tops, the four visiting elders could email their families at our home, while the other four played phase 10 cards with elder Hymas. The Collings took a little nap. It was fun to have 8 elders around. Kind of reminds me of having hockey players around, but these young men came here with purpose. Being a little displaced, our elders put them to work. All 8 elders canvased a new city about 30 minutes south of us. It was great. In two days, they had invited over 100 people to come to a little church meeting we plan to have there on Sunday. Wow. What a powerful blessing they were to us. We wish them good luck on their next temporary adventure and hope they eventually get back to their island where they can speak French and renew ties with the members of the church there.

A visit with our Canadian Friends

2009-02-24T12:48:00.003-04:00

The Collings are a missionary couple serving on the island of Guadalupe. (Before we moved to Penticton, they lived in that ward) All the missionaries there have been evacuated due to social unrest having something to so with the French. So they are staying with us for a few days until they can be relocated temporarily. But since they are here in St. lucia, they were able to get in touch with the Elliots, who are staying on our island about an hour south of us in Soufree. The Elliots are friends of ours from the Okanagan area of BC. We all met at the Elliots home for dinner last evening and had such a great visit. Funny how we all came together here at this moment in time and are/were all from the same cornor of Canada. In addition to a great dinner, the Elliots sent us home with this delicious bottle of local honey. It looks like its in an old liquor bottle. Probably is. Maybe that is the thing that makes it so good.

Be An Example of the Belivers

2009-02-20T12:32:00.005-04:00

The Young Womens theme for the year is to be an Example of the Belivers and we are putting together a new beginnings program next month to share with the Relief Society of Women. The program we are putting together is called Light Keepers. This program comes complete with a script and music for the girls to sing. So we had a little planning meeting at the Viggi lighthouse and discussed the symbolism of being a light in the world and how we are the leaders and examples that will help those around us. We practiced our song and handed out parts. We discussed handouts, decorations, programs and refreshments. We've asked the young men to build us a lighthouse for part of the decorations. Below are their attempts later that evening.

Teddi-Ann (13) and Sarah(16) take a little stroll to the lookout point. What a view! I mean the girls.

So we all decided to join them. This was such a peaceful and relaxing activity. We were missing a few of the girls because we had the activity a little earlier in the day. But it sure was fun.

2009-02-20T12:19:00.003-04:00

These were the members of team 1. Their task was to use cardboard to build a lighthouse for the girls new beginnings night. This team, worked really well together, made a plan, had assignments, eliminated distractions and completed the task. Next week they will paint it for the program. Great job team 1

Team two on the other hand wasn't quite as successful. They lacked a bit of focus, a plan and communication. The ladies couldn't stand it and jumped in to help. But there is no fixing the situation, without cooperative teamwork. This lighthouse never made it, but it was a good attempt. We learned great lessons on teamwork and leadership this night. It was a fun evening.

2009-02-20T11:30:00.002-04:00

Here are most of our wonderful youth. We have a fun group who loves to get together and have activities. We are just transitioning from joint activities every week to joint acitivities every other week. This means that the girls and boys do their own thing twice a month. They surely do love to get together and strengthen each other. We love these fine youth.

Cameron is alive and still stick handling

2009-02-14T21:34:00.005-04:00

Hey everyone, here is evidence that our elder Hymas is alive and well in Pennsylvania on his mission. And look, he even manages to squeeze in a little hockey stick handling in his morning routine. Shower, dress in a suit, personal study, companion scripture study, stick handling, pray and out the door to go to work. Actually, because of his mad computer skills, he has been transfered to the office to work on records and reports for the mission. Sounds as if he has lots of cleaning up to do in the office. But he does get to go teaching in the evenings. Change is good and he seems to be happy to serve where he is best needed. Go Elder Hymas the younger!!!

Zone Conference Friends

2009-02-10T21:41:00.002-04:00

We had a wonderful zone conference at the end of January. This is our group. These elders come from nearby islands. We make up the island zone. Aren't we a handsome group? We get to pick everyone up at the airport, feed them and love on them. We love to be part of this team. The couples make up a really important part of this team. Seated in the front are our fearless leaders, Ried and Diane Robison, our mission president and his sweet wife. What great leaders they are. He also doubles as our Stake President. Can you imagine leading 24 couples, tons of elders in 10 different countries and 3 or 4 different languages? And they always manage to have a smile.

Zone Conference at the end of Jan. 09

2009-02-10T21:35:00.002-04:00

Here is my angle friend Adrianna and her awesome son Shannon. They felt they needed a little spiritual pick me up, so they came to our zone conference. We all learned so much and they are becoming great missionaries. This family was responsible for our last baptism. Members sharing the gospel with friends is definately the way to go. They really added a special demention to the day. Thanks you two!

Zone conference Lunch

2009-02-10T21:27:00.003-04:00

I had to laugh because Adrianna, a Relief Society member who came to help was heard to say "Sister Sherwood, (the sister I replaced) taught me how to cook and I love it. Sister Hymas has shown me how not to cook and I might love that even more." Apparently, subway sandwiches is a rare treat in the Caribbean. Our elders loved it. And no mess! I knew that talent of not being a great cook would come in handy some day.

One of those a ha moments

2009-01-22T11:00:00.002-04:00

Here we have Elder Hymas sharing one of his gospel "a ha" moments with some of the elders in the neighborhood. He teaches the weekly seminary class to the high school age teens of the branch. It is true that the teacher learns so much more than the students because of the study and preparation. But on this occasion, Elder Hymas figured out some wonderful concept toward the end of the class. And he just had to share it with someone. These elders love to hang out with Scot and soak in the neat ways to apply gospel principles to our every day lives. " Were two or three are gathered in my name, touching on one thing, behold, there I will be in the midst of them." D&C 6:33. They love these informal get togethers. It's times like these, all are edified.

Just another airport run

2009-01-22T10:48:00.004-04:00

Every 6 weeks we have a zone conference where about 10-12 missionaries from nearby islands fly to our island for a zone conference. We are the airport shuttle pick up crew. It is a fun day to see these young elders come ready to be inspired, participate in a community service project, eat a nice lunch prepared by sister Hymas and friends to feed about 25, and rub shoulders with their fellow missionaries. It really is a happy time for all of us. Then about every few weeks or months, the elders transfer to other places. This is two of the elders we got to pick up and spend the day with. They are on the serving at the southern end of the island so we do get to see them a few times a month. The beach in the pictures below this one are taken from behind us. Yes, the beach is right across the little street from the airport. The church and living quarters of our elders is on the other side of the airport runway. It makes all these trips to the airport convenient. We are sort of the back up parents to these great young men. We try to support them, but in reality, they are a great blessing in our lives. They have much to teach us old folks.

2009-01-15T15:27:00.002-04:00

After visiting the lighthouse, we strolled along a nearby beach. The girls were showing Elder Hymas how to feel the little clams under the sand with their feet. Try as he might, and he has really soft feet, he couldn't feel them. Between the three of them, they collected over 300 tiny clams. After the count, they dug a big hole in the sand close to the water and dumped them all back. They have little feet that propel them under the sand. They are really fun to watch. Yes the clams, but I meant the girls and Elder Hymas.

2009-01-15T15:22:00.002-04:00

We have a little field trip once a month with our little neighbors Mandy and Pheobee. We would take these little primary girls home if we could. This day, we happened to visit a nearby lighthouse. The light keeper let us climb up the lighthouse and see the marvelous view. What a perfect day. I heard somewhere that we should spend everyday with someone who is over 70 or under 5. It gives perspective and helps us enjoy the simple things of life.

2009-01-15T15:15:00.003-04:00

Here I am with some of the powerhouse sisters and young women of the branch. This picture was taken after a baptism. We have the dazzling Rosie and her Mom Adrianna, next to them is Sister Santos, our RS. Pres and spanish teacher, (she is from the Dominican Republic) Sister DeBeauville the YW Pres., Marie Joseph a counselor in the RS presidency, me and D'Anne another of our daring YW. I just love these ladies. These are the sisters that bring me joy beyond measure just knowing them. They really take good care of me. I love them to pieces.

2009-01-11T19:25:00.002-04:00

This is one of the many views we experienced from the lighthouse. It was so fun to just sit and watch the boat and cruise ships come into port. We felt like a bird, or what it must be like to look down on our little paradise from heaven. What a great way to clear the head, breathe and enjoy.