The flag says it all...

Still in Grenada

(Enjoying some lunch)

So I'm staying in Grenada after all. After I got off the phone with the President who told me to pack for St. Vincent, he called back again and told me to un-pack and stay. So I didn't have the chance to let you know until now. I'm still Zone leader and my companion is going to be a ZL too so we can plan together. Elder Williams (my new companion) is from Bakersfield California, ever heard of it? He's friends with Derek Zirenberg, ever heard of him? It's so fun discovering things that we have in common - someone I can really relate with. 

Sounds like things are going well for you there. We have a lot of things planned for today - we're going shopping to get matching pants and some supplies so we can ma

ke some posters for the area and official business. So this week President Robison was here and he came out teaching with us. He offered some good advice about the area and our teaching. It was really good to have someone giving us advice for the first time in awhile - when you're all alone you get a little rusty. 

President says I will stay here in Grenada for another transfer and then I think i'm going to Guyana. Time is passing so quickly. Once I hit Christmas it will be 6 months until I come home. scary. 1836!

Transfer Time

Well it has been crazy here, as usual. I just got off the phone with President Robison who informed me that I will be going to St. Vincent on Wednesday. Elder Jailall is headed to St. Lucia, and another elder, Elder Williams, is coming here from Guyana. My new companion is Elder Kahaialili from Hawaii. I love the guy - we used to be in the same district on Trinidad so I know him really well and we'll have fun together. We'll only be together one transfer because he'll be done by the next one. So I've packed my bags and the apartment is being cleaned. I need to bake 2 cakes, one for an investigator named Collin who is having a birtday and one to leave in the apartment for the elders when they ge here. I am overwhelmed, my head is spinning but I think that everything is okay. It's hard to leave a place that I've come to love so much.

It is nice to hear that all is well there, the fall weather sounds nice. Here it is hot and rainy, but I love it! Just think...I could be a sorry sap in the Baltics! (Just kidding Elliott). I got the shirts and they fit great. I've decided that they really are "the world's best missionary shirts". They are not baggy, and the material is nice. Thanks for the moleskin and the ties - I really like the fuschia one but I'm pretty sure it doesn't qualify as "conservative" enough.

My head hurts, I don't think I could fit anything else into if I tried - there is just so much going on, I really am grateful for Ether 12:27:

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

True true.Well mom I'm sorry I can't be there to help you decorate the house for fall and for christmas later, but I will be able to in 9 months (but who's counting). I did something fun to my planner I use - I got glue and covered it and then sprinkled sand from Grenada on top of it. Basically it's nice looking sand paper now but it least I can always feel it when I want to go to the beach. I'll let you know if I am alive next week in the email, thanks for yourlove and support, I really enjoy getting emails, I feel your prayers. 1836!

Greetings from Grenada

Uhhhh what a week! I caught my companion on the phone with his girlfriend this past Monday. He's really depressed about being on his mission and wants to go back home to her - well you get the idea. Anyway he asked me to get President on the phone, so I did and he talked with him for a bit (about what I don't know). After a little bit he asked me to leave so I went outside and talked with the senior missionaries. He was on the phone for nearly an hour and I thought "President wouldn't be on the phone with him this long" so I walked in on him and was still saying "yes, President". Something wasn't right, so I got the cell phone and called the President and he answered. I told him what was going on and then brought the phone to my companion and said "President wants to talk to you". It turns out he had been on the phone with his girlfriend again! He told me the other day that he was 100% sure that he was going home.

On a brighter note, We baptized Druneel Cummings who is a daughter in a part-member family. It was great. Here's a picture of me cleaning out the font - I got another sea urchin! That's mostly it. 1836! (The first picture is another image of the Baptismal font - AMAZING, huh?!?!)

Transfers and Alien Bugs

Sorry I'm getting this letter to you a little later than usual, this afternoon I'm going to play cricket at a members house! I'm so excited, it's going to be the "bestest" (that's what you say here in Trinidad - man my English is going down the pipe). So yes I am going to be transfered. Tomorrow night I'm staying with the Zone Leaders and they're taking me to the mission office where I will be doing creative tasks for the mission. I went on a mission to get away from design and it some how comes and finds me. I'll be doing things like re-designing the monthly newsletter, and I want to make a website, if there isn't already one. Sister Robison I hear requested me to go to the office because I'm so mac savvy and she has trouble with hers sometimes. I have mixed emotions about this transfer. Everyone in the branch doesn't want me to go, they said I have been one of the best missionaries to come through the branch. Everyone has caught the vision of the 15 baptisms by the end of the year, we are holding a service between the sessions of conferenceon the 6th, the Ali's and a woman named Debbie will be baptized (she is the sister of another sister I baptized when I first got here). I'm going to beg the President to let me come down to south Trinidad to go to the baptism, I figure I will be able to because it's Conference the whole day. 

Guess what! Raj and Ann Narie, are giving me a hammock! I'm so excited! When I left, Sherry Ann Kahn (baptized her when I first got to the area), her kids grabbed onto my legs so I couldn't walk, like what I used to do to dad so he couldn't go to work. And then they were calling out my name and waving till I walked out of sight. It's been so hard to say goodbye to all of these people - actually it's harder to leave here than it was home, cause I know I will see you again after my mission. 

This morning elder Williamson and I woke up to this HUGE beetle bug thing from spirit prison. It was easily 10-12 inches big (including legs, the body was around 5 inches) it was so gross - it was black and red and the design on the shell was pretty cool. Anyway I got an old bed sheet and put it over me and cut a hole in it so I could spray the bug spray at it without it eating me. I also got some sweet videofootage from within the "tank". I doused it with this aerosol bug spray and usually it kills bugs on contact, but it took like 5 sec of constant spray to knock it off the wall. It made the most horrible noise - A high pitch shrieking/clicking sound which was actually pretty scary. I used about half the can of bug spray on it and it still took about 5 minutes to die. I'm pretty sure it was an alien and not a bug. 1836!

From Now on You shall be known as "Big Haircut"

Hey Family! So I guess you heard something about me having that virus…Yeah I was debating whether or not to add it to the letter, but I figured since everyone else is sick, I can add my ailment to the list. Just so you know, I'm already better - don’t worry. I woke up the other day feeling weird. I couldn’t concentrate and then my stomach started hurting a lot. I threw up and I knew it was something other than my stomach aches. (which haven't bothered me since I've been here). Anyway I wanted to go out and work, but I was running a temp of 38 celcius = around 100 so the senior couple sister wouldn't let us leave the house. After I took everything that was consumable in our firstaid kit I went to sleep for a few hours then woke up, felt better and went out.(I FEEL GREAT NOW SO DON’T WORRY, IT WAS JUST A LITTLE BUG THAT WENT AROUND.) so that’s that.Right now I'm teaching a lot of people who have marriage problems. One of the families is thinking divorce, they need help. If anyone has some marriage advice it would be much appreciated.

I know who Harry Potter marries because a boy in the branch has the book, and one day we were over and I glanced at the last page.

Just so everyone knows, you pronounce Caribbean like "Pirates of the Caribbean" not the other way.

And I got a hair cut today, all they used were clippers. Think black man shave on a white boy. I need to make sure they keep it longer than they're used to cutting. 1836!

Q&A to Calm a Worried Mother

1. What did you eat yesterday?
It was fast Sunday sorry...hahaha. Well for breakfast I usually have granola and yogurt, or I make some scrambled eggs, and hash browns with a potato. Lunch I might eat something fast, however this last week I've cooked chicken and rice, stir fry, grilled pineapple, and a scoop of ice cream in a coconut. Other days it's just fried rice or mac n' cheese.

2. What is a typical day like for you?
Wake up, exercise , 2 hours of study (right now I'm working on Chapter 3 of Preach my Gospel), We go out and usually go to a few appointments, or travel to a farther area we don't normally work. Then come back for lunch. Afterwards we go out to St. Croix, which we call "the fertile ground". It's close to our apartment, and there are many families there I've seen baptized, and many more wonderful investigators.

3. What do you do on p-day? (besides laundry)
Today I scrubbed a small hole in my shirt when I was washing it. It's not that bad, all
the others are keeping up well enough, as long as I use a lot of bleach. Clean the apartment, email, shop (the store we go to is very modern and they deliver for free! So we sometimes stock up and have them deliver so we don't have to walk back with it. I'm working on drawing out a picture of everyone in the Zone from last Zone Meeting, and giving it to the President to attach to the letter head.

4. How is your health? Are you using sun-screen Are you using your insect repellant?
My health is fine. I sneeze a lot sometimes, there is a lot of dust in the air. I use sunscreen every day, and now i'm dark and I never seem to burn, (also it's very cloudy cause of the rain this time of year) And I use insect repellent every other day - the deet is so powerful it lasts a few days.

5. How are you clothes holding out?
My pants and shirts are fine, however, the buttons and clasps on the pants get destroyed in the wash "machine" so I have to sow them on a lot, or I usually just put the belt around my waist very tight and forget about it. You can send the extra pants if you want. But I think I'm gonna go
to the tailor and pick out some sweet fabric and have him make it for me. Ties are appreciated!

Trini Hitchhikers

Hi Everyone. I realized today that I have stopped thinking that I'm on a mission and have just started living. Unfortunately, this is making everything go by a lot faster - maybe I should revert to thinking I'm on a mission to slow it all down. I'm going to baptize Ann this week! She and her family are great and every time we're at their house she ALWAYS cooks for us, in fact I think it offends her if we don't have time to eat. So we just have a standing appointment around 7 so we can eat and then teach.

My new companion, Elder Williamson is nice. He is from Wanesbrough PA. I don't know where that is in relation to where we lived. He is really smart with computers and technology, and we seem to be getting along well.

I'm sorry that I can't give you the address for our apartment for you to send items here, mostly because mail here is not like the US. There is no delivery, you need to go pick it up at the TT post office (tt = Trinidad and Tobago) and to do that you need to purchase a drop bag. So the only way to get mail to me is through the mission office. I get mail about every other week or so because the Zone Leaders will go pick it up for us. We walk almost everywhere - OUR AREA IS HUGE! Its from Prince's Town to Miaro (the eastern coast of the island) check it out on a map. We hitch rides to different places, you just put your hand out to stop people. If you want to be a taxi driver in Trinidad all you have to do is get a license plate that starts with an "H" and you can pick anyone up. Everyone else does anyway and we pay them 3ttd (.50c us).

The branch was reorganized the other day - we have new branch and elders quorum presidencies now! A man I baptized last month received the Aaronic priesthood, and he asked me if I would do it. So I did and ordained him to the office of a priest. I'm going to give him my line of authority tomorrow when I see him.

Im glad you got my package. Hope you enjoy the pictures, and send it back with some pictures you put on there if you can. Don't worry about candy, I don't really need it and it will make the package heavy.Things are fine, I don't know what else you want me to say, if any of you have questions send them and i'll answer them for you. 1836! p.s. I know who Harry Potter marries!

How to Open a Coconut

This weeks been crazy!No the hurricane didn't hit Trinidad, actually I didn't know that there was a hurricane till I read your email. I did however see a really cool lightning storm one night - literally every 5 seconds there would be a flash. I guess that was the hurricane. Everyone here says that Trinidad has never been hit by one. They say that God is a Trini because it's a beautiful country, and nothing bad happens here (earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes etc...)

The other day I opened my first coconut and ate it! We had a cutlass we were using and it was going slow. A guy took pity on us crackers and came over, grabbed a cinder block, smashed it 5 times on the top, ripped it open and then sliced the husk away from the nut. Voila. Then you drink the milk, which is really, really good - it has almost an almond-y taste to it. Now that iIve seen it done, I'm pretty sure I could duplicate it.

Another funny story, last night we visited family where everyone is a member except the father - he can't stop smoking Marijuana. Anyway, all the men were really drunk and high, and we were trying to teach them. And one man who was really bad was singing these penicostle hymns and clapping and shouting Hallelujah! Then he sat down and started telling me how much he respected me, then he gave me a foot massage! Haha it was so funny and sad at the same time. Another day one man called us out and bought us coconuts from a stand and was telling us that he wanted us to take him back to Canada even though we kept telling him that we were from America. He was pretty high.

I sent the packages last Monday, you might get them in a week. Sorry FedEx is far away in another city, and costs a lot. I'm going to buy a ukelele (u know the little guitar thing) One man we're teaching has written books with great island songs and I was playing them when we were at his house. It's so much fun I'm really excited to get one. So everything is going well. I get a new companion this week, Elder Williamson, I've met him before and he's a really nice guy. 1836!

TGI Fridays...In Trinidad?!

So things are going well with me. Today we went to Gulf City, it's a mall here in Trinidad, and I was able to get a card reader so I will send some pics soon. I don't have any right now because I sent my card in a parcel that is going to Marissa. I finally sent it today after carrying it around for a week. I couldn't find a place to send it! Today, some of the elders and I went to TGI Fridays for some real food - and it was goooood.

The work is going well, There is a GREAT couple named Raj and Ann Narine who will be baptized soon. They are really nice. Every time I go over she has to make food for us to eat. I'm REALLY glad she is a good cook. We eat a lot of rice and beans and roti which is a stew that you eat with pita bread. My companion Elder Lindberg is going home to Simi Valley next week - I think he knows the Pinkstons. He totally looks like Nephi but with tan lines. I've really enjoyed having him as my companion. 1836!

Sucess Stories

We got a call from a women who had a pass along card and said, "I want to join your church". She is very poor and lives far away. She came to church last Sunday, and told us she was passing through on the way to the hospital to be with her 3 month old son who has a hole in his heart. We are going to keep teaching and see what happens.

One man Nolen we contacted seems to be almost to golden, every commitment we leave he does. He is smart, and understands what we are saying. He is intellectually converted, and will soon be spiritually. He said, "Would I be correct in saying the the Church of Jesus Christ of... is the only true church on the earth?"... "then I want to join it!"

Zone Conference Photos

Preparation Day = Wash Day

I'm glad to have my second p-day - I really need to do my laundry! I live day to day with my pants - I only have 4 pairs and its hard to keep them clean even for just two uses! I go through a shirt a day but I have plenty of those. When it rains here everything becomes muddy including my pants and shoes. To best describehow bad it is, when I wash my pants the water becomes brown. Oh wash...haha that's an ... interesting process. We have a crummy old wash "machine", if you could even call it that - you have to fill up 3 buckets of water from a spout that has less water pressure than the bathroom sink I used at home, and dump it into the "washer". Then put in all the clothes and dump soap and a lot of bleach in it. It washes for 15 minutes, and afterwards I have to drain the water, fill up the bucket 3 more times, and dump in the rinse water. 15 minutes after that I then drain the water again. The clean clothes are reduced to a large knot that makes a rubix cube seem like a fisher price toy. I put the clothes in a spinner that gets out the extra water. We hang the clothes up to dry on a line and then start over again for my colors! I have grown to appreciate mom in so many ways. Also, just to let you know, I don't hvae to wash my fruit in bleach here - Trinidad is one of the cleaner islands in my mission. I'm okay for now.

So we had a baptism this last Saturday and we have three more this Wednesday.I've been asked this time to perform the baptism for 2 of the members in the family! We are also teaching a woman and her boyfriend who live in a rasta village. Ever heard of a Rasta turned Christian!?Too bad it's in a font and not in the ocean, I haven't even seen the ocean since I got here! I sent off a batch of Letters last week including some postcards that are pretty sweet. I took a bunch of photos that I want to send, but I don't have a card reader, or my cable, so i'm going to go buy one - I guess you will have to wait till next week to get some pics. 1836!

(This is the family that Russell was talking about baptizing)

I Made it to Trinidad!

Well I'm sure many of you have been wondering whats going on? where I am staying etc. We arrived safely but for some reason our visas were funny so Customs held all 8 of us for 4 hours. President Robison had to come and spring us from airport jail and we didn't get to the mission home until 3 am! Sister Robison has been feeding us well, don't worry!

Where am I now?!? Prince's Town, Trinidad. This is in southern Trinidad, it is a residential area that is mostly lower middle class. I have taught in houses with air conditioning, and comfortable chairs vs. an investigator who lives in a ply wood box with no running water or electricity. I have taught by a crude gas tourch (a rum bottle with a rag in it as a wick) its crazy! I have tracted in the hot sun, and warm rain. I have walked on bumpy uneven asphalt, and in ankle deep mud - you should see my shoes! The people here are AMAZING! They are all looking for religion - half are Hindu, and Muslim and the other half are Christian. It's pretty cool teaching the restoration to a guy wearing a turban, who we are actually baptizing next week! The kids are fun, they come up to me and call me white boy, cracker, or "mon". I have yet seen another white person other than the one in the mirror, or my companion. People don't shake hands here they "bounce" aka tap, pound, etc... it's rad. Sadly, most everyone here is drunk or high most of the day. We have a man Rodney, who trying to break his weed addiction. I never thought coming on a mission meant I would be a Rehab Counselor.

However, by the time you receive email I will have already have had my first Baptism - a women named Debbie Ramnerine and her husband should follow soon. Their 3 boys were baptized before I got out here. I have another baptism next week, and the mission goal is to baptize once a month (our personal goal is once a week). There are 4 families we are teaching with 8 more confirmed baptisms in August, and possibly 10 more to follow. I'm off to a good start. 1836!

Map of Trinidad

MTC Week Two

Well i'm sitting here at the computer next to Terry. I guess he looked at my schedule and figured out where I was! All I know is that he just sat down next to me while I was typing this email. Last night I got the pirate flag out and we hung it up in our dorm hall. At midnight we woke up to MTC security telling us to take it down, that it was not a good idea to have a pirate flag. We tried to explain to him that it was representing our mission. He didn't buy it.

Last night was fun the missionaries had a fireside, and then we watched the fireworks for the 4th of July. Terry said that you wanted to know about the food -its ok-i've gained 3 lbs which isn't really anything so i'm doing fine there. I don't care to much considering that i'll loose it all when I get to Trinidad. The time has passed quickly here, the days are long but the weeks are short. I only have 2 days left of normal class, and Sundays don't realy count, they're much more relax. We have a lot of free time, church meetings, and devotionals. O dad happy birthday, I have a present, I hope it will be done before I leave, if not I'll have terry get it to you. Everything is going well, I'm excited to call from the airport, that will be nice.Hopefully i will have more interesting things to write about when i'm inthe field, and more interesting pictures too. 1836!

MTC Week One

Well I just went to the temple for the last time in 2 years, it was very enjoyable. I won't be able to go next week because they are closing it down for renovations so instead I will be cleaning it! The days here are going a lot faster now. My companion doesn't snore anymore and the food is starting to taste the same. It has been quite the spiritual feast - starting with the fact that most of the General Authorities have been here. I had the pleasure of listening to President Monson give a great talk. Elder Scott bore his testimony and then the next day Elder Holland gave a talk about the Atonement. I was also able to shake Elder Ucthdorf's hand.

I am in class for at least 12 hours a day, and I mastered the first lesson about the restoration. I've been working a lot in the Referral Center calling people who express interest in learning more about the church. Sounds like everything is going well at home. I miss you all!