Boxing Day At Our 1-Year Anniversary

Our 1-year anniversary of missionary service in the WIM fell on the day after Christmas, known as Boxing Day in Guyana (also called St. Stephen’s Day, supposedly after one of seven ancient apostles appointed to oversee the church's distribution of alms to the poor). Boxing Day was traditionally the day off for servants after the festivities of their employers on Christmas Day. Today, December 26 is celebrated around the world by tipping or paying bonuses to employees or giving gifts to strangers and those less fortunate.

We worked VERY hard on this Christmas weekend tending to the needs of young missionaries and branch members so we felt we had earned our Boxing Day. Midday on Monday, all the senior couples serving in Guyana (except the Benn's who had a wedding to attend) showed up at our apartment to decompress . . . and say goodbye to Elder Larry and Sister Karen Harris, who leave for their home in Layton, Utah on Saturday! It was a lovely - no-agenda - day spent hanging out, enjoying leftovers, playing games, then talking - almost until the sun came up.

Our Very Guyana Christmas

Christmas Eve Day, on Saturday, December 24, began with a missionary service project at a local hospital maternity ward (caroling and distributing newborn kits) then these 12 hungry young men gathered at the Church for dinner (18 at the table) followed by missionary-appropriate “Minute to Win It” games and ending with a Guyanese rendition of “Twelve Days of Christmas” before they hurried out the door to scheduled baptisms.

Christmas Day - which reached a high temperature of 90 degrees (with humidity just about that high) began with the baptism of Sister Robin Parris. She is the only member in her family, so far, but she is hopeful she will soon have others follow her into the waters of baptism. Following Church, we set up five laptop computers in the Primary room so they could call home. Each was provided with ear buds (thanks to Elder Sappington) since they could not be in a room alone and had an hour to talk to loved ones at home. We had to get permission from the mission president to use Skype, but when President Gamiette found out it is FREE Skype-to-Skype . . . and only 2.3c per minute otherwise (compared to $3.00 a minute calling from a landline or cell phone) he quickly gave his blessing! It was fun to hear the interaction and hard to get some of them off the phone when their hour was up.

The elders waiting their turn . . . or who had already called home, but were waiting for their companions, were treated to a viewing of “Lost Land of the Jaguar,” a 3-part BBC documentary on Guyana’s spectacular and virtually unexplored interior. It is a beautiful production and the missionaries were fascinated!

By the time we got home at 10 p.m., we were exhausted, but with many memories we will always cherish. It was a beautiful Christmas . . . even without a tree or lots of gifts!

Christmas Minute to Win It! Another Hit

It was so much fun the first time, Young Single Adults in Georgetown wanted to do "Minute to Win It" again and since it is so close to Christmas, I decided to add a holiday flavor to each challenge (e.g., "Santa's Sleigh Ride," "Snowball Fight," "Frosty the Snowman," "A Long Winter's Nap" and "Holiday Kiss"). Unfortunately, a bride and groom were setting up for their wedding in the cultural hall, so we were reassigned to the second largest room in the building which was a little cramped for 20+ active, noisy young adults. All the same, we enjoyed our time together, had hamburgers and cake to celebrate Selwin and Simeon Lovell and Leon Wilkins' birthday this weekend, and at the end of the night, we sang a Guyanese version of "12 Days of Christmas"

And, as the saying goes, "a good time was had by all!!!"

Times Tables by Skype

It is a lovely, sweet experience to hear the sound of an incoming Skype call and to discover it is Kaytee, Adyn and Skylar; Kelly; David, Jan’L and their boys, or Taisley calling to share some news or just to check on us! Kelly comes in upside down (some problem with her webcam) which always puts a smile on our faces. David and Jan’L’s calls are filled with laughter and little faces bobbing on and off our computer screen. Kaytee’s calls are sometimes a desperate attempt to hear an adult voice, to share her plans for next week’s lesson for her Young Women, or to report a milestone in the lives of her babies. Taisley calls to tell us about school, to share her enthusiasm about a book she has just finished reading, or to practice her times tables with Grandma. Skype is certainly not nearly as good as actually being there, but this technology is a wonderful "second best" option which enables us to see their precious faces, as well as hear their voices.

We are also grateful for the technology which allows us to keep up with family through blogging. Kaytee does such a wonderful job of maintaining her blog at http://joshloveskaytee.blogspot.com/ and recently Taisley called to tell us about her 4th grade school teacher’s blog at http://porterclass4.blogspot.com/ (where these pictures were found. Note the iPad Taisley is using. It seems they are used throughout her school).

We are grateful to our loving Heavenly Father for these great blessings which allow two busy, but homesick parents / grandparents to stay connected to our family when we are thousands of miles apart.

24/7 Incarceration is No Fun!

On Thursday there was Thanksgiving with the missionaries . . . then on Friday, calls from four young single adults reporting we had helped them all find jobs . . . and receipt and delivery of our first three PEF checks! Wow, what a great way to end one week and start probably the most boringly dull 7 days of our mission. Because of the Guyana elections on Monday, November 28, we were sequestered for a week by order of our mission president who was willing to sacrifice a few days of work to avoid any possible violence to us and the other missionaries.

During our 7-day lockdown, we used our time wisely and well, making phone calls, scheduling appointments at our apartment, getting caught up on some reading, doing some planning for the next few weeks, sleeping in (once or twice) and watching a few missionary-appropriate movies on DVD, while keeping an ear to the news channel for updates on when it will be safe to go back to work.

As it turns out, there were only a few isolated instances of disgruntled voters, a little paint thrown, some tires burned . . . and lots and lots of heavily armed police men ready to thwart any civil unrest. The election results: PPP/C Pdt. Ramotar was voted in by a very slim margin, but this Communist leader, in an already Socialist country has had his hands tied by the election of 7 new members of his parliament where the opposition is now the majority party . . . for the first time in Guyana’s history. It is going to be an interesting situation to watch!

A Guyanese Thanksgiving

Since Thanksgiving is an American holiday, it is not on the radar screen for most Guyanese. There is no canned pumpkin for pies and we had to search high-and-low for a turkey and cranberry sauce. Still, we had a lovely day . . . though not wholly traditional. The menu included turkey and gravy, cook-up rice and pumpkin stew, and two kinds of dessert. The guests included a dozen missionaries currently serving in the Georgetown area who also brought garlic mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookies, roti, and homemade root beer, adding to the eclectic menu.

Following their regular weekly district meeting, we all sat down together to feast and to count our blessings – though we are mindful of the upcoming election here in Guyana for which we have all been warned to “lie low” for a few days. But these young men – all “ten feet tall and bullet proof” – are not concerned, so we hope they are obedient!

I am counting my blessings today, including my beautiful family, the opportunity to serve the Lord here in the West Indies, members who are finding employment and building their skills, and that we are American citizens!!!

What Kind of Mom?

Someone sent me a link to a website to help identify "What Kind of Movie Mom Are You?" through a simple short quiz. My answers to 10 multiple-choice questions "revealed" my movie Mom-style is "incredible—and not just because you are one of The Incredibles. Like Helen Paar, aka Elastigirl, you stretch in hard times to become what your family needs the most at the moment—a parachute, a speed boat, or a spy. Whip-smart, efficient, and fearless, you display the kind of leadership qualities which are truly heroic, as you are called on to save the day, again and again."

I'd like to think this is pretty accurate, but sure wish I looked as good as Helen Parr looks in red spandex.

"Minute to Win It" A Hit at Georgetown YSA

 

I wasn’t sure if our YSA’s would enjoy my idea for a high-spirited and hysterically funny evening of “Minute to Win It!” but I needn’t have worried, since they – like young people everywhere – like to have fun! Thanks to Jan’L for sending me the rules of the game for “back flip,” “candy elevator,” “dizzy mummy,” “extreme hanky,” “cookie face,” “junk in the trunk,” “noodlin’ around,” and other challenges from the popular TV game show. At the end of the evening, when asked if they would like to do it again, if I can find some new challenges, the response was an enthusiastic “YES!”
We love these kids, and now can’t wait to see my own family – maybe at Cuz’N Camp - playing these sidesplitting games!!!

Ordaining Selwin

Elder Sappington had a wonderful experience on Sunday, November 13 when 18-year-old Selwin Lovell (red shirt) asked him to ordain him to the office of an Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood in preparation for leaving on a mission. Selwin, and his absolutely IDENTICAL twin brother Simeon, are getting ready to submit their paperwork and wanted someone to ordain them who could provide their priesthood line-of-authority back to Jesus Christ. Elder Sappington had his so he "got the job!"

Secretary School Graduation

Five more members of the most recent Secretary School graduated today. Rawattie Bhagwandin, Amanda Major, Mala Bramdeo, Yougita (“Annie”) Rahman and Monalisa Stewart were excellent students. Annie (lime green shirt) is bi-lingual. She has been told there is a job waiting for her at the Venezuelan Embassy if she can learn the computer. Monalisa (purple shirt), who has never held a job, is thrilled to know she now has a marketable skill.

After the final examination and graduation, I stepped out of the room for a few minutes to help someone else, leaving them to continue practicing. When I returned they presented me with a note they had created (on the computer) signed by all five of them. It reads, “A famous peace activist once said, ‘Wisdom is knowing what to do. Virtue is doing it!’ Therefore, you are obviously both wise and virtuous. Please accept our sincere thanks for volunteering your time to help us learn and understand the computer. Your generosity will benefit us tremendously now and for years to come. We truly, truly appreciate you!”

Cat Burglar Strikes

“Kitty,” who has now become quite comfortable in our apartment, recently found himself in a difficult situation. While visiting, Kitty was startled by the appearance of 6’3” Gavin Bynoe who stopped by for help developing his resume for a job interview. In an effort to hide or escape, Kitty crawled into the window and – at least in his mind – became stuck in the grid! The more we tried to help him, the more hysterical he became . . . so as any good blogger knows, the solution to this kind of problem is to grab a camera and snap pictures! Poor Kitty. While we laughed, he eventually found his way out of this predicament, but is now too embarrassed to show his face again. We think he is holed up in the kitchen . . . but we can’t be sure (and BTW, all these pictures are correctly displayed).

Trekker Tours Essiquibo

Trekker – who has complained bitterly and incessantly for weeks because we haven’t been anywhere or done anything fun in a very long time - was already in holiday mode when we departed Georgetown, with five other missionary couples, for a 40-mile day-trip down the Essiquibo River to visit some of the (former) Dutch settlements. This trip on Wednesday, October 26 was scheduled weeks ago for Diwali, a national holiday.

Diwali is a 5-day Hindu festival celebrated with great enthusiasm and excitement with parades of spectacularly lighted floats as well as with firecrackers, traditional sweet treats and gifts to friends and loved ones. Nicknamed “festival of lights,” each day of Diwali has its own principal good-over-evil stories of various Hindu gods.

On this beautiful – but hot and muggy - day in Guyana, nineteen of us traveled by boat down the Essiquibo River into the interior of “the land of many waters.” As wide as 21 miles across in some areas, this enormous waterway – which served as the 17th century highway to numerous Dutch settlements - has very much earned its nickname as “the king of all rivers.”

With our Traveling Tiger in tow, we left from Rod-en-rust to Fort Island for a visit to Fort Zeelandia and the Court of Policy (where African slaves were beaten, beheaded, sold and torn from the arms of their loved ones) . . . then on to Saxacalli Beach with its current small settlement of Seventh Day Adventists. From there we spent an hour walking the streets of the interior village of Bartica before arriving at Baracara Falls – the highlight of the trip.

Fort Zeelandia, built in 1737 to protect the planters and workers for the Dutch West India Company, replaced an original wooden fort at the mouth of the Essiquibo River. A most interesting lozenge-shaped structure similar to many found in Africa, the 2-story fort was 50-feet on each side and housed about that many Dutchmen soldiers and officers.

At Saxacalli Beach, Trekker got separated from us as he wandered into the underbrush chasing who-knows-what. Luckily, our able-bodied sea captain found him on the beach and returned him to us. He was seriously shaken due to his separation anxiety, including fear of being left behind on this Caribbean island, so was very happy to be back on board with us as we continued our journey.

Time spent at Baracara Falls was the most pleasurable part of the day with men and women getting into the fun – some fully dressed – as we socialized and played in the cool water before heading back to our port! It was a lovely, relaxing and fun day. Despite Trekker’s complaints and his ongoing question of “is that all there is?” we are refreshed and ready to go back to work!

Meet "Kitty"

Meet “Kitty” (named for Brenda Lee Johnson’s feline of the same name). We inherited him when we moved into the building and were told the Ricks’ had fed him all the time they lived here so we feel compelled to continue the practice. He is a male so frequently gets into HUGE fights with one of the neighbor cats, but with me he is sweet and friendly. For the longest time he would not venture into the apartment (even if the door was left standing open), but in the last few days he has grown more adventuresome. Today I was working at my little desk and caught a movement out of my eye, looked down and discovered Kitty had curled up in my “work” basket on the couch and was taking a snooze. It appears he is getting comfortably brave!

Sappington Secretarial School

A few weeks ago, President Goodluck asked me to create a secretary course-of-study to help members develop skills which might turn into employment.

The Sappington Secretarial School opened officially on Monday, October 3. Classes include:

- the secretary's job description
- ethics in the workplace
- telephone etiquette
- the receptionist's job description
- communication skills
- meetings, agendas and minutes
- interviewing for a job
- "Me in 30 Seconds"
- updating a resume
. . . and of course, basic computer skills (including Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point)

I only had three students (although 5 more showed up for the second week). Christopher Jordan is the district executive secretary. Esadai Gangadeen is the district Primary secretary and Marlyn Waterman is the president of the local HIV / AIDS Association with more than 400 people receiving services from ONE small clinic in our neighborhood.

Christopher is the only one who had any computer skills at all. The other two had never even touched a computer, but after a week, Sister Gangadeen almost cried when I told her class was over and it was time to go home! "Please, can't we stay and practice for a little while longer?" I had to laugh at the difference in her attitude in just a week!

The most surprising thing about this venture is that I can give them a certificate which they can use to get a job!

YSA Activity at Georgetown

In our assignment with the YSA Centers in Georgetown and LaGrange we have the privilege of working with some pretty amazing and spiritual young men and women - most who are the only members in their family.

On Friday, October 7 we helped organize an activity at the Georgetown YSA Center focused on employment! Four member teams were assigned to topics including interviewing skills, developing esprit de corps in the workplace and the impact of technology! They had an hour and 15 minutes each to develop a Power Point presentation on their subject. At the end of the evening, they enjoyed chocolate cake and ice cream and showed their presentation on the big wall while discussing their topic. We worried that they might find this activity a bit lame, but it appears everyone had a great time. A few even said they had learned a whole lot!!!

ERS Opens in Guyana

It really isn’t much yet, but the Employment Resources Services Center, located in the Prashaud Nagar chapel in Georgetown, is finally operational as the beginning of something wonderful for the members of the Church in Guyana . . . and the first step toward the fulfillment of prophecy as stated in Elder M. Russell Ballard’s dedicatory prayer.

On February 23, 1990, Elder Ballard opened the door to missionary work in Guyana but also asked, “Heavenly Father, please bless this land that economic conditions might improve. We acknowledge this will take some time, but we pray Thee to give national leaders the vision of things they need to do to bring a [civilized] lifestyle for Thy children here by giving them employment and an opportunity to work and earn a living.”

Right now, the ERS Volunteer Center is nothing more than a small room with borrowed computers (because laptops ordered on May 1 have not yet arrived) where jobseekers will be able to research employment opportunities, as well as trade schools and colleges; and identify businesses willing to provide on-the-job training. For students wanting to further their education but without the means to do so, the ERS will also be the go-to place for one-on-one assistance on such things as how to write a resume or complete the on-line PEF loan application.

We are keenly aware of the Lord's eye on Guyana where Elder Ballard also prophesied one day "wards and stakes will dot the land . . . and Thy honest-in-heart children will flock by the hundreds, yea, even thousands to receive their saving ordinances in preparation to receive all the blessings of the House of the Lord, even a temple."

Halfway Home!

It is almost impossible for either of us to believe on this September 27, 2011 we have now served half of our mission! It has been 9 months since we entered the MTC and five months since we left our WIM office assignments in Trinidad for our “real” calling to Guyana. Like so many other couple missionaries, there has been a period of adjustment, a steep learning curve and lots to do. We both feel we have only just begun to accomplish those things the Lord has sent us here to do . . . and wonder what difference we will make in the lives of these wonderful Saints here in Guyana in the time we have remaining. The time is going so fast!

Those We Love in Guyana: Alicia at Nigel's

Alicia is our favorite checker at Nigel’s Grocery Store . . . and, we are told, we are her favorite customers! Her ever-present warm smile always greets us as we come through the door and if she sees us in time, she will delay her breaktime to be sure she is available to wait on us. The last time we were there, she gave me a great big hug and when one of the baggers tried to move us to another line . . . all three of us protested! We hope to invite her to an upcoming YSA activity. We love her too much to let her miss the opportunity to be part of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Those We Love in Guyana: Sister Neshaw

This lovely little sister, with a testimony as big as the Guyana interior where she was born, lived a Hindu life for more than 50 years. On New Years Eve 1997 she went to bed as usual but could not sleep. Eventually she recalls drifting off, but was still in that “twilight” between awake and asleep when a “shadow” appeared at the end of her bed. This personage did not frighten her, but gave her pause to think when “it” asked her why she had not been baptized as the Savior commanded. She sat up in bed and pondered the question until she finally concluded, “If you want me to be baptized, Lord, I will do so . . . but in which church?”

The next morning Elders Reidhead and Louis came to her front door with a message. She couldn’t wait to ask them to tell her about baptism! The elders, she recalls, “grinned from ear to ear” at her question. Then she shared her experience of the night before telling the young missionaries she believed the “shadowy spirit” was her dead aunt. The missionaries assured her the personage was indeed a heavenly messenger.

Sister Neshaw became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February 1998 and said, “after my baptism my trials and tribulations started in earnest. My family – including my four children – would have nothing to do with me. My friends abandoned me. I was left alone with nothing but my testimony and the elders for support. I was eventually forced to leave my home and all my belongings. I lived in several different places – wherever I could find refuge – for many months, but finally found help from my brother who had softened, but lived 60 miles away from the nearest church. He drove me to my meetings for several weeks, but finally told me he could no longer afford to make the trip. I eventually moved into Georgetown so I could be close to a branch and one day, I was told I could have my house back . . . and my family – some who have now joined the Church – embraced me again”

“I never expected to be where I am today. I am so eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ for the great blessings of the Gospel in my life. I love the scriptures and I know the Lord answers our prayers,” states Sister Neshaw with her customary big smile.

We Was Robbed!!!

Three of us were sitting in the car outside of the mission office talking with Elder Benn when a menacing looking man walked up with his hand in his shirt and began, in a low, threatening voice, to demand money. Elder Benn (a former police officer here in Guyana) told him to go away. The man again demanded money to which Elder Benn again said, “go away.” Then the man pulled out a shiny machete and began waving it around. He told Sister Treseder and I to give him our rings and watches. Then he wanted our purses. Sister Treseder told him NO, but he kept insisting. I don’t have a purse . . . and told him so, but the back of our car was filled with three laptops since we had just come home from our computer class.

After a few minutes, I leaned over and started honking the horn. With that, the man ran one direction, Elder Benn ran the other way and we all heaved a huge sigh of relief! Elder Sappington didn’t lose anything. Sister Sappington lost only her $10 JC Penney wedding ring, but he took all of Sister Treseder's rings and her watch and two of Elder Benn's rings!

Serves us right for putting ourselves in harms way by being out late at night in Guyana! We had been warned!

WIM Comings and Goings

On September 1, President Gary and Sister Florence (aka “Christie”) Ricks bid a fond farewell to the West Indies after two years overseeing the 7 mission-dependent branches in Guyana as First Counselor in the WIM Presidency. This dynamic couple, who have now served three missions (first as President of the Manchester, New Hampshire Mission followed by three years in New Delhi, India where he again served as Mission President). The things they will miss most in Guyana are "the wonderful people, although curry and roti run a close second along with the dedicated, optimistic and hardworking young elders and sisters, but we will NOT miss Guyana's humidity, heat or mosquitos, or the many hours of driving between Georgetown and the rest of the country.”

The Ricks plan to leave their next great adventure open to inspiration from the Lord, but they recently sold their home in Santa Barbara and will return just in time to move to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. There they hope to get reacquainted with family, make new friends, eat lots of Mexican food and serve as ordinance workers in the temple.

A week before the Ricks left for the rest of their lives back in the US, Elder Jim and Sister Joan (aka “Joey”) said goodbye to the West Indies to fly home to friends and family in Ephraim, Utah.

According to the Lusters, “the most memorable part of our mission was the time we spent in Tobago working with members in the branch there. We grew to love and appreciate their dedication and testimonies of the Gospel. We will miss the native people, their friendship, and bright smiles. They are truly our brothers and sisters in the Gospel and we have felt at home here. Also dear to our hearts are the young missionaries. Their spirit and dedication to the Lord’s work has been very impressive. It is truly a miracle to see the enthusiasm with which these young people leave the comfort of their homes to travel to an unfamiliar part of the world."

What the Lusters’ will NOT miss are "bars on the windows and padlocks on the doors and doing business in offices where clerks are hidden from view behind a glass plate where communication is only through a small hole,” states the Utah sister missionary. “We are anxious to return to our family and friends, but it will be bitter-sweet to leave behind those we love in the Caribbean.”

At the same time the Ricks and the Lusters were buying last minute souvenirs and packing their bags, Bradley J. (aka “BJ”) and Martha Rae ("Marty") Summers of Leavenworth, Washington were arriving in the West Indies.

A retired commercial Alaskan Airlines pilot, Elder BJ grew up on a small farm in Oregon then served a mission in Frankfurt, Germany. Sister Marty grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. The couple met at BYU and began their eternal love story in the Manti Temple, then spent the next 8 years in the Air Force living in Lubbock, TX, St. Louis, and Frankfurt, Germany before finally settling in Washington State.

The Summers – who both love the out-of-doors - relocated two years ago to Leavenworth, a small town in the mountains of Washington. In Guyana, they will provide shadow leadership to the members and leaders of the struggling Linden Branch.

The senior couples in our mission each have interesting stories and histories as well as personalities and strong testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At the end of the day, they go to bed exhausted but are "not weary in well doing” as each shares life experiences and their time and talent in service to the Lord. We hope our paths will cross again.

We've Moved!!!

Life in the West Indies Mission is like dominos falling over!

Two weeks ago, Elder and Sister Benn were transferred to serve in Rosignol and Bushlot (Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday) . . . and in the Georgetown mission office (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday). Then, Elder and Sister Summers arrived from Washington State and President and Sister Ricks went home - so we had to move . . . but after four months in Trinidad and four months in the mission office apartment, we are now officially and finally PEF, ERS and YSA missionaries.

Our new apartment is the lower flat "fortress" which, until September 1, was occupied by President and Sister Ricks. It is MUCH smaller than the office apartment where we had two big bedrooms and two nice bathrooms. Now we have only one bedroom with a bathroom the size of a telephone booth . . . but we have a bigger TV (not that there is anything to watch or time to watch it) and a better A/C unit so it is much cooler.

Our two big desks in the office apartment have now been replaced by one big desk and the kitchen table . . . but our refrigerator and freezer are about 30% larger (room for ice cream if we can find it). My dog "Killer" is now an unnamed tabby cat. Trekker's new playmate alternates between our apartment and Elder and Sister Angus' upstairs flat to be fed by both couples (see him in the foreground welcoming us home).

Both of these moves have been hard since I tend to "settle in" or "nest" and I have been in my comfort zone with a little bit of office work mixed in with all the other things we have been doing . . . but, change, in the West Indies Mission, is as certain as the sun coming up at 6:30 a.m. and setting at 6:30 p.m. - so, its probably safe to assume, this may not be the last move or the last change!

Those We Love in Guyana: Colin and Vonella Goodluck

At age 29, Colin Ransford Goodluck has already had more leadership positions in the Church than most have in a lifetime! The newly called First Counselor in the West Indies Mission Presidency joined the Church in March 1994 when just a young child in his homeland of Guyana. At age 19, he was called to serve as a fulltime WIM missionary in Trinidad, St. Maarten and Barbados (2004-06). Since his honorable release, he has shared his joyful countenance and deep love of the gospel of Jesus Christ as Branch Clerk, District Executive Secretary, Elders Quorum President, Branch President, Georgetown District President, and most recently as First Counselor in the Georgetown District Presidency.

As the mission's First Counselor, President Goodluck - also recently hired as the Church's Facilities Manager for Guyana and Suriname - will assist in missionary efforts to "bring souls unto Christ" in those same two countries.

His beautiful wife Vonella is a devoted stay-at-home mom to two adorably rambunctious little boys – 18-month-old Jayden and Orande who just turned 3.

Vonella will share her husband with the West Indies Mission until July 1, 2012. In the meantime, he is taking a one year sabbatical from classes at the University of Guyana where he is studying for a degree in International Relations toward a future career in government.

Colin, who is incredibly organized and efficient, refers to himself and his eternal companion as “Chocolate and Vonella” then breaks out in his big, infectious laughter!

Colin and Vonella are two more of the beautiful saints we love here in Guyana!

Lesson Learned: Plan Ahead . . . No Matter What!

Last Tuesday I finished my first 5-week computer class by handing out certificates of accomplishment to 6 students. This Tuesday dawned with no one registered for the second set of 5-classes. The Garden Park branch president told me he had announced it from the pulpit and encouraged people to attend, but no one had called and I was not expecting anyone to show up!

At about 5 p.m. we packed up our three laptops (though I had no lesson plan in mind because I was convinced no one would be there) and headed across town. When we pulled into the parking lot, only the branch president and his family were there.

“See, I told you,” I said to my companion when we pulled into the empty parking lot. However, when we got inside, we discovered there were 8 people anxiously awaiting my arrival, including Sister Goodluck who has never touched a computer in the 60+ years of her life, but wants to be able to communicate on-line with her grandchildren.

Needless to say, I flew by the seat of my pants for the next two hours while reminding myself over and over of that age-old adage . . . “plan ahead, no matter what!”

Trekker Travels to Arrow Point

On Wednesday, August 10 and Thursday, August 11, we packed our overnight bag and our Traveling Tiger for a trip into Guyana’s interior (aka “the bush” or the rainforest which covers more than 80% of this South American country’s land mass). Trekker was excited about this adventure because he has been fearful there would be no more sightseeing since all the sights in Guyana have already been seen!

It was two spectacular days with three other missionary couples – Larry and Karen Harris (Layton, UT), Gary and Christie Ricks (Santa Barbara, CA) and Lynn and Sharon Angus (Vernal, UT). We hiked, mountain biked, swam, ate and relaxed at Arrow Point, a rustic resort located 17-miles off the Demerara River, up the tributary known as Kamuni Creek on the Arawak Amerindian reservation. The boat ride was reminiscent of Disneyland’s “Jungle Cruise” and hiking through the rainforest reminded us of the Sacred Grove, where Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. Each meal was delicious – but typically Guyanese – and we enjoyed lively conversation under a full moon and around a beautiful bonfire. The efficient young staff catered exclusively to our needs since the 8 of us (9 counting Trekker) were the only guests at the resort.

On our mini-vacation, we enjoyed kayaking down a spectacular smooth-as-glass black water stream and a 3-mile hike through the jungle to a 17-year-old plane crash site.

On the way back, I was in the lead and always looking down to avoid tripping on a vine, slipping on wet leaves . . . or stepping on a critter of some kind. When something caught my eye, I stopped . . . and it turns out, I was only 2” away from a Labaria . . . one of the most poisonous snakes in the world. I stood very still until the guide caught up to me and in a steady, but warning voice, told me to take one big step backwards because the Labaria strikes quickly. A bite from this very venomous snake (a cousin to the rattlesnake) results in nausea, black outs, paralysis and, if not treated in time, is almost always FATAL!!! Luckily, the Labaria I almost stepped on was less than a foot long, compared to the 4-5 feet length of a full grown adult of this species, but according to our guide John, even a bite from this dangerous baby would be enough to make me deathly ill!

Trekker got to steer the boat, enjoy the company of the senior couples and lots of peace and quiet away from the office and the city, hike in the jungle, swim in Guyana's black water, and take a nap with Elder Harris upon his return to the resort. Knowing our Traveling Tiger, he will soon be whining about wanting to do something else fun and exciting; but with our mission assignments, it could be a long while before “play” works its way up to the top of our “to do” list.

In the meantime, our trip to Arrow Point is one of the high points of our time here in Guyana!!!