The Church in the Caribbean

In our assignment in the West Indies Mission, we rotate our attendance at one ward and two branches. Every week we attend church at Couva, San Fernando or Chaguanas where we are always met with hugs and kisses from members whose testimonies make ours stronger! But, last week we decided to attend the Curepe Ward because our Mission President (introduced as the "3rd youth speaker”) was speaking. Curepe Ward meets in a single large room without air conditioning, so a dozen fans were blowing; cars, trucks and buses (including an ambulance) drove by during the meeting. It was noisy, but we didn’t have any trouble hearing what was being said. Then we broke up for Primary, Sunday School, YM / YW, Priesthood and Relief Society. Each organization took a corner of the room where songs were sung, prayers given and lessons taught over the din of other classes, the fans and traffic! It was so noisy we couldn’t hear anything! Ah, life in the Caribbean.

This scenario is repeated in many different ways here in the islands. Some branches meet in members homes. Some meet in businesses. For all I know, some may meet on the beach. Baptizing people is not a problem. They are coming into the church in large numbers . . . but retention is a problem because few members have cars, some can’t read, and once the missionaries move on, members fall away. President Gamiette is really pushing hard to retain members, so he is reiterating to our missionaries here in the West Indies what Elder Holland told us at the MTC, “Don’t you dare knock on a single door until you are completely converted yourself.”

Speaking of conversion, the only stake president in the West Indies is President Gould. He is very black and proud of his heritage and his testimony. He also has an amazing command of the scriptures and a huge sense-of-humor. At a recent stake PEF meeting, Elder Sappington “waded into” a conversation about minorities to which President Gould pointed out the obvious! “You, Elder Sappington, are the minority. You can be sure there are many more of us than there are of you!”

This year, our mission baptized 525 new members with retention at about 80% - in short, they are doing a much better job in teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is so needed in the world . . . and particularly here in the Caribbean. In the US church, we take our beautiful buildings, with organs, song books, speaker systems and air conditioning so for granted. Yet these people, who often don’t have any of these things, still come out, still bear touching testimonies, still love the Lord and save for years to be able to take their families to the temple and have to travel hundreds of miles by plane to do so.

The majority of members in Trinidad are descendents of African slaves. Some are former Hindus or a combination of numerous ethnicities and cultures. Most are first generation members, which means many have been members only a few months, rather than for centuries. Many have sacrificed family, friends, and jobs to have the “pearl of great price” in their lives (see Matthew 13:45-46). They love the Lord for finding them here in Trinidad and are an inspiration and an amazing example of great faith!

WIM Couples: Elder and Sister Bush

Elder Robert and Sister Raylene Bush were recruited by Elder and Sister Harris who planted the seed of service and thankfully, this exceptional couple followed the promptings of the Spirit to act on this invitation.

Though both are native Utahns, they have lived 22 years in the nation’s Bible Belt, rearing their family of 7 children in Warner Robins, Georgia (grandchildren now number 23 with one more due in August) where Elder Bush was the Chief of the Multimedia Services Division, Headquarters, Air Force Reserve Command. While rearing her large family, Sister Bush was employed in the Human Resources office of the local hospital doing payroll and “other duties as assigned.” In their church service, the Bush’s served in numerous leadership roles, including Elder Bush’s duties as a Bishop. Together, they also served two years as their stake’s Employment Resource Advisors.

In their service in the West Indies Mission, the Bush’s will spend their time serving the saints on the Caribbean island of Grenada, where they will provide shadow leadership, fellowship to reactivate and strengthen new members, organize at least one annual temple trip and 1-2 humanitarian service projects on the island while also acting as an extension of the mission office and, as all other senior missionaries before them, performing “other duties as assigned.”

Trekker Meets a Giant Monkey God

With the approach of another Preparation Day, Trekker began pestering us to do more exploring around Trinidad, but – we reminded him - whatever we did had to be something which didn’t require Grandma Linda to climb stairs or walk very far! We decided this would be the perfect day to take Elder Ralph and Sister Paulette Childs and our Traveling Tiger to see the colorful pink and red 85-foot statue of the Hindu monkey god – believed to be the tallest statue of Hanuman Murti outside of India.

And since we were in the neighborhood, we also visited the nearby Temple in the Sea. Set against the backdrop of the Caribbean blue sky, this Hindu temple was actually built twice –the first time in 1947 by a zealous Indian laborer named Seedas Sadhu, but because it was built on sugar land, the government ordered it razed after five years.

Not to be deterred, Sadhu began work on a new Temple in the Sea, dedicating the next 25 years of his life to the project. This time, he would build it in the sea which freed him from having to get permission from the government or anyone else. With just a bicycle and a leather bag, Sadhu transported stones to the shore to build a small island but the octagonal, one-story temple would remain incomplete until 1994 when the Trinidad and Tobago government began planning to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the coming of Indians to the country. Part of their planning involved finishing Sadhu’s temple which is used today for various religious ceremonies, including weddings, burials (cremations), and ceremonies which involve gifting things to the gods.

Trekker did not think it appropriate to pose for pictures at these religious shrines(although he graciously agreed to a shot among the tomatoes at a Trinidad fruit stand) . Overall, he behaved himself very well even if he did not understand the significance of monkeys as religious symbols. Good boy, Trekker for being respectful of other beliefs and cultures!

Couples Conference a Spiritual Feast for Senior Missionaries

The Couples Conference in St. Lucia by the numbers:
- 18 couples and 1 wonderful senior sister
- 113 grandchildren
- 323 grandchildren
- 4 greats (including our little Daxton Emery)
- 34 missions plus one sister who spent 3 years in the Peace Corps and one couple who taught English in China for 2 years

On Carnival weekend in Trinidad, Robert and Raylene Bush (Grenada), Douglas and Valerie Salmon (Martinique), Kendrick and Rose Benn, Gary and Florence Ricks, Lynn and Sharon Angus (Humanitarian Services), Larry and Karen Harris (CES) and Verrol and Helen Young (all from Guyana); Ronald and Rosella Boman (Barbados), Willie and Julie Ann Gibson (St. Lucia), Dallas and Sharon Stevens (St. Maarten), Clive and Arlene Henderson (St. Vincent), Jean and Gertrude Drolet (French Guiana), Peter and Ina Jansen (Suriname), Doug and Jean Clarke (Tobago), Robert and Susan McIntosh (Guadeloupe), and missionaries from the West Indies Mission Office, including Diane Ellison, Ralph and Paulette Childs, James and Joey Luster and Ed and Linda Sappington gathered in St. Lucia with President and Sister Gamiette for spiritual feasting and socializing.

During 3-days together, President Gamiette spoke of mission goals and shared his knowledge of Jacob 5 and its importance in helping couples in their efforts to help with reactivation. President Ricks spoke of shadow leadership and the role of couples in helping branch leaders and new members gain understanding. President McIntosh shared the value of the Couples Area Book, encouraging couples to create this resource for themselves and those who will follow them. Elder and Sister Jansen enthusiastically shared their experience organizing a Young Adult Center in Suriname. President Ricks added his direction on helping prospective missionaries through the application process. A brisk question-and-answer session provided information to those seeking answers to their inquiries. After dinner sessions included health and wellness taught by Sister Ellison and Sister Gamiette. Elder and Sister Boman taught a short session on temple preparation; then Sisters McIntosh and Young spoke of the culture of the islands. Elders Luster and Sappington updated missionary couples on managing mission finances; Elder Childs spoke on auditing and record keeping and CES was covered by President McIntosh and Elder and Sister Harris before President Gamiette’s final thoughts ended this amazing and helpful time together.

These outstanding senior couples are young in spirit, wise and willing to "lengthen your stride" or “hasten your shuffle” to serve the Lord and strengthen the lives of the Lord’s children in the West Indies Mission. Even if they don’t know the local language, their accomplishments are great and their spirit of sacrifice is precious. To quote President Thomas S. Monson, “we need many . . . many more senior couples. There are few times in your lives when you will enjoy the sweet spirit and satisfaction that comes from giving full-time service together in the work of the Master.” (Conference, October 2010)

Trekker Goes to St. Lucia . . . and Grenada

Trekker had a wonderful time traveling from Trinidad to St. Lucia and then to Grenada accompanying Grandpa (Elder) and Grandma (Sister) Sappington to the West Indies Mission Couples Conference. The threesome traveled on 5 airplanes between March 6 - 9 before arriving home in Trinidad on Wednesday night. Because she was recuperating from a broken leg, Grandma had to be lifted into the plane on a wheelchair by two strong men at each port – and lifted into various meetings by at least two of 19 senior elders and hotel workers. Trekker and most of the senior couples attending the conference called her “a good sport” although she told Trekker it was not very much fun to be the center of attention coming into and going out of meetings or climbing the stairs on her bottom!

While on this beautiful Caribbean island, Trekker looked over Grandma’s shoulder to see a report on the KSL website of a terrible snow storm which hit Utah making this what Trekker is certain is the longest winter in the history of the state. At the same time some of his loved ones were getting MORE white stuff, Trekker felt a little bit guilty enjoying the cool breezes wafting through palm trees, beautiful flowers and birds singing, playing with President and Sister Gamiette's five children; searching the white, sandy beach for sea shells, swimming in the Caribbean and swinging on the clothes line drying his tiger fur in the tropical breeze!

In the end, Trekker realized missing Carnival wasn't a big deal after all . . . because being in St. Lucia and Grenada with all these wise and wonderful missionary couples turned out to be grrrrrreeeaaat!

Trekker DOESN’T Go to Carnival

This mannequin at one of the local grocery stores is probably the closest Trekker is going to get to Trinidad's annual Carnival.

Don't look, Trekker . . . don't look!

President Gamiette scheduled a Couples’ Conference on the island of St. Lucia. No doubt, one of his primary reasons for picking March 6-8 is because it is also the week of Carnival in Trinidad. This 2-day festival - similar to Mardi Gras held the week before Lent (another thing to look up) - is a sort of "religious" holiday celebrated to the constant rhythm of steeldrums as Trinidadians and tourists shed their worries and inhibitions in a joyful blur of “freeness.”

Trekker thought it might be fun to participate in some of the “safer” activities, including music, food and costumes, but Carnival – at its most primal - is lewd and crude, crass, indecent, raunchy, vulgar and obscene. Driven by a historically high alcohol consumption, men dress as women, women as men, respectable bankers and businessmen wear diapers or drape themselves in chains and torn clothing to splash and be splashed with paint or mud.

As Americans residing in Trinidad, we received an e-mail notification from the U. S. Embassy reminding us to be careful during Carnival week because of increasing incidences of assault, house break-ins, pick pocketing, robberies, carjacking and other frightening crimes.

So Trekker – who doesn’t get to go to Carnival – is going to have to curb his “tiger self” in the company of 18 senior missionary couples on a beautiful Caribbean island! Grrrrr!

WIM Couples: Elder and Sister Henderson

Elder Clive and Sister Arlene Henderson, newly arrived from the Provo MTC, told us they were not so much called “out of the blue” as “out of the family” where they have enjoyed hearing the success stories of the West Indies Mission. When the couple decided to put in their papers, her first cousins - former President Reid and Sister Diane Robison - told them there was nowhere else on earth they should serve.

The Henderson’s are the 18th and newest missionary couple currently serving in the West Indies Mission. Parents of six and grandparents of 11, both are former educators. She taught 2nd grade for more than 23 years. He taught high school math and science for 13 years, then established a successful cleaning and restoration business in his hometown. Together these residents of Idaho Falls, Idaho will spend the next 17 ½ months serving the saints on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, where they will provide shadow leadership, fellowship to reactivate and strengthen new members, organize at least one annual temple trip and 1-2 humanitarian service projects on the island while also acting as an extension of the mission office and, as all other senior missionaries before them, performing “other duties as assigned.”