Christmas 2012

Christmas 2012 has come . . . and gone!  It was much more commercialized than we remember in the years before we left for Guyana.  Everything, everywhere was about Santa Claus rather than about He whose birth we are supposed to be celebrating! 

Besides shopping, wrapping, mailing and cooking, we enjoyed having Kris here for a short visit in early December and having approximately 70 ward members and neighbors come to see our decorations and partake of our cookies and punch as one of four homes in our annual Christmas Around the Ward!  We put up our village above the stove in the kitchen and spread the Christmas cans around the house.  We also attended our ward Christmas party, a Relief Society Christmas dinner, a fun Rotary Christmas party at the St. George Art Center building . . . and went to lunch or dinner with several friends.

Stacy and her family came from dinner on Christmas Day.  We ate too much and laughed until our sides ached playing “Minute to Win It” – reminiscent of several such YSA activities in Guyana – and Skyped with family members far away!

It was a fun holiday season – our first traditional holiday season in the last three - though we missed having more members of our family here.  Christmas 2012 concluded on Boxing Day (December 26) with cataract surgery – a simple and quick little procedure which is expected to successfully clear up my foggy vision.  Cataracts develop for a number of reasons, but in my case it was as a result of the gas put in my eye to repair the macular hole.  I have had blurry, fuzzy, cloudy eyesight for more than six months and haven’t been able to drive at night because of the glare from oncoming headlights.  I’ve also struggled with a sense of having something in my eye. 

I have hope my sight is now restored.  Skilled surgeons are truly a gift beyond measure!  Merry Christmas.  

Playing by the Numbers

We recently had the opportunity to see our current Fair Issac Corporation score.  The FICO uses mathematical models to determine a lending institution’s credit risk for repayment based on payment history, a consumer’s current level of indebtedness, types of credit used, length of credit history and any new credit. A FICO score above 650 (from a range of 300 to 850) is considered to be a safe risk!

The problem with a FICO score is that it is very sensitive.  Shop for a new car - even if you don't buy one - it goes down!  Miss a payment on something - no matter how insignificant - it goes down!  Have half a dozen credit cards stuck away in a desk drawer - even if you've never even used them - it goes down! 

I always tried to teach my kids – and grandkids – if you have a FICO score of 650 or more and a current temple recommend, you are most certainly on the right track in life!!!

Meeting #11

Kris brought her “lover and best friend” for a first-time visit to St. George this weekend.  Our third daughter came home with tall, handsome Mike Muhlethaler, who is a partner in both a sales/marketing and a mortgage firm in northern California.   The couple traveled to Las Vegas for a Tim McGraw / Faith Hill concert and a quick trip to southern Utah to negotiate the "number of cows" Ed would accept for her hand in marriage.

He and Ed got along famously on the golf course, Kris is happier than we have seen her in a long time . . . and cow negotiations went well!

Together Kris and Mike have just bought a new home in Petaluma, CA (a small town of approximately 15,000 people about a “stone’s throw” from San Francisco). 

While they were here, Stacy, Rick and their family - including Taisley, Kendi and Danielle, Allysa, Josh and Daxton - came for dinner . . . and just as the food was being put on the table, Bruce and Jan Christensen and her daughter Jenny stopped by for "hugs and kisses" with Kris, who they consider their “foster daughter” and “step sister!”  We also celebrated Allysa’s 24^th birthday (December 6) with cake, ice cream and a boisterous rendition of “Happy Birthday” 

We were pleased to see these far-flung members of our family and look forward to an invitation to the wedding some day soon! 

Thanksgiving in Denver

We had a wonderful time on our recent long Thanksgiving weekend in Denver.  In addition to an amazing feast of turkey and stuffing, potatoes and gravy, candied yams, Jan’L’s delicious creamed (Enterprise) corn, and the usual pumpkin and mincemeat pies, we also enjoyed Pictionary, putting together a fun new 750-piece puzzle – since Grandma Linda declared it an old-fashioned, eye-to-eye  “electronics free” day -  and Black Friday shopping. 

Some thoughts on the Sappington boys:  Kyle (age 6) is one of the brightest children I have ever been around.  He has at least a 6^th grade vocabulary and reads at a 3^rd grade level – though he is only in 1^st grade.  This observation really isn’t a case of a prejudiced grandmother . . . this child truly is brilliant.  Kole is a happy, high energy, loving and precocious 11-year-old.  He is a competitive player who “takes no prisoners” in Pictionary and knows his way around his iPad.  In a word or two, Kole is “fun” and adorable!!!  His serious allergies and bothersome eczema haven’t slowed him down socially or in any other way!  Kaler has made huge strides in terms of his autism.  He continues to maintain a near perfect GPA and is a pretty typical 14-year-old (except he is still a little smaller than other boys his same age - but no doubt is going to catch up).  He loves history and is happy to share his knowledge of facts and figures as he plans to travel to Washington DC in the next few months with his classmates.  

The boys cried when it was time for us to head home . . . and Kyle said he was going to hide in my luggage!  We love these boys . . . and their Mom and (especially their) Dad!  They are all so much fun.

MOMMILIES: 1-2-3 for Dental Health

I had an appointment the other day with Allen Hilton - my dentist for more years than I care to remember.  This was my first visit to his office since before we left for our mission at the end of 2010.  Happily, I got a clean bill of dental health.  I have not had a cavity in many years and I have no indication of gum disease!  Yahoo!!!  As my family knows, I am vigilant in taking care of my teeth and told Dr. Hilton in the beginning of our relationship, I want to take these choppers with me into eternity.

My regimen is as simple as 1, 2, and 3!  I floss at least once a day . . . brush at least twice a day and see my dentist 3 times a year (although I may have to cut back to two annual visits since we no longer have dental insurance)!  There are certainly many things which would be worse than having dentures, but having all my teeth pulled ranks right up there on my list of The Top 10 Things I Don’t Want to Experience.

 

Thanks, Allen for your friendship and service in Rotary and for your skill and expertise in the office helping me keep my happy smile!!!

Another Small World Story

The other day, we attended the funeral of Lois Baker, one of our ward members. Lois is the mother of my visiting teacher Jill Jones and a son - Greg Anderson - who lives in Pennsylvania, both who were in attendance at the funeral of their mother along with their spouses. At the viewing, Jill and Royce introduced Ed and Linda Sappington to her brother and his wife.  Greg's wife was obviously startled then responded, "Are you kidding me? My full name is Joyce Sappington Anderson." What followed was a fun exchange of information as we became acquainted with a cousin from another part of the world . . . although this experience shows - once again - that it really is a very small world!!!

To Anaconda and Beyond

The destination of our most recent road trip (October 4 – 11) was Anaconda, Montana to visit Kaytee,  Josh and two of our precious grandchildren, but along the way we also visited SLC’s new City Creek Shopping Mall and Temple Square – looking for Sister Alicia Phagwah (from Guyana) – and a side trip to Brigham City to see the Church’s newest – and 137^th temple.  We enjoyed an overnight stay in Logan with Stan and Diane Blackett where we watched conference and got caught up with their life and family.  We also had a great two nights with Kelly, Gary and Whitney in their beautiful new home in Clinton. We enjoyed lively conversation and had fun getting caught up and when it was time to go, our #1 daughter questioned why we had to leave “so soon.  Thirty-six hours is just not enough!!!”  How happy it makes us to know we are welcome in the homes of our children.

Our three days in Anaconda included a pork chop sandwich, reading to the kids, a quick tour of the historic Washoe Theater (one of the most beautiful theaters in the nation – built in the 1930’s by the same architect who built NYC’s Radio City Music Hall), a trip to Phillipsburg (about 25 miles from Anaconda) where we found lots of things to photograph, including a wonderful old-fashioned (but pretty expensive) candy store.  We also had a tour of the lovely little home Kaytee and Josh hope to own before the end of the year (so we’ll be making the 11-hour trip again in the coldest part of Montana’s winter . . . with our paint brushes and other DIY tools).  My baby and her babies got teary-eyed when we said goodbye (Josh just smiled, probably glad to see us heading home after 3 days, although he was in good spirits during our visit) but we promised to come back when they are ready to move. 

We ended our week back in Salt Lake, where we stayed overnight with the Harris’ . . . our friends with whom we had served in Guyana.  We shared memories, dinner and laughed all the way through “Maiden Heist” in their HUGE downstairs theater room (if you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it for lots of laughs).  On our way through Provo, we caught up with Michael for a quick dinner together before getting on the highway for the last 5 hours of travel.  Fun trip and nice to discuss numerous topics, including the upcoming elections, without anyone getting hysterical!!!

WIM Reunion

We attended our very first WIM reunion since coming home from Guyana in June.  It was a combination of President and Sister Robison’s missionaries and those of us who served under President and Sister Gamiette, held in Provo in the afternoon of Friday, October 5.  It was delightful to see many of the couples with whom we served in both Trinidad (Jim and Joey Luster, Jim and Jan Wheeler, Ralph and Paulette Childs) and Guyana (Larry and Karen Harris) and others who served in other parts of the WIM (Clive and Arlene Henderson,  Bob and Raylene Bush and Doug and Valerie Salmon).  We also met some of the couples who served before us (Robison, Faux, Bulloch, Hymas and others).  After an hour of catching up with the seniors, the young missionaries began arriving.  It was so much fun to see Wally So’Oto, Hayden Van Meeteren, Abe Austin, Tyler White, Kyle Dyson, Rusden Scott, Brock Beeson, Nikita Vi, Kolton Arnold and Tobin Prince.  It was pretty funny how often we were asked “can I call you Linda?  Can I call you Ed?” but we asked the same question of others.  A mission is a wonderful experience – one for which I will always be grateful and seeing the faces of those we loved and with whom we served -if just for a couple of hours - was a delight!!!

I Am EJ!

Oh, my gosh!  I have become my grandfather, Elgie James (“EJ”) Bradford.
 

Larry will remember this, but when we lived next door to our grandparents on Palm Place, Grandpa Brad would come home from work then spend his evenings on the front lawn with his pocket knife picking out every single weed . . no matter how small!!!  Because we were kids, we snickered a little at his passion for making sure there wasn’t a weed to be found anywhere . . . and now I am him! 

When we got home from our mission in Guyana we were pleased to find Stacy and her family had done an amazing job of keeping the lawn mowed and generally cleaned up, but then I took over the project, including pulling weeds and washing rocks.

No kidding!  I took up all the rocks in the back yard, put down new ground cloth and washed all the rocks clean before putting them back down.  My husband thought I had totally lost my mind, so Kole helped me for a couple of days while David and Jan’L were here on vacation and while Ed refused to play along.  Now I spend my early mornings walking my fence lines looking for weeds to dig out with my big old kitchen knife, spraying with Roundup, collecting and discarding dead snails and tending my winter garden (peas, brussel sprouts, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, radishes, sugar peas and carrots). 

I could only find one picture of my grandfather, because he didn't like to have his picture taken.  Oops, that's two!  I just hope I don’t pick up any of my grandfather’s other traits!!!

Yet Another Sappington Family Reunion

David, Jan’L and their three boys came for a week of R&R.  Although David questions their sanity in deciding to come to St. George during the “dog days of summer” he admits it has been fun and relaxing to have nothing to do and nowhere to go.  For their family – and for Taisley who tagged along – the week was filled with swimming, lots of waffles, a “mystery trip” with Grandma and Grandpa along the Water Walk (beginning at Brooks Pond and ending at the extremely popular Splash Pad in downtown St. George), and an overnight camping trip to Pine Valley Mountain with Grandpa Ed.  We dined at Jan’L’s favorite places – Pizza Factory and Marv’s – and finally got to see the end of "Aladdin" at Tuacahn (we were rained out a couple of weeks ago) and made ice cream at Stacy's.  Fun, fun, fun with family - and we miss them when they go home.   

Cuz'N Camp 2012

We held a Cuz'N Camp this week (such as it was), but it was not what I had originally planned.  While still in Guyana, I planned a Cuz'N Camp Road Trip which would involve Taisley and EJ in the back seat and 2-3 day stops in SLC, Butte and Denver. Then I had eye surgery and am grounded until the first of September . . . and Kris decided air fare for EJ was too expensive.  So, Cuz'N Camp was not a camp and there were no Cuz'N's although Taisley and Rilee came to our house and spent 4 days.  We put puzzles together (mostly because I was in "clearing the clutter" mode and needed to determine if the puzzles stayed in the Grandma Closet or got tossed because pieces were missing).  We tried some new recipes - but both of them still preferred waffles (what else?).  We played at the water park, watched the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics - eagerly anticipating the entrance of the Guyana team (only 6 athletes, but fun to see them) - went to see "Ice Age:  Continental Divide" and Disney's "Aladdin" at Tuacahn.  We got rained out toward the end of the show, but it was really fun, very well done and entertaining!  It certainly lacked what Cuz'N Camp is supposed to be.  We missed having the Cuz'N's together, but Taisley and Rilee seemed to have fun and it was wonderful to be able to spend time with these two precious little girls.

Twice Removed from Barack!!!

The principle of “six degrees of separation” refers to the idea that everyone is approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth.  If that is the case, I am now just TWO steps away from Barack Obama!!!

When the plight of the desert tortoise was a huge issue in Washington County a number of years ago, I was hired to serve as the administrative assistant to Steve Snow, then-chairman of the much-maligned Washington County Habitat Conservation Planning Committee before he was called to the Church's First Quorum of Seventy.  In April 2012 General Conference, he was given additional responsibility when he was sustained as the Church Historian.

When we were in Guyana, I found a wonderful handwritten (by several missionary couples) history of the Church in "the land of many waters" (time period of 1988 to 1993) in a dresser drawer.  Knowing Steve is now the Church Historian, I brought this historical treasure home with me, intent on delivering it to him at his office in Salt Lake City, but I can’t travel out of the county until early September because of my eye.  As luck would have it, I ran into Elder Snow at Target here in St. George (he’s one of our homeboys) where I told him about my find.  He was excited and offered to stop by the house and pick it up before he and his wife returned to Salt Lake City.  In our family room, we visited briefly about his new assignment and how they were enjoying life in the big city.  That was last week!

Today there was a story on the KSL-TV website indicating "Elder Steven Snow of the First Quorum of the Seventy was appointed to be a member of the President's Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.  According to the White House, the advisory council "brings together leaders and experts in fields related to the work of faith-based and neighborhood organizations in order to make recommendations to government on how to improve partnerships."

So, if the theory of 6 degrees of separation is valid, Barack and I now have a friend-in-common.  Dang, it really is a small world!!!

Another Sappington Family Reunion

Charlene was here to welcome us home at the end of June, then went home to Fresno and came back in mid-July with Tiffany, Bob, their 3 boys (Ben, Phillip and Josh), and Bob's parents.  Actually, they had a timeshare in Las Vegas so just drove up for the day.  We visited Brigham Young and Jacob Hamblin's homes and enjoyed a bar-be-que chicken dinner (with Dutch oven potatoes).  Stacy and Rick came with their girls (Kendi, Danielle, Taisley and Rilee).  It was the first time Charlene's family had met Rick.  He and Bob - both famous for their great sense-of-humor, particularly relating to the "challenge" of being married to Sappington women - hit it off like long lost brothers!  It was a fun day filled with lots of "remember when" stories, good food and laughter!

Poor Beechers

Elder Bob and Sister Katie Beecher, our replacements in Guyana, drove from their home in Lehi this weekend to spend two days picking our brains so they could learn what we know about PEF, ERS and everything else related to Guyana.  Happy for the chance to share our experiences, we gushed on and on from morning to night until we were quite certain they could take no more, but they seemed excited to hear everything we could tell them.  In the end their eyes were spinning and they had writers cramp from the pages and pages of notes taken . . . but, what a lovely couple!  We are certain they have been called by a loving Heavenly Father and a prophet of God to serve those we love in Guyana.  They left in the late afternoon on Saturday . . . with corks in their ears so the details of our service in “the land of many waters” wouldn’t run out and down onto their shoulders. 

They enter the MTC on September 3 and expect to be in Guyana on or about September 16.  We wish we could go along!!!

Partying On!

On Tuesday, July 4 the celebration of America's 236th birthday at St. George City Park was crowded, the wait was long, but well worth it when the City of St. George provided the biggest and best fireworks show ever!!!  Adyn enjoyed it all, but Skylar wasn't so sure!!!

And just when we thought there was no more fun to be had during our very busy family reunion week . . . on Friday, July 7 we celebrated Adyn's 4th birthday at the Hidden Valley Park and Splash Pad.  Another HOT day in Dixie, but the cold water falls made it bearable . . . and fun for everyone - even the grown ups.

Family Reunion

We flew home from Guyana on June 11 because of my eye problem, but June 28 was the original date for our homecoming so our kids and grandkids had all scheduled a trip to St. George to welcome us back after 18 months.   For the first time in many years, almost every member of the family came . . . five of our six children (David was unable to get away from work), both daughters-in-law, all of our 13 grandchildren, my brother Larry from Seattle, and my sister-in-law from Fresno.  Even the Harris’ with whom we served in Guyana came down from Layton.  Needless to say, late June in St. George was uncomfortably HOT for most family members (up to 106 on one day) and often we had total chaos, but we had a great time catching up on everyone’s news, playing Uno and Skipbo, playing in the water and taking lots of pictures.   The food was delicious and plentiful . . . it was a great weekend!

Our Replacements

If "three is the charm" . . . then five must be "the choice!" because there have been five couples who were supposedly coming to Guyana to take over our PEF, ERS and YSA responsibilities.

The first couple was from Missouri.  They were willing to come to Guyana, they said, on the condition there would be no mosquitos, no humidity, no crime in the country and no planes crashing while they were here!

 

The second couple had already served a mission in Guyana and really, really wanted to come back, but their call to a second mission in "the land of many waters" didn't happen.

The third couple was from our very own Bloomington 7th Ward.  The Hooks had previously served two back-to-back PEF missions in South Africa, so we all thought they were perfect for Guyana.  Apparently the brethren in Salt Lake City thought they were needed elsewhere.  Their call?  Member support missionaries in Independence, Missouri!  Go figure.

The 4th couple , Elder Melvin and Sister Carol Beutler - who we have been told are coming to replace us in Guyana - accepted the calling and are expected to arrive on June 23 from Weston, Idaho (population 450)!  Unfortunately for them, they were required to bypass the MTC in order to have five days with us so we can teach them all we know before we head home.  But, we didn't count on having to go home 3 weeks early because I was diagnosed with a macular hole in my right eye.

Then we heard from Elder Bob and Sister Katie Beecher from Lehi, Utah who say THEY are our replacements.  According to this "over-the-top-eager" couple, their call letter from President Monson says they are Guyana PEF!  We invited them to come to St. George so we could train them . . . they are planning to be here on July 20-21. 

"Hooray," we thought . . . then people in the DR and in the WIM office in Trinidad began asking the same question:  "who are the Beechers and who told them they were going to Guyana?"  Some investigation on my end found that the Beutlers "official" call is to be "member and leader support missionaries" . . . and the Beechers are, in fact, our replacements.

The Beutlers are doing their best to "hold the wheels on the wagon" until mid-September when the Beechers arrive . . . and there is still some question as to how the multi-tasks in Guyana (mission office, PEF, ERS, YSA, distribution center orders, immigration, transfers, etc.) will be divided between these two couples, but at least we are now getting some answers (after FIVE false starts)!

My Eye, Oh My

 The surprise need to come home from Guyana three weeks early was due to the diagnosis of a “full thick macular hole” in my right eye requiring vitrectomy (surgery to remove some or all of the vitreous humor), a membrane peel (removal of clouded vitreous gel and scar tissue off the light sensitive lining of the retina) and the injection of some kind of gas into my eye to stabilize the repair until it is fully healed.  Unfortunately, this treatment could not be done in Guyana. 

Many people have asked whether the time I spend on the computer contributed to my eye problem.  The cause of macular holes is anyone’s guess – although it generally occurs among those over the age of 40 or anyone who has sustained a head or eye injury.  In my case, it could be either!  I am well over 40 but a couple of months ago in Guyana I did a “face plant” in the middle of the street outside of Giftland, my favorite shopping spot in downtown Georgetown.  Then just a few weeks ago I slipped again on a slimy Guyanese fruit while hanging clothes in the back yard, coming down hard on my right knee.  The doctor says the hole was “substantially bigger" than he first thought and “probably occurred much earlier” than I thought, but he assures me there is no connection between a macular hole (which can be repaired) and macular degeneration (which cannot and usually results in blindness).  The surgery was painless but the recovery required looking down at my feet for a week which was quite literally, “a pain in the neck.”  Oh, and I am grounded from any kind of heavy lifting or travel outside of Washington County until the end of August – due to the possibility of blindness caused by “a change in atmospheric pressure.”

Thanks for all your prayers on my behalf.  They really helped. 

Who Knew?

If anyone had told me 18 months ago, leaving Guyana would be every bit as difficult as leaving St. George, I would have, most certainly, argued the point!  Yes, we are anxious and excited to see our kids and grandkids again, but the idea of getting on a plane on Monday, June 11 and leaving behind those we have come to love to the depths of our soul, was extremely difficult.  We pray each day we have made a difference in some small way in their lives by helping them identify skills, find jobs, get into school and/or enjoy wholesome social activities together.  But in addition to improving their lives, our lives are also changed forever as our family circle has been enlarged to include “my other kids” Christopher, Navin, Marcia and Skippy, Temica, Marissa and Alexis, Leon, Yvonne, Nicardo, Jamaal, Simeon and Selwin.  And, oh, how we will miss the Treseders, Summers, Cooks, Benns and our wonderful, faithful church members in Georgetown, Berbice and Linden.   

When we queried our young mission president – who goes home with his beautiful family to Guadeloupe at the end of the month – as to whether we have made a difference, he reminded  us, “we do missionary work because we want to be like Christ.  You are angels sent by the Lord . . . and, no effort is wasted.”  Who knew our purpose in being here was also because our Savior and Redeemer had people He wanted us to meet, help and love His children in Guyana forever? 

Of course, we look forward to being with our family and renewing our friendships back home, but every day for the rest of our lives, our thoughts, prayers and a large piece of our hearts will be in Guyana . . . and from now on, when anyone asks me how many kids I have, I am going to say 41 . . . the six I gave birth to and 35 beautiful Guyanese kids!!!

Things I Will Miss About Life in the WIM

In the 18-months we've spent in the West Indies Mission, we missed many things about our comfortable southern Utah home and our wonderful community. Besides my kids and grandkids, I particularly missed my nail lady, jewelry, a good haircut, a king-sized bed with big, fluffy pillows; a garbage disposal and a clothes dryer, Winger’s, and working in my backyard garden. My companion missed going to the movies on Friday nights, golfing with his friends, un-structured “downtime,” a good steak, real milk and “dry heat” . . . and we both missed the red hills of Dixie.

Now as we prepare to return home, here is my list of things I WILL NOT MISS about the West Indies Mission:

1. Our 24/7 companionship
2. Mosquito netting, mosquito spray . . . and MOSQUITOS!!!
3. The heat and humidity of life on the Equator!
4. Bugs in everything, no matter how tightly you think you’ve sealed the container
5. Super-sized cockroaches, centipedes and snakes (only saw a few, but, still . . .)
6. Horns honking a nanosecond after the light turns green
7. Ridiculously overloaded mini-buses and taxis zipping erratically through traffic
8. “Bad hair days” because of humidity, do-it-yourself haircuts and beauticians who don’t know what to do with my "head from hell!"
9. My very limited missionary wardrobe
10. Standing in line
11. Driving on the left side of the road
12. Dogs barking incessantly . . . especially at night
13. Angry immigration officers
14. Garbage on every street corner
15. Meetings / events which routinely start an hour late!
16. People who set appointments then show up unapologetically an hour late or call 5 minutes before the appointed time to say they can't make it . . . or simply don't show up at all!

On the other hand, there are many things I will miss with a heart-wrenching ache about
the West Indies Mission

1. Chicken and jalapeño panini sandwiches from Mario’s
2. Berbice rice
3. My "Kitty"
4. Hugs and kisses from sisters in every branch
5. The young missionaries and the amazing senior couples with whom we have served.
6. My wonderful Guyanese brothers and sisters
7. Our YSA’s
8. Personal growth from the experience of being in the minority
9. Helping my Heavenly Father build His kingdom in Guyana

Lessons Learned in the West Indies Mission

In the 18 months we have served in Trinidad / Guyana, here are some of the things we have learned:

1. Black truly is beautiful.
2. Being in the minority is a great learning experience.
3. Skin color is not a determining factor for being an outstanding teacher, having dynamic leadership skills or bearing a strong testimony of Jesus Christ.
4. There is a deeper meaning to sacred hymns sung a cappella (on the count of “tree” and wildly off key) or to the accompaniment of a “boom box” and led by an inexperienced 14-year-old chorister – only months in the church.
5. Steel drums make beautiful music.
6. Fresh Guyanese pineapple must be the forbidden fruit which tempted Adam and Eve because it is so sinfully good!
7. Southern Utah does not have really BIG cockroaches!
8. The Church MUST be true to survive the inefficiency and lack of skills of big-hearted volunteer missionaries called to run a mission office.
9. Shark is tasty … especially with “bake” and lots of pepper sauce.
10. Skype is almost as good as “being there.”
11. Not living near a temple leaves me with a “yearning for home.”
12. There’s nothing to watch on TV, but it comes on two / three hours later!
13. The language of the Caribbean is English . . . I think!
14. I still have lessons to learn . . .

Socialized Medicine in Guyana

We had our one-and-only experience with socialized medicine today.  I have been having a problem with my right eye, so upon the advice of opthalmologists in St. George and the West Indies Mission, we found our way to the Eye Clinic at Georgetown Public Hospital.  Arriving at a little past 7 a.m., we thought we were ahead of the wave, but were told when we checked in with the security guard, we needed "our paper" and would have to go first to the Outpatient Clinic to be evaluated.  We were one of about 70 patients, there to be seen for about 70 different ailments.  As it turns out, I was one of the first, so it only took about 2 hours - including 5 minutes with the doctor who appeared to be very bored and uninterested.  She asked me what my problem was, made a note on my paper and sent me back to the hospital where we sat for another 1 1/2 hours before the doctor diagnosed a macular hole in the back of my eye - then suggested I go home . . . to St. George because "we can't do anything for you here in Guyana!"

While everyone was very nice, the clinics were dirty, crowded and decorated like the furniture department of your local Deseret Industries store . . . but the care was FREE!

Our Last Play Day

It came as a big surprise when we were invited to dinner at the Cooks on Monday night, to discover we – along with Elder Kenrick and Sister Rose Benn (who will go home to Georgetown on June 9) – were the guests-of-honor! The Summers came over from Linden and the Treseders arrived from Berbice for a delicious spaghetti-feed followed by some good conversation and planning for Tuesday when we would all get together for a play day! 

Sister Sappington’s “mystery trips” included climbing about a million stairs to the top of the 103-foot Georgetown lighthouse for a beautiful view of the city and of the Atlantic Ocean! From there, we traveled to St. George's Cathedral (we had been there before, but some of the couples had not had the pleasure). Then we popped in for a quick tour of the Umana Yana Conference Center where a group of world leaders gathered some years ago. We also enjoyed a VIP tour of the Guyana Parliament Building in downtown Georgetown. Built by the Dutch 182 years ago and later occupied by the English, it has been the seat of Guyana’s government since the country was granted independence in 1966!

Guyana doesn’t have many tourist attractions, but these few simple side trips - on what is likely to be the last play day of our mission - have been on our things-to-do list since we got here! And, it was a delight to share these little adventures with the couples with which we serve. We will certainly miss them when we go home!