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 . . .