There is truth and there is Truth!

Happy Sabbath! As I was sitting in Church today with this little band of Saints on a beautiful island in the Caribbean called Tobago, I was touched by the power of the Truth. Our building is a termite infested cinder block building, tile floors, space for 60 stack-able chairs that if we are lucky are almost half full, only a small keyboard, no grand organ with many pipes for music. Nothing of the building has much beauty or grander to draw people in.  Our speakers were a 16 year old young man and a 94 year old man. Both of them spoke Truth. They both shared scriptures from the revealed Truth of the Book of Mormon and living Prophets. The hymns we sang (I lead the music so I can see that everyone sang) filled the small room with the Spirit of Truth. The administration and passing of the Sacrament by those who have the True Priesthood authority to do so caused me to reflect and ponder on the great sacrifice of our Savior who is the author of all Truth. No one looking in would sense that something powerful was going on with this little group. All of us who were there, were recommitting ourselves to our Savior and remembering His love, mercy and cleansing us from sin. The Spirit of God was filling our hearts as we listened to the words spoken and the hymns sung. Testimonies were strengthened and hearts and desires changed to align them to God and strive to love and serve our brothers and sisters. I guess I can't speak for everyone there, but I surely felt God's love and knew that all that was done in that room was the result of the restoration of the fullness of the Gospel of Truth and I was and could become a "new creature" because of it.

Yesterday, Saturday, we went visiting members and we came upon a Seventh Day Adventist meeting. The windows and doors were open and you could hear the preacher woman nearly screaming her sermon. You could actually hear it from quite a distance. I told Dave I wanted to go and listen for a while. So, I stood outside the building to hear what she was saying and she spoke truth. She quoted Romans 8:16,17 "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs: heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified." With out restored Truth, that beautiful scripture doesn't give the powerful, saving information we all need to become those joint-heirs with Christ as beloved children of God and leaves men to their own understandings ,(or misunderstandings, as the case may be) I didn't listen for long and she went on to another subject but my feelings were that there is truth (small t) available for everyone but there is more Truth (capital T) to be had as well. 

I am profoundly grateful for my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints!

This week we taught two discussions with Angie and Rocky, invited them to Church but unfortunately they did not come. This of course means that baptism is not happening as soon as we were hoping.  No worries though, This is not a pressure situation. She needs to be ready and committed. She is reading and praying so that is good. 

We were able to pin 3 more homes this week and we got the Ministering assignments for the RS and the Elders all figured out with both Presidents. Every sister has been assigned and all but 6 brethren 

(because we haven't found them yet) have been assigned. As far as we know, this is the first time this has happened in the history of this little branch. They mostly just associated with members they knew. Hopefully, they will catch the vision of ministering and grab hold of this opportunity and unite and enlarge the Saints in this area. I know it has been attempted by past missionaries but things tend to fizzle out when the missionaries leave. We desperately don't want that to happen again.

It's been a good week!

 Happy Father's day! 

The RS had an activity Saturday and we made these fern boutonnieres for the brothers in the branch. It was the first time we had seen the two men on the left at church since we got here! 

Niccoli, Andre, Bro. Murray, Pres. George, Tyreese, Bro. George, Dave. 

 I don't know what this bird is but it loves to sit and spread it's wings thus. 

Perhaps it is drying out because we see these birds diving into the water.

 Egret. Really a lovely bird

 It appears to be drying itself

 Another cool bird creature

 K. There is a lake in the middle of the golf course and we see these dark spots 

and then Dave zooms in with his camera and this is what we see.  So cool!

 We think they are approximately 6 feet long and we saw two swimming towards us.

 Really zoomed in...

 another shot of that beautiful flowering tree

 Dave climbed on these craggy rocks by the ocean which I didn't want to climb on 

but wanted a picture of so hence the selfie by the craggy rocks

 Dave caught something in our bathroom

 Can you even believe this?! 

We had to look up if lizards are born live or from eggs cause this looks like a brand new baby lizard. We found out that they can be born either way. 

 Honestly! Everything that is a baby is CUTE!

 Elizabeth, our newest baptized member had a school program that we went to. We were so enthralled with the different cultural dances they performed. I wish I could send some videos of them.

 Another group

 Elizabeth is the last person in the back on the far left.

I think she was pleased we would come and watch her

 I felt like I was watching an old time musical with an island twist, with this young lady

 We really enjoyed the whole program even though we knew only one child....

kind of like being a grandparent at a school program. It felt really good!

Making Father's day boutonnieres and learning how to crochet flower pins.

starting left: Sis. Dookran (RS Pres.) Sis. Mary, Sis. Camillie, Sis. Winchester, Sis. Geroge, me 

 Sister Dookran and Sister Winchester

 Me and Sister Camillie. It was her first time crocheting and she was left handed. She did amazing!

Sister George. She is the rock of this branch! I think it would fizzle out and die if she wasn't around. Love and admire her so much! Her son is the Branch Pres.