Tales of Trinidad: 11 months

How do these weeks go by so quickly? I am in wonder that we are just a few weeks away from being on our mission for 1 year! In fact, yesterday marks 11 months! The day before that on the 4th, marked 30 years since my dear mother passed on to the world of spirits. I'd like to think she, along with my dad and sisters, Lynne, Kim and Cathy are engaged with me in this endeavor and are cheering us on. Well, they are cheering us on even when we are just home moving along the covenant path too. I often wonder what they are up to as well. I wish we could have a conversation.

Well, so, this week Dave repaired Sister Inez's water system. She was visiting some relatives on the other side of the island and the Spirit told her she needed to go home. She had planned on staying the night but left immediately. When she got home she discovered a leak in her water pipe and as she was turning off the pump it exploded and she was able to avoid a major catastrophe. She felt extremely blessed and protected. We were very happy to help because we feel like it causes whatever hard feelings from the members to be softened as we are able to serve them in any way. I am so grateful Dave is so skillful and willing to serve in the many ways he does.

I spent many hours putting together the TPOS mission newsletter and got that sent out. I was happy with the way it turned out and feel like I won't be as stressed over it in the following months since learning how to work the program and have a system for attaching the pictures along with the right information.

General Conference is "the bomb!" I love it SO much! While listening to President Nelson's talk during the women's session about the temple, it occurred to me that I think another element of the struggles and conflicts Dave and I have had on our mission is due to the fact that we have not been able to go to the temple in almost a year. I have a very strong conviction of the power temple attendance has on your soul and how it strengthens and enhances your ability to become more Christlike in all aspects of your life and personality. We have been missing this in our lives and in our relationship. We really have been doing much better lately and as we look back on this time we will be pleased and grateful that we did it! We got through tough times loving and respecting each other. I do look forward to having the added benefit and blessing of the temple when we get home. Although, we don't have to wait that long because in December, we get to go with the Emamudin family from Guyana to the Santo Domingo Temple in the Dominican Republic! YEE HAW!!!

I'm not going to mention that our Thursday mission night was a bust....or that only Sister Cupid showed up for Sunday morning Conference at the church....President George did come a little later with Isha. It was announced last Sunday that the branch would watch the session together and then we would have a luncheon after so Dave made cinnamon rolls and we bought buns to eat with the leftover meat patties from the sports day. We gave some cinnamon rolls to Pres. George, Isha and Sister Cupid and they left. We put the meat and buns in the freezer to use, yet another time.

We went to visit the Baynes at their shop in the mall and they asked us to come and pray for their new business and Dave taught Brother Baynes how to consecrate oil and then gave their sick daughter a blessing, and then both Irma and Angie messaged that they missed us and wanted us to come and visit. Such great times!

Dave working on the water system of Sister Inez

These pipes are very inferior quality and are the reason for the leak.

You can see how the water pressure caused them to swell up.

We happened to witness this bike race on our way to do some errands downtown Scarborough

There were about 100 bicyclists, 6 different events, one each day for 6 days. This one was 60 laps around a square block of down town. Others are routes all around the island.

Irma, our newest convert, has rentals and she is having a hard time getting this person to leave. She hasn't paid rent in over 6 months so Irma turned off her electricity, water and boarded up her windows and she still won't go. So, she put this sign up on the house.