Repentance

Repentance is kind of a weird post title but hopefully I'll be able to express the feelings that I have so it makes sense. When you go to another country with a very unique culture there will always be an adjustment of sorts. I was going to speak generally for Americans but I really should only speak for myself. There were times when we would think, " why are they doing it this or that way?" or  "It's so much better to do it this way..." and we would be judgmental and critical, and become frustrated and impatient. When really, it's just an ideal schooling to become more like our Savior. Our Prophet has told and shown us that we can be different but still love and care for each other deeply. We do love and care deeply for the people of Tobago, especially the branch members.

While we are learning to do that, I know we have offended people and I feel very sorry to have done that. I have either said or done something that was hurtful and wasn't culturally appropriate. I truly do not want to do that! I am grateful for the feedback that I have received to help me be more culturally sensitive. I am repenting of that way of being and hoping to continue to learn and become a better, kinder, more loving person to everyone.

In Zone Conference this week we listened to a talk by Elder Bednar on the Character of Christ. It was very powerful! We were taught that a good character is developed by doing good and right things consistently and intentionally. It may be thought that character is developed during trials and adversity but in reality, that is when your character is revealed. For example. Christ went about doing good and was always obedient and loving. When it came for Him to be tried, mocked, suffer in the garden and on the cross, His character was revealed in that He did all things out of love and always looked outside of Himself to ease suffering, like healing the soldier's ear when it was cut off just after having gone through His suffering in the garden, or asking John to look after His mother as He was hanging on the cross, for example.

Learning this has caused me to look at myself and do some inventory and introspection. For me, being on this mission has reveled parts of my character that I am not particularly proud of. Missions can introduce trials and adversities that are unfamiliar and difficult thus reveling parts of your being that need some repentance. I love repentance! I love knowing that it is available to me because of my Savior's Atonement and my baptismal covenant with Him. Repentance means to change from our natural man/woman tendencies to being more holy and Christlike. Certainly, it is a lifelong endeavor.
I am grateful for this incredible opportunity to learn more about my character and work on developing a more sturdy, consistently positive and joyful one. We may be out striving to help the Lord build the Kingdom of God but in doing so, He is building our kingdom by building us to be our very best selves!

Elder and Sister Williams, who have been serving in Trinidad are returning home at the end of October. They were involved in so many things. With them leaving, Dave has become the account administrator for the 10 smart phones for Trinidad and has shown the Elders how they can pin locations and if they are given an assignment as stake missionaries they will be able to input that info into LDS tools so all the members will be able to be located. He was just given the assignment to be over all the cars in the whole mission. There are 28 cars in 6 different countries. 9 senior couples driving and 19 sets (38) young missionary drivers. He is very skillful in organizing and is working on his spread sheet to be able to identify the cars, the countries and the drivers to keep track of all of it. It may take many hours, lots of calls to the other country's missionaries to identify what and where all the cars are but when he is done it will be easy to manage. He tweaked the spread sheet that Sister Thackery passed on to me when I was assigned the housing and it has been quite simple and manageable as well. The ability to organize is truly a gift and not everyone has that gift. Dave surely does. Probably helps to have an engineer brain too!

President Baird is opening up another area in Trinidad, a two hour drive from Port of Spain, so after zone conference, we went and looked at an apartment that some Elders had located in the area and we are signing a contract to lease the apartment. We will be going back to Trinidad this coming week to move all the furnishings into the apartment so the Elders can move in and get to work. When we were there, we were very happy to feel quite welcomed by the community. They were very friendly and helpful.

 Us, Sister Atkins and Sister and Elder Williams. 

This was their last zone conference of their mission. They will be missed tremendously! 

 Zone Conference

 These truly are some of the most amazing missionaries! 

We are so grateful we get to rub shoulders with them.

 Sister Williams' departing testimony. She spoke about wondering if she had made any difference in the 18 months they have been serving. She then told us that their kitchen faucet has a small drip, almost un-noticeable. One day she left a large bowl in the sink and when they came back from whatever their activities were that day, the bowl was over flowing. She realized that even little drips can add up to something remarkable. They may have been adding a drip here and a drip there of service and in the end they can know they truly did something remarkable! In my opinion and to the Elders in Trinidad, and to the Lord, their service was way more than little drips! 

 Elder Williams' departing testimony. They will be sorely missed!

 The Elders gave the roll of tissue to her before they sang, knowing she was going to cry.

 These great Elders singing "God be with you" to the Williams'.  I cried too!

 Part of the beautiful drive to Pointe Fortin. The new area opening up in Trinidad.

    This is for Dave's sister Celia!