Before we left Tobago I did take the opportunity to swim in the cove and ride the waves. I do love the ocean!
Tuesday we flew to Trinidad and then back to Georgetown. Our good taxi driver, Sherlock, was there waiting for us to drive us to Georgetown. We picked the car up which had been repaired and all of the tons of sand cleaned out of it! Then we made the harrowing drive back to Linden in the dark....until you have experienced it you could never understand the overriding feeling of fear that envelopes me for 2 hours each way. Even as I write this, the pit of my stomach is aching as I bring up the memories. The drivers are lawless, risk takers and drive at high speeds and you never know what they might do. Obviously we made it home or I wouldn't be writing this but it takes something from me and my relationship with Dave gets wounded because he doesn't fear like I do and drives very much like the Guyanese but he feels at peace because he trusts in the Lord's protection. This has truly been one of the hardest lessons of the mission so far. Having to do this drive as often as we have has been very taxing on our relationship and there has been need of lots of patience, understanding, forgiveness and curbing criticism. All of which usually doesn't happen until we have been home for a day or two. Sad, I know. I am writing this as my history of the mission and it is not "peachy" all the time. Anyway, perhaps and hopefully, I won't be writing about the horrors of driving anymore.
Wednesday, we did a little shopping for food to last us a little over a week and Dave worked on the expense report that is quite involved with three different currencies and is required each month. We got a call from President Baird asking me to accept the assignment of managing ALL of the apartments in the Trinidad Port of Spain Mission......I didn't put an exclamation point here because I'm trying to catch my breath.....Sister Thackery, part of a wonderful senior couple, has been doing it and they are going home on March 10th and there is not another couple coming to replace them, so I get to do it......the only thing that helps me with this is that quote "whom the Lord calls, He qualifies" This will be a great challenge for me but Dave is a wiz at this stuff and I know he will help me along the way. So, that meant another trip to Georgetown to get trained by Sister Thackery, which we did Thursday in the day, which is better than the night but not by much. We spent a couple hours with the Thackerys drinking out of a fire hose and I came home pretty much in a daze.
So get this. the housing manager is responsible for leasing and terminating all of the living quarters of all of the missionaries in the mission. That's six countries and seven different areas since Tobago is an island off of the country of Trinidad and with 130 missionaries (give or take) plus they have to be inspected every month, the smoke alarms and the water filtration systems need to be maintained and ordered and apartments renewed as the lease expires....are you sensing my stress level rising? Really, it will be good for me and a part of me is excited to get into it but we don't have a good internet right now so it will be something I delve deeper into as soon as we get to Tobago. Sister Thackery has gotten it in very good shape and in a comprehensive format so it will be good.
Friday we had a nice visit with the Emamudins, Molly and Haniff. We are trying to get the temple cards ready for their parents so they can take them to the temple when they go. I can only imagine the joy that will be felt as we get to do these beautiful, precious ordinances for them and their deceased parents. Sarah their daughter will get to do the Baptisms for her grandmothers! I can hardly wait!
That evening we taught the first lesson on the temple prep class and it was wonderful! We are trying to get in as many of the seven lessons as we can before we go.
Saturday was a day to remember forever! Pamela and Joel were Baptized!!! We gathered for the Baptism and just a few minutes before it was to start, Elder Moracca asked if I would give a talk on Baptism. Before this mission, if someone would have asked me to give a talk at the spur of the moment I would have been a nervous wreck but here, you just talk about what you know and testify and it's all good. I was grateful to be able to do that. Dave was able to Baptize Pamela and it was so tender. She has waited many years to be Baptized. She needed to get married and Joel was kind of dragging his feet and she also didn't want to get Baptized without Joel. So, they got married and Joel stopped smoking, drinking and agreed to be Baptized! Holy Cow!! Truly, this is what joy feels like! Heavenly Father gave us such a blessing to be here in Guyana and meet and fall in love with these precious souls and then witness as they covenant to be followers of Christ. They have had a lot of very good missionaries who taught them well over the years. Praise the Lord!
Sunday, we went to church and as I was sitting waiting for the meeting to start, I felt some things sharp on my skirt. Here in Guyana there is a grass that has very sharp, tiny seeds that cling to everything they touch and they don't wash off, you have to pick each one off with your fingers. Well, I looked at my skirt, which I had washed, and there were several of these seeds. I started picking them off one by one and the feeling rushed over me.....this my be the last time you have to pick these seeds out of your clothes and I started to tear up. This area has been hell and heaven all at the same time, not hell as in the place to live but more hell in the scarcity, hardship and Dave and I learning more about each other in different situations. We will never be the same because of what we have been able to experience. We thank our God for the great blessing of being here!
Dave was able to Confirm Pamela such that she can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Sweet Sabbath day!
Pamela and Joel Maksyhung
Aren't they the cutest!
Family, branch members and missionaries
Sweetness!
JOY!!
Haniff baptized Joel. They live in the same area in Lower Kara Kara
Us and the beautiful Maksyhung family
This is Rambutan. It's a fruit grown in Mexico but we found it at the market in Georgetown
Isn't this cool!
It has the texture and similar taste to a grape
Mammea fruit...it's a fruit....looks more like a potato or something like that
sliced and peeled, the texture is like a firm peach. I'm thinking it wasn't as ripe as it should have been
Each side has a pit in it. Very curious and very yummy
I have no idea what the history of this car is but it's been here for years. They prefer to leave vehicles where they die for whatever reason. Makes for interesting yard art eh?
This is a better picture of the Kisskedee bird. I love it's yellow breast.
There are also baby blue birds but we haven't been able to get a picture of one.
Look closely at where the helmet is...Many Rastafarian men have long long dred locks and wear stocking caps to bundle them up. I don't think the helmet will protect his head though.
It's amazing to see people walk around very normally balancing large things on their head
Which we did!
