This week was another active one. We went to the U.S. Embassy and meet with a Navy Officer and started making plans for the U.S.N.S Comfort a medical ship that will be coming to Jamaica and helping people with medical problems. This project is going to be lots of work over the next several months. No pictures here we were searched and they took all electronic things at the gate.
We visited the University of The West indies Hospital’s special ward for people with aids no one lives here it is a treatment and counseling center. The Church donated some Hygiene kits (soap, towel, tooth brush, tooth paste, comb). The kits are needed as many of these people are no longer welcome in their homes and have to make do the best they can. The Hygiene Kits will be given out at Christmas as Christmas presents. Think about this, if we spent all day we can’t even begin to count all of our blessing.
We visit a new Branch or Branches ever week this week we visited with Linstead, May Pen, and Mandeville. See if the kids can find them on a map. We had meetings with District President Piper (like our Stake President), and two Branch Presidents (like our Bishops). We picked up District President Piper in May Pen then he rode with us to Mandeville. He is a great young man when he returned home from his Jamaican Mission in 2005 they made him Branch President, Counselor to the District President , Branch President again, and now District President. He spent the rest of the day with us while we were meeting with the Branch President and Branch Welfare Specialist, He was interviewing and having PPI with Priesthood Brethren. I thought it kind of strange that he spent the whole day with us because I know how busy Branch Presidents are. So you know me, I asked. The answer was so simple I would never have guessed. President Piper did not have a car (many people here do not have cars) so when we offered to take him, he was excited for the opportunity. Amazingly middle class in Jamaica is defined as a person who has cell phone and a car and there only a few. Now that is not to say there are not many cars on the road! You have to remember there are over 1 million people here in Kingston. Most who buy a car can’t afford to put fuel in it, but they have one, and that makes them middle class. So I asked him how he can be a District President of such a large area without a car. He said many people have asked him the same question, a lot of times he rides his bike some times he takes a taxi but mostly the Lord provides. His faith is great!
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| School kids |
Also we met a Bro Gomez from Columbia. He came to Jamaica to teach a Genealogy Class. He was surprised to learn that most people here do not know who their Grandparents are. We just accidentally ran into Bro Gomez while at the quilting class. He said he needed a ride to May Pen to teach there last Sunday. We were going there on our way to Mandeville so he went with us. After we dropped off Pres. Piper we brought Bro Gomez back to our apartment and fed him dinner. Then took him to his hotel. We had to get up at 4:30 this morning to take him to the airport for his flight back home. He had already been to Port a Rico, Dominican Republic and Brazil so he was glad to be heading home. He is a Faithful Brother.
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| Thanksgiving |
We had Thanksgiving with the other Senior Couples. Everyone provided a dish so we had plenty and enough for everyone to take a plate home from the leftovers. It was great to spend time with them. Sister Murdock also helped Sister Larsen with a quilting class. Because not very many have sewing machines. We did a small wall hanging that they hand stitched together. It was unusual for her to see the older sisters just learning to thread a needle. We are so fortunate in all the little things we take for granted.
Ok picture time Basic School children, and Thanksgiving dinner at the Mission Office with the other Senior Missionaries
