June 16, 2013

Happy Father’s Day

We went to Church in Yallahs today.  The First Councilor in the Branch Presidency gave the opening remarks. “Today is a special day it is Father’s day but the children love their mothers more.   I don’t know why but it is.  We do provide for our families though I guess.”

I also learned from a new convert  that “This is not just a white man’s Church it is an everyman Church”.

While at Church each father received two Father’s Day gifts, a boutonniere to wear during church and half a cheese sandwich and a piece of cake to eat after church.

I didn’t have and grand kids to play with on Father’s Day so I had to bribe this little guy, to sit with me and have our picture taken.

 I also bribed this little girl to but she could not hold still long enough sit with me.  After I gave her some candy she keep coming back for more, but she was wound so tight I did not dare giver her any more (even though I did).  Then I took her picture and she keep coming back to see herself.  This was not good ether because she laughed out loud every time I showed her, her picture.  Not so good during Priesthood meeting.  She was known as the Branch Mascot because she goes to everyone and wants them to play with her (most do).

 These two young ladies played  the songs for Sacrament meeting.

 But there is not enough room inside the Chapel for the keyboard so they put it in a breeze way outside the Chapel.

We have been working on an eliminating poverty project.   This is a very, very difficult task as you can imagine.  Fortunately we don’t have to come up with specific how to answers, just a general outline and guidance. The Priesthood leaders are the ones who have the Keys and inspiration to come up with the specific programs and actions that will Eliminate Poverty.     We have been prayerfully working on this project for a long time now and have finally got a draft we feel we can present to President Brown when he becomes our new Mission President the end of this month.  Many of the ideas came from existing church programs. The rest came as answer to our prayers.  From the very first few weeks of our mission I have felt an over whelming drive that we need to be helping our Jamaican members get out of Poverty.  It has often kept me awake at night which seems like the time when new inspired thoughts have come to mind.  Of course then I have to get up and write everything down be for I forget.  With lots of help from Sister Murdock it is looking pretty good however I suspect it will undergo many more changes before it reaches the final approval from the Mission President, the Area Welfare Authority, The General Welfare Committee, and the Presiding Bishopric. 

We also got the contract for the Salvation Army Wheel Chair Project signed this week.  It has been a long process.  We had a lot of help from Elder and Sister Cullimore. They are our Short Term Specialists with the Wheel Chair Program.  What a blessing to have them in our lives.  Now we need to begin to get the training procedures (and the ceremony and supplies that go with it) going. 

We are also working on updating the Emergency Preparedness Notebook with phone numbers for who is where, driving which vehicle with the license plate numbers riding bikes/or walking.  Our hurricane season began June 1^st and will go until Nov. 30^th.  We are receiving 15 new missionaries next month so there will be at least six new apartments to find so we will have to add all this information too.  Wish we had a Senior Missionary Couple to help with the apartments hunting. Our current mission president does all of that now, but they will be returning home in 2 weeks.    Much to do in the update department…

We had two family birthdays this week.  Our daughter Katie Larsen and our granddaughter Bodi Bitton each had a special day  .  We did get to Skype with Katie but Facebook was the alternative for Bodi.  If anyone knows of an email for Bodi and Kennen please send it to me. We hope you both had wonderful days.  You are such a blessing to our family; we love you so very much