April 13, 2014

Wa gwan in Jamaica

Well it has been another busy week here in the Lords vineyard of the Jamaica Kingston Mission. 

We started off the week by purchasing more vaccine from the Ministry of Health for the prospective missionaries.  After we got them delivered to the Drs. office we headed to our Emergency Container in Spanish Town and picked up some of the Hygiene Kits that we were going to take to the Hopeton Branch on Saturday.  They are doing a service project at an Infirmary there and at the end of the service they will donate the Hygiene Kits to them to help provide these little necessities to help alleviate some of what the patient’s lack that is not provided by the infirmary.  After returning home we started getting dinner ready as the Office and Kingston Elders were coming by for haircuts last Monday night.

Tuesday we went to Montego Bay and Savanna la Mar and met with their branch councils.  The first picture is of the Mo Bay Branch and the second one is of the Sav Branch Councils.  We were meeting with them to discuss the Food Initiative Projects that we had started, but then had to hold off a little on.  There have been some changes in our program and with the new Self Reliance Center opening we have talked with them about the other options that are available to them along with the chicken coops.  In Mo Bay we had Pres. Blake the Self Reliance Manager with us via Skype and in the Sav Branch he was there in person with us.  It looks like our Building Self Reliance Project and the Church’s Self Reliance Center Program mirror each other, so it is a wonderful marriage of concepts and ideals. With the aid of the humanitarian projects all persons who have a commitment to improve their situation, and a real need, can be helped in what will be best for them.  Both of these branches are very progressive in helping their members  and looking out for each other.  They are great examples of the Saviors love for his children. 

 After our meeting with the Sav Branch we headed to Negril. The Pearsons who came with us on our trip are looking for a new apartment. They are a senior couple who have been serving in the Spanish Town 1^st branch and have extended their mission call another 5 months and have been reassigned to the North and West Coast of Jamaica. We were able to help them find appropriate housing in Negril. The branches they will be working with are Mo Bay, Negril, and Sav. They will be working with the branch leaderships to help train them so they can become a ‘Mini-District’. They will then be more able to take care of the needs of the members in their areas.  Jamaica is only 150 miles long but it can take 6 hours to get from one end to the other. The roads here are narrow and winding and there are several mountains to cross over. So if they can help them become ready to be a district it will be a big help for their members and for the Mission President as well.  He won’t have to make quite so many trips out there.

The picture below is of the hotel we stayed at in Negril called the Westender. It is by far the best place we have stayed at in Negril. It is on the farthest west end of the island; past the lighthouse a couple of miles, sitting on a nice quiet road without any parties that last till 3-4 am. They have an excellent chef who cooks all you meals in an outdoor restaurant on the property and you have this lovely beach front setting. The sea was turbulent when we were there and in the photo below you can see a covered bench. The bench surrounds a blow hole and then the waves come crashing in the water shoots up the blow hole and sprays water all over you. You do not sit at this little place without a swimsuit on as you will be soaked with the first wave that is forced up through Wa gwan in Jamaica

Well it has been another busy week here in the Lords vineyard of the Jamaica Kingston Mission. 

We started off the week by purchasing more vaccine from the Ministry of Health for the prospective missionaries.  After we got them delivered to the Drs. office we headed to our Emergency Container in Spanish Town and picked up some of the Hygiene Kits that we were going to take to the Hopeton Branch on Saturday.  They are doing a service project at an Infirmary there and at the end of the service they will donate the Hygiene Kits to them to help provide these little necessities to help alleviate some of what the patient’s lack that is not provided by the infirmary.  After returning home we started getting dinner ready as the Office and Kingston Elders were coming by for haircuts last Monday night.

Tuesday we went to Montego Bay and Savanna la Mar and met with their branch councils.  The first picture is of the Mo Bay Branch and the second one is of the Sav Branch Councils.  We were meeting with them to discuss the Food Initiative Projects that we had started, but then had to hold off a little on.  There have been some changes in our program and with the new Self Reliance Center opening we have talked with them about the other options that are available to them along with the chicken coops.  In Mo Bay we had Pres. Blake the Self Reliance Manager with us via Skype and in the Sav Branch he was there in person with us.  It looks like our Building Self Reliance Project and the Church’s Self Reliance Center Program mirror each other, so it is a wonderful marriage of concepts and ideals. With the aid of the humanitarian projects all persons who have a commitment to improve their situation, and a real need, can be helped in what will be best for them.  Both of these branches are very progressive in helping their members  and looking out for each other.  They are great examples of the Saviors love for his children.

After our meeting with the Sav Branch we headed to Negril. The Pearsons who came with us on our trip are looking for a new apartment. They are a senior couple who have been serving in the Spanish Town 1^st branch and have extended their mission call another 5 months and have been reassigned to the North and West Coast of Jamaica. We were able to help them find appropriate housing in Negril. The branches they will be working with are Mo Bay, Negril, and Sav. They will be working with the branch leaderships to help train them so they can become a ‘Mini-District’. They will then be more able to take care of the needs of the members in their areas.  Jamaica is only 150 miles long but it can take 6 hours to get from one end to the other. The roads here are narrow and winding and there are several mountains to cross over. So if they can help them become ready to be a district it will be a big help for their members and for the Mission President as well.  He won’t have to make quite so many trips out there.

The picture below is of the hotel we stayed at in Negril called the Westender. It is by far the best place we have stayed at in Negril. It is on the farthest west end of the island; past the lighthouse a couple of miles, sitting on a nice quiet road without any parties that last till 3-4 am. They have an excellent chef who cooks all you meals in an outdoor restaurant on the property and you have this lovely beach front setting. The sea was turbulent when we were there and in the photo below you can see a covered bench. The bench surrounds a blow hole and then the waves come crashing in the water shoots up the blow hole and sprays water all over you. You do not sit at this little place without a swimsuit on as you will be soaked with the first wave that is forced up through the hole.  Mom can personally attest to that fact!

 After returning from our trip out west we headed Yallahs (yup…the east part of the island!). There we finished purchasing the feed for their chicken projects. Now the members have received all the startup material to get their project up and running and start them on the road to self-reliance.  They will be ready to slaughter their first crop of birds in a week or so.  We have spoken with the branch president and they will let us know when they will be planning a closing ceremony to officially mark the end of the church’s help and the beginning of their own self-reliance projects.  It has been a sweet experience to see these humble members pull together and work with each other to help each other be successful. We hauled 68 bags of feed (in two trips) and the last 14 bags of feed were taken in a taxi to the members who lived farther out. All of the arrangements were made by the branch. The Taxi Driver, Barton McGowan, is a member of the church and he put all 14 bags inside his taxi and headed out to make the deliveries.

 Hauling chicken feed in a taxi

 Bro. Lofters was so happy with his layer girls. He goes out every day to visit with them and prays for them to lay good eggs.

 Bro Lofters has quite a few fruit trees on his property and volunteered to pick us some mangos.  His trees are very tall so he uses two bamboo poles lashed together with a hook on the end and a cloth basket to catch the fruit after the hook pulls it off the trees.

 The last picture is of George Williams and his dad Leonard. George is on the right holding one of his ‘little girls’.  He also goes out every day to visit them and tells them how good they will taste. George was our project foreman and did an exceptional job of not only teaching the others how to build their coops but of the lessons of service and love.  He will be receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood very soon.

We do have a rather large announcement to make…Jamaica has been granted permission to have its first Stake!!!!  The Stake will officially happen on the weekend of June 7^th-8^th 2014.  Everyone here is very excited about the changes that will happen and are so thankful for the growth the Church has been experiencing in the last few years. That includes the re-activation of members as well as new converts.  There has been a tremendous effort by the members, local leadership and missionaries alike in making this happen here on this beautiful Island. We feel blessed to be here for this historic moment in Jamaica’s time.

As usual we love our work and the time we get to spend here is precious to us. We feel like we cannot move fast enough to get it all accomplished.  Please continue to pray for more senior missionary couples, not just for our mission but all over the world. We will be needing a Humanitarian Couple to replace us soon. It takes about 4 months to get the paperwork completed to enter Jamaica so get busy and put in a good word for us with your friends and neighbors… Only 8% of missionaries are Seniors and we need so many more.  We are getting a couple from Sandy in the early part of summer and are so happy for this wonderful news.. The Bowcutts know them and we are excited to hear of the Bowcutts new mission call too! What a great example they are for all of us. We wish them well and send our love and prayers of support for them.

Take care dear family and friends and know that we love you all…

Love

Mom and Dad

E/S Murdock