To start off our post for this week, we’ll share details and pictures of
our wonderful – though very short – visit last Friday with Carly and Kegan and two
other couples from Utah – the Crains and the Kennedys. Jamaica was their last port on their cruise, and we're so thankful we had this chance to spend such a great day with them.
We stayed in a hotel outside of Falmouth (their port) since we were
involved with project and mission responsibilities in Montego Bay (about 30
minutes west) and Ocho Rios (about 1 hour east) on Wednesday and Thursday, so
we were able to watch their big ship come into port on Friday morning.
We drove over to the port by 7:00 AM to be sure to get a good parking place and to be right there as they came through the gates. It’s usually pretty chaotic as the ships come in. We enjoyed watching all the hubbub all around the gates area as all kinds of vendors anticipating the arrival of another big ship of tourists set up their little shops to sell their wares. We enjoyed talking with some of them and even got a referral for the missionaries. We don’t proselyte, but if someone asked us questions (we had on our missionary tags), we can certainly answer basic questions about the Church and then if they’d like we take their contact information to pass on to the missionaries. Which is exactly what we did. The Montego Bay elders were able to set up an appointment with this man for Saturday. We’re anxious to hear how this went.
De ship, de ship! And they're docked!
After a fun reunion with lots of hugs and a few happy tears, we headed off for a Jamaican adventure. We took them to Dunn’s River Falls – one of the favorite tourist stops on the North Coast. We arrived there before any of the other tour busses, so we didn’t have to deal with crowds. The tour guides and photographer made the climb up the falls a lot of fun. I wasn’t sure how I’d do climbing the falls, so we followed along on the stairway right next to the falls back up to the top. There were observation decks all along the way allowing us to take great pictures and video. The group went as slow as necessary for all the climbers, so I think I’ll try it next time.
The "tourists" were able to do some souvenir shopping at the vendors and purchased cute things to take home.
On the way back to Falmouth, we went to the Ultimate Jerk Center right
on the coast highway for lunch. Everyone loved the authentic jerk chicken and
all the side dishes – like rice and peas and festival (like a cake donut), etc. For some reason they didn't order cowskin and beans or chicken feet!
Bromeliads in tree Stone walls lines both sides of the road for miles on the way up to Good Hope Great House.
We had just enough time to drive up a little way through a small
town and into the “jungle” to give our visitors the chance to experience a characteristic
Jamaican town and typical Jamaican roads and to view the beautiful vegetation –
like coconut, banana, mango trees and other species of trees that are laden
with bromeliads. This road leads up to a tourist attraction and a plantation house that we’d driven to
before. The old plantation homes are called Great Houses. Some of these grand,
old homes have been or are in the process of restoration, and many offer tours.
One can just imagine the stories these houses could tell.
Much too soon, it was time to take everyone back to the ship. We are so
thankful we had this wonderful day with Carly, Kegan, and their dear friends.
Now that the holidays are truly over, our work with projects is picking
up. We traveled to Savanna-La-Mar on Monday of last week, to meet again with
the Branch President to further the progress on the member welfare project
involving broiler and laying chickens. There was a bit of a glitch in the
progress due to some government red tape, but things should get moving
again now. Two more coops will be built, and then the
participating families will start receiving their chicks – then the fun really
begins for them! Most are experienced in raising chickens; they just needed material help getting a start to reach their goals of becoming self-reliant. We also visited a basic school and began to gather information
about a potential project. We enjoyed meeting the staff and some of the
children. We never tire of interacting with the children.
Wednesday we loaded up the big mission van we were able to borrow and
made the drive up to Montego Bay. We left very early to arrive in time to help set
up the A/V equipment so we could view the Special Missionary Broadcast from
Salt Lake City with the North Coast Zone elders and sisters. We watched as the
Missionary Executive Council presented eternal principles as review and offered
additional training in regards to the missionary purpose – to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the
restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance,
baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Doctrines
and methods for improvement in missionary service were also discussed, and lastly
the changes in the missionaries’ daily schedules were presented and discussed. The
new schedules offer the missionaries more choice in how they carry out their daily
activities as well as giving them more time to sleep if needed and a longer
time period for their Preparation Day activities.
After the broadcast we took
the Ocho Rios sisters back to their home in “Ochi.” We enjoyed having the driving
time to get to know them a little better. One of the sisters is from Jamaica
and the other from Johannesburg, South Africa. As we interact with sister
missionaries we always think of our sweet Emily and her dedicated, faithful missionary
service in Santiago, Chile. The Chileans were blessed to have her for those 18
months, and I’m sure she’d say she was blessed by them.
The beautiful Ocho Rios sisters and their cute little home
We were back in Montego Bay early Thursday morning to drive on up to the West
Haven Children’s Home for additional work on the current project. As often
happens with projects like this, a slight set back was experienced with the
installation of the water tanks, but with the expertise, insight, and generous
gift of his time, the Montego Bay Branch Elders Quorum President got everything figured out
so progress could continue. The beds and mattresses have been delivered, and the
staff is now just waiting to receive the leatherette mattress covers to be able
to set up the new beds.
Water tanks and beds delivered and ready to be used
We had a little time in the late afternoon to drive up to the Good Hope
Estates. (I mentioned taking our visitors part way on the road to this site.) On the same property is a tourist attraction called
Good Hope Chukka Adventures offering the Great House tour, dune buggies or ATVs
to rent, horseback riding, a zip line, river rafting and kayaking, bird aviary,
challenge course, swimming pool, and gem mining – something for everyone. This was closed for the day - these places
close around 3 or 4 because all the cruise ship excursions need to be back to
port - but we were allowed to drive around to see what was there. There is the
most gorgeous view from the hilltop where the main plantation house is located –
absolutely breath taking. We stopped to talk to a couple who has purchased one
of the old buildings near the main house and is remodeling it to be a six-bedroom
villa. We didn’t think to ask if it will be something they’ll rent out or will
be for their use only. We definitely want to go back up there some day to take
the tour of the Great House.
Good Hope Estates Great House
Gorgeous view
This structures is being renovated/remodeled to be a villa. It looks like it might have been the carriage house at one time.
Just after saying good-bye to Carly and all on Friday, we
received a call from Sister Pearson to see if we could come back to Montego Bay
to pick up a sister missionary to ride with us back to Kingston. She and her companion
(one going home, the other being transferred) were going to ride with the
Pearsons, but between the two of them there was too much luggage to fit in
the Pearson’s car. We all safely arrived back in Kingston late Friday night. It
had been an eventful and delightful three days, but we were glad to be home in
our cozy little apartment for a much-needed night’s rest.
The last thing we want to share in this post is the
Caribbean Area Vision for 2017. This was presented to all members of the
church here in the Caribbean on Sunday.
Invite all to increase faith in Heavenly Father and in
His Son Jesus Christ to strengthen individuals and families as they strive to
become self-reliant and prepare to receive saving ordinances and keep the
associated covenants. (Luke 17:5, D&C 128:22)
The following is taken from a message by Elder Julio César
Acosta. Elder Acosta is the Caribbean Area Welfare Manager, and everything we
do is under his direction and guidance.
The full message can be found on the
Caribbean Area website -
https://caribbean.lds.org
The Caribbean Area is vast. It runs from French Guiana in
South America to the Bahamas, and from Barbados to the Grand Cayman, “. . .
Great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the isles of the
sea.” (2 Nephi 10:21)
The beginning of the path of discipleship for each of us
is faith. It is to rely “alone upon the merits of Christ.” (Moroni 6:4) In the
measure that our faith is nourished by living according to His teachings and those
of His chosen servants, (D&C 21:5) we will receive His blessings.
In this message, Elder Acosta mentions some of the invitations that the Savior has given us and His
blessings:
Keep His Sabbath Day holy,
participating in the sacrament, so that we may “more fully keep ourselves
unspotted from the world” (D&C 59:9) and, furthermore, by doing His will on
this day, our Sundays will become Sabbaths of delight. (Isaiah 58:12-13)
Let us solemnly speak to
others of His gospel “And I give unto you this promise, that inasmuch as ye do
this the Holy Ghost shall be shed forth in bearing record unto all things
whatsoever ye shall say.” (D&C 100: 5-8)
May we be worthy to enter the
temple, and may we visit it often, bringing with us the names of our ancestors.
This vision is for all of us, to help us increase our faith
in our Heavenly Father and in His Son Jesus Christ, so that we may obtain a
more profound conversion as we keep every one of the covenants that we have
made with Him.
We all received a bookmark to personally participate in
the Area to make and write down our goals for 2017 in connection with these
invitations from the Savior.
We love you all and want to share our testimony of the divine mission of our Savior Jesus Christ, His Atonement, the
gospel He has given us, the restoration of the authority of the priesthood and
the ordinances which make it possible for us to return to His presence.
We share in the testimony of the Twelve
Apostles of the Savior and testify that He will
someday return to earth. “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all
flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and
reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak
in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to
our works and the desires of our hearts. (The Living Christ)
