I loaded the following three pictures and realized that once again I hadn't included any pictures of me. So I thought I'd better add this one to the blog as well. My children have gotten after me for not giving someone else the camera once in awhile. I found this picture with both of us in it but I can't remember who the young man is. We met him one day when we were visiting another senior couple's area.
We have just completed our first month in Guyana. We are in some very beautiful country. Linden is the second largest city in Guyana. Georgetown is the largest. Most of the other cities in Guyana are along the coast and get more wind, rain, and cool breezes than where we are. Linden is inland near the interior of Guyana about an hour and a half drive from Guyana. There is little rain right now and hardly any cool breezes making it very hot. We are told that the rainy season will start again in June. We are praying for that day. Despite our discomfort, we are anxiouly engaged in missionary work.
Linden has only been open to missionaries since February of this year. Since that time the elders have been working hard. As of last Sunday when there were 4 baptisms, we now have 54 baptized members. There are younger children though who increase the attendance. Of course, not every member comes every week, but we do have a good active attendance plus every week there are many investigators.
The four elders we have been working with are Elder Fillerup, Elder Harris, Elder Tupou, and Elder Powers. Elder Fillerup has only one more transfer (6 weeks) in his mission. Elder Tupou will complete his mission in August. Elder Harris was in the MTC with us and got here two days after we did. Elder Powers in the new kid on the block. This was his first transfer in the mission field. They are such powerful missionaries and we have learned so much from them and love to go out teaching with them.
Elder Leishman has baptized a few people since we have been here. His first baptism was Joycelyn Archibald Semple. Interestingly enough, Elder Leishman's grandfather was Thomas Archibald Leishman. Most of our baptisms are done in the Demerara River which is a short walk from our chapel. The water looks black but is actually clean water. It's much cleaner here than it is in Georgetown where it begins at the ocean. There it is the color of the Virgin River, muddy reddish brown.
One of our major accomplishments since arriving in Linden is getting a post made for the sign that the elders had made to go out in front of our chapel which is the bottom floor of a two story building. This is a picture of some of the church group under the new sign. Linden is not a branch yet because we lack the number of Melchizedek Priesthood brethren required. We are part of the Diamond Branch which is about 85 km away.
The Three Amigas - Sister Bullock, Sister Hymas, and Sister Leishman! I met Sister Bullock from Oregon and Sister Hymas from British Colombia in February when they stayed with us for almost a week during the week of our Couple Conference. Sister Bullock and her husband were serving in Guyana, Sister Hymas and her husband were serving in St. Lucia, and we were serving in Trinidad. Sister Bullock told us wonderful stories about falling in dirty trenches, hiking in to houses in gumboots in mud half way up the boots, frogs in the kitchen drawers, eating cayman and iguana, dirty brown river and ocean water for baptisms, mosquito bites despite the mosquito nets for sleeping, and many more exciting adventures. Her and her husband were very persuasive with their argument about how we should ask to come to Guyana to serve and that we would have such a good time. We both very politely declined saying that we would prefer our own special islands. No, actually, we both said, "There is no-o-o-o-o way we will ever come to Guyana!" Not too long after that, Elder Hymas got called to serve in the mission presidency to fill a spot created when the stake was formed and he would need to move to Georgetown, Guyana to oversee the part of the mission that is is South America. Also because of the stake creation, we were in a position to be transferred out of our area because it now falls under the direction of the new stake. For a while there seemed to be several choices - moving to a more remote location in Trinidad, going to the island of St. Vincent, or going to the island of Tobago. Guyana was one of those choices but quickly dismissed. Eventually, we were determined to go to Tobago and had an apartment already picked out when Elder Mundy began to work his magic on us. He's good because within days we had cancelled our Tobago apt. and committed to come to Guyana. We're here now and happy to serve. I'll put some pictures of our area on this blog as soon as I get a new printer for my laptop. My laptop won't read the chip I am using in my camera just now. It didn't get formatted right, I guess.
Footwear Fashion for Guyana! Within days of arriving in Guyana, it was necessary for President Hymas to take a trip to New Amsterdam where the Bullocks are serving. They live a 2 hour drive away from Georgetown down the coast, while we live a 2 hour drive in a different direction going more into the interior of Guyana. Elder Leishman and I were invited to tag along which we decided to do since we weren't able to move into our apt. at that time. Of course, when we got there, Sister Bullock had to show us the sights. Part of the gear for going into Cow Dam on a rainy day are gumboots. Thank goodness it wasn't a rainy day, so we didn't really have to wear them but she managed to convince us to put them on for this picture. Cute, huh?
Elder Neil A. Andersen was in Trinidad on March 1st to organize the first stake in Trinidad. He was the President of the Seventy at that time. He was sustained as the newest apostle this last conference. Scroll down to my March 12th entry to see a picture of Elder and Sister Leishman with Elder Andersen.
Elder Damm is baptizing Lester from Couva. He and Elder Stratton met Lester and started teaching him. They invited him to come to church that week but they didn't think he would. He was at church for two weeks in a row and was taught every lesson. He gave us smoking and drinking immediately and was baptized after his 2nd time at church. He now goes with the Elders on teaching visits and wants to go on a mission. Elder Stratton was transferred to a new area which is about 30 minutes away from Couva but Lester rides on the Maxi buses to Marabella so he can still go teach with Elder Stratton. Lester's is a wonderful success story.
These are five of the last six elders that we worked with in Chaguanas. Elders Kippens, Payne, Leishmans, Stratton, Thomas, and Endemann. Elder Damm was missing when this picture was taken because he had just baptized Lester and was getting dressed.
We are now on our way to Guyana.
Elders Thomas, Damm, Stratton, Payne, and Kippens are breaking in to get to their last Sunday dinner at the Leishman's house. A few days later Elder Thomas was transferred to the San Fernando area, about 30 miles south of Chaguanas. Elder Damm was on his way to Guyana. Elder Stratton was transferred back to the are he had just come from, Marabella. Elder Payne was the only one to stay in Chaguanas and he got a new elder from Marabella. Elder Kippens was transferred way down south to an area called Saparia. Elder Endemann had already left for St. Lucia when this was taken.
During Washington County School District's Spring Break Jacquie brought Dan and Helaman to Trinidad for a visit. We had a blast. We took them to as many scenic places as we had time for and spent 2 days in Tobago. We are having dinner at a Chinese restaurant on our last night in Tobago.
While Jacquie and the boys were with us, they were able to attend church in our Chaguanas Branch and at Caparo with our group out there. We had a good attendance that day. There were 11 investigators, 3 of our newly baptized members, plus members from the Chaguanas Branch who come out to help pass the Sacrament and give the talks. Dan is in the front row. I am right behind him. Jacquie and Hela were up the lane looking for the resident cayman (small alligator) who lives in the creek and talking to Cayman George. That's why they aren't in the picture.
Since there is now a stake in Trinidad our role as shadow leadership/proselyting missionaries is no longer needed in Chaguanas, so we are being reassigned to Lindon, Guyana. Guyana is a country in South America bordered by Venezula (Spanish-speaking), Brazil (speak Portuguese), and Suriname (French-speaking).
The most amazing part about where we are going is that we will be teaching the Amerindians who are actual descendants of Lehi. Isn't that awesome! We have a chance to be part of the message of Mormon to the Lamanites in Mormon 7. See the April scripture of the month in the next column.
It will be very hard to say good-bye to our good friends in the church in Chaguanas. They have been so good to us. We look forward to all the new friends we are going to make in Guyana.
