English Class

Dear Family and Friends,

English Class

Every Tuesday and Thursday I teach an English class for 1 hour. Elder Herbert has started coming and he makes for a lot of fun in class. I teach the same rules of reading and writing that we taught in elementary school. (Mike always walks in my class and corrects my spelling/grammer, the same as he did at Homestead). However many of the dialogues and readings we study are not about Dick and Jane....but about Joseph Smith, Nephi, etc. We started with 3 or 4 men but the word has spread. Last week we had 30....27 men and 3 women. After class on Tuesday we hold a Family Home Evening with a lesson, game, and refreshments. Thursday night is Institute where there is a lesson in Creole with and excellent teacher. So the English students usually stay for one of the gospel centered classes. This has been a great tool for the missionaries as they have several in their teaching pool. I think some started coming just for the English class, then stay and are interested in the gospel. This has become the favorite part of my week. Last week as I looked at each of them, I felt the love the Savior has for each. There is no way I can describe my joy being around these humble, sweet people. I am not sure I will ever understand (at least not in this life) how it is fair for some of us to have so much and for others to have so little. But I do feel the Savior’s love and peace here.....amist all the trouble and poverty.

Visiting

The missionaries came with us to visit the other day. We had a wonderful few hours....lots of fun and jokes.....but NOT ONE person found home. It was an interesting day. Our jokes became, “Well, we found where he isn’t.....so that is not a failure.” Many Haitians return to Haiti, or find work somewhere else and it becomes difficult to find them. Most do not have addresses or a permanent residence. So if they do not want to be found, it is easy for them to become lost. One convert even returned to his old profession as a preacher. We have looked and looked for him but to no avail. We know he is still on the island, but not living where he lived before. Transportation to church meetings is a major problem here. Others who know more than I say it is the same problem in all the Caribbean.

Christmas Party....Oh Help!

We were warned....but did not understand how it could be. We have about 60 people in our branch....only about 12 women. People worked all day Friday to cook. ( Ham, Turkey, chicken, lots potato salad, Creole rice). So we stopped counting at well over 100 people who showed up. I felt like I was in the middle of one of those news reports where they are passing out food for starving people.....and the people are going crazy. All part of a learning curve. Then this AM there were about 10 men there to clean it all up. If the Lord calls on me (which I know He does not need me to help HIm) to speak for these humble, sweet members, I will have nothing but good to say.

Mada’s Baptism

It was so fun. She was excited and happy. She and others like her are what make this wonderful experience. When I first met her, she cried every time we talked. For the last two weeks she has smiled and laughed and sang. I know her circumstances have not changed but her heart has changed. I think because she is my age, we have become great friends. Her husband came to Mike during the baptism and said he would tell Mike when he was ready. We so desperately need families in our little branch. At this point her husband works only one day and week...and that is on Sunday. They need the money so badly that it makes it very hard for him to decide to give that up. He is a good man.

Neighbors:

Our cute British neighbors had a huge Christmas Party last night. They invited us up to join them but we were at our own party and did not get home until late. They were so cute about including us. They had several very important people (high rollers) there and there was a DJ...lots of loud music.... decorated to the hilt. This has been a very multicultural experience. Our neighbors include British, Canadaians, Italians, French, those from the Island, and of course, Haitians.

Mike’s Driver’s license... lessons of frustration

Experience #1.... Registering the car.... I can’t tell you how many trips to the Dept of Motor Safety to get this done. Finally and only with the help of a local member, it is legal to take it on the roads

Experience #2

Mike needs to have a local driver’s license. He has made no less than 10 trips to accomplish the task. The computers are down, their copy machines aren’t working, he needs cash and only has a credit card, needs to go to a different office to pay the fees, etc, etc. It took three trips for them to figure out Alaska was part of the United States...so he had to have special signature in order to proceed. Finally after all the running around and days of returning to visit our new (and becoming very well acquainted) friends, after paying the standard $125.00, he has to come back in two weeks to pick it up.

I won’t even go into what is taking for me to get a driver’s license here. For one thing, there is no road manual on this whole island for me to study......I have to pay to take each test....and if I fail...I have to pay to take it again.....

Christmas....

I hope your are all ready for Christmas. We love each of you so much. Thanks for all your influence in our lives and the lives of our children. We have so much to be grateful for, not the least of which is our friends and family. We are so thankful for the Savior and this sacred time to celebrate His birth.

Love to each of you,

Elder and Sister Herbert

Mom and Dad

Papa and Monga...etc..etc...

PS. As for us, we plan of snorkeling on Christmas Day. Eat your heart out, Alaskans.