Oh My Land!!!

We did it. We went to Google earth and Googled....Point of View Dr, Turks and Caicos


Our street popped up.

Follow the road right to the end. (The East end) At the end there is a big house and right before the end.....is our cottage. Amazing!

Hooray Driver's License

Got my Turks and Caicos driver’s license today. I will keep this forever. So much history (and agony) in that little card.

First Picture: We has another baptism Saturday. Very nice. A humble servant. I think he will be a good addition to the branch. Very poor. No food, no money, lives in the bushes. But when he was confirmed today, I knew the words were true when President Otin said, “You are a man of God.”

Second Picture: Emille: Baptized last week. Was so proud, he wanted his picture taken with his new scriptures.

Third Picture: A millipede of some kind, upstairs in the church. I took a picture of it by Mike’s shoe to give some perspective. A little too big for my comfort.

We love you all.

Elder and Sister Herbert

Last Name First, First Name Last

Dutervil Apreve: Last name first...that is how they all write it here. Tall, deep penetrating eyes. Always wears a baseball cap. After Elder Herbert asked him to remove his hat when coming in the church, he does so....but that is the only time we see him without his hat. When we first got here, he scared me. He would not smile. Now one of my favorites. Does not understand or speak much English but is very faithful in coming to class on Tuesday and Thursday. Only missed a few Sunday meetings as well. No job, no money. I have no idea how he pays his rent or gets food. The elders told me he does JuJu (or VooDoo) in the Bight. I don’t know how they know but they could be right. Elder Herbert told him how to say, “Cool Dude,” and so he thinks that is very funny..... mostly because I told him I didn’t like it. When I see him I always ask him how he is doing. He answers, “Not too good, not too bad.” I try to get him to say “GREAT!” But he won’t give in and just he is doing great. He is always joking. He says his name sounds like “beautiful” so he says he is beautiful. Whenever I ask him if he is reading the “Book of Mormon” every day, he says yes. I hope he is. I have a real hard time evaluating where these men stand because they speak a different language. I just know I like them. We laugh at him all the time. It could be boring without Aprive.

Pierre Paul and Fabian: Every Saturday they are there to help clean the church. Sometimes others come, but those two are always so faithful. I know that they can not know how we love them for their service. After we clean each week we stay and practice singing. I know some of the men are jealous that these guys sing often in church. But it is only because they are there on Saturday and we practice.

I would like to start a choir of sorts, but it is so lame with me trying to plunk out the notes for parts. What I started doing today was pulling out my computer (which has all the church hymns on iTunes) and we sing with that. I will play one part at a time to teach, then they sing with the computer. Sister Ockey will be there next Sunday and she will play while they sing in church. They are singing page 42, “Hail to the Brightness of Zion’s Glad Morning.” They are singing it in French.....but I am insisting that they sing one verse in English. I did not even know that song before, but some knew it from Haiti and they like it a lot.

Friday we had our first video training from Salt Lake. Looks like the wave of the future. It was cool because we had Jamaica, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and Salt Lake all on our screen at the same time. We interacted, listening and talking. Our mission president said he will even be able to do some interviews by video connection.

Love you

I am sorry I ran out on you the other night Jess. I sure love you guys and have thought of you so much lately.

Hope you had a great Sunday.

XOXOXOX

Lots

Dear Family and Friends,

Please don't feel like you need to plow through all the following. I write things for my journal and don't do much to "fix it up" for others to read. Often the daily things we do don't seem very spiritual. We actually have some very spiritual moments almost every day. But most of our days are a lot like your days..... filled with things that must be done. I think the secret in life is to make spiritual experiences out of all things that we must do. (Or maybe to recognize the spiritual blessings that come to each of us every day). Anyway, we are fine. The days go quickly. I love the days that are very busy and get anxious when there is wasted time. So here is some of what is happening here.

Police Report. The mission office called and wanted us to get a police report for Elder Davies. His Jamaica visa needed to be renewed and since he has been here for more than 6 months he needs a police report from the Turks and Caicos Islands. We went and learned we needed to make our own copies of his work permit, passport, and a $10.00 postal stamp. (No place has copier to make their own copies. We need to go to the church to make all copies for any government job). We brought the needed copies and the stamp and they gave us the police report to mail ourselves. We asked, “What was the $10.00 stamp for?” The police lady looked at the other 4 ladies in the office. Not one of them knew what the $10.00 stamp was for. “I don’t know... it is just my job to put the stamp on the report.” We then went over to DHL and spent $41.00 to ship the postcard sized report to Jamaica. We just shake our heads.

My Turks and Caicos driver’s license. November 22 was our break-in when my wallet was taken. Since that time I have been working to get a local license. There are too many stories to tell in this long process. I have come to know each of these people almost on an intimate level. I may resort to making brownies or other non-monetary bribe to get the completed license. Three weeks ago all was finally all finished, picture taken, and fees paid. “Come back in two weeks,” they said. “Why two weeks?” I asked. “It takes that long to process the paperwork” was the reply. Two weeks later I came to pick it up and they said to come back in three days. In three days they said come back the next week. When I returned again, they took time to look up my name. “It won’t be ready for two weeks,” the nicelady said. I questioned..... “It has been 3 weeks already, what is the hold-up?” They kindly explained to me that it needed to be approved by the director and he has been very busy. So goes the saga. Life on the Turks and Caicos.

Elder’s Birthday.. Monday was Elder Bruough’s birthday. They came over early to wash their clothes. We had chocolate chip pancakes and I cut their hair. Because it was P-Day they played basketball later. Sister Kernan took them out to eat and then they came back for cake at the church. His mother had paid big bucks to have a package sent but was not here on time. (It came the next day). The next day he was sick...throwing up. (I worried it was the cake!) Elder Herbert needed Elder Davies to work with him on the computer so I stayed at the Elder’s apartment with Elder Brough while Elder Davis and Elder Herbert went to the church to figure out a broken down MLS. (The church program that keeps track of all the members). We were not sure that was really ok for me to stay with the elder alone...but we could not reach the President and had to make a decision. It turned out fine.

February 10. Went visiting with Natalie Morrisett tonight. The two non-members we had planned to see were not home so we went visiting teaching to Sister Kernan. We had a prayer and gave a little lesson. Being a new member Natalie has never been visiting teaching before. Part of our job is to teach these amazing people how things are to be done in the church. So I get to visit all the time and call it my job. She is wonderful. I hope Mike and I can go to the temple with them when the time comes.

Walking Every morning I go on a good walk. The sun comes up at 6:45AM and it is too hot. So I try to get as far as I can before then. It is just too hot in the sun. There is only one main hi-way through the town, and no good place to walk on it. Most of the roads off the main road are just dirt roads. I stay as much as I can on the busy roads. I weighed tonight at a ladies house and found I had gained 10 pounds since coming. I think walking has made me GAIN weight. I had better quit! Mike likes to walk later in the day....but I just can’t handle the heat.

Haiti We don’t hear too much on the news anymore, but it is certainly not over for the people here on the island. Mike sent around a paper to find members who lost immediate family members in the earthquake. 17 of our 50+ men had lost either mother, father, sisters, brothers, or children. Virtually everyone has some extended family members who died or were missing. All the churches on the island here are fasting with Haiti for 3 days starting tomorrow, Friday, February 12th. The mission here had a special fast last week so we are not participating.

We love you all very much. Thank you for your continued prayers and kind notes. I will send pictures next week.

Elder and Sister Herbert

Ooops!

Hey guys....

We were never really down. Our neighbors let us on their wireless while we were waiting for ours to be fixed. It's fixed now. We love you guys. Hug those babaies for us.


Papa and Monga

Down Internet

OUr internet has been down for several days....so it is hard to check messages. We sure love you guys.

Jess, I don't know if it is too late....but Dad and I were thinking. If you could collect several white (used) shirts that would be very helpful. We are trying to teach the men to wear white shirts.... but they do not have means to buy them. To ship them would cost tooo much but if you could bring 10 or twelve with you. wow ... cool. Love you all