The Importance of Each Person

Dear Family and Friends,

Sometimes I think not much happens in a week.  Then we start thinking and all these pivotal things come to mind.  

One of our members had been disfellowshipped a year ago.  He has done so well and we need him desperately in our little branch.  As soon as his time was up and all interviews completed President Hendricks and President Ockey made special trips from the Bahamas and Jamaica for him to be reinstated.  They were only here for the evening and left the next morning.   It cost well over a thousand dollars to have this meeting.   Things like this remind me constantly of the importance of each person.  This church is a church of individuals.... not masses.   Christ comes to us one by one to give us personal confirmation of His reality.  

We also found out we are getting a young married couple from U.K. moving here for at least a year.  They have been very active and will be a great addition to our numbers.  We are so excited.  We have so many new converts and not many members that have been involved and know what the church should look like.  

We got a new elder , Elder Johnson...from Jamaica.  It is so exciting because so many here have never seen a black elder.  All these members have seen is white missionaries.  He is a sharp elder and we are thrilled to have him.  He joined the church about 4 years ago.  His sister is a member but that is the only member of his family.   I am so hoping he can influence a few in our branch to have a desire to serve a mission.  Lucky Us!  Of course he could not just come in without some drama from this country.  When he landed and tried to come through immigration,  a security agent came out to tell us that he could not come into Turks and Caicos without a “letter of invitation”.  The church pays a lawyer big bucks to handle things like this for us.  I had taken all his paperwork to them over a month ago so we would not have any issues of this sort.  Well the lawyer finally had to come to the airport to get him in.   Elder Johnson was a good sport about it.  We explained to him that this would be the first of many experiences here in this country.  We warned him to keep his paperwork on him all the time to prevent confusion with immigration who might stop him any time.

We spent a lot of time this week working a deal for the elder’s new apartment.  They have lived in their old apartment for the whole time we have been here and have had a lot of trouble.  Every time it rains, water comes in through their walls and on to their floor.  The landlord has known and done nothing to fix it.  The elders have been charged way too much for some of their utilities so they are excited to leave.  The new apartment is very small but sufficient for their needs.  It is in a better location and is  brand new.  I feel we were directed to find exactly the right place for the elders.

The Young Women (all three of them) had a dancing activity this last week.  We learned the Salsa.  It was great fun.  The Relief Society is having a movie night this week.  (The  Testaments in French and English).   The first activity is about 10 months.    We had an Elders activity last month.  The Primary program is planned and we are practicing.  So...... it may not look like Eagle River, but we are very slowly pulling together and leaning how the church should operate.

We continue to be amazed at the support we receive from tourists and others who are invested in this country and the members here.  On Tuesday, we sent Franscois home to Haiti  with the generous donations of  tourist who wanted to help.  He was thrilled to go home.  We pray that the economy in Haiti will turn around and change the outlook for that country.  So many that have gone home (are thrilled to be there) but without work there and we worry about them.  

When we came home from the airport early Friday, the sun was just coming up and was behind these clouds.  It was beautiful!  I wish it was as easy to see the silver linings when our life got dark.  

School starts tomorrow here for the kids.  Some are excited, and some discouraged....just like in the States.  

We are keeping tack to the hurricanes in the Caribbean....but so far none are coming our way!  Hurricane season lasts until December!

We love you all very much and are thankful for this opportunity!

Elder and Sister Herbert

Elder Wilford Anderson

Dear family and Friends,

What a wonderful week.  We had an amazing experience with Elder Wilford Anderson, of the 70, this last week.  He is a member of the Caribbean area presidency.  He was doing a tour of the mission and stayed over for a special fireside on Wednesday night.  We had prepared for many weeks by cleaning and organizing the building, teaching members about church leadership, and planning for rides etc.  As it turned out it was more than worth the efforts.  We are so grateful for all who went out of their way to make the evening so special.  Immigration had been out in full force and we knew some members would be afraid to come.  Those who had the faith and ventured out to the meeting were well paid for their righteous actions.  We all had our separate prayers and they were answered by peace from the authorities and and outpouring of the spirit. President Ockey had rented two big vans and Mike and I drove to different parts of the island to pick up those who have no way to come in.  We have 73 members in our branch and 120 attended the fireside.  We feel so bad for those who chose not to come.

Elder Anderson commented that it was truly a miracle that in less than two years so many were gathered in our beautiful building.  It is the faith of so many here who made it happen.  

I am not sure you can appreciate this ......  But after being here almost 11 months, we now have running water in the ladies bathroom.  (Don’t ask!)  There are some things about this mission that we will never forget.  There are some things that we count among our greatest accomplishments.  This is one of both.  I can not begin to explain so that anyone can understand (or believe) the process that we go though to get anything like that done.  We have been working on air conditioning almost since we came, and we know others worked on it before we came!   ( I would never complain but it does get several hundred degrees during primary.)  Well, after Elder Anderson told us it would not be installed any time soon,  we just got word from a different source, that it is all approved. Now it goes from Puerto Rico, to Dominican Republic, to Jamaica, through all the red tape, and then perhaps we can have that done too, before we leave the island.

We have so many blessings and are so grateful to be a part of this great work.  Do you remember Daniel’s dream?   We feel like little pebbles of that great stone rolling forth though out the world.  So thankful to be here.

Love,  Elder and Sister Herbert

After a branch activity.

Tencie is the Relief Society President.  This is her serving the ball.

President Hendricks on the phone.  Elder Anderson said it is only appropriate that the picture is with him talking and solving problems every minute.  The life of a mission president!

 A branch picture after the fireside.

Good Week, Bad Week

Dear Family and Friends,

Good week!  Bad week!  More good than bad so at least in the right direction!  

The government is up to it’s old tricks and it causes a multitude of emotion.  Friday and Saturday they had road blocks all around the island.  They picked up over 200 Jitnys (the illegal taxis that people get around the island) and impounded the cars.  We are not sure what they will do with the cars.  We are hoping they will give them back but there is no TV or radio stations here to find the news.  Right now transportation is at a stand-still.  Those who have jobs can’t get there, and there were few able to get to the church today.   In the same time period 175 people were picked up and jailed, waiting for deportation.  No members that we knew of.  Many people just sit tight and don’t move around a lot.  The police/immigration authorities go into subdivisions and get people out of their homes to take.  Many of our members who live in the bushes are safer, because the police don’t usually go through the bushes looking for individuals, they go where there are more numbers.  

 It seems to us there is a huge difference between our problems of illegal immigration in the United States and the immigration problems here.  Perhaps I am just looking at it from a different perspective, but it sure seems different to me.  A white real estate agent told me a story that happened not long ago.  The police entered this lady’s home.  The lady was legal and had proper papers but the police were asking about her 42” TV.  They were accusing her of stealing it and said they were going to take it.  She hurried and called her boss who came right over.  When the police heard her talking on the phone, they left.  By the time the boss came the police were gone, but they would have taken her TV if it were not for her white boss. I’m sure  not all are corrupt but many here  are afraid of police or immigration....even Haitains  that are legal.  

The missionary work is very slow lately.  No one wants to come out of their house to learn or discuss anything right now.  There seems to be a distrust that is difficult to overcome.  Only 7 came to English class on Thursday which is a huge drop in numbers.  

But on a positive note...and there are many positive notes...we have some great members that are learning and growing stronger every day.  Our elders are pro-active and hard workers.  Some that are recent converts study so hard, try to learn, and want to help the missionaries in every way possible.  Ruben (our one week old convert) came to me and told me thanks for all I do.  He gave me such great compliments.  I could not help but be so thankful to be here serving these amazing people.  I could name many that are learning English so quickly and are translating for the elders.  As they listen (and translate)  the lessons over and over, it sinks deep into their souls.  We have great hopes for them.  I continue to be amazed with Michael (Pierre Osnor is his real name!)  as he is at the church every day, learning, growing, serving!

We went out to see the Manassa sisters and DJonny today.  They are fairly recent converts that live in an abandoned structure that was started as someone’s home.  They found plywood and remnants of carpet and mattresses which serve as a home.   I have no idea where they get food but they greeted us with big smiles and appreciated the prayer that we left.  They want to come on Sunday but now, more than ever, it is hard for them to get the 10 miles to the church.  Surely we will be judged differently according to our abilities and circumstances.  I learn much more than I teach.

I laughed at Claude today.  We were looking at the ocean and commented at how beautiful it is.  He said, “I don’t understand something about white people”.  (That was so funny because he was putting all white people in a category.....  something we as white people get in trouble for if we do that to another race).   “Why do they think this is such a beautiful place”?    We really laughed out loud.  It isso beautiful here.  But he sees it from a different perspective.  He associates this island with a lot of pain, and has a hard time separating the beauty of the island and the things which have happened to him.  I wish he could come and see the beautiful mountains in Alaska.  (I think he would be cold!)  Maybe some day he can.

President and Sister Ockey were here for the weekend (which is always a treat).  He completed the first, ever, annual audit.  They found one $.86 error which was corrected on the spot.  I think Mike was relieved to have that work out so well.   We continue to work on several projects to finish the church.  We still do not have air conditioning in most of the building.  It is so very hot and we just sweat and sweat.  All the projects here go though the mission in Jamaica, then Puerto Rico for approval, then money from Dominican Republic.  When projects go through 4 countries, it seems to take forever to complete.  The worst for me is that there has never been a woman’s bathroom that has running water at our building.  When a woman wants to use the bathroom, she has to use the little one in the primary or use the men’s.  Weird!    We have learned this is all part of the growing pains of starting a new branch in this little country.   Millimeters ..... that is how we measure growth.

We love you all so much.  We are happy.  We love hearing from you and know you are doing great things wherever you are. To our dear teacher friends, have a good “back to school” week.  We miss you and the camaraderie we felt working with you all those years.

Have a great week.

Love,

Elder and Sister Herbert

Gerland, Me, and Natalie.

 Claude and Natalie’s baby, Clyde Lee.  He is 

10 1/2  months old and a little doll.  A newborn when we came.

 The Manassa sisters, Sister Ockey and myself.

President Ockey, Claude, Mike, and DJonny.

 Sunrise, walking on the beach with Sister Ockey.

 Sand Crab on the beach....Can you see it?