A Mission for Our Church: Jamaica Me CRAZY?

(If 5 is my favorite number then 10-10-10 must be 6 times better than my favorite!)

Short Version

Busy week....enjoying Kingston....crazy drivers.....spaghetti streets..... rain every day .....loving interacting with senior couples.....missing the Turks and Caicos terribly.....new apartment....new assignment......eating too much.....miss walking.

One week in Kingston

For the first few days we were at the mission home, enjoying the spirit and love there. The day we got to Kingston there were 7 new elders coming into the mission field. We enjoyed everything about them. Loved sharing conference with them. Then on Monday they went out to their various assignments and 9 new elders and 2 sisters came to the mission home because their mission was over and they were on their way home. We had a wonderful dinner and testimony meeting and then they were on the planes and going home on Tuesday. Funny side note. One of the new elders....first day in the field on Tuesday..... a thirteen year old kid pulled a knife and held it to his stomach. (Did not cut him!) The elder took him in a head lock, secured the knife, and told him to never bother the elders again. I think that is a story he won’t tell his mom until he gets home. Scott had some stories like that which he did not share until he was back in Alaska.

Money: 84 to 1....with 17.5% tax

We use Jamaican money here and it is a trick getting used to it. I went to the store yesterday and spent over $15,000.00 Jamaican dollars..... which is about $180.00 US. It just looks better if you say $180.00. They do use pennies here but they are really worthless. Think of it.... it takes 84 Jamaican pennies to equal one of ours. It was so expensive to live in the Turks and Caicos. We think this will be a lot cheaper...thank goodness.

Senior Couples

It is really different to be here where we can interact with the senior couples. Where we were before we had little contact. We went to the airport to pick up a new couple from southern California.... the Smiths. For those of you who know Darryl (Bishop) Smith from Anchorage, it is his TWIN SISTER! She is a fireball. Then Diane Clayton met another couple in the Phoenix airport on their way to serve in the Jamaica mission. They are here now. Another fairly new couple is related to a couple we met in the MTC. The church makes the world a much smaller place. (We haven’t found anyone related to the Ramptons yet, but if they were here, I am sure they would recognize someone.)

Driving... The only thing I can compare it to is China. People are crazy! Yet in their own way they are very considerate and let people in. But I am always gasping and closing my eyes while in the front seat. I did drive yesterday and all went well.... but Mike was having a hard time keeping his mouth shut, I could tell. One of the problems is that the roads wind around and around and there are very few street signs. There are some major roads which help find our way and I can’t believe how quickly Mike picks up directions. He has a feel for the layout already.

New Assignment

We have been given two branches in which to work, Portmore and Spanish Town 1. I hope we can find and influence those the Lord will have us touch. This week has been like a vacation and we are ready for work.

Rain

At least once a day for the last week we have had rain. Sometimes a torrential rainfall. The week before we came, there was extensive flood damage in Kingston because of the rain. Houses fell into the gullies, property just falling into crevices. They only know of 12 dead, but lots more are still missing. I don’t think they will ever really know, because there is no way to count them. These are just the ones reported. I wonder if there is not a lot more damage from the rainstorm last night. It is like you turn on the shower and go outside.

Our Apartment

We found, what we thought, was a very nice apartment and moved in on Thursday. There is so much we have discovered after moving in that we are unhappy about. But it will work great for the last 5 months. It is still a one bedroom, which is all we need, and is much bigger than the one in Providenciales.

We love and miss each of you.

Elder and Sister Herbert

Picking us up from the airport in the rain