An Emotional Week

The senior couples and the  branch presidents met with officials from “Food for the Poor”  this AM.  It was a great meeting where we learned all the good that Food for the Poor does here in Jamaica and other countries.  We learn how the church could best utilize the things that FFO offers.  We ate lunch at Pizza Hut in Angels. We were heading to George’s house with his new wheel chair when Schaefermeyers got a call that said one  of our elders had been shot and killed.  We drove right to the hospital and then police station. 

I am copying the Schaefermeyer’s words for part of my description of what happened ….

On Monday January 17, 2011, the Kingston Zone and Spanish Town Zone met at the Spanish Town Church to play football.  The Elders of the Kingston Zone drove to the activity in the mission van so all eight of them could ride together.  After the activity, the elders stopped for lunch and then were traveling toward Portmore when they were stopped in traffic and saw a police car and policemen by the side of the road– which isn’t unusual.  The police frequently set up traffic stops and car checks along the roads between cities.  The unusual thing was that a police officer ran past their van with his rifle drawn and shots were heard shortly thereafter.  Elder Emery (one of the zone leaders) told them to duck and just then the back window of the van shattered.

This is a 15 passenger van which has 4 bench seats behind the front seats.  Elder Ostberg was seated on the far back bench by the rear window; he was covered with glass and some of the glass and shrapnel went into his right eye; the bullet passed by him on his right side.  He commented that he heard the bullet pass by his head.  Elders Knowlton and Nelson were sitting on the next seat forward and the bullet passed between them.  Elder Walker (the only Jamaican Elder in the van) was seated on the third seat forward (the middle of the five rows in the van) and was struck in the left temple by the bullet.  Upon discovering that Elder Walker had been hit, the Elders checked for but could not find a pulse.  Elder Emery pulled out of traffic and sped to the Spanish Town Hospital where Elder Walker was declared dead on arrival.  When we arrived at the hospital people commented on how these seven elders from the US cried over their Jamaican brother.  Seeing grown men cry here is an anomaly as they want to appear “tough”. 

Elder Walker’s death was caused by a stray bullet from a person who had stolen a car.  The police did not immediately apprehend the person responsible but have since determined his identity.

The elders were then directed to the police station where they spent a long afternoon and evening giving their stories to the police who interviewed them.

The incident happened around 12:30 PM and we got their around 3 PM.  The seven were very upset, crying and devastated.  President and Sister Hendricks  were there giving comfort, taking and making calls.  After a few minutes we left to go buy food for the elders, and mission home. 

When they all got back to the mission home they were exhausted, and dirty.  They were anxious to take a shower and eat what we had prepared.  After our dinner the mission president had a wonderful, spiritual meeting.   He taught some amazing things.  He told of Joseph Smith.  The Lord told Joseph Smith that his days were appointed to the Lord and no one could harm him until he had completed his mission. He told great stories of missionary work that needs to be done after this life.  He talked of a mother and son whose love had a great bond. Sister Hendricks said she felt this one incident would bond these young men forever.  Elder Schafermeyer gave great council too.  One thing they all said was that his life here was ended, but his mission had been extended.

The elders one by one bore their testimonies of the Plan of Salvation and their love for the gospel.  It was so powerful!

Those are the facts…Now the rest of the story….

Elder Walker was a gentle, quiet, humble gentlemanly person that stood about 6 feet 5 inches tall.  He had a firm testimony and in his gentle way would bear a very powerful testimony.  Elder Walker was a Jamacian elder.  His mother, and little sister were all the family he had and he loved them so.  They all joined the church together and his mom was so proud he wanted to serve a mission.  When he was in the MTC he told another elder of his love for his mom.  He said she was his earthly angel and that if anything ever happened to her, he would not want to live.  When she became ill on his mission and it looked like she was NOT going to bet better, President Hendricks considered giving Elder Walker an early release.  President Hendricks sought and received permission for Elder Walker to visit with his mother in the hospital.  While there his mother expressed her desire that he complete his mission…. And he agreed to do that.   Well she passed away and was buried on January 8^th.  In one instant today he was taken home to his mom.  I know there are accidents in this world.  I know that bad people are allowed to do bad things that hurt others.  But today, Heavenly Father took a choice young man home to carry on with his mission in another place. 

The President is having them spend the night tonight and tomorrow night.  But in the day time, they are back to work.  He has a great love for the elders that they each feel.

Elder Walker was in Portmore last Wednesday and we got to teach with him.  He was a powerful teacher and Mike and I both commented on what a wonderful day it had been with him.  We feel so lucky that we got to know him a little that day.

President instructed that each elder was required to sleep for 8 hours that night.  I think that will be the only time on their mission, they have permission to sleep past 6:30 AM.  We all love President Hendricks so.

8 missionaries right before the shooting

Food, Water, Conference

Food Initiative:

We have a terrific, forward thinking, humanitarian missionary couple in our mission named Elder and Sister Schaefermeyer.   They wrote up this gigantic plan to help the people here in Jamaica, sent it into the Dominican Republic (over our area) and then to church headquarters for approval.  It was approved and funded 100%.  Nothing exactly like this has ever been done by the church in the whole world.  Other similar things have been tried other places but the church has learned from their mistakes and are doing things a little differently.  Before the Schaefermeyers wrote up the proposal they went around to branches in the two districts in Jamaica.  They introduced their plan and interested people signed up.  It is for members and nonmembers alike so members could tell their neighbors and have them sign up too.  (Unfortunately now others are wanting to get in on the plan but the church had to cut it off somewhere, so they are not accepting any new people now).  These people who signed up have a choice of 6 projects they can do. Chickens (for eating), Layer chickens, pigs, goats, bees, or gardens.  The government agriculture department here (RADDA....I have not idea what that stands for), will train the people in their separate projects.  No one can have anything for their projects until they are trained....including financial training on how to keep the projects going and make them self sustaining projects.    After they have been trained and their land is checked to make sure they have areas to put their projects, everything will be provided for the project...materials for the pens, the animals, the food and antibiotics/medicine to keep them alive, seeds for the garden, along with fertilizer and whatever is needed to make the project successful.    The Jamaicans are responsible to build their own pens (and are required to help each other).  Here is what makes it different that other places in the past and also makes it so exciting.  

1. The people got to choose their project...no one is pushed into something they don’t want to do.
2.   Each project receiver must be trained before the church provides help.
3. There will be follow-up by missionaries and/or RADDA.
4. It is designed to be self perpetuating....so the people must learn to keep it going...not eating/selling everything at one time.

There are so many problems here...so impoverished.  Many have never learned how to think ahead, plan, and organize.  So much is done in “survival mode.” 

   A few major problems with the Food Inititive: 

1.  Their projects must be secured so the animals are not stolen.  

2.  What will they do when their neighbors come and ask for food because they are hungry?  

We will teach them that they must take care of their own lives before they can help others.  They must plan how much they can give away, eat, sell, etc to allow them to be successful.  We know there will be failures..... but what a wonderful opportunity for them.  I can’t help but feel such pride for the church and its programs to “lift” the lives of others, in and out of the church.

3 1/2 months of cold water....

We have been in Jamaica for 3 1/2 months.  For 3 1/2 months we have had cold showers, sometimes warm.  We could not figure out why our hot water heater was not working.  Well the other day a missionary was in our house and just happened to say.... “OK, their is your stove power, there is your hot water heater.”   So there we had the answer.  For 3 1/2 months we did not know that we needed to turn on that switch.  We had turned it on when I cooked  because I thought both switches were for the stove so periodic warm water in the morning....because I had cooked the night before.  So goes the secrets of life in Jamaica.  If we just just know the right switch, life goes much better.

District Conference

We have 7 branches in our district and we had district conference this weekend.  What a spiritual feast.  It was wonderful!  Probably the most fun was that Mike had a priesthood meeting and I got the car for 3 hours, with some other cute ladies, and we got some fun visits in......without men.

Have a great week.  Love, The Herberts

Sister Flake, Sister Bradford, and me

The back of her house

Her bathroom

Love those Jamaica potholes!

P-Day

We went with the senior couple to Lime Cay.... a little island about a mile off Jamaica shore.  It was a fun day spent with wonderful people.  Tonight we are going to Senior couple Family Night.  We do this once a month at the Mission Home and it is always a delightful and spiritual experience.  As we were going around the group, we found that most of them we have connections with outside our mission.    One couple, the Schaefermeyers , have a daughter named Adrian.  She and Aimee were best friends in Florida.  When we figured that out we just laughed and laughed.  Another sister's father served with my father in Germany before the war.  Elder and Sister Flake and Elder and Sister Daniels, from Arizona, knew my mothers family from the same place.  It is amazing how small the world is.

As we are coming home in a few months, we want to begin putting in pleas for senior couples.  They desperately need mature people all over the world, (particularly right here in the Jamaica, Kingston) who have served in the church and understand how the wards and branches should run.  If you, or anyone you know, is ready and willing to come, our mission president is actively looking for couples to come.  He is an amazing man and the other senior couples you would work with are terrific.  Just think, no pushing snow for two winters.

We love you and are so thankful for your love and support.

Elder and Sister Herbert

Missionary - someone who spends time away from loved ones so others can spend eternity with theirs

These little kids are so, so sweet. 

An Object less in our Teacher Development class

Great Visits

Brother Dushan Price, and his wife Jodi, went with us to see some of the families that he home teaches.  It was so good to have another active member who “gets it.”  He is so bold and friendly with a huge grin on his face.  He walks around and smiles at everyone.  He is one of the best teachers Mike or I have ever seen.  We went to George Blackwood’s house and Mike and Brother Price prepared and served the sacrament to him.  He is in a wheelchair and his wheelchair has been broken for several weeks and he has not been able to come to church.   I was so proud of Mike for thinking of the idea and making it happen for George.   Hopefully George will have a new wheelchair this week and he will be able to come back to church.

I finished the Old Testament this week.  This has been a several month project as I studied the Old Testament Student Manual (Institute manual), and How Often I Would Have Gathered You, by Val Greenwood, along with it.  I learned so much and it was an amazing experience.  Reading and studying the scriptures every day has been one of the best parts of a mission.  We have at least one hour built into every day, to spend searching, pondering, and enjoying the scriptures.  I have always tried to read some each day, but it is a whole different experience to immerse yourself as we have been able to do.

Mike and I teach the Teacher Development class in both branches that we visit.  It is so interesting how different the two branches are.  In one branch we teach after the block of meetings each week that we are at that branch...the other during Sunday School.  One is so consistent with the same people from the beginning.  The other, the branch president has chosen different people to take part.  We teach different lessons each week but the second branch president thinks some training is better than none....so he rotates the teachers that come in.  We like teaching this class.... as it is just a continuation of what we have both done for our careers.  

This week we got to teach with the elders one day.  It was so sweet to feel the spirits of wonderful searching people.  Usually our calling to to find people who are lost, people others have not seen in a long time.  It was a refreshing break.

George in the middle in the wheelchair.  Oshane and Brother Price...helped with sacrament.

Sister Shakes and me.  Love visiting with her.  she is 85.

I met this guy.  He was so friendly.  I asked him to take a picture.  Love those dreads....

All the kids here wear uniforms.  They all like their picture taken.

Close Encounters

Wow.  We came within inches of having a serious accident.  We were in Spanish Town.  The roads are narrow with very few traffic signs.  The roads downtown are crowded with people, animals, cars, pot holes, and lots of other dangers.  Mike was going very slowly through and intersection and a lady in a big bus just barreled through.  Mike almost hit her.  We were very grateful that everyone was ok.  We had a very good day visiting and inviting people back to church after that.  I feel we were protected and guided once again.

On one of our visits we met a little girl (three years old) named Dana.   She was wild and independent and smart.  She kept holding her nose, looking at me, and saying what I thought was, “stink, stink, stink.”  I asked her mom what she was saying and she said she was so shocked to see my nose was “pink.”  This was way deep in an area where the little children do not see many white people.  She thought my nose was so funny because it was pink and it was pointed.  “Out of the mouth of babes.”

A Young Women Presidency Meeting.  I told them I had to take a picture because what they were doing was so important!

This is how many people get their electricity....Hum

Elder Herbert with Byoncee

George Blackhood, Baby Mamas, and a FUNNY Story

George Blackhood

48 years old...   Member for 8 years...  In a wheel chair....  When he was 28,  3 men came into his house attempting to rob him.  When he refused to give them money a man stabbed him in the back, cutting his spinal cord.   None of the men were caught or paid for their crime.  The man who stabbed him, came to him later asking for forgiveness saying he did not mean to cut his spinal cord, forcing him to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.  George told me today it took him 8 years to forgive the man.  ( I have no idea how he could forgive him at all!)   George comes to church every single week.  He lives up a hill with very steep steps and has to get down the steps anytime he goes anywhere.  He very often will get a ride in a taxi to church and drives his wheel chair the several miles home, up the hills and alley sized streets, then up his very steep steps to his house.  He has no income and I have no idea how he has money for food or anything else he does.  He always has a big smile and is very inspirational to me.  

Baby Mamas

Every day we try to find people that have not been to church.  Yesterday we visited with one lady who had 3 kids....all different fathers, not married, no man lives there....  Then we went to visit another lady who has 2 kids....two different fathers, not married, no man in the picture.  Then another girl, 17, with her first baby,  and of course, not married.  This is very common here, in or out of the church.  In fact it is more common than babies being born into families or even born with a man living at the home.  Most of the women are single mothers.  The women here have lost hope and are worn out very young.  

Funny Story

Our mission president got pulled over and given a $500 ticket (about 6 American dollars) for not wearing his seatbelt.  After a week or so he went to pay the ticket.  The DMV (or whatever the Jamaican equivalent is) could not find his ticket to pay.  He could not find the original either.  They told him to try another office.  Now mind you, that every time you go to a government office it is a l-o-n-g wait.  He went another office and they could not find the ticket either.  They told him that if he found the original to bring it in and pay it.  Later, he found the ticket and returned to pay for it.  By this time the due date was past and they told him he had to go to court.  So he went to court, but he had to make an appointment  so had to return the next day....which he did.  Then they told him it was the wrong court and he had to go to another court which he did.  Then they told him he had to have an appointment so he was to come back the next day.  Now, remember he is a very busy man and he had wasted 5 different days trying to pay for this $6 ticket.  When he finally got a court appearance the judge (a lady) told him that his fine was $2000 Jamaica dollars.  (About 24 American dollars).  He did not have that much with him so the judge said he would have to spend 30 days in jail.  He asked if he could go across the street to an ATM and the answer was “NO” .   So he was escorted to the jail.  He asked for a phone call where he called the Assistants to bring him money so he could get out of jail....  all for a $6 ticket.... which he has tried so hard to pay.  Remember this is a retired FBI agent, well versed in the penal system in the US.  When he was telling us this story....and really I can’t do it justice in writing.....we laughed so very hard.  

Success

We feel the sweetness and tenderness of humble people.  We love the relationships made.  We are so lucky to get to go with the elders when they teach some people.  What a choice experience to  feel the spirit as we talk and know investigators and/or members feel it too.  We feel protected and blessed more than we can express.   As discouraged as we get at times, the joy outweighs all else.  

We love you very much.

Elder and Sister Herbert

Mom and Dad

Papa and Grandma

Beautiful garden and Bath, Jamaica

Dead Mongoose..(The jamaicans brought the mongoose to their country to kill the snakes.  The snakes are gone but tons of mongoose!

Girls in school uniformes...all the kids wear uniforms to school.  (They love to have their picture taken).

Service project in an Old Folks home....great time

Beautiful ocean off the east coast.

Discouraged today

We were teaching this young girl a lesson and witnessed a mother knocking her 6 year old son into a metal fence where he bounced off and fell on the cement.  He was ok, but he just sat there and cried.  No noise, just tears falling from those little eyes.  Found out his mother was NOT angry with the child....but angry at the child’s baby daddy.  The child was running out to see his mother as she was coming home from work and she was yelling on the phone.  The little boy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

How sad that this little boy can not trust his mother for love and kindness.  Do we wonder how he will act as an adult when he is angry?  

I love what we do and I understand that we are providing answers to help them succeed in this world as well as the next.  Sometimes I get tired of the poverty, desperation, crime, and people begging for money every where we go.  OK....complaining over.