Two firsts

The last few days have been kind of slow.  We have quite a few "prospective projects" that we have met with and are waiting for email replies giving us the costs of the items they would like us to purchase and project plans, etc.  We feel like we're just waiting for something to happen.  We have been visiting with several schools that are asking for our help in setting up computer centers.  We have partnered with a man  who works with Food for the Poor as their IT dept head.  Food for the Poor has installed several classrooms with sets of 6 computer monitors and keyboard connected to a single computer processor box.  It is a great way of stretching the dollar so we can buy more systems.  Currently we have been asked to provide about 80 computer stations.

I guess the exciting news I get to tell you is what we did the other night after we went to bed. . . . . . . yep, that's right, you probably already guessed it, . . . we got on-line and ordered a goat milking machine!   We had been discussing the fact that there are a lot of goats here but no one seems to use them for milk - only meat, (well, that and weed control).  Then when we got home we were reading on KSL about a man in Alaska that had put together a little hand operated vacuum pump with a quart jar and a teat cup that works very well to milk goats, so we figured we needed to get one.  Now you know the rest of that story.  

The picture was taken in the mountains last week as we were driving with our supervisior Bennie Lilly, who was visiting from the DR.  The time of day is actually later morning looking down into the clouds below.  If you click on the picture (if you're on the blog) it will enlarge so you can see it better.  Although it is a beautiful picture, today it takes on a different meanings, as last night I was asked to participate in a disciplinary council with our mission president for one of our Elders.  Thus, today, the picture reminds me of the mist that was in Lehi's dream that obscures and hides the straight and narrow path.  It's easy to get lost when we don't look above the mist for the trees that mark our final destination.  What a terrible outcome for a wonderful young man with so much potential and now with so much pain and torment.  I hope that he has the support that can help him as he begins the journey back and that he will be successful. I know that I will keep in contact and do what I can for him.

A goat milker and a disciplinary council - two firsts for me  - one I hope to never repeat.

The Cheesman's Humanitarian Project

This is not our usual humanitarian project, but it was certainly one for our memories.  This was organized by Elder Ross and Sister Gail Cheesman who serve as the mission office couple; they are the glue that holds the mission together.  Besides, Sister Gail is the daughter of former North Salt Lake Mayor Jake Simmons; therefore, she is more than wonderful.  A few months ago, Elder Cheesman's sister from California organized their ward to gather school things to send to Richmond Primary School.  A few weeks ago, (Remember when I learned to drive?), we traveled to MoBay to get the container and bring back a mission car.  This was the container we retrieved. (I just had to throw in the ganja sign.)

Today was the delivery day and it was great.  We traveled the narrow roads to Richmond (about mid-island, north of Kingston and a little west); this is a small town nestled in the mountains.  It's always a delight when we arrange to meet someone alongside the road and then follow them to our destination.  We met Principal Davis in Highgate (about 10 minutes away from the school).

 Theron helped a little guy tie his shoe.

When we arrived, we were met by 160+ children, ages 4 to 13.  It was snack time and there were cheese puffs, bag juice, and cookies in children's hands and mouths.  The special "Tuck" shed (snack sales place) was totally surrounded.  We were promptly introduced to all of the teachers, we saw the kitchen storage room that LDS Humanitarian Missionaries Elder and Sister Preece had built for the school along with the new roof on the pre-school room.  Of course, we heard of several more projects that Principal Davis wants to accomplish and who knows, we may be involved.  Our projects start out with these initial visits and then some prayer and research on our part before we commit.

We did not know what was in the container, so we decided to have the teachers help us unpack it and organize the items.  They will be the ones to ultimately use things and distribute them to the children.  Wow, what a treasure was sent -- a set of encyclopedias, a set of Childcraft books, all sorts of children story books, pencils, pens, colored markers, chalk, a laptop computer, and some very beautiful clothes.  There were smiles everywhere.

It was almost lunch time and we had the Principal dismiss all the children so we could take a picture.  Note, Elder Cheesman is out front shepherding (well it's like herding cats sometimes) the organization of the children so we could get a picture.  We love days like this!  To all back home, keep the donations to LDS Humanitarian Services coming.  Our containers should be here shortly and then we will be out and about again.  Love to all!

Pushing the Envelope

We're not sure why it seems so difficult to write about our adventures.  It's not that everything has become routine, hardly, it's more like its too hard to write things that make sense to those who have not experienced what we are doing. 

Our "boss" Bennie Lilly (the Area Welfare Manager) from the Dominican Republic visited with us last week, so we had a great time taking him around to visit our projects and future projects.  We visited with the people at Food for the Poor and he was given the tour of the offices, warehouses and grounds.  He was quite impressed.  Food for the Poor builds about 200 homes each month for islanders and Bennie was very interested in getting plans to perhaps use these for a model for houses in the rebuilding of Haiti.

We took Bennie to a project we have been working on that pushed the Humanitarian envelope a little, okay, maybe it pushes it a little-beyond where an envelope should be pushed.  You see, we are not into building buildings.  We can furnish buildings, we can provide equipment, stoves, refrigerators, chairs, computers, washing machines, etc. for use in buildings, but buildings aren't part of what we do.  So I'm sure you see where this is going.  We have a community called Broken Hurst that has been trying to build a community center for several years.  They erected the cinder block walls a few years ago but before they could get them connected at the corners (they pour solid concrete at the corners), a hurricane came through and tore it down.  So, they rebuilt and have the corners in, but no roof, or doors, or windows.  They also want the community center to be a hurricane shelter and thus want a concrete roof, but as we explained to them - We don't build buildings.  Now it gets interesting.  As we turned to leave the building site, I notice a large slab of concrete on a nearby hill side with a large cistern used as a Catchment Basin from which the citizens can come and get water (there is no piped water in this community).  They told us that the community has been growing but the "water system" has not, and with the drought, they have had to pay to have water hauled in.  Well, suddenly the concrete roof (which we can't build) became an addition to the water catchment basin which we can build - remember that envelope?  So, it's a catchment basin with a basement.

Bennie talked about our "creativity" and shook his head a lot, but finally said "let's run it up the flag pole and see what happens" (he likes to say that alot) which means that he will pass it along to the Area Presidency, but he added, "Don't send pictures of the building and be careful how you write it up" (like that was something we hadn't already thought about).  We took that as an endorsement of the project and will get it written up as soon as the community comes back to us with pricing for the job (yes we had already told them to begin working out the details).

You are going to get tired of hearing about the new Family Food Production Initiative, but this is something that is going to occupy a lot of our time and most of our thoughts.  Today, we had a branch conference in our branch (Kingston Branch) and the theme which had been selected several months ago (long before the food initiative was announced) was Self Reliance.  We had a combined Elders/RS meeting and the district President asked the question, "What would you like to do to produce the food that you need for your family?"  After receiving several responses he told them that the Lord had provided the means for them to begin just about any food project they would like to do, including production, storage, and nutrition.  I was asked to speak and fill in the details and background to the initiative.  Following the meeting Shanna had several wonderful comments from members (while I was teaching piano) about how this was an answer to their prayers. They spoke of canning and preserving but had no idea how to do it or even what could be preserved.  It looks like we may be bringing in a load of Mason jars, rings, lids, cold pack canners, pressure cookers, Mylar bags, and heat sealers.  We've also been looking into other storage solutions but they are again, "pushing the envelope" (we've just got to get stronger envelopes).

In Scouting all these years I've been taught how to think outside the box.  But ya know, it's hard to think "outside the box" when you have to stay "inside the envelope".

Celebrating 36 Years

Today is our 36th wedding anniversary.  What a way to celebrate; who would have thought that we would celebrate this anniversary in Jamaica doing all this fun stuff.  As an anniversary present, we heard that our wheelchair project was approved by Salt Lake!  Look out Jamaica, here come 500 wheelchairs, a new training program, and two new wheelchair repair facilities.

We also talked with our good friend Cheryl Ray in Afghanistan.  Skype is a great invention for these times.  She is doing well and looks forward to Kelly joining her in a couple of weeks.

That was the fun stuff -- Theron mopped the floors and I cleaned the bathrooms, washed and dusted.  Maintenance never has an end.

Hope all of you are well.  Looking forward to another day, mon!

Oh, we've enabled comments at the end of each blog.  We'd love to know just who all is visiting our site.   Click on the word "Comment" and tell us about your fine-selves.  We see people visiting from areas where we didn't know we had "people".

Another "Typical" Week

On Sunday, I was assigned to give a talk in Sacrament meeting next week -- on gratitude.  I'm grateful that each week is so packed with things to do.  Monday, the truck went in for a new brake job -- this time they diagnosed the master cylinder.  We have my special little car; the one I learned to drive in.

We have enough in the budget to buy Guys Hill Health Center a computer, we found one, and this whole week we have been trying to get the 17.5% general consumption tax waived.  The first agency sent us to the Minister of Finance (we had already tried that one with no success; well, long story but that's a 10 day, multiple visit wait and then you aren't sure.).  Tuesday found us at the tax agency in another parish and we found that for Churches you can get the wafers, sacrament wine, benches, and even a projector, but not computers.  Well, the argument that you can't use the projector without a computer didn't even fly.  We have prepared two letters for Guys Hill public nurse to sign accepting a donation from us.  We thought, let's try this angle.

Thursday found us at Food for the Poor discussing all kinds of things from shade houses, to bees, to wheelchairs, and the container shipment.  We will be working with their computer specialist on how to network 6 terminals together using one CPU.  This is the most efficient way to set up computers in classrooms.  We have at least three projects with schools these next few months.

We travel the 1.5 hours on Friday to Guys Hill and guess who is visiting the center that day-- yup, the St. Catherine person who can take things to the tax agency and get a waiver.  Was this a coincidence; we don't think so.  We had a great time talking to her and she is so pleased with the other work we have done there.  We delivered the new bedsheets and portable blood pressure cuffs.  They were so excited that we all had our blood pressure taken by the public health nurse.  Yes, mine is still a little high, but well down from what it usually is--the machine had to be wrong!  These guys were having a great time with this new equipment and it was so great to hear them laugh and have fun.  We should have the tax waiver by Tuesday!

Today, Saturday, we left at 9:00 a.m. and traveled to Spanish Town and made a presentation on the food initiative to the Mandeville District Presidency and then the same presentation to the Spanish Town District branch presidents and their counselors.  This is our new project and we are just getting started.  You'll hear more later as we get some things developed; but it's another big one.  Then drive for 2.5 hours to Junction and meet with the Co-op group about their grant.  On the way home, we stop and have dinner with Andersen's in Mandeville and then home, in the dark.  It's another 12 hour day!  Typical, great, rewarding, and challenging.  We love it.

Update - Achievers School Project and Shanna's First Driving Experience

Not posting for a while means we have been busy (and for everyone back home - SAFE).  We know everyone is hearing lots on the news, but we are just fine.  In fact, we traveled everyday last week.  One of our new projects will be Achievers Multi-Resource Center.  This is a private school in May Pen started by a retired school principal who wanted to teach children reading, provide an adult literacy program to the community, and help children who have challenges learning.  They are not disabled, they just have some learning problems.  She is a wonderful person and is indeed a champion for this project.

I want Cameron and Taylor to look at this computer lab and school and compare it with their school setting.

We then traveled to MoBay to pick up a container the Elder Cheesman had donated.  The mission wanted us to pick up a car left by the Elder and Sister Bradley who just went home to Philadelphia; they were great missionaries and can truly report they made a difference.  Well, this was Shanna's first driving experience.  I drove from Lucea to Negril to Sav-la-Mar to Mandeville and then home to Kingston.  It was an interesting experience to say the least.  Theron followed for a while and then led because I couldn't get over to the center very well.  I kept throwing roadside debris at him.  It took some getting used to driving closer to that center line, especially since I didn't want to hit people walking and riding along the roadside.  I made it without a dent or scratch.  Now, I truly feel like a Jamaican.

Here's a couple of pictures of local homes near Negril.  Negril is a very tourist resort area with lots of beach hotels.  This is where the locals who work in the hotels live.

I was even pulled over by a police stop.  Traveling out of Mandeville, they had a typical traffic stop.  I was selected to pull over.  The officer that came was very nice; he just wanted to see my papers (car registration and driver's license).  I had a hard time finding the papers for the car in the glove box and all the time I was telling him about who I was and what we were doing.  I had my personal papers and he then just wanted to chat.  I told him about our Church and what we were doing.  I also thanked him for doing is job, and then went on my way.  No big deal.  They can't do anything to American drivers anyway, so I wasn't worried at all.  Here again, they are just doing their job; if you thank them and are nice, they will be nice back.

Of all the roads I have driven on, I love the A2000 (the interstate from May Pen to Kingston).  Driving in downtown Kingston can be a challenge, but you just drive through the people and try not to hit one of them that walks in front of you.

We are having a little taste of the rainy season.  Each afternoon, it clouds up and rains for about 45 minutes and then stops.  Of course, it makes the rest of the day muggy, but we need the rain.  Having fun, loving the work, and wish all of you well.

The weekend - three days later

Saturday found us traveling the road between Mandeville and Kingston again, only now we travel the opposite direction.  We were asked to attend a meeting with members of the Brokenhurst community.  They have been trying to build a community center for a couple of years and have the cement blocks about finished.  This is actually their second attempt as the hurricane of a couple of years ago knocked down some of the walls before they got them braced to each other.  They want us to help them put a roof on so that they can use it as a hurricane shelter for the community.  We then met with a farmers co-op of primarily LDS members who needed help in writing a grant proposal for $50,000 US for improving agri-business on the island.  It would be a little easier if they had a clear understanding of what they are wanting to do with the money.  We (Shanna) is putting it together to see if anything makes sense.  We had lunch at KFC (oh goody) again and then went to the Mandeville district conference Saturday meeting.  It was a good meeting but VERY poorly attended.  The Morrisons invited us to see the progress they have made on their home.  They are having a work party next Saturday that we will  probably attend. After which we went with Andersons over to our old home and had a short visit.  They were saying that they feel a little lonely but are doing well. 

Sunday we drove half way to Mandeville to attend the Sunday session of the district conference at May Pen.  This was a very impressive meeting and very well attended.  It looked like how a stake conference should look.  It was fun to see many of our friends from Mandeville and Hopeton.   President Hendricks (new mission president) spoke and talked about how the prophet Joseph struggled on how to describe the "light" that accompanied the first vision.  It is interesting that the only light with which he was familiar was sun light or firelight.  He used both words but neither seemed to properly define what he had experienced.