The Days of Our Lives - Final Day 15

Over these 18 months, we have had the opportunity to associate with, work with, and become friends with some very special people.  These last three days of visiting project sites and saying good-bye is making us realize just how much we care about these wonderful Jamaican brothers and sisters.


Today, we said good-bye to dear Suzette Miller who was our bee trainer and mentor at Bodles Research Center and we said good-bye to President Deans and President Dennis of the Spanish Town District Presidency.  President Deans has been a wonderful priesthood leader.  He is a special priesthood leader who helped us through the days of organizing and writing the food initiative.  He wants to these projects to be successful and we want him and the projects to be successful.

The last meeting with Presidents Dennis on left and Deans on right.

Sisters Brown, Sousa and Smith of Portmore are wonderful sisters who love the gospel and express so much gratitude for the few things they have and for the small gardens they have received.  Each one has struggled through life and continues to smile and extend a hand of friendship and love to others.  They and so many others are showing us how to make lemonade from a life of lemons.

Paul, one of the farmers, standing in the field of sorrel and the new irrigation pipe.

Sister Sousa's garden.

Sister Brown standing in door to her house.

Sister Brown's raised be garden.  You have to walk through her house to get to this area.

Sister Smith and Sister Smith by the latter's garden.  Thanks Sister Smith!

The Days of Our Lives - Final Day 16

Just a reminder that Bennie Lilly, Area Welfare Manager from the Dominican Republic, is here looking at our projects and learning more about our mission work.  Having said that, the itinerary for today was:  Salisbury Plain Shadehouses, Brown's chicken coop, off Stoney Hill Road, Eulalee Davis' coop on the roof, dinner with President and Sister Hendricks.

The Fruit Tree Shadehouses was a project started under the previous humanitarian missionaries, we have worked our entire mission trying to get the project finished.  It's getting close, but we won't be the ones to press the Submit button.  Today, we were in hopes that the pump could be used to run the first water through pipes.  Not so.  When Elder Schaefermeyer hit the switch, the pump did not go.  He decided to bring it back and "look" at it.  McGyver went right to work and fixed it.  Friday we will take it back to Salisbury Plain (another 2 hour journey) and make it work.  He thinks it just has sat around too long; things rust in this humid weather.  Stop #1 - not very impressive.

A good review of the pump with the "farmer" present.

The pump repair man reassembling the pump.

We then drove to "prospective member" Brown's to see his chicken coop.  This coop is built in a banana orchard on the side of a hill.  Brown's wife is a member and signed up for the project.  A requirement to get a coop is that you had to commit to help 2-3 others build their coops.  His wife told us that he would work on theirs but would probably not work on any other coop.  Not so.  He has helped build several coops and is delighted to help others.  Elder Flake continues to work with him and we'll see what happens!  We are hoping he is the first baptism from a chicken coop project.

The wide road leading to Brown's

Now the narrow trail at the end of the wide road leading to Brown's

Elder Whitehead, bennie Lilly, and Mr. Brown at his chicken coop.

Our favorite project is Eulalee Davis' coop on the roof.  We have to show everyone because this is our personal success.  She is planning on buying 25 more chickens in February (you can only buy layers 2 times a year - Feb and June).  She has more demand for the eggs than she can supply.  She expressed how for the first time in her life she is paying tithing.  She is teaching her grandchildren how to work by gathering eggs, cleaning, and maintaining the coop. We commented today how each time we visit, her home and self are cleaner and cleaner.  We love Eulalee as much as her chickens do -- they literally follow her around.

Sister Davis and the coop on the roof. (grandson in yellow shirt on bottom right is nailing the drape to the weight at the bottom)

We added the Dunrobin Basic School to our list of sites.  You have seen this one in a previous blog.  It's the school that had the 650 gallon water tank stolen during the Christmas holidays, and a discussion of a follow-up project at an adjoining school.  Then, on to a little talk time with Bennie about the scope of our food project.  It's really good to talk to someone who kind of knows what it's about, but doesn't know the details.  We realized how many things we have learned, how many gospel principles can be taught and how a life can be changed just by providing them with a chicken coop.  (There's a good topic for our homecoming talks.)

We just finished having dinner at Gauchos and now we are full, satisfied and tired.  A great 16th day.

The Days of Our Lives - Final Day 17

7:00 a.m. - Water aerobics in the pool for 1/2 hour.  No matter how hard I have tried, I can't lose any weight.  I'm just glad most of my clothes still fit.

9:00 a.m. - Grocery store for last minute stuff for dinner I'm cooking tonight and, the daily trip to the hardware store.  We needed 2 extension cords and some small screws for the Pepper Primary School computers.

10:30 a.m. - Drive to the airport to meet Bennie Lilly, the Area Welfare Manager.  He is touring Jamaica this week with the humanitarian missionaries.  Bennie is a great guy and we are so glad to have the opportunity to work with him.

Noon - Lunch at Chillitoes the Jamexican restaurant we eat at on Tuesdays (taco Tuesday).  They know all the elders and sisters by name, well we do wear a badge, but we go in and they know exactly what our order is going to be.  Today was Monday, they weren't quite prepared, but it was still good.  We invited Elder and Sister Flake to dine with us and talk with Bennie about their perspective of helping with the food initiative.

1:30 - 4:00 p.m. - Training for Elder and Sister Whitehead on CHaS and the financial program.  Bennie worked with them in answering questions and showing them some features of the program.

5:30 p.m. - Dinner with Bennie and Whiteheads.  I'm cleaning out the refrigerator and freezer and had a turkey roast so I put it in the crock pot to cook and then threw some other things together.  I was so much better than eating out, which is what the rest of the week will hold.

6:30 p.m. - Leave for the Mission Home for seniors Family Home Evening.  We love getting together with all the senior couples.  The event tonight was an evaluation of the YSA Conference.  Great comments and suggestions and it looks like this next year will be bigger and better than ever.  We always find out mission news -- Elder Harold and Sister Diane Smith were transferred from Ocho Rios to Junction.  That's the big news.  Quite a transfer from the north side city section of the island to the south side farm district of the island.  Three couples got engaged at or soon after YSA Conference.  Several youth were activated because of attending this event.

After 9:00 p.m. - Arrive Home and write a blog to finish off Day #17.  All is well.

The weather is hot and humid.

The Days of Our Lives - Final Day 18

I love Sunday meetings here.  The talks and testimonies are so pure.  Today we attended the Spanish Town 2 Branch District Conference.  President Harold Smith asked us to be there because he was being released.  We have formed a bond with President Smith; he was the one who really got us thinking a year ago about the welfare program of the Church and the food initiative.

It was very evident that President Deans, the District President, had never conducted a meeting where the branch leadership and elder's quorum leadership were being reorganized.  He was nervous about making certain everything was done in order - after all, the mission president was sitting behind him.  The new branch president is the former elder's quorum president, Royce Britton.  I asked some sisters how old he was; their answer was -- he is a returned missionary of several years, married and has three children -- he has to be well over 25.  Yup, he is very young as are several branch presidents.  This is a new time in Jamaica; the youth are the leaders and most of them did not grow up in the Church.

This is a priceless picture:  The mission presidency - Ulett, Hendricks, Brown.  The Spanish Town District Presidency - Lawton, Deans (President) and Dennis.

Elder Schaefermeyer is helping out the Mission President.  I'm assuming that the president needed someone who is a high priest.  You read between the lines on that one.

One of my goals this year is to read one book about each of our modern day prophets.  I'm currently reading the writings of George Albert Smith.  Today being Sunday, I'm taking the time to counsel our children:

"If you were to take from the world today the membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants were wiped out, we would have a world without any hope of eternal life in the celestial kingdom.  The people of the world wouldn't even know what it means. I don't say that disparagingly, but I am trying to say it so we will appreciate the blessings that the Lord has given to us."

As we have driven some 30,000 miles across Jamaica these last 18 months, I have written down the names of various Churches.  I have a accumulated the names of 193 churches with the Baptists, Seventh Day Adventists and Methodists counted only once.  It's tough going for our missionaries to teach the restored gospel to these protestant sects.  No wonder so many people are confused about life and eternal life.

Today I leave a challenge to our family to read the scriptures; this is the Lord's library.

Love to all this Sabbath Day.

The Days of our Lives - Final Day 19

It's Saturday, this is the day of the week that most senior missionary couples take it easy, sit around the pool, grocery shop, and do all the things that have to be done around the house.  Not humanitarian missionaries, we don our missionary attire, pick up Whiteheads and Flakes (They just wanted to ride.) and drive 3 hours to visit with President Collins for a half hour in Junction.  Well, we needed to introduce Whiteheads to President Collins and show Whiteheads where the town of Junction is located.  Following the meeting we drove another 45 minutes to have pizza at Jack Sprats in Treasure Beach. Makes for another morning of driving and riding depending on which seat you sit in and then an afternoon of driving and riding home.

Missionary couples and President Collins.

We got home in decent time tonight, 6:30ish, and we left fairly late 9:00ish.  What's that just another 9 hour day?

We were able to take school kits to President Collins for him to distribute to the children in his branch. They will be so excited to have them.  Late last night, President Richardson called to thank us for the school kits we dropped off at Hopeton a couple of day ago and to tell us that the 17 wild bee swarms he has captured are now registered and certified by Bodles as disease free, healthy hives.  This means he has 22 beehives.  He is excited and so are we!!  This is looking like a successful project.  We are in the process of ordering extractors to help our bee keepers harvest their honey, that's when they will see their reward for their training and bee care.  We wish them all the best!

Mom, show this to Sister Wilkinson, it's her granddaughter who will be home a week after we arrive.  Our Sister Wilkinson and Sister Everette are great missionaries.  We were all comparing shoes and wow, have we all worn them out.  Sister Wilkinson and Sister Smith (who has already returned home) were the first North American sisters to serve in Jamaica.  She can return proud of the job she did!

Sister Everette and Sister Wilkinson in front of the Junction Branch Building (it's in the corner)

Sister Schaefermeyer and Sister Wilkinson in Junction.

We took the sisters with us to Treasure Beach.  (Thanks Andersens for introducing us to Jack Sprats and the sisters say they miss you.)  On the way back, we stopped at a watermelon stand and all the couples bought a watermelon.  We asked the sisters if they would like one and they just smiled -- that means yes.  Enjoy!  The owner of the stand cut one open and let us all have a taste; probably the best we have tasted on the island. Salesmanship is not a big thing here, so that was totally unexpected.

We are now home safe and sound doing paperwork and getting ready for Sunday, and so ends day 19.

The Days of Our Lives - Final Day 20

We are grateful that Whiteheads went to Ochie and delivered the top soil and rocks for the service project at St. Ann's Bay Regional Hospital.  With each project we do, we incorporate a service project.  The project at St. Ann's Bay Hospital is providing them with a new anesthesia machine for the hospital.  How would you like to have an operation without anesthesia  equipment?  We will not be here to see it delivered to the hospital, but we know it will be appreciated.

With Whiteheads doing this chore, we were able to stay in Kingston.  Elder Schaefermeyer got a hair cut, I dyed by hair, we took a final picture of the Salvation Army project and no day is complete without a trip to the hardware store.  We had to go to Ace and purchase the paint and supplies for the YSA Service Project (painting the emergency container at Spanish Town).  Not bad for one day.

Remember the container?  It will be painted the same color as the building.

At the paint store, the lights went out during an afternoon rain/thunderstorm and the paint mixing machine would not start back up.  So we left and went back later.  I won't go into all the detail on the paperwork side of this transaction, just know that Theron had to sign his name 3-4 times in order to get the paint out of the store.  We can't wait to be able to walk into a store, look at all the merchandise, pay for it and walk out without a security check.  Enjoy your freedom.

Theron cooked dinner tonight and the Chinese food was delicious.  Elder and Sister Smith ate with us and then Theron taught her about PowerPoint.  All in all, not a bad way to spend the day.  We relaxed a little today.

Just thought we would throw in some pictures of the giddy house at Port Royal.  Who knows why, just because you need to know that we did do some fun things.

The giddy house at Port Royal, the building literally stayed together and just sunk during an earthquake.

T is standing straight; my he's good!

The Days of Our Lives - Day 21

Today found us in Old Harbour, about 1 hour west of Kingston.  The Church has a small branch here that meets in an upstairs area of a shopping center (the bar is just around the corner).  We met with Monica Gardner the welfare specialist and branch president's wife.  She works for the Social Development Agency and is really excited about the food initiative.  She is wonderful.

After a short meeting, we traveled to Paulette Hamilton's home to look at the location for her chicken coop.  We were expecting a site to build a new coop, not so.  Her husband had started to build a coop, so we will just help complete it and stock it with chickens.  Sister Whitehead had a little trouble crossing the bridge; all you had to do was stay in the middle.

Monica, Corliss, Me on the bridge to Hamilton's home

Hamilton coop in Old Harbour

Then it was on to Frank Knight's home.  Frank has been a member since May and helped convert his brother.  Both of them attended the YSA Conference.  Great young man.  They also have a "pre-built" Jamaican style chicken coop.  We'll give them a little help.

One of Knight's coops in Old Harbour

After stopping by the lumber yard, we are all hungry and drive to Angel's for Pizza Hut pizza.  Theron has been working long, long hours and driving long, long miles, so we headed home and at 3:00 p.m. got home a little early today.  Both of us are pushing to get some things done -- designing a 6-plex chicken coop and writing final reports. But, first a little afternoon nap and some TV time watch the "Big Bang Theory".   Another day in our lives.