Guy's Hill Labor-Day

May 24th is designated as Labor-day in Jamaica.  I didn't see families trying to get the last vacation in before school starts.  No boats were out being polished, in fact when we left Kingston at 6:00 am there wasn't really much going on at all - partly because it was a holiday and partly because the city was under lock down.  We were going to Guy's Hill up in the mountains to help with pouring a concrete entrance to the Health Centre.

We did see a lot of Jamaicans on the hour drive that were doing what labor-day is suppose to be about, providing volunteer labor to the community.  They were cleaning the streets, removing dirt and trash from the side of the road ways, trimming the trees, bushes and grass with machetes, painting signs along the roads, and in Guy's Hill there were about 50 of them (including 8 LDS brethren from Ochie and High Gate) participating in our humanitarian project.  Our project included removal of the broken entrance and replacing with new concrete and concreting two new clothesline poles in the back of the centre.  We hired Mr. Clive Richards to oversee the project and to provide some of his workers and Mr. Huntley Hamilton to weld a new grill to secure the new washing machine and employee break room.

The nurse staff came on their day off, along with several other women of the community, and cooked food that the community had provided. Rice and peas (beans), curry chicken, fried chicken, fried fish, salad, and chicken foot soup. I kept checking with the nurses to make sure they didn't include any left-over human parts.  They said not to worry, only a few fingers and toes.  In the afternoon there was a little "smoke" provided by some of the workers (I didn't try the smoke or the chicken foot soup).

It was a great day and a lot of fun.  Concrete work here is a little different than what I've seen in the US.  Here they spread out a 6 inch layer of sand on half the road.  Hauled about the same amount of gravel and placed it on top on the sand.  Bags of cement were then laid out on the sand/gravel and broken open as they started mixing the concrete with shovels.  The mix is so soupy that it tended to run down the slope of the road but they quickly hauled the mix in buckets and wheelbarrows as fast as they mixed it on the road.

The pour was screeded to level it to the forms and left quite rough.  It started to rain so they covered it and stopped for lunch.  After lunch they uncovered the job and dry mixed screened sand and cement in a wheelbarrow.  This dry mix was thrown on the concrete and then troweled smooth.

Mr. Huntley's arc welding of the clothesline poles was drawing a lot of attention from a couple of our young Aaronic Priesthood brethren so I took them over and Mr. Huntley gave them the welding helmet and the stinger and let them weld on the part of the poles that would be buried in the concrete.  They picked it up very quickly and were having a good time with it.  I'm sure it was more fun than digging the holes.

The people were getting a little concerned about us having to travel back to Kingston so we left about 3:00 pm.  They had told us that the main road that we had driven that morning had been closed at Spanish Town because of the conflict so we traveled over the mountain roads and came across through Salisbury Plain where we stopped and were pleased to find that the power lines had been run for the water pumps at the shade tree project.

It was a great day seeing a community come together to do a project like this.  I'm sure the church is much better known in Guys Hill and our work will be prominently displayed for many years to come and who knows, maybe we started a couple of young men onto a new vocational trade.

Sunday is always an amazing day!

I love Sundays here.  We are attending the Kingston Branch which is the southwest Kingston area; this means everyone lives in the concrete jungle of the city.  The branch has a lot of members, but usually only about 50 attend.  There is no one in the branch who plays the piano (or electric keyboard I should say) and so the music is provided from the hymn CDs.  The organist sits by the CD player and starts the music and the chorister stands at ground level and conducts.  The theme this month has been 'charity' and all of the talks have been about charity; amazingly none of them have sounded alike even though they quote many of the same scriptures.  The Relief Society has a 'charity never faileth' box to collect canned goods for others - I didn't see anything in the box today.

The district president was the concluding speaker and he talked about paying your tithing and visiting our neighbors, i.e., home and visiting teaching.  Here is a branch with probably 50% unemployment; I just wonder what they were thinking, yet tithing is a true principle and one that needs to be obeyed if ever we hope to get a stake her in Jamaica.

Sunday School was directly from the manual and the teacher even drew the tree and 4 anchors (see lesson 19) on the board.  One member started reading verses from his former Church's version of the Bible, it sounded like one of the new language versions.  The district president had me get a Bible that was on the table and have him read from our Church's edition.  There are always only about 4-5 people that read and I wonder if some cannot read.  I haven't been here long enough.

Then Relief Society, there are some wonderful sisters and the lesson was on Elder Holland's conference talk.  There is a 'jeans' dance on Friday and I told them I didn't bring any jeans.  They laughed and began chatting about where I could get some.  As I was leaving, one sister spoke up and said she didn't have any jeans either; so I said, great, let's where skirts together and we will.

This was Theron's first piano lesson and 6 members wanted to learn.  They are so anxious to learn a new skill. He went to the chapel where there is a keyboard and we brought the one we borrowed from the mission office.  He was only expecting 2 students, but the word got out.  I went to a baptism.  The brother being baptized today was in his 60s and a brother who was baptized just two months ago performed the baptism.  It is always a treat to see members baptizing rather than the missionaries.  As we started to sing the opening song, "I Need Thee Every Hour" the man getting baptized, Clayton Campbell started crying.  This is unusual in this culture.  It was a three dunk baptism with Brother Shakespeare struggling to say the prayer correctly, but it was worth it.  Oh, by the way, it took about 3 hours to fill the font and everyone was worried about running out of water.

We are ending the evening in lock down.  Elder and Sister Chessman came for dinner and he fielded calls from the Kingston and Spanish Town elders.  The downtown elders are moving across town for the night and staying with the Constant Spring elders.  The Coke incident is beginning to escalate.  Tonight there are no buses running in Kingston.  The police and military are out and starting to fight with the gangs and probably trying to get into Trivoli Garden where Coke is supposed to be.  If you haven't heard, Coke is being extradited to the US on drug trafficking charges.  He is in control of all the youth gangs in the city and they will try to protect him.  We are totally safe where we are; Neala, do not worry!

I love Sundays.  The spirit is so great, the people are trying so hard to do the right thing.  Many comments are always given on how others they meet during the week call them strange, members of a cult, weird.  They are strong and are constantly saying how that just makes them want to live the gospel to a higher level.

Back in Utah, Adrian was sustained as the young women president.  She has been all the presidents now and does such a great job.  These girls will be blessed because of her spirit!

Big T's 59th Birthday

Theron turned 59 years old today and we had a big time celebration with the office elders and assistants at the mission office.  We furnished banana splits for the office.  We also celebrated by submitting our wheelchair project.  The project was for 500 wheelchairs, setting up two Jamaica repair facilities, and providing wheelchair fitting training.  This is a big project for us!  Now we await the approvals.

Thanks to all who wished Theron a happy birthday.  It was fun to hear how many are following the blog.  Thanks for your prayers and support!  Love and kisses to all.

The Morrison family

Have you ever met someone for the first time that you feel you have known all your life?  President Courtney Morrison is just such a person, at least to me.  He is the Elder's Quorum President in Mandeville and one of the first persons we met in the branch.  He just kind of stood out, not just because he is fairly tall and quite lean, and has that type of black skin that is as smooth as if it were carved from ebony.  Even though those physical traits do tend to make one stand out, but his demeanor and humility and kindness and how he easily laughs and his testimony and love of the gospel and, and, and, are things that I admire in him.  But it's not just him, it's his wife Jackie also.  She is a beautiful young woman with a very slight build with a natural grace and elegance that is only surpassed by her smile.  Oh did I mention their four boys ages 16, 9, 6, and 4?  I look at them and see nothing but prospective missionaries.  (It's interesting how many families in leadership roles in the church in Jamaica have a large number of boys.)

The Morrisons have been members of the church for about 9 years.  I don't know too much about their conversion but it is something that will be discussed as we visit with them in the future.  Courtney was  employed in the power generating plant at the bauxite (aluminum) mine and refinery until the plant closed last year.  With the current world recession, the demand for aluminum has fallen and the world's stockpiles have risen and as a result, all of the bauxite plants in Jamaica have closed for a few years. 

Courtney has been doing all that he can to feed his family.  He has started a home repair/lawn care/maintenance company and is managing to keep food on the table.  He is a member of a farmer's co-op that was started with the help of LDS Humanitarian efforts and is growing some crops on borrowed ground (I think it may be owned by the bauxite company).  We just found out that in spite of all his efforts, he is being evicted this Saturday from the small home in which they have been living and will be moving in with the branch president's daughter and family for the next month. 

The Morrisons have a "home" that they are trying to build, on land that he was able to purchase from the Bauxite company.  Currently the home consists of rough cinder block walls and rubble floors.  He is borrowing all the money he can, which will be enough to pour a concrete roof over one bedroom and the bathroom, and will pour a concrete floor in those areas and in a kitchen.  They and their four children will live here without running water, or electricity.  It's the best they can do.   He will probably need to board-up the window openings as they will not have funds to purchase windows.  They hope to be able to get entrance doors so they can secure the home.  They have a propane stove that will be placed in the kitchen - one of the rooms without a roof - and since there is no electricity, there is no refrigerator or light.  They say that this will be a time in their life that they can reflect back on and laugh - however, they are in a situation where they can hardly look forward at all. 

Their little boys are excited about the new house, but they have no concept of what their parents are going through.  I suppose that the boys could sleep in a tent on the top of the concrete roof which would be quite an adventure - if they just had money for a tent.

I hope you can perhaps see why I have strong emotion for the Morrison family.  I love them dearly and I am extremely impressed with them and what they are struggling through.  Even though they live in "paradise" surrounded by palm trees, I'm sure the grass is truly greener where you live - I know it is where I live.

Elder Schaefermeyer

Glengoffe Health Center Children's Day

We have such a fun calling. On Monday, we went to the Glengoffe Health Center - look at the map and go north above Bog Walk about half way across Jamaica and then go a little east. Those are the best directions we can give. It's a small community and humanitarian services has donated hygiene kits there before. We felt bad because there is not one hygiene kit on the island. Our first container order was just approved yesterday and it will not be about 6-8 weeks for shipment and clearing customs. We can't wait, there is such a critical need for hygiene, new born, and medical kits here. We will be busy handing these out all over the island.

Here's a couple of pictures of the children and the center. These are conditions generally at most health centers.

Now for the really good stuff. I learned how to make Chicken Foot Soup.  The recipe is to get two tire rims and put coal (green wood burned to make charcoals) and a very large aluminum pan.  Put lots of breadfruit, yams (potatoes), carrots, garlic, and pumpkin pieces in and boil.  Then squeeze lime juice from fresh limes all over the chicken feet and mix it through.  Then, cut some of the tendons so the feet open a little.  Put them into the soup mixture and cook to tender - when is a chicken foot tender?  I could have eaten it, but we couldn't stay for the entire day.  Here's the pictures from start to finish.  Enjoy.

The move to Kingston, the hotdog roast, rafting, etc. etc. etc

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Lots of things have happened since my our last blog; it's been wild and crazy around here.  The week of May 10 to May 15 was a marathon.  On Monday, we came to Kingston to find an apartment.  We had several real estate agents looking and found some nice and some not so nice places.  We are going from $1,000 a month to $1,500 month, but that’s what we have to pay for a decent apartment.  We took a drive, with the Andersens, to Salisbury Plain and the shadehouses.  We really gave them a ride that day.  We have just heard that we will have about $10,000 more for a catch basin.

On Tuesday, we came back to Kingston and continued our hunt for an apartment.  We visited with Patrick Rohden in Old Harbour who owns a wheelchair repair business.  Patrick is wheelchair bound and drives the streets in his motorized chair.  He has a shop and says he repairs everything.  Food for the Poor is going to get him a better facility and we will try to get some tools and things as part of our wheelchair project.  It’s always fun to meet people usually out on the street or intersection.  We met Patrick at the Shell station in Old Harbour and followed him to his shop.  (see the picture)

Wednesday brought us back to Kingston – we are grateful that we will be moving these drives are killing us.  Today, we had to be there at 9 am to meet with Monsignor Gregory Ramsskoon the director of Mustard Seed Communities.  This is a Catholic organization that cares for orphans, disabled children and children born with HIV.  Mustard Seed is desirous of getting a wheelchair repair facility.  We left there and met a real estate agent and found our apartment in the Gladstone complex on Lady Musgrave Road.  We decided on one close in town rather than in the Norbrook area, of which we found a beautiful large apartment.

Then a quick trip back to Junction for a bonfire.  However, we had to deliver some items to the Spanish Town elders.  Okay, the bonfire (now Junction is about 45 minutes past Mandeville) this was a branch activity and President Collins asked us to bring marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers.  When he asked, he said, “If you could bring some of the chocolate and marshmallow treats that you roast.”  “Oh, smores,”  “Yes, yes.”  We were met by about 15-20 young people primary and young women/men age.  They all wanted their pictures taken--I won't include all of them, but the slideshow when we get back just got lots longer.  We had a great time getting to know everyone.  I was standing talking to one of the elders and a woman came up and touched my hair.  I turned and ran my fingers through it and said yep, it’s real, and so several of the women came over to touch it.  One of them said, “It is real, it’s not a wig.”  Blonde hair and our finer hair fascinate them.  The young children like to touch the skin on our arms.

Elder and Sister Andersen had divided up the items for the smores into small ziplock bags.  I had discussed this with her previous that we could not just put these out on a tray.  If you do that, they come and stuff their pockets and you can’t guarantee that everyone will get some.  This worked great as you can see, Elder Andersen handed these out and he was mobbed.  It was fascinating seeing the children roast and eat marshmallows.  Some expressed that they had never eaten a marshmallow before.  Even Brother Powell (cousin to Collin Powell) told me this was only his second time eating a marshmallow.  They loved it.

The ward furnished the hotdogs which they boiled in a pot.  We stood back so that perhaps we would not have to eat one; because the kids were hungry and really love this event.  These are the red dogs you see, not sure what is in them, but they brought us one on a bun with ketchup.  I took one bite and could not eat the rest.  It was slimy and the taste was more than I could take.  In retrospect, I should have given mine to one of the children; but I wrapped it up and put it in the truck to throw away later.

The branch presidency bore their testimonies and then the activity was for the children to act out a scripture story.  Theron took two teenage boys aside and they were “wise guys” – the 3 wise men.  I climbed up to the roof of a house that was being built and was Samuel the Lamanite.  I had one elder gather the little children together and he was Jesus and the little children.  There was Daniel in the Lions Den and several others.  It was really a fun activity.

Notice the one taller girl holding the baby, she seems so unhappy and I really didn’t see her smile the whole evening.  Can’t tell what’s up, but it is so sad to see children so sad.

It is now Thursday, May 13.  We have to be in Kingston at 10 to sign our lease for the apartment.  We have to be in Spanish Town at 1 pm for a meeting with Food for the Poor.  Then back to the Mission Office to meet with the Branch Presidency from Spanish Town.  Then home to pack because we are moving on Friday.  Food for the Poor is excited about the wheelchair project and the bee project.  It was amazing, we had put together a document outlining how we suggest the project go.  They had also prepared a document about the project.  The similarities we astounding.  This is a great project I can tell.  We just need some time to write it up and get it submitted.

President Smith and his two counselors met us at the mission office.  He is a new branch president of a new branch in Spanish Town.  We guided him in conducting the meeting and after prayer, he said, “I have too many of my people on fast offerings.  We have got to get them off this and teach them some skills.”  You could have knocked us off our chairs.  This is unheard of.  He wants to have them grow their own gardens and raise chickens.  For some time, we have felt that the church grounds and welfare principles should be a priority here; perhaps this is the time.  The Lord is guiding this work and we want to be his hands to get things done.

Friday, May 14, is the big move.  We loaded up the truck; Elder Cheesman (bless his heart) came up with another pick-up truck and took the desk and file cabinet and we moved to Beverly (Kingston Town that is).  The temperature was 90 or more, the humidity was high, and we had to bring everything up three flights of stairs.  When people come to visit now, they won’t get the Jamaica experience.  Our apartment is rather modern; hot, but modern.  It is now later afternoon and we had to meet with Clive Richards, the concrete guy for the Guys Hill Project.  We met him at the road side just by the stop light in Linstead.  We do work all along the roadside at various spots.  It is truly amazing how the work gets done.

Bradleys on the Rio Grande

Then on to Ocho Rios (eight rivers) to stay with the Bradleys and then on Saturday take a rafting trip down the Rio Grande in Port Antonio on bamboo rafts.  All of the senior couples on the island were there and we had a great time.  Bradleys rented a 15 passenger van and a driver.  This made the trip so great!  The rafting trip took about 3 hours on the river.  At one point, we stopped for food, but some Navy guys came ahead of us and bought multiple plates so there was only enough food for two plates with some extra dumplings and bread fruit.  Wow, this lady that cooks the meal stores her pots by the river.  Walks 1.5 miles each day, crossing the river, and brings the food down.  She cooks everything on a wood rack with zinc cover kind of dutch oven style.  The food was delicious.  She only charges $400 a plate (about $4.20 US).  I can’t even imagine the hard work she must go through for this service.

                 

Then, we drove into Port Antonio City and picked up Brother Chris.  Brother Chris is a Dutchman from Denmark who immigrated to Jamaica in the early 60s.  He is married to a Jamaican woman who is rather white we are told who now has Alzheimer’s and is living in Washington DC in a nursing home.  He knows the people and customs and history.  A rather fascinating chap.  He had us drive to the Maroon village where we met the Colonel over the Maroons.  We were all so tired that I wish we could have been more interested, but we weren’t.  This is a very important part of Jamaica’s history.  The village came about when Christopher Columbus was marooned on the island.  The crew went to the mountains and lived and stayed there forming this village.  Today, there is a treaty with the Maroons and the Jamaica government that they have tax free land and they govern themselves.  This is similar in America to the Native Americans.  The most famous maroon is Nanny.  She was the leader during one of the revolutions and they won by fighting in ambush style.

A late night drive down Fern Gully home, arriving at 10:30 pm, and the first night in the new apartment.  Church today at the Kingston Branch and Theron will already start teaching piano lessons as there is no one in the branch that plays and the music for the meeting was from a CD.  Wow, what a week!!!

Oh, by the way, we just got the Internet connection up and running today.  That's why we have been out of commission the last week!  We are back.

Just another ordinary day

We stayed home today and washed, mopped, cleaned toilets, and got caught up on e-mail and project budgets.  We worked a little on our projects -- very little because the power was out for most of the morning up to 1:00 pm.  We are continuing to talk with people in Kingston about places to live.  The Cheesmans are wonderful; they have offered to let us stay there as we have to be there Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  They are looking in the classifieds for us.  You just can't ask for better people to be associated with in this mission!! Thank you Chessmans.

We heard from Marc today that Beth Ray died.  Kelly and Cheryl our sympathy is with you.  You should rejoice that she lived such a long complete life.  She was a light to all who knew her.