Flash Flood Warning: Imminent

 Our mission has a saying…. Who gets to do this?  What’s this you might ask?  This could be missionary work.  This could be sacrificing time and talents.  This could be serving members in their local farm.  This could be living on an island.  This could be learning French.  THIS is obedience and dedication to going and doing whatever it is that the Lord has asked us to do.  For a time, WE get to do THIS!  

This week is a bit of a blur as October comes to a close.  We see fall and even snow pictures from back home and feel a bit disconnected as it’s hot and humid.  Tender mercy is that we only have to pack for one season, so there’s that!  We can tell tourist season is upon us, because a lot more pale people have shown up walking the streets and beaches.  For an island with a population of 300,000 that is 21 miles by 14 miles, traffic can definitely pick up during tourist season.  The economy here loves tourism and needs it, so BRING IT ON! We love to see visitors at church who fall in love with the island as much as we do.  

Riding the storm out at Reggie's Jerk Shack

We took an early p-day this week because we were supposed to have a full weekend with a visiting authority for a district conference.  On Thursday, which started out nice and  sunny, we decided to head up the west coast for a beach day.  Our mission leaders were off island this week, so they gave us their car to use while they were gone.  Once we arrived beachside  we found a nice rain cloud moving in from the ocean.  It’s fine ... .it's all water.  We just needed some salt air, a good chair and some convo to relax for a few hours.  Mother Nature had other plans, so after an hour or so the heavens opened and  rain poured like .  Packed it in and decided to wait it out at a local Jamaican restaurant we had seen.  No problem, Mon!  Everyting irie!  NOT!  Food was great but the rain was hard, fast, and furious!  By the time we’re done, there’s a river of water under our feet and ponds to wade through to get to the car.  We’ve heard flash flood warnings on the island, but have not experienced it first hand until this week.  Wow!  Logs, rocks, garbage cans, garbage bags, and anything not nailed down was floating down the streets and out to sea.  The gutters couldn’t keep up and the standing water was seriously up to the car  doors!  Every side road was pouring dirty, brown water into the main highway that ran along the coast......  The ONLY highway we had to get home.  We pulled off to the side to try and wait it out but it kept coming!  As we were surveying the options, we noticed several islanders moving forward with no hesitation.  We decided to follow a few buses and trucks who were blazing the path.  Once you commit, you just can’t quit!  From the picture below, you can start to picture our scenario.  We started moving through this gap approaching this deceiving "puddle", when a truck the size of the white one featured in this pic began its approach opposite us …..our little RAV4 quickly became an ark and we could feel ourselves floating as a wall of brown water washed completely over the top of our car.  It only lasted a few seconds before our tires found ground again but I don’t think our heart  rates returned to normal for hours!  After that, the road was mostly uphill so we drove home in pure astonishment of what we just experienced! We are supposed to be moving out of rainy season, but Mother Nature has a sense of humor!

Friday, we did the shopping preparing for our weekend meetings with our area authority and other missionaries for a district conference.  Shopping seems so simple at home.  Run to Maceys & or Costco and run back home.  Here, it seems to take so long to do anything.  Running to 2 stores took the whole morning that we then went & unpacked at the mission home.  Afterwards, Sister Stoffers followed us out to the airport to drop the Mission Leaders car off for their early afternoon arrival!  Back to the office and then off to a baptism!  Great way to start a weekend by the way!  All the missionaries on the island come!  It’s awesome!

Friday night, we learned that our visiting authority couldn’t make conference due to illness.  This meant Saturday opened back up for a pday.  We had a few hours to do some shopping and then have some lunch at a lovely beachside restaurant.  The weather still wasn’t fantastic, but you can’t beat the views!  

Saturday evening, we enjoyed feasting upon the Word at the adult session of the conference.  A wonderful little tender mercy....while we were awaiting the adult session to begin, we were visiting with some members from other branches.  We met this sister on the first Sunday we landed on the island.  We learned that she had served in the Puerto Rico mission with our dear friends the Wisners' and her mission leaders were Kay & Cheryl Briggs.  This sister is our District Primary President.  It gave us a little connection to home, a definite tender mercy for us.

Sunday session was wonderful as well!  Afterwards, the senior missionaries had dinner at the mission home!  It was delicious and a great time spent together.  Doug & I ended our Sunday in contemplation of what we learned at conference, our mission purpose, and what the future might hold for us.  I can't lie, but missionary life on an island has calmed me.  There is no "hurry" here.  Life is simple and filled with the things that matter most right now.  The "busyness" that was overwhelming at times, has definitely slowed to the Lord's pace and timing.  No need to get upset or worry, because He is definitely in charge.  One of the pondering questions from conference was "Do we have enough humility to truly put our trust in the Lord and let Him direct our paths?"  "Am I counseling the Lord with my laundry list of items or am I seeking His counsel on said list?"  Unfortunately, I am guilty of the first ALOT!