Happy June from Barbados

 

Bajan $$ makes an outline of the island 

It's been another busy few weeks in the Caribbean and it's not going to ease up in the foreseeable future with many happy memories as well as transitions in the making.  We aren't getting trunky, but life just happens. Your summer is just beginning, while we have enjoyed perpetual summer for the past 11 months.  Not going to lie, Doug misses winter snowmobiling, but I could remain a snowbird for the rest of my days. 

Zoom chat about upcoming needs

Living in the Caribbean, we have to be prepared for hurricanes this time of year.  We did have a tiny earthquake 6 months or so ago on Barbados as well, but nothing since.  On our other islands, we have to be prepared for Volcanic activity in addition to our hurricanes.  Communication is a big concern.  Pre-Covid, the mission bought Garmin satellite devices.  Since then, we've lost contact with where 1/2 of them are located, as people have moved, become less active in church, or have passed them on to others that aren't missionaries, plus missionaries come and go.  Luckily, Doug has a passion for emergency prep, so he's taken the task of finding out who has the devices, getting them updated with the latest applications, and then will help train everyone how to use them.  He's had fun "playing" with his brother Greg who is on St. Vincent figuring out how to communicate in various ways using the devices.  It's kind of nice having each other as guinea pigs!

Our time with Kerriann

We had the wonderful opportunity to go out teaching with the missionaries the past few weeks.  We were able to meet a beautiful Jamaican sister Kerriann who they found several months ago.  When the missionaries find a Jamaican, they always call Doug to see if he would like to join.  Of course, he then seems to find every other Jamaican in the near vicinity.  It was a great experience and we hope to help support Kerriann as she learns more about her divine identity and that there is indeed a Heavenly Father who loves her and that she has a Savior that will support her through all the changes that she is trying to make in her life.  

Elder Poulino is our ZL

Doug also met a gentleman on the way to the office a few weeks ago.  His name is Omar and Doug gave him a pass-along card and Omar reciprocated with his phone number.  Doug invited him to church and he showed up for District Conference his first Sunday and stayed the entire time!  The sisters are teaching him now.  Omar is now a regular visitor in the mission office to visit Elder Ellis and has a baptismal date later this month.

Shopping for ZC at Amir's Chicken Farm with Sister Toma

We enjoyed our last Zone Conference this week with the Bickmores'.  It is a little surreal, as this is all we've known but more so for the young missionaries.  Their experience can hardly be described unless you lived here in a post-covid world in such a unique mission.  Their leadership has reopened all 8 islands and helped navigate the mission and districts back to active duty.  Because Heavenly Father has a plan for all His children, the Burnhams' who will arrive on the 24th will now take our mission to the next level of anxious engagement in the Lord's work.  We look forward to many future reunions with the Bickmores' and the young missionaries that we've served with.  One of the greatest exercises that President Bickmore led the missionaries through this conference was about recognizing the Lord's promises.  He had listed multiple scriptural references from the Bible and the D&C for the missionaries to review and see which promise had a special significance for each missionary.  As they individually shared why that particular scripture spoke to them, President walked them through what the conditions were for us to obtain that promise.  A couple of things that stood out are questions that we should ponder as we take our self-inventory:

• Do I TRUST God?
• If I do, then do I act on that trust by aligning my will to His?
• Do I wait on the Lord or do I force my will?  If I don't wait, where's my Trust?

This week marks 54 for me!  Luckily, my birthday is on p-day and we planned to get a day pass at the Hilton, get a pedicure (treat for me because it's been over a year), and have dinner at Lobster Alive with all the seniors including the Bickmores.  They get the Lobsters fresh from St. Vincent.  The seaweed (sargassum) has descended upon us the last couple of weeks as the storms came through and so the beaches have been a bit too kelpy for my liking, hence the day pass for my birthday to enjoy the pools. 

Sunday, we celebrate Father's day, which we will have lunch together at the mission home to celebrate together.  We all miss not being with the kids on Mother's & now Father's day.  Doug & I also miss our dads who are now in heaven working on that side of the veil.  We are blessed to have had "goodly parents" who did the very best they could for us and still support us in the most important ways.  Happy Father's day to you-- our friends and family celebrating as well.  Your influence is felt in your family, but also in ours.  

We are heading into transfer week, as transfer calls are being held on Sunday evening.  These transitions are exciting and crazy and will end with the biggest transition for the mission as The Burnhams' arrive and we bid "Until we meet again..." to the Bickmores.