Happy Christmas.....Lighting the World from Barbados!

 

Happy Christmas !  Barbados was a British island, so we hear lots of greetings this way.  It’s been such a good few weeks, so let’s catch you up.  Here's a photo dump of our December adventures so far:

We started our adventures with a new ride....new to us.....for a few weeks.  You aren't Bajan until you've driven a Swift!  Since Elder Noble arrived, it has freed us up to take on a special assignment from our mission leaders.  Barbados has about 12 parishes.  All of our 3 branches are located on the southern part of the island.  Our missionaries are also all centrally living in the southern area of the island.  One set of missionaries living in the southern part and one branch located in the southwest corner of the island takes in 9 parishes that include all the northern parishes.  Members have to travel quite a ways, usually on buses to attend church.  Our assignment was to go find members living in these northern parishes that we haven’t seen in quite a while and find out their stories.  It was a busy week.  

Sister Bishop said she prayed....and then we arrived!

Gun Hill:  Elder Renlund dedicated Barbados in this area.

Light the World this Christmas.  Our missionaries have been having a lot of fun this year finding different ways to serve our Bajan communities.  They have been doing a car wash every Friday and have found several friends that now attend church with us and are being taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Last Saturday, we participated in a Light the World activity with our district singing at the local mall. Not the type of mall that we have in the states, but a Bajan mall. Truly Bajan style, we were accompanied by a steel drum!  It was super fun. 

Sister Takapu loves pictures

We have enjoyed spending time lately with the Kowallis’.  On Saturday, we went to a Farmers Market, sang with the choir, went downtown and saw all of the Christmas trees on the marina, saw Santa, and attended the Grace play from a local church.  It was a full day and so fun making memories!

Dinner with a view @ Mimosas

Downtown Bridgetown:  Floating Christmas Trees

Santa might have a tan this Christmas

Sister & Brother Humphrey arrived!  She is the new Mission Health Advisor for the next year.  They are from Britain.  Love her accent and her funny idioms!  The missionaries are going to love her and are very lucky to have her.

To say we will miss our branch is an understatement.  They have taught us so much and through their love and example, we have come to consider them family.  We spoke in church Sunday.  It was bittersweet.  After Sacrament, our sweet branch presented us with a mahogany clock, so that "as our time on Barbados is setting that we will always remember the sunrises as well!"

Sister Clark made me this apron 

A unique part of being a missionary in the Barbados mission is the fact we have an English side and a French side.  We are lucky enough to meet most of the missionaries who come to Barbados at the beginning and some at the ending of their missions.  If they are on the French side, there is no chance that we will see them during their mission except for our Zoom meetings and through WhatsApp.  Sister Nwaka was one such missionary.  She is from Canada and was called to the French side.  She completed her mission in the BBM in March.  Her desire was to go to medical school post-mission.  As luck would have it, she is going to medical school on Barbados at Ross University and is in our Branch.  She just completed her first semester and is set to go home for the break, so we won't see her again because she will return after we have gone home.  She is now serving as our YW President as well.  We love that we had this extra opportunity to spend time with her.

Sister Nwaka aced her medical exams this semester!
Christmas joy!

Sister Maureen Ashby, originally from Jamaica, is trying to hide from the camera.  We met Maureen in the first few weeks of our arrival here in Barbados.  Of course, she and Doug hit it off right away and we have been amply supplied with Jamaican cuisine whenever our hearts desired.  Pictured is her cutie grand-daughter Raquella who held her arms right out to me and snuggled in for a hug.  Oh how a little child knew exactly what this Mimi had been missing!

Maureen was hiding

Another Barbados staple is a man we call "Mad Dog" or at least that is his trade name.  He has the best little leather shop here on the island.  He has now made sandals for me, most of the missionaries, and our families.  Doug got him to do a few specialty items that he will be happily displaying when we get home!

The McIntosh family has become so dear to us.  Every month they feed the missionaries the most delightful Bajan dishes.  No one goes home hungry!  This month, we decided to give them a little "Southern" treat by making a Lowcountry Boil.  Sister Mac loves shrimp.  It was a BIG hit!  We will miss this family!

A feast among friends!