Junction Branch Picture

This is the wonderful Junction Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - February 26, 2012. We have been transferred to Kingston to take over the duties of our wonderful office couple - Elder and Sister Daniels...they will go home to AZ the end of March. We are happy/sad to leave this great group of saints - but signed on to do whatever needs to be done - so on to another adventure. Leaving the country side for the big city will be the hardest, I think ... that and moving, but it is only a few boxes and suitcases - do not need the 40 foot U-Haul truck for this!!

Junction Seminary

I get to be the substitute teacher for our Church Seminary Class when the regular teacher can't make it. This Saturday I got to teach, one young man didn't come - but aren't these wonderful young people? It is good to study the scriptures and learn from the Old Testament - we studied the Book of Judges Saturday.

Creative Kids

As we drive around 'out in the bush' we have some really steep roads! This one in particular we see boys sitting on 5 gallon bucket lids sliding down - like sledding in the snow! See the little boy at the side of the road? I wondered to Elder Smith - how do they stop? Children are very creative in their play.

Teaching Reading

We had the opportunity today to go out to an area called Tryall and teach another reading lesson to Bro. Gayle and Marcus. One of the little neighborhood girls is named Brenda, she is crippled and mentally disadvantaged. She is usually smiling and happy and I brought her some balloons from our branch activity. As we were teaching some other children came around to sit on the porch with us. The oldest girl is named Carolyn, (I think) and her little sister - Jillian. They can both read better than Marcus - but he wasn't embarrassed - I am so proud of how hard he has worked to learn - he is now reading about 1st - 2nd grade level books with a little bit of help. He turned 15 in December and can't go to night school until he is 16 - but he is planning on going next year. The little boy's name is Damian ... and he can't read and doesn't go to school. They begin Infant School at 3 years old, Primary School at 5. But those who can't afford it just don't go - so sad. Be grateful for all your opportunities to gain an education!!

Tomato Fields

Elder Smith wanted me to post about these tomato fields ... aren't they something? The first ones have drip irrigation and tomatoes and watermelons between the rows. They grow the best vegetables around here - we are getting very spoiled having them just about every meal!

Book from where?

Our Mission Office has a small library of mostly Church books. I have been a faithful borrower for over a year now and have read most of them! Several I had read previous to coming to Jamaica. This last week I found a small book about Plays and it looked interesting - upon opening the cover I discovered that it was from Mt. Jordan Junior High School - 1967 - Jordan School District in Sandy, Utah where my family lived for over 25 years!! I attended that junior high school in 1958-1960. Funny how that book got to Jamaica! I did bring it home and read it, pretty good.

Neighborhood Party

We had a great party tonight for FHE - we invited all the neighbors and 22 came! It was the birthday of two of the lovely ladies we live near - one turned 43 and one 83!! So we used the decorations from the branch Luau on Friday and cooked more roast pig and rice and made another coleslaw and I made my first pineapple upside down cake...all tasted really good - Elder Smith and I didn't even get a piece of the cake - it was eaten so fast! Our young missionaries taught everybody the hula again - that was fun. It was good to meet and talk with some of the people that live in our apartments...I felt sorry for the family take came and "we don't eat pork" - they did have cake!

Branch Hawaiian Luau

We had a fun Branch Friday Activity - a Hawaiian Luau. Sister Nautu is from Hawaii and she told us how to cook roast pig - Hawaiian style1 Well - not in the ground but in our crock pot!! We also had rice and coleslaw and a candy Lei for dessert. Sister Walker and Nautu taught us all the hulu - I'm going to a Hukilau - it was fun!

Primary Valentine's Day Cookies

Today in Primary we enjoyed the lesson about the First Vision - even watched a DVD of it one Elder Smith's computer. Then we made puppets for the Sharing Time and acted out a couple of Bible stories with them. Last we made paper Valentine's Cards for the Relief Society Sisters and the Priesthood Brethern - we frosted and sprinkled heart cookies for them also - Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!

Full Moon over the Mountain

We have enjoyed the full moon for a couple nights - then the other morning Elder Smith called me into our front room and had me look out of the front window - this is the view toward the west - about 6:30 in the AM!! This is a beautiful island and we are happy to serve here.

Jody-Ann

On Friday the other Smith senior couple joined us in a meeting at Moneque College about the YSA Conference in August... then we went to Ocho Rios. Jody-Ann was at lunch so when I called her we stopped at her college campus - she just got her Patriarchal Blessing from Elder D. Smith - so it was fun for her to have both of us there. We loved spending just a few minutes with her - her generation is the future of the Church in Jamaica!!

Baby Goats and Black Moth

We found this huge black moth on our patio ceiling this week ... Elder Smith used to teach high school Biology and still likes that sort of thing - hence the picture for all to enjoy. When we were at Elder Powell's house after the chicken coop project today - his wife came out to tell us they had three new baby goats - just had been born. So we all trooped over to see - triplets! the mother is licking the last one - there is a tiny white one and then brown - she still has the afterbirth coming out - they were that new! The Powells had another goat have twins last week - a girl and a boy- they are pretty excited about it all.

Bananas

The house we did the remodeled coop at had some bananas growing near the coop. They were really interesting. See the blossom thing at the end? each small banana also has a blossom at the end ... Elder Smith was in his old 'Biology' teacher mode and was taking a bunch of pictures - pun intended!! So I thought I would post them so all could see - bananas in the making!!

Chicken Coop Remodel

Today we did a 'remodel' of an existing chicken coop - thankfully Brother Lloyd, our branch builder, could come and tell us what to do!! We took zinc down from in front and made a new roof, new wire mesh walls, and door. It was fun and we are getting really good at this!

Funny Name

This is a small restaurant up in the 'bush' - what do you think of it's name: Germy - really? doesn't make me want to eat there!

Faith

I am so proud of one of our members. She lives a long ways from the Church and when she can't get a taxi to come and get her - she doesn't come. We challenged her to have faith and pray for a way to get to Church - knowing the our Heavenly Father will help her to accomplish it! She just got ready last Sunday and started walking...a lady in a car stopped her and asked directions to Junction! Yes - she got a ride and then could get a taxi home...love how that faith thing works!!