Birthday Cars

I loved this birthday present!!  Sam sent me 25 match box cars to give to the children of Jamaica - plus some other small toys - I've divided them among the senior couples so we can all bring some joy into the lives of these beautiful kids. ... thanks so much Sam!!

YW Camp Spanish Town District

This is our YW Camp for the Spanish Town District - notice the tents in the background ... all from the emergency container the Humanitarian couple brought to the island....yay for camp!!

Office Elders

We found some old office signs and here are Elder Ferrin and Elder Gilson holding theirs!  they took the President one home to their apartment!!

Elder and Sister Evans at the Office

 Sister Evans learning how to run the mission - and doing well!

 Elder and Sister Evans - wonderful new office couple from Arizona - we are so grateful they are willing to serve in the mission office ... this is their 5th mission - two at home and then Tonga, West Indies and Jamaica.

Papine Market

We took Elder and Sister Evans on a small tour of Kingston on Saturday, August 25th.  This is the Papine Market - farmers bring their fruits and vegetables down to Papine (northeast Kingston) on Friday and Saturday each week ... we love the fresh vegetables!!  The Evans enjoyed it also.  These three ladies were just setting up their banana selling spot - good bananas!!

Pigs in the Road

 As we drove to Yallahs on Sunday we noticed what we thought were dogs in the road eating garbage .. when we got closer it was pigs!!

It has been storming with lots of thunder and lightening and rain - and the ocean on the way to Yallahs was three different bands of color - the brown with all the run off of the rain, the typical aqua of the tropical sea and then the darker blue of the ocean - we thought that was kind of interesting.

Last Sunday in Yallahs

Elder Smith was released as the Branch President in Yallahs, Sunday, August 26th.  Elder Evans was sustained - President Hendricks is in the back between Elder and Sister Evans.  Sister Evans plays the piano (keyboard) and that makes the branch happy - aren't theses beautiful people?  We will miss them.  Elder Smith figured out he will have a total of four Sundays in our whole 23 month mission that he wasn't a Branch President!!

Larsen's 50th Wedding Anniversary

 The senior couples got together at the Mission Home to celebrate the Larsen's 50th Wedding Anniversary!

 Married in the Manti Temple, 50 years ago - love the hoop skirt and the white gloves on the bridesmaid.

The cake was totally Jamaican - very colorful and yummy.

 All the senior couples in the mission right now - more coming soon.

 Elder and Sister Larsen - wonderful people ... this is their third mission!

President and Sister Hendricks and the Larsen's at the dining room table.

Anika Goes to College

 We got to visit with some great friends from Ocho Rios today.  Sister Alexander is the Primary President and her daughter Anika moved to Kington to attend the University of Technology.

 WE met Anika's friends Samantha and Denik - such beautiful girls...they will come to school here next year, they said.

 Here is the hallway, and dining table - kitchen below -- lots of stairs!

Anika's room is on the third floor - no elevator - kind of a 'forced fitness' deal - I wonder if all freshman live on the top floors?  It was fun to be involved on a college campus again - especially on freshman moving into the dorms day!  Lots of parents, little siblings and happy smiles - including ours.  It will be fun for the next two weeks to have Anika in the same town as we are!!  She wants to be an accountant and is an excellent student - she will do well.

Elder Conder gets a hair cut

Elder Conder and his companion Elder Nugent came into the office on their Preparation Day .. Elder Ferrin, one of the Office Elders, gave him a hair cut - right in the office!!  The Office Elders usually take their P-Day on Saturday...I'm so glad to have wonderful young energetic missionaries to work with us.

More YSA

 Fun in the hall between workshop sessions - the Portmore Building is one of the largest in the mission, but no air conditioning!  the Jamaican's didn't seem to mind - the senior missionaries sweated and sweated! The Larsens and Whiteheads went out in the air conditioned truck for a couple minutes to cool off!

 Fun dance - lots of people with ' good moves' - nice music also.  Branch President of a Kingston Branch is a DJ and brought church approved music - it was really fun.

 More happy dancing!

Sister Dixon from Port Antonio Branch - we were priveleged to teach her the PEF workshop lessons and now she is going to law school in Kingston.

All Island Young Single Adults Conference

 this is the whole group - or part of them at least - YSA Conference - it was hot!  and wonderful!! Portmore Church Building - we had a great time.  Several people have said it was the Best YSA Ever!! yay!

 Some of our wonderful young single adults in the Mission - happy faces!

 Speed dating - 3 minutes to talk to each other and make new friends!

Shawn Jones and Anika Johnson from Ocho Rios - love these two!  Sure wish Kerri-gaye Richmond could have come!

New Missionaries

These are our new missionaries!  Sister Bezzant from Pleasant Grove, Utah, Elder Nelson from Lindon, Utah and Elder Ambrose from Trinidad and Tobago!!  Plus Pres. Hendricks, and the AP's - Elders Randle and McCready.  I do so much paper work for them to get here that I feel like we are old friends when they finally come!

Happy Birthday

 I had a great dinner date for my birthday - the Devon House Grog Shoppe Restaurant.

 Isn't this tree something?  It shaded the whole big patio where we sat to eat dinner.

This ice cream is Jamaica 50th - combination of pistacho and cookies and cream - yellow and green with back cookie crumbs - the colors of the Jamaican Flag .. it was delicious also - notice it melting already.

That's a lot of Bull!

 Big Bull! seemed pretty calm - I'm glad - we were very close  to him.

 Elder Smith wanted me to take a picture of these poles serving as fencing.

 This cow had bamboo poles as her fence. Elder Smith is holding our free sample of 'wet sugar'.

Look at the beautiful orchids!  I love flowers and these were especially beautiful.

Even more Fair Pictures

 There was a sugar cane boiling room - like in the olden days of sugar making.

 This is the cane syrup boiling - it was hot in there!  they call this 'wet sugar' - and it is basically molasses.

 Here is the turning arm - they usually have a horse pulling it around to crush the cane, but the horse was taking a break - see the cane piled in the background?

This was the only 'carnival' ride that I saw - the thing on top of the VW bug would go around and had seats for kids to sit in ... we were there on the first day so they were just setting things up in some areas.

More Fair Pictures

 Here is a beehive - making honey for us.  The church has several projects of beehives.

 Here are some rabbits - fun pets and good eating!

 This was a cute group of boys playing drums and singing.

This is a Jerk Pot - we ate some for lunch....no corn dogs, no turkey legs, no fried elephant ears!

Maypen Jamaica Fair

 Here are President and Sister Hendricks and all the senior couples on the island right now - we attended the Maypen Jamaica Fair .... lots of fun and a great way to celebrate my birthday!

 Here are fruits and vegetables in the shape and colors of the Jamaican flag - yummy!

 More vegetables on display ... no end to what they can grow here.

Elder Smith in his Montana Hat - keeps the sun out of his eyes!!  Isn't he handsome?