Getting Involved with People

On Monday we took Bob back to the dentist about the pain in his tooth.  She told him to keep taking the anti inflammatory and come back on Wed.  Bob gave her a Book of Mormon which she graciously accepted.  I took her picture and her card to give to the Mission office. 

Elder Pugmire and Dr Lawson-Myer

We went to the Terra Nova Hotel for lunch afterward.  Bob really has been wanting to do that and I am glad we did, it was very nice.

  On Tuesday Larsens had to go to Portmore to return the Sister Missionaries car so we rode over with them and then spent the rest of the day finishing up some calls and record keeping.

The Portmore chapel

Portmore is a little south and west of Kingston.  It is a port town with lots of container cranes.

Wednesday we had to go to the dentist again and then to Bob’s blood doctor to have his blood test interpreted.  And we came home so late I forgot about an appointment with one of our participants.  Luckily Sis Larsen called for him so we were able to get to the church in time to meet with him.  He is a young man who had to quit school to help his family financially because his dad got hit by a car on his bicycle.   It was fun to talk to him and be able to help him get his loan deferred for a while so he can get on his feet.  

 This is Jermaine Clarke.  He will be a great school teacher one day.

Thursday was Thanksgiving we spent the morning on PEF things and then Elder and Sister Wright S & I / PEF missionaries form Junction came early and met with us.  He first helped with our computers again and then we met about our PEF firesides we will be presenting on the Island after the first of the year.  They will do the west side and we will do the east.  They are nice people and we really like them.

We cooked her candied Yams while we were meeting and then took our things and went to the Institute where we had a really nice Thanksgiving dinner with all the Senior Missionaries.  The Hendricks could not be with us as they had one of their kids in town so there were only 14 of us.  We got a chance to visit with Elder Mortensen a little which was nice.  Elder Larsen presented all of us with little Nativity sets he had carved out of whatever wood he could find and set them in a coconut shell for a manger.  I love it.  We had a nice time and then got home fairly early which was good.

Sister and Elder Evans, Sister and Elder Murdock, Elder Larsen

Sister Wright, Sister and Elder Murdock,  Elder and Sister Larsen, Elder and Sister Smith

Elder and Sister Mortensen, Elder and Sister Wright, Sister Evans

Elder Murdock, Elder and Sister Larsen, Elder and Sister Smith

 Elder Pugmire, Elder and Sister Montensen,

On Saturday I cleaned and did laundry most of the morning and waited for Sis Larsen to call me to help with her quilting class she was teaching in the Boulevard Branch.  She called about 3:00 when I was supposed to be there because she forgot to call earlier.  Anyway I was embarrassed and sorry I hadn’t just gone over at 3:00 because I knew that was when it was to start.  

Sister Clarke, the Relief Society President and her counselor.

Sister Davis, darling lady.  She is the one who raises Chickens on her roof.  When she goes up there they follow her around like kids.

Sister Bennett and her friend.  They were darling the whole time.  I really enjoyed teasing with them.

Latoya Williams, works at the Facilities Management office at the Mission Office,

Sister Larsen is really great--there is nothing she cannot do and almost nothing that she does not do.  Great person.

 Sister French, the YW President.

There were about 15 women there when I arrived and about 5 more came later and they were sewing by hand a 9 square piece in the Jamaican green, yellow and black.  I was a little help but it sure was fun to be with them.  When it was time for refreshments someone opened a big black “garbage bag” full of sandwiches.  She put two half sandwiches on a napkin using tongs, and sent a young girl around with the sandwiches and a drink of punch to each woman as she worked.  Then when everyone had their refreshments they started singing some of their folk songs and some could not help dancing as they sang.  It really was cute and fun to be a part of.  They lingered until Pres Singh sort of rushed us out so they could get ready for the Constant Springs Talent show.

I told one girl I didn’t know if I was coming to the talent show as I had to go home and get Elder Pugmire, but of course he wanted to go so we went back and thoroughly enjoyed their “talent” show.  It was mostly dancing—sort of a combination modern dancing and street or pop dancing—I don’t really know what it is called.  Even the few boys who were involved were pretty much into it.  They did not flinch when they received lots of hoots and teasing from the crowd.  In the end the boys did a impromptu dance which I guess I would call street jive –I don’t  have a clue what they call it but these boys are very good and their moves are pretty amazing.  Every joint in their bodies are fluid and can move in the most amazing ways.  There were some brothers who said they were going to sing but it was pretty much just a Rap with not much that resembled music but everyone enjoyed it.  At one point this one girl was trying to sing and she either forgot or got shy or something but 3 or 4 women in the audience started singing her backup and really getting into it with moves as well.  The audience really loved the show which was entirely performed by the young adults and no adults or kids.  It was probably good for some of these kids to be able to show off in front of a very appreciative audience.  The other amazing thing was that the sound man was Pres Singh, the Branch President!  He had to have been at every rehearsal.  He was really great he did not say anything about how things were going he just played the songs when it was time and played music between acts.  Perhaps his involvement helped but there was not a single inappropriate costume or any really inappropriate dance moves—some could have been but had been very appropriately modified.

The audience getting ready for the fun.  Pres Singh's wife in the denim.

The audience gets in to the action.

Little spectators trying to see behind the curtain.

This young woman was the MC, as well as one of the performers, as well as the refreshment server.  She is a secondary school teacher and a counselor in the Branch Relief Society.   A really lovely person.

The boy's finale.  Too bad I could not get the moves.

Branch President Singh ran the sound and music.