A Little Family Time

Sunday 7 April 2013

General Conference was wonderful.  I really felt we were being focused on the Savior and putting our trust and faith in him and his love for us.  There must be an awfully lot of people in the world who are feeling alone and down and in need of lots of support.  I hope they are able to hear and feel the truth of the messages of this conference and find some hope and peace in their lives.  I feel sort of guilty because my life is so good and I probably take for granted the atonement and love of the Savior and Heavenly Father. 

Monday we went to Montego Bay to spend a couple of days in the sun at a beautiful resort with Steve and Regina and their kids.  We swam in the ocean and the lovely pool and floated in the lazy river drinking non-alcoholic pina colatas.  I am still paying though because I didn’t really keep track of how much sun I was getting and got a pretty bad sunburn on my back.  Bob even got a little sunburned which surprised us both.   

The Rose Hall Hilton Resort.  

On Tuesday we played in the water and then drove to Ocho Rios and showed the kids Fern Gully and got to see the Ocho Church when Pres Lester called us totally out of the blue.  We were planning to see him the next day but he called us on Tues for no reason.  Anyway we got to meet him at the Church and so they were able to see our little Ocho Rios Branch meeting place up the yellow stairway through the bright red door.  Then we walked down the street looking for a place to get Jerk Chicken.  Whitney especially took a liking to the Jerk Chicken.  McKenzie got a few minutes to shop in the market so everyone was happy. 

Some of the lovely foliage and unusual ferns in Fern Gully

We drove down in to Fern Gully and found a nice place to stop and take pictures.  Steve McKenzie, and Whitney

 Steve and Regina and their kids among the strange roots of the big tree at the entrance of Mystic Mountain in Ocho.

Wednesday we swam for a little while before leaving to meet Pres Lester in Ocho Rios. We had a project we were working on with him so we met him and then drove on home.  It was a lovely little vacation—except for the sunburn—and except that we missed Zone Conference and hearing the Larsens and Smiths bear their farewell testimonies.  They will be going home before the next Zone Conference.  

 This aqueduct apparently brought water down from the sugar plantation a hundred years ago.  It makes a nice addition to the golf course.

 Bob and I went walking on the golf course in the morning before we left.  It was beautiful.  Others are out sailing and kayaking already.

Bob and Steve and Whitney in the Lazy River.

 Steve and Regina and the kids in the Lazy River.  It wasn't so lazy when they tried to get each other caught under the water falls, but it was fun.

Thursday we started on our monthly phone calls and then we got a call from someone in DR who wanted us to be part of a conference video call with a company who wants to recruit a sales rep here in Jamaica.  We sent out email to about 10 people we thought might be qualified and interested.  So far we have heard from only one person.  

Friday we worked all day then went to Wendy’s for a salad for dinner before going to Institute.  We did not get to stay long at Institute class however as  a woman came up and asked us if we could take her and her son to the hospital because he had fallen and cut his forehead.  He came up today at conference and gave me a sweet hug and said thank you for taking him to the hospital.  That was nice.  But even though we did not stay with them at the hospital we were near home and it was late so we did not go back to class.  I was sorry to miss it.

Saturday and Sunday were both spent at the Church for conference.  Saturday night we met at the Mission Home and all the men carpooled to Priesthood meeting and we women stayed at the mission home and visited while we waited for them to come back for banana splits.  That was fun.  Today after the morning session of conference we drove home along a parade route.  When we got home our security guard, Odean told us it was for Carnival and that the “Long March” was going to be down that street and come back on the only other street we know of to get to the church.  So we decided to stay home and watch conference on the internet which worked out just fine.  We are only about 3 blocks away from the parade route so we heard all the music and the fun—for quite a long time.  And even now we have entertainment from our favorite club down the street!