Bullocks of Lake Oswego

(He's coming out the entrance of the home of one of the families in our branch we've just visited.)

"Watch out for the mud, Elder!"

And here comes Elder Lee right behind him.

Here we are in Trinidad at the Couple's Conference where we met and fell in love with Elder and Sister Hymas!

Do I look just a little crazy hiking with a purse?

And wearing a skirt?

I looked even crazier when I went swimming in my skirt in the black river back in the jungle!

I wasn't going to send this one but just couldn't resist. I definitely look like some kind of nutcake!

From 2009-04-19BahadurFamIndianHair

We caught Nanda and Ulric with their two girls biking on their way home from church. Do you suppose there is room for one more on their bike?

Kite day in Guyana is big time. It is the way the Guyanese celebrate Easter. On Easter Monday everyone flies their homemade kite.

This is one of the many "used" cars parked around town. Most of them are upside down and stripped of all their insides.

This is the New Amsterdam market where we shop for all our fresh veggies and fruit. Looks pretty colorful, no? The fresh fish is spread on similar counters in the building behind the produce market. Smelly!

You're looking at the latest 3 challenges of the Rosignol primary. The girls act ok in church as long as someone has each of them in a tight wrist lock so they can't move!

Here's cute Janellie, Jade's little angel, up close. You can almost smell her sweet baby smell!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Linden and Elder Fillerup

What is so special about Linden, Guyana?

Linden is about a 2 hour drive south from Georgetown, Guyana. It is towards what people refer to here as "the interior". No missionaries from our church have ever served anywhere near "the interior" but you can bet they have all been hoping they would get the chance.

Here is Elder Fillerup, one of our favorite elders, in Linden. A couple of months ago, he was one of the lucky ones to be assigned to "open up" the missionary work in Linden.

Here was his first companion, Elder Toupou.

We've never been to Linden but I am dying to go and visit all the brand new saints there. The elders have baptized every week since they were sent there.

The missionaries are so well received in Linden that as of now there are 6 elders serving there.

Here are a few photos of Linden:

Elders Fillerup and Toupou were getting ready for some of their first baptisms in the black river water.

A pretty exciting moment was about to happen...her baptism! On second thought, she looks pretty wet. I think she has already been baptized. Congratulations, cute girl!

Here's a closer view of the log sitters.

I'm thinking it looks pretty green and nice in Linden. I'm going to have to try harder to visit there. "We're coming, Elder Fillerup!"

Check out the beautiful Amerindian faces.

We love all the elders but Elder Fillerup served a long time as our zone leader so we feel like he sort of belongs to us.

Temple Interviews

Unfortunately, there is not a temple in Guyana...yet!

There are many members in the 6 branches of the Canje District of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guyana, South America. Up until one month ago, there were only 3 couples who had been able to make the long and expensive trip to the temple. These 3 couples all flew to the Dominican Republic, where one of the closest temples is located, to have their temple ordinances.

There are other members in these branches that are worthy and waiting for their opportunity to go to the temple. We are trying to help them make that dream come true.

To a faithful member of the church, going to the temple is more than important. They believe it is crucial to their salvation.

The first step for a member wanting to go to the temple is to have 2 interviews, one with their branch president and the other with their mission president. At the end of the interview, if they are found qualified and worthy, they get a small signed recommend which is their ticket to enter one of the Lord's temples.

Below you will see photos of some of our very excited saints who came for their 2nd interview with the mission president, President Reid Robison.

Sister Nanda was in heaven holding her first time temple recommend. Can you see it in her facial expression?

When I found Sister Bibi just after she finished her interview, she was sobbing happy tears and mopping her face with a rag. She said to me, "I never thought I would ever be able to go to temple." She has been a member of the church almost 10 years.

President Samaroo is awaiting his turn to be interviewed. I think he was a little nervous. He shouldn't have been. He is a good man! He has been a member more than one year and is one of the 6 branch presidents.

Here are 5 of the 12 that were interviewed. They are all pretty proud to be holding their first temple recommends. They are all our special friends.

Tiny Sister Geeta and Sister Nanda were baptized the same day about 4 years ago. They are both such faithful members of the church.

We fed them all the chili leftovers from our zone conference. None of them had ever eaten American chili before.

Somehow I missed getting Jade and Travis and a few of the others who got their recommends in my photos. I'm disappointed.

Mission accomplished! Meet President Mintiesingh Tenisingh with his wife, Silvie, and 14 year old daughter, Rachel. Pictured here you see them just arriving home from their trip to the temple in the Dominican Republic.

We were able to pick them up from the airport and hear of their fabulous trip to the temple to be sealed as an eternal family. They were all so excited that they all talked at once. They just bubbled over with excitement as they shared with us the experiences they had during their week at the temple.

We hope to help make this experience happen for the rest of our group who are longing to attend the temple, also!

Jordan’s Young Women’s Project

Another box of clothes from home…this time from Jordan one of the young women in our ward in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Everything was so carefully packed…just like a can of tasty sardines.

I want you all to know that we love giving out the clothes you send. I sort them into piles and place them on the bed in our spare room according to size so I can choose who I will give what.

Sometimes on Sunday morning before church, the elders will call to see if we have an outfit or shoes for a specific child to wear to church…because they have nothing to wear. Last week, after one of these calls, I noticed a cute little girl in primary, wearing the outfit I had given to the elders just before church. I know it was one of the dresses that Jordan sent but I couldn't get her photo.

I don’t remember exactly which items were in Jordan's boxes but here are a few more photos of children wearing clothes that some of you have sent.

I hope Jordan recognizes some of what she sent in these photos.

We visited this family and the one in the next photo and took them each a pile of clothes for the children to try on. I told them each to choose about 3 outfits from what I had brought.

This little guy was especially thrilled with this pair of shorts. I thought they were too big for him, but he cinched the waist up with a belt and insisted they were perfect for him!

I happened to notice these 3 little dollies at church were all wearing clothes we had brought to them, so I grabbed my camera quickly!

Jillian is the little one in the middle with the huge grin. When we went to her home with a pile of clothes for her to try on, she danced all over the room with each outfit I handed her to try on. She absolutely loved this poofy yellow dress.

There's Jillian, again, with that big grin!

Everytime I go to church, I see many persons in the audience, both children and adults, wearing the beautiful clothes that many of you have sent.

The following photo is of Travis as he tried on the suit jacket and tie brought by Elder Dayton's parents when they came to the mission to pick up their son. You can see his parents looking on from the doorway.

And, then...

Here he was with his family the next Sunday at General Conference...all decked out in his new duds!

Just look at how their baby, Janellie, has grown!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

More about missionaries

Meet Hermana Munro!

Roopa is on her way to the Provo MTC. She's happy. She's confident. We know she'll be an excellent missionary.

Her mom, Sabitree, and stepdad, Krishna, were the only sad ones at their parting. Roopa was ready and excited to be on her way!

This is Roopa with her good friend, Rebecca, at her wedding.

Bibi and her mom are showing off their purchases for Bibi's mission. We spent the whole day with them in Georgetown buying these suitcases, blouses, towels, and shoes. Bibi should leave Monday, May 18th, but will probably have to wait another week to get her US Visa.

Hey,this Elder Lang just before he was transfered to Georgetown. We were disappointed to have him leave our area because he kept us so entertained with his unexpected comments!

What is the gold bobble hanging from my right ear? I think it's the lock on our front door!

The young elders baptize every week...in the trenches, the rivers, the muddy ocean, and even in baptismal fonts. Here you see Elder Scott and Coronado ready to baptize a woman and a boy.

Anyone like to eat iguana? If you'll notice, the elders are in the back seat of our car and it's dark outside. We found them walking home and told them to jump in, only to discover they had this little friend with them.

They kept the iguana tied in their shower all night and then killed it the next day so they could eat it. What the elders won't do for a little adventure!

We are in our little living room the night before Elder Mundy's parents arrived to take him (in back) and Elder Dayton (in front) for a short visit around Guyana and then, on home to the US. Elders Ritchey (on the left) and Sturdevant (on the right) were part of our little farewell evening.

I set my camera on automatic and then dove to get in the photo before it snapped. I think I barely made it!

Here is the morning we met Elder Mundy's parents. Elder Mundy was the man of the day across everyone's laps. What's with your cheesy grin, Elder Dayton?

Elder Mundy asked me to walk his folks through CowDam and to visit Jade and Travis. I just had to walk his folks across at least one bridge! His mom was hesitant, reached back to hold on to her husband, and then followed me on across.

I just thought you all might like to see what one of our zone conference dinners look like. It is baked potato with chili and topped with cheese and sour cream. We found the sour cream and hamburger in Georgetown, two hours away from where we live.

Sister Larsen is in the green, along with Elder and Sister Treseder...and the comic, Elder Bullock.

mFrom 2009-04 Missionaries

Yum! It looked and tasted pretty good!

Acting our age!

The Leishmans and Hymas' made their first visit to New Amsterdam so I just had to show them around our town and let them meet some of our good friends.

We had to strike a pose in our long boots before we left home even though the sun was hot and shining and we wouldn't be tackling any mud.

We started off for CowDam to visit Jade and Travis, but were sidetracked when we met up with her three little brothers, Coolie, Nevalon, and Joshua, with their buddies.

The kids were getting their kites ready for Easter Monday, which is a big kite flying day in Guyana.

Sister Hymas and I stepped out onto the bridge, took a seat, and one by one the kids all joined us. Brother Leishman quickly got ready to snap our picture.

I wondered how I was going to stand myself back up without falling where I had been once before... in that yucky alligator trench! I played it safe and crawled off the bridge as you can see.

Sister Hymas, who is 17 years younger, stood right up and ballet danced off the bridge.

Inside Jade and Travis' house, we visited them, held their two babies, and talked with Travis' sister, Jade's little brother, and our friend, Nanda's, 2 daughters.

Then, we moved on to Nanda and Ulric's house. Surprise! Their two daughters who were in the photo at Jade's house, too, almost beat us back to their house.

Thanks to a timer on my camera, we were all in the group photos.