Phagwah...what's that?

Here in Guyana they celebrate a Hindu holiday, named Phagwah. I have no idea what it is for. What I do know is that you wear your older clothes that day because you never know who is going to throw colored water, colored powder or sparkles all over you, including in your hair.

Today I still have sparkles all over my face and neck from 'playing Phagwah' last night. My hair is still stained red from all the powder thrown on me. And who would do such a thing to me? The elders, of course!

From 2009-03-12Phagwah

About 8 pm last night, after answering a knock at my door, I was greeted by Elders Lee and Jordan. They had come to show me all the colored powder that had been thrown on them. When I started to take their photo, they insisted I be in the photo with them.

As I stepped towards them, suddenly, I was baraged with powder from the top of my head to my feet by the two of them aided by their 3 accomplices,who were hidden from my view Nanda and her two daughters, .

From 2009-03-12Phagwah

Is that that sweet Elder Jordan who just dowsed me good with powder?

From 2009-03-12Phagwah

Does Elder Lee look like he is loving life...and Phagwah?

From 2009-03-12Phagwah

Here's how we all looked after Elder Jordan finished powdering us!

Meet Elder and Sister Larsen, our neighbors upstairs, who stopped by our apartment to show off their...well, I guess you can see what it was!

From 2009-03-12Phagwah

One more group photo to include the whole powdery group. Can you see all the stuff in my hair and on my face and neck...and all over my clothes?

From 2009-03-12Phagwah

Elder Jordan just kept pouring powder all over his head and everyone else. He is from Georgetown and is a true Guyanese, so he is an old pro at celebrating Phagwah!

Roopa's Day

Roopa is going on a mission!


She leaves for the MTC in Provo, Utah, in 5 weeks. We're crossing our fingers she is granted a visa to enter the US. She has been assigned to the Dominican Republic. Do you think she is excited? Check out her smiles and you decide for yourself.





Roopa is on the left. She is posed with Shereva, who just returned from her mission to the same country a week before. Roopa and Shereva have just met in this photo. Elder Bullock and I are going shopping with these two darling girls for the things Roopa needs for her mission. Shereva is from Georgetown and has offered to go along to show us the way.





Roopa's mom is also along and is pretty happy about Roopa's big shopping day...and upcoming mission!





We are in the crazy downtown area of Georgetown, the biggest town in Guyana. We're all hoping Shereva can show us where to go...and protect us from the pickpocketers.





Elder Bullock has found a stand full of bargains. Suppose there's a try on room handy?


There are open-air stands all over the streets with a big variety of items. They are fun to pass by but I think we'll do most of our shopping inside the stores.





We see all kinds of stuff to buy. Notice there's no refrigeration in this butcher shop and it's always hot in Guyana.




Need a pair of shoes? Which shoe do you want? Did you say you wanted 2 the same? Sorry, miss, that just isn't possible!





The lady seated on the left is eating out of a coconut. She is oblivious that I posed my 3 ladies next to her so I could snap a photo of her as she ate.






Do you think you could find something you want from this conglomeration?





We had a fun time shopping in Georgetown. We ate a real hamburger at JR's burgers and now we're back in front of Roopa's house in Rosignol. Her stepfather, Krishna, is walking towards her to help her carry her things back to their house.

We had a lot of fun filling these black plasticbags with missionary shoes, blouses, and a few odds and ends. The suitcases were just what we were looking for...we hope!





Here's our goodbye photo for the day. All of us are very happy that Roopa is going on a mission!

Are they very short or am I super tall? Hmmm...

Alligator for lunch?

And just how could I refuse?



One morning, two of my favorite elders, called to see if I'd cook up the tail from the alligator they'd caught. I must say, I've never had the slightest desire to taste alligator, especially an alligator that lives in one the dirty trenches in our town.







I reluctantly consented. In a few minutes the elders arrived at our apartment toting a small plastic bag full of frozen alligator tail. I had to just imagine how excited Elder Lee looked the night this little alligator met his maker.









Every elder in Guyana hopes he'll catch an alligator before he finishes his mission. And of course, after he catches it he has to eat some of the tail. He just has to do so in order to be able to brag about it the rest of his life!



This little alligator looks more like a great big lizard.







Yuk! Here's the little guy getting de-tailed by Pres. Bennie!









And now he's losing his skin.

Elder Lauritzen chops up the frozen tail into pieces and we thaw it out. Notice the skin is all gone. We've heard that it tastes a lot like chicken, but we don't know for sure.

I keep thinking to myself, "It came from a dirty trench. I just can't eat it!"

The tail is simmering and it's starting to look edible. I'm wondering if I'll really be able to take a taste. I'm shuddering inside.

I spoon some barbecue sauce over the little chunks of meat and we all take a taste. Ah, it does taste like chicken. We each eat a small portion but save the last portion for Pres. Bennie.

Can you imagine this? We all have alligator in our stomachs and we are still smiling. I can't believe I ate it!

Of course, all the other elders were jealous when they heard about it the next day!

Mud, mud, and more mud!

Travis once asked me, "Do you have mud in the United States?" I thought a minute before I answered, "Not, really."



I could hardly remember ever having to walk through the mud at home, especially mud like you see on this path to Jade and Travis' house.

We received 3 big boxes of clothes from our daughter Kelly's family and her primary children and Elder Bullock and I decided to brave the mud to go deliver a few of them.

We headed for Cow Dam, each carrying a small bag of clothes for some of our little friends that live there. The first stop was to be at Jade's house with some clothes for little Travis.

It's a good thing we wore our boots, don't you think?

Elder Bullock turned around for just a second, upon request, to pose for me.

And then, it was on to Jade's house. It was just a little further on the left.

Elder Bullock can finally see her house and Jade's wash hanging on the clothesline.

I was lagging behind with little Shelly and her sister, Samantha, who had decided to help me through the mud. Shelly kept trying to make me walk faster, while I was trying to walk slowly so as to not splash mud all over myself.

She did help me keep my balance as I sloshed through the mud. It felt a little like quicksand.

I suppose you've noticed they were both barefoot. This is pretty common for most children to do here when the paths are muddy. These girls are sisters that live close to Jade. They were out playing on the path when we came by and followed us everywhere we went.

And suddenly, there she was...looking very cute and pregnant. Jade had just hung out her clothes on the line after washing them in the buckets you see in front of her house.

There she came. She thought the white haired man needed help crossing the tiny trench in front of her house.

Inside, she was excited to show us her new blue flooring and green curtains.

The thin flooring should keep out some of the moisture that comes in through the gaps in the wood slats of the floor (like the ones you can see in the wall in the photo below).

Travis liked his new shirt and pants...

And the blue shorts...

Especially when his mommy, Jade, was close by.

He was so excited about his new tie. He was eager to have Elder Bullock dress him up in his new church clothes and fix his new tie just so...



He patiently waited while he buttoned down the tiny collar buttons...



And then posed for this photo! Travis calls him Bullock.

Coolie, Jade's little brother, was happy we had brought him and his brother some bright red shorts, too. And you can see Travis wearing another set of new duds.

When it was time to move on to my friend, Samantha's, house (not the little girl with me), I had some more help from the two sisters.

It was really sloshy about here. The alligator trench was just at my left. I always take special note of where they are.

(Alligators are pretty common around here. Tonight, we were parked in front of my friend's house and I looked up just in time to see a huge alligator cross the road in front of us and slide down into a big trench. Elder Bullock had seen another big one a couple of hours earlier today. I'm wondering which is worse...an alligator or a snake? I'll have to think that over.)

Doesn't Elder Bullock look a liitle like he was trying to do a dance? He'd better hold Shelly's hand.



I guess he got smart and did! Time out for another photo!



We finally made it down to the long, muddy, treacherous passage to Samantha's house. She guided him through it and showed him exactly where to step.

We delivered more new clothes to Samantha's 3 boys. They loved their new shorts and so did mom!

Later, that night we returned to Samantha's house for a dinner appointment and FHE.

Can you just imagine what it was like walking those muddy paths in the pitch dark two more times...once coming and another time going. The only light came from our small flashlights. There were no street lights.

I only wish I could take you all for a real walk through Cow Dam, especially in the pitch dark when it is muddy. It's an adventure that you'd not soon forget!

Wading through Bushlot

Do donkeys wear raincoats? (Or is it a horse?)


Looks like in Guyana they do!


This is the only raincoat I've ever seen here, despite the fact that at least a couple of times a year they have what they call, "the rainy season" when the rain pours buckets.


If you are inside one of the many little houses with their corrugated metal rooftops when it is raining, the noise is so loud that it sounds like a stampede of horses is running through the sky.


A couple of Sundays ago, we spent about 7 hours visiting members in the Bushlot Branch with Elders Duncan and Coronado...after days and nights of heavy rain.


See what you think:




I wonder how far they have to walk to the market...

It looks like it was cold that day, but let me tell you it was just comfortable. The Guyanese are complaining they are cold and we, Americans, are so excited to not be sweating...quite so much.

Members live in three of these homes. The families had all been at church earlier that day, and they all had little children!

We decided our boots weren't tall enough to visit these families!




Sister Samaroo was just returning from church and ready to take the 100 steps to cross the bridge to her house. It's pretty exciting to cross this bridge. I know...I have!

Elder Coronado had to carry the church keyboard back there for her. I was relieved I didn't have to!

Here are a few of the homes we actually visited that day. It was a good thing Elder Bullock and I had brought our long boots with us. The next week I bought an even longer pair. Sometimes, they just aren't tall enough!

Notice the bridge they've just crossed and I was getting set to cross. They kind of left me in the dust! Do they look like they were worried about me?

Ah, now you can see the whole house.

I was still deciding where I was going to take my first step across all the water. Lots of times those boards just sink when you step on them...if they're not already under water.

Looks like I finally made it. This is Tall boy, the dad, who was waiting for me on his step.

I think I see the outhouse at the back. It looks like a treacherous walk to get there...especially if you're in a hurry!

We had a great visit with the Narine family of 6. These are the four daughters of Tall Boy and Collette, his wife. They are 15, 13, 11, and 10. Do you wonder why they call him Tall Boy?

On our return to the car, I snapped a few more photos.

Notice the toes of my boots as I pondered where to step.

Our car was parked straight ahead through all that water. Luckily, it wasn't the car that you see parked on the left!

It's just me...and I had made it this far...

Not too much farther to go. You can barely see our car in the background. Some of the boards in the steps ahead were definitely submerged. As I waded through the water I kept thinking to myself, "Oh, thank you, thank you I have tall boots!"

This family was waiting for us on their balcony. The elders led the way. They love to take us to the muddiest, wettest places they know of!

Elder Bullock was looking pretty calm about the whole experience. And, all you who have followed this blog, know that he knows first hand what it is like to step on one of the boards, to have it break and to find himself suddenly lying flat on his back in water like this.

Who left their bike? I can't believe it hadn't been stolen.

Here's another family we visited. Notice how deep the water was on Elder Bullock's boots.

Many of the Guyanese don't wear boots in weather like this. They just walk in their bare feet. Sometimes, they step on glass and cut their feet. Sometimes, they step on snakes...as my friend, Nanda, did last week. She even had a snake come right into her flooded house. I can't imagine how loud I would have screamed!

The really faithful still come to church when their houses are flooded like this. All the families we visited that day were in church that day looking perfectly normal and clean. I don't know how they did it!

We continued to visit until 9 pm. It was pitch dark at 6 pm. It was a lot more treacherous walking through the mud and water in the dark with just my small flashlight. But, let me tell you, I'm becoming a pro at it. I always have close calls but I've stayed on my feet and haven't fallen in the mud now for months.

I'll just end this blog with a photo of my friend, Tasha, and her husband, Andrew, with some of their family on their large donkey cart. They have just gone for this load of wood and bags of wood shavings to deliver to someone. We were parked in front of the Rosignol church when we noticed them passing by. I yelled and screamed and they stopped to hug and "gaff" (chat) with us.

Last week, one of their 4 donkeys was hit by a drunk neighbor as it was tied up in front of their house. The donkey died a few days later. I asked Tasha if they would try to be reimbursed by the neighbor for their dead donkey. Tasha said that if they complained to him or tried to get money from him, they would risk retaliation from the neighbor, such as having their animals poisoned or their house burned down. So, I guess they were going to just let it be...

I guess I just can't stop thinking how thankful I am for so many things...for not having to worry about angry neighbors burning down my house and such...