I hate snakes!

I heard the elders yell, "Sister Bullock!"

I ran to the doorway and looked downstairs to where they were calling from and this is what I saw...

From 2009-09Snakes

You've got to know that I hate snakes. Elder Huntsman, who lives in the apartment below, loves snakes. We have had some heated discussions about whether snakes were good...or bad. I don't give in easily on this one!

This one happens to be an anaconda and he was big, black and slithery. I get the creeps just thinking about him.

From 2009-09Snakes

Elder Huntsman was determined to pick it up and play with it for a while. Check the tail of the snake. It worked it's way right into his mouth. Look how fat that guy is. I mean the snake, of course!

From 2009-09Snakes

Then, of course, Elder Barton had to get in on the act and play with it, too. I'm still shuddering as I look at these photos.

From 2009-09Snakes

Check out how long he was...I think about 12 feet long.

From 2009-09Snakes

When they had had enough fun playing with it, they pulled out a huge knife and with one wack, Elder Coronado chopped off its head...and wasted no time in getting it skinned.

From 2009-09Snakes

Notice the skinned snake is hanging from the staircase to my apartment. It was there for several hours until it began to smell! I don't know what happened to the snakeskin but I know they saved some of the snake so they could cook it and say, "I tasted anaconda!" The rest was thrown back into the trench.

From 2009-09Snakes

I learned later that the snake was acquired from another elder and had taken up residence for a while in our building before its shocking introduction to me!

Baptisms in the Berbice

Wow! This is the mighty Berbice River and a baptism is about to be held.

Let's take a few photos of the event.

From 2009-8NewAmBaptisms

It is the baptism of Maria and Dhanraj. Elder Olsen couldn't look happier about the fact that he will be the one doing the baptisms.

From 2009-8NewAmBaptisms

Now it's time to get serious and see how they can get through the mud at the water's edge to the river. Where'd your feet go, Elder Olsen?

From 2009-8NewAmBaptisms

Are you wanting your hands in the mud, too?

From 2009-8NewAmBaptisms

Maria and Dhanraj look a lot more at ease walking in to the brown river water than Elder Olsen.

From 2009-8 NewAmBaptisms

That's a pretty big smile I see there on Maria's face. Her baptism must have just finished.

From 2009-8NewAmBaptisms

There's an even bigger smile on the elder who baptized her.

From 2009-8NewAmBaptisms

I'm wondering what is on Elder Barton's mind in this photo.

From 2009-8NewAmBaptisms

Maybe, he is trying to figure out how he and Elder Huntsman can extract Maria from the water.

This way looks like it worked! What do you think?

From 2009-8NewAmBaptisms

We're going to the Temple!

Two days from now, Elder Bullock and I will rise at 3 am to start our amazing journey to the Dominican Republic Temple with 25 Guyanese who have never even seen a temple. We will be gone for 8 days, which means we'll be in the DR for 6 days.

We will all be attending the temple all day every day the temple is open while we are there to complete the temple work for the members of our group and for their deceased family members.

Everyone that is going is thrilled that they are the ones that are getting this special opportunity. Of course, we've been to the temple many times, but going with a group this size for their first time and being with them as they fulfill the dream of a lifetime is almost too much for me to take in.

I have no pictures, yet, but you can bet when I get home, I'll have a slug of them. You'll have to watch for them on this blog.

Right now I'm trying to imagine how the various members of this group are feeling. I'm wondering if they are able to sleep these days as our departure date gets closer and their excitement builds. Many thought they'd never have this opportunity. The temple is so far and the fare for the flight is so out of their reach. And, yet, they are going to the temple!

Thanks to all of you that helped them make this trip to the temple happen for them!

Good night, and I think I'll try to sleep!

Want to go crab hunting?

Meet the Bushlot Branch.

They are one of the smaller branches in our district but they are a united bunch of families who attend church every Sunday and love to have activities together.

Their president, President Samaroo, is seated in the left front.

From 2009-8MainSt

Recently, they decided to go crab hunting. Here you see Ravi trying to find a crab in the deep, soft mud.

From Drop Box

Here's a few more photos from the activity. Alvin really does have legs, but where are they?

From 2009-8MainSt

Elder Bowen, do you feel anything wiggling and pinching down there? It might be a crab!

From 2009-8MainSt

Is that you, Elder Coronado?

From 2009-8MainSt

Wow, you're muddy!

From 2009-8MainSt

Here they are at the end of their hunt.

From 2009-8MainSt

Everyone washed off in the trench before they went home. Mmm, yummy trench water!

Tell me, does crab hunting look like fun?

The end of the day

Here's what we look like at the end of the day when the 4 elders serving in New Amsterdam drop by to say good night. Left to right, they are Elders Lundberg, Huntsman, Olsen and Barton.

From 2009-08Elders

Main St. New Amsterdam

What's a ginup? They are green, have a peeling sort of like a lime, and they are a great treat for the Guyanese. For me, they are better to look at than to eat. Here's how cute they are...

From Drop Box

I was waiting on Main Street for my friend to meet me to do a little school shirt shopping. I was entertained by the big produce trucks that pulled into town and set themselves up to sell to the public. Notice the bananas which have been carefully stacked onto the small table to sell. We buy pineapples from trucks like these. Pineapples are more than delicious in Guyana and they are in season almost year round.

From Drop Box

This truck came speeding through town and I barely caught it with my camera. It parked just down the block and began to sell more produce.

From 2009-8MainSt

This little stand on the left side of this photo is a shoemaker stand. There are probably at least 5 stands around town like this where you can have your shoes repaired. They have no power so they must do all their work by hand. I had my shoes repaired once and they turned out perfect.

From 2009-8MainSt

Here's the happy guy from whom we buy our bananas. He parks his van on the street and counts the money he makes selling bananas. He is there until he's sold all his bananas. I buy 40 at a time and I never have any left over for banana bread. The elders just gobble them down. They must never buy fruit.

From 2009-08Elders

Little Kids

Everywhere there are just so many cute little kids. This one was running around naked when I dropped by her house to see her mom. The mom grabbed a bucket, threw some water in it and stashed the little girl into the bucket...to play? for a bath? Who knows, but here she is.

From 2009-08-10BushlotDay

Check the pretty teeth.

From Drop Box

This gal knows how to pose!

From 2009-8MainSt

And this one knows what counts most!

From 2009-8MainSt