Wednesday, August 19, 2009

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.
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.
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?
Are you wanting your hands in the mud, too?
Maria and Dhanraj look a lot more at ease walking in to the brown river water than Elder Olsen.

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

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

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

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?

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

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

Sunday afternoon in Bushlot

An afternoon of visiting...well, that's one of my favorite things to do! And here's one of the reasons why. ...It's all about the bridges. Check out this one. Doesn't it just beckon you to cross over it to find out what lies beyond?
From 2009-08-10BushlotDay
Every house has a bridge in front of it. These bridges have led us into the lives of many choice Guyanese families. And I have just loved meeting them on their own ground!

Elder Bullock had an audit to do for a couple of hours so I found two young companions to go visiting with me. I knew they would know the way to everyone's house and that would be a big help for me...besides I wanted their company.

Aren't they cute? Meet Dolly on the left along with Sasha on the right!
From SemGraduation09


These are Dolly's parents. When I first arrived to pick her up, they were sitting under their house in the shade cleaning a bunch of little fish for their dinner. They probably caught them in one of the trenches.
From 2009-08-10BushlotDay


You can barely see that Nanda is cleaning out the guts while Jimmy is scraping off the scales. Doesn't that just make a cute couple thing to do?
From 2009-08-10BushlotDay


This is Jillian, Dolly's scrumptious little sister. Doesn't her whole face just light up when she smiles?
From 2009-08-10BushlotDay


Our first visit was to Sister Washington. Notice the cord on her iron. I mean, notice that there is no cord! She says she cut it off and just heats up the iron on her stove.
From 2009-08-10BushlotDay


Dolly and Sasha chose the rest of those we visited and of course our visits were to some of the other youth in their branch.
From 2009-08-10BushlotDay


At each visit, we added another young person to our backseat to accompany us for the next families we visited. By the time we arrived at the Narine's, we had added Alvin and Priya.

The Narine family has 4 daughters and their dad's name is Tall Man. You can guess why!

Here are all the young people who ended up with us at the Narine house... the 4 who came with us plus 4 members of the Narine family . One daughter and the dad are missing from the photo. The mom is on the right wearing the blue skirt.
From 2009-08-10BushlotDay


Just before we arrived at the Narine's house, Elder Bullock called to say he was finished with his audit and asked if I'd come get him from the church. You'll see him in some of the next photos.

The Narines have this old fashioned tractor that I just loved. I had to climb inside and try it out. One of the Narine girls quickly found me a hat so I'd look like a real farmer as I posed for pictures.
From 2009-08-10BushlotDay


Here's the front view. Isn't it classic? They tell me it still works; it just needs a new huge back tire and when they get some money, they'll buy one and start using it once again.
From 2009-08-10BushlotDay


Suddenly, I noticed something hanging on the line that I knew would make a great background for a photo with Elder Bullock. I said to him, "Will you move over here just a bit and let me snap your photo?" And guess what, he did. Check it out!
From 2009-08-10BushlotDay


As we turned to leave, the Narines walked us to our car. I paused so I could take a photo of their house.
From 2009-08-10BushlotDay


We walked on a little farther and Cinthia asked, "Oh, please take my photo hanging by my knees from the tree." You can see that Alvin just had to get into the photo, too.
From 2009-08-10BushlotDay


By this time, we'd been gone for hours and unfortunately, I had to make a little rest stop right about here!
From 2009-08-10BushlotDay


Well, that's all for now!

Friday, August 7, 2009

Just down our street

I was walking up our street the other day and stopped to talk to my neighbor and to take a few photos of her visiting grandkids. I first found them peeking out this door/window.
From SemGraduation09


When she saw I wanted their photo, she quickly beckoned them to come out and pose for me. So, here goes with their photos:

Notice the "fireside" area at the back of the house where they do their cooking and their clothes hanging on the line.
From SemGraduation09

Notice their three beautiful little faces.
From SemGraduation09


Then, I realized I was missing the best part of the photo...
From SemGraduation09
Granny's proud look and her classic fence!

Tidbits of Guyana

Do you want to see where we buy our bread?
From VicBibiLeave

Yes, it's from this little stand that is only set up there and open for business between 4:30-8:30 pm. It's a couple of blocks from where we live. The rest of the sister missionaries love the bread, too, and stock up on it when they come to New Amsterdam.

There are little bread stands up and down Main Street every afternoon but this one is my favorite because they sell wheat bread. This lady's husband bakes all the bread each day starting at 6 am and then, she does the selling of it each evening. That's how they make their living. A loaf costs $1.00. I usually buy 5 loaves at a time.

Once when we were in Georgetown, I spotted this gal sitting with her mom on a bench outside the market. I complimented her on her hairdo. It looks pretty cute, right?
From VickeyBibiLeaveForMissions


Suddenly, she grabbed her hair and as she lifted it, she squealed, "It's a wig!"

From VickeyBibiLeaveForMissions


I was so delighted that I made her repeat her actions so I could share them all with you!

Recently, senior missionaries, Elder and Sister Lingren, moved to Canje. They are just 10 minutes down the road from us. When they mentioned they'd like a washer, we hired the only available transportation, a horsecart, to deliver it.
From VicBibiLeave


After unloading the washer, the horse raised its tail and did you know what right in the middle of their driveway. It was no problem, though, for the driver who quickly scooped up the wet biscuit dough with his hands and carried it off to the weeds! Then, he leaned over and rinsed off his hands in one of the rain puddles in their driveway.

I've learned to never shake hands with horsecart drivers!

This is the building the church has rented where the Bushlot Branch meets.
From VicBibiLeave
I just stepped outside to grab this photo at the end of one of the weekly Book of Mormon firesides we teach to this branch.

If you could see inside, you would find about 30 of them happily playing....
From VicBibiLeave
Yes, it's Musical Chairs. Who says it is a game just for children?

At our firesides on Ammon and the People of Ammon who buried their swords, we had the elders or Roger dig a hole somewhere outside with my biggest spoon to bury the paper swords of the class members. They had written on their swords something they promised Heavenly Father they would always do...or not do!

This is the Rosignol Branch:
From Drop Box
The church rents this building and the Rosignol Branch holds their church meetings in the downstairs. A family lives in the upstairs. The chapel is very spacious inside.

Here they are burying their swords in Rosignol Branch:
From VicBibiLeave


From VicBibiLeave


Here is the New Amsterdam Chapel which is owned by the church. It is about 5 short blocks from where we live.
From Drop Box

The building is very small and last week 140 people attended. There must have been a lot of squishing, because there's not room for that many people to have a seat inside without sittting on laps.

And here's the spot found and dug by Roger in New Amsterdam Branch:
From VickeyBibiLeaveForMissions


From VickeyBibiLeaveForMissions

Richard who is in the front of the last photo is 12. The next Sunday his mom tried to get him to stay home from church to take care of his sick younger brother so she could go to church and teach her primary lesson.

Richard said, "I can't stay home from church because I wrote on my sword that I buried that I would always go to church!" Was there a solution to the problem? They all went to church, even the sick younger brother!

Here's a little look at some of the seminary kids at the seminary graduation. There were a lot more but these were the only ones I could coax into my photo.
From VicBibiLeave


The sun is so hot that it is normal for ladies and girls to carry umbrellas to shade themselves. I'm regulary scolded for forgetting my umbrella. Here is our good friend, Radicka, who is the Relief Society President, and her 15 year old daughter, Dolly, whose real name is Christine.
From VicBibiLeave
Noone is called by their real name!

Parbattie is called Nanda, Drupatie is Sunita, Khemwattie is Geeta, Tunisia is Jinny, Hamida is Sherry, Khelawan is Frankie, Rajendra is Bow, Ravindra is Bushman, Satesh is Workman, Somawattie is Samantha, Dhanwattie is Tasha, Jainarine is Gabbar, Yudhistirnauth is Krishna, David is Tall Boy, and on and on. There are some call names that aren't so nice such as Fat Boy, Big Head, Sausage and Cockroach. How'd you like one of those? My favorite is the call name of a young girl in Bushlot who is called Pretti. What woman wouldn't like that one?

I think I'll end with a couple of photos of Elder Bullock just so you know he's still here.
From VicBibiLeave
Yes, he's had a few problems with his face. First it was his lips and now it is his cheeks.

He's looking a lot better now.
From VicBibiLeave