Wait. What just happened...?

Wagwan pon di likkle island of JamRock! Mi Cyaaan belive mi heeya abraad fi so long...A slice a year unu nah link up wid mi. There's some patois for you, have fun trying to say it right! haha. But in all seriousness, this week was an absolute blast. It flew by and Monday feels like so far away! Here is a day by day rundown. Sorry about the lack of pictures, my camera is really making me mad. (Might need a new one for my year mark...But I love this one...18 mp is awesome, but I'll go for a life-proof one next.)

Monday: Today was a holiday. Nobody was out, so we helped Tracey (President Francis's wife) with her wash. I rinsed and Elder Trinnaman hung. It was super fun! I've started to WASH BY HAND when I can.

Tuesday: Because of the holiday, p-day was today. We went to the beach to put our toes in the sand for Elder Trinnaman's birthday. Some guy with a BAD spirit about him was carrying a naked baby under a year old around on the shore, then went into the water. We all got a really bad feeling about it and then, in a nutshell, he started to half drown the baby while telling it to "wake up! wake up! wake up!". We were so shocked and we didn't hesitate to get out of there quickly and will never go back to that beach again. It was a clear clear message to the missionaries.

Wednesday: We had district meeting and such, didn't have any lessons and we had a lot of finding, but didn't find anyone.

Thursday: We taught our first family! They are less active and didn't even come to church... The husband is abroad a lot so it's hard to get them all together.


Friday: We super planned, then after we went up to parry town, we got hit by a tropical storm (a licking arm from the category 6 in Mexico) and walked all the way down in the rain to the church, a 45 minute walk. We were 100% soaked, no dry part on us... :) it was awesome until we realized how wet we were. We hung ourselves out to dry at the church until the storm ended.
Saturday: Service fell through at the church we are building. Michelle is a new investigator we taught and she is just looking for the right church. She's very nice and has basic basic knowledge of church/god/religion. OH! We basically got locked out of our house. We ended up staying the night at the church. It was the worst night of "sleep" I have ever gotten. Laying on the concrete ground in a warm building all night is NO fun. we tried not to offend anybody with our odour during church and made it up asap to get into our house. We had to hacksaw the lock off after church on Sunday.

So yes, this is one of the funniest and weirdest weeks so far. I'd say its the most memorable one. I have been learning a lot about my divine nature in my personal scripture study and hope that I can be the best I can be every day. I don't want to regret any day on my mission! Want to make it the fullest! I know that Jesus Christ is my savior and His Grace is Sufficient to help me and protect me and carry me and forgive me. If you have not listened to "His Grace is Sufficient"  by Brad Wilcox (speeches.byu.edu) I invite you to do so right now. I get it now. :)

T-minus 21 days to lift off?

Halfway through the transfer already? I don't understand time here. I'm almost 1/4 of the way through!!!

     For all of you who said this wasn't a mission, but a vacation, I have this to say: NOT a vacation. Haha this is the hardest thing I have ever done and aside form the aspects of missionary work, top onto it a new culture, people, climate, diet, etc. It was a vacation for maybe a month, then I think it hit me a lot more what the broader spectrum of this work was. Then I got usd to the "vacation aspects" of the island. Now I'm here on my mission and it is one of the hardest things ever. I wish you could all be here to see what it is really like.

     I want everyone to know that I am stronger than ever before and my testimony is at the point of where it will never fall or crumble if I keep it nourished for the  rest of my life. It's not done growing but it's solid. Kinda like a sugar crystal lollipop. It is solid but layers are always forming.

     Ellis is doing great, he has taken almost all of the lessons, accepts them well, knows this is the true church, but hasn't made it on time to sacrament meeting. Looks like he will be ready to be baptized by the beginning or middle of November after I  transfer out of Ochi. Darn. But the notch will still be on my belt in my mind, we helped him a lot he has told us. I don't have to be the baptizer as long as I helped him get to that point. Here is his business up Breadnut hill (the likkle house pon di side di road dem). It's a killer hill! I'm by a random JamRock Advert for a Sodom and Gomorrah party!

Rain keeps falling on my head, it keeps falling...

So this week! General conference, Ellis, Elder Ridler, giant cockroaches, angry branch presidents and much much more!

     This week we found out that Ellis finally got a phone so it's now easier to get a hold of him! He's doing well, he won't tell us many details about word of wisdom so were going to do more questions to gauge his obedience to it. He will now be able to  read the Book of Mormon since we got him the 8x11 copy, the huge one! I'm excited to see him make covenants with God around this month, probably toward the end.
     General Conference was awesome! Halfway through Saturday afternoon, the computer we were using exploded and it sounded terrible when that happened... But basically we set up Brother Jones's laptop and streamed it from there for the rest of conference. It was strengthening and I loved every talk. I sustain the three new apostles and I hope all of you do as well. I know they are called of God!!!
     The senior couple, the Ridlers are from England. They are the nicest people ever. They went to inspect our apartment and gave us a ride into town then took us to go eat in an actual RESTAURANT not just a wooden roadside cook-shop! He went to Korea on his mission as a young man and now they are in Jamaica together. They are so great.
     The cockroaches just get bigger and bigger... *shivers violently* I killed one that was at least two inch long by one and a half inches wide by one inch tall...yeah it sounded like a firecracker when it got stepped on and the thing was fast too!!! Mi nah like deya no much. chue! I have yet to wake up snuggling one, though and for this I am grateful!!
     So the branch president and I got into a disagreement and I am having total deja vu as I type this. I dreamed this would happen... anyway! We got in a likkle quarrel and he hurt my feelings as I was just trying to help and fulfill my calling as a branch clerk. I want to do things right.
     The work in Ochi is super slow. Nobody holds appointments and those who do don't progress. I'm holding on to my Faith that there are people waiting to hear my message but Ether 12:5 is my position right now. Nobody is listening to the amazing things I have to say about this gospel. I'm continually praying that their hearts will be softened. I hope that someone will be receptive and act on their Faith.

 New tie from Sister Hailey Garretson, my love, in California!

Oh, and a random vulture thingy. Yeah, it's kinda cool.