Finally, a word from Jamaica

Signs of the Times  are, at this point, cautionary.  Please decide for yourself which one of these should be your priority and take heed.  DON'T EVER SAY YOU HAVEN'T BEEN WARNED.

 and

We have, this month, had some rather extraordinary experiences.  On the 10th we gave our PEF Fireside to the senior couples that meet for Family Home Evening (that, actually, was NOT extraordinary) but it gave the others to know that we do more than just drive between Mandeville and Kingston.  That day the Schaefermeyers, Flakes, Herberts and us drove down to Port Royal, found a water taxi - a very old boat with a skilled driver -and motored out into the bay to a tiny island called Lime Cay.

We had a wonderful day playing in the water, snorkeling, picnicing and just visiting and having fun.  By the time our boatman came back for us there was a fair wind blowing causing 4 - 6 foot swells.  He was very skilled but we did softly sing "Master, the Tempest Is Raging" .  I loved every minute.  I wish the Keep Lime Cay clean sign had been posted right next to the old , rusty refrigerator/boat floating on the edge of the beach. 

A couple of days later the Schaifermeyers came to stay with us and invited us to go out with them to the Junction area to inspect several locations where people had applied to have a Food Initiative project.  Let me quickly explain the Food Initiative.  The Church always (until now) partners with other agencies (Salvation Army, Catholic Services, Food For the Poor, etc) to do humanitarian services.   This project in Jamaica has been designed to help and encourage   people to provide for themselves.  They can choose between raising gardens (up to a quarter acre), pigs, chickens, goats or bees.  They must have the space necessary,  take a government training course for their particular project, agree to help others with their projects when needed and learn how to make their project self-sustaining.  It is a huge undertaking, but could reap huge rewards for those who participate and, in the end, for millions of people around the world if it is successful.  One does not have to be a church member to participate and the church furnished whatever is needed to get started except the land. 

We were honored to go and met some very nice people who are anxious to get started.  We also met a lovely donkey and some hours old baby goats.  At one point I had the feeling that we might be the first white people to have gone to that particular location.  Some of the roads were just trails but Elder S. is a fearless navigator.  It is an amazing undertaking and we are thrilled to be watching it unfold.  Jack was soooo hoping to be able to build some chicken coops, but our involvement will be (we think) more of doing some checking and encouraging.  Whatever the Schaifermeyers ask us to do.

The last amazing event was the visit of our friends, Diane and Stan Brewer.  On our way to the airport in Montego Bay our supervisor, Bro. Brown, called to confer with Jack and started the conversation by apologizing for interrupting our "vacation".  He is a darling and he and our boss in the DR encourage us to take time to experience the island with whoever comes to visit us.  We had several relaxing days on the beach in Negril with beautiful sunsets, a trip down to Treasure Beach for pizza and a little shell gathering, a trip into Spanish Town for the memorial service for Elder Walker and then into Kingston for lunch with Kevin Brown and the sister missionaries.  We  are grateful for their wonderful friendship and the lift we got from having them here.

Just a word about Elder Walker.  I think I can safely say that as a group - the Jamaican missionaries - we were shocked and so sad about his death, but feel that was Heavenly Father's plan for him.  He was an obedient and effective missionary and well loved and respected by all who knew him.  He was the first person from the Sav Branch to go all the way from primary to missionary.  President Hendricks said he was sure Elder Walker was as surprized as everyone else at this new assignment but also pleased. 

President and Sister Hendricks have been the leaders we needed at a time such as this and we are so grateful.  We are grateful for our testimonies and for your love.

Happy New Year

Since it seems we are always addressing the challenges in Jamaica I wanted to give a positive report.  Today is Saturday January 8th and we have just returned from our monthly visit to seminary and institute classses in two of our assigned branches.  On Thursday evening we had our inservice training meeting in Savannah La Mar and the teachers from Negril branch came over to meet with us.  Then we stayed Friday night in Negril and spent Saturday morning walking on the beach (for those of you in foggy, smoggy, cold Utah)  Oftentimes as one looks at what impact we are actually making is gets discouraging as it is hard to measure.  However, on Friday night I visited the seminary class in Montego Bay.  When Fran and I arrived on our mission last May we were assigned 7 branches to be involved with the seminary and institute program. Four branches did not have seminary and one branch did not have institute.   Montego Bay was one of the branches without a seminary class and it was very rewarding and spiritually uplifting to be among eight students in attendance out of the eleven registered.  It was fun to hear them do their scripture mastery repeating by memory several key scriptures.  Their teacher really cares for them and they can tell it.  After class I told Fran how happy I was that we were able to make a difference by getting that class started. What a shame it would have been for those youth to be missing out on this experience.   Neighborhood update:  I am still walking 5 mornings a week and have placed another three Books of Mormon and am hopeful that I will soon be able to get the missionaries an apointment with at least one family.  Had a nice discussion with a Jehovah's Witness this past week  and told her to pray about our discussion and come back and I would have a Book of Mormon for her.  Our first visitiors Stan and Diane Brewer are coming the 20th and we are very excited about their visit.  We are happy to serve here and miss all of you.  Keep the pictures and video's coming.    Jack.
P S Thanks for the Christmas cards, pictures etc.

year's end

Last posting for 2010 and a recap of our Christmas week-end seems in order.  The mission party on the 24th really was fun.  (For those of you have been concerned about which skirt I wore - white linen won out.)
We arrived a little before 10 am and there was already a crowd.  The Herbert's were busily making popcorn and putting it in large plastic cups and setting out bowls of candy.  These were for watching a couple of movies with.  Several other Sr. sisters were helping get the meat hot and ready for our Mexican Haystacks lunch and the younger mishes were all chatting and rehearsing their skits. 

Before we got started officially a woman wandered in off the street and wanted food.  Poor Sis. Hendricks was just undone because it is so hard to say no, but she was untirely unsure we actually had enough to feed the missionaries and she knew if she fed this lady she would have half of Kingston sitting down with us. 

We started with a carol and Bro. Herbert reading T'was the Night Before Christmas and then Pres. H. talked about the history of that poem.  Let me interject here that when I was a little girl every Saturday my mother would shampoo my hair and then roll it in curlers (in those days rather primitive contraptions).  In the curler box was a newspaper clipping of that wonderful poem and she would recite it to me while I got curled.

After that we watched the old Grinch Who Stole Christmas and Mr. Kreuger's Christmas with the aforementioned treats.  Sometime before the movies a couple of elders serenaded us on their guitars.

After lunch we had skits which were really very creative.  One Maori group did the squating, clipped chanting and that was a huge hit.  One group gave us the "actual version" of what happened Christmas Eve.  Mary was one of the native Jamaican elders as was baby Jesus also.  One of the "blind" shepherds exclaimed, "see, I KNEW  he was black"  Herod was a too cool dude with sunglasses and a cell phone ordering "hit men" when he realized the wise men had dissed him.

The Sr.s did a version of The Twelve Days of Christmas written by Elder Schaefermeyer.  Part is as follows:
On the first daily visit my Elders taught to me
A life with no ganja or tea.
On the second daily visit my Elders taught to me
two year missions...
On the third daily visit my Elders taught to me
Three Nephites...
On the fourth daily visit my Elders taught to me
Fore-ordained...
On the fifth daily visit my Elders taught to me
Five golden plates, four standard works, three hours of church...
On the sixth daily visit my Elders taught to me
Sex not til marriage...
On the seventh daily visit my Elders taught to me
Seventh day's no sabbath, six days to labor...............two meals to fast and a life without ganja or tea.
On the eighth daily visit my Elders taught to me
Eight's when you're baptized............six days to labor, No golden calves........
On the ninth daily visit my Elders taught to me
Nine is when Church starts (spoken in a dramatic voice) "It;s really 10:00 but we tell them it's 9:00 so they'll be there on time"........Seven steps to repent................for-ty day flood, three realms in heaven.......
On the tenth daily visit my Elders taught to me
Ten percent tithing, Nine is when Church starts (spoken) "Unless you're in a building that has two branches", eight special witnesses.........
On the Eleventh daily visit my Elders taught to me
Eleven's not a quorum, still ten commandments, Nine is when Church starts (spoken) "It will probably start ten minutes late anyway."......
On the twelfth daily visit my Elders taught to me
Twelve year old deacons...................seven times forgiven..............And a life with no ganja or tea

After the skits Pres. Hendricks was "inspired" to bring us all back to the importance and solemnity of the celebration and spoke to us about the spiritual reality of Christmas.  It was beautiful. 

We then had ice cream, cookies and presents.  Pres. & Sis. Hendricks gave everyone a T-shirt with a stylized picture of an ox and a paper with it's symbolism in Israel (a favorite topic of his).  The mail was distributed and we had to part.

Christmas day we fixed a good dinner - for those of you who don't know Jack made his first batch of rolls and his famous twice--baked potatoes.  The sister missionaries came for dinner and long talks with their families.

Sunday I gave three piano lessons after church and on Boxing Day (Monday) we got permission to take the sisters down to Treasure Beach for pizza.  That was a real party.  There were a lot of people just enjoying the holiday, eating,, playing soccer on the grass, music blaring.

OK, SORRY about that laborious description.  I have just one more thing .  I HAVE HAD IT WITH LIZARDS.  Last Sunday night Jack typed and printed our weekly report.  I took it, stuck it in the three hole punch, gave it a good hard whack, pulled it out and a tiny lizard was sitting there on the paper as if by  magic.   I live in fear of the next sighting.

Sorry I did not include these picture where they belong but Jack was asleep and I was , obviously, on a roll.

Happy New Year to you all.  We love you so much.  Frannie

This week's Signs of the Times.Right now there are a lot of signs for All White New Year's parties.  That is not what I thought it was.  It just means everyone wears white.  Ricardo Mullings and Allison were obviously amused at my assumption.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Dearest Family and Friends,

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and we will be thinking of all of you.  We will be celebrating with all of the missionaries here on the island.  We will drive into Kingston to the Constant Spring (that is singular, NOT plural as almost everyone calls it) Branch for fun and food.  Sister Hendricks has been alsolutely adament that there be no basketball, hoping to prove to the elders that it is possible to celebrate something, however significant, without a basketball in one's hands.  She loves basketball as much as the next guy (girl) except maybe the elders. 

Our feelings have been tender not so much because it is Christmas but because we do miss you and are so grateful for all you do for us.  And Jack has had a discouraging couple of weeks questioning our effectiveness.  I, of course, know we are turning Jamaica on it's ear as evidenced by the piano lesson photo on his last post.  That was a volunteer thing for me but I was rather dreading it;  what the heck do I know about teaching piano?  It is so much fun and I have at least two other men who want to start next Sunday.
Five Browns look out for the Mandeville Branch piano ensemble.

Christmas Day the sister missionaries (we have two on the island and we are lucky enough to have them here in Mandeville for awhile) will be here to call their families and have dinner with us.  And I hope to be able to inform you on my next post that Elder Andersen successfully  made and baked Parkerhouse rolls for our feast.  He has wanted to make/bake bread for years and will now pull that rabbit out of the hat/oven.

This photo was taken at Strawberry Hill, the sight of one of the old Great Houses, and is now a hotel/ restaurant.  Spectacularly beautiful and that was a lovely day.

We have both admitted that it is a real blessing that it just
does't seem like Christmas; therefore, we aren't thinking

 about Christmas and missing Christmas.  House cleaning
and baking and running into Kingston on a Friday are just
things you do in December.  What is wierd is trying to
decide between a white linen or a cotton print skirt to
weat to the party.  I've about decided on the white linen.

Along with the picture of us I also wanted to include a
couple of signs of the times which I hope to make a regular
feature of in this irregular blog.

There is a second installment  to this if I can get Jack to stop when we pass it.  We don't know if anyone does actually get caught but would you want that Meter Monster  breathing down your back?

Evidently ther has been some confusion.

Despite my levity, I do want you all to know that I am so grateful for our Saviorl, Jesus Christ and his miraculous birth, his mission to this earth and his willing, selfless sacrifice for all of us.  I am committed to consecrating this time of service to him hoping, at the end, to feel that I know him and have helped others to have a desire to know him. 

Please pray for these beautiful people, especially those stalwart members of the church who have such a desire for the church to be strong for their posterity and are carrying heavy burdens to make that a reality.

We love you and miss you and pray for you.  Frannie

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas....NOT

With sunshine and mid 80's and little in the way of homes lit up it really doesn't seem like Christmas.  Last Sunday we had the Morrison boys share the season in dress and I have included a picture of them.

  (you can click on the pictures to enlarge)

 When I started taking pictures all the children wanted to get into the act so here I have included a couple more pictures of the beautiful children

 About 3 weeks ago we had a change in the District Presidency and after a recent Dist Pres Mtg we took a picture of them.  L-R Bro Morgan a district counselor (high council), Pres Powell 1st counselor Pres Morrison new Dist Pres, Pres Hosang 2nd counselor and Bro Topy Exec Sec.  Not all have it easy in the church.  Bro Topy's wife belongs and is active in another church but he has a solid testimony and is very faithful. He say's baptized a Mormon, living a Mormon and will die a Mormon.

 

Next we have our resident piano teacher Sister Andersen.  Brother Johnson is on his 2nd lesson and Bro Baily is looking on and has asked to be added to the list of students along with Hopeton Haughton.

We were in Negril last Friday to visit an institute class and spent the night.  Of course on Saturday morning we were able to spend time on the beach and swim.  On the way home we stopped at the Brick Oven Pizza stop (described on an earlier blog) and Fran took this picture just inside the gate.The flowers are spectactular this time of year.

Christmas eve will find us in Kingston for a luncheon with all the missionaries on the island and then on Christmas day we have invited the Sister Wilkinson and Sister Payne who are serving in our branch to come to dinner and use our vonage phone to tallk with their families.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL - we miss you and love you.

Elder/Sister Andersen  ..... Jack and Fran

Christmas Prep

Well, PHEW!!  I finally have the Christmas decorations up and I will tell you the saga of how we got there.  The young man on the left is John-John who is a wood carver at the craft market in Ocho Rios and famous amongst the missionaries here in Jamaica.  If you want something carved you call him (everyone has his phone number) and order whatever it is you want.  Well - with a catch.  He needs a $2,000JD deposit.  We really didn't want to buy before we saw but  - what can you do. 

He was there and we were here (a several hour drive) so we called the Smiths (Senior couple in Ochie) and asked Elder Smith if they could possibly go over and make our down payment.  He advised me he didn't think that was necessary so I agreed to take his council.  Sister Smith called back immediately saying "Men don't understand shopping".  The deposit was made and we were committed.  Turns out we loved the nativity set we had ordered so he wrapped it in newspaper and put it in a black plastic bag (what else) and we were on our way.

This charming man has nothing to do with our Christmas

decorations but he was peeling coconuts across from John-John and was more than happy to pose for me. 

It actually took me quite awhile to get this just right but as you can see below it turned out nicely with the addition of the Christmas tree Susan sent.  Our other preparations/aactivities have been rather pedestrian compared to the arranging of the nativity. 

Our seminary and institute classes in our branch planned a party for last Friday night and after much drama the organizers were unable to get any funds for a dinner so we volunteered to furnish dessert.  So I made a LOT of cookies and we got ice cream to go with it.  The party was deemed a success by those who attended.

I also made enough cookies to take for the Sr. couple FHE on Monday night but the real hit will be Jack's chocolate cake.  His reputation has already spread among those who care about such things. 

There are others who are planning Christmas dos.  Our Relief Society president, Sis. Heath, has been quite excited about the dinner she is going to fix for the branch adults.  It was originally supposed to be just for RS but it was so close to the Priesthood dinner that they have decided to combine.  She is going to fix fish and this morning she told us she would like to make a potato salad if she can find sweet potatoes.  The sister conducting (this was after the OH, OP, PH, Theme) said the farmer by her had sweet potatoes to dig.  Sister Heath informed her that they had to be Big because she bakes them for potato salad, she doesn't cook them .  Sister Tomlin thought they were quite big and drew the size on the board.  Sister Heath said if they wern't big enough she would have to take them back.  This also included a discussion on the price and whether it would be better to get them from the farmer or in the market.  Unfortunately, we will be in Negril that night because I really would love to sample that salad.

Sister Heath graciously invited us for Christmas dinner but we had already invited the sisters so they can call their families on our Vonnage line. 

Well, it doesn't feel much like Christmas but we celebrate the wonderful occasion with all of you in our hearts and memories.

I was going to end this blog with some more pictures but the whole process takes more energy and patience than I have in store.  Next time which I hope will be sooner than so later.

Love you all.  Fran

Heinz post

For those of you who live in wonderful winter climates - this is Elder Andersen out on the front step Sunday evening November 28th watching the world wide leadership training broadcast on the web.  It was just a very comfortable temperature.  Go ahead remove your snow from your driveways.

It is always nice when some neighborhood people advertise the upcoming pot holes.  Here is an example of what we dodge mile after mile while traveling the intereior of Jamiac.  This example is not bad compared to about a 8 kilometer stretch in Haddo which is on the way to Montego Bay.

Elder and Sister Cheesman were released recently and the Sr. Couples went to Strawberry Hill which as you can see is a very nice place atop a mountian overlooking Kingston. We had a very nice time and a very pricey lunch.  It was fun to be together with the other couples

When you are in Rome do as the Romans do.  When in Jamaica Sister Andersen ( I forgot I was typing on the blog and should have said Fran but it is a habit not to)  has found a way to decorate the wall in the kitchen . We enjoy the change from a very plain wall.

On all our trips to Negril we slip out to the Rock House for a jerk chicken sandwich.  This is the view we have to contend with.

On Thanksgiving the Sr Couples were invited to the Mission Home for Thanksgiving Dinner.  It was delicious and a fun time was had by all.

On Friday the 26th we visited the Seminary at Junction.  Pictured below is President Collins the branch president, Sister Collins his wife and the semianry teacher and Chris Anthony Collins the son and only class member.  Faithful they are to carry out the programs of the church in spite of numbers. They are certainly wonderful people.

Thats it for the 57 varieties.  Things are going well and we are not missing winter but miss all of you.

Jack.