June 24, 2013

Alright, so tonight is out last family night at the church. Turning it into friday night activities! But we still have some house projects to occupy our time on prep day! We are making a tang mario, mr mac, oatmeal- keystone of our religion, Jesus wall, its nuts!! Companionship unity! This week though was full of meetings, learned a lot! Tuesday and Wednesday we spent finding the rest of our area and visiting members who could help us out in those areas! Our area is just ridiculously big! 

So Wednesday we talked to Sis Williams’ (less active) grandkids and we picked up like 6 new investigators in that house! They are just like so prepared it’s awesome!  So more of our area is like a bunch of St. Jagos... like St Jago Meadows, South, North, Gardens, Gate and the normal one we went up St Jago Heights.. it was like mini America!  Like a 20 min bike ride straight up hill!!  The houses were so big like 3 cars in each driveway and GRASS!!! Beautiful yards that I didn’t think I would be seeing for a long time! Guess that’s where all the pastors and preachers live also Keystone which is just a crazy bike ride, so far from the house, but a member showed us a short cut across this HUGE river that cuts the bike ride down to like 5 minutes instead of 25 min ride!!  We had tons of temple lessons on Thursday getting people to get temple recommends and show that faith before THEIR temple is built here in Jamaica!  Something they are stressing... oatmeal containers work great for temple jars.. gosh wonder where we could get some of those!! 

Thursday had a few very Powerful lessons!! Claudia, a referral from a member, had a great restoration lesson with her and her family even though we were in a noisy work shop cuz that’s where her husband works!! The spirit was so strong we kinda forgot about the noise.. also had a return missionary come with us! I think everyone learned something and we know she felt it, that’s awesome!! Also had a sweet temple lesson with Rickey. He didn’t like our temple jar idea, too easy to get into! So he cut a slit in a propane tank for his temple savings jar!! He is such a boss, he is like so consecrated, does everything he needs to do!! That’s something I have been focusing on this week! Laying everything on the altar of sacrifice and give every ounce of energy to the lord and the results have been awesome! I just crash at the end of the day, but once I put that badge on I sure better act like a disciple of Jesus Christ ! What an opportunity to serve and change my life around! And to my benefit for that goal! Friday we had a full zone conference on being consecrated missionaries laying it all down and holding no part of the offering back! It was such a powerful zone conference, it was President Hendricks last one so he laid everything down on the line and held nothing back.  In his testimony a few things stuck so far out to me:  a mission is not to change our behavior it should change our nature so when you get home you can’t go back! You don’t go back and grow facial hair and long hair, wearing funky color shirts to church, you are a Priesthood man and you better act like it. Having your personal studies everyday and still being obedient giving your all! That all made me think of my Dad! Not a greater example I can think of bout living a consecrated life! I love him! Anyways, the conference ended with testimony bearing and even though I didn’t know Pres Hendricks super well, neither Elder Stubbs, Elder Hitchcock, or Elder Gray, their testimonies were so powerful we were all in tears by the end and the last hymn was super quiet like no one could sing! Such an Awesome day!  We went and got food after... 22 people in the mission car! No more Mexican jokes, that’s just how we roll in Jamaica! Everyone is everyone’s seat belt!!! Haa, it was good times though!! Saturday we worked hard going all over our area, tons of spiritual lessons though!! Sis. Roy’s grandkids in particular. We talked about the restoration and her daughter Tracey, the mother of the grandkids, loved what she heard and is so excited to read the Book of Mormon. After we told her about the temple and it also helped Sis Roy!! It was sweet!! That mission conference on Sunday was crazy though right?!?! FB and blogs and stuff? Craziness, just exciting times to be a missionary when all this going on. Fun to watch the work seriously progress!! Well that’s kinda my week in a wrap! I’m starving, have a great week, liccamor!!

June 17, 2013

So busy this week!!! Monday played monopoly with some other Elders and sorry to say haven't been humbled yet! And also played ping pong with walls, gotta spice it up! Tuesday we taught Maxine #2 again, she is just a tender mercy, such a boss. She asks great questions and is awesome just need to get the idea through her head she needs 'a next' baptism... it will come! Just an awesome day over all! Wednesdays they are my favorite! Zone meeting so inspiring and uplifting we bounce out of there just super ready to go out and spread the word! I went on trade off as well with Elder Shurtliff and just another great day in the vineyard of our Lord!  Thursday I kinda let the lord know he was forgetting to give me trials, it was a great week!! So Thursday, I finally blew out a tire and a light bulb! But that compared nothing to the spiritual filled day we had along with interviews for Rick and Kimanis baptisms, they passed!! Friday filling the font and super planning filled most of the day and the sad part with Saturday we always gotta go early to the church cuz Satan works hard and something always goes wrong!  So of course the plug popped out and we brought hoses in from outside and filled er up!!  But the baptism was so spiritual.  Niccola Campbell spoke again cuz she referred Rick over to us to teach. She just brings the spirit with her testimony so strong! Only had to dunk them once! I got the opportunity to dunk both cuz Elder Hamilton left! But yah it was awesome overall!  Sunday just topped the week off !  To see the branch really taking control instead of us missionaries was a sweet fruit! Maxine gave a talk in church on prayer, Xavier gave the lesson in gospel principles, and Jason and Steven( recent converts) gave Rick and Kimani the Priesthood!!  Was an awesome experience and less stressful on us and could focus on the investigators which was nice cuz we had 4 of them show up! And they are just solid! Looking forward to another baptism next month! Just a boss spiritual filled week! Yes I am still getting fat! But loving mission life! And love you all stay awesome talk to you next week!!

June 10, 2013

Whoa!  i just have such a spiritual drive right now to share the gospel with everyone. We just blew our numbers out of the waters this week!  We worked so hard and just really hope we can keep that drive going!  We should have got more members out to lessons but we picked up 9 new investigators and had 16 other lessons this week with 7 members present. We also saw 9 less actives and it was awesome to see 6 of those less actives come back out to church!  Loving the work!  The days are sometimes so very, very long especially when appointments fall through, but this week we just made it happen!!  We are in the process right now trying to help 5 people over come addictions right now whether it be ganjah or sex.. two major problems out here!

I always like dreaded Sundays out here cuz we have been teaching the lessons and giving the talks and stuff but Elder Cornish from the seventy took control of the situation. We now throw people under the bus to help them build faith!  We didn’t give the talks or teach gospel principles this week and never week after week should we have to do that again! Terrible, but awesome at the same time!

A  line up haircut is kinda hard to explain its more of a black man hair cut. Maybe I’ll just get one one time to show you!!

 Elder Strickland is a boss to serve with! He is always positive and happy! He’s weird and scares me at times, but I am learning so much from him and leading the area. I am growing so much!! He has a yuke that he is teaching us to play, it’s frustrating and reminds me of piano but being out on the mission it would be awesome if I could play any musical instrument!  Found a harmonica in the apt. so if you could find any music laying around for that instrument I would love if you would send it out!!! Elder Strickland is from Tennesse! He hit his 1 year mark on Wednesday and its tradition to burn a shirt so we did that and while at it used our flamethrower to take out some wasp nests! Does a great job if you are looking for some bug killer yourself :)  Also on Monday before we forget bout Elder Hamilton, he always floured people on their birthdays so he got floured for going away at FHE it was great! I’m just glad they let me in on it :) Will attach photos!  Well that’s kinda my week in a wrap. In a few words I would have to describe it as a plethora of Awesomeness! Love you all, have a fantastic week!!! 

 My boy (Elder Hamilton) all floured!

 Elder Hamilton's last FHE in Spanish Town.

FIRE!  Elder Strickland burning a shirt for 1 year out.

Book of Mormon ping-pong.

June 3, 2013

Geezum, this week has been nuts!!! Monday after we emailed last week we went and got haircuts! When I go to get haircuts usually I think they cut your hair on your head!!! Not this guy, ha he started going at my eyebrows and between my eyes and stuff. I was like "what the freak?" so that was different. He also tried to give me a line up, thankfully my companion saw what he was doing!! Haha! We also played cricket with the other elders! That is so much fun!! Then went to the cook shop! Our favorite it's cheap yet delicious, it's called the Fireplace Gazebo! That night we picked coconuts from behind our  house with the other Elders and pulled out the machete and had us some drinks!! Ha, fun night on the roof! Tuesday our appointments fell through and God knows how to really make things work out. We went and saw Maxine and her family. Her and Junior had a fight the night before and we talked a lot about family unity and forgiveness. Their relationship isn't that great and it's really sad to see! But on the other hand, as we help them it's awesome to watch that relationship and family unity grow between brothers and mothers!! Really had to rely on the spirit to know what to say to them and that was a good experience!! That experience really clicked it for me that this isn't my mission, people need help here and I better by dang have the spirit with me so I can do all I can to help!! Today it Rained like MAD!! But we made a goal we would go to all our appointments no matter what! And with the mud half way up our tires and all over us and our bags, we went and found less actives, some referrals, and had a lot of spiritual, powerful lessons even though we were cold (for the first time!) and super dirty!! Thursday we didn't get a whole lot done, we moved our super planning to Thursday from Friday cuz the area seventy were coming and afterwards we helped Stacey move cuz they got kicked out of their rental house! We went to Irie Jerk for dinner and as group we played games and really built a Spanishtown Elder unity!! Friday is the day Elder Cornish and Elder Gamiet came and taught us!! It was such a powerful lesson! We learned 'bout following Holy Ghost promptings and also the new ways the lord will be hastening His work!! Some key points they brought up is we will not invite people to church... we accompany them to church!! Also we aren't going door to door anymore... it's not effective! We have been trying to get referrals from members! Wrong again... "members don't have friends, they have meetings! Less actives have no meetings cuz they have friends!" It is so true, as we went out and applied the teachings on Saturday it rang true. We found 3 less actives and working with their families now giving us a HUGE teaching pool with like 12 new investigators!! Transfer calls were Saturday and Elder Hamilton is off to the Bahamas and I am getting "mothered" by Elder Strickland a funny white boy! I'm excited but gonna miss Elder Hamilton. He will do great white washing out in Bahamas though!! Sunday was ridicoulous! The whole branch is going to miss Elder Hamilton, we really have grown to be a huge family!! President Lue's wife was exactly right though, anywhere you go if it's The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you are going to find and feel that family love!! But with that love comes food! We had to turn down people wanting to make us food!! But the ones that already made food we ate.. and we ate.. and we ate 3 GIANT plates of heaping rice and peas and curry chicken back, Elder Hamilton's favorite! Lots of photo taking and journal signing! That's a lot of what consist in our schedule today as well. I'm thankful for my time I was able to serve with him and all the many things I could learn and my testimony to be strengthened!! That's kinda my week in a wrap! Favorite scripture this week has all members and missionaries names on it! (3 Nephi 5:13! ) and for the bible found a scripture passage reminding me of all the great women I have in my life!! (Proverbs 31:10-31) Love you all, have a Glorious week!!! And if anyone sees Chatlen! two knockings on the head each week he doesn't email me! Thanks!! :)

 Maxine and Junior

 Ricky

Sis. Booth's family