Nothing, however, beats the creativity of "Black Yellow"

Helping church building inspector from Puerto Rico

With General Conference this past weekend, a lot of our efforts went towards getting the word out to everyone. We tried to make a visit to all of the members and everyone else we're teaching. We stayed up here on the North part of the island to set it up and showed everyone that lives up here, while our Branch President set it up for everyone on the South side of the island. In the end only the Haitians ended up coming to watch it where we had it set up which was pretty funny because a lot weren't even members, and we didn't even let all of them know about the conference. How they heard about it or found out the time to come? We have no idea. The word must have gotten out with all the Haitians or something. Nevertheless we showed it in French while we went off to a different room to watch it on our phone in English.

There was, however, a couple we're teaching on the other side of the island who had gone to every single session. They absolutely loved it. In our last lesson we had with them, they told us about how they had never found a more true church and shared with us a lot of their life story. They truly are trying the best they can to follow God. Right now they are showing their faith and doing everything they can to get the money needed to get married. It was cool to see how excited they were when they sent us voice messages with conference in the background to let us know they were watching it.

In addition to all that, we spent a decent amount of time going through the church's food storage that we received as hurricane relief. We were getting rid of all of the expired food, and trying to get all of the close to expired food either out to members or other organizations to get it out to people.

Dominica fun fact: It's very hard to eat something in public without people asking you for food. Like just the other day all I did was open the car door while I was eating a banana, and within 2 seconds (while I was still in the car) there was a boy asking me for a banana from the bunch I had. So I gave the boy a banana, and I swear not more than 3 seconds later two more guys came up asking for bananas. Needless to say... I ran out of bananas very fast that day. I have since learned the lesson of keeping my banana bunches concealed.

Nothing, however, beats the creativity of "Black Yellow." "Black Yellow" is the name (what he told us) of the guy that got us to buy his bead necklace. We were talking to another guy when Black Yellow came up and started asking us for a dollar. After a while of trying to explain to him that we didn't have any money to give him and that we were missionaries trying to help people grow in their faith in Christ, he pulls out his lunchbox. He starts showing us his toothbrush, and then proceeds to try to sell us some Canadian money. Realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere, he pauses and says "You know what. I'm going to sell you guys my bead necklace" He takes his necklace off and just hands it to us. Responding to us saying we didn't want to buy it with "Yes you do. It's special bamboo beads from the island." We tried to explain that we really didn't have any money with us and we didn't want to buy it, but he's just like "Do you know Pinky? (The first counselor in our Branch. Almost everyone knows Pinky in Portsmouth)" We said yes, and then he said "You guys are good Christian men. Just give $2 to Pinky and say it's for Black Yellow" Then he walked off. It's definitely the first time I've seen that sales technique, but I gotta give the guy props. We did not plan on buying a bead necklace that day.

44 Haitians coming to English class on Monday

Helping someone shovel after mudslide from Maria

Well we started our week off really strong with 44 Haitians coming to English class on Monday. The class just keeps getting bigger and bigger. There were so many people we had to move down to the second floor to fit everyone. We're going to need to put a limit on the number of people coming if it keeps getting bigger cause we are not prepared to have a class that big.

Teaching part of the English class

We've met some really cool people again this week as well. We were talking to this one guy in a little shack shop that he owned. Just the nicest humblest guy ever. We were talking to him for a little bit when he starts to tell us about how he's just barely getting by. As we finished up talking I went to go by a little pack of cookies before leaving and I realized I was out of money at the time. He, however, insisted that I take the pack for free. My companion ended up spotting me and paying the man for the cookies. But I definitely did learn something about being Christ-like that day. It may not seem like a lot, but to someone who has nothing, a small sacrifice like that means everything to them. That money will probably go to the food that that man needed to eat that day, yet he was still gladly willing to share it. Made me think about how much I am willing to sacrifice to help others out in need.

We met another cool couple that took us down to their little shop on the beach. It was the coolest place ever. The sun was setting and the waves kept rolling in. This island truly is so beautiful. We had a really cool lesson, and the wife seems like she truly wants to keep learning. She said she really wanted to come check out our church. That is one really awesome thing about this island. Lots of people love church, and they like to visit around.

A bay where Columbus is know to have moored (anchor) his boat

We were also able to play some basketball with the Dominican kids. We had a ton of fun. We've been wanting to play with them for a long time and finally had a little time to do it. Afterwards we headed up to go visit someone we were teaching named Lambert. He loves learning, and just recently started letting another Haitian stay in one of his rooms. It was funny though cause he speaks English and didn't really know the Haitian at all cause they can't understand each other. He was really excited for us to meet his new friend though.

We finished the week off with an amazing P-day. There are so many cool places out here we couldn't decide where to go. We decided to just head down to the closest waterfall to our house. It was definitely worth it. Fist thing to happen when we hopped out of the car at the trail head was we got attacked by ten puppies. It was the cutest thing ever. I then got to have my personal study in a little cave right next to the waterfall and just enjoy the day.

Walking out to the waterfall

Just arriving to the waterfall

With my comp at the falls

Stylized photo Google created of (at the falls)

Coming out from the cave

Personal study in the cave

Tree house

house in tree

The view from our walk back to the house from town

Island life

My first branch activity - pancake dinner and board games

English class with thirty Haitians

We had a super cool jam packed week. First and foremost, in all of the trips we made to the 2 church buildings we literally jam packed our car full of desks and tables. We've been moving some supplies around the buildings and trying to get them to look less like houses and more like churches. Let me tell you though carrying super heavy desks up and down 3 flights of stairs is NOT fun. After a couple hours of work though we somehow managed to get it all done without destroying our backs.

This week I finally got to meet one of the coolest families the Elders have been teaching here. They come from the Kalinago Territory which is a part of this island where the indigenous people of the Caribbean live (the people that lived in the Caribbean before it was discovered by Christopher Columbus). The wife is completely native and the husband is 75% native. We had a really cool lesson with them. We're also going to start up a personal finance class with some of the people of the territory because the husband is like one of their leaders and thought the idea would help a lot of the people. It's going to be interesting to see how that goes, and I'm super excited to start working with some of them.

Branch pancake activity

We also got to have my first branch activity out here. It was actually pretty fun. We had a pancake dinner and played some board games. It was pretty funny cause like nobody eats pancakes out here cause pancake mix is WAY TOO expensive, but the branch received a huge bag of mix after hurricane Maria as hurricane relief and it's going to expire pretty soon. It was funny because when they were planning the activity though they were thinking of the weirdest toppings and were very confused as to how we were going to eat it for dinner considering the fact that they had heard it was a breakfast food. it turned out to be really fun. And we ended up having to end it early so we could go to bed cause we were sleeping at the chapel that night. We got lucky too cause there was some extra mix so we got to make pancakes for lunch the next day too.

Bomb meal we made with leftover pancakes

rainbow over the only fast food place on the island

This is our neighbor's house

Nou te gen yon semèn okipe (Haitian creole)

Island Life at the boiling lake

We had some visitors come to the island this week. The building manager for the Caribbean and the person in charge of the self reliance came down to visit the island. So from Thursday to Sunday we have been driving them around everywhere to get everything inspected and taken care of for the next six months. A LOT of driving, but it was pretty cool to learn about all of the rules and stuff for the buildings and other properties. We also have to start up some of the self reliance classes out here on the island so we'll definitely learn about some of those.

I went to my first church meeting up here in Portsmouth this week as well. We showed up 10 minutes late. It was alright though cause literally nobody was there. The meeting ended up starting 45 minutes late. I was also asked to introduce myself. I later learned during the announcements that I was the first of two speakers not just introducing myself. And the other speaker was Haitian and barely knew English. We got to help two Haitians bless and pass the sacrament for the first time as well. Then I taught the come follow me class for Sunday school while my companion taught the class in Creole to all the Haitians. This country is the smallest church organization in the Western Hemisphere so church shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise. We definitely do a lot for the branch on this island though, and we get to learn a lot with all of the other administrative work we do.

Despite all the other work we've been doing out here we had like five people come up to us and ask us where our church is as we're running from place to place. Like 4 of them actually came on Sunday as well. God is definitely putting people in our path as we go about our business.

We finished the week off strong by eating lunch with a really cool Haitian family. The food was super good. Literally no idea what kind of meat we were eating though, and did not understand enough creole to understand what they said it was. Whatever it was, it was definitely the first time I had ever eaten it before.

some people are even living in tents cause the hurricane destroyed their homes

Helping dig out the side of a house after a mudslide

We had such a crazy week. It started off with carnival which was pretty crazy. It's basically just a huge parade with everyone on the island. We were inside the church building at night trying to help a convert with something and our building was legit shaking from the music outside.

We headed over to the capital for the rest of the week and had some really awesome lessons and found some really cool people. We started teaching this guy named Lambert who's been an alcoholic all his life. Just this past week we made a plan to help him stop and he's been going strong all week without drinking. He's very uneducated and barely understands English, but despite all that has a knowledge that so many people don't have. He understands how to put his faith in God and sacrifice everything to accomplish it.

We've found a lot of people who are truly interested in learning the truth, and truly are willing to ask God for themselves. It's also quite humbling to really get to know the lives of some of the people we teach. A lot of the people don't even have roofs because Hurricane Maria destroyed it, and some people are even living in tents cause the hurricane destroyed their house. The people are still faithful and friendly despite all of that.

At the trail head

This morning we got to go on the coolest hike ever. We made a loaf of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and headed out at 5 in the morning to go hike to the boiling lake. Here's a good description of the hike. Straight up a mountain, then straight down it, then repeat that for two more mountains. The trail got wrecked by hurricane Maria as well which made it way harder. We pretty much just did six miles of bleachers. Our legs are absolutely destroyed, but 100% worth it. And we got to check out the second largest boiling lake in the world.

Sitting on a steaming river

Climbing down the side of a waterfall to get to the boiling lake

Climbing down waterfall

in the clouds

top of waterfall

At the boiling lake

in the valley of desolation

It felt like I was entering Jurassic Park when I hopped of the plane

The Dominica missionaries (Elder Segura and I)

Well I'm in Dominica now. If you guys want an idea of how this place looks just think of Pirates of the Caribbean because a lot of the movies were filmed here. This place is so sick! It felt like I was entering Jurassic Park when I hopped of the plane cause we were in the middle of the jungle.

Getting off the plane

As far to day to day life goes, this is a completely different mission. Like everything here is different. I guess I'll try to do my best job describing this place.

- To start off, everyone here smokes weed everywhere

- We have right seat driving cars and drive in the left side of the road

- There's 3 foot trenches on each side of the road so if you go off you destroy your car

- There are two major cities and we live in one of them for half of the week and then sleep on the floor of the church the other half of the week

- Most people speak English out here so we're not completely lost, but we have to learn Haitian Creole to talk with all the Haitians and people that speak Dominican Creole

- There are mountains everywhere, and it's pretty much a jungle out here

We basically just got sent to a completely different island with a way different culture and language, and now it's our job to survive out here and preach to everyone in this country.

We'll see where this island takes us. It's also Carnival weekend out here (the biggest event out here that happens once a hear) so tonight and tomorrow might get super crazy.

Last day with my comp Elder Jones

View of the coast from the house of someone we're teaching

I will be in a COMPLETELY different country speaking a completely different language

With the Elders from the zone

Well my transfer call came in early this week...

By next week I will be in a COMPLETELY different country speaking a completely different language. This Thursday I will be taking one suitcase of stuff and catching a 2 and a half hour plane ride to an island called DOMINICA. I will now be speaking (or should I say learning really quick) French Creole. My companion and I will be the ONLY two missionaries on the ENTIRE ISLAND.

We won't be going to any more zone conferences or mission meetups, and we'll be Skyping in every week for our district councils. So it's very likely this is the last week I'll be able to work with any other missionaries for the rest of my mission.

Fortunately, I won't be too lost because there is some Spanish and English that's spoken on the island, but I am a little bit worried after seeing the symbol "©" and other numbers in the spelling of the months of the year in creole. These next few months will definitely be interesting.

As far as my thoughts... I am absolutely so excited! This will for sure be a once in a lifetime experience.

Our week out here on the island of Puerto Rico, however, went absolutely great. I got to work out in Humacao on exchanges, and we were able to see miracles left and right throughout the week.

With the Humacao Elders

Due to the fact that I'm going to be in another country I will not be able to receive packages until the end of my mission. I might be able to receive letters, but don't send them to the mission office because they won't make it out o me for a long time.

Caguas Zone

On exchanges with Elder Walker in Humacao