We held our monthly branch family home evening Monday evening and even though a little after the fact we talked about the 24th of July in Utah centering our program on the pioneers. Without going into too much detail we traced the progress and growth of the Church starting with Joseph Smith receiving the Golden Plates, the subsequent publication of the Book of Mormon, the Church being organized in Fayette, New York, then moving to Kirtland and the building of the Kirtland temple with the various heavenly visitations that took place therein. The trials and tribulations in Missouri which resulted in the move to Nauvoo and finally the Nauvoo exodus to the west. We had a rough outline of the United States so as to trace the moves and the distances involved. We then talked about the Church in St Lucia and particularly the Vieux Fort Branch. The first four missionaries to St Lucia arrived in November 1983 and the first convert baptism occurred 2 September 1984. In 1986 the missionaries were asked to leave prior to a visit by Pope John Paul II and were not allowed to return following the papal visit. A branch that had been organized in Castries in 1984 was discontinued during this turmoil to be reorganized in April 2003. In May 2004 the Church started petitioning the government for recognition-which is still in the process-and missionaries returned sometime in 2005. The Vieux Fort Branch was organized in early 2007. We then indicated to the members they are pioneers in every sense of the word in their own country. They are paving the way for others that will follow just as the ‘Utah pioneers’ did. Branch members, Sister Carine Cotter, the first to be baptized in St Lucia (as previously mentioned), and Sister Jeanette Thomas, the first Vieux Fort Branch baptism, 23 June 2007, each took a few minutes to relate their conversion stories as well as their testimonies.
Sister Faux: Our FHE was successful although when it was time to start not many there. That bothers me and I would like to buy everyone an alarm clock and have it go off about ½ hour before each meeting. I guess it is just part of the cultural to be late and the members are very good at being late. Our program went well and Dave presented some interesting information. As part of the program we ask the elders to sing “Come, Come Ye Saints”. They did a nice job and both have pleasant singing voices. I wonder how many hymns they sang as Aaronic Priesthood holders, maybe more than most, anyway they sang very well. Then we ask Brother Thomas to sing a solo. He was very reluctant but finally did. He sang a jazzy catholic song and livened up the place. We will try to have him sing often. One thing we do each time is to have a mystery guest, just someone in the audience that I describe and they guess who it is. I always start out describing a person—this person has black hair, this person has brown eyes, this person has a nice smile. It is funny because that is how they all look. It goes over well and is fun. After the program we taught the dance “The Alley Cat”. Our old time Manila Ward(s) members will remember this dance as it became a “must do” at any dance we ever had in our Manila Wards---fun. That is one successful thing we have done while being here.
We did not have District Meeting Tuesday because it was transfer week. Our elders both stayed but the Castries elders moved; Elder Endemann went home to California and Elder Moala was transferred to St Vincent. We have enjoyed these elders as they added zip to our good times with them. We have traveled with the elders most days this week and that is always interesting. They are teaching Keisha (again), this is the third set of elders that have taught her. She was ready for baptism until her boyfriend came back the night before the scheduled baptism. She would like to be baptized but the boyfriend is the problem. She is a nice, pretty girl with two children, and never been married. She would marry the boy friend but… Her sister Leanne is also being taught, age 15. The Mother said she would come to church tomorrow. It is all a wait, wait game.
Thursday I made a couple of apple pies and took one to the branch president, he claims that is his favorite thing in life. We had the elders stop by on their way home later in the night and had pie alamode. It turned out okay. I will tell you a bit about the pictures except I do not know the order they will be in. One of me and member Gloria Crick who we have just met. She has been less active since we have been here; Dave is her home teacher and hopes to get her to come. One picture of Elders teaching the 10 commandments, Davey is the member below the presentation- very effective to watch them teach this lesson. Then a picture of them singing-great job. Brother Thomas singing- it was so good. A Shell Station especially for our neighbor, John Spotts, who worked for Shell forever. Sister Cotter, first member of the church in St Lucia, and Sister Thomas, first member in Vieux Fort Branch. Leann and wild hair- she is just going to fix it. Elders teaching her. The lorry Brother Hippolyte drives to church occasionally. Hard working Elder Sturdevent on our couch. They walk all over and I don’t know how they keep up. Day or night it is the same, we have gone with them at night and it kind of bothers me. Well I better close for now. We send our love, Sister and Elder Faux