24 January 2010
A mile stone achieved in the branch today as the first elder’s quorum president, Evans William, was sustained -and on his 47th birthday. Even though he will be serving without counselors for a while he seems excited about this calling-as we are. He will be set apart by President Gamiette at our zone conference in February. He is a good man. As this was transfer week the elders decided they would like to spend park of the day viewing one of the attractions in the area-namely Sulphur Springs near Soufriere. This is touted as a drive-in volcano. From the viewing area you can see a number of boiling pots emitting plumes of steam and the pungent odor of rotten egg gas. Also highly touted are the health benefits one can obtain by soaking in the water, at designated areas, that flows from theses pots. Anything from arthritis, rheumatism, bad back to enhancing the tone of your skin by applying the mud from the bed stream to your face/body. The elders took this to heart and from the enclosed pictures their bodies should now be smooth as silk and blemish free. This same evening Elders Rosales and Morris invited Randy to the apartment and together they made a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Of course Sister Faux was there to give needed instruction, suggestions, and hints for best results. It was fairly late before they finished-late enough Elder Faux had gone to bed-and to their credit the cookies were really quite tasty. It was fun to see Randy brighten up after a few weeks of being elusive with a somewhat dour attitude. Tuesday morning we took President Nicholas with us to visit Patricia Freeman. She is a less active member who the president met for the first time. President Nicholas is one who is not at a loss when it comes to words. Notwithstanding, he met his equal, and then some, in Patricia. After visiting for about one-half hour she went to find her Book of Mormon and while she was gone President Nicholas just sat and shook his head in disbelief. We had forewarned him but it was evident he still was not prepared. Nonetheless we had a good visit and our visits with her are going to be more often. Transfer day Wednesday. We are saying goodbye to Elder Rosales, for the second time, and Elder Thomas for the first time. Elder Thomas is a fun and pleasant elder to be with. We were hoping that he might stay one more transfer so that Jeff, Kris, and family would have the chance to meet him when they visit. Elder Thomas needed to be at the airport in Castries by 6:00 a.m. Wednesday morning which would require us to be on the road by 4:30 a.m. Enter Elder and Sister Treseder-such good people. They being aware of the situation graciously offered us ‘our’ bedroom at their apartment therefore we drove to Castries Tuesday afternoon and stayed the night. A plus for us going Tuesday also provided the opportunity to visit with Elder and Sister Collins. They had come from Guyana to meet family members vacationing in St Lucia. Wednesday was a busy day as Elders Treseder and Faux shuttled back and forth to the airport either taking elders, and sisters, departing or to pick up elders arriving. We finally had our two new elders, Elders Larson Lundberg, so we could be on our way back to Vieux Fort by 4:00 p.m. Elders Larson and Lundberg are both from Logan, have many mutual friends, but today is the first time they have met one another. Interesting…
Sister Faux: As I write this Monday morning, from our little Hilly-Billy town (as our California neighbor describes this area) I am continually thankful for the blessing of good health. We have been blessed each day while serving our mission with being healthy, a little flair up now and again makes us more aware of how blessed we are. We are thankful to be able to serve here among good people and great missionaries. As I have said before we enjoy our young elders. They work hard and for the most part have a good time doing it. Sad to see Elder Rosales leave again and Elder Thomas, we have enjoyed them very much and know they will continue to have successful missions. Our two new elders will be fun to get acquainted with and they have nice companions to show them the area. Elder Rosales described the difference here in St Lucia with Trinidad. He said if they get 10 contacts in Trinidad they would set up 5 appointments to teach. In St Lucia if they get 10 contacts they would only be able to set up 1 appointment. They are assigned to get 10 contacts each day, so you can see they need to work hard each day.
The other morning as we were driving we came to a corner and met a large van/bus. We stopped and Elder Faux backed up to let the van have more room and for some reason upset the van driver who leaned out the window yelling at us. Innocent Elder Faux said “He must be upset with his passengers”. I told him no, he was upset at us. That totally surprised him as he thought he was being kind. He was a big man and I am glad he was in his van.
Sunday was nice and we had four investigators, three women and one man, two will be baptized this week. That is always a happy time for the elders and everyone. We had 41 people in attendance at church. When we held our last correlation meeting the men sounded nice as we sang our opening hymn. I asked President Nicholas if they could sing in Sacrament meeting, and so they did. I believe there were thirteen singing and they sounded very good. Now Sister Elliott is going to start having a choir practice each Sunday morning. That is very exciting, some are quite nice singers.
Now for the most embarrassing part of the week. This morning Elder Faux picked up my earrings that I had taken off last night-one was black and one pearl. That was what I wore all day –to church and elsewhere-no one said anything but I am sure some must have noticed…What can I say---- Have a good week. Elder and Sister Faux

17 January 2010
We think we mentioned last week about Elder Morris breaking out in a itchy rash. Either way, with the blessings of Sister Ellison, the mission nurse, we took him to see Hilaria Gervais, FNP. Hilaria comes at the recommendation of President Nicholas since she serves as his family health care provider. She lives about ten miles north and west of Vieux Fort in a beautiful home with landscaping that had Sister Faux drooling. Hilaris’s first impression was that Elder Morris had come in contact with something he is allergic to. The first item we all thought of was the concrete we were around on Saturday during our service project. Elder Morris cringed at this as his father does concrete contracting therefore he has worked around concrete for a number of years with no problem. After a thorough examination she prescribed some allergy medication for him to take. Because the rash covered most of his body, and we had seen it become much more involved, the pharmacist part in Elder Faux came out and asked her what she thought about treating it with a two or three day dose of prednisone. She rejected that suggestion immediately, and without mincing any words. We are however, happy to report it subsided after a day of two. But Elder Morris still refuses to believe it was the concrete. As a bonus for us Hilaris gave us about a dozen grapefruit fresh from the tree. And speaking of pharmacist we went back to the St Jude’s hospital to follow up on our visit last week with the humanitarian couple. While there Sister Faux suggested I visit the pharmacy and see if I could do some volunteer service there. They were quite receptive to the offer asking that I check back next month after they have completed a little expansion project. Thursday evening we accepted Elders Rosales and Morris offer to go visiting with them at a home in an area known as Grace. We almost had to make a U turn off the main road to get on the road to the investigator’s home. It is a terrible road (?)-steep, rocky, full of ruts and potholes. I (Elder Faux) was a little perturbed to think they would ask to drive the car on this road. A four wheel drive pickup maybe, but not a little Corolla sedan. We made it OK but added about five or six new scrapes to the underside of the auto. But with the spirit we felt during the lesson and the great session we had it was all worth it. But we will walk that road henceforth.
Sister Faux: What Elder Faux did not tell you was the path that led to the house was about as bad as the road up the hill? If we could just video all the trails and roads we have been on we could open some type of a video show. This little island is totally made up of hills up and down. Many pretty places but so many hills.
Our Elders received their transfers yesterday—it is sad when that happens. Elder Thomas is going to St Martin and going to learn French. He does speak a little French, but it will be a learning experience for him. He is a fine young man and we will miss him very much. He is from New Zealand. Elder Rosales also is transferred back to Trinidad and will continue to be a zone leader. He takes his calling as a missionary very serious and is a good elder also. We had him here before and he does great work. He is from Guatemala. Elder Welch and Elder Morris stay and each will have a new companion. We will tell about them as we meet them.
Not too much news this week—it has been a bit cooler. In fact tonight it almost felt cool as we have had a little rain today and sometimes that makes a difference. I think I said that I bought a thermometer a couple of weeks ago. I don’t think the temperature has changed even a degree since we put it up. I think it has stayed on 80º every second—oh, and it was on sale. Do you think it is broken? The temperature sounds nice, but the humidity is not the best. It is 11:48 pm ºand the temp is 78º-maybe it does work, and the humidity is eighty four.
We had a nice sacrament meeting at church today with 46 attending. That was good and the most we have had for some time. It made all of us happy. We had 12 sisters in Relief Society, before we have 4 to 6.
I don’t know if I have mentioned that everyone has security bars on their windows. We like it and make us feel safe. They have finished building an apartment out our back window; they started it the 4th of Dec. It still needs paint but I was told it is finished. We have been asked if we felt the earthquake in Haiti. No, we did not feel anything, but the mission office emailed this morning and said the mission area doctor and three member doctors have left for Haiti and 13 more were coming in today. Once there they will set up a hospital in one of our church buildings. All the churches are okay and also all the missionaries are safe. A terrible tragedy. We wish you a happy and safe week. The Church is true.
Elder and Sister Faux

10 January 2010
First of all something of a personal flavor- fifty eight years ago this very day Elder and Sister Faux were married for time and all eternity in the Manti Temple. There have been some bumps and bruises over the way but what we remember most is just how wonderful it all has been.
The events of the week: first was the branch family home evening Monday night. We didn’t have the turnout we hoped for but the ones there were enthusiastic. Sister Faux presented a lesson and a good discussion on prayer. For an activity the elder s did ‘flour tower.’ A tower of flour is made with a piece of candy on top. The sides of the tower are then cut away with a knife. Whoever is cutting when the tower collapses has to pick the candy up with her teeth from the flower heap. Secondly, Zone Conference in Castries on Thursday. As Sister Faux and Sister Treseder are responsible for preparing the luncheon that is served after the conference, as well as providing goodies for the elders breakfast the morning of the conference, we drove to Castries on Wednesday to get prepared staying the night with Elder and Sister Treseder. For the luncheon a potato bar with all the trimmings was prepared and needless to say thoroughly enjoyed by the missionaries. The Treseder’s also prepared the yummiest chili to go along with the potato bar. As our zone has been divided since the last zone conference we only had to prepare for 26 rather than the 45 like last time. President Gamiette, we have said this before and will probably say it again, is a masterful teacher. Just for a little exercise go to John 10:11-13, focus on ‘hireling’, as opposed to shepherd in this text, then do a forty five minute to an hour discussion on how this applies to missionary work and the missionary him/her self. For the Vieux Fort Branch this was a good conference as Evans William, 44 years old, was interviewed and approved to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, which will now give us four Melchizedek Priesthood brethren in the branch, and Firmus and Cecelia Hippolyte were interviewed and had their temple recommends signed. Thirdly: last September St Jude’s Hospital, which serves this area, was destroyed by fire. The area presidency directed Elder and Sister Whitehead, the humanitarian couple, to visit with the hospital CEO to see if there was an area the Church could be of assistance. So we made the appointment with the CEO and then accompanied them as they met together. It will be interesting to see what the Church will do. Fourth: On Saturday, President Nicholas plus two other branch members and the elders joined together for a service project in behalf of the Augustine Family. They step from dirt into their house and after a rain it would be pure mud. They also have a rather steep incline of a rock and dirt ‘path’ to negotiate in order to reach their house. Our project was to pour a cement pad in front of the house and steps up the incline. Four friends/neighbors of the family also help and were key factors in us finishing it in one day. The sand and gravel mix had to be carried about fifty yards, including twenty one steps, in five gallon buckets. This is where the friends made the difference. We would carry one bucket; they, much of the time, would hustle along with two. The cement was mixed on the ground and then again carried by bucket and dumped in the form. I must report the elders also worked very hard all day and did their share along with our two branch members.
Sister Faux: Monday--As Elder Faux reported yesterday was our 58 wedding anniversary, we can hardly believe it ourselves. Where have all those years gone? We have seen many changes in our lives as in the world around us. Our lives has been good, with a few cross times but the good really outweighs the bad. Dave is the best thing that ever happened to me. We have been blessed in so many ways, the church has always been important in our lives and we have stayed active. Our family has made us proud and happy and they continue to be good people. My prayer for them is that they remain the fine people that they are and that they learn to love each other more. The friends in our branch here were amazed that a couple could live together for so many years. We are very thankful for all we have been blessed with. As it is with most couples we started out with nothing, not even a car, and now we do have a car.
Yesterday was a good day at church and a nice sacrament meeting. The President, his wife and Shanna, who lives with them, were the speakers. They gave well prepared talks about obedience (D&C 19, 15-19, repentance and forgiveness) .D&C 58:42 & D&C 64-9-10. After church Jeanette and Davis came and had lunch with us, so we had a nice afternoon. The evening was spent at the William home for FHE. Elder Welch and Thomas gave the lesson on the plan of salvation, always something for us to learn. After coming home for the evening Elder Rosales had to use the computer for his weekly report as zone leader. As he and elder Welch were about to leave they paused long enough to sing, for our anniversary, “Families Can be Together Forever” How nice of them. We love these young men, they make our life nice. Elder Morris broke out in a rash yesterday and looked terrible when we saw him. The pharmacist, Elder Faux found some cream in the first aid box and some Benadryl and he was a bit better late last night. Have not called today so hope he is better. Transfer time is coming up next week so anxious to see what happens. It is hard to let these great young men move on. Have a good week. Sister and Elder Faux