Our main event for the week was attending zone conference in Castries on Friday 14 September. We actually went Thursday afternoon to attend a meeting with mission President Gamiette, President Nicholas, our branch president, and Elder Wilford W. Andersen, a member of the 2nd Quorum of Seventy and 1st councilor in the area presidency. Elder Andersen presented a general message then with President Nicholas we had a one on one session with President Gamiette. During the course of this meeting President Gamiette assigned, not called, Elder Faux as the elders quorum president in the Vieux Fort Branch. Other than a short presentation by the ‘assistants to the president’ President Gamiette and Elders Andersen were the conference speakers. As expected President Gamiette is going about things different than President Robison to achieve the mission goals and outcome. Elder Andersen’s presentation was well done. It was down to earth and easy to relate to. His past two church callings were that of stake president and then mission president. There is no doubt he excelled in each. A most inspiring person. We also had the opportunity to meet a new couple to the mission, Elder and Sister Wheeler, from Blackfoot, Idaho. Through the mission grapevine Sister Wheeler found out that Sister Faux did beautician work so she imposed on her to cut her hair while we were together so they got well acquainted. Thursday evening the four couples-Wheelers, Collins, Rasmussen, Faux- and President Gamiette got together and had dinner together. It is always fun to join with these other couples to enjoy their experiences and feel of their testimonies. We were saddened however when Elder and Sister Collins told us they have been called to serve in Guyana and would be leaving St Lucia then end of September. They have been so much fun to be with and have helped us so many different ways we feel bad to have them leave. Wednesday morning Elder Faux participated in a service project for a branch member. That of pouring a sidewalk St Lucian style. Bags of sand and gravel (?) were just dumped on the ground where part of the sidewalk would be, a bag of cement pour over the sand, and gravel, no concern about portions, water added, and then mixed with shovels. The cement was laid over a wire mesh to firm it up-but no forms used-just spread it out. In the picture you might be able to tell the stones in the gravel were so large it was difficult to make a really smooth surface. But the home owner was happy, President Nicholas was happy, and we were served breakfast as a bonus.
Sister Faux: Yes we feel very sad to have the Collins leave. They have become our dear friends and we have enjoyed them so much. We see them each Tuesday and look forward each week to be with them. That is the way a mission goes- mostly good but some not so good. They will be wonderful as they work in Guyana. We do not know the new couple that will come in but will have the opportunity to get acquainted with them. We only know the couples that come onto our Island for Zone Conference, the Rasmussen’s’ and the Wheelers’ also we met the humanitarian couple the Whiteheads’. Zone Conference turned out very nice for me as I met an elder that is one of my relatives. It is Elder Palmer, an assistant to the President. He is a great grandson of my father’s brother Victor Collard. Elder Faux was speaking with him and he said he was from Nephi, Utah. Somehow they spoke of Fountain Green and he talked of his great grandfather (Uncle Vic) and we discovered we are relatives. It was very exciting to find out that information. I went to his grandmothers (my cousin) funeral a couple of years ago and he said he spoke in the funeral and so it was a happy surprise. He seems like a very nice young man and I was so good to meet him. His great grandmother is still alive and lives in Nephi and I went to visit her last year. She is in her late nineties, Amber and I went to Nephi when she celebrated her 90th birthday. She is my Aunt Melene; she is my only living aunt so that was an added happy time.
Elder Sturtevant’s parents arrived Saturday making him a happy Elder. It was fun to go with him to the airport to meet his parents -as we were about as excited as E. Sturdevant was to have them come. We were invited to lunch with them to Pres. Nicholas home after church today. That was a very nice time for us. Saturday night we went to the William home in Laborie for a BBQ and a nice evening. We had it on the beach with the waves coming in and it was a very peaceful evening. Sister William served chicken, fish and hot dogs- which she called sausages, a green fig salad and I took potato salad and German chocolate cake. When we eat at a restaurant they serve what they call provisions, it is usually rice, plantain (Looks like a banana) sweet potato, Cole slaw, (no dressing), and bread fruit. They don’t eat much dessert and if they have cake it is without frosting. It is all very interesting, -- not good but interesting.
There are dozens and dozens of old cars on the streets. If a car wrecks or doesn’t work anymore it is just parked, usually where there is a lot of green and vines. Soon the vines begin to cover over the car and it is never moved again...I took a picture but will take another one and send later.
This week seems to be a busy week as we take Elder Lang to Castries to be transferred to Trinidad, Elder Sturdevant to go home and then we pick up four new elders. There are three elders coming from Guyana and one new elder from home. So we go to Castries Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Then I sew the rest of the week. Fun Week. Love, Sister and Elder Faux

The big event for the week was the baptism of Chervonne. We have mentioned Chervonne (Shavon) before, a pretty nineteen year old young lady, and all the contention and harassment she has dealt with from ‘friends’ and family, her grandmother in particularly, as she has been taught by the elders. Regardless, she decided she wanted to be baptized so it happened Saturday evening. She said she wanted it after dark so no one could see but we talked her into doing it around sundown so there would still be some light. But she ended up having it her way as she was over an hour late. Anyway the baptism went fine and as she came up out of the water she let out a little shout of excitement that just made us all feel so good. With the moon and other lights we could see OK -the only problem was getting pictures of the event that are always treasured.
On the Caribbean side of St Lucia stand two distinctive mounts- the Gros and Petit Pitons, the result of long ago volcanic eruptions. They are well known landmarks even being depicted on the national flag. As part of preparation day we planned to climb the Gros Piton. A member of the branch had climbed it before and said he would be the guide. All set… except when we arrived at the visitor’s center to pay the required hiking fee, which we had been told was EC$20.00 each, we were also informed a guide was mandatory- whom they provided. No one hiked the mountain without one. That was Ok until we were told for the four of us it would cost EC$266.00 which was about EC$91.00 more than what we had! Alas a reminder that finding out for yourself always pays off. The elders were disappointed, especially Elder Sturdevant, as this was probably his last opportunity before he departs for home. So we did Plan Y and visited the Sulfur Springs near Soufriere which literally is a “drive-in volcano”. At various viewpoints you can observe pools of boiling sulfur water belching off vapors and fumes that have a strong rotten egg gas odor. It is quite interesting and a site of much international volcanic study and monitoring.
Sister Faux: Well another busy week has flown by- some things were planned and some not-but we have had a good time. As I said last week I was going to start a sewing class and I would report if I was still sane. I am about as sane as I was before the class so I know some people will be sorry for me but the sewing has been successful. I don’t know if you realize I have no material to sew on and no patterns to make anything. So being the Deseret Industry person that I am, I’ve improvised. We had some bags of clothing at the church that people have donated hoping that someone else could use them. So I sorted through them and found a few things that could be remade into some sort of bags. I brought them home, washed them, took them apart, and now we have a few bags made or started at no cost. One bag is finished and it was made by Randy. I was shocked as I showed him how to thread the sewing machine and he began to sew. He made perfectly straight lines. We took a skirt apart and it is now a nice bag. I hope this will be a good project and help those who are interested to learn to make something they can use. I am always wishing I could play the piano or sing, but now with my sewing skills maybe I have found something that will be good for my friends.
Another exciting event that happened this week was getting new neighbors. There are four medical schools on this end of the island. Students come from everywhere to attend for two years then they return to the states to finish their training. I know some go to the Chicago area. The two years just ended so Elder Faux and I have been alone in this complex for a couple of weeks as everyone has moved out. Our neighbor Cheri will be back soon but everyone else moved back to the states. Our new neighbor next door, Sharon, is going to start school tomorrow. Her brother, Bobby, and sister, Daluet, came with her to help get her set up. Their nationality is Pakistan, have their U.S. citizenship, are Muslim, and live in California. He was so happy to find us here and we spent a good deal of time with them. We took them to the airport after church so now the brother and sister have gone home. I have never known any Muslims so it has been very interesting for us. Dave took them everywhere they needed to go and Bobby was in our apartment more than his sisters. They took us to eat, twice for me, and three times for Dave. He has three Wendy’s in or near Newport Beach, California and, as Bobby tells it, is well to do. He is worried about Sharon as he thinks she will be so lonely. He put us in charge and expects us to take care of her. I hope it turns out good for all of us.
Elder Sturtevant’s parents arrive next Saturday and we are as excited to see them as he is. We will miss him as he is a good missionary and just nice to have around. These elders make my day and I am lonesome if I don’t see them for a day. We had to go to Castries and get a police report for Elder Lang; he needs that to get back into Trinidad. I hope he is going later and not at the same time as Elder Sturdevant. I would think you have heard of the problem in Guyana with the church. That is where our two elders were transferred from. I wonder what is happening there now, we have no idea. That is about it for this week—we had a nice testimony meeting today with only about 28 attending but many bore their testimonies. Have a great week. If you get a chance we would love to hear from you…Sister and Elder Faux
p.s. just a little follow up-Sister Faux shared gave her COLD to Elder Faux. We are fine now.

On Monday (preparation day) the elders thought it would be fun to make another attempt to visit the Botanical Gardens and Diamond Water Fall in Soufriere. You may remember we drove there a couple of weeks ago and our visit was foiled by torrents of rain. This day was a good choice. There had been rain during the night so the foliage in the garden appeared so fresh and colorful and the waterfall as impressive as always. After our visit at the garden we enjoyed lunch at Fedo’s-a little Soufriere neighborhood diner. And we mean neighborhood diner. There is a large sign indicating where to turn off the main road, and then, at least for us, it was asking pedestrians what way to go. We did find it and enjoyed our meal. When we returned to our apartment the elders stayed with us so they could use our computer to do their weekly e-mailing-and take a shower as their apartment was waterless due to the rain the night before (For some reason rain threatens the way culinary water is collected into the system. So the more the rain the greater the chance of not having water). We also took them grocery shopping, fed them their evening meal, and then went teaching with them in the evening. In other words we were together for twelve hours this day-and still enjoying one another’s company. We have been going with the elders each evening to teach Elizabeth, her 11 year old granddaughter Rosealah, and Kava. Just to give an example of what the elders content with: Kava is living with Elizabeth’s son, with whom she has two children and pregnant with the third. She also has two other children from another boyfriend. Marriage is a possibility but she says she is content with the way things are now. One evening the elders gave them an assignment to read the introduction to The Book of Mormon. On our return visit when asked how the reading went Elizabeth and Kava had done a little. However 11 year old Rosealah reported having read the Introduction, The testimonies of the three and eight witnesses, Testimony of The Prophet Joseph Smith, A Brief Explanation about The Book of Mormon, and the contents. It will be interesting to see what happens with these people. We were in Castries most of Saturday getting acquainted with and being trained by Brother Jeorge Alvarado. He was lured away by the Church from his employment with Steven Covey Group to replaced Mission President Gamiette as the area Seminary and Instituted Coordinator. He is also an Area 70, assigned to the West Indies plus the Santo Domingo East Mission. He has a unique role in that as the seminary and institute coordinator he is under President Gamiette’s direction but come area conferences etc. he then presides over President Gamiette. He claims that at the age of 38 he is the youngest member of any of the quorums of 70. Also he and President Gamiette were missionaries at the same time-each of them serving in Florida but different missions. He had a mission companion from Pleasant Grove, Jayson Lemon. I am not sure if it is Marilyn & Mel Lemons son or not. Sister Faux: Sister Faux has caught a COLD!!!! How can you ever catch a cold in St Lucia? Besides that I never or hardly ever catch a cold. I was told it was because I walked in the rain and then went into someplace that was cold. I didn’t know there was a cold place on this whole island. We had our movie night again last Friday. We were excited to do that and all 14 people that came enjoyed it. You never know just what will happen but I think our last movie was not a good opener. Oh well we will try again. A few more things that I have taken note of---Things we don’t have at the church. No phone, no adding machine, no projector, no computer and no air conditioning. Things we do have-A calculator, fans (8), an electronic key board that no one can play-well Elder Lang gives it a try. Elder Ash played wonderful when he was here. If Elder Lang stays long enough he will be good too. We also have a new sewing machine, a ‘Brother’. It seems quite nice and I hope to teach people to learn to sew. In fact today I had people sign up for sewing lessons and three men signed up??? As I have said everything is a new experience. I hope it works and is fun and by next week I hope I am sane enough to tell you about it. I have 16 people signed up to learn to sew. It is fun to be with the elders and hear their plans for the future. Just for instance Elder Lang is going to have 8 kids, if he can find a wife. Or maybe if he lives through the disappointment of not getting enough letters from home and friends in the mail. Every time we go to the post office and he has no letters it is hard to see his sad face. If anyone reads this that needs to send him a letter please do so soon. Thank you. Now Elder Sturvedant only needs one letter from Sara (or Sarah) and he is so happy-- we all are happy. He only has 12 days until his parents arrive to pick him up. How exciting is that!! Another busy week has gone by –we will talk again next week. Love to you. Sister Faux and Elder Faux

I had a few technical difficulties this week. sorry!