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