27 December 2009
We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year. Our Christmas was good but did not go exactly as planned…
Since the flare up with the missionaries in Guyana last fall the area presidency has asked that we make sure we are compliant with regulations of the particular country we are in. Therefore the St Lucian missionary force met with an immigration officer in Castries on Tuesday to clarify our status. Our situation created some questions as the officer ended up speaking with other immigration people in adjoining offices seeking an answer. After about two hours of off and on discussion we were finally told for now we will have to renew our stay every thirty days at the cost of $200.00 EC per missionary. We were also told the immigration cabinet meets monthly to consider immigration concerns-that this will be presented to them and hopefully it can be extended to every 90 days. A file was created for each missionary which required a copy of our passport plus a passport photo. At the passport photo shop we were told it would take about ten minutes. Two hours later we had our photos and we were ready-and eager to return to Vieux Fort. Elders Welch and Thomas asked us to go with them that evening to visit a family they are teaching. We did so and felt strongly of the spirit as this family was taught. They asked good pertinent questions, paid close attention to the lesson, and were most gracious in every way. They are Seventh Day Adventist and the elders are hopeful they will gain a testimony of the gospel so that the day of the Sabbath will not become an issue. It was a delightful evening and we are thankful the elders involved us.
Now as to Christmas. We planned to meet with the other missioners in Castries early Christmas Day, do a service project at an orphanage in the morning, have lunch, play some games, watch a ‘mission approved’ movie until we needed to return to Vieux Fort so the elders could make their Christmas Day calls to family. Enter Kashakacy (Kacy) Leonce. When Elder and Sister Collins were the missionary couple in Castries they were able to get Kacy accepted at BYU-Idaho starting the spring semester. Elder and Sister Treseder were in Guyana at the time of the little flare up and were ordered to leave. As a result they and Elder and Sister Collins essentially traded places. Christmas Eve afternoon the Treseder’s were taking Kacy to the airport in Castries. She needed to be there at 2:00 p.m. for her flight to Salt Lake City. While on the way she informed Elder and Sister Treseder the airport she needed to be at was in Vieux Fort-an hour away at the very best, not Castries. They located a taxi as soon as possible, paid her fare, and got her on her way. Treseder’s called us about 4:00 p.m. to let us know the situation and asked if we would follow up and see if she made the flight. Ten minutes later Elder Collins called from Guyana to tell us she had missed her flight, was still at the airport, and ask if we would pick her up. Not only pick her up but let her stay with us for the night and then see that she caught the same flight Christmas Day. We were glad to help but in the twinkle of an eye our Christmas day plans changed. All was not loss however. President and Sister Nicholas had invited us to a Christmas Day dinner so now we told them we would accept the invite- and they were most happy to have Kacy as a guest as well. They had a meal prepared that would have fed Royalty. We were glad we joined with them. After dinner we got Kacy on her way OK, and as the elders rode a bus to Castries that meant we were all alone for the balance of the day. Christmas without family is hard regardless of what you are doing.
Sister Faux: Yes, Christmas is hard without family no matter what is happening. We planned to talk to all of our family on Skype, but we could not get it to work. We could see some of them but could not hear them so it made us sad. Wesston (Grandson) tried to call us again last night but still did not work. I know they all had a good Christmas so that is what is important. Also we are blessed with a new great granddaughter born on the 23 of December…..Our daughter Amy’s birthday –and Joseph Smith birthday. She is our third Great grandchild; her parents are David and Holly Faux. Their first child and we hear that she is beautiful, no name that we have heard of yet. That makes us happy and can’t wait to see her.
Our Christmas dinner at the Nicholas home was West Indies for sure. They had killed a Hugh chicken or rather Elder Morris killed it for them. His first chicken experience… It was as big as a small turkey and delicious, they also had ham and boiled pork with all the other dishes. It was very nice of them to invite us. Our elders were all in Castries and had a wonderful Christmas and they were excited to speak with their families. Does Santa come to St Lucia? Not to many families, but this morning at church Ceara Hippolyte (8) showed me what Santa brought her. It was a small dairy and another little gift that she was very happy to receive. They have no chimneys here so why should Santa come—I think it would be frustrating for him.
I don’t recall if I have mentioned it before but people on the street look very clean and well ---pressed. The white clothes are very white and ironed perfectly. They are not very modest but very clean and also very nice. Many do not have washers and so wash by hand and that seems hard to me. People that come in to Castries on cruise ships do not have that same look, many look trashy and they are all white people, they embarrass us.
On our way to Castries last week the elders were reading, at random, the chapter headings from the Book of Mormon and quizzing each other about what book /verse/story. It was impressive how many correct answers were given. They learn so many things about the gospel in a very short time. I know I have said it before but they are very fine men. Most of these missionaries are picking up a second language that the natives use all the time. It is called Patwa and has many French words in it—I would love to learn a few words .Elder Morris is very interested in speaking it.
Elder Treseder planted me a pot of flowers-one large plant is a coconut tree-he just picked it up in the wild. It has the coconut shell with the tree growing out of it. It has a few other plants and yesterday I tore off a philiadandrum( I can’t spell it). They grow all over and always an inside plant at home, here they grow wild and cover entire trees. It will be fun to watch it grow.
As the New Year comes this week we wish each of you a very Happy New Year. Elder and Sister Faux