16 May 2010 Sunday

With Elders Brenkmann , Bowles, Barker, and Larson cramped in the backseat we drove to Castries Tuesday morning for district meeting. Elder Warhurst, district leader, had planned a special event for today’s meeting but had a change of mind after the instructions received in zone conference last week. However, today was ugly tie day. We were asked to wear what we considered our ugliest tie. In Elder Faux’s estimation he didn’t have one. Luckily in President Nicholas’s office there was a sack with the remainder of 20 out of 50 ties that Elders Welch and Lundberg had purchased on line-and didn’t want-for good reason. Just randomly choosing any one of them fit the order. It was interesting to see what the elders considered ugly. Elder Warhurst, once again, presented a well prepared and instructive district meeting. Evans William, the elders’ quorum president, had requested on Sunday, that after his work on Wednesday, and then his arrival in Vieux Fort, that we drive to Choiseul to visit the Denison Gustave family. He arrived just the time our Temple Preparation class was to start so Sister Faux stayed to teach the class while Evans and Elder Faux went to visit the Gustave family. We found a rather meager situation. As noted before Denison is recuperating from a broken leg. Therefore he has no income. He has missed two, and will possibly miss three, doctor appointments due to lack of funds, they had barely any food in the house, and the roof leaks when it rains. Furthermore when he is able to return to work he has no assurance that his job will be there for him. Evans reported this in our branch correlation meeting later in the evening and the next morning President Nicholas along with the relief society president prepared a food order for the family. Elder Faux volunteered to deliver it and was most pleased when Elders Bowles and Brenkmann took the time to go with. The family was most gracious in accepting the supplies and it was gratifying to be part of it. We had a nice visit with them and before leaving Denison asked Elder Bowles to give him a blessing. It seems that when we visit this family, that has so little, we almost always leave having had a rewarding spiritual experience. On Saturday we were pleased to greet Diana and Ronald Williamson as they arrived at the Hewanorra International Airport in Vieux Fort. They were the missionary couple that we replaced. They have come for a week to visit and renew old friendships. We are hoping to spend time with them during the week and help make their visit a good one.

Sister Faux: This week has been a rather up and down week as we have missed important occasions with our grandchildren. Our son Kurt and his wife Christie’s first son, Jordan Ford Faux, graduated from law school in Washington DC.-Georgetown. Jordan was raised in Henderson, Nevada where his Dad is also an attorney. His wife is Rose and they are a wonderful couple. Our oldest granddaughter Amber Faux Hatch husband, Jonny, graduated from medical school in Nebraska. Amber is Craig and Sue’s oldest daughter. She was raised in Pleasant Grove, Utah. They have lived in Nebraska for several years for medical school and that is where he will serve his residency. They just purchased a new home and are very excited about life right now. She has been teaching school while Jonny has been in medical school and in fact a few months ago she received her Master’s Degree. We are very proud of these grandchildren and they have done very well in their schooling, but beside that they are just very nice, good people. We have several other grandchildren that graduate soon also.



Can I tell you it is wonderful to be a grandmother—our grandchildren make us happy. Part of my work for the week was tailoring some shirts for a couple of elders. I think I did 14 or 15 and that makes life good. Our landlady, Martha, has hired a young man to wash all the outside of the two apartment buildings. He just climbs around and washes them by hand. I ask him if he was going to wash the front build also and he said he was. I also ask him if he had a ladder and he said yes. I saw it and it just leans against the building and is about 7 or 8 feet high. The building we are in is three stories…I just don’t get how he can do it. At times life here puzzles me.

As Elder Faux mentioned we had to split up this week so he could go to visit the Gustave family and I was to teach the Temple class—but no one showed up to take the class. At our Seminary class we had one student and she had not been there for months so we were happy to see her. Then we were to teach the reading class but no one came to that class. Sometimes it makes you wonder if you have done any good. Friday, our Relief Society meeting, however was a surprising day. When we arrived with Betherlie, at 5:45 p.m., outside the church building were about eight ladies and a few kids waiting. That is a first, to have them there not only on time but early. What a shock and it was very exciting. Before the activity ended we had at least twenty participants. I was going to teach them how to make cookies and they were so happy about that. Betherlie, RS president and I bought all the groceries for the cookies, except when we went to buy the chocolate chips we were out of money. The Branch President had given us $100.00 EC. So I don’t know if you have made chocolate chip cookies without chocolate chips but it sort of works. I did have one of those huge bags, or at least part of a bag, so I took that and I think they all received only ½ cup of chips. They all seemed to have a great night and so at least one activity of the week was successful. The other nights I was ready to throw in my hat. Well onward and upward as we get into another week. The Williamson’s are happy to be back here and we hope they can have a wonderful time. Hope you all have a good week. Sister and Elder Faux