Ketchup flavored toothpaste?!

Can you believe that they have Ketchup flavored toothpaste here?  I bet Kristi would love it!  Well, maybe not, but I bet Peter would!  Should we bring some home for all of you to try out?

What if I told you it wasn't really toothpaste?  Would you believe me?  I mean, it looks like a toothpaste tube, doesn't it?  Have you ever seen ketchup in a tube like this before?

One of my favorite scriptures is Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Sometimes we have to have faith in others because they might know a little more than we do.  The prophets know more than us, so it's a good idea to follow their counsel, even if it is something we have not heard of before. 

Will you have faith in me?  I can promise you that this is not toothpaste.  It is ketchup in a tube.  Even though you (and I) have never seen it done this way before, that doesn't mean it can't be true. I have seen the "evidence" that this is ketchup.  You have not, so you have to have faith in me.  And we have to have faith in those lead and guide us.

So, that's the lesson for today.  Trust your parents, your Bishop, your Primary teachers and leaders of all kinds.  And then you will see the evidence of our faith in due time.

We love YOU!

 

Camouflage

Have you ever noticed that things that can hurt you usually try to blend in with their surroundings so they won't be noticed?  A rattlesnake blends in with the ground.  An alligator blends in with the swamp.  We went to a swamp this week and our guide showed us something.  Can you spot it?

There are actually two things on the big trunk.  If you look closely, you will see two tiny bats!  They are flat against the tree and upside down.  They are "spread eagle".  Can you see them?

They live deep in the swamp.  It's dark and and bit scary in there.  They only come out at night and spend the night feeding on insects.  I don't like bats much, so I'm glad I'm not an insect!  The insects don't like them much either, because they know they could be eaten!  If they could see the bats, they would have a better chance at survival.

Now look at this picture.  What do you see?

If you said you saw a bunch of red birds flying around, you are right!  When we got through the swamp, we got into some open water and sat and waited.  These birds fly in to roost every night at sunset.  There were hundreds of them!  They are of no danger to anyone or anything so they don't have to try to conceal themselves.

What kind of person are you?  Do you try to camouflage what you are doing?  Are you doing things that should be hidden?  That could hurt you or others?  If so, then stop!  Be like the red birds!  Be proud of who you are and what you are doing.  Be the kind of person that has nothing to hide.

Can you find Gremma and Grandpa in this picture?  Of course you can!  We have nothing to hide.  We are happy to be serving the Lord with these other wonderful missionaries here in the Caribbean.

We want you to know how much we love you and pray for you always.  We can't wait to see you in a few months and see the good people that you are!

We love YOU!

Oops!

We were driving down the road in St Lucia the other day and we came upon this site.  Yikes!  A gas truck had tried to get into the gas station to fill the underground tanks.  It must have cut the corner a little too close and the pavement over the ditch must have been a little too thin.  The pavement actually collapsed under the weight of the truck and the wheel fell in the ditch!  They brought in a front end loader to try to lift it out of the ditch.  That didn't seem like too good of an idea to me.  One spark and KaBoom!!!  We got out of there as fast as we could.

How does this apply to you and me?  Well, it is never a good idea to cut corners!  We need to stay as far away from danger and temptation as possible.  We also need to stay on firm ground.  Make sure that the path we are taking is solid.  Another thing we need to remember is that we can make a bad situation worse by trying to rectify the situation in the wrong way.  If you find yourself in trouble, stop and think.  Pray and ask for help from people who know.  There is a solution to every problem.  And with the help of the Lord and those who love you, all problems can be fixed in the right way.

We love YOU and hope you are keeping the commandments.

Bamboo

The other day I was talking to Kade on the phone and I mentioned the bamboo plants growing outside of our apartment.  He said he had seen bamboo before.  They had it growing in their house once.  It probably looked something like this:

When I realized what his frame of reference was, I decided to take a picture of what bamboo looks like here in Martinique:

All of that is bamboo!  I was standing on the second floor of our apartment building when I took that picture.  The bamboo is taller than our 3 story building!  The stalks can be 6" thick!  It grows very fast.

I got to thinking about perspective.  This bamboo kind of reminds me of how the church is.  Here in our mission, the church is much like the first picture.  It is very small and takes a lot of care and "babying" to make it grow.

Where you live, the church is flourishing!  It is strong and healthy and needs almost no effort to keep it running.

Sometimes we forget that there is new growth that needs babying along...even in wards where the church is flourishing.  We are here on our mission to help those new, young members set deep roots and flourish.  We pray that you, too, will look for those who need a little extra nourishing and help them to become tall and strong.

We love YOU!  (And hope you aren't freezing this winter!)

PS
On our morning walk, we noticed this plant with giant leaves.  Do you know what it is?  It's a philodendron!  I have had one growing in my house for years and years!  It has often been on top of the chiffarobe.  At home, it doesn't have the same opportunity to grow.  There is not as much sunlight, or heat or water.  Here in Martinique it has plenty of all those things so it can flourish.  We hope that someday the church will do the same here.

We give our lives to that which we give our time

I just read this great talk. If you are looking for ways to be better and do better, you might like to read it.  We have been living an "uncluttered" life for 9 months now and I can honestly say that there are only a few things I really miss.  I miss all of you!  And I wouldn't mind having a sewing machine for a few days, but when it comes right down to it, we have everything we need.  I hope we can continue to live uncluttered when we go home.  And we pray that you will continue to do the important things in life.

We wish you a Happy New Year!  We love YOU!

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1992/04/unclutter-your-life?lang=eng

We are so lucky!

We are so blessed to have people in our lives who are hard to say goodbye to!  We had a wonderful time with Steve, Heidi, Ridge, Nali and Trek and look forward to spending similar time with Doug, Sarah, Isaac, Kade, Kristi, Peter, Eliza, Max, Hyrum and Clara!

We love YOU all!

He is the Gift

Christmas. The very word brings such a variety of memories and thoughts to me. I like to think of the changes and progression of what it has meant and has come to mean in my life over the years. 

My first real memory (at least the first one that I can still remember) of Christmas brings up a picture of the fireplace and mantle in the house that used to be my Great Grandpa’s where we lived in Raymond (that was later McKee’s old house before it burned down). We never used the fireplace but on Christmas eve Mom and Dad would hang our stockings from the mantle and in the morning they were miraculously filled with candy, treats, toys and always a real Japanese orange – a rare treat for me back then.

I do have memories of certain toys as I grew a little older (my real Lionel electric train was a highlight), but more than that of our family Christmas traditions that just always happened. We always had a program at our house on Christmas eve with Grandpa and Grandma Turner there with us (Grandpa always sang and Grandma always told a story).  Christmas day always brought a big Christmas dinner at Grandma’s house, in the living room with the best dishes, with all of us and usually Uncle Rube and the Meldrums and some of Grandma and Grandpa’s friends. The afternoon then passed with the kids and cousins and friends playing upstairs while the grown-ups and others who stopped by would visit downstairs. Whenever I think about those times I again get a feeling of love and comfort and peace.

As I hit my late teens and started to think about who I was and what I knew, and whether I was going on a mission or not, Christmas changed. I finally started to make the connection to what it was that we were really celebrating and who Jesus Christ was. I knew what gifts were but it wasn’t till I was 17 or 18 that I began to realize just what a great gift that Christ was and had given. As a family we were having some difficult economic struggles and we didn’t have much for earthly stuff but it really didn’t matter – we had the gospel and the church and our friends. The winter and Christmas that I was 18, I was attending the Lethbridge Junior College, living at home and commuting, with one other active Latter-day Saint, David Iwaasa, and with 4 less active or non-member Raymondites.  Although there were lots of opportunities to go either way, I can remember making conscious choices to turn towards the Lord and away from the other things that I saw. I think that was the first Christmas I had where I can remember really trying to focus on Christ and what He had given me. It was quite an experience and has affected my whole life.

Right now the Church has a program for all of us to us titled “He is the Gift” with a pass along card and some internet resources to help people feel Christ in Christmas. Just yesterday I had a good discussion about Christ with a real estate lady as she was showing us some possible Elder’s apartments and the Spirit witnessed to me again, just what a Gift Christ is and how much we have to celebrate. He is the only Saviour, He is the king, He is our hope and salvation, and Christmas is a celebration of His coming to earth to live and fulfill that blessing. I know that. Through the years, men have added many things to the celebrations, some are good, and some detract, but ultimately what we celebrate is the miraculous birth in Bethlehem of a babe who was and is the Saviour of the whole world, who loves us, helps us, guides us and saves us. All He asks is that we believe in and follow him, and He gives us the gift of Eternal Life. I love Christmas for its celebration of that truth.

We love YOU and will be thinking of you on Christmas Day and always!

Christmas Prayer

When I was about 7, all I wanted for Christmas was a horse.  I remember that being my first fervent prayer.  I would say over and over again:, "Please Heavenly Father!  All I want is a horse!  Just put it in the garage and I will find it!"

Now let me give you a little background.  At this time we were living in Heyburn, Idaho.  Mom was single and had 5 kids ranging in age from 11 to 3.  She was a waitress and didn't make much money.  And to make matters worse, we would sneak into her room when she was sleeping and steal her tips so we could buy her a Christmas gift!

We lived in a very small house.  Chris, Arlene and I slept in one double bed.  I think Steve slept in a room by himself and I'm not sure where Mary slept.  Probably in the room with Mom.

I remember that times were tough.  Sometimes we would have water on our cereal because we had no milk.  I remember one winter that I had to wear my much older cousin's ballet slippers to school because for several weeks until Mom got paid and could afford a new pair of shoes for me.  But we were happy!  I don't remember feeling poor.  I always knew that Mom loved us and that she was doing her best for us.

I must have been taught a good lesson on prayer and how they are always answered because I was SURE that if I prayed, I would get a horse!  Well, Christmas morning came.  There was no horse in the garage. Or tied up outside.  Or under the Christmas tree.  I think I got a doll that year that Mom ordered from the back of a cereal box.  I remember I really wanted that, too, so I'm pretty sure I was happy.

So, do you think my prayer wasn't answered?  My prayer was answered.  And the answer was no!  Heavenly Father knew our situation.  There was no way that we could have a horse in our circumstances.  He knew we needed something better.

That something better came about 6 months later.  That's when Mom married Dad (Merle), on June 16, 1960.  He brought with him 5 more siblings for us.  He loved us and he took care of us.  He was a good man.

If, in my 7 year old mind, I had had the wisdom to ask for what I needed and for what our family needed, I would have asked for a Father.  Heavenly Father knew our greatest need and he answered the prayer that I should have been asking for.

Heavenly Father always answers our prayers.  Sometimes the answer is yes.  Sometimes it's no, and sometimes it doesn't matter because we are capable of making some decisions on our own.

I want you to know that we are always watched out for and our prayers are answered.  Many times I have seen that the answer to my prayers was in the process even before I knew what to pray for.  I know that this can happen to you, too.

I pray that during this Christmas season, and always, you will remember to add to your prayers that you want to do His will, and have your prayers answered the way He wants them to be answered.  I did not need a horse, but I certainly needed a Dad.  He always knows what is best.

We love you all very much.  We know that your prayers are helping us on our mission.

Symbols of Christmas

Is it starting to feel like Christmas to you?  It's hard to feel it here.  There is no snow.  No Christmas music.  No people hurrying to shop.  They celebrate Christmas here, just in a different way.  We know that Christmas really isn't about all of that stuff anyway.  It's about the birth of our brother, Jesus Christ. 

Have you ever wondered why we put up certain decorations to celebrate Christmas?  Here is a list of some of the symbols of Christmas.  Maybe you could read the scriptures to understand why these symbols are important.

We know that Christ was born and that he changed the world!  He is our brother, our friend, and our Savior.  We hope that you will feel it, too

We love YOU!

The Reason for the Season

What can I give Him,

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb.

If I were a Wise Man

I would do my part,

Yet what can I give Him?

Give my heart.

(Christina Georgina Rossetti)

President Monson tells this story about a Christmas when he was a boy.

"Christmastime had come. We were preparing for the oven a gigantic turkey and anticipating the savory feast that awaited. A neighborhood pal of mine asked a startling question: “What does turkey taste like?”  I responded, “Oh, about like chicken tastes.” Again a question: “What does chicken taste like?”  It was then that I realized my friend had never eaten chicken or turkey. I asked what his family was going to have for Christmas dinner. There was no prompt response, just a downcast glance and the comment, “I dunno. There’s nothing in the house.”  I pondered a solution. There was none. I had no turkeys, no chickens, no money. Then I remembered I did have two pet rabbits. Immediately I took them to my friend and handed the box to him with the comment, “Here, take these two rabbits. They’re good to eat—just like chicken.”  He took the box, climbed the fence, and headed for home—a Christmas dinner safely assured. Tears came easily to me as I closed the door to the empty rabbit hutch. But I was not sad. A warmth, a feeling of indescribable joy, filled my heart. It was a memorable Christmas."

Christmas is a time to remember the birth of Jesus Christ.  It's his birthday.  It is always nice to get gifts on your birthday, isn't it?  Have you thought about what kind of gift you could give to Jesus for His birthday?

Here are a few ideas that you could give for a gift:

Say prayers every morning or every night, or both!

Read the scriptures every day.

Or choose something from this list to do.  You could even make up a little calendar and write down what you do each day.  On Christmas Eve, you can look at your list and know that you have truly given a gift to Jesus.  

Always remember that we love YOU!

 

Corporal James

Last week as we were waiting for someone at the airport, we almost got a ticket for parking on a double yellow line that did not exist.  The officer was not very pleasant and we had to talk a blue streak to get him to not give one to us.

Today, we had to go to the airport again and guess who was on duty?!  We pulled up in the loading zone and he came over (to ask us to move, because they always do.)  We were looking at the arrival board and it said that the flight was on time but there was no Sister Shirts.  He was kind enough to go to the desk and ask the airline when the flight would be in.  It would be another hour so we left. 

We came back an hour later and the same thing happened.  He came to ask us to move, we asked him if the flight was in, he found out it would be yet another hour and a half so we left again.

I started thinking about him.  We are going to be seeing him a lot so I thought we should try to become friends.

The last time we went, another officer came up and asked us to move and I asked her if I could talk to that other nice young officer.  He came over and I told him that we appreciated that he was just doing his job the other day.  That we were still learning things because we are new here and appreciated his patience.  I told him that I hoped we could be friends because we would be seeing a lot of each other.  I told him my name and asked him for his.  He said it was Corporal James.  Then he told us we could park in the staff parking lot until our Sister missionary arrived.  That was so nice!  So we did.  I hope we have made a friend.

I had to swallow my pride a bit.  We were not in the wrong when he tried to give us the ticket.  The pictures clearly show that there were no double yellow lines where we were parked.  (Those are his feet in the first picture.)  I realized that it is more important to be friendly than right.   Many things are more important than being right.  I learned a lesson today.  Have you?

We love YOU!

Danger Sneaks up on You!

The other night we decided to watch the sunset on a section of beach that jutted out in the water.  It was surrounded by water on three sides.  We were sitting on a bench at the very end when we noticed 9 horses!  They went to the sand and rolled around in it.  They seemed to be really enjoying themselves.  We felt safe where we were.  Then they slowly started walking towards us.  They kept getting closer and closer and closer!  I started getting a little concerned because horses here are on the wild side!  Finally, some were so close that I could have reached out and touched them.  We decided that we should try to get off the little peninsula before it got dark.  We didn't want to startle the horses so we started carefully walking around the side.  A security guard was at the other end and she said, wait!  Be careful!  We waited a little while longer and then gingerly and quietly walked as far to one side as we could.  The horses left us alone and we made it to safety.  The guard told us that sometimes the horses can act up without any provocation and she was grateful we had made it to safety.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we thought we were safe.  Maybe we are at a friends house or at school and everything seems fine.  Slowly, things change.  Maybe something comes on TV or the radio that we shouldn't see or hear.  Hopefully a little "alarm" goes off to warn us that we are in danger and that we should leave.  We have to decide what is the best way to do that.  Sometimes if you make a big fuss, it will cause more problems.  Sometimes you just have to quietly leave and never let yourself get in that situation again.  The Spirit will whisper to you what you should do.  Listen to it and you will not be led astray.

We love YOU!

Sacrifice

When you go on a mission, you sacrifice a lot.  You leave a comfortable home, and probably lots of clothes and gadgets.  You also leave behind loved ones.  It can be very hard to leave all that behind, but usually it will all be there when you get back.

Sister Joseph also made lots of sacrifices, but not like you and I have/will.  (She is on the far right in the blue top and black skirt.)  She left a very humble home and just came back to it.  That's her home in the background.  It's made of cinder block and is about 14' by 20'.  There are 5-7 people living in it at any given time.  I noticed the shower is outside in a small enclosure.  For Sister Joseph, it was a great sacrifice for her family to let her go.  The unemployment rate is very high in St Lucia, and even if they are employed, it is not enough to support a family.  The mother (on the left) cleans rooms in a small hotel.  She has to walk a couple of miles each way to her job.  When Sister  Joseph left, there was a loss of income from her job, plus her family supported her as much as they could.  They have no computers and no internet so she rarely got emails or letters from her family. 

Is that too much to ask of a person?  To leave your family when they are in such need of your help?  I think if you asked this family, they would say NO!  It brought blessings beyond measure!  The Mom is so proud of her daughter and the missionary learned so many skills that will bless her family FOREVER!

Sometimes what seems like a sacrifice, is really no sacrifice at all.

We love YOU!

Let the lower lights be burning!

The last few mornings as I have woken up, I have had this song running through my mind.  It's not a familiar hymn so I had to do some searching to find it.  I really like the message of it.  Let me tell you the background of it.

Many years ago a ship was trying to make it in to a harbor in the dark.  There was a light house with it's beacon shining, but there were no "lower lights". The captain asked: “Where are the lower lights?” “Gone out, sir,” replied the pilot.  “Can you make the harbor, then?” asked the captain, to which the pilot answered: “We must, sir, or perish.”  (read the story here:  http://www.plymouthbrethren.org/article/10378)

Well, they didn't make it!  The ship wrecked and many died.  When a man heard about this, he wrote the song that is on page 335 of the hymn book.  As you read it, think of the light house as being Christ and we, his helpers, are the lower lights:

Brightly beams our Father’s mercy
From His lighthouse evermore,
But to us He gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.

Chorus:

Let the lower lights be burning!
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.

I have been thinking about this a lot.  Christ always has his light shining for us and wants us to come to him.  Sometimes there are rocky harbours that we must pass through.  It helps to have "lights" closer to the shore to lead us along.  We are those lights.  We can help those around us to see our light and lead them along the way.  We may rescue!  We may save!

We took this picture today as we left church in Vieux Fort, St Lucia.  That is a light house, high on the hill.  We hope you will always try to head straight for the light house and let the lower lights lead you along.

We love YOU!!!

Coconuts rolling on the Caribbean Sea

Here's a little song you can sign for FHE. I hope you get to see coconuts rolling in the sea someday!

I looked out the window and what did I see,

Coconuts rolling on the Caribbean Sea.

The waves have brought me such a nice surprise,

Coconuts rolling right before my eyes.

I can take an armful and make a treat,

Of coconut pie that will taste so sweet.

It wasn't really so, but it seemed to me,

Coconuts rolling on the Caribbean Sea.

Heed the Warning!

"The Manchineel tree, is known as the most poisonous tree in the world. In places where it grows, it is often marked with a red band to warn passersby not to get too near it.  The tree is poisonous on so many levels that if you ever spot one, it is better you stay at least a few yards away from it. Its fruit resembles a small apple, but eating one could land you right in the emergency room. It was supposedly named ‘manzanita de la muerte’ (little apple of death) by Christopher Columbus. But it might just be the least dangerous part of the tree."

"The manchineel’s milky white sap is incredibly caustic and poisonous as well – even a drop could cause skin blisters, dermatitis, swelling or burns. This happens a lot with unsuspecting travelers who use the tree for shelter from the rains. The sap is so caustic that even the rain drops coming from the branches can cause burns. The bark is poisonous too – burning it releases a smoke that causes temporary (and in some cases, permanent) blindness. Considering all the ways it can hurt you, it’s no wonder the manchineel currently holds the Guinness record for world’s most dangerous tree."

http://www.odditycentral.com/news/the-manchineel-worlds-most-dangerous-tree-for-several-reasons.html

 

 

The other day, we went to a beach and saw many of these trees with the red stripe on them.  We even saw this woman laying under the tree and hanging her clothes and towel on it!  We spoke to her two friends and told them the tree was very dangerous.  They replied that they knew it was dangerous if it rained, but they did not feel it was dangerous now.  We felt bad that they did not listen to our warning but felt helpless!  There was nothing else we could do.  I wonder if the sap got on her clothes and if she suffered the pain that it would cause.

Does Heavenly Father feel the same way?  He warns us about dangers in our lives and how to avoid them, but sometimes we choose to suffer the consequences.  In Alma 3:26-27  we are told: "26 And in one year were thousands and tens of thousands of souls sent to the eternal world, that they might reap their rewards according to their works, whether they were good or whether they were bad, to reap eternal happiness or eternal misery, according to the spirit which they listed to obey, whether it be a good spirit or a bad one.

27 For every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey, and this according to the words of the spirit of prophecy; therefore let it be according to the truth."

 

"The Manchineel trees have shiny green, oval leaves and can grow over 50 feet tall. They apparently lure people into a trap – providing shade and fruit that tastes sweet at first but later has devastating effects. Fortunately, injuries have been rare thanks to the warning signs about the tree’s dangers."

We pray that you will not be lured into a trap by the shiny things of the world.  Stay safe!  Be obedient!  We love YOU!

Bats or Birds. Truth Revealed?

There was another beautiful sunset tonight and the bats/birds were out in full force again.  We got a good picture of one.  It kind of looks like the Batman symbol, don't you think?  (I still think they are birds.  It helps me sleep better at night!)

 Is that Batman swooping in?

Another beautiful sunset from our back window.

Recipe for Success

The other day at District Meeting we were taught what the recipe for success is.  It is found in Alma 26:22:  "Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing-unto such is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance."

How does this apply to you and me?

1. We must repent.  (Just change something bad for something good.)
2. We must have faith.
3. We must do good works.
4. We must pray continually.

And what do we get in return?  We get to know the mysteries of God!  And have things revealed to us!  And convert people to the gospel!

This recipe is good for other parts of our life, too.  We will always be blessed when we do those four things.

And since we are talking about recipes, I want to show you this picture of a "salad" that a couple from our Branch made and fed our whole zone.  All 12 of us!  We had this beautiful salad and fish and chicken and rice and three kinds of ice cream and chocolate cake!  Imagine how awful this food would have been if she hadn't followed a recipe!  We are given recipe's, or commandments, to make our life easier and more enjoyable.  We pray that you will always choose to keep the commandments and have a happy life!

 

 Our beautiful salad

 The Laquembie's.  They have a beautiful home and are beautiful people.

We Love YOU!

Learn while you can!

Today's thoughts are about preparing for a mission while you are young.  This young man just turned 12 and is sooooo excited to pass the sacrament!  He comes from a wonderful family.  His mom and brother and sister are strong in the church but his father is not a member.  Therefore, he has never been taught how to tie a tie.  Grandpa offered to teach him.  Arik still struggles with it and really needs someone to show him how every Sunday until he gets it.  All of you are lucky enough to have two parents who are happy to teach you things.  For the boys, it's as simple as learning how to tie a tie.  For the girls, it's listening when your parents teach you to dress modestly.  That is a big problem for the girls who are not members of the church.  It's a lot harder to learn when you are older.

It is our hope and prayer that you will listen and learn from your parents.  You will find life so much easier if you do!

We Love YOU!

Birds or Bats?

Every evening as the sun goes down, the sky fills with these UFO's.  They are swooping around eating flying insects.  (I hope mosquitoes!)  I think they are birds, Grandpa thinks they are bats.  What do you think they are?