Sounds like the week was pretty action packed. I would have loved to see her funeral, it was good to be able to call you because of it though. The wierdest part for me was definitely talking to Emily, she sounds like an American girl completely and totally. After hearing Trini girls talk all the time it is the wierdest thing on the planet to hear something else.
We had somebody from the first quorom of the seventy come and speak at zone conference on friday which was cool. We saw how important repentance is and relying on the atonement more than just baptizing and trying to keep people active. He showed us a lot of the behind the scenes if you will, or the true meaning of what we do. It is quite the motivator to think that people's eternal salvation lies on my shoulders and bringing the holy ghost into their presence.
It sounds like everything is going well. As far as the Amer-indians you are teaching, I think you definitely need to realize what you have in front of your eyes. Guyana is by far the highest baptizing place in the mission, Trinidad only comes close by crazy hard working missionaries. In Guyana they literally search for Amer-Indians because there are so many promises w/ them. We just read one about how before the second coming the Lamanites will "blossom and become a righteous people". Also the Book of Mormon is promised to be brought to their remembrance, people can literally tell that they are their ancestors. Dreams and visions are common among them.
Bring the missionaries, and if not than do your best to testify of the book of mormon and give them copies. Read stories w/ them about Nephi and the Lamanites. Get them into the book of mormon! I would love to be able to show my fellow missionaries of an entire Amer-Indian family being baptized in Oregon! We had a few downers this week to start off with. We weren't able to catch travel because of the hours of rain that stopped them all from working. So we missed almost all of our new investigators for the week from coming to church because we didn't see them for 2 days.
The second downer happened Sunday morning. We went by to pick up Chubby and his cousin Avinash and chubby was still asleep. So we woke him up and he went and showered and while he was getting ready Avinash's boss came by after he was already totally dressed and made him go to work or he would fire him. That was very frustrating. Then we ran to church from Chubby's house and showed up 15 minutes late. It was sacrament meeting primary edition, it was real cool. I got a picture w/ the primary but I forgot to bring my USB cable so no pictures this week.
We took Brandon out w/ us (a way cool member who is 13 and is totally solid for coming to church) and he brought us by his friend Dominick. We taught him lesson 1 and he was real cool. We came back and taught him lesson 2 and he said when he prayed about Joseph Smith he got an answer to his prayers. As we always tell them we say ask "Is Joseph Smith a prophet" and he said he felt like a tingling inside, but he can never describe it. We came back 4 days later because of lack of travel, he has asked every night but 1 and has had 3 consecutive answers to his prayers about Joseph Smith and commited to baptism on the 15th. This boy is just about the most prepared person I have taught.
This week has been very crazy as far as missionary work goes. We have been taught not to teach ANYONE who is not totally prepared for the gospel. AKA if they don't keep a commitment they are dropped, if they don't commit to baptism on the first lesson as we ask "if you know its true will you be baptized" they are dropped, so we have been teaching only those people that have literally been prepared by God. It is very easy to get into people's houses in the West Indies, it is weeding out those that won't be willing to act that we have to do.
The missionary leaders know what they are doing in this work. It is amazing how helpful the Assistants to the President are. They are the ones who taught us it, and it is leaving us with only amazing people to teach. One thing I have never been good at is repenting daily. I always just thought I was good to go if I was mostly keeping the commandments. I had one of the most amazing feelings of my life as I humbled myself and repented for all of the terribly shortcomings I have as a missionary and as a person. The power of the atonement is real.That is about all of the week. Transfers always seem to start out slow, the miracles come as we prove our diligence to the Lord.
-Elder Risenmay
Monday, October 27, 2008
10-20-2008
Elder White is good, he is different than all my other companions but we get along pretty good. We don't really have anything in common either. This has probably been the hardest working week of my mission w/ not a lot of visible success in numbers. We got a new Older Couple this week also and they are real cool, I have never seen a couple so excited. They remind me a lot of myself, I don't know how they have kept the energy for another 40 years though I'm already half dead keeping up the pace.
Cool story about Chubby, we taught him at the beginning of last transfer and dropped his brother after he didn't want to come to church anymore and we didn't think he was interesting. We went by and taught him directly for the first time and had him pray right in front of us to see if Joseph Smith was a prophet. To my great astonishment he recieved a strong answer on the spot. We asked him how he felt after and he said that "It felt like my whole body just opened up inside" "I have never felt like that in my whole life". He has been testifying of his answer to all around him when we ask, soooo cool. He already wants to go on a mission, along w/ one of his younger brothers.
It is like 3 Guyanese families who all live together, it went from nobody interested to the entire family giving a very firm commitment to be at church next week, and 2 of them showed up at church yesterday. Things are looking way up. We are trying to get him to come to Zone Conference to get him pumped up to be a missionary. We committed him to start working towards and hour a day of reading and he promised. He has kept his commitments so far, but only since he got an answer. When we used to teach him he would never pay attention and be drunk half the time. He has been clean since that answer. Oh the power of the Holy Ghost! I am glad to finally have cool stories again, that is what happens when we start actually doing the work!
Elder White is going through culture shock, going from guyana to here is a huge change apparently. He can't get over most of the stuff that is different. He is worse on culture shock than I was when I got here from the states! But he is a good teacher, and a different one than I have ever taught with. Part of it is probably that he just came from Guyana. It has been hard to have fun, but easy to work hard. We are starting to find some slight things in common which will help. As soon as I can get to the point where I can joke w/ the companion and have fun is when things really start working. Loving the companion is a huge part of the work I have already found out.
This morning I had probably the best study I have had on my mission, maybe ever. It really showed me how many things I still needed to work on and how much more I have to do and can do to be a better missionary. Yet again I am being shown that Uncle Seth's advice was right, every companionship and area there is something the Lord wants me to learn. I need to tuck in my skirt and learn it as pappy says. Things are going good, I know that I have a lot more to learn which is going to help me a lot. I am about out of stuff to write about, more things will come as the transfer progresses and we have more people moving towards the gate of baptism.
-Elder Risenmay
Cool story about Chubby, we taught him at the beginning of last transfer and dropped his brother after he didn't want to come to church anymore and we didn't think he was interesting. We went by and taught him directly for the first time and had him pray right in front of us to see if Joseph Smith was a prophet. To my great astonishment he recieved a strong answer on the spot. We asked him how he felt after and he said that "It felt like my whole body just opened up inside" "I have never felt like that in my whole life". He has been testifying of his answer to all around him when we ask, soooo cool. He already wants to go on a mission, along w/ one of his younger brothers.
It is like 3 Guyanese families who all live together, it went from nobody interested to the entire family giving a very firm commitment to be at church next week, and 2 of them showed up at church yesterday. Things are looking way up. We are trying to get him to come to Zone Conference to get him pumped up to be a missionary. We committed him to start working towards and hour a day of reading and he promised. He has kept his commitments so far, but only since he got an answer. When we used to teach him he would never pay attention and be drunk half the time. He has been clean since that answer. Oh the power of the Holy Ghost! I am glad to finally have cool stories again, that is what happens when we start actually doing the work!
Elder White is going through culture shock, going from guyana to here is a huge change apparently. He can't get over most of the stuff that is different. He is worse on culture shock than I was when I got here from the states! But he is a good teacher, and a different one than I have ever taught with. Part of it is probably that he just came from Guyana. It has been hard to have fun, but easy to work hard. We are starting to find some slight things in common which will help. As soon as I can get to the point where I can joke w/ the companion and have fun is when things really start working. Loving the companion is a huge part of the work I have already found out.
This morning I had probably the best study I have had on my mission, maybe ever. It really showed me how many things I still needed to work on and how much more I have to do and can do to be a better missionary. Yet again I am being shown that Uncle Seth's advice was right, every companionship and area there is something the Lord wants me to learn. I need to tuck in my skirt and learn it as pappy says. Things are going good, I know that I have a lot more to learn which is going to help me a lot. I am about out of stuff to write about, more things will come as the transfer progresses and we have more people moving towards the gate of baptism.
-Elder Risenmay
10-13-2008 Pictures
2) I didn't know you opened up a shop down here pappy
3) Branch President's son got baptized
4) Sports day
5) There just happened to be a dirt bike race going on outside.
It is too bad almost all of em are yamahas
6) Sports day again
7) A few of our investigators were playing football(soccer) when we got there.
8) We found a lizard in our room....
9) This is what I use right now until I get a sweet wood box from juice.
6) Sports day again
7) A few of our investigators were playing football(soccer) when we got there.
Elder Endemann got some video of it that you will get when I ship all my files back home.
They were amazed a white boy could play
8) We found a lizard in our room....
9) This is what I use right now until I get a sweet wood box from juice.
BoM, Bible, Song book, tracts
10-13-2008 Another Week In Paradise!!??
250 pushups is a whole lot, he must be in real good shape. When I was doing weights the army came in and I did 100 in a minute, but that was probably the best shape I have ever been in. I am glad crazeball is working hard, I have a letter for him I am just about to ship off right after this. I wrote down in my planner to get a picture w/ the primary kids on sunday so it should happen. I will work on ideas for primary kids to do missionary work, I have a few already but it is much easier to think of our age. Elder Green will warm up soon, there are 2 Greens in our mission and both of them are great missionary. One of them is an older couple and the other is my age. I was probably one of the least timid when I came out, but I was still a little timid. He will learn to open up his mouth.
It is very good to hear about how well the family is doing, I am usually about in tears when I hear the difference that it makes me being out here. I just have to make sure I hide them from all my companions. Emily told me about her bell whacking experience, I laughed pretty darn hard at that one. And they will obviously not meet my qualification of 1/2 a day reading the book of mormon for marriage. Or the only other qualification which is being willing to ride a dirt bike.
This week was real slow for us, my companion about died. Puking, Diahrea, coughing, weezing, literally everything you can think of. We tried going out a few times early on in the week when he was especially sick and he was breathing real hard just standing up. But yet in the 2.5 days we went out we got enough work done to get it to an above average for trinidad week. I had the chance to write quite a few letters because of all the laying around we did.
Wednesday is transfers, last transfer our area was combined, west to east became 1 area. Now it is being split up again, I am going west Endemann is going East. I am going to be w/ Elder White, he has been in Guyana for the last year. So it will be an interesting transition for him, most Elders have a real hard time coming from there to here because they think they don't hardly baptize in Trinidad. We will prove them wrong this transfer. I am pretty pumped up for it.
-Elder Risenmay
It is very good to hear about how well the family is doing, I am usually about in tears when I hear the difference that it makes me being out here. I just have to make sure I hide them from all my companions. Emily told me about her bell whacking experience, I laughed pretty darn hard at that one. And they will obviously not meet my qualification of 1/2 a day reading the book of mormon for marriage. Or the only other qualification which is being willing to ride a dirt bike.
This week was real slow for us, my companion about died. Puking, Diahrea, coughing, weezing, literally everything you can think of. We tried going out a few times early on in the week when he was especially sick and he was breathing real hard just standing up. But yet in the 2.5 days we went out we got enough work done to get it to an above average for trinidad week. I had the chance to write quite a few letters because of all the laying around we did.
Wednesday is transfers, last transfer our area was combined, west to east became 1 area. Now it is being split up again, I am going west Endemann is going East. I am going to be w/ Elder White, he has been in Guyana for the last year. So it will be an interesting transition for him, most Elders have a real hard time coming from there to here because they think they don't hardly baptize in Trinidad. We will prove them wrong this transfer. I am pretty pumped up for it.
-Elder Risenmay
10-6-2008
I have heard a bit about the economy problems but not a whole lot. You would think that we would hear more about it but apparently no one in the West Indies knows. Whenever there is a flood they know though, and they always think it is in our home towns. I figured it was pretty bad but I didn't know it was that bad. That is a partial contributing factor to my wanting to go into a health career, they are never going to go out of business, people need to stay alive.
I had a wierd feeling through most of conference, I felt bad for my lack of devotion in the work that I am engaged in. I feel like I can do a lot more to find people than I am right now. My fire was partly rekindled. Transfer calls are saturday and Elder Endemann is training, so that means I will have someone new and stay on the west side of chaguanas.
This week is going to be a picture week. Get ready for plenty.
1) First Baptism in Chaguanas, Ann Marie
2.) Elder Willis Baptizing
3) I definitely could have whooped the owners of this game.
4) Golf for the first time.
5) Fortunately Action Drain doesn't do this
6) Picture I accidentally took, Member kid beating up on my investigator.
3 boys standing up on right are the family who got answers daily
3 boys standing up on right are the family who got answers daily
7) Washing some dishes at a member's house
8) Ice Cream Wedding
9) Group
10) Ice Cream Baptism, 4 baptized
11) This is Elder Palmer telling me I should get to my fireside
12) Shaking hands before I go
13) Blood Pudding
14) Rasta dog, Dreads on tail ears and legs
15) Hair cut
16) Sunrise
17) Moraccas Beach, we played american football first,
and then football football(Soccer) 2nd. Elder Fox and I scored 6 goals
18) Ride Back, checking out what my camera can do w/ colors
19) Gators!
20) 2nd baptism in Chaguanas, Chucky
21) This is how I rode around town w/ the other Elders hiding from the cops
22) Playing w/ a motorcycle at a member's house.
Everyone loves dirt bikes here but no one has them.
23) Former Investigators having fun
24) Lashley family, part member
25) Sweet picture I accidentally took. Kinda scary.
That is my whole transfer on photo.
That is my whole transfer on photo. -Elder Risenmay
9-29-2008 What a Week!!
Bad news about the jeep, you could always put bars over all the windows and razor wire on the fences like they do here. Our branch president's wife's car was broken into this week too.
I had an pretty decent week this week. We did a reasonable amount of finding and are kind of getting into the groove that I like to be into. It is hard to adjust to every companion and help them be motivated all the time, it is easier to do w/ the young missionaries than the older ones(mission age). One thing I see in our correlation meetings is that the presidents are all there and they say "anyone want to volunteer?" and no one does. If you take the first step and schedule a time w/ a person to go by the others will follow like a domino effect. We always have to ask people on sundays what days they can go out w/ us. No one takes the initiative and steps up to the plate. You gotta set the example.
If you have questions about missionary work ask me while I am still out here, I have a lot of answers if you will put out the answers. I was very excited to see that KTM has busted out the 150, fortunately during the week I am too busy to even think about home but it is nice to think about dirt bikes once in a while. It is too bad it took me so long to get into them.
I will give you the coolest story first. They have gotten a lot less cool since I was moved away from Elder Palmer, So Saturday we baptized someone who I don't know very well, 4 weeks into the transfer but we only taught her twice. She had already been taught everything before so we basically just went and committed her to baptism and interviewed her. The next day we got a call saying one of Elder Endemann's people he had previously taught was getting baptized sunday night at 6 and we were thinking of someone to take to the baptism that was investigating the church. We thought of Chucky! He is a member referral who I taught mostly w/ Elder Bowens because he has been working a lot recently.
On the way to the baptism we joked w/ him about being baptized today, even though he was qualified and was taught everything he would always tell us "I will let you know when I am ready". So we get there real real early, saturday it took us an hour to get to couva for a baptism, sunday it took us 10 minutes. I kept wondering why everthing was going so smoothly. We got there and after a few minutes chucky said "I think I'm getting wet today." I said "are you serious?" he said yes "are you really serious?" he said yes.
We interviewed him and baptized him on the spot. He felt so good afterwards. So we had a surprise baptism of one of our investigators. He is keeping it a secret from the family he lives w/ who are members until they announce it in church. The older couple said "that will be a shock to them!" he said "I'm an electrician it has to be a shocking experience!" He is pretty hilarious and has the greatest smile and laugh of all time. Tender mercies of the Lord.
Nothing else really happened this week, we did some finding. But mostly I am trying to get the fire under my companion. He is real good at connecting w/ people, so if I can do what I am trying to do we will do amazing for the next 2 weeks. I will do my best. Pictures are coming this week, should be quite a few. If Tanya hasn't sent you her pictures of the baptism and told you that story get it from her. That was the coolest thing I have heard from home so far. Even better than the news about the 150 ktm. I will try to make next week's letter more exciting!
-Elder Risenmay
I had an pretty decent week this week. We did a reasonable amount of finding and are kind of getting into the groove that I like to be into. It is hard to adjust to every companion and help them be motivated all the time, it is easier to do w/ the young missionaries than the older ones(mission age). One thing I see in our correlation meetings is that the presidents are all there and they say "anyone want to volunteer?" and no one does. If you take the first step and schedule a time w/ a person to go by the others will follow like a domino effect. We always have to ask people on sundays what days they can go out w/ us. No one takes the initiative and steps up to the plate. You gotta set the example.
If you have questions about missionary work ask me while I am still out here, I have a lot of answers if you will put out the answers. I was very excited to see that KTM has busted out the 150, fortunately during the week I am too busy to even think about home but it is nice to think about dirt bikes once in a while. It is too bad it took me so long to get into them.
I will give you the coolest story first. They have gotten a lot less cool since I was moved away from Elder Palmer, So Saturday we baptized someone who I don't know very well, 4 weeks into the transfer but we only taught her twice. She had already been taught everything before so we basically just went and committed her to baptism and interviewed her. The next day we got a call saying one of Elder Endemann's people he had previously taught was getting baptized sunday night at 6 and we were thinking of someone to take to the baptism that was investigating the church. We thought of Chucky! He is a member referral who I taught mostly w/ Elder Bowens because he has been working a lot recently.
On the way to the baptism we joked w/ him about being baptized today, even though he was qualified and was taught everything he would always tell us "I will let you know when I am ready". So we get there real real early, saturday it took us an hour to get to couva for a baptism, sunday it took us 10 minutes. I kept wondering why everthing was going so smoothly. We got there and after a few minutes chucky said "I think I'm getting wet today." I said "are you serious?" he said yes "are you really serious?" he said yes.
We interviewed him and baptized him on the spot. He felt so good afterwards. So we had a surprise baptism of one of our investigators. He is keeping it a secret from the family he lives w/ who are members until they announce it in church. The older couple said "that will be a shock to them!" he said "I'm an electrician it has to be a shocking experience!" He is pretty hilarious and has the greatest smile and laugh of all time. Tender mercies of the Lord.
Nothing else really happened this week, we did some finding. But mostly I am trying to get the fire under my companion. He is real good at connecting w/ people, so if I can do what I am trying to do we will do amazing for the next 2 weeks. I will do my best. Pictures are coming this week, should be quite a few. If Tanya hasn't sent you her pictures of the baptism and told you that story get it from her. That was the coolest thing I have heard from home so far. Even better than the news about the 150 ktm. I will try to make next week's letter more exciting!
-Elder Risenmay
9-22-2008 He ain't reach as yet
The zone leaders came and brought my new companion Elder Endemann, he was born in Samoa and moved to california when he was 7. He reminds me a lot of Brandon Elliot, we have a whole lot of fun. It was an eventful day. Elder Endemann is real cool. He spent a lot of his life playing Rugby and Football and is a beast. He was inactive for twice as long as I was, so 6 years and had a bit of a rough life.
We had a good week, Elder Endemann has already served in Chaguanas. He recieved a warm welcome. I am real excited for the rest of the transfer, next transfer we think he is going to work east chaguanas and I am going to work west. For now he plays his sweet eukelele every night and we sing songs. Our most recent invention is "She had a barbecue stain on her forehead, she was killin me in that hindu dress, skipping rocks on the river by the hindu flags, she had no sun tan line cuz she's indian, i worked so hard for that first handshake. A heart don't forget something like that" All hindu women who are married have red marks on their forehead in their hair, and they all wear hindu dresses at church and things. So we are doing well. I did get the letters, what the problem is is from a movie. I will tell you specifically if I miss them don't worry. Things are looking up.
-Elder Risenmay
We had a good week, Elder Endemann has already served in Chaguanas. He recieved a warm welcome. I am real excited for the rest of the transfer, next transfer we think he is going to work east chaguanas and I am going to work west. For now he plays his sweet eukelele every night and we sing songs. Our most recent invention is "She had a barbecue stain on her forehead, she was killin me in that hindu dress, skipping rocks on the river by the hindu flags, she had no sun tan line cuz she's indian, i worked so hard for that first handshake. A heart don't forget something like that" All hindu women who are married have red marks on their forehead in their hair, and they all wear hindu dresses at church and things. So we are doing well. I did get the letters, what the problem is is from a movie. I will tell you specifically if I miss them don't worry. Things are looking up.
-Elder Risenmay
9-15-2008 What the problem is?
Well this week has been full of good and also bad. We will start off w/ the bright side of things. President recieved my letter of difficulties that I have been having and how to deal w/ them and responded quickly. The Assistants to the President were at an older couple's house when we went there and we both got interviewed. One of the was my zone leader last transfer so he interviewed me and gave me some advice. The other AP interviewed Elder Bowens. After that we had Zone Meeting which set yet another fire. Basically in the last week every one of the problems that we had w/ effectiveness of the work has been solved.
Our numbers shot up a whole lot along w/ our effectiveness in finding people, the work is solved! We are seeing success again!
And here is my favorite paragraph! So last week the former branch president brought Vishal to church and me and him kind of connected. We went by them on Wednesday and it turns out there are 3 boys of baptismal age and the mom loves the church. We taught a finding and the next day came back and one of the boys who is 9 had already gotten an answer to his prayer if Joseph Smith was a prophet. He said something woke him up in the night and he remembered he was supposed to ask that question and when he did he felt a cold chill through his body. We came back the next day and the 11 year old said he prayed and he felt really weak, and then he had a cold chill through his body.
We kept talking about the church and President Gaji bore an amazing testimony of the church, the mom's ending words to the lesson were "Why did it take so long for me to find what I was looking for?" she wants the whole family baptized. The 4 sons came to the games night we had and totally loved it. We did a scripture scavenger hunt that I set up and it was real intense, everyone was very into it. We had a whole lot of fun, that family is so amazing. They are my new Ice Cream family.
Ice cream has been doing amazing missionary work in Princes Town, I am going to be able to see the family on saturday at the baptism and I am very excited for that. P-Town had 16 investigators at church last week, set a record for attendance also. 10 of them were ice cream and company, sooo cool. That place is seeing miracles like crazy, and everyone always talks about what Elder Risenmay and Elder Palmer did to Princes town.
I have seen how much of a difference attitude makes in the work. When discouraged faith is decreased and miracles cease. When the Lord saw the attitude that we had last transfer we saw so many miracles it was insane. We had more fun the last transfer than I have ever had in my entire life. All the Lord wants to see is a good attitude and so many people are placed in the path of those missionaries, I saw that last week in the work too. Everyone time we were in a good attitude about contacting things started to happen.
We also found 2 guyanese families that live together and one of the sons came to church. He is sooo cool, he is like a 10 year old kid who just wants to follow his dreams and do the right thing. He is actually 16, but he always talks about wanting to be the best fighter there ever was and how much he wants to go to china to fight people. He is just full of smiles all the time, he is one of those people that I can love very easily.
We have been teaching a guy named Pope and 1 of his co-workers. He owns a welding shop and they all stop to listen when we come. They are both really cool, pope asks a lot of good questions. Anil on the other hand has been getting answers like crazy. He said he used to wake up in a cold sweat all the time during the night. But he has been reading the Restoration Tract and he said when he reads his heart just starts racing and his throat starts feeling thirsty. He went and got 2 drinks and it still just felt thirsty. Come to the living water. He knows it's true, now we just got to get him to church.
The Branch President's son was watching me play the piano (I am kind of learning, I can play by sound a few songs) and I started teaching him We Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet and i taught him about 1/3 of the song before church. We came back later that day for an activity and he came up to me and said he wanted to show me something on the piano. Apparently he had practiced what I taught him over and over at home and made his mom uncover the piano for him. I taught him the rest of the song and he can play the whole thing now. I taught him by numbers on the keyboard, so he sits there and he is like 7 and he says the numbers corresponding to each key he plays. His mom wants me to come and teach him piano lessons, I had to tell her I don't actually know how to play I just play by sound!
Things are looking way up. It was real cool for me to see, after being around all these kids I remember how much I love kids.The work has become exciting again, and I have been able to see the miracles of the Lord. The attitude of the work changed a lot this week. Things are good, I haven't taken many pictures recently so you will probably get them all at once. This transfer is looking way up!
-Elder Risenmay
Our numbers shot up a whole lot along w/ our effectiveness in finding people, the work is solved! We are seeing success again!
And here is my favorite paragraph! So last week the former branch president brought Vishal to church and me and him kind of connected. We went by them on Wednesday and it turns out there are 3 boys of baptismal age and the mom loves the church. We taught a finding and the next day came back and one of the boys who is 9 had already gotten an answer to his prayer if Joseph Smith was a prophet. He said something woke him up in the night and he remembered he was supposed to ask that question and when he did he felt a cold chill through his body. We came back the next day and the 11 year old said he prayed and he felt really weak, and then he had a cold chill through his body.
We kept talking about the church and President Gaji bore an amazing testimony of the church, the mom's ending words to the lesson were "Why did it take so long for me to find what I was looking for?" she wants the whole family baptized. The 4 sons came to the games night we had and totally loved it. We did a scripture scavenger hunt that I set up and it was real intense, everyone was very into it. We had a whole lot of fun, that family is so amazing. They are my new Ice Cream family.
Ice cream has been doing amazing missionary work in Princes Town, I am going to be able to see the family on saturday at the baptism and I am very excited for that. P-Town had 16 investigators at church last week, set a record for attendance also. 10 of them were ice cream and company, sooo cool. That place is seeing miracles like crazy, and everyone always talks about what Elder Risenmay and Elder Palmer did to Princes town.
I have seen how much of a difference attitude makes in the work. When discouraged faith is decreased and miracles cease. When the Lord saw the attitude that we had last transfer we saw so many miracles it was insane. We had more fun the last transfer than I have ever had in my entire life. All the Lord wants to see is a good attitude and so many people are placed in the path of those missionaries, I saw that last week in the work too. Everyone time we were in a good attitude about contacting things started to happen.
We also found 2 guyanese families that live together and one of the sons came to church. He is sooo cool, he is like a 10 year old kid who just wants to follow his dreams and do the right thing. He is actually 16, but he always talks about wanting to be the best fighter there ever was and how much he wants to go to china to fight people. He is just full of smiles all the time, he is one of those people that I can love very easily.
We have been teaching a guy named Pope and 1 of his co-workers. He owns a welding shop and they all stop to listen when we come. They are both really cool, pope asks a lot of good questions. Anil on the other hand has been getting answers like crazy. He said he used to wake up in a cold sweat all the time during the night. But he has been reading the Restoration Tract and he said when he reads his heart just starts racing and his throat starts feeling thirsty. He went and got 2 drinks and it still just felt thirsty. Come to the living water. He knows it's true, now we just got to get him to church.
The Branch President's son was watching me play the piano (I am kind of learning, I can play by sound a few songs) and I started teaching him We Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet and i taught him about 1/3 of the song before church. We came back later that day for an activity and he came up to me and said he wanted to show me something on the piano. Apparently he had practiced what I taught him over and over at home and made his mom uncover the piano for him. I taught him the rest of the song and he can play the whole thing now. I taught him by numbers on the keyboard, so he sits there and he is like 7 and he says the numbers corresponding to each key he plays. His mom wants me to come and teach him piano lessons, I had to tell her I don't actually know how to play I just play by sound!
Things are looking way up. It was real cool for me to see, after being around all these kids I remember how much I love kids.The work has become exciting again, and I have been able to see the miracles of the Lord. The attitude of the work changed a lot this week. Things are good, I haven't taken many pictures recently so you will probably get them all at once. This transfer is looking way up!
-Elder Risenmay
9-8-2008
Big lake sounded like a whole lot of fun, especially after the last week's destruction. I cut my hair w/ a 2 and I did it again this week, I think I am just going to give myself haircuts every P-day in the morning. It is working out well for me so far.
I hope Valerie comes along, but if nothing happens it is still an amazing testimony builder to me and anyone who read that story. I never imagined that happening to me on my mission, or any of the amazing dreams.
Princes town is still on fire from what me and Elder Palmer set it off as. They work the way I like to. I am praying hard to find success.
I really love Elder Bowens as a person, he reads in the morning and I have to help him w/ just about every 5 words because he learned on his mission to read. His testimony is truly amazing, I can see why it is so hard for him though. I am just trying to be as Christlike as I can w/ him.
Ice Cream's family is still doing really well, all of my recent converts came to church last sunday and all of ice cream's family so my work is still appreciated! He told me that all of the member's have asked about me. Apparently the first time they went to Ice Cream's they were all just dead silent and not interactive at all. Elder Palmer said "He's not dead! He is just in Chaguanas!" they all miss me and with their trini language they all said "I find he funny" after I left. I miss Princes Town pretty bad, apparently all my Recent Converts had my ties on when they came to church too.
Princes Town had almost no young people, Chaguanas is packed w/ them. There are 3 girls between 15 and 17 who apparently I am like a magnet to. Within the first 5 minutes of being in the building my planner was taken out of my back pocket by a 15 year old girl when she saw the picture I have stuck to it of my family. 2 minutes later after that I was standing there w/ my hands on my hips w/ my elbows sticking out and a 17 year old girl walks by and smacks my elbow and looks back at me and smiles, and later that night in a lesson another 15 year old girl takes my planner out of my back pocket. I don't know who trained these girls to be this way, but there must definitely have been some Elders there who caused these problems.
The entire way through church I was being bombarded w/ questions from teenage girls. I would like to think it is my good looks, but I am pretty sure it is my passport! Needless to say there are plenty of wierd differences between the two areas, I am going to need some good stories from home and good encouragement for the next 6 weeks! Hopefully things will start to look up soon.
-Elder Risenmay
I hope Valerie comes along, but if nothing happens it is still an amazing testimony builder to me and anyone who read that story. I never imagined that happening to me on my mission, or any of the amazing dreams.
Princes town is still on fire from what me and Elder Palmer set it off as. They work the way I like to. I am praying hard to find success.
I really love Elder Bowens as a person, he reads in the morning and I have to help him w/ just about every 5 words because he learned on his mission to read. His testimony is truly amazing, I can see why it is so hard for him though. I am just trying to be as Christlike as I can w/ him.
Ice Cream's family is still doing really well, all of my recent converts came to church last sunday and all of ice cream's family so my work is still appreciated! He told me that all of the member's have asked about me. Apparently the first time they went to Ice Cream's they were all just dead silent and not interactive at all. Elder Palmer said "He's not dead! He is just in Chaguanas!" they all miss me and with their trini language they all said "I find he funny" after I left. I miss Princes Town pretty bad, apparently all my Recent Converts had my ties on when they came to church too.
Princes Town had almost no young people, Chaguanas is packed w/ them. There are 3 girls between 15 and 17 who apparently I am like a magnet to. Within the first 5 minutes of being in the building my planner was taken out of my back pocket by a 15 year old girl when she saw the picture I have stuck to it of my family. 2 minutes later after that I was standing there w/ my hands on my hips w/ my elbows sticking out and a 17 year old girl walks by and smacks my elbow and looks back at me and smiles, and later that night in a lesson another 15 year old girl takes my planner out of my back pocket. I don't know who trained these girls to be this way, but there must definitely have been some Elders there who caused these problems.
The entire way through church I was being bombarded w/ questions from teenage girls. I would like to think it is my good looks, but I am pretty sure it is my passport! Needless to say there are plenty of wierd differences between the two areas, I am going to need some good stories from home and good encouragement for the next 6 weeks! Hopefully things will start to look up soon.
-Elder Risenmay
9-2-2008 Amazing Week
Monday was a holiday here, literally every store in town was closed except 1 grocery store, so no mail yesterday.That all sounds like a ridiculous amount of fun. I am glad you took Tobias, I know he has been craving some dirt bikes for a while now. I am excited to hear about all this missionary work being done by my family back home. It will keep up my drive throughout this time if you keep up yours.
This transfer w/ Elder Palmer has been totally amazing. I remember when Seth picked me up from the airport he said one thing that I haven't told anyone but Elder Palmer because he helped fulfill it. He said something like "I feel the Spirit very strongly and I feel like I should tell you that I think you are going to bring a new level of success to the West Indies". Well Seth, your prophesy has been fulfilled!
We ended the transfer w/
5 Bapt
5 Confirmed
12 Firm Dates
37 Soft
27 At church
134 Member Lessons
62 Other Lessons
35 Progressing
8 Recieved
24 Contacted
71 New Investigators
24 RCLAs
All 5 of our baptized and confirmed we found ourselves,
not 1 part member family and no free baptisms.
We set the standard for the whole of Trinidad as the youngest companionship on the island. As President Robison told me in transfer calls "Your work is done in Princes Town". That area has been set on fire! We doubled the member work done in the past.
First the stories. So we came back about Wednesday to meet w/ Ice Cream's family and talk to Meera and Kelly about baptism. She already dreamed the baptismal font before, now she dreamed that someone just kept repeating Jonas. We had no idea what in the world she was talking about so we went to the Index in the Book of Mormon and looked up Jonas. 2 of the 12 Apostles in the BoM were named Jonas, either one of the 3 Nephites who lives forever is ministering unto her or God just gave her a dream w/ the name. Either way a few verses later in the chapter it talks about him he coincidentally was baptized.
The next day we went by w/ President Farrer for a 2nd interview and we were filling out baptismal record for Ice Cream while he was being interviewed. We asked his wife Indra what her maiden name was and she said "Come and look" and I said what? "Common Law" basically they were married by a leader of a Hindu temple but he never submitted the paperwork, so he will be postponed for 2 weeks. The look on Elder Palmer's face made my day, they are posting bands today.
Needless to say the baptism was amazing, I asked Meera how she felt and she said relieved, we asked her again after church and she said "It is really strange, they things that I used to get real vexed at w/ my family aren't a big deal anymore" Thank you Gift of the Holy Ghost. This church is true! Shirley was also baptized, she went up to the front and bore her testimony and kept telling everyone that she called us out to talk to us and 2 weeks later she was baptized, although untrue everyone thought it was great that we weren't doing our job! Shirley said "I feel a difference in my whole body, light light light!" If only you could see the difference that I see in the people's lives that I teach.We went by on Sunday and I gave them all ties and we taught them how to tie them. It was a whole lot of fun and everybody loved it. One of the funnest times in my mission.
The next day Indra was telling us how much the youngest son loved it. We asked if he read at all afterwards, we left at 9 and he read from 9 until 2 in the morning and read 1/2 the Book of Mormon. His sister read the whole thing and he has read 1/2! I don't know how this is all working, but I love that family a ridiculous amount. The Spirit can be so strong in their home, I am not sure I have ever felt that loved in my life. I have become these people's heroes! Every single person in the branch came up to me and told me how much they were going to miss me. Ice Cream described just last night how his family used to never spend much time together, and he had never even heard his children read. Now they such a unified and amazing family, he said at the baptism "Even though I didn't get baptized I feel a real difference".
It is pretty common for families to come and pick up missionaries here in the West Indies, President Robison doesn't have a problem w/ it. If that was the only reason for bringing you down here to meet that family I still would. Plan on picking me up from Trinidad.We got transfer calls on Friday, I am going to Chaguanas, and like I said earlier President Robison said "Your work is done in Princes Town". We called him a few days before calls to ask him a question and try to get a hint of what transfers are going to be like. He said "As of now you are a great companionship and you are staying together. But you are both so valuable that I might need one of you elsewhere". He has tossed us both into the fire! After 3 months I have been put as a Jr Companion to Elder Bowens, he is from St Vincent and is about 24 or so. I was told that I have some amazing leadership qualities.
Chaguanas is the 2nd biggest city in Trinidad, so I am going from the most country area to the most populated. I have heard Elder Bowens' testimony at my first zone meeting. He was baptized about 1.5 years ago and has been on his mission for 7-8 months or so. He has the most powerful testimony I have heard from any missionary. He was taught by his trainer how to read, and the only book he can read is the Book of Mormon. Not 1 other book can he read, if that is not a testimony to it's truth I don't know what is. But w/ my work and planning and his testimony and ability to gain the people's trust I think we will do amazing. I plan on this being the most effective transfer of my mission, so if it is not chastise me.
-Elder Risenmay
This transfer w/ Elder Palmer has been totally amazing. I remember when Seth picked me up from the airport he said one thing that I haven't told anyone but Elder Palmer because he helped fulfill it. He said something like "I feel the Spirit very strongly and I feel like I should tell you that I think you are going to bring a new level of success to the West Indies". Well Seth, your prophesy has been fulfilled!
We ended the transfer w/
5 Bapt
5 Confirmed
12 Firm Dates
37 Soft
27 At church
134 Member Lessons
62 Other Lessons
35 Progressing
8 Recieved
24 Contacted
71 New Investigators
24 RCLAs
All 5 of our baptized and confirmed we found ourselves,
not 1 part member family and no free baptisms.
We set the standard for the whole of Trinidad as the youngest companionship on the island. As President Robison told me in transfer calls "Your work is done in Princes Town". That area has been set on fire! We doubled the member work done in the past.
First the stories. So we came back about Wednesday to meet w/ Ice Cream's family and talk to Meera and Kelly about baptism. She already dreamed the baptismal font before, now she dreamed that someone just kept repeating Jonas. We had no idea what in the world she was talking about so we went to the Index in the Book of Mormon and looked up Jonas. 2 of the 12 Apostles in the BoM were named Jonas, either one of the 3 Nephites who lives forever is ministering unto her or God just gave her a dream w/ the name. Either way a few verses later in the chapter it talks about him he coincidentally was baptized.
The next day we went by w/ President Farrer for a 2nd interview and we were filling out baptismal record for Ice Cream while he was being interviewed. We asked his wife Indra what her maiden name was and she said "Come and look" and I said what? "Common Law" basically they were married by a leader of a Hindu temple but he never submitted the paperwork, so he will be postponed for 2 weeks. The look on Elder Palmer's face made my day, they are posting bands today.
Needless to say the baptism was amazing, I asked Meera how she felt and she said relieved, we asked her again after church and she said "It is really strange, they things that I used to get real vexed at w/ my family aren't a big deal anymore" Thank you Gift of the Holy Ghost. This church is true! Shirley was also baptized, she went up to the front and bore her testimony and kept telling everyone that she called us out to talk to us and 2 weeks later she was baptized, although untrue everyone thought it was great that we weren't doing our job! Shirley said "I feel a difference in my whole body, light light light!" If only you could see the difference that I see in the people's lives that I teach.We went by on Sunday and I gave them all ties and we taught them how to tie them. It was a whole lot of fun and everybody loved it. One of the funnest times in my mission.
The next day Indra was telling us how much the youngest son loved it. We asked if he read at all afterwards, we left at 9 and he read from 9 until 2 in the morning and read 1/2 the Book of Mormon. His sister read the whole thing and he has read 1/2! I don't know how this is all working, but I love that family a ridiculous amount. The Spirit can be so strong in their home, I am not sure I have ever felt that loved in my life. I have become these people's heroes! Every single person in the branch came up to me and told me how much they were going to miss me. Ice Cream described just last night how his family used to never spend much time together, and he had never even heard his children read. Now they such a unified and amazing family, he said at the baptism "Even though I didn't get baptized I feel a real difference".
It is pretty common for families to come and pick up missionaries here in the West Indies, President Robison doesn't have a problem w/ it. If that was the only reason for bringing you down here to meet that family I still would. Plan on picking me up from Trinidad.We got transfer calls on Friday, I am going to Chaguanas, and like I said earlier President Robison said "Your work is done in Princes Town". We called him a few days before calls to ask him a question and try to get a hint of what transfers are going to be like. He said "As of now you are a great companionship and you are staying together. But you are both so valuable that I might need one of you elsewhere". He has tossed us both into the fire! After 3 months I have been put as a Jr Companion to Elder Bowens, he is from St Vincent and is about 24 or so. I was told that I have some amazing leadership qualities.
Chaguanas is the 2nd biggest city in Trinidad, so I am going from the most country area to the most populated. I have heard Elder Bowens' testimony at my first zone meeting. He was baptized about 1.5 years ago and has been on his mission for 7-8 months or so. He has the most powerful testimony I have heard from any missionary. He was taught by his trainer how to read, and the only book he can read is the Book of Mormon. Not 1 other book can he read, if that is not a testimony to it's truth I don't know what is. But w/ my work and planning and his testimony and ability to gain the people's trust I think we will do amazing. I plan on this being the most effective transfer of my mission, so if it is not chastise me.
-Elder Risenmay
9-2-2008 New Pictures
Chopping down Bush w/ a cutlass for our recent convert
Amazing Lasagna
Sleeping w/ cat
Ice Cream and family,(Left to right Meera, Kelly, Ganish, Ice Cream, Sodhamma, Indra)
President Farrer/Shirley(Recent Convert)
All The girls are being baptized (Besides Nanny), 2 men are baptizers
I took this picture so Lindsay could see her West Indian Twin in the middle
Rodney and Debbie's part member family. Such cute kids
Christina or as everyone calls her "Muh Muh" or Mah Mah
Wayne, Sabita, Me
Only fitting that we eat Ice Cream w/ Ice Cream
Sweet Bike
I gave away my 3 favorite Ties to this family and taught them to tie them. They loved it.
Finished product, Ice cream's is a little off.
Bike race
Nanny made us a meal on a leaf!
Kelly drew me this!
I cut my own hair
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