Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Snippets about mission life from extra emails

We cover two areas because Guyana only allows about twenty foreign missionaries into the country at a time.  It's been kind of stressful because there is so much to cover and Guyana could be its own mission.  Our district had like 10% of the mission goal last transfer.

I can't understand a word that comes out of the Branch President's mouth and there are always drunk people walking around at any time of the day, so they get to be pretty interesting.

I can't understand a word of what anyone says and it's just because of how much slang and how fast they say it all, it's completely frustrating!  

Some West Indies slang: pigney=children, next=another, "You know how fer read?"= do you know how to read?, vexed=pissed, licks=beatings, they pretty much just say regular words but they mean different things. It's killing me...  I'm getting pretty good at the smile and nod.

It is a good day so far. I am not enjoying the living conditions mostly. We have had to take bucket showers all week because we don't have enough water pressure for it to come out of our shower pvc pipe... And it's cold cold water... haha. But it sure is an experience. I figured out though that tomorrow is my month mark. pretty crazy! I feel like I was in the MTC for a month...

Monday, February 24, 2014

Oh what a week!


So this week was defininately a test of faith! I know why I'm supposed to be out here and I know what I should be doing, but this is the most tired physically, emotionally, and spiritually I have ever been. But from what I've heard from every missionary is that I just need to hit the two weeks in the field and it goes up from there. It will be good!

I'm glad I haven't gotten any emergency emails saying someone hurt themselves or something happened while I've been gone, that's been one of my nightmares this past week... haha! But it's been good! Lot's of teaching and even some new investigators as well!

I really am in a third world country, and it really hit me when I got up Sunday morning and realized that for the fourth day in a row we didn't have enough water pressure to get water out of the shower tube, so bucket showers it was! That's one thing I probably won't get used to is cold showers... Those are still pretty bad...

I'm glad the deck is going up alright, I wish I could help! haha.

I'm glad Riley is getting the chance to play with some other girls this season and I hope those trailers work out well for you! Those things are sweet and would make a cool addition to the vehicle force our family has! haha.

No mom I'm not eating well... Haha, Guyanese food has too many bones and is too spicy. I try it whenever it is offered, but I hate having to work to get my food off the bone, I'm the biggest baby out here...

The ones are of the baptism I was able to perform on Saturday with a woman named Sister Donna! She is seriously so awesome! Unfortunately she was as good as baptized before I even got here, but it was such an amazing experience!

The next is of the pig we, as a district of 8 Elders, purchased, shaved, and gutted this morning to be cooked and eaten next P-Day. it was probably the nastiest thing I've ever had the privilege of witnessing, but it was so awesome. Haha. Oh man it's going to be good I hope, none of even knows how we would cook a pig... haha...

Other than that I'm not doing much but spreading the good word and sweating. All the time. I've never wanted to be cold in my entire life until now. But I will adjust!

Gabe Farmer and Lexi Burton from high school





I love you and miss you all! Looking at the pictures you sent really helps me get through the day! I love you each so much! Keep me updated on anything interesting going on at home! I love you all!

Monday, February 17, 2014

Welcome to Guyana. Where the laws are made up, and the street lines don't matter!

So where do I begin...
On the 10th we woke up in the MTC at about 215 to catch our bus to the airport! We had about ten hours on a plane and finally landed in Trinidad at about 10 where the mission president met us. We traveled to the apartment where we'd stay for a few nights... that's the picture with the pool and the view. We woke up the next morning and went to the mission home for a day of welcomes and the mission president telling us how much he loved us!
It was a good day! Then we left Trinidad Wednesday morning. and flew to GUYANA.
My area is called Rosignal Guyana. It's hot, the people are nice, and I can't understand a word anyone says.

They said I would be serving an English speaking mission, but this sure isn't English. They speak so much slang and say it all so fast I can barely follow it... it's completely frustrating and wearing me down emotionally and physically... I almost dread going anywhere where people are because I seriously can't understand anything they say...
Every morning I wake up wanting to leave but I just tell myself to make it till dinner and then you can call him, but by that time I feel much better because I've had the spirit with me all day. It's a weird feeling... But I'm definitely not in Utah anymore...
We have three investigators with baptismal dates, but the thing is, that no one stays a member after they get baptized. My trainer has already had 11 baptisms, and seen 4 of them go inactive. But that's okay! It's up to them to stay in the church, we just get them here.
I don't like Guyanese food very much yet, it makes my stomach hurt, but I'm hoping I get used to it.... 

Other than that, we just walk around a lot and spread the word! Today being our first P-day we went and played basketball with other missionaries in our District which was a lot of fun!
Oh! fun fact, they only allow Elder's in Guyana because of how dangerous it is... Just kind of funny, because sometimes I wish they wouldn't let anyone in. I'm so white....
The area is great! It's really small with not a whole lot of members, only like 50. But it has a history of a lot more than that.... Everyone here lives in huts or houses on stilts, it's definitely a different experience than if I were to go state side!
Lately we've just been focusing a lot on less active members, because usually Guyanese people just get baptized and never come back, so President Mehr really wants us to focus a lot of our attention on less active members, but we still get plenty of people talking to us on the streets as we walk around, we end up contacting plenty of people without even really trying...
Church was weird. Like I said before, I can't understand a single thing anyone says, so I really just sat there for 3 hours staring off into space, really bad of me but I have no way of deciphering this language... The branch is small, maybe like 20 regulars, but this week we had about 50 come for sacrament meeting. We don't have a chapel, we meet in this building, I can't really explain it, it's pretty small...

Shopping is weird, because there's just a lot of stuff packed into the shelves, and everything costs a lot... because their money is worth so little... like 200 of their dollars is worth one of our dollars, kind of crazy.



Apartment I stayed in for a few days in Trinidad before we flew to Guyana.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

February 13, 2014

Dear Parents of Elder Dorrance,

We are so pleased to welcome your son to the West Indies Mission! He arrived safely in Trinidad & Tobago on Monday night, February 10th.  On Tuesday, he and sixteen other missionaries from the MTC were given a tour and brief training in the mission office, attended a district meeting for the first time in their mission, and then received instructions from the assistants to the president. We spent the remainder of the afternoon and evening with them in the mission home for a welcome dinner and a spirit-filled devotional. We have loved getting to know him and we love him already. He is a bright and thoughtful young man, and is clearly excited to go to work teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Yesterday and today, each new missionary is either flying or driving to their assigned area. Elder Dorrance has been assigned to labor in Rosignol in Guyana, one of the three South American countries in the West Indies Mission. There is a growing number of members in Guyana and the missionaries enjoy much success working closely with them. His new companion is Elder Hodgkinson, an experienced faithful missionary who will guide your son through a 12-week training program. 


Elder Dorrance's faithful studies in the Book of Mormon, Preach My Gospel and the 12-week training program will prepare him to be an inspired teacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please encourage your son as he begins this challenging but extremely rewarding work. His gospel study and diligent obedience will help him teach effectively by the Spirit and to grow in his own testimony and conversion, which will be a foundation for his mission and also for the rest of his life.

Your son is encouraged to email his immediate family and his mission president every week on Monday, our Preparation Day.

We look forward to getting to know him and working with him in the great work of salvation in the West Indies Mission. Thank you for sharing him with us!


Sincerely,
President and Sister Mehr