This week flew by as usual - Week 30

This week was crazy with a lot of unplanned appointments that Heavenly Father really did put into our path.

On Tuesday we had lots fall through and got almost a third of our contacting goal for the week. We talked to a lot of really cool people and taught a sweet lesson with a woman named Brontie. We talked about the Gospel and it all made a ton of sense to her. She's really cool and pretty funny. She had something happen where her daughter was downloading stuff on her phone and ate up all of her internet credit and she was getting beyond angry at her phone and at the phone company for robbing her. It was a little funny...

Then on Wednesday we were able to go follow up on a contact that we had a few weeks ago and share a really great lesson about the Book of Mormon with a young lady named Kimberly. It was cool to see her interest sparked. We were also able to talk to some of her neighbors who all wanted Books too,so we talked to all of them about the Book of Mormon, which was sweet!

On Thursday we had so much stuff fall through that I wanted to just call it quits. We had lessons on opposite ends of our area and not a whole lot of time in between to travel over there. We contacted someone right at the time we were supposed to go grab a bus and it turned into a pretty great lesson about the Book of Mormon and they seem pretty interested. By the time we finally caught the bus and got to our next lesson we were like an hour late and they were a little upset. But we spoke with a referral from a member named Pam about the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the Gospel and she had a whole lot to say about everything we talked about. It was very humbling for me. It goes to show that I really don't know every single answer. I say that a lot, but I really really don't. haha. But we were also able to have a great lesson with a less active family who's daughter is of baptismal age and who wants to get baptized, so that was really cool to talk about that covenant that she wants to make.

On Friday we had a bunch of lessons fall through again but we were able to teach a man we contacted a few weeks ago named Wilford who is going to medical school. He just barely took one of his big tests and was able to sit down with us for a bit. We talked to him about the Book of Mormon and he seemed extremely interested. So that was really good to see him excited about the Book of Mormon

On Saturday we woke up and studied for a bit and headed to Calliqua for a baptism. It was a really great service. The only problem was that it started like 2 hours late and didn't end until about 3. So that kind of threw our schedule off for the day. When we got up the hill to finally see all of our appointments they had all gone. So we didn't really have anything to do until 6 and we got a call from a member telling us to come to a baptism of a young 8 year old boy, she said that the missionaries usually come and that it would be best. So we went down the hill to a baptism that didn't end until about 6:30. When we finally reached our 6 o'clock appointment they were a little mad and told us that we would have to come back later. We did end the night well though, we taught an awesome family about charity and how we can all draw closer to Christ if we try. It was a great lesson.

On Sunday we had great church as usual and lunch at a members house. Then we had a ton fall through and headed to a different part of our area to have kind of a surprise lesson, but it was an awesome lesson about the restoration and the spirit was way strong, it was really nice! Sunday was a great day for missionary work, we met a lot of new people and taught some really great lessons.

It was a crazy week, but a fast one for sure. The work is going pretty well and couldn't ask for anything different!

Thanks for all the love and support! I wish you the best!

Love, Elder Dorrance

The view from an investigators house on the hill

Oh What a Splendid Week! (29)

P-Day adventures to the north part of the island of St. Vincent

We had such a great week this week! I couldn't believe it! 

On Tuesday we were able to have all the missionaries on the Island come to Kingstown for Zone Meeting which was a lot of fun. Then I was able to pick up my package from customs which was actually kind of intimidating because they make you rip the whole thing apart in front of them and then value it... haha But It was good. The shoes were like heaven to my toes... Then we actually had every appointment fall through for the day but one and with the one we shared with a woman named Ninna the Law of Chastity and she was good! She even accepted to be baptized early next month which was super cool!

On Wednesday we had so much fall through but ended up having a few contact lessons with the Book of Mormon which was really nice! But we were able to see Ninna again and talk to her about baptism, so it wasn't an awful day.

Then on Thursday we had all appointments fall through, but lots of contacts with the Book of Mormon, actually something that President Mehr has really been focusing on is when we first meet some people directly talk to them about the Book of Mormon, that way they are able to have their interest sparked and have something to talk about, it works extremely well especially here in St. Vincent with mostly all Christian people who use the bible on a daily basis. 

On Friday we had all appointments fall through again and some alright contacts, nothing too special, Friday was pretty long. But at the end of the day our second counselor in the branch presidency had a surprise birthday party which was a ton of fun. We got some good food and some great pictures, it was right after a rainstorm so we had a cool rainbow in the background.

On Saturday we got ready in the morning and headed to Calliqua for a baptism. It was a really nice service and the branch in Calliqua actually meets in like a mansion that the church is renting, it's a sweet house. But we had plenty fall through but a solid lesson about apostasy and priesthood with a young woman named Sach. She asked some good questions and it was a really great lesson, she didn't come to church though so that was kind of a bummer.

On Sunday we had church as usual but I was asked to give a talk about going to the rescue which went really well, I thought... But the rest of the day we spent walking around getting told to go away because people were too busy, so it was kind of a long day of contacting again. We were able to have choir practice at the branch though which was nice and we are actually sounding pretty good! haha

This morning was way cool though, we left the apartment at like 7 o'clock to catch a bus to Calliqua then got into the ZL's car to drive up to Georgetown to see these cool salt water ponds and some awesome little hikes. It was a beautiful day and the pictures really don't do it justice, it's kind of sad. But that's why I'm here and you're not, sorry.;)

It was a fantastic week. Even though we had plenty fall through we were able to have some great successes. 

Hope all is well at home, if it's not please don't tell me.:)

All my love, Elder Dorrance

Can't Drive to the beach we are going to for a baptism, had to walk

Yes, those boats are upside down and/or sinking.  

Elder Tillotson

L-R Elder Staley, Convert from Calliqua, Elder Parker, Elder Gordon

Working on New Investigators - Week 28

It has felt like a really long, tiring week. We only have a few investigators in this area so Elder Aukusitino and I decided that we would focus on finding more and talking about the Book of Mormon.

On Tuesday we had a District Meeting which was really good talking about teaching to investigators needs with the Book of Mormon. Then I was able to go on a trade off with Elder Tillotson who was my Zone leader my first two transfers in Berbice. It was a lot of fun getting to work with him again. We had some great lessons in his area in Calliqua, but it was an all around great day.

On Wednesday we were able to trade back in the morning and head out with Elder Aukusitino. We actually had a lot of stuff fall through. It's really different from Guyana because here when people want to go shopping or the store they have to make a whole day of it because it is such a long walk or bus ride into town to do any shopping so it is hard to find people at home a lot of the time. But we were able to contact with the Book of Mormon a lot more and actually had two of them turn into full lessons with the Book of Mormon. It's sweet to see people have their interest peaked with the Book of Mormon.

On Thursday it was kind of a rough day, we had some good lessons planned, but it was raining so hard for so long that nobody really wanted to see us, so that was kind of a bummer to have everyone just ignore us as we yelled at their house that we were there... But we did have a great lesson with a woman named Sharon about the Restoration, they had a lot of good questions about Joseph Smith and the entire family was there, so that was really nice. But it really didn't stop raining all day until about 9 o'clock at night right about when we got home, so that was kind of lame...

On Friday we had plenty fall through again even an activity that the missionaries on the island had planned, so that was kind of lame. A member that was there was telling us that it was because of how much it was raining that day, which was crazy how much it really was raining... We were only able to have a couple lessons and they were all contacting Book of Mormon lessons that will hopefully read a little of it before we try to talk to them again this week.

On Saturday we had an appointment fall through in the morning and we had to go to the other Kingstown Elders area to Skype with President Mehr about St. Vincent becoming a District. But St. Vincent is pretty far off from becoming a district because Districts are just preparatory stakes, and the island is a lot farther from that so, it was kind of a bummer but still good to hear.

On Sunday we had some awesome talks given in church and a member feed us lunch. We had stuff fall through again so we had a few contacts and had to hustle back to church to go to choir practice, which should be really good, we are singing at the end of this month in sacrament meeting, we don't sound bad, but we are definitely not good either... haha. Then we were able to go and visit Sharon and her family again and taught her and her friends about the Book of Mormon. They all seemed really interested and told us they were going home to compare it with their bible so that was really cool!

It was a busy week with lots of stuff fall through, but all a good time either way! I'm glad everyone is doing well! Love ya tons,

Elder Dorrance

First Week in Kingstown Saint Vincent - Week 27

Airport in Guyana

It has been a crazy exhausting week to say the least. 

On Monday night Elder Sherren, our Zone Leaders, and I headed up to Georgetown to spend the night. 

Early Tuesday morning Elder Sherren and one of our ZL's headed back to Berbice for District meeting and me and the other one stayed in Georgetown because he had to go to the Suriname embassy for passport stuff. But really we just ran errands the whole day with the senior couple there. It wasn't too exciting but fun anyways! I stayed the night in the mission office with two elders who were going home the next day, so they stayed up late packing, and then we were all up at 3 A.M. to head to the airport. 

We got to the airport at like 4 or 5 and I was flying out by myself, so I waited for a bit to fly to Trinidad first where I met a couple of brand new missionaries mostly going to Barbados and my new ZL flying to Vincent with me. Then from Trinidad we all got on a much smaller plane and flew to St. Vincent Which is probably the most beautiful place I've ever been in my entire life. I was able to meet my new companion, Elder Aukusitino.(A-OO-KOOSEE-TEE-NO) He's from Samoa and he's been out just three months so it is a cool experience to help him learn English and to have him show me around the area. It's green everywhere except the water which is so blue! It's so great! The people here are also so nice! The only downside is the hills. It is ridiculous that people actually climb these mountains everyday, I couldn't believe it, but then I realized that I am one of those people. We worked the whole day and I had never been so tired on my whole mission. Holy cow... But it was a good day!

Then on Thursday we had a lot of appointments fall through because everyone was in town to do shopping and things for the holiday on Friday, so we actually got a whole lot of contacting done, which was cool because that is definitely something I need to work on. But probably the highlight of the day, it was like 8:30 and we didn't have anywhere else to go so we decided we would go get a cookie from subway. Well it turns out that they have Mountain Dew there, and I hadn't had subway in like 6 months so I just had to grab a sandwhich too... haha It was so awesome...

On Friday we woke up and tried to see some people in the morning but they weren't home so we went home and got ready for an activity that the church had set up to go to a big field and play soccer and cricket for a few hours! So we set that up and played soccer until about 6 o'clock at night. It was a really fun day and we actually found a bunch of new people to teach because of it! But after playing soccer for that long I was pretty tired again. After the activity we headed out to try and see a few people but nobody could...

On Saturday we had our regular studies and started our fast in the morning. Once again for some reason we had almost all of our lessons fall through, so we actually did a lot of contacting again. But we were able to meet a referral at the church. Her name is Mavis and she and her daughter showed up, but funny story is that they were looking for some kits for school children that the church had made. We didn't have any, but she still let us share something about our church with her. It was a really good lesson about the restoration and I think she understood. But it was a really long day..

On Sunday I was really excited to be going to a new branch to see what it was like over here. They have a beautiful chapel and lots of people that show up every week. After that we broke our fast at a members house with some really good pork and rice. Then we went and taught a few of the people we met at the activity on Friday.

It's been a wonderful week here in St. Vincent and I'm excited for more to come! Thanks so much for your prayers and love. I love you all so much! 

Alofa, Elder Dorrance 

(Samoan for love)

First Member in St. Vincent who can't walk so we bring him the sacrament.

Hill is steeper than it looks.

Investigator trying to get service for youtube

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First American food since I left USA