Hustle and Bustle

(Brandon's letter from December 20, 2010)

Even though it's Christmas and it doesn't affect us too much as far as getting presents, dinner supplies, etc.; it doesn't change the fact that us missionaries are always on the move.

First off, After emailing on Tuesday last week, Elder Snelson and I went back over to the Meddows yard and worked some more on the pile. We are now halfway through the pile! While going through this pile, we found forty-leggers. These things are deadly if they bite. We found a couple of them and they were killed on sight. Not the biggest ones I've seen, but enough to do some damage. The other thing we found were snakes. I don't know what kind of snakes they were, but they were silver, pink and brown in color. It was kinda a glossy color at that.

Wednesday after district meeting, the zone leaders took Elder Brough and I out to Morant Bay while Elder Snelson stayed in Yallahs with Elder Toutai. While there in Morant Bay we picked up some supplies from a building supply store for a member. It was kinda weird. There wasn't really an order to things and I'm surprised I got through. We had sheets of zinc and lumber going from the tailgate to the cab (on top) it was a sight to see and I had no camera. It was an adventure when we went to take the supplies to the members home. We tried to take the upper road, only to find out that the wall had collapsed at one part. So we had to back up (no space to reverse) and take the lower road. We were stoked that we made it backing up.

Friday was another rain dumping day. Thankfully we were inside when it started and it stopped long enough for us to get out the door and start down the road before it began again. It was kinda miserable Friday just to get wet and dry repeatedly.

Lastly, I dunno if I talked about this last week or not, but Elder Brough and I along with our companions sing the twelve days of christmas, adding one day for each day. Yesterday was seven swans a swimming and today we will add 8 maids a milkin'!

The pics are of Yallahs from the hillside overlooking it. I tried to get a closeup of our house, but there are a lot of trees in the way.

Merry Christmas
Elder Huffaker

12 Days of Christmas

(Brandon's letter from December 14, 2010)

It's getting closer, it's true! In fact Elder Brough and I are singing one more line of the song to each other for every day that we get closer.

Not included in the song is about missionaries in Jamaica! This week we had a service project at the Meddow's house. There is this "pile" in the back yard. They share the house with a couple other tenants, and one of the tenants made this pile! The pile is composed of: decomposing garbage, dirt and rocks. Well the landlord isn't the happiest. So we were asked to come move the pile. The rocks get pushed off to the side, the dirt goes in a ditch around a tree and the garbage.... well it gets raked up for burning. It was quite unexpected to find the rocks, but the dirt and the garbage I expected. I thought it was gonna be easy until I found the rocks.

Wednesday we had zone meeting. This was also part of getting ready for the Christmas party we missionaries have. Each zone is asked to perform a skit. Well, we got one. Our skit is to start off doing a "Christmas can-can" we'll then stop in the middle of it and change to the Haka! I made the mistake of calling it a Samoan Slap Dance. NO! NO! NO! Elder Toutai is a Tongan.

After we practiced the Haka for a while. The Flakes and the Herberts, senior couples, fed us a lunch of waffles and oranges. Oranges aren't always orange down here. They also have green skins!

Hoping for a baptism this week.

Elder Huffaker

It's a Wonderful Life

Well, I may not be in a black and white film that takes place at Christmas time, but being a missionary is great!

Tuesday, Elder Jarman and I had an adventure of putting up two and a half walls of a house. We used two 4 x 8 sheets of plywood, two hammers, a half lb bag of 2 in. nails, and 3 hand saws. This "little" adventure took all afternoon and left me with a blister. I remember that when it neared 5:30 p.m. all I wanted was to finish this and die! At first I kinda made light of it, but as we went along, it took its toll on me.
Wednesday we had a zone conference in Kingston. We had the area doctor, Elder Kilgore, visiting. He gave a little instruction on missionary health. He told us to drink more water. We need to be drinking 4 liters of water a day, I was at about 2. DOUBLE IT! So Thursday I did, and I've seen more bushes and walls in one day than I normally did in one week. This little fiasco is no good on my body that is used to a lower intake. So when we bussed on Saturday for a baptism (which I'll get to in a minute) I actually had to stop the bus so I could get off and go. Elder Jarman had to as well. We ended paying an extra $80 each. I'll pay an extra bit of cash as long as I don't have a wet spot on my pants by the time I arrive in Kingston.

Saturday was a baptism. Arleen Francis, who lives in Morant Bay, that we did the service project for on Tuesday, was baptized. Elder Jarman performed the ordinance. I think he was really nervous about it, because he kept asking me about it.

I'm sending pics of this week plus a few other pics I bummed off Elder Jarman.
Pictures include my white shirt after Tuesday's project, Friday Night Activity where we floured a member for his birthday, some red pea soup, our project on Tuesday, and the baptism.

I'll have to send the other pictures I got from Elder Jarman next week (red pea soup and the project)

Picturesque

How do I describe this week..... I dunno, but it was good.

This week I taught my first district meeting as district leader. The Assistants decided to join us and even shared a little bit themselves. I went over "the challenging and testifying missionary" by Alvin Dyer. The Assistants said it was good except to get my district more involved next time. Oh well. After district meeting we went out to see one of the mission vehicles. They just switched over to Mitsubishi pickups. They look pretty good and still have that new car smell. mmmmmmmmmmmmm

After the district meeting, I went on a trade off with Elder Edwards, who is one of my zone leaders. He seemed very complacent while he was here in Yallahs with me. Elder Jarman went to Kingston with Elder Emery and rode in a car all the time. He misses the A/C and had quite the experience eating pig skin. I can't wait till he eats some mannish water. Not to mention he took one look at chicken foot and said, "NO!"

Anyways, Friday Night Activity was a little different this week. I introduced the family game of States, except I used countries because 90% of Jamaicans only know 5 states: Texas, Florida, California, New York and New Jersey. I don't really know why these are the only 5 they know other than that's probably the only places where they go when they go to the states. Back to the game, they really had a blast with it and I think they will want to play in the future.

Saturday, we had a lot of service we were doing. First we helped clean the Meddow's shop (they're a family in the local branch), then we went and cleaned the church, then we went and purchased some plywood for another service project. Well, I'm sure most of you know the saying, "When you play with fire, you're gonna get burned." AFTER 21 YEARS, it finally bit me. While cleaning the Meddow's shop, we cleaned out their chest freezer. To speed up the process we lit some coal and put a pot of water on it to get it going. So to help the coal get started, I blew on it. Some little ember decided to pop out at my face. Got me right on my left eyelid. So then I squeeze my eye shut. No I've got burn marks on my upper and lower eye. Needless, to say, this didn't stop me and won't stop me in the future. Lesson learned, watch out for leaping embers!

Pictures include: the sky that just seemed to pop out from a painter's canvas, me kissing $2700 goodbye for the purchase of the plywood for one of the service projects, and our orchids are in bloom, except for one last white one.

Elder Huffaker

WHAT IS THAT?!?

No matter where you go in Jamaica, once you spend time in one area, you think you've seen it all. Then you get transferred....

First off, I have tried a new food, please don't hurl in your mouth..... pig tail. At least they didn't leave the skin on it. Secondly is turkey neck. I've had chicken neck before while in Jamaica, but not turkey neck. Turkey neck is a lot easier then chicken neck, but still good meat as long as it's cooked right.

Nextly, Here in Linstead we usually get a fog every night. This brings out moisture loving animals. I don't know where they come from or hide during the day. It's not like we're near the ocean. But we see snails around here. So one night when we were coming home. On the road to our house was this giant snail. At first I thought it was a rock. Then I did a double take and I'm like "Rocks aren't usually sitting out in the road. What is that?" As I watched I noticed it was a snail. I had to call Elder Peterson over. He passed it and didn't even realize it. I made a fist and held it next to it and it was bigger than my fist. Talk about craziness.

Lastly for this week. Sunday was Emancipation Day for Jamaica. So, it was observed yesterday. This why I wasn't able to email yesterday. So, because businesses weren't open. Elder Peterson and I just played ping pong at the church, until..... A member asked us what we were doing today. Elder Peterson's reply: NOTHING. Her next comment was, "Oh good. Can you come to our yard and help us put up a pole?" Elder Peterson said, "Does it have to be today?" So we ended up going. Little did we know what we were getting into. Elder Peterson thought it was a fence pole..... REALITY CHECK. You have to know that the day before, on Sunday, they fed us dinner. So, this is like our work for our food. We end up hauling this 20-25 foot log up from the bottom of a hill to their yard. It took 5 of us, Elder Peterson and I, two members of the family and one neighbor. Me, being the biggest, gets the end of the log. It's no more than a foot and a half in diameter. I couldn't get the log into the crook between my shoulder and neck. So now, my shoulders are all bruised. Then, we have to "shave this log". We take machetes and knives to shave off the bark. Then we have to get the log into the hole. Mind you, the fifth guy (neighbor) has left by now. So we are trying to walk the log into the hole and we are already really tired from hauling it and shaving it. I'm sure this family is grateful for our help in putting up a power pole to their yard. Somehow we managed and made it back home in time to shower, do laundry and still be completely exhausted.

Due to a virus on my camera, I don't have any pictures to go with my stories. I'm waiting for a member to come back from Panama to fix it.

HAVE A GOOD WEEK :D

Elder Huffaker

P.S. from Marilyn

So I did a little checking, and it sounds like the snail Brandon saw was an "apple snail" (so named because of the size.) It would look something like this:

A Week of Service

Hey everyone, how are you? I hope everyone had a good week.

This week, Elder Gantt and I did a lot of service. We were helping the seminary teacher all week. She had her seminary graduation on Saturday which was full of games and many other things. She also asked Elder Gantt and I to take photos of the event(s). As thanks, not only is she going to cook us dinner some time, but we were also given a little gift of thanks during the awards part.

Also, I mentioned a few weeks ago that Elder Gantt and I failed on our planned exercise plan. (if that makes sense) Well, the only part we failed was the jogging part. Instead, we've been continuing indoors. I'm now up to four consecutive pull ups. I have proof - sorta.

Today, the zone leaders are taking us to Negril to go see some sights. I'm hoping to get more pictures for you next week.

Elder Huffaker