A Full Week & a Miracle

(Brandon's letter from September 6, 2010)

This week has been hectic!

To begin, Elder Walker had a leadership meeting for 3 days, starting on Wednesday and ending Friday. So, I was able to experience being with a greeny. Talk about reminiscing. Elder Ostberg is new and in training. His companion also went to the leadership meeting. So, Wednesday I was in his area... getting lost! We did not know where we were other than we were still in Kingston. He works in the Boulevard Branch while I work in the Kingston Branch. So we don't really know the other person's area. So we rode our bicycles around in the hot sun until we were content.

Thursday was his turn to come to my area. Thankfully I knew most of the places to go. One thing that he did that reminded me of when you are brand new is you just want to talk to EVERYONE! Every single person that said anything, he would stop to talk to. I don't think he was taught about people that just idle and chat you.

It was during this day that the miracle occurred. I want to make you all aware of the power of prune juice. Some of you laugh because you may know what's coming. Others of you may think what the heck can prune juice do. This is the miracle solver for people who are constipated! BOY WAS I HAPPY! The only downside to prune juice is it is THE most expensive juice. Cost me about $800 JD! That's almost $10 USD! On the other hand, I think i would rather spend the money and feel relief than to still be blocked up.

Friday ended the meetings for leadership. I was back in Boulevard for the morning and in my area by late afternoon. I received a great birthday package that I couldn't wait to open.

Saturday, Elder Walker and I had an interesting experience. I must ask if anyone has watched Beverly Hills Cop. When Axel Foley arrives and is walking down the street and sees the two people in the black and red leather outfits.... we had a similar experience. These two Jamaicans one with all green attire and the other with all blue attire. They were also wearing the weirdest and least in fashion shades. I just had to laugh and wished I had my camera.

I did enjoy a birthday, no cake as yet. I need to buy some vegetable oil. However, I also managed not to get floured this year as well. Unless something happens later today.

Here's some pics of my time with Elder Ostberg and my new living conditions:

Elder Huffaker

WHY ME?

I know it's a terrible question, especially if it's said to the Lord. However, you really have to wonder sometimes WHY ME?

Well, since last Tuesday, a lot of things have happened. First off, on Wednesday, I went on a tradeoff with Elder Brough. Elder Brough was one of the zone leaders in Spanish Town. Well, on the way down to Spanish Town to commence the trade off, There is some construction, which we thought would hold us up. We blew right through that, only to find another obstacle... Apparently a bulldozer blade hit the back of a coaster bus. All I saw was the shattered glass of the back window. I still don't know how it happened, because the vehicles were going in the opposite direction and the bulldozer was on a flat trailer of a semi. Talk about intense. The trade off went fine and I was glad to see Elder Peterson back. We got along so well.

Friday hit me like a train. I got runny belly (bad case of diarrhea). Being healthy for so long you just feel like, "Dang, why don't I get sick, I could use a break." Well, be careful what you wish for. So I took some Pepto Bismol, which helped a lot. Only to have a cold hit me on Saturday! I've been taking Benedryl for the past couple of days now.

Saturday was the day we received our transfer calls. Around 3 - 4 p.m. we get a bunch of phone calls from other Elders with the exact same phrase, "Have you elders received your transfer calls? Do you know where you're going?" NO! So we get the news about where everyone else is going. Then at 6 p.m. Elder Peterson gets a phone call from Pres. Hendricks. He says you'll be staying in Linstead to train. OK........ what about Elder Huffaker? The Assistants were supposed to call him. So we wait. An hour later we call the zone leaders. I still don't know what's happening to me. 8:15 rolls around and finally they decided to call me (probably the last one on the island to get my call) and they're all apologizing saying we're sorry we forgot you. How can you not forget me. I HAVE TO MOVE!

So that brings us to Sunday. I didn't want everyone at the branch to know I was leaving. Only a few of the members that I was able to get to know. So, Sunday afternoon we went around to say goodbye to a few people. When we get surprised with a dinner plus dessert. Now this threw us off, because we always have a set dinner appointment at 8:00. DOUBLE DINNER = TROUBLE! Elder Peterson and I have already gone through this predicament twice before. I don't think he learned from it. So, during our second dinner, I ate about 2/3 and said thanks I've had all I can eat. He FINISHED his and when we left, we hadn't even made it to the corner of the street before water, rice and peas start coming back up. Poor guy. I hope he learned this time around.

Lastly, transfer calls means the transfer itself. All the zone leaders met up in Spanish Town. We were picked up by the Ochi Elders. Once in Spanish Town, I loaded my stuff into the mission bus along with all the Elders going home this transfer and plus one more who was getting transferred to Portmore. Well, the Assistants are thinking, ok, Portmore, we need to go there to drop this Elder off. Well, they forgot that the Portmore house is having a few problems and that they were staying in Kingston. So we took a scenic route through Portmore and here I am in Kingston with Elder Walker, who is a Jamaican.

Please remember to big up yourself this week.

Elder Huffaker

P.S. from Marilyn
Perhaps "big up" is Jamaican Patois for, "Have a good one!"

I'm Back -- in Sav

Dear Everyone!

I'm back in Sav! I finished up my week in Mandeville with Elder Wilson and Elder Allen and got a few last minute pictures on their couch.

Transfer day, last Wednesday, was hectic. We sat around all morning waiting to find out what was going on. We finally met up with Elder Keele (the new zone leader for the Mandeville zone) at about 2:00. We packed his stuff and Elder Allen's stuff in a car and drove to Santa Cruz. dropped off all the bags, and Elder Allen, picked up Elder Tracy, drove back to Mandeville, picked up Elder Gantt's luggage, and my one bag that I brought to Mandeville and headed for Sav at about 5:00. Elder Tracy then had an idea to stop for dinner somewhere. So we stopped in a town called White House and had cook shop food (which usually consists of a meat, rice and peas and steamed vegetables) on the beach. While we waited for our food to cook, we got some pictures on the beach as well as a Jamaican sunset.

By the way, if none of you could tell, Elder Gantt is my new companion. He's from Lehi, Utah. He's really cool and we've had a bunch of laughs already. I also finally got a picture of the welcome to Sav sign. Oh, Elder Gantt has already had one transfer in Sav. He was here when I was on my last transfer in Old Harbour. So, he's back for round 2.

Next, there is the infamous Donkey Cart. the Donkey Cart travels around in Sav. you will also see many other donkey carts throughout the island. Donkey Carts usually have one or two donkeys pulling a make-shift cart. This one actually had three. As missionaries, we never tell lies, but we do tell jokes. One of the jokes we tell is that when a missionary goes on a tradeoff, we say that "he got licked down by a donkey cart and had to go to the hospital" It's mildly humorous to see the facial expressions of Jamiacans when you tell them this.

Yesterday was branch conference here in Sav and both Pres. and Sis. Graff spoke. Along with them came the amazing Elder Sizemore. He returned from Bahamas and became the new Assistant to the President.

Afterwards, Elder Gantt made me go and speak to Sister Graff about my health, which has been a little low. I currently have a runny nose and wonderful fits of sneezing. I don't have a fever, but my skin is cold and clammy. Everything feels hotter to me too. I don't know why, but Sister Graff sent us home. I was supposed to get rest. Well, I just can't sit still. So, Elder Gantt and I took a broken fan and decided to disassemble it and see if we could fix it. We couldn't find the problem, so we just demolished it some more.

That's the great news for this week. HAVE FUN EVERYONE

Elder Huffaker

MTC Days & Getting Sick

Brandon has much more time for handwritten letters, and can tell us more details. He writes often and tells more of his experiences:

Thursday, May 7, 2009

To the Huffaker Haven,

Alrighty, so it's been just over a week here at the MTC & it's awesome. So let me bring you up to date from Saturday.

So Sunday, I woke up & my throat hurt, thinking it was just mucous down my throat in the night I thought nothing of it. Then it got to the point where my saliva was really thick & I had a difficult time swallowing. Well the health clinic is closed on Sunday so I had to go to the front desk, from which they drove me over to the hospital. That's probably the only time, while you're residing at the MTC, that you're allowed to leave. Anyways, so I found out I had a sinus infection. So I'm on Amoxicillin until Wednesday. I take 4 500mg pills a day, 2 at breakfast & 2 at dinner.

So Everyone in my room has gotten sick, except for Elder Patten. And 5 out of 8 in our district. For being the celestial branch, we sure have our hardships. Oh, by the way, the branch is the same as the zone & the zone includes 3 districts.

Otherwise Sunday went well, and we had a fireside at 7:00. We're so busy, we are constantly tired. It's very difficult to stay awake. The first few nights here, I could not fall asleep. Now, sleep comes so easy that I can't get enough. I'm up at 6:00 & in bed at 10:30. It's long days here, but it's very good.

Tuesday night, though, was probably the best. Elder M. Russell Ballard came and spoke. Sad thing is, is I studied Lehi's dream for a while (our term for sleeping) But what I did get from him, was AMAZING! I do need to compare notes with my comp. though.

We had to say goodbye to a district on Monday & welcome in a new district on Wednesday. So it's been up & down the past few days.

Right now I'm doin laundry, & it is packed in here! I did my email before coming down, but like I said, it's all happening on p-days.

As far as the warning thing, they warned us about the OJ. No problems, just a MTC myth. But the showers, those were a different case. As I said in the email, hot to cold, ugh!

As far as your questions go... Elder Lusk & Andrus are the ZL's and Elder Lusk cut Elder Andrus' hair the other day. (FYI missionaries don't cut others' or their own hair) It was pretty funny, but he fixed it today. Elder Thurman & Takacs are a very interesting team. Elder Thurman & I have our own unique connection. I ain't saying what. Elder Patten & Anderson are the other guys & then Elder Tracy & I.

Elder Tracy said he would check with his side about the relation thingy. Elder Patten says it might have been his uncle that trained dad & so he's gonna try to check that one. What is dad's mission Columbus or Cleveland?

As far as the sheets go, the MTC sheets sometimes get mixed with the BYU sheets. The BYU sheets are 72" & the MTC is at 80". We got it fixed, plus we did a sheets exchange on Tuesday in which Elder Anderson only received a Top Sheet. So I swapped him a full set & slept on a top sheet that night. It's not that cold, so I slept just fine. But I did get a new set the next day.

Oh, real quick before I forget, Brother Stoddard, who is a counselor in our branch presidency, gave an amazing lesson. He should be a G.A.!

So back to your questions... Overall, the food is good, it's like the High School where there's three options. Theres been like one or two meals where there was nothing good. But otherwise, it's all good. Classes include personal study, comp study, RC (referral center, where you take calls), TE (teaching evaluation) TA (teaching assessment), zone activities, & field.

We don't go to BYU for devotionals, we use one of the buildings here at the MTC. Like I said before, Elder Ballard was here last tuesday. As far as speaking on Sundays, random missionaries are called on to give talks and all the missionaries prepare talks in case they're called upon.

We take the dork dot off on day one here, so you pretty much blend in on day 2. As far as photos, I'll send you my card after the next district leaves probably, or attach the photos to emails if I can. We'll see what happens.

There's so much to explain & do. It's amazing anyone can make it through a day.

Sounds like Darcie's doin good, but you didn't include Alyssa. And Cameron's gonna hafta get used to it. I'm not there to hold his hand anymore. Otherwise it sounds like everything is goin well. Thanks for writing my thank yous and I think I'm set for now. Miss ya & Love Ya Lots!

2nd Nephi 29:7

Elder Huffaker