On Wednesday, Dr. Jones was on my mind frequently, so in the afternoon, I gave her a call. She had just returned from Trinidad and was returning back to Trinidad in the morning. She is the person we met in Price Smart a few weeks ago. We talked for awhile and discovered how much we had in common. She teaches education classes for the University of Trinidad and Tobago at 16 different sites in Trinidad. She is involved in elementary and special education. She was picking my brain about sped issues and wants to model after the US. She invited us to dinner on Sat night at 6. She gave us directions to her home so we could be sure we knew how to get there. She asked what she needed to avoid besides coffee, tea and liquor. Her parents have been members for 20 years. Her dad has passed away and her mother still lives in Florida. I got the feeling she was doing this for her mother because at the end of the call she said she was going to call her mother to let her know we were coming for dinner. It was a repeat of the feeling I had when we met her in Arima.

Thursday we followed her directions to a home on top of a hill where the TSTT towers for phones, etc. are located. It is very remote. We left the pavement and drove back on a rutted dirt road through the trees and foliage to emerge at the house. We couldn’t see the view from the front of the house or through the trees, but we knew it had to be good because of where the towers were located. The front of the house doesn’t show the second story, exquisite backyard, patio and pool on the edge of the hill with a breathtaking view of the Atlantic and the city of Scarborough and the end of the island where we live.

Plus, there is a nice view of Trinidad and the oil rigs in the ocean, all of which we would discover on Saturday at 6:00 pm just as the sun was going down.

We fretted the rest of the week as to the approach we should take with the Joneses. Her title seemed important to her and she told me her husband was head of security for the college and was training guards for each of the campus locations. We still weren’t sure of her interest in us because it didn’t seem to be for religious reasons, but more to please her mom. It rained heavily on Thursday evening and again on Friday. We wondered about the condition of the dirt road to their house. The ruts were likely huge puddles of water. We decided we need to call and ask about the condition of the road on Saturday afternoon and let her know that we weren’t sure our Corolla would make it to the house. There was also quite a bit of road damage on part of the paved area from the bad storm that hit Trinidad and Tobago a few weeks ago. She said to wait at the tower and Sam would come pick us up in his car. He was returning from town and stopped and picked us up in his 4 wheel drive and we quickly got acquainted on the way to the house.

Their home is a modified version of the home they had in Florida where they were for many years and evidently Sam built it or at least supervised it. It turns out he is from the US and she is from Arima on Trinidad, where they have a home they are renting while they are there during the week. They plan to retire in a couple of years here in the home they have built. Sam is retired from law enforcement in Florida and she worked in the school systems there and received her doctorate. Dr. Jones has had an impact on the education here in TT and lobby’s for a more progressive system with such things as a teacher certification renewal program. They have 4 children who are all in the US.

We were served spaghetti and meat balls with apple pie and ice cream for dessert. We stayed until almost 9:30. We talked about everything, including politics, backgrounds, and lots of gospel principles. She asked when I would be in Trinidad because she wanted me to speak to her students. I told her that I left that behind when I retired and that now our mission was my focus. They asked about the makeup of the branch. They asked questions and we provided answers throughout the evening. Dad did a awesome job sharing the different principles of the gospel. Sam said he would like to read the Book of Mormon. Lydia never did really say she would read it, though she did say she had a copy her mom had given her over 10 years ago. So they now each have one. They gave us their business cards and said to keep in touch. The visit went way beyond our expectations. I hope they felt the same and were touched by the spirit to know more about the gospel.

We had fast Sunday in our branch because we couldn’t get general conference here. It was the first conference we have missed in a few years. Dad ended up conducting the meeting. Our branch president is very shy and needs lots of training. He doesn’t get it the first time information is explained to him. The elders have tried. Modeling might be a better way.

Monday for our Preparation Day we went to Pigeon Point and took a glass bottom boat ride to Buccoo Reef and Nylon Pool. It is called a nylon pool because the sand is the color of fishing line rather than white like the sand on the beach. It was awesome. We should have worn our swim suits because snorkeling was included, and wading in the coral sand that is very healthy for the skin. The view of the coast from the boat was awesome. It looks like the postcards! We wondered where the pictures were taken, since you don't see some of the best scenery from the shore.

It is high tide and this sandbar is almost covered. It is called pelican island because they love to sit on it.

On Tuesday of last week (7^th) we dropped by Stumpy’s to deliver Anna’s gift wrapped items and she wasn’t at the register. I tracked down the other lady and chatted with her and asked for a phone number for Anna since she was home with the flu. I called Anna on Thursday to see if she was back at work and see where she wanted her books delivered, work or home. She said work, so we went in and visited for a couple of minutes. She wasn't sounding well. We’ll follow up with her soon. Mostly, people here are just interested in a free bible. We only have a couple of bibles here, not knowing they might be a hot item. Evidently, people here watch US television with the ads for free bibles. The elders have had a few requests, but none like ours.

Sunday, the 12^th, dad conducted and had two youth speakers and me and Elder Green, who left on the 14^th. Dad made up a program, even. It was a great meeting, and we had 31 in attendance, a new record. I conducted Primary and dad taught ( I forgot to mention he came down with the flu in the night Sat and was very weak by meeting time at 10 on Sunday) Primary. I did a seminary session after the block. I had 3 of my students there.

In spite of all this craziness, we love Tobago. We love the feel of the island and the people!

One More Night

The Collins are here! They are our replacement for the mission office duties. We will evacuate our apartment Sunday after church and move into the mission home into the General Authority bedroom with a king-sized bed. We are almost packed, now we get to clean.

We will attend a baptism today and dad will give the Holy Ghost talk. We are speaking in church on Sunday. Ironically, I will be speaking on honesty after I had to tell a white lie to get someone out of immigration at the airport on Wednesday. I mentioned it to the mission president and he paused and said, "Have Elder Ross give the talk".

I have mixed feelings about the move. We won't be in the heart of the action as Trinidad continues the march toward stakehood. We enjoy getting together and visiting with the other couples. We have been a tremendous support for one another. It has been fun interacting with all the Elders. Dad is excited to go, since office stuff isn't his thing. He has, however, enjoyed driving the big van! We have taken it to the airport five times in the last 2 weeks. Besides being huge, it is not an automatic transmission! He did awesome going through the gears left handed. Just don't ask him to take it off the highway!

We are anxious to follow up on a Dr. Jones (in education) we met at Price Smart when we stopped for boxes. She approached us and gave us her phone number in Tobago. Her mother is a member living in Florida.

The van driver is ready to go!

The front of the Piarco (Port of Spain) Airport located in Arima in the middle of the north part of the island.

Transfer day at the airport.

We took Amanda to lunch after picking her up at the airport. She is from Guyana and had to come to Trinidad to be set apart before heading to Santo Domingo to the MTC. We took her back the next day to catch her flight. She will be an awesome missionary!
She arrived at the airport in Guyana to find she didn't have a live plane ticket. Another tender mercy, there was a seat and Elder Larson paid for her ticket to Trinidad. She couldn't get through customs at our airport because she didn't have a ticket that said she was continuing on the next day. We visited the information desk and showed our copy of her itinery (which wasn't real because the ticket hadn't been finalized) and the distinguished looking gentleman called back to immigration and said to let her through. The Lord loves his missionaries.

Transfer day is always wild and crazy. We picked up 7 Elders from the airport at 11 am after dropping 7 off at 5:30 am, just before dawn. The airport is a drop spot in addition to those who fly in and out as we move Elders around the island. It was so fun to watch them greet each other and quickly catch up of investigators they had taught, etc.


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