We have frozen this blog as a historical, yet informational view at what life is like in the West Indies Mission for all those called to serve. This blog was designed for the families and friends of those missionaries serving in the West Indies Mission from July 2006 to July 2009. Every six weeks, photos taken at zone conference as well as a new slide show including every person baptized were posted on the blog. All of the slide shows are also available on our You Tube channel. The current West Indies Mission blog can be found here. Posts on our missionary experience can be found here and earlier. And finally, if you are a returned missionary who served in the West Indies, there is a current blog for you. Click here or visit westindiesrm@blogspot.com

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Teaching with the Elders in Guyana





Elder and Sister Owens are serving a couple mission in Guyana. Their son just happens to be serving in the West Indies Mission as well (we actually have two families in that situation). Here is a story Sister Owens sent me about teaching with the Elders (and the cockroaches!):

One evening the zone leaders stopped by our apartment and asked us if we would be able to accompany them on a visit to a family in Sophia. We were happy to do so. We drove to Sophia and to the end of a narrow road and parked the car. It was very dark. The elders seemed to have night vision because they lead us across a rickety bridge with places missing in the boards and then down into a slick, muddy trail that wound back behind one home and up to a little one room home. The elders called, "Inside" and the sweet lady invited us in to a dimly lit home where we removed our shoes at the door. We were invited to sit on the couch. We had barely settled down when we were attacked by cockroaches. Elder Nestegard let out a yell and started slapping his head and face. Then he wrapped his necktie around his neck so the cockroaches couldn't get inside his shirt. Elder McDaniel began displaying the same behavior. Sister Owens and I were having a hard time controlling our laughter as the elders jumped around. I didn't dare tell Sister Owens that one of the large creatures was crawling across her shoulders and another had crossed from her lap onto mine. We wondered how we were ever going to get the Spirit into the home but Elder Nestegard settled right down as if nothing had happened. The lady of the house asked Sister Owens to offer a prayer and the Spirit was invited and He came. Scriptures were read from the Book of Mormon in a light so dim that I could hardly see. These elders were wonderful to behold! We were invited to join the elders with our testimonies. The mother and daughter committed to read in the Book of Mormon. They committed to attend church on Sunday and they committed to be baptized. When we left that humble home, the Spirit was so strong that we didn't notice the mud or the rickety bridge and thoughts of the roaches were diminishing. We drove the elders to their apartment where Elder McDaniel would finish his packing for his transfer to Trinidad the next morning. Oh yes, the family was out to church on Sunday. Sister Owens and I will never forget this evening with the elders.

2 comments:

Westover's said...

I am so grateful to the Senior Couple and the love that they give the Elders!

Anonymous said...

Elder and Sister Owens are family of mine. I love to hear there stories from Sophia. I spent the first 6 months of my mission serving those wonderful people. Guyana is without a doubt the best place to serve a mission. The love of the people is incredible, and their spirits are the strongest I have ever witnessed. I love the stories!