Transfer Week (21-26 JAN 2019)

Dinner Back on the Island of Curacao

When we arrived back in Curacao this time the windows were being installed in the mission home so President Baird and I ended up staying at the Renaissance for a few nights again.  Very reminiscent of our first few months of the mission when we were without a mission home and only had hotels to stay in.  We missed our morning walk along the golf course but decided to do a morning walk along the streets of downtown Willemstad.  It was such a beautiful morning.  Curacao is so colorful!!  I think when I get back to the states everything will seem so bland....

Baptism in Curacao.....

Elder McBride, Elder Richards,  Brother Stella, Sister Ingrid

Ingrid is such a beautiful example of a member missionary, even before she became a member of Christ's restored church.  She is so excited about His gospel that she wants to share it with everyone that she meets.  She is always asking the missionaries for materials that she can share with friends, neighbors and people that she meets.  I loved a story that she shared with the missionaries about coming upon a priest sitting outside of his church looking "down" and discouraged.  She approached him and asked if he was ok.  He said, "you maybe should take my uniform, because I don't even know if what I'm teaching is the truth".  She told him that she knew what she had just learned is the truth, the fullness of Christ's gospel. She shared with him some of what she has learned and then gave him a Book of Mormon and challenged him to read it and pray about it and let him know that if he did, that God would answer his prayer and let him know of the truth of it.   He could feel the Spirit testifying to him while she spoke and told her that he would.  What an exciting work to be involved in.  I love the fact that we do not have to try and convince anyone.  We ask them to pray and find out for themselves.  The Lord will do the rest.  When you have the truth, the rest just falls into place 😃 We are simply reminding people of truths they have already known....things they learned before they came to this earth.  That's why it sounds familiar and rings true to so many.  

Sister Davidson & Sister Meyer

This is the cute lady we caroled to
that said she could throw away her
diamonds because we made
her feel like a queen.
She is from Guyana but spent a lot
of Time in Suriname and still has some
of her kids there so I told her I would
give them hugs from her when I go next.  

This man was the first person baptized
in Curacao!
His name is Elias Blajic

TRANSFER WEEK

Elder Ching & Elder Buxton

Elder Ching is one of our new missionaries this Transfer but he arrived here about a week ago.  He was scheduled to arrive last transfer but had to stay in the MTC a little longer to work on his English.  We were so glad to have him finally make it to our mission!!  He has just been doing missionary work with the APs this week but is anxious to get to Guyana (where he will be able to speak the language (at least the one he learned in the MTC) ....the islands are mainly Papimentu, Spanish, and Dutch with some English).. 

Elder Durfee
(APs spend a lot of time on the phone)

Elder Durfee & Elder Jones

Sister Baird & Sister Scott

Elder Ching, Sister Scott, Elder Buxton, Elder Durfee

Elder Durfee, Elder Ching, Elder Chase, President Baird, Elder Barnett, Elder Buxton

New English Speaking Elders
Elder Barnett, Elder Chase, Elder Ching

New English Speaking Elders
Elder Barnett, Elder Chase, Elder Ching
(Elder Ching is from Thaiti and is just learning English...he spent 12 weeks in the MTC but he is picking it up really well.  All of these Elders will make fantastic missionaries!!)

Hiking Mt. Christoffel......

 Lunch with Transferring Missionaries.....

Sister Scott (Headed to Aruba)

Sister Woolsey (headed to BonAire)

Sister Meyer (Headed to Aruba)

Sister Jones (Such a wonderful
life-long friend.  It is such a privilege
to share this mission experience
with her!)

Sister Davidson (Headed home....)

Elder Marks & Lopez (Headed to Aruba)

We took this group photo and after I saw it we had to take another one....
we got a good laugh though.  Elder Lopez is standing in the sun and it looks like
he was poorly "photo shopped" into this photo.  

Elder Marks, Elder Lopez, President Baird, Sister Baird, Sister Jones
Elder Parr, Sister Parr, Sister Woolsey, Sister Davidson, Sister Scott, Sister Meyer

The wonderful lady that served our lunch to us!!
She was absolutely a delight and wanted to hear
more about the church so we set up an appointment
for the missionaries to meet with her. 

Orientation.....

Together Again!!
These two were the APs when President Baird and I
first came to the mission.  Now they will be companions in
Aruba.  They are really excited to be working together again.

Sister Woolsey & Sister Davidson

This group is all headed to Aruba
Elder Marks, Elder Lopez, Sister Scott, Sister Meyer

Sister Woolsey, Sister Davidson & Sister Jones
(Sister Woolsey is headed to BonAire)

Sister Davidson & Sister Meyer
(Sister Davidson trained Sister Meyer
so she is really going to miss her)

Departing Dinner -- Sister Davidson didn't have any other younger missionaries to share
this with so she had to put up with the "old" people for the night.  

We drove out to Flamingo Lake with Sister Davidson
because that was one place that she hasn't been yet.
 There weren't quite as many Flamingos as the last time we went
out there but there were some and they
were beautiful!!

Saw this sign on our drive to Flamingo Lake
I Think they were trying to copy the "Hollywood" Sign.  

Sister Davidson (We are sure going to miss her!!)

Sister & Elder Jones

Sister Davidson

Elder Parr, Sister Davidson, Sister Parr