Trinidad (21-25 FEB 2019)

TRINIDAD

We headed to Trinidad on the 21st on the Same flight as Elder & Sister Gonzales and Elder & Sister Soares.  When we arrived we had a member meeting with the wonderful members here in Trinidad.  I am completely amazed at the wonderful people we are constantly meeting everywhere we go in our mission.  So many give so much to stand for what they believe in.  Sometimes it is so hard, especially in this day where the standards and values that are taught by Jesus Christ vary so much from what most of the world believes.  It is so refreshing to meet people who are not only willing to make changes in their lives to align them with the gospel of Jesus Christ but they are excited to do so.  They make tremendous sacrifice to do the things that I have taken for granted my entire life, like attending the temple, spending time with family, and even sacrifices to be able to make it to church each week.  I am strengthened just by being with them.  I truly love them!!  The following morning we had an extreemly unique opportunity of having Elder & Sister Soares, and Elder & Sister Gonzales join us for a missionary meeting with our missionaries here in Trinidad.  We had 8 missionaries and 2 senior couples.  What an incredible experience to learn at the feet of one of Christ's modern-day apostles in such a small setting.  We could feel of his love and concern, for us and the people of all our countries.  It was powerful to hear him bear special witness of our Savior Jesus Christ!  I could have sat and listened to him for hours.  The time went by too quickly.  After they left to catch their flight, we continued on in the afternoon with our regular zone conference...a pretty amazing day!!

Back: Sister Atkins, Sister & Elder Williams, Sister & Elder Weeks, Elder Griffith, Elder Norton, Elder Riter, Elder Christensen, Elder Sessions, Elder Porritt, Elder Hoard, Elder Raymond
Front:  Sister Baird, President Baird, Elder Soares, Sister Soares, Sister Gonzales, Elder Gonzales

Elder Hoard

Elder Riter

Elder Griffith

Elder Sessions & Elder Christensen

Elder Norton & Elder Griffith

Elder Porritt & Elder Raymond

Elder Raymond, Sister Atkins, Elder Hoard

Elder Griffith & Elder Norton

Elder Raymond & Elder Porritt

Elder Christensen & Elder Sessions

Sister Atkins & Sister Williams

Elder Christensen got a box!!

Elder Porritt & Elder Raymond

Elder Hoard & Elder Riter
(Elder Riter likes to look like he is pondering when I
take his picture....😁)

President Baird and I always feel lucky when our schedule allows us to attend a baptism!!

Elder Sessions & Elder Christensen

Elder Sessions & Elder Christensen

Elder Norton

Elder Griffith

Elder Christensen

Elder Sessions

For P-Day we had the wonderful opportunity to spend the morning with our Trinidad Elders and hike to Moracas Falls.  What a beautiful Hike and what an enjoyable day with the Elders.  I love spending time with missionaries, both in teaching settings and in more casual settings.  I'm convinced that we have the best missionaries in the world serving in this mission!!

Elder Christensen, Elder Norton, Elder Riter, Elder Porritt, Elder Sessions, Elder Griffith, Elder Hoard, Elder Raymond, President Baird

Getting Ready to Go!

Very Narrow Road!

Elder Norton & Elder Griffith

Turning the "Table"......
There is a stone Table they turn before the hike.....

Elder Riter

President Baird & Elder Raymond

Elder Norton, Elder Griffith, Elder Sessions, Elder Christensen

Sister & President Baird

Elder Griffith & Elder Norton

Elder Raymond & Elder Hoard

Elder Riter & Elder Porritt

Elder Griffith & Elder Norton

Elder Griffith & Elder Norton

Elder Porritt & Elder Riter

Elder Sessions & Elder Christensen

Elder Riter

Elder Porritt

Elder Riter & Elder Porritt

Elder Porritt

Elder Raymond

President Baird & Elder Hoard

Elder Hoard, Elder Raymond

Elder Porritt, Elder Riter

Elder Raymond

Elder Hoard, Elder Riter, Elder Porritt, Elder Griffith, Elder Raymond, Elder Norton, Elder Christensen, Elder Sessions

I met this lovely lady on the Plane
(I meet some of my favorite people on planes)
I'm going to go back and see her on one of my visits to Trinidad
She and her daughter own a clothing store!
They go to Curacao to do their shopping for it
(Sometimes they go to the US too)

Elder Griffith & Elder Norton

Missionary "Selfies"

Elder Raymond & Elder Porritt

Trinidad Leadership Dinner
Elder Griffith, Elder Sessions, Elder Hoard, Elder Riter, President Baird

As I was waiting for President Baird to do some interviews in the Couva building
I met this lady.  She is the Relief Society President of that Ward.
  She was telling me the story of her conversion.
A neighbor invited her to a ward activity.  Her family felt the spirit and wanted to start attending church.  They started taking the lessons from the missionaries and she felt like the Lord was telling her, "you are home, this is where you belong."  She even decided to get baptized but then she thought, "what am I doing? I've already been baptized into my church." so she called and told them she was going back to her Pentecostal church.  While she was sitting in her meeting on Sunday, even though she was surrounded by friends, she heard a voice in her head say, "you do not belong here, this is not where I want you to be"....she knew it was the Lord speaking to her.  So she called the missionaries back and set her baptism date.  Then she motioned to where the baptismal font is in the building and got emotional, she said, "I was baptized twice before being baptized into this church.  But when I came out of that water, I felt light!!  It was absolutely incredible.  I felt light!! It was as if the Lord was saying, "this is what I wanted from you!".... I will never leave this church because of that experience!!  I know this is the Lord's church!!"  She also talked about a dream she had years earlier about serving with women.  She always felt empty because she didn't have opportunities in her other church to do this.  She told me that her calling right now in the Relief Society is a fulfillment of this dream.  

Elder Riter & Elder Porritt