Week 32

It has been a week since I have last chatted patious(Jamaican slang) with people and I am going through withdrawals.. I miss Jamaica but man do I love it here in Nassau! So many cool places and cool people!

Monday Elder Greenwade and I went down to Bay Street which is where all the tourists go so you have all your shops and everything. We stopped by some shops and looked around to see what we wanted then went to a lunch appointment with a really cool member! She is 36 and is single but served a mission in Sainta Rosa, Cali. She is way cool! I wish you could meet the people that I do because emails and blog posts don't do these people justice on how cool and unique they really are! That evening we stopped by a less active members house and shared member missionary stuff with them and I tell you what, her kids were rowdy! But it was good anyways. Had an appointment fall through so we just went contacting.

Tuesday we had some appointments fall through because we couldn't find a male to go with us because when we are teaching women we have to have a 3rd male there. So we had to call and move a lot of appointments around because of not being able to get members with us. Spent a lot of time contacting because of it but oh well!

Wednesday morning we had district meeting with all the other island missionaries. The Spirit can work wonders even though we aren't with those other missionaries! After district meeting we had some more struggles with male members. But we were able to see Yorick again! Yorick is Awesome! We talked about the power of prayer and the Holy Ghost. He has been reading the Book of Mormon and is kind of hesitant to pray about it. Before we left the appointment he said that he wants to be ready because he wants his prayers to make it off the ground. I told him that Heavenly Father hears EVERY prayer no matter how big or how small. Which is very true! God has literally all the time in the world to listen to our prayers. And, because he loves us, he will always listen and answer our prayers!

Thursday morning we had a short lesson with a lady named Devonee. The lesson was mainly to see if she was truly interested in the message we had to share but we left early do to her lack of attention. We told her to read and pray about the Restoration pamphlet that we gave her and to also call us when she had done so. So if she calls back we will go back and change how we teach to fit her needs. After her we went to pick up Sister Dennis who is a senior missionary whose calling is to help teach people how to Teach in the Savior's Way. She is Jamaican and she is over the Caribbean Area. She will be spending the weekend here in Nassau so she needed a car to drive around to do her work. The Office in Kingston was very pleased to offer her our car that we drive around... So we are without a car and we have to cover the whole island with no car. But, because Elder Greenwade and I are geniuses, we were able to get some members to drive us around! The Lady I mentioned earlier that we went to lunch with drove us around with another church brother named Brother Watson. He is Haitian! She also speaks Haitian. But we went and saw a recent convert with them and they know the RC very well! So that was an awesome lesson on Member Missionary work! We also went to see another RC named Oneice. Lessons with her are always spiritual! We talked about Lehi's Dision of the Tree of Life and how that every one goes through the mist of darkness. Hold to the Iron Rod and it will lead you straight to the Tree of Life. We had some lessons fall through while with the members so we got to know them pretty well while driving around lookin for less active members' homes. Brother Watson and Sister Charlene are hilarious! Both of them have very strong testimonies as well!

Friday morning we had weekly planning at the church then had lunch. We also didn't have a car at all that day so we had to ride around with with the other elders. We did meet a really cool family that lives right next to the church! They are looking for a church to attend but didn't know which one to look into so we set up an appointment for them after church! Friday night we went to the Seawells who are American but live here in Nassau. The food they gave us was so good! Steak tacos!🙌🏼😩 Soo good!

Saturday was crazy... we had almost all of our lessons fall through because we couldn't get males their appointments. We spent a lot of time contacting. That night we had a lesson with Sandra. She is awesome. She came to church two weeks in a row now and has loved every visit so far, she has been fellowshipped by awesome members and she has two boys and a girl that she brings with her. We took over sister Charlene because those two are like best friends now haha but it was good to see Sandra showing interest in this Church.

Sunday is so cool! We get to see tourists every week! A lot of them are from Utah too!✌🏼 But these tourists stayed for all of Church and wished us luck for the rest of the day! After church we went to the Bazard's house to have Haitian food! Soooo goooooddd!!!! After we ate we went to that family who live right next to the church. The father's name is Jackson. I forgot his wife's name... but we taught them the Restoration and they just accepted the Book of Mormon reading challenge like champs! They are very humble people and I can truly see them in White Clothes already. They are just amazing. We went contacting for a bit then went to Brother Piere's house to start his own missionary work. He shared with us his history and how he started in Nassau with literally nothing but the clothes on his back. He is now a tour guide and he is not in debt to anyone! He is awesome! Such a people's guy and just very Christ like!

Something I have learned from my personal studies this last week is that the smallest temptation, the smallest mistake, can lead to huge downfalls. Don't let those little things slip by because they will always lead to more mistakes.

I know this to be true. I know that the repentance process truly does relieve burdens that we feel mentally and spiritually. I know that my sins can be washed away and I know that every one else can have the same thing. Please guard yourselves. Please forsake the things that go against our Father's commandments. He will strengthen you.

I love you all! Email me people. I get bored staring at an empty inbox🙄

-Through the winds and the waves, I hope you're thinkin' of me-🇯🇲

Elda Wilding🤙🏼

Week 31 Bahamas!🇧🇸

It's a beautiful day here in Nassau, Bahamas and I and pretty much on
vacation while sharing the gospel with people!🇯🇲👉🏼🇧🇸🙏🏼

Alright on Monday I did absolutely nothing productive because I was on
a trade off with Elder Kirby. I sat in the office while Kirby did his
thing on the computers for the mission executive stuff. He took me to
Bolt's Tracks and Records restaurant where I had a really nice burger!
BBQ Bacon cheddar burger! It was so good! After that we took my stuff
to the mission home to leave it there while I am in the Bahamas. Then
we went to check out a new house for the Kingston Zone Leaders and the
Office Elders. After that was done Kirby and sat at the office while
he did office stuff. We spent the whole evening doing that and just
chillin! It was way cool to get to know Elder Kirby like that!

Tuesday morning I flew out of Jamaica straight to the Nassau! My
flight left Kingston at 10:55 and I arrived in Nassau at like 1:30. It
was a beautiful flight over! The ocean is pretty! When I got here we
went to lunch at Dairy Queen!🙌🏼 Had a Blizzard! After lunch we went
to a few people that Elder Greenwade(my new companion) had planned to
see. That night was a blast talking to Elder Christensen my trainer
again! This house actually has A/C! I was cold for the first time in a
long time! It was nice!!👌🏼

Wednesday morning we had district meeting and so we had to skype all
the other islands such as Freeport, Cayman, and Turks. We took lunch
afterwards then went to do some contacting. We had Dinner with an
awesome family! The Ballards are a part member family! The husband is
a former Area Seventy so he is very active in the Church! His wife is
not a member but she has been attending Church for 25 years now! But
she's not a member. They are a very well off family and they live by
themselves. They have a HUUUUUGGEE house!!! After dinner we went to
see some people till we came back in for the night.

Thursday we were supposed to have weekly planning but we were having
struggles with our phone so we had to go get it fixed which took us
most of the morning. The Nassau Mall is sweet btw haha! We took lunch
then went to see an investigator that is a straight up Baller!! His
name is Demitri and he was on the road to be a college baller when he
got in a back car wreck and it messed with his bodily functions so he
is now slower than most people but not fully dependent. I told him
that I was a baller in high school and his face light up like a
Christmas tree! He started asking me what positions I played and how
far we got into the district and post season playoffs and stuff! Ah
man he is so cool! He's asking me all sorts of questions! Anyways, he
has been taught by Elder Christensen and Elder Greenwade and right now
we are just making sure that everything is cleared up for him to be
baptized this transfer! After some contacting we went to a small
dinner appointment at a recent converts house and helped her
understand the Spirit a little more. She had some questions about
that.

Friday we had our weekly planning in the morning, had lunch then went
to see an investigator that we found. She but she was tired so we
planned for another day. We also found this guy named Yorick Mchardy.
He let us in his door 5 minutes after first knocking on his door! We
had an on the spot Restoration lesson with him and man is he the
coolest guy ever! We had a spiritual lesson with him then went to see
Demitri again to talk about baptism with his mother who thinks he
isn't ready yet. Demitri is 28 years old. After him we went
contacting.

Saturday morning we had a house inspection by our land lady. She is
very knitpicky! Holy smokes... But anyways, we had lunch then went to
see Demitri really fast to clear up some issues that he had. After him
we went contacting for 2-3 hours and meet some very interesting
people. One man tried telling us that Elders are not supposed to be
young men then referred us to 2 Timothy 9 I think it was and it didn't
say anything about age! Haha alright bro. This one family we talked to
stated what religion they belonged to right as we walked up to them
and made it very obvious that they didn't care about missionaries!
After contacting we had a really nice dinner appointment with the same
lady as Thursday and she spoiled us! She gave us so much food and it
was sooooo good!!

Sunday there were so many tourists at church! I meet two guys from
Idaho and I met this girl who graduated the same year I did and she
was planning on putting in her papers this summer but she got excepted
to U of U to dance so she's not going to serve till next year. Way
cool family! After church we got fed by the Ferdinand's and they made
som delicious Haitian food!! I was full for the rest of the day! Such
good food! Anyways, after the lunch we took Brother Ferdinand with us
to translate for us. Island is this mothers name and she speaks very
little English. She speaks Haitian Creole. So the whole lesson he was
translating for us and for her. It was a very spiritual lesson too!
She said that she has received and answer to her prayers about the
Church! Right now she is having some divorce issues but we know that
she will be baptized as soon as that is all taken care of!

I must say that the Spirit of the Lord is and can be a huge guide in
our lives if we just listen to what He says AND DO IT! The Spirit
prompts us so much and most of the time we don't even know it. The
Spirit is a huge blessing and I am so grateful for Him and all that He
does! I extend an invitation for everyone to strive to live worthy of
His presence.

I know that this Church is Christ's one and only church. I know that
the Prophet Thomas S. Monson was called by the Lord to be His mouth
piece today. I know that the Book of Mormon can and will change your
life if you read it and pray about it with real intent. Diligently
seeking to know if it is true, the Lord will tell you that it is. And
no one can tell you all this unless it is told to you by the Spirit of
the Lord.

Happy Father's Day Dad! I love you old man!❤️

Elda Wilding🤙🏼

Transfer time .....

Transfers happen tomorrow for me. I am headed to 

Nassau in the Bahama's! Elder Greenwade is my new

Companion and I will be in the same apartments as

Elder Christensen who was my trainer!

Week 30

How do I say this?....

I am going to the Bahamas on the 13th!!

 My P-day with be back on Mondays now and I will be staying with Elders Greenwade, Christensen, and Christensen haha. Yes the same Christensen that trained me is going to be in the same house as me! I am going to be with my Mission Father again!

Monday was a day full of driving around. We went to Yallahs to pick up Elder Packer to take him to sign papers to go to Cayman Islands, which took up most of the morning so after we took them to do all the things that he needed to do to sign papers we took lunch. after lunch we went to pay some bills at the phone company but we ended up sitting there for like two hours, took our car to get its oil changed, then went to buy some things for missionaries. After that we took Elder Epps and Elder Brown shopping for their P-day.

Tuesday we went to the Dominican Republic Consulate to pick up a visa for an elder who is waiting to go to the D.R., After that we went to help the elders in Linstead move into a new house which took up most of the morning. After lunch we went to the police station to pick up some things for Elder Packer's visa to go to Cayman, and sat in the office and did a ton of paper work that we had fallen behind on! Soooo we sat in the office for the rest of the day haha. 

Wednesday we had a meeting with the vehicle coordinator, took a package to the post office to sent home for a missionary, picked up packages, called people about their vehicle inspections then did a lot more office work... I love sitting down all day starring at the computer screen!... 

Thursday morning we went to pick up packages at FedEx which Always takes like 3 hours, went to north street to do visa stuff for the incoming missionaries so that they wouldn't get deported and that one always takes at least 2 hours. Went to Spanish Town to pick up Elder Call to take him to get his medicine for his ribs and had lunch with them. That ended up being an all day thing with them too.

Friday we did a lot of paper work in the morning all the way till about 1 then went to pay some power bills. After that we made a trip to Port Antonio to drop off a washing machine. The Porti Elders are having a very hard time with power and water right now so they are in need of a new washing machine almost all the time because the power in the house does something to them. So we made that trip and, like always, it was very pretty! We didn't get home until 9 that night!

Today is my birthday and I am going to treat myself to some Devon House Icecream! It is SOOOOOOO good!!! I can't believe that I am now 19! My parents are getting old!! haha 

Love you All! Have a great week! Next time you hear from me with be not next Monday but the next Monday! Also from the Bahamas!!

Elda Wilding

Week 29 Part 2 Nyoka's Baptism

Week 29 part 1

More than half way through the transfer already!

Monday was a lot of sitting around waiting in line for things... We
started off the day by going to customs and getting packages, went to
PICA to get work permits for incoming missionaries which took us 2 1/2
hours to do! Went to the office to have lunch, went and sat in line at
JPS to pay a lot of bills which took an hour, dropped off some
missionaries at doctors offices, did office work and then went to
Yallahs to drop off big jugs of water for the elders there. It was a
long day of just sitting around...

Tuesday morning was the Spanish Town Zone Conference so Elder Ludlow
and I had to go inspect all the vehicles in that zone. We spent about
two hours there then went to get some thinks from the tax office, went
and took care of some bills for Elder Kirby who is the Financial
secretary for the mission, had lunch went and ran more errands, then
sat in the office for the remainder of the night doing paper work!
Yaaaaayyyy for paper work!... nooooope.

Wednesday we went to do more work permit stuff, bought some lights for
cars, went to pay bills, did office work like enter in vehicle
inspections that we did at the Spanish Town Zone conference and took
our truck to get cleaner because it had Junction Red Dirt all over it
for weeks now haha. While we were waiting for the truck to be cleaner
we went into the building and they had Remember the Titans playing on
the TV!! We watched the last 30 minutes of the movie then they changed
it to The Longest Yard! Booya! I love Football!! Then after that they
switched it to Gladiator! When the truck was done we took some lights
to the Portmore sisters to put in their car at the Mission Home then
we went to Wendy's with the Yallahs Elders. They didn't have any
frostys though which broke Elder Ludlow and I's hearts...

Thursday was the Kingston Zone Conference so we had to inspect all the
vehicles in that zone as well. We had Dominoes for lunch! Yaaaassss!
Anyways, we had to leave early to get pick up passports at the PICA
which ,again, took way longer than it should have. We took the Porti
Elders truck to get it fixed then spent the rest of the evening
looking for people to teach! We were supposed to see our investigator
Germaine but he is a policeman so he gets home at like 7 every night
or even later. Oh well. He is still interested in listening to us and
everything he just hasn't had time to do it.

Friday We  took some missionaries to the dentist, went to Spanish town
to pick up the Zone Leaders truck to get the nail out of their tire
and to also pick up missionaries to take to the doctors office. While
waiting for the missionaries to finish in the Doctors office, Ludlow
and I ran to the airport to drop off some paper work at customs to
make it easier for us to pick up packages. After that was done we took
the Spanish Town ZLs truck back to them and took the other elders home
after they ate lunch with us. On our way home we paid the Toll Road so
we wouldn't run out of money on the cards to use the Toll Road. Went
back to the office to do more paper work then went home. It was a very
long day that day!

Today is Nioka's Baptism! She was Elder Harris and I's investigator in
Spanish Town! So as soon as our hour of emailing is up we are headed
to Spanish Town to go watch her! I'm so excited to see this happen!
She is my first investigator to be baptized! She is an awesome young
lady that is finally entering the waters of baptism and taking upon
her the name of Christ!

All the hard work is paying off and I am helping people work out their
salvation with Our Father in Heaven. What a better calling than to be
one of the Lord's Representative?!

Hope every one is having a great summer so far! Don't forget to go to
all the Church activities that you can this summer too! I don't know
what your ward or stake has planned but I know that it all to help you
grow Spiritually and Physically! Please don't take those things for
granted. The leaders are trying to do their best to help you do your
best in your life to come! They are there for us when ever we need
help. I can promise you all that they want to help too.

Love you All! Have a great week! Hope these emails are helping who
ever needs help.

Elda Wilding