Saturday, June 4, 2011

Caribelle Batik & Nevis

Spent our P-day at the old Wingfield Plantation where there are only reminders of days gone by when sugar cane, tobacco, rum and more were grown and produced in St. Kitts.  Parasite plants now grow on old smoke stacks that once expelled smoke from the fire that made steam to heat huge copper bowls that melted sugar cane to make sugar and rum.  Seemed strange to learn that St. Kitts is the birthplace of Thomas Jefferson.  He was born at Wingfield.  Stranger still that Nevis (which you'll see later) is the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton.
  
This one big old tree covers a quarter of an acre.

Caribelle Batik is located on the old estate.  Batik is a process of waxing and dying to create designs on fabric.  
Sweet faces on these donkeys, don't ya think!
P-day over!  Work day followed. While we waited for the ferry to load Thursday morning Sister Hymas and I walked a sandy road to the rusting grounded barge you see in the distance in the crystal-clear water at the south end of St. Kitts.  We  didn't snorkel but we did see the sting ray that makes these waters his home.
Car ferry leaves St. Kitts on the odd hours and returns on the even.  It takes a darned good driver to
back cars onto the deck close enough to have to climb out the window!

Nevis is St. Kitts' sister island.  We thought Dominica was a small island until we came to St. Kitts.  Nevis is even smaller--little more than a big rock.  It's home to another medical school where this semester four members are enrolled.  John Makoni (red shirt) and Jake Ledbetter (green scrubs) are two of them.  John recently started his first semester.  He was surprised when he met Jake.  They served at the same time as missionaries in Nicaragua!  Small world! 
President Hymas asked that the members hold Sacrament Meetings in their apartments and generally strengthen one another as there is currently no formal church activity on Nevis.
Some things are hard but "somebody has to do it."


This little frame house was home to Sister Amparo, a Spanish-speaker from the  Dominican Republic, who agreed to hold church meetings here and then left the island.  Where she is or when she'll return no one knows.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Missionary 'n Monkeys

No white shirt or tie.  Are you sure this is a missionary?No white shirt or tie here either.  Definitely not missionaries.  Neighbor built this fence to keep the monkeys out.  Maybe if he had posted a sign saying, "KEEP OUT" they would! 

One old missionary was trying to capture the beauty of the sunrise one morning when one passed the gate.  But by the time the missionary could react all that was visible was his t'other end. 

Saturday, May 21, 2011

COCONUT TREE & FAN PALM



Nature is soooooooooo interesting!  Thought you may want to see what looks like perfect loosely-woven burlap is not burlap at all but part of a coconut tree. 

And, how a new leaf (probably not what they're called at all, but oh, well,) grows in the middle, unrolls and becomes the pinnacle on a fan palm. 

Or, perhaps you're more interested in the animal kingdom.    Some day we'll have the camera ready when this neighbor walks by so you can see his face instead of just his back end! 

RS Pizza Party

OK, so I don't know how to post pictures now the blog has updated nor do I know how to get text in the right place!  Be patient while I learn. This post begins at the end where Sister Hanley (St Kitts Branch President's pregnant wife, standing) and Sister Huggins were winning prizes and having fun!  On the other hand, Sister Allred on the back row............
Party hostess made enough pizza dough for everyone and planned games and brought prizes!   Go, Sister Harris!

Nabila Stapleton helped get Shannie's hair out of the way so she could get to work with the rolling pin.  Naby returned from  her mission in the Netherlands last fall.  Shannie Gohagen was very recently baptized.
Sister Maynard (ball cap) serves with the Young Women.  Sister Jarvis (doorway) is Relief Society president.

Friday, May 13, 2011

In 'n around Heliconia House, Plot 21, Half Moon Heights, St Kitts

This is Heliconia House as you can see above.    Heliconia is pleasing to the eye.    This one ......
........... is about the same shade of red as the Toyota Corolla we drive.   We live in the downstairs "flat."   To the left of the Corolla is our bedroom window that overlooks the sea.
The color of some Helconia leaves may resemble the color of the house next door to Plot 21.    Or, maybe not, it's pretty bright!
Nothing about a Helconia is blue but perhaps you might like to see what we see from our bedroom window.........
.............. or the veranda...............
............ or the driveway where coconuts are in various stages of development.
Or, perhaps you'd be interested in seeing cashew nuts, which Kittians consider the throw-away part of "monkey cherries."    They picked these from a tree in the meeting house yard, ............
...... which is behind and out of sight from this side view of the St. Kitts Branch in Basseterre.
Inside the building Young Women of the St. Kitts Branch are in the process of making Family Home Evening assignment boards Tuesday evenings.    Some of the Young Men like to participate as well.    Last week there were twice as many of each--YW and YM, that is!    Angela Brauchie, a vet student, and her husband Shane, are blessings for the St. Kitts Branch!    It will be a great loss when Angela finishes school in August and they return to Wyoming, or wherever they decide to go, and Shane won't be available to teach early-morning seminary or shepherd the Young Men!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Book of Mormon Activity

From beginning to end the Book of Mormon activity was fun for everyone! Whether you were old or young or in between,

you could learn about the prophets and the books in the Book of Mormon,

or relay marshmallows on the Sword of Laban,



or fight Nephite and Lamanite wars,





or throw stones,

or just blow hot air!

And, "BINGO" (Book of Mormon Bingo, that is) the party was almost at it's end!