Things are going okay here on St. Lucia. I have been thrown into a place where the main language is Patois. Pronounced pa-twa (the a is like "a"pple, the o is like "o"bject). It's a little bit like Creole and French which helps, but it is a different dialect, so I have some work to do! The area is a bit different than I expected. I thought it would be a city setting like Port of Spain or like parts of St. Maarten but it's not. We are on the ghetto end of St. Lucia and no tourists come to this end of the island! It looks and feels a lot like Tobago did.
We have started working in a new area since I came over here and we found a sweet family. There are 17 people in it! Unfortunately only about 4 of them are interested right now but we are working on it. We set a baptism date with one of them for the 13th! We went to the Mom's Church of God (7th Day) on Saturday and that was weird. Apparently it had a profound effect on her because when she got home after the service, she announced to her whole family that she was never going back to it again! That was cool to hear.
There are currently 8 missionaries here on St. Lucia. I am in a 4 man apartment with Elders Lundburg (from Logan!) and Welch, and my companion Elder Morris. I don't think that Elder Morris is a bad missionary. Sure he has a few problems with his teaching style and he hates talking to people on the street but I should hopefully be able to help fix those things. I think his biggest problem is that he doesn't know how to relax and just enjoy it. He is a little socially awkward. I think that is because he dropped out of high school in the middle of his junior year and never finished it. It will be a bit challenging but we'll make it work.
There used to be 2 sister missionaries in Castries but they are in Guyana now. We have a total of 3 companionships of sisters in our mission, there is 1 on Grenada and 2 in Guyana. I didn't think I would ever see the day! They work hard though and they are all easy to get along with. I'm just glad that they are locals and not from the states. (I probably won't live to see that day!)
Our branch has about 40 people. We have 6 Melchizedek Priesthood holders (not including the missionaries) which is great for a branch this small. Elder Lundburg and I had to speak this week which was fun. He was kind enough to leave me 30 minutes but I was able to fill them. We split the plan of salvation lesson from Preach My Gospel and I taught from the Atonement to the end. It was pretty easy and I enjoyed doing it. (It was just the 3rd time in 7 weeks that I have talked in Sacrament Meeting!)
Last night we stayed in Castries (the city in the north where the other 4 elders are) and I had a good chance to talk to Elder Prince (the zone leader) about everything that needs to happen on the island this transfer. Then we all went to the beach this morning and played a game of American football. I haven't done that my whole mission! One of the games we played was the 4 oldest vs. the 4 youngest and it turns out that I have been out longer than the whole younger team put together by about 3 weeks. That makes me feel old!
I'm glad that the Aggies have finally got their heads back on. Did you hear about BYU's basketball team? 19-1. Yep... that loss was to us! I wear my Aggie shirt every time I know they are playing. (Which is every game because I have the schedule!) I wore it last night in Castries and Elder Prince (who played hockey for Weber) just laughed about it. I'm surprised that we get along so well! In the absence of Elder Williams, he has become my best friend down here.
P.S. The other elders are having a baptism this week. We are all excited for it!
The scripture of the week is 3 Nephi 27:13-17.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Saint Lucia Informtion
Saint Lucia is an island nation in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It is part of the lesser Antilles. The larger map shows where St. Lucia is in relation to the other islands of the Caribbean. The smaller map of Saint Lucia shows the location of Vieux Fort, in the south, where Jonathan is serving.
St. Lucia is a lush tropical island of jungle, mountains, and beaches. It is teardrop-shaped and has an area of approximately 385 square miles. It is about 27 miles from north to south and 14 miles across. It is volcanic in origin and is more mountainous than most other Caribbean islands. It's highest point is Mount Gimie (3120 ft.) Two other mountains, the Pitons, form the island's most famous landmark. St. Lucia is also one of the few islands in the world that has a drive-in volcano.
Pitons:
St. Lucia was named for Saint Lucy of Syracuse. [Lucy or Lucia was born in 283 and died in 304. She was a wealthy young Christian martyr. She is the patron saint of those who are blind. Lucy consecrated her virginity to God, refused to marry a pagan, and had her dowry distributed to the poor. Her would-be husband denounced her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse, Sicily. Miraculously unable to move her or burn her, the guards removed her eyes with a fork.]
St. Lucia was first visited by Europeans in about 1500 and first colonised successfully by France who signed a treaty with the native Carib peoples in 1660. Great Britain took control of the island from 1663 to 1667 then went to war with France over it fourteen times, and finally took complete control in 1814. Because it switched so often between British and French control, St.Lucia was also known as the "Helen of the West Indies." A Representative government came about in 1924. From 1958 to 1962 the island was a member of the Federation of the West Indies. Finally, on February 22, 1979, Saint Lucia became an independent state of the Commonwealth of Nations and recognises Queen Elizabeth II as the Head of State.
The population is about 160,000 of which about a third live in the capital city of Castries. The majority are of African descent (81%). There is a significant mixed minority and Indo-Caribbean or Indian groups. There is a small number of European origin (descendants of French, British, and Irish colonists) as well as small numbers of Greeks, Lebanese, Syrians, Chinese, North Americans, Portuguese, Germans and Italians. About 70% of the population is Roman Catholic. The rest are Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostalists, Anglicans, Evangelicals, Rastafari, and a small minority are Baptists.
The official language is English, but a creole language called Antillean Creole is spoken by 80% of the population and is getting increasing official recognition.
The economy depends on banana production, tourism, and light manufacturing. The tourism industry has suffered during the current recession in the United States and Europe.
St. Lucia has a hot, tropical climate throughout the year. The average daily temperatures is 80°F but tends to be tempered by the trade winds. The driest time on the island is between January and March. Rain showers can occur throughout the year, but they are usually over quickly. Hurricane season is from June to November.
St. Lucia is a lush tropical island of jungle, mountains, and beaches. It is teardrop-shaped and has an area of approximately 385 square miles. It is about 27 miles from north to south and 14 miles across. It is volcanic in origin and is more mountainous than most other Caribbean islands. It's highest point is Mount Gimie (3120 ft.) Two other mountains, the Pitons, form the island's most famous landmark. St. Lucia is also one of the few islands in the world that has a drive-in volcano.
Pitons:
St. Lucia was named for Saint Lucy of Syracuse. [Lucy or Lucia was born in 283 and died in 304. She was a wealthy young Christian martyr. She is the patron saint of those who are blind. Lucy consecrated her virginity to God, refused to marry a pagan, and had her dowry distributed to the poor. Her would-be husband denounced her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse, Sicily. Miraculously unable to move her or burn her, the guards removed her eyes with a fork.]
St. Lucia was first visited by Europeans in about 1500 and first colonised successfully by France who signed a treaty with the native Carib peoples in 1660. Great Britain took control of the island from 1663 to 1667 then went to war with France over it fourteen times, and finally took complete control in 1814. Because it switched so often between British and French control, St.Lucia was also known as the "Helen of the West Indies." A Representative government came about in 1924. From 1958 to 1962 the island was a member of the Federation of the West Indies. Finally, on February 22, 1979, Saint Lucia became an independent state of the Commonwealth of Nations and recognises Queen Elizabeth II as the Head of State.
The population is about 160,000 of which about a third live in the capital city of Castries. The majority are of African descent (81%). There is a significant mixed minority and Indo-Caribbean or Indian groups. There is a small number of European origin (descendants of French, British, and Irish colonists) as well as small numbers of Greeks, Lebanese, Syrians, Chinese, North Americans, Portuguese, Germans and Italians. About 70% of the population is Roman Catholic. The rest are Seventh-day Adventists, Pentecostalists, Anglicans, Evangelicals, Rastafari, and a small minority are Baptists.
The official language is English, but a creole language called Antillean Creole is spoken by 80% of the population and is getting increasing official recognition.
The economy depends on banana production, tourism, and light manufacturing. The tourism industry has suffered during the current recession in the United States and Europe.
St. Lucia has a hot, tropical climate throughout the year. The average daily temperatures is 80°F but tends to be tempered by the trade winds. The driest time on the island is between January and March. Rain showers can occur throughout the year, but they are usually over quickly. Hurricane season is from June to November.
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