Sister Atkins

In November we went to visit an early morning seminary class in San Juan, Trinidad. It was in the home of Sister Atkins. She has two students, Melissa and Daniel. When Larry had talked to Sister Atkins the night before he commented on her cheerful voice and said that he couldn’t wait to meet her to see if her countenance matched her voice. Well, he was not disappointed. She has the most joyful countenance of anyone I have ever seen. She glows.

Sister Atkins told us about recently meeting a friend she had not seen for a long time. The friend said there was something so different about her. She said she looked so happy and there was a peace about her that she couldn’t describe. She just couldn’t get over it. She asked, “What could make such a difference in your life? Are you married?”

She said, “No, I’m not married. I have the Holy Spirit with me. I am reading the scriptures. I get up at 3:00 AM and read. I don’t want to put them down. They feel me. You want to be happy? Read the Book of Mormon.” She said she would read it so Sister Atkins gave her one.

Sister Atkins said that friends ask her, “You are always so happy; don’t you have problems?” She answers, “No, I don’t have problems. He (the Savior) takes care of them. If I do need more help I know where to go to get it.”

In May, we had the privilege of visiting her again along with her daughter, Davianna. She is in the tourist industry and was excited to give us a CD of some music of her country – steel pan music. She not only gave us two Cd's of steel pan music but invited her neighbor over to bring his steel pan and demonstrate it. He let Larry try it out.

Did you know steel pans originated in Trinidad? After World War II, Trinidad was strewn with oil drums and once they had been emptied there was no good use for them . . . until pannists realized they could make music using straight sticks tipped with a rubber. Sixty years later, Trinidad now boasts hundred of steel bands. Every year the bands have competitions esp. at Carnival time. They want to win the Band of the Year title so they practice for months in preparation for the big event. We have been to a pan yard rehearsal in Trinidad. There were dozens of different sizes of pans and many pannists playing them. They looked like they were having lots of fun. Although it is not the type of music we would search for on the radio, it is exciting to hear and wonderfully rhythmic and fun!

Sister Atkins also showed us the wonderful headdresses she had from Carnival. I couldn't wait to try them on. Her Davianna joined me in the fun. Trinidad Carnival is an annual 2 day event celebrated once a year. People come from all over the world to watch it. There are parades with people dressed in elaborate costumes dancing through the streets to the sounds of steel bands. There are many other cultural events and contests. Carnival was created by the African slaves to celebrate when slavery was abolished.

The Most Difficult Mission in the World

More than once, we have heard the WIM (West Indies Mission) is the most difficult mission in the church, and for many reasons.

(On this map we live near Port of Spain. We also live in Guyana near New Amsterdam shown on the map below.)

First, because there are 11 countries within the boundaries of the mission with 12 different governments and many complicated government regulations for immigration.

Second is because there are multiple languages spoken (English, French, Dutch, Spanish, Suriname Tonga and Creole).

Third is because there are 7 currencies. In Trinidad/Tobago, the money is called “TT” money and is exchanged at a rate of 6.34 to 1 while in Guyana the exchange rate is 200 to 1 – although Guyanese money is worthless anywhere except in Guyana. As such, it was a real shock to the system when we went to the grocery store in Guyana for the first time and the bill came to over $37,000 (about $185 in USD).

The geography of the WIM makes for difficulties as well. Since most of the mission includes Islands, the only way to access many of the members is by boat or airplane – which also makes it very expensive for missionary transfers and for priesthood leader visits.

Food is really not as much of a problem as we expected in Trinidad. There are a great many American brands here (i.e., Pizza Hut, Wendy's, Burger King, KFC, Subway and others) but we have enjoyed some of the local dishes such as bake-and-shark at the beach. Many of the missionaries told us we can't leave Trinidad without trying doubles! When we moved to Guyana we found the grocery stores have few of the items we are use to in USA. Also eating out is a challenge. We have to travel two hours to Georgetown to eat at a restaurant. The one thing we do love in Guyana is the farmers market with wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables every day of the year.

Relating to time, no one is concerned about being anywhere “on time” so when appointments are set it doesn’t really mean anything. Culturally, the West Indies is a mixed bag of every race, creed and ethnicity. It is fun to learn about different cultures. We are daily interacting with people who have ancestry from East India, Africa, Amerindian and Indonesian.

Few get married. Working – or not - is “no big deal” and many – especially the young people are absolutely content with the “status quo” so there is only a small percentage of young people who want to better themselves! It is common in Guyana to find adults who cannot read.

But, while these issues make administration of the WIM difficult, they are also contributing to making our mission service rich and rewarding as we learn to appreciate, explore, accept and most important - love! Despite these seeming concerns, it is a great adventure!