WIM Celebrates Graduation

Seminary and Institute (S&I) has been a great blessing for the young people of the West Indies. It has been a thrill for us as CES missionaries to watch the year long process from enrollment Sept. 2010 to graduation July/Aug 2012. In working closely with seminary and institute teachers and students we have a firm conviction that S&I is having a huge impact in the lives of young people here. Of course this influence will be felt not only now but in the future as these young people serve on missions, are sealed in the temple and become leaders in their families, church and communities.

Accomplishing the goal of graduation takes a lot of effort from the supervisors, teachers, leaders and students. Everyone felt joy in their efforts as graduation day came. We were privileged to attend 8 graduation ceremonies. We were especially proud of the 16 young people who accomplished their dream of receiving a 4 year diploma. This year 269 students received Certificates of Course Completion for the Doctrine and Covenants.

It was a heartwarming experience at each graduation to see the special young people receive their certificates and diplomas. They were very excited and their parents and teachers were very proud of them. Each graduation was a very spiritual experience. Many of the speakers spoke of how seminary and institute has been a blessing in their lives. Jared Nelson of Barbados who earned a 4 year diploma gave a talk about how seminary has been a light in his life and that has helped him be a light to others. He has shared the knowledge he has gained by teaching with the missionaries. He is now preparing to go on his own mission very soon. Shane Boyce, an institute student from Guyana, shared a personal experience in his graduation talk. He heard about Institute soon after his baptism only two years ago. “I wanted to go but was embarrassed because I couldn’t read or write. I heard a voice telling me ‘don’t go’ but, I listened to the promptings of the Holy Ghost instead. I went to institute and through studying the scriptures – and with the support of my institute teacher - I taught myself to read. I know the Book of Mormon is true because I have read it.”

We were very impressed with a seminary class we attended a few times in Sangre Grande, Trinidad. The teacher, Brother Blackburn, had a class of four young men. They were dedicated students and came to class every morning at 5:00 AM. Two of the boys, Brandon Blackburn and Kevin Christopher, graduated this year with 4 year diplomas. Adrian Suepaul has one more year to receive his diploma. The fourth boy, a new member of the church, Reon Charles was encouraged by the others to join seminary. He received a Certificate of Course Completion for Doctrine and Covenants along with Adrian. The four friends celebrated their graduation together with enthusiasm. These are amazing young men and we look forward to hear of their mission calls.

The other senior missionaries joined us for graduation in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Elder Andrus said it was one of the most spiritual experiences of his mission. He said he had never seen such excitement and radiance coming from young people at a seminary graduation. As he met some students afterward, they said, “We’ve never done anything like this before. We did it! We really did it!” One of these young women told him of her desire to go on a mission to share the gospel that has brought her so much happiness.

It has definitely been a highlight of our mission to rub shoulders with these extraordinary young people. The Seminary and Institute of Religion of our church is an inspired program from a loving Heavenly Father that is blessing the lives of the young people of the West Indies Mission.

Our Adventure in the Jungle

On Wednesday, August 10 we packed our overnight bags for a trip into Guyana’s interior (aka “the bush” or the rain forest which covers more than 80% of this South American country’s land mass). It was two spectacular days with three other missionary couples – Ed and Linda Sappington (St. George, UT), Gary and Christie Ricks (Santa Barbara, CA) and Lynn and Sharon Angus (Vernal, UT). We went on nature hikes, swam in black water, ate and relaxed at Arrow Point, a rustic resort located 17-miles off the Demerara River, up the tributary known as Kamuni Creek on the Arawak Amerindian reservation at Santa Mission. The boat ride to the resort was reminiscent of Disneyland’s “Jungle Cruise” and hiking through the rain forest reminded us of the beauty of the Sacred Grove.

The young Amerindian staff catered exclusively to our needs since the 8 of us were the only guests with the whole resort to ourselves. We had delicious Guyanese meals and even an Amerindian traditional bonfire with dinner by torch light on the beach of the river. After dinner we went on a hike by moonlight. The hike is aptly named, 'Creatures of the Night'. On the three different hikes our guides took us on we saw many fascinating plants and animals. We especially loved the brilliant blue butterflies.We enjoyed kayaking down a spectacular smooth-as-glass black water stream and a 3-mile hike through the jungle to a 17-year-old plane crash site. On the way back, Sister Sappington almost stepped on a Labaria . . . one of the most poisonous snakes in the world. Luckily our guide warned her in a steady, but warning voice, to take one big step backwards because the Labaria strikes quickly and can be deadly.

It was so peaceful there. The only noises came from the beautiful exotic birds. The forest which was all around us was thick with every kind of foliage imaginable. The peace we felt there was like when we go the cabin – no worries – just peace.
We went swimming in the black water river after a long hike. It is amazing how black it is. Hands under the water look gold and feet look red. The black water is caused by the many leaves that fall into the water.

On our way back down the river toward home our guide had us stop at his Amerindian village. We watched an Amerindian lady as she prepared a plant to make straw for weaving baskets. This is made from a wild growing cane that resembles bamboo. She boils the plant and then lays it out in the sun to dry. It looked and felt like raffia. We also watched the mother of our guide weave a basket. We were happy we could purchase colorful baskets made by the women of this village. We all had a great time and will have fond memories of our visit to the jungle of Guyana.

Hike to Maracas Waterfall

July 13th turned out to be the perfect day for a hike. It has been raining a lot in Trinidad so it was very nice to wake up to a sunny day. Sister Ellison and I had chosen this morning to have a beautiful hike in the mountains instead of the usual walk through the neighborhood. Trinidad has lots of steep mountains filled with dense green foliage of every kind. It was a beautiful hike, sometimes steep and rocky. There was dense jungle on each side of the trail. We enjoyed the sounds of the jungle – the songs of the birds and other creatures and the sound of the rushing water of the creek. We took our time and didn’t feel rushed because we wanted to not only get to our destination but stop and ‘smell the roses’ along the way. It was also a special time for us to share life experiences, mission experiences, and even our favorite books. We have so much in common and had a lot to talk about. The falls ran off a high cliff and sprayed off a cool mist that was very refreshing. Maracas Falls is the highest water fall in Trinidad-Tobago at 298 ft. We relaxed on a rock and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings. We read some verses in the Book of Mormon and had a stimulating discussion about our insights.

I loved being in the mountains again. The mountains of Utah are the place I love to go to find peace and joy and to refresh me. I have missed them. I needed the boost and these beautiful mountains gave it to me this day. Instead of being gone for two hours as planned we were gone for four glorious hours. I wouldn’t have been so long but we couldn’t resist going visit our dear sister Pearl Ramdial who lives near the hike. I loved our visit. She is turning 80 years next month. She is a vibrant, happy lady. She raised 14 children on this mountain. Through the years she was an avid hiker in these steep hills. It was part of her daily routine. She is the only member of the church in her family but her children love her and take such good care of her. She has been a seeker of truth her whole life – trying out different churches and never feeling satisfied until the restored church was introduced to her. We not only visited with her but she asked us to read from the Book of Mormon, sing a hymn and have prayer together. It was a delightful experience. I love to feel the Spirit of the saints here. She has many challenges but she says the gospel gives her the strength and peace she needs to make it through the day.

What is Dhal Puri?

Dhal Puri is an East Indian flatbread stuffed with seasoned yellow spit peas. Trinidad and Guyana have a big population of the East Indian culture because their ancestors came over as indentured servants in the 1800’s; so we eat a lot of East Indian dishes. We had our first taste of roti which is the base of dhal puri in Trinidad not too long after we arrived on our mission. We soon realized that roti is a main staple of the diet in these two countries. My favorite form of roti is dhal puri. So when our Relief Society announced our enrichment meeting would be to learn how to make dhal puri I was very interested. Our cooking lesson was on Saturday May 28 at 4:00 PM. Sister Devi was the teacher. She has a degree from a cooking school, so she is an expert. We had a lot of fun. The sisters thought it was pretty funny that I didn’t know anything about their foods and how to cook them. I think they really liked that I was genuinely interested in their culture. Sister Devi taught how to take yellow split peas, cook them and add garlic and hot pepper and spices and roll into balls the size of a big walnut. Then she let us do hands-on cooking as she taught us to make roti dough. We flattened a small section of dough, added the ball of dhal blend and then wrapped the dough around the dhal. The next step was to roll the whole thing together into a flat bread that reminds me of a tortilla. Then she had us put the bread on a very hot flat cast iron skillet – cook on one side then turn only once. I was able to try every step and learned a lot. Maybe I will get brave when I go home and make it for my family.

The sisters also made another popular East Indian dish – everyone’s favorite – chicken and potato curry. Then of course we were able to taste the food we had made. Delicious!

I love my Guyanese Sisters – Urmella, Marlene, Alicia, Cassandra, Melissa, Sister Moses, Sister Valarie, Sister Devi, Sister Sauers, Sister Reddi, Sister Hussian and Sister LaRose.


While we were enjoying our R.S. cooking lesson, Larry was there but he was cleaning the building in preparation for Sunday Meetings. The sisters shared their food with Elder Harris. He was glad to oblige them.

Afterward, Larry and I went to visit one of our favorite families, the Sunthgolams. Mother is Valarie, father Robert and children, Dominiqe, Cassandra and R.J. Robert was home for one day from his job in the bush. We wanted to meet him.
He gets to come home about every three weeks.

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!

Our Trip to the Pink Palace Resort

Our Trip to the Pink Palace Resort - Feb 2011

The Pink Palace Resort is the name we have given our apartment in Trinidad because the walls are painted bright Caribbean pink and we have hot showers, air conditioning, washer and dryer and a swimming pool. It feels like we are on vacation (because we don’t have these luxuries in Guyana) – even though we are very busy there. We also enjoy being with other senior couples. We go to nice restaurants together, have FHE, explore the Island and work together at the mission office. We have the opportunity to stay in this luxury about every two months for three weeks at a time. We had some great experiences this trip.

We arrived on Friday, Jan. 28th. We were glad we could be there that week because our special friends the Wheelers were being released from their mission. The senior couples went to dinner that night at the Mongolian Grill – the Wheeler’s, Angus’s, Child’s, Sappington’s and Luster’s and Sister Ellison. It was sad to see the Wheelers go. They have been such a great influence here. They have been the office couple for about nine months. Before that they had been assigned to St. Vincent. They loved their experience there. They are going home to Idaho. We will be able to see them again.

Saturday 29th we attended Port of Spain Stake in-service meeting. The spouses of the S & I teachers were invited because we showed the video of the ‘Evening with a General Authority’. This is an annual event that the CES puts on every year. In Utah we go to the tabernacle on Temple Square. It was very nice to have it with the teachers here in Trinidad. President Ucktdorf was the speaker. Late that night we went to the airport to pick up our dear friends, Bob and Raylene Bush. They have a mission call to our West Indies Mission. Yes, we recruited them. They are serving on the Island of Grenada. They stayed two nights with us. We had a great time. It was so nice to be with friends again. They are very excited to be on a mission. Bob and Larry served together as missionaries in Uruguay, South America in 1962.

Sunday 30th attended San Fernando Ward. It was a sweet experience. We love each ward/branch we go to. We are always welcomed warmly and invited back. We were able to meet with the bishop and stake president to talk about seminary and institute teachers. They have been without any this year. On our way home we stopped at President Gamiette’s home to get our key from the Bushes who were having dinner there. Much to our surprise and delight they invited us to stay and have dinner. We had such a nice visit. We love our mission president and his wife and children. She is from France and he is from Guadalupe. They are both converts and are an incredible couple. They have five children from 5 – 16 years old.

During the three weeks we were in Trinidad we visited three seminary classes and two institute classes. That is always one of the highlights of our trip. We are amazed at the teachers and students and the spirit that attends.

Arima Branch Seminary with Sister Garcia and students.

Brother Blackburn’s class starts at 5:00 am and he has four young men attend every morning. It is an hour drive so we had to get up at 3:30 am. We took Sister Kotiah, our supervisor, with us. We come away from these classes inspired to be a better person. One of these classes was the institute class in Chaguanas. Sister Chan Qui is the teacher. She had two students that evening. They are both recent converts. They have such strong testimonies. They shared their conversion stories. Anderson Bridgelal told how he became acquainted with the church when he was 17 years old. He loved it and attended for a while. But he got into some bad friends and fell away. For ten years he made some very bad choices and was miserable. One day he realized he did not want to live like this any more. He hoped he could find the church again but by this time he had moved and didn’t know where to find it. One day he was walking down town. He saw two missionaries. He was so excited that he literally ran to meet them. He about knocked them over in his enthusiasm to talk to them. Of course the missionaries were shocked to see someone that was so excited to see them. It had never happened in that way before. He joined the church and is so much happier and so anxious to learn more about the truths of the gospel.

Siparia Branch

On Sunday the 6th we attended church in the Siparia Branch which is about two hours away. We love going to this branch. There is such a special feeling there. There were only about 20 people in attendance. It was fast and testimony meeting. Even though there weren’t many people there was not a lapse in testimony bearing. We both stood together and bore our testimonies. We bare our testimonies or give talks in every branch we attend. Sometimes we get asked a head of time but many times the branch president comes up to us before the opening prayer and asks if one or both of us would speak in the Sacrament Meeting. We have learned to pull our thoughts together quickly and rely on the Spirit to guide us. It has always been a very spiritual experience. We love sharing our testimonies with the saints here. We are very impressed with the branch president in Siparia, President Nandlal. This is a picture of President Nandlal with his wife and little girl. He was Blake Buswell’s mission companion for 8 months in New Amsterdam, Guyana. Blake also served in the Siparia area and got acquainted with his family. President Nandlal told us how much he loved Blake as a companion and what a good missionary Blake was. Since Blake is my nephew, President Nandlad says he considers us family.

One of the first times we attended this branch we met Rick. He was sitting on the back row with his family. We could tell he was there not of his choice. We introduced ourselves and could feel of his negative spirit; but as the meetings unfolded he began to lighten up a little. We joked about his attitude and he was a good sport about it. Today (about two months later) when we walked into the chapel, low and behold there was Rick and his family again. But this time he had a smile on his face. His countenance had changed. He was no longer antagonistic; but a happy man enveloped in the spirit. It was a testimony to us how the spirit can change a person. It was like night and day; from darkness to light or from a man of the world to a man of God. We had a good laugh with him again about our first meeting. That experience will always be indelibly stamped in our minds.

After the meetings the Saints of Siparia asked the two Elders to come into the chapel. They were both being transferred. They love their missionaries. They had them sit in front of them and they sang “God be With You Till We Meet Again”. It was very sweet and caused a few tears.

The Warner Family

On our way home we stopped in Princess Town to train Sister Warner who is one of our supervisors. She and her sister are the only members in their large family. Once a month they have a big dinner together at the home of her parents. They are a close family. We were privileged to have the wonderful meal. There were so many dishes we had never heard of. We had to try everything. It was so good. It was sweet to meet her wonderful parents, grandparents and siblings etc. They were a typical fun loving noisy family.

Pt. Fortin Branch

The following Sunday we had another wonderful experience. We visited the Pt. Fortin Branch. It is also two hours away. There is such a sweet spirit there. Again there were only about 15 – 20 in attendance. They meet upstairs in a small rented house. They have it fixed up very nice for their chapel. They always start late at about 10:20. They have a two hour block. When the branch president, President Mohammed saw we were there, ( picture of he and his family is below) he came over immediately and asked Elder Harris if he would be the speaker in Sacrament Meeting. Larry did a great job with no prior preparation. He is a gifted speaker. He is so relaxed as he speaks. His down to earth and sincere and always adds humor and warmth. I love when he bears his testimony at the end. He says it with such power and conviction as if he is on the Lord’s errand to testify and bring his brothers and sisters to Christ. It is a blessing to bear our testimonies often. It is definitely strengthening to us! One of our favorite things about this small branch is their singing. Such a small congregation belts out the hymns with so much enthusiasm like we have never heard before – a little flat (no piano) but that is OK. The Spirit of the music and message came out loud and clear. We loved their Sunday school class. It was taught by Sister Beverly Mathews. She is the happiest woman I have ever seen. She says it is because she loves the gospel and is so grateful for it. She said, “Why not be happy here on earth? When we get to heaven we will rejoice and greet everyone with enthusiasm and a hug and shake hands and high-fives. Let’s practice it here!”