haha nuttin nah gwon at tall

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Thanks to Sister Colleen Smith we have a picture from the 2011 Jamaica Kingston Mission Christmas party.  
Well this week has been pretty good! Its crazy how fast December went by. Seemed like just a couple days passed and then it was Christmas. We had our Christmas party on Friday which was a lot of fun. Its always good to see everyone. It was funny. Elder Randle and i were 2 of the few that got Soon come packages (meaning that our family sent ours late and they haven't arrived as yet) but it was funn.y atleast i wasn't  alone! Elder Randle and i are pretty good friends we just get along great! He reminds me a lot of Tory i remember coming back from Cayman and i kept calling him Tory when i would talk about him crazy. anyhow Ohco Rios Came and stayed the night Thursday night. so that was Elder Randle. Kartchner, and Forde. So that was fun. Christmas day was good. we got a big meal Thanks to Sister Mack and a few others. then gettin to talk to the Family was awesome. Then the rest of this week has been weird. Monday which is usually P-day was just a normal day we had to go out and teach and that was the day alot of people were celebrating Christmas and then Tuesday was Boxing day or another excuse for people not to go to work lol. But we have had some really good lessons with people so thats been awesome! as of right now we have 4 people with baptism dates so thats cool one is coming up on the 7th and the others are a ways off they will be the 21 of January. But everything is going good we have some good investigators so thats good! On Christmas eve we went to Devon house with the assistants we got some ice cream and then we were checkin out the shops well one was all chocolate stuff so we went in and were looking. Elder Hoffman couldnt resist and the same with Elder Brockbank. Well Elder Kraus and i were like no way. well we were sittin outside while the other 2 were eating and the owner came out and was all how come they are eating and you aren't? Elder Kraus was all well im broke. he said what do you want? so he said the covered cheesecake. then he asked me and then he came back with 2 and said Merry Christmas! we were shocked! We told him he had our business. so we are going to make it a tradition and go every once and a while! But anyhow thats about all that i can remember from the week! anyhow i love you all!!! 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Love Stetson! 

One more thing for the blog... we went and saw a guy that we had met a couple days earlier and we get there and we have our lesson with him and we ask him if he has any questions and he says no. but i do have one for you... and that is if i can share some of my dinner with you... Well he gets up and goes and dishes us out some food. i tell Elder Brockbank it better not be chicken foot cuz that girl that just came out of the house looked like she had chicken foot... well sure enough CHICKEN FOOT and rice! Well i push it around and just eat the rice and Elder Brockbank is over there gagging like dry heaving about to lose it lol so then i ask the guy so how do i eat this? (even though i knew how) then he said just put the whole foot in your mouth and then eat all the meat off the bone.... MEAT? thats not meat... Thats like gristle. it was so nasty. i did my best and that was it! next time im gonna say im allergic to that crap lol!! 

Season's Greetin from JaMaiCa!

"Season's Greetin?" well you might be a red neck..... lol

 or the red neck just didnt get the whole painting in the picture lol

Well the week!... 

This week has been pretty good. We have had some pretty exciting things going on. Thursday we went and did a service project for a less-active lady with the assistants. We helped paint the house and chop her yard! We chopped some tree branches and all kinds of stuff! thats one thing they do here right before Christmas is they clean up the place usually paint there house and all kinds of stuff!  It was fun probably dont sound fun but i guess you just had to be there! I love doing service cuz i get to wear the ol Cowboy boots ha thats the best part they are like wearin slippers after a long hard day lol. We also had our branch Christmas party on friday night it was good for the short while i was there. 

About half way through i had to leave with the office elders and go and do a baptism interview for them! And what an interview it was lol. The man i interviewed was defiantly ready but his wife was kindof negative about the whole thing. She had never sat in on any of the lessons  so she thought she would sit in on the interview and see what it was all about! Every question i asked him she would want an explanation of it after he answered so i would have to explain it all From the word of wisdom to the sabbath day lol. when i asked the if he would keep the Sabbath day holy he was all well Saturday is a hard day to keep holy.... well your in Luck cuz the Sabbath is Sunday he was all i know i know.. well his wife Who is a Saturday worshipper was like WHAT you are going to need to tell me why that is lol So i did. Every question she would ask me it seemed like i didnt have to think of what to say it was just given to me! It was an awesome experience! even when she asked me some questions that i had no clue what to say then i just listened and bam there it was! Really awesome! Saturday this week was defiantly the highlight of the week! everyone we had planned on seeing was home and the lessons we had with them were awesome! Sunday Kerry-ann and Chrissy were our 2 investigators at church which was awesome! they have been practicing for Christmas Sunday so the 4 of us missionaries joined the choir then i gave up lol but heck i may just jump on board for the heck of it ha. But everything is going good cant believe that its Christmas week pretty crazy to think huh? Honestly it doesn't even seem like its possible for it to be! this hot weather has got me all confused! It just seems like it has been a long summer lol then when i get home it will be going right into fall time lol but any how thats about all that i can remember from the week!!!

I love you all

Stetson 

"the week was a little better than last"

Picture of the Kingston Zone 

 Then some random guy that wanted me to take his picture and email it to him so he could put it on facebook! 

i dont care who you are thats funny right there lol 
Well lets see here....

this week was an alright week... Dont really know where to start though.... Umm we had a zone meeting where we had all the missionaries in the Kingston Zone come into Kingston for a meeting. It turned out really good. Then Thursday we had ZLC (Zone Leader Conference) which is always awesome to go to! I have said it a bunch but it is my favorite part of being a Zone Leader. We did some service for an investigator this week we helped chop her yard. about 10 minutes after starting a guy comes out yelling at us telling us we cant chop it we have to pull the weeds or else they will grow back again. well yes that was true. then he was all. you missionaries, maybe you dont understand. so he tries to tell us that its like it teaches in the bible that the wicked weeds will grow taller than the righteous and you can pluck them up and then they are gone for good. i dunno he was crazy. but we ended up chopping the back yard. Used machetes which is the worst way to mow a yard lol i dont understand why they do it with machetes... anyhow im still wearing my flip flops around its getting kinda annoying....i can start wearing shoes this week...but hey dad was right when he said you wont need shoes you'll need sandals. so that was true lol. Sunday morning i called a bunch of our investigators and only like 2 answered and they said they wouldnt be able to make it to church so i was bummed out. it sucks when you work your tail off through the week and then you go to church and no one shows up. But we did have one show up and also a members daughter that we are teaching so that was good! but church was filled up so that was good. seems like every week its fuller and fuller. Probably cuz Christmas is coming up. but either way its a good sight lol!  We got to go to a baptism that the Assistants had. there was so many people that they had to move it into the next room so that was awesome. it was an awesome service! but ya the week was a little better than last...i got my package on friday and lets see what else? ya i got the kool aid....dang what did i do with that... hmmm i could of used that the other day lol...but then again i have no sugar lol...anyhow ya i think we will be able to skype i just have to ask them! church is the same here just sacrament meeting then we have a dinner appointment at like 3 or 4 at sister macks then thats all so far for that day but ya thats about all...i cant really think of anything else.... 

anyhow i love you all!!!

Love Stetson 

"this week has sucked just so you know... like big time worst week of my mission."

Well......... What happened this week? 

I don't know what to say! the highlight of this week was Sunday. Not because we had all our investigators at church... Nope we were far from that but the Awesome thing has been is seeing Steve our recent convert Bless and pass the Sacrament the last 2 weeks. Also seeing Sandra another recent convert go up and bear her testimony yesterday and then to see Blossum answering questions in Gospel Principles like she has been there a long time. Elder Poulsen and I had some good converts thats for sure they are solid as a rock and it so awesome to see that. Thats one thing nice about staying in an area A long time. you get to see your converts progress and learn its been awesome thats for sure!
Also this week i had my ingrown toenail cut out i was so nervous. We got there and sat for a while waiting on the doctor then they put a rubber band around my toe and some iodine. i was like what the crap is this the local vet shack?? Then the nurse was all thats all it takes the rubber band cuts off circulation to the
nerves so you cant feel anything...

 She touched my toe and i was like i can feel that lol well then the doctor came and gave me 3 shots in my toe hurt bad. But they got it all cut out. Afterwards i was getting all woozy about to pass out so we went down to the food court and got some food. Elder Brockbank had to wait in line while i sat down i was all dizzy and i was for sure i was going down. i guess just thinking of him cuttin me with a scalpel kinda freaked me out. but its all better now still have to wear my flip flops around until its fully healed. Shower with a bag on my foot is a pain as well. i think i just wont cut my toenails again. 

But this week has been full of less active work really we have some good investigators but they aren't really doing anything so thats frustrating but everything is only as good as i make it and im trying hard to make it good! 

But ya thats about all that i can recall 

Love ya Stetson 

"is this an ol folks home?"

Well the week!!

This week has been good. We had a baptism on Saturday night!! 

Blossum Finally got baptized it was really awesome to see that. She has got a huge testimony thats for sure! Elder Flake(the senior couple) confirmed her and it was an amazing blessing! 

We also had Kardea come to church! That was awesome she is the one that Elder Poulsen had no Faith in and then  we go and see her and everything changed but she is really busy with school and work so its tough to see her through the week but something keeps saying don't give up on her so im not! then Adonna sent her kids to church alone 14,9 and a 6 year old i have no clue why she didnt come i was bummed out!  And then Patrice she is the lady that Trent Garner used to teach she keeps ignoring us or thats what i think anyhow i hope not but we stop by and call and nothing so that sucks. We are also teaching Kerry-ann she is doing awesome she is just scared its like she wants to follow her answer and keep learning but at the same time she is worried that she will have to change and not do the things she used to do so she is kinda stuck. those are our main investigators! The other night we got blown out so we walked around in an area called Havendale. 

Well it was late about 8:30 and we were just yelling at gates lol we got some pretty crazy responses one was an old folks home we ring the bell and the gate opens and then it just clicks this looks like an ol folks home and we just talked to a bunch of nurses that just got off work.. so we stand there awkwardly then a lady comes out of the house door i say ummm is this an ol folks home? lol Elder Brockbank starts laughing she was all yes! oh well we are missionaries Sir you will have to come back everyone is asleep. then the next gate Hi were missionaries! MISSIONARIES? at this time are you crazy oh boy Tromping through the house yelling and cussing then slams the door lol it just not the best time to find people are afraid to come out at night. Tuesday i went to the doctors i have an ingrown toenail that is bad bad so i have been on antibiotics for the week and then tomorrow i go and get it cut out so that sucks. you got me freaking out about this dang toenail dang.... i ve talked to other missionaries that have gotten theres cut out and they say they use a scalpul lol freaking doctors i hate em  i have been walking around in flip flops all week lol kinda funny looking but doctors orders! But everything is going good! transfers are this Wednesday! crazy huh November  is over dang that went quick. but thats about all that i can remember for now! have a good week I love you all! Stetson 

That's how many more days...

stand up sit down FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

Well lets see here....

What happened this week.... 

Well by the end result of it which is. did anyone come to church this week?? NO!! 

So that was a bummer and church was really good this week. But lets see here we have a couple good investigators.. Blossum is doing awesome she is scheduled to be baptized this saturday so that is awesome! We have been teaching her for a long time but she has such a strong testimony of the gospel it awesome!!!  We have a couple others that are doing as well so thats awesome! We went to a church on saturday just to visit it was a Seventh day church. a lady invited us. so i said well if we come to yours will you visit ours? she said yes so we kept our promise. dang it was just like Larry the Cable guy says Stand up sing sit down pray stand up sit down!! I wanted to start yelling lean to the left lean to the right stand up sit down FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT it was a work out for sure!! Then they said we have 2 Elders from the Mormon church with us today will you stand up please. so we stood up i thought it was going to be like the Ron White experience that he had at church! (Ask Kyle about that) but it was pretty good i learned that God is merciful and the righteous will be saved. only took about 2 hours to get that across to everyone! Oh yes and Praises be to Jesus! anyhow that was an experience. Oh and that lady never kept her promise. called her up and she said.oh i have to work at my shop im to busy to come... ummm do you not think we were busy when we came to your church??? people just dont stand by there word.. Well then this Sunday night we were looking for a less- active lady so we get to the gate and a young kid comes out and i say is Carlene here?

 yes she is around back. so we go around back and i asked are you Carlene?

 No thats my sister oh well whats your name?

 Kelly oh well where is Carlene? 

i dunno thats her business..

 Well then i asked how old are you? 

19 

oh well how old is your sister? 

17 

oh really? 

yes. 

when is your birthday? 

October 8th! 

no way thats my sisters birthday and you remind me of her because you both like to pull peoples legs a lot...

 She said ok what does that have to do with anything? 

well you see Carlene the church keeps records. And i think your Carlene because it says here that carlenes birthday is the 8th of october and you just said your birthday was the 8th of october so is that true???? 

YES 

she was trying to hide lol but we had a good lesson with her it was a tough one though she said all missionaries were the same they just go on missions because they have to... I gave all i had but it didnt work it made me just feel bad for her because she was just so negative about everything. but anyhow that was a funny story! then to end it off this last Monday we were at Michi's doing our shopping and a lady was handing the carts out and she asked if i wanted one i said yes then i said thats the one i really want. pointing to the scooter with the cart on it for the old folks and she said go ahead take it! So Elder Nelson and I took them haha it was hilarious. we had a blast on them!! But anyhow everything is going good Transfers are coming up not this week but next week crazy huh! im on my 11th one just 6 left after this one is over! elder randle was over 2 weeks ago and he got to looking at my calander and he said you kow it seems a lot longer when its on paper lol

anyhow i love you all thanks for everything!!! Love Stetson

PS we played basketball today. my new shoes fit perfect!!! if i could only get my shot down dang

 tell the ol shot doc i need some more training 

Jett laughing at Stetson's dog, Jerky!

"this week has been very trying"

Well another week 

it has been pretty good. Sent Elder Poulsen off on Tuesday and then i spent the day with Elder Mackay until Elder Brockbank and Randle came in they got in late tuesday night. it was cool to talk about Cayman with Elder Randle. then Wednesday morning Elder Mackay and Randle headed back to Ochie. this week has been very trying seems like everyone we were teaching started to be flaky so we would go to see them and they wouldnt be home so we walked around a ton this week just talking with everyone that we seen. We were walking around and we ran into a crazy guy who would mumble a few words and then you could catch like one word he would say then he would mumble again. and then catch 2 words kinda like the guy on king of the hill.... Anyways all that i caught from him was that Cable and wireless came right through here and something about down that way is where Jesse James is or maybe cable and wireless came through here with Jesse James hot on its heels thats probably what it was... who knows i dont speak Spanish lol. Then on Sunday after church we went and saw our investigator. We went over the baptism questions with her WOW we asked if she believed Joseph Smith was a true Prophet she Said yes then we asked here what that meant and she bore her testimony of it and it was awesome! she is so awesome. just having some financial problems so we left her with 2 baptism dates to pray over the 27th of nov. or the 4th of dec. so we will find out tuesday.  But everything is going good other wise Elder Brockbank is a good missionary. Knows his stuff thats for sure. total city slicker though. he is from murray utah lol. but not much really happened this week like i said just some finding and more finding. any how have a good week!!! 

I LOVE YOU ALL Love Stetson 

"it is awesome to be a zone leader"

"...and that aint the half of it lol"

Well what a crazy week it has been! been pretty slow for teaching wise but other than that everything was good. We had 1 full day of teaching this week every other day was either sitting at the doctors office with Elder Nelson or at district meeting or at ZLC and the super planning so Saturday was our only full day of teaching. so lets get started on the week eh? Well Tuesday was the day we were at the doctors office we got a call from Elder Nelson asking if we could take him to get his wrist looked at well we went and tried to see the people that we had planned on seeing but no one was home so we went and got them took them to the doctor then the rest of the day was just pretty much normal. We are teaching a lady and her Family i think i talked about them last week ..? Well we saw them she is awesome thats for sure. Some people that live in her lane give her a hard time for meeting with us but she just blows them off and says i will find out for myself if it is true so thats awesome most people will just believe anything they hear and then there is just another person to add to the list of rumor starters. But not her... so thats awesome! Wednesday now we had district meeting. Thursday we had ZLC which is always awesome i learned a bunch from it it is awesome to be a zone leader and to be able to be in that council! 

District Meeting
After zlc we went to see one of our investigators. we seen her on the road talked to her for a bit then she went into her yard. i keep hearing bad things about the church and then said i cant meet with you today. her family wont let her have any part with meeting with us. Then friday we had our super planning and then we headed up to Yallahs to do 2 baptism interviews for them. we Split up i went with Elder Weldon and went and taught and then went and did one interview and Elder Poulsen went and did the other one with Elder Deihl. Both went good and they were both baptized saturday so thats awesome! so that took up most of our day Friday. Then on Saturday we had our baptism interview with Sandra. Elder dale and I went up and he interviewed her and She was ready as well so we had her Baptism yesterday morning. It was awesome she asked me to Baptize her so that was really cool! 

she is going to be a good edition to the branch here. Kardea also came to church! so that was awesome but everything has been going good for us. been a crazy week full of meetings and other stuff it was a good week! Elder Poulsen leaves for the Bahamas tomorrow his paper work finally went through so he is set to leave. pretty sad to see him go he has been a good companion. but he is needed somewhere else. But that was my week :)

Love ya --- Stetson

 A view of Kingston from Red Hills