"....looking for some good things to come!"

Well lets see here 

This week was pretty Hectic really! Monday we spent the day in Sav for Pday and then we headed back here. Met up with the assistants and gave them Elder Taylor. He is headed off to Freeport Bahamas. Tuesday we went around and Elder Ostberg told everyone good bye. Then wednesday we headed into Spanish town for transfer day. It was a big transfer. We got 5 new missionaries in the mission and on of them is being trained by the other Elder Montgomery but what was funny is that i was just sitting there and they asked him who his trainer was and he said Elder Montgomery and pointed to me and i walked up like i was his companion and then i said well Im the wrong Elder Montgomery and then pointed to the other one haha it was funny! But it was good to see everyone again. Once we got everything all packed up we headed out Elder Randle had to follow us up to get a missionary in Mandeville when we were on the Highway a car passed us and then boom his back tire blew out he went all over the road it was nuts i was just like he is going to flip but he handled it just spun around a few time so that was crazy! But we only made it to Sav that night we had 11 people sleeping in that house it was packed. and then the next morning we continued on to Negril and dropped some other missionaries off then thats where we split was with elder Randle and his posse. But we didnt get back to our area until Thursday night. it seemed as if i had been driving for days! Elder Conder cant drive he got in a wreck so he lost his driving privileges so i have to drive everyday now. But that was the first part of the week! Now for the remainder of the week it was good! We had some good lessons on Saturday with people so that was awesome! we had to give talks Sunday in church It was really good i spoke on Testimony and how to strengthen it once we receive it! but church was awesome we had alot of visitors 5 investigators and a couple other people that had been invited by friends. After church we went and saw Mr. Higgins had a super good lesson with him just really good! So im excited to be serving with Elder Conder he is awesome so looking for some good things to come! anyways thats about all for the week!  I love you all!!!

Love, Stetson  

"This weekend has been really amazing!!!"

Well another week has come and gone. they just keep flying by i swear. we had to drive to sav la mar which is an hour and a half drive then we went and ate and we are now just emailing.. we have to take elder taylor back to santa cruz with us he is going to the bahamas tomorrow so thats why were here. This week was awesome it was such a good week! I will start on wednesday just because monday and Tuesday not to much happened.

 After district meeting on Wednesday we headed to Sav we were going to go on a trade off with them. I brought Elder Taylor and Elder Weir to Santa Cruz with me and Elder Ostberg stayed in Sav with Elder Romney. (They are in a 3 person companionship) Well we got back to santa and it was raining so we sat for a while called some people but everyone blew us out. So we decided to go finding just parked at the church and headed out from there. It was a good experience for Elder Weir he is brand new. So we got to do some finding with him. we talked to some people that just weren't to interested. Everytime Elder Taylor would say alright Elder Weir this ones yours referring to the person walking towards us and he would say no no you this time and Elder Taylor would just say were going to look really weird standing here if you dont talk lol.  Then there was a lady that was walking so Elder Weir pulled the same trick on him this ones yours so the lady walks by Elder Taylor says hello the lady says hi but just keeps walking so Elder Taylor is determined to talk to her so he Starts walking after her and says hey we want to talk to you... About what? Church... lol it was hilarious turns out to be a way nice lady we talked to her about Church and our message she was shocked when i showed her the Book of Mormon said she had never heard of it i read a verse to her and she totally understood it which was a shock to me!! She is an accountant and she was all well how about i meet you here at the church tomorrow during my lunch.. So it was way cool. She was to busy though the next day we went to the church and called and she was all ya i'll be there in 20 minutes well then she called back and said she was still with a client and couldn't leave so that was a bummer. We then walked around to finish out the night and found a couple other really cool people so it was a good trade off! We had to take Elder Weir to Hopeton to meet President Hendricks so he could take him to kingston for a meeting for his passport stuff he is supposed to be in florida serving right now but his papers haven't gone through as yet. But the trade off was awesome Elder Taylor is awesome he is the one that has family in Burley and Oakley he used to work on the farms in the summer up there for his Grandpa. Anyhow Thursday night when elder Ostberg and i got back together we went and saw Alex he is 18 really cool guy! Had an awesome lesson with him and it went almost perfect! Then Friday we had some good lessons as well one with Shanique and the other with Kadian both just really good. Then saturday was the same in the morning we taught Alex and then Stacy and then went to Keva and had really a really good one with her as well. Then after that we went to Mandeville for the Saturday session of District Conference Man that was awesome Elder Anderson from the area Presidency was there and He and President Hendricks gave awesome talks! Then Sunday we went to May pen for the sunday session another awesome one and when we came back we went and taught Monique she is probably one of the most sincere investigators i have taught just really wants to know if what we teach is true and has a strong desire to be baptized!! its awesome!! We taught her about the plan of Salvation it was just awesome! Then we went to a less-active members and watched Elder Hollands talk from the Priesthood session of general conference. Then we just bore testimony it was really cool! Its true what Elder Anderson spoke about on Saturday he said that desires reflect our behavior and when we feel the Holy Ghost our desires change and that is when we change and it was just awesome to see that working in that less- actives life already! so This weekend has been really amazing!!! 

Well Transfer time again... Elder Ostberg is going to Spanish Town to be Zone Leader and i am getting Elder Conder. Im excited Elder Randle served with him and he is one of his favorite companions so im excited about transfers!! But anyhow thats all for this week!!! 

love you all Stetson   

"Im so thankful for that blessing!!"

Well another week gone.. crazy... i was laying in my bed the other night and was talking to Elder Ostberg and was just like dang its already Sunday.. The week flew by!

It has been an alright week! Started off good. We met some really cool people on Tuesday met and 18 year old kid named Alex who seems really promising turns out we are teaching his whole family! Well his Mom, brothers, and sister his dad is in Canada but still its cool! It was super hot that day though just like walking in to an oven for a couple hours then right after that we had to take a honey extractor up to Russells to bro. Russell. And of course it had to start pouring rain... Well i got soaked just me i was putting the extractor back in the truck because someone else needed it in Mandeville well a guy helped me put it in the back of the truck then runs like a scared kitten to get out of the rain so i strapped it down and got soaked.. Well the next morning i woke up with a sore throat and it just kept getting worse i could barely swallow. The Smiths stopped by for a apartment check after our district meeting and i asked Elder Smith for a blessing. then we went to a couple of lessons and Elder Ostberg had to do all the talking i tried to say some but it was to painful. so we called sister Hendricks and she told me to go home and take some meds and get it bed. I had a fever of 100.4 i was burnin up. but the next morning i was feeling a hundred times better!! Im so thankful for that blessing!! We stayed in half the day Thursday and then we went back at it for the evening went and taught Alex and his family they are awesome! i was still scratchy but it went good. Then Friday we helped the Whiteheads take some pigs to some people they had like 12 in a crate in their truck and we had 6 in burlap bags in the back of ours haha it was hilarious i felt like a total red neck. when we got the pigs there they were panting and foaming at the mouth so we hauled them down to the pen and the told Brother Russell to get them some water. He was all no you cant give them water you have to let them cool off before you give them water or else they will freeze and die... Then he said you know its like your horses you let them stand and cool off for a while before you give them water... The you give them some oats and some Dragon Stout and then water... I was like what the world is this guy talking about when my horse is thirsty he drinks... and also Brother Russell my horse obeys the word of wisdom.. he wants the promises that the word of wisdom offers lol it was hilarious he just went on and on he is so full of it lol. The rest of the day was just Hectic we saw Alex again and got halfway through our lesson and he had to leave and go to work. then We went and saw Anna-kaye and her little sister is crazy just wouldnt be quiet during the lesson kept spitting water all over and it just ticked me off so Friday wasn't good. Saturday was similar most everyone we had planned to see blew us out so that sucked. And Sunday Church was awesome i have had some of the most spiritual meetings here in Santa Cruz. Just really good talks given and Sister Osbourne does an awesome job at teaching Sunday school. and well Priesthood is good when someone other than the teacher teaches.. But we didnt have any investigators at church so that was a bummer. But we had a good night we went and saw Lorett and her family and Monique focused alot on Monique because she hadn't been there the last time we taught the restoration. It was a good lesson. she shared some really cool spiritual experiences with us she seems really promising! and then we went and saw the Claytons Bro. Clayton is going to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood   next sunday and its District conference so thats awesome!!! our Melchizedek Priesthood is going to double woohoo! So thats awesome!! anyhow everything is going pretty good here! Its nice and hot but all is well!! 

Well i love you all!!

Love Stetson

" I have been trying my best to be the best i can be... trying not to waste a day, hour, or second. "

Its been a long week.....

 We have a slow leak in our left front tire....

 My backs about to break..... 

No money in the bank....

 But everything is fine fine fine through the sunshine and the rain!!! 

(thats 2 songs put together josh turner, everything is fine and love and theft, runaway) 

Well Sholy Hit This week i hit my 18 month mark can you believe that??? Dang only 6 months left... thats how long i spent in Linstead and Cayman and Kingston that is crazy. i can't believe how fast the time goes! I have been trying my best to be the best i can be. Its like you start looking back and say wow the time has gone to fast. i need to bust my tail the last bit to bring in the home stretch. And thats what i have been doing trying not to waste a day, hour, or second... 

This week was really good It did seem long though. Must of been all the driving and traveling we had to do. I swear most of our time here is spent driving. Our investigators are spread out. But lets see here. Tuesday was good though i dont remember what we did.. lol Wednesday we had district meeting in Junction with the sisters and the assistants. I taught the meeting it was really good i felt! then afterwards the assistants came and went teaching with us that was awesome! they are 2 awesome missionaries Elder Hoffman and Elder Kraus. After they left we had to drive to Sav-la-mar  which is an hour and a half drive to do a baptism interview for Elder Taylor and Elder Romney and Elder Weir! We rolled back into Santa pretty late and then Thursday we were up and outta the house at 7:30 Headed to Kingston for ZLC. ZLC was awesome!!! I've said it a ton of times but it is awesome! just learn so much from President and how to be and do better!! So that took up all of Thursday by the time we took some stuff to the Mandeville and Hopeton Elders the day was over. Friday was a normal day taught some good lessons and all But Saturday and Sunday were the best days! really had some success teaching people had met some new people that a member referred us to so thats awesome! Church was good as well! A girl that has been taught for about 6 months finally came to church for the first time so that was awesome! She Loved it. Anyways Doctor rock is where we live its right in town there is a big church on the main road and our house is behind it its an apartment complex.... ummm about horses alot of thoroughbreds they do lots of racing but some you see i have no clue what they are but they are pretty skinny and stuff but ya training could be next there are 5 new missionaries coming in this next transfer that have to have someone to train them. then the next one there are 7 coming so i could be training this one or the next who knows. But ya everything is going good here! I love you all!!! 

Love Stetson 

"Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit!"

Well another week is gone! We have been busy running around and doing trade-offs but the week has been good! Monday we spent p-day in Negril with Sav And Negril Elders it was fun we played some football on the beach and ate lunch so it was nice! Tuesday we went on a split i guess is what you would call it. I went with the Mandeville Elders and Elder Ostberg went with Hopeton. We stayed the night there with them and then went to their  district meeting with them the next day. The trade off was good had a crazy lesson with a guy finally i had had enough and stood up and said ok listen im going to tell you what we believe. He had been going on for an hour just asking all kinds of questions and he was so confused he was digging himself a hole. We came back wednesday and had some good lessons and then Thursday we had to take a missionary that is from Jamaica to Sav-la-mar he is supposed to go to Florida for his mission but his visa hasn't gone through so he is gonna start in Jamaica. So that was our running around for the week. We have been trying to find new people to teach been trying everything possible so we started going through old teaching records and calling people we have got some contacts from there so thats good! I dont know if i told ya last week but we had met a lady that had never met or seen or heard of the church before so we took a few minutes and explained it to her and taught her about the Restoration in about 7 minutes she was in a hurry. But she then asked how do i get That book you were talking about? Can i buy one? well i had brought one with me so i said nope you cant but i can give it to you! she was so happy! She lives a good ways out of Santa Cruz but she said nothing is too far for the truth. Well we were at another investigators house this week and he said i saw a lady reading the Book of Mormon this week so we asked him about it well it was that same lady and he told her that the missionaries were teaching him and she said thats nice but please im going to read this straight through! He said he watched her and she read like crazy and when she had to leave she said she was going home to read more! Thats awesome!! He said she was going to come to church but she didnt show up i was bummed! But we had a lot of people at church! we had 58+ people so it was packed full! It was Branch conference so that was a good thing! There is a dog that follows a member to church And he always comes in and makes himself at home well after Sacrament Elder Ostberg and I went to tie him up well i was pushing him with my foot well that dang thing whipped around and bite my foot. Not hard but still i was ticked if it wasn't right in the middle of church i would of booted that thing across the room. But we got him tied up eventually and he freaked out and eventually chewed the rope in half. Later that night we went to see some people the people we had planned to see blew us out so we were left blank so we went to a ladies house we had met earlier in the week. Her daughters were there and they had a ton of questions they had heard rumors about the church so she asked if she could ask us if they were true so we agreed. well she says I hear that your vampires.... and she continues on well as she is saying these things im just like yes we are vampires but only 2 days a week she asked if we sacrifice humans and all that just ridiculous we said that it was all false i said there is one thing we sacrifice though her eyes got big and i said just like Jesus said Sacrifice a Broken Heart and a Contrite Spirit! Thats the only thing we sacrifice! But i gotta say it was fun messing with her about all of it! She asked what was the difference between our church and all the others so we said well 2 big ones A Prophet on the earth today and the Book of Mormon. So we taught her about the Book of Mormon and i asked her to read a part of the Introduction. She said are you going to hypnotize me?  Said no. she gets done reading so i ask... are you Hypnotized yet??? she said no i said well then read the next paragraph lol! good times. but she is really interested so thats cool! But anyhow Kerry-ann the girl that Elder Brockbank and I taught in kingston got Baptized so thats awesome!! But over all Things are good!! Lovin the work thats for sure! The other day after friday night activity we taught a member the plan of salvation and she is smart and knew alot about it already so we went into depth when we got done i was just like you could of asked me 18 months ago about this i and i would of had no clue.. Crazy what i have learned its awesome!!! any how i love you all!!!

Love Stetson 

"it all turned out good!!!"

 View of santa cruz

Santa cruz traffic alot different from kingston

Kingston traffic hahaha big difference huh

just a random picture 

Well lets see here.... 

This week seemed good! We had zone conference Tuesday in Sav la mar it was really good i felt like it was the best one i have been to. i was taking notes like crazy lol! President Hendricks talked with me afterwards and he has been telling me since i found out i was coming here that we need to focus on Priesthood so we have been working hard at that. We have a couple people that we are working with that seem to have some promise so thats good! but we have been doing a lot of finding and its bloody hot here but its all good! Sunday i gave a talk in church!!! i was stressing over that thing for a couple days Elder Ostberg had to speak as well and we couldn't decide what to speak on so finally i remembered all those talks Brandy sent and the one where she related us to horses is what i went with but i rewrote it all and not to brag but dang that was a good talk gonna have to keep a hold of that one so i can use it again lol! I was worried cuz Jamaicans dont know to much about horses so i just went and explained it to them the best i could But it turned out good!!! we have to do it every 4th sunday here. So thanks Brandy for the ideas!  Last night we went to teach a lady that we had met earlier in the week. once we get there she was busy for a minute or two and she said this is my cousin teach her.. so we did and then she came back and joined us. we had a good lesson going and Kesha's Cousin had a ton of good questions and was confused on a lot of things so she asked us to explain something out of the bible for her so we opened up and i read the first verse and a car pulls up and everyone in on the lesson got all distracted so we waited well like 5 or so people pile out of this car and they are members of a different church.. the guy whispers to the lady DO you know who these guys are??? she said yes and he was all oh like he was shocked.. they came up on the porch and said oh well were just in time for your lesson... So i said well let me catch you up so i told them how we were talking about how God works through prophets and such and apostasy and about Jesus Christ and when he was on the earth. then he was all well im glad that you are teaching about Jesus And all that so keep going on your mission doing that. well he was just politely saying LEAVE lol so we testified that the things we taught are true and how they can know that to.. Then as we walked off we had Kesha and Monique follow us to the truck and talked to monique a little longer i just didnt want that Pastor telling her non sense about us. so she asked a bunch more questions just awesome questions. Then you hear that pastor just go off yelling and screaming he must of been praying or something i have no clue. But we were just getting ready to talk about The day of Pentecost and the gift of tongues well im just glad Monique didnt keep asking about that cuz they were defiantly people that talk in their tongues so that would of been an argument and a half but it all turned out good!!! But any how that was my week!!! 

Love ya Stetson  

PS we are going to negril today for p day to eat lunch at margaretta ville for elder taylors birthday. 

well my time is soon up so i better say bye before it runs out!!! I love you!! tell dad good luck

ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE

A view in Ochie 

me and elder randle pretending to go down the slide

(randle has his own zone he is a zone leader for the north coast zone)

Well this week has been a good one for sure! With transfers on Wednesday the beginning of the week was a lot of running around telling people in Kingston bye. It was sad to leave i really came to love Kingston as bad as everyone says it is (the People that live there that is) its an awesome place! I have been super lucky so far to have really good areas to serve in Linstead, Cayman, Kingston (constant springs branch) and now here i am in Santa Cruz! When President Hendricks called me about Transfers he told me that Santa Cruz really needs some Priesthood they are struggling in that aspect so i started to pray like crazy after that phone call Last saturday night. Well Wednesday we got everyone to there areas its a long drive from Spanish Town to Negril thats like totally different sides of the map we didnt make it to Negril till thursday so we stayed the night in Sav la mar with Elder Romney and Elder Taylor. then thursday morning we got up and headed to Negril. It was really pretty there. LOTS of white people thats for sure!!! Then we headed back to Santa Cruz you talk about Country this place is all of that. its like going from Phoenix Arizona to Castleford over night its so different its quiet and spread out! Its a town in the mountains but its hotter than a popcorn fart here! There is tons of farms around and cows and horses something you dont see to much in Kingston. Anyhow we have been continuing to pray to know where we can go find some Potential Priesthood holders and well Sunday rolls around and we are at Church and a guy said that he was just driving by and thought he would stop in for church i was like NO WAY he loved church and on top of that he drives a car so thats even rarer i was like dang thats awesome!!! so thats why i titled this ask and ye shall receive! Church here is a lot smaller than in Kingston. About 20-30 members show up. but it was awesome the members here are super nice and thats awesome!! so im stoked to be able to serve here its almost like back home driving up in the mountains on dirt roads and in the country!! so thats cool! But everything is going good so far!! Anyhow love you all!!!! 

Stetson

oh ya i got my package finally thanks a bunch i just have to get some crackers today for my salami everything made it i think and yes they had opened it but they put it back in the wrappin paper. 

yup!!! well my time is up. tell dad congrats. love you all!!!

"getting transfered to santa cruz"

hey well im finally online!! we went to ochie today with the flakes they were supposed to tell ya last night but forgot but i dont have any time to email... im getting transfered to santa cruz this wednesday to be zone leader there.

 i will be serving with elder ostberg. he is the other one that i came out with so that should be fun.

 its across the island on the west side of the island i hear its bush like mountains and trees and such. 

anyhow i love ya hope your week was good.

 i have some good pics to send home but they will have to wait till next time!!!

love ya stetson

"things can get pretty western here"

Well another week has come and gone! Well i guess it hasn't quite been a week since i last emailed ya but anyhow this weekend has been good! Thursday we were in the house all day because of elections things can get pretty western here i hear during elections. so the whole mission stayed inside. We cleaned our house it took about 6 hours i think we scrubbed the walls and all it was spotless by the time we got done cleaning. After that it was just sitting around the rest of the day. But then on Friday we were out and about again the last few days have been good we have had some really good lessons with people and have had some good moments. Sunday we had 2 people at church Kerry-ann and Chrissy. Kerry-ann has a baptism date for the 21st and Chrissy is getting baptized next Saturday so thats awesome! New Years was fun we were at the church until 9 and then we had to get home. But i slept right into the new year haha Church switched from 12 to starting at 9 for this year. It was a little slow at church at the beginning but eventually more people rolled in so that was good! but anyhow there is a ton of people here at the office waiting to get on the computer its a holiday so everything is closed so im gonna wrap it up! But i love ya all so much! Transfers are next Wednesday so we will be finding out whats going on soon!!! anyhow love ya Love Stetson 

Here a few pics of what life is like here in Jamaica. It is amazing to walk the streets everyday and then take a look at what we did and where we went. We are truly privileged, blessed AND protected!!!

 S Flake