23 February 2009

Two Generations...

They are both called Elder Vernes. One served from 1982 - 1984 in the Ireland Dublin Mission and the other one started his mission to the West Indies Mission in June 2008.

Suriname is Great!!!

Hey everyone,

Well I arrived in Suriname safely. It was a heck of a trip. I left around 5 am in Georgetown and got here around 7pm. I could not take many pictures because there was not much too see on the side of the roads. It was only fields and thick bush. That was about it. On the ferry it rained like crazy and I got soaked, because the ferry was small and it was not covered.

My new companion Elder Croese is a great guy. He is really committed and loves the work. He works hard and we get along fine. We speak a mix of Dutch and English together. It's quite funny, but we just end up switching languages in the middle of a conversation. He is quite a good cook, and he loves cooking.

As for the people here they are great. I can’t understand some of them, but I am working on learning the taki-taki and all of that.
I love being here. The work is great. The branch wants to see success and so do we. I know this will be a great transfer.

I love all of you. Thank you for your support and for your emails.

Love,
Jeff

16 February 2009

Going to Suriname

Dear Family,

Transfer calls came in for us, and guess what...I am going to Suriname. I am leaving tomorrow. I will be just a little outside of Paramaribo. My companion will be Elder Croese from Rotterdam. I don't know him, but he is supposed to be pretty funny. I am excited to serve in Suriname.

Everything is going well with me. Elder Olsen, my last companion, wants me to play the organ with him today at the big catholic cathedral in Georgetown today. It will be my last time playing that organ for a long time. Before that I need to go back to the embassy of Suriname to get my Visa.

I am really excited to go to Suriname. President Robison told me during my last interview that I might go to Suriname towards the end of my mission, but I guess they need me there now. I am sort of sad to leave Guyana, because this has been an amazing place to serve and I have become very attached to this country. It was the hardest thing to say good bye to the people that I taught and worked with for the last 6 months. I can honestly say that I love them. They are amazing people and I have enjoyed serving them as a missionary.

At church yesterday people came up to me telling me that they will miss my music and that they will miss hearing me speak in sacrament meeting. I spoke in sacrament meeting twice in the last three weeks. The members said that they liked my talks in church.

Anyway, I will let you know next week how the trip went. It is going to be a long trip. I am not flying to Suriname. I am driving...well, I am being driven to Suriname.

I love you and I miss you. I know this is the greatest work on earth and I love it.

Love,
Jeff

11 February 2009

Clean up!

Thank you for your email. I have been looking forward to hearing from you all day. We had a pretty stressful morning. We needed to clean the apartment because the head doctor for missionaries is coming to inspect it with the head of the missionary department. So, we had to clean up really well.

This week was not our best week. We were planning on a baptism for a man, but he did not show up for his baptism. He told us that he is not ready yet. We are telling him to pray about it and all of that, and we hope he comes around soon.

The other Elders in the district are sick. One of them has dengue fever. From what I have seen, I do not think I have ever had that. I don’t know what it was that I had, but it was not that.

Transfers are coming up and I don’t know what is going to happen. I would like to stay in Guyana, but I guess we will see what happens. Maybe nothing will change...maybe everything will change. Who knows?


Well, I love all of you. The people here love the pictures that I show them of you. They always say, "WOW...That's your mom? Beautiful family!"

Jeff