Junction Here I Come!

Okay, for the first little bit of this email I am going to complain: 

1. I caught the worst cold and now I can't speak.

2. I hit my head on a bike while lifting it into the back of our truck.

3. I bought brand new shoes and now they are completely covered in red dirt.

4. I have a mosquito bite on my butt.

Other than those little things, I have had one of the most eventful weeks on my mission, so far. I don't know if I'll be able to do it justice, so I'll try to recap by days, because it has been quite fun.

Tuesday: Said goodbye to some members in Linstead. Sad, sad day. I will miss them dearly. Saw some other people. Packed up the last of my stuff. Ate at a members house, it was delicious.

Wednesday: We had to be in Spanish Town by 12:30ish, so we had some time to stop by a couple peoples houses. A rasta man we call, Papa Davis, gave me a big bag of apple bananas. We drove to Spanish Town and had transfers! Anyways, I am now with Sister Tominey and Sister Collier. It takes about two hours to get from Spanish Town to Junction. Junction is awesome. It is so country. Sometimes we park in random fields and trek through bushes to get to peoples houses. They don't live in neighborhoods here, it's more like... villages. Most people don't have electricity and it's a super safe area. 

Thursday: We went out all day. I actually can't really remember what happened.... haha

Friday: We had Zone Conference in Savannah La Mar, which is a three hour drive. So we were in the car for like 6 plus hours. It was great. Elder Anderson, from the seventy was there. Many awesome things were talked about. Right in the middle of Zone Conference, I started feeling really light headed and started sneezing. I just thought it was allergies. Anyways, ended up being a full blown cold.

Saturday: We went out teaching with this man in the branch named Brother Collins, and another lady came with us as well. Brother Collins is awesome. He is blind, but will walk with us through sketchy paths. He loves going out. (And I was complaining about sickness). I've met quite a few of the members now, because there isn't very many out in these parts.

Sunday: Church. It was good. Tiny branch. In Linstead about 150ish would show up, now here in Junction, maybe 20? Anyways, everyone is so nice! And so humble. I love it. After Church my companions had to go to Spanish Town to practice for the upcoming Christmas musical, and I had to go to Mandeville on tradeoffs for the evening. I was put with a Sister from Linstead who just got out on her mission like 3 days ago... So she had no idea what she was doing, and I had no idea were we were going. But we survived! And I made friends with the taxi man. His name is Andrew and he used to date a danish woman name Sonia. 

Today! (Monday): Had to wait in our apartment till our Landlord fixed something. Oh, btw, our Apartment is nice! I feel like I'm in a hotel. It's so clean and new. Also it has warm water. Sadly, I have the top bunk, because the other sisters were there first. I hate the top bunk...

Okay, everything is crazy. I don't feel like we did much missionary work this week, because so much happened. It was hectic. But, I am in love with Junction. I think my companions think I am crazy. I sound like a man right now, because of my voice. They are super nice, sweet girls. I am loud. I think I balance things out a bit. I have laughed so much this last week, it's been great. 

Oh, and Thanksgiving is this week! We are planning a feast! I'm excited. I'm really happy to be here in Junction. I'm excited to get to work and start finding and teaching! Also, Sister Nautu served here in Junction, and everyone is like, "You look like Sister Nautu! Long dark hair!" 

Blessings,

Sister Pitt

Time To Turn Over A New Leaf!

After 7 months in Linstead, the Lord has finally decided to move me. I am going to a little obscure place called Junction, in the parish of St. Elizabeth. Apparently I am going to an extremely rural area, full of country bumpkins! I'm so excited. I will be in a trio with Sister Tominey and Sister Collier. (I think I spelled both of their names wrong). I was praying for a change, but the thought of leaving Linstead is weighing heavy on my heart. I have learned so much here, and have connected with so many wonderful people. 

Before I start crying, I will recap this week. It started off extremely rough. I was feeling a bit homesick, I was feeling a bit down on myself as well. Sometimes I get into these little depressing moods, that are really hard to get out of. It got harder because at Zone meeting they were talking about what we need to be doing better, and it made me feel so inadequate. I know those things are there to inspire me to work harder, but I was feeling like the goals that were set were impossible. Man, Satan was really getting me down. I decided to ask for a blessing from Elder Daniels (our District Leader). The blessing was amazing. It was exactly what I needed to hear. Immediately after, I wrote down what I remembered. Here is a small part of my list:

-Heavenly Father loves me.

-He is proud of me. 

-He knows what is in my heart.

-He wants me to know that I have made an impact on people here in Linstead.

There was more that was said, and a lot more that was felt, but I am so thankful for the priesthood. I am so grateful for that direct communication from God. After this blessing, my perspective really started to change. Sometimes I just need reassurance that Heavenly Father loves me, even if I know it, it's nice to hear it directly from the source. 

I went and said goodbye to Brother Walker the other day. Oh, it was great. He wrote me a poem, I recorded him saying really funny things about me, and he told me that I am now a part of his family. It was all happy until he started to tear up. He hugged me and said that I'm the best missionary in the whole world. I wasn't able to get this old man to come to church, but I was able to have him feel my love. 

In this mission, every missionary has a journal that when you leave an area, members and whoever you feel like signs it. It's kind of like a year book idea, minus the pictures. Anyways, I've been having everyone sign it, and I took it to Gobrena to sign. While she was writing a letter to me in it, she started to cry. Oh man, then I started to cry. Then we were just hugging each other and crying. I'm going to miss her so much. Lot's of people have signed it so far, and the things they have written about me has made all the hardships of the last seven months completely worth it. One little girl wrote, "I remember when you helped me write my talk. I will always remember that. I love you." Another person wrote, "Your smile always brightened my day and whenever you are around, I have to laugh at your jokes." Now, I don't say these things to brag or to make myself seem like a great missionary (because I'm not), but I finally feel like this last seven months have been completely worth it. There was so much more written and said to me in the last few days that has touched my heart in so many ways. I am sad to leave Linstead, but I will always come back to this place to see these people. They have left many, "footprints on my heart." 

Well, it's time to turn over a new leaf. It's time to work harder, be better, do more. I have learned so much here, now it's time for me to take what I've learned to Junction, and add on to my knowledge. I am excited to start fresh and become a consecrated missionary. I realize now that you can't just expect to be a good or even great missionary all at once, it takes a lot of time and trials to shape you. I realize that I probably won't become the best missionary until the day I leave this mission. Line upon line, precept upon precept. 

How grateful I am for this opportunity to serve Heavenly Father and His children. I use to think the phrase, "lose yourself in the work" was cheesy and overused, but as I was reading in Mattew 16:25, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." 

Blessings,

Sister Pitt

After Church

Brother Dailey

Carb Overload, But Look, Spaghetti!

Georgia's Baptim Day!

Chilling With Bryan!

My Dear Gobrena!

Psalm 41

Sadie Is Crazy

Sister Coleman And I!

Spiritual Prozac

Brother Walker quote of the week:

"Sister Pitt, I'm pretty sure you are part negro."

In America we are taught to say, "please and thank you." We are taught that men should open doors for ladies. Welp, not here in Jamaica. So many times has a guy cut in front of me and pushed me to get through a door. So many times someone has said, "Give me that." It's funny too, because Jamaicans can sense when you have manners, because they try to walk all over you. Thank heavens I know how to be slightly rude while smiling at the same time. Hopefully I don't bring any of these traits with me home. 

Something I really pondered on this week is Satan. Yeah, weird that I've been thinking of the master of all evil, but there is a reason for it. First of all, I realized that Satan is more aware of the atonement than any of us are. Satan can testify to God's power, because he is constantly fighting it. Satan understands that light always triumphs over darkness and that once there is a glimmer of light, we have hope. Satan believes in forgiveness more than we do, because he sees it happen every day. That is why he works so hard to tempt us. Satan will do everything he can to lead us by a string and eventually drag us down to hell, once those strings turn into chains. Yet, nothing is more powerful than Christ offering himself up as a sacrifice. Christ literally breaks those chains that bind us. I started reading the New Testament, and in Matthew when the Devil is tempting Jesus to turn a stone into bread, to save himself, and to receive the riches of the world, Jesus doesn't even bat an eye. He simply dismisses the thought. The devil even says, "IF thou be the Son of God." He uses 'If' to try to make Jesus wonder if he really is the Son of God. Satan uses doubt, fear, inadequacies and sorrow to trap us. 

Overall, it was an alright week. I'm not going to lie, it was rough. Sometimes it gets tough. Is it so bad that when I asked an investigator, "How do you feel about what we taught you today," she said, "I guess it's true," I just didn't even believe her. The spirit just wasn't there. Maybe I over analyze things. Maybe I'm waiting for some amazing spiritual manifestation, but working with investigators is so hard, when they are not prepared. I'd rather spend my whole mission working with a few prepared people than talking to those who just want to debate or talk to a white person. Argh. I'm letting negativity and doubt creep in. Remaining positive all the time takes its toll on you. I guess the thing that keeps me going is prayer and the scriptures. I like to call them spiritual prozac.

Keep me in your prayers. Keep these stubborn Jamaicans in your prayers.

Love, 

Sister Pitt

Sometimes Jamaicans Don't Smile In Pictures

Mr Thomas Is A Stylish Dude!

The Lost Boys

 

Toshi!

'Mormon Helping Hands'

I've been eating healthy everyday, so I decided to reward myself with a treat. I bought a box of Peanut Butter Captain Crunch. I was going to space it out, instead I ended up eating all of it, in one sitting. You all should be extremely impressed. Next time I'll just buy a Snickers or something. 

We participated in a 'Mormon Helping Hands' service project this last week. The members in our branch, and us missionaries went and cleaned up a basic school. Of course I helped, but somehow I ended up playing tag with two little boys. They kept yelling, "YOU CANT CATCH ME, NANANANANA!" So, of course I had to get them. They were egging me on. Anyways, it turned into a full on battle and they started pretending to shoot me. They even tackled me to the ground. It was really funny. Children, no matter what race, nationality or upbringing, are the same all over the world. They just want to have fun and play. Reminds me of the scripture which talks about becoming like a little child to enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

Halloween was this last week, except they don't celebrate it here. Many reasons for that. Main reason is that they believe it's a devils holiday. The second reason is that it is way to dangerous to be out at night in certain areas. The third reason is that all the candy that would be collected by kids would be being sold on the streets the next day. haha Anyways, I pretty much forgot about Halloween, until Sister Savage texted us in the morning. 

We had a family home evening with the Wallace family, in our branch, this last week. It was really fun. We played this game that I made up called keep the commandments. I wrote down a lot of funny commandments on strips of paper, and you had to keep them by doing what they said. "Thou shalt sing a Bob Marley song and dance around like a Rasta." "Thou shalt sing the Jamaican national song while doing jumping jacks." ect... It was really funny, and we had a nice lesson about doing what the Lord wants us to do. 

WE NEED NEW INVESTIGATORS. We are going through a dry spell. I guess it's mainly my fault. I've been too relaxed on certain things lately. I need to really be trying to get referrals, and be a good example to Sister Coleman. As bad as this sounds, I'm just so tired of Linstead. haha, I can't wait to get to a new area. I'm going to work as hard as I can to leave this area better than I came to it though. (That is if I leave, which I assume I will, I've been here forever...) I beat myself up a lot about things, especially when the numbers are not great and stuff. I need to focus more on serving and loving. I need to do so many things better. 

So, the Elders are teaching a girl named Shakear, and the story of her is really funny. She is a Sunday School Teacher at her church, and for the past year, she has been teaching lessons out of our churches Gospel Principals book. That reminds me of this other story some elders had. They gave this guy a Book of Mormon, and he liked it so much he started preaching with it at his church. (He was a preacher). Funny stuff happens in Jamaica. 

Yesterday, Sunday, was a great day. It was fast and testimony meeting. Everyone that bore their testimonies said good things! Bryan bore his testimony! It was awesome. Bryan is amazing. He is such a good example to me. Since his baptism, he has faced so many trials, yet he doesn't complain. If he has no money, he walks to church. The distance is like from Velzy Land to Kahuku. Bryan is always the first one at service projects. He pays his tithing when he gets odd jobs. He passes the sacrament each week. I just love him. I'm a better person because I know him. I wish other people had an eternal perspective like Bryan. The other day (November 1st), he proudly exclaimed, "I've been baptized for five whole months!" It made me reflect to his baptismal day. Oh how sweet a day that was. SO much joy. 

Anyways, this last week was great. Every week is great. I saw this nice little poem the other day, and it caused some serious reflection:

"His precious blood He freely spilt;

His life He freely gave,

A sinless sacrifice for guilt,

A dying world to save."

Oh, I love Jesus. SO MUCH. 

-Sister Pitt

Family Home Evening

Bryan is a Boss

Creepy Drugged Sponge Bob

Ghetto Weight Lifting

Extra Finger

Mormon Helping Hands!

Elders Posing

Intense Service

My Boyfriend!

He Wanted Me To Take His Picture