June 20, 2011

This week was quite the adventure.  The whole zone had an awful week except for us who were in Trinidad, Kwatta who was sick for two days, and Nickerie, who just got opened up after being closed for a year.  We're going there next week for exchanges, I would suggest looking up some info about Nickerie.

Zone Leader training in Trinidad was wonderful. President Gamiette is an incredible teacher, he's so so talented.  He's also a very inspired mission president.  We'll be able to have a lot more interaction with him now with the new duties. 

Yes, it's lots of fun to travel. Trinidad accents are beautiful. They are a little bit softer than Calypso from Pirates of the Carribbean, but still great.

 

Wednesday June 15:

6am arise and work very hard the whole day.  Teach some good people and had a great time with Elders Guinn and Thompson.  Got home late, at 10.  Drove to Uitkijk to pick up Elder Van Meeteren who is now a Zone Leader in Guyana, and the two Elders he was with, Freeman and Lundgren.  Drive to Koewarisan, drop off the other two Elders and head back home with all of Elder Van Meeteren's stuff (yes that is a dutch name, but he's american). 

11:30, arrived home and began packing Elder Thompson's stuff.  We were all busy in one way or another trying to get ready for the trip.  Elder Van Meeteren realized he left his medication in Uitkijk, so they went to get that, which is about 75 minutes round trip.  At about 2am I fell asleep and woke up to our 3am alarm.  Got up and showered and put my clothes back on, then drove to the Jansen's with us all.  From the Jansen's we went to the airport, where our flight left at 6am. 

Arrived at 6:15 in Trinidad (time zone change - about an hour flight).

8:30 arrived at mission office where we were informed that we would be heading north to work until the conference that would begin at 6pm that evening.  Went and ate at Subway, and then went north.  (I had my first good experience at Subway too.  The Trinidad Subways are way better than American ones.)

6:15 we arrived at the conference late, and everyone gave the two Elders in charge a hard time.  Learned a lot until 9. 

9:30pm We went to the Elders' apartment and had to study some things for the next day, finally went to sleep at about 10pm. 

The next day, we began the conference again at 9:30am, finished at 5pm, and hopped on our plane to Suriname, got home at 1:30am, and we were up and getting ready for the day at 6:30.  Apparently, as Zone Leaders, sleep is optional. 

The whole experience was great.  President Gamiette taught us about how we can take weaknesses to the Lord to make them stronger Ether 12:27,37 and 2Corinthians 12:5-10.  It was good talking to a lot of these great missionaries.  Apparently, Elder Lake did come to fix me, but also to train me to be a zone leader.  Nobody knew about it though, not even him. 

Elder Guinn and I are glad to be working together again.  One tricky part will be that we both get very very sleepy when it's hot, and likely will have a few funny experiences falling asleep in lessons.  I don't think it'll stop the progression of people though.

We saw a moon bow the other day, I think Tuesday night.  The moon had a big rainbow around it.  It was way nice looking.  I took a picture, but it's awful.

I like this area a lot, and am glad to be here again.  Have fun in Powell. I'm a bit jealous honestly.  I love you all.

Elder Hulme

Sad Goodbye, Bright Future

After church, we had a zone conference with the mission president's first councilor.  Then drove everyone around until 6pm, then talked to people on the street for an hour, and then went and taught Tony, who missed church, but still could get baptized in the short future.  Me, Elders Lake, Baker, Guinn, Thompson, Norton and the new one, Pedersen all stayed in my first Suriname house, Topibolaan, where I will now be living.  I'll be working again in my first area.  
We went to bed at 1:30 Sunday night/Monday morning, woke at 3, then went to the airport.  Said goodbye to Elder Lake at 4, drove home and slept from 5-6:30.  Then drove people all over until now, 5pm, plus, I got a haircut.
Elder Lake went to Trinidad, and will stay there until Thursday, and be home Thursday night.  I am back together with Elder Guinn who has been in Munder for the past 4 months.  Elder Baker and Elder Badoni will take over Blauwgrond.  I'm really quite bummed to be leaving Blauwgrond and the people there.  I was really enjoying seeing them progress.  I just hope I can keep all the good habits that I begun with Elder Lake.  Hopefully drop the bad ones too.
This week we watched the long Joseph Smith movie with Zr Devredis.  It was an enjoyable spiritual experience.  If you haven't watched that, I'd recommend it.  We watched it at Zr. Salik's house.  They are friends and are hilarious together.  They are always joking in their funny guyanese/surinams English.  Zr Devredis is having a hard time adjusting from her Catholic culture to the LDS culture, but I think she'll make it after a bit of patience and help.  Lionel is making fantastic progress.  He never ceases to be strange, but he came to JOVO (young single adults), and to church, and stayed all 3 hours unlike last time.  He's very excited to finally get baptized.  Milton is still not married, and has absolutely horrible communication problems with his girlfriend, they don't seem to ever talk.  He came to church too, and had a good experience as far as I can tell.  Brother Parabirsing was doing some fantastic fellowshipping, which is unheard of in this country.  It's unfortunate that it seems everyone dislikes one another.  One thing that really stuck out to me about the JS movie, was how much the people were their own people.  How the whole point of the church was to help one another.  That seems to be missing here, and I don't really know how to fix it.  The families rarely sit together, and almost never is it 5 out of 5 if they do.  I'll be pondering how to teach this to people.  
I love you all so much.
-Elder Hulme

Why I Want to be Guyanese

Why I want to be Guyanese
First, an Elder Hulme report on Guyanese:
Guyana is all English speaking, but it's a very different English and is not understandable unless you are familiar with it.  The people there usually have a 1st grade reading level.  Thats the usual, there are indeed exceptions.  They love playing Cricket.  They are a very mixed race culture, from India, the Interior, and Creole.  
We were referred to this Guyanese woman by Elder Thompson, so we went to see her.  She's named Anita and has a very old house that is very well inhabited - something like 15 people live in this 4 bedroom home.  The front room has 2 couches and 5 beds just thrown in the middle of it.  It looks and smells like nothing has ever been cleaned.  There was the cutest little girl in the world there.  She had the shiniest eyes.  Anita was very glad to see us and was very accepting in hearing about Joseph Smith and stuff.  At the end of the lesson, they brought us some crackers and Coke which was very nice especially seeing how poor the situation is there.  We talked with Anita's 25 year old daughter who is currently 10 and a half months pregnant.  She has a massive belly, and is actually the mother of the cute little girl.  Anita was describing how her daughter would be going in for surgery to deliver the baby.   She described it so;  "They'll have to go in there and pull the ching."  Pull the ching is roughly translated as "remove the baby."  So we had Elder Baker say a closing prayer and pray that they ching pulling would go well and that the baby would be healthy.  After we left we decided that Pull the Ching would be a great name for a ska band.  And that is why I want to be Guyanese.
The other band name we've come up with comes from Elder Baker's favorite weather situation "Clouds Without Rain."
Lionel finally came to church!!! It was great and he loved it.  We went over to his house and were talking with him.  He stopped and got a deep look in his eyes and said "er zijn vele autos in deze buurt." (there are a lot of cars in this neighborhood) Then later as we discussed the Holy Ghost, he stopped mid sentence to mutter under his breath "Ik moet en goude ring met en witte steen vinden." (I must find a gold ring with a white stone) Upon reflection within the companionship, he's still way weird.  It's not that he's bad or anything, just incredibly strange.  But he bore his testimony about JOVO which is the young single adult program.  I liked hearing him talk about how much he liked it.  Zr Devredis however was not so cool and didn't show.  Hopefully everything is ok, we haven't seen her since Saturday.  Melton works from 7pm to 7am Saturday night/Sunday morning, we're still not sure what to do about that.  
We did find a new family to teach, family Tandool.  I'll keep you updated.  
I feel like I've been typing forever.  Bike wars is still good.  I think it would have been a lot of fun in Little Red Riding Hood.  We went into the city today.  Elder Lake needed some gifts for his home boys.  By home boys I mean family.  We then went to the Jansens for lunch and a final get together in honor of Elder Lake.  
I've lost my personality.  I've got some sort of mid-life crisis where I don't know who I am anymore.  So now I get to choose whom I will become.  It's a big choice.  Could I get everyone brainstorming ideas of what I could/should do when I get home, so that I can make a decision before winter so that I can get any university applications in before it is too late?  Please, thank you.  
I may not have a personality anymore, but I still love you.  
-Elder Hulme

Bike Wars

Elder Lake or Elder Baker

It's been raining a ton.  Luckily we've been driving around all day so I'm nice and dry inside the cyber.  I fixed my bike, then Elder Lake's then Elder Bakers.  It was fun, and we've all got well working bikes now.  We played soccer this morning, I'm not a very good player, and it was super slippery, which made the whole experience muddy.  Now our house is muddy because we had 9 people getting ready for the day there.

Elder Hulme and either Elder Lake or Elder Baker (he didn't tell me!)

News from this week.  We got a new Elder in Suriname, who will be working in Kwatta with Elder Norton.  Elder Baker has joined up with Elder Lake and I.  It's been crazy.  The first day we were together, we taught 12 lessons.  A good day you usually teach 6, bad day is usually like 3 or 4.  But we got 12 on Friday.  Then we all relaxed a ton, and weren't able to match it since.  It's nice working with Elder Lake.  And it's nice working with Elder Baker.  But with the 3 of us, the amount of time spent messing around has increased drastically.  Study time is filled with more stories, and planning time is a disaster.  

In French Guiana to renew Visa (Photo copied from Elder Tullis' website) 

We've instituted a new game(it's not a game though, it's a way of life).  It's called bike wars.   The idea is that you make the other two people fall off their bikes.  There are two ways to get someone out.  1) get them to crash or put their foot down.  2) if they run into you or your bicycle.  You are allowed to hit each other with your shoulders.  You are allowed to run people into the river(I nearly got Elder Lake into a big nasty one, but then was merciful and didn't finish him).  You are allowed to double team.  The game (way of life) stops when cars are coming.  Nobody has crashed yet, we are anxiously awaiting that day.  Mom, you should implement bike wars into Little Red Riding hood.  

Downtown French Guiana (Photo copied from Elder Tullis' website)

We've got 3 good investigators.

Lionel, who is the oddest investigator I've ever had.

ZR Devredis who is still stubborn.

Melton, who is way cool, has a massive girlfriend and a little kid.  He's quiet and works security.  He's also an Indian (not of India but of South America) and thinks the Book of Mormon is wonderful, which it is.  We've got to explain how you need to use Saturday to get ready for Sunday with Melton and Lionel, because they both missed church yesterday.  

I've realized that teaching is so incredibly hard, and I'm not very good at it.  I sometimes think it would be better to just teach the lessons like the olden days, just so that my investigators would be taught well and stuff.  But instead, they receive my personal teaching which is always custom tailored to them but not as clear or powerful as it could be.  I'll be working on that a lot, and studying about it.  If you look at statistics, the written lessons bring far more convert baptisms. As Elder Holland explains, Preach My Gospel was designed to convert the missionaries.  So I use Preach My Gospel as much as I can, and do my best to allow myself to be converted.  My redeemer lives.  

-Elder Hulme

May 23, 2011

We've had a great week, lots of good things happened.  It rained every day, so we've been nice and wet.  I got your package! Thanks so much.  Those Trader joes powerberry dipped things are wonderful.  And gone already.  It was strange receiving a wedding invite to Joey's wedding! That's the first reception I'd ever really want to go to...  it's over now though.  I haven't seen Grandma's package yet. It's probably just sitting in Surpost for no reason - the people there are lazy. 

As far as me saying funny stuff in Dutch, I'm sure I do all the time.  This week I confused a man a lot.  I told him he had a nice looking poncho(I was soaked to the bone at the time. He explained how he got it from his work at the water purifying center near the city.  I misunderstood and heard that he sold them at his water place in the city.  I told him that we'd try to come by on Monday to pick 2 up, and walked away.  He stood there with a confused look on his face for a minute and then went back to fishing.  Elder Lake explained what it was that he had said.  Sometimes I forget to actually hear what people say, and I just assume I already know what they will say.

I fixed Elder Lake's bike this morning, we had to replace the entire bottom bracket and cranks.  Fixing bikes here isn't as fun as it is in a bike shop.  It takes tons more time because you never have the right tools or parts or anything.  After a little bit of bashing the bike with a hammer, I got it together and it works beautifully.  The problem is that I still need to overhaul my back hub and replace my grips.  I guess I'll have time tonight probably.  Elder Lake is great to live with, he likes cooking sometimes and makes tons when he does cook.  I feel bad though because with how much food he makes, I never need to make anything.  I try to make up the difference by making his bed or ironing his shirt and stuff.  It's so strange that three weeks from today his mission will be over.  He'll be boarding a plane to Trinidad, then to Miami, then to Fort Whatever Texas and then to SLC International.   This transfer is going by too fast. 

ZR Devredis is coming along great, yesterday she had to save some Portuguese people from getting thrown out of the country, so that was a bummer because she missed church, but she's progressing still.  We're going over there Wednesday with the Jansens to try and whoop her butt into shape even faster.  We're hoping to get two baptisms before Elder Lake leaves, so we'll see how it goes.  Lionel is sliding backwards, he was being rude on Saturday, and bailed out on the YSA activity and church.  Those three things combined we may be dropping him after the next appointment.  We went to ZR Hek's house(an old member from 2 years ago who only speaks Surinams) with the intention of baptizing her daughter, and/or reactivating her grandson who is missionary aged.  Elder Lake had the Hiccups and Zr Hek offered to pray for him.  She offered this super baptist prayer and asked that he'd be healed.  His hiccups ceased immediately.  We laughed pretty hard, realizing that she was more faithful than we assumed. 

There is this Korean restaurant I want to eat at today, Elder Lake wants to go get a steak.  I think either way will be tasty, but I'd definitely take the Korean place over a steak place.   Zr Devredis gave us some Tamarind cookies she makes for a living.  They weren't cookies, and weren't all that good.  It was more like a big smarty that didn't taste like a smarty but like Tamarind.  There is this other crazy fruit here called Mope' it makes really tasty juice, I think I'd prefer Markoesa juice or Mango Juice, but Mope' is unobtainable in the states as far as I know.  They also have this one called a Zuurzaak.  Sour pocket.  That makes good juice too.  We've got tons of bananas freezing for smoothies and milkshakes right now.  Bananas, coconut milk and pineapple makes good flavors. 

We make a good team you 5 and I. 

Love you all lots

-Elder Hulme

Easter Here is Huge

Easter here is huge, but it's quite cheapened when you see everyone just taking a 4 day long vacation, and nobody really doing any Jesus things.  We saw bunches of Hindu and Muslim kids lighting fireworks though, that was celebratory.  And we got to sing that one hymn that I like, Christus is Verezen nu!

Today we ate lunch at the Salijo's again.  It was good, but I wonder if the people who live here their whole lives ever get sick of eating the same food every single day.  I think I would, luckily we make our own food too, so it's more varietiesly.  

Thanks for the ring! That was quite the experience, having 14 20-year-olds all in a room balling their heads off.  The 40 day fast was great, we all grew a little closer and had a good follow up meeting about it, everyone was enlightened I think. 

Elder Bytendorp talked to a man last week that really wanted a Book of Mormon, so we were trying to get a hold of him, and I took this picture of Elder Bytendorp.  I thought that that particular sunset was really cool.  

The guy ended up blowing us off 3 times and I don't think he'll be receiving a book.  That's super frustrating about Surinamers, they tell you a time to come over, and then aren't there.  This happens at least daily, and usually many times a day.  I guess they just aren't used to appointments.  Friday we showed up to two different people who asked us to come over at a specific time, we changed our whole schedule to do it, and then we show up and they were taking a nap.  That's one thing about Suriname too, if someone is taking a nap, it is a federal offense to wake them.  I think I'd appreciate that, but then you get through your whole life and realize all you did was sleep.  

I went on exchanges with Elder Guinn on Wednesday.  We had lots of fun, knocking doors in the richest neighborhood in Suriname, and just talking and laughing.

We taught Zr Parni about tithing.  It was a disaster.  She had no clue that tithing was a commandment.  We tried explaining it using the scriptures, but the whole situation was just spiraling out of control.  Then after  the closing prayer when both Elder Bytendorp and I assumed that she was going to never come back to church, she reviewed the law of tithing one more time, and understood most of it and accepted it.  It was an absolute miracle. 

I've still never crashed my bike as a missionary, I feel like I'm getting left out of the club or something, everyone else seems to crash.  

Love you bunches

-Elder Hulme  

I Don't Much Care for Thieves

We had a rough week, we got dropped by just about every one of our investigators. They said they don't want to get baptized and stopped all progress.  This didn't happen with Karta however, because we haven't even been able to see them since last Monday.  I had a few bike problems which were tricky to solve due to the lack of parts here in Suriname.  I couldn't get tubes for my bike, it was a joke.  Luckily it worked out in the end.  I think the worst part about the whole week was that my face broke out. I had a zit on my neck right on the collar and it hurt incredibly. 

Elder Hulme and Elder Bytendorp drinking Cocos

Timothy swinging a hak mes (chop knife) through the air to cut open a coco

This week we get to find all new families, which isn't all bad.  We can be at least assured that we aren't wasting time with people who won't progress.   I just want to be assured that my service is actually helping people, because it usually seems that the people see us as an irritant.  Hopefully that's not the case always.  The tough part is that if we were teaching pleasing doctrines, people would be all over it, but we're called to teach truth.  Once you start living according to truth it is pleasing, and brings that fruit that Lehi was so excited about. 

"Octopus flavored chips aren't as good as you'd assume"

The tulip farm is very Dutch looking.  Cool thing about tulips and the name thereof.  Tulp is the word in Dutch.  The tricky part is that in Dutch you roll the L's and the R's.  The R is similar to spanish how the r's are rolled.  The L's are stranger though.  Think of the word milk.  Dutch says it Melk, but it's pronounced more like melluck.  Tulip is similar, the Dutch word is Tulp, but pronounced Tuh-lip. 

Today, we were playing Ultimate Frisbee as a zone, and some guy raided our stuff.  Our phone got stolen.  Also Elder Lundgren's wallet and watch.  Then to top it all off, Elder Bytendorp's bag.  The bag itself has lasted through his entire mission until this morning.  In it was his Dutch triple and Bible, his glasses, camera, new pen, flip flops, all sorts of stuff.  Poor guy.  I don't much care for thieves really.  We got a new phone from the Elders in Uitkijk, since they had an extra.  Preparation day is always too short.  After email today, we're headed to the city to see if we can get Elder Bytendorp's old glasses fixed, get some pants made for me, and eat lunch with Elders Guinn and Badoni at the Pannenkoek house.  They make super fancy super Dutch pancakes (hybrid of a real pancake and a crepe) and then we were going to see if there is a tailor who will take fat ties and trim them into skinny ties.  Good luck right?

Much love, Elder Hulme