Binnenland, Mud Puddles, Circumstance, and Faith

Thank you all for the ideas on my future, could I ask someone to compile them?  I don't know if that's too much. 

It was requested that we go to the binnenland (inland country) before the end of the transfer.  90% of the country of Suriname is uninhabited Tropical Rainforest.  We went to a part of the inhabited rainforest this morning.  Elder Guinn and I spent some time making plans and phone calls this week and got permission to go to the interior and we did, at about 6:30 this morning.  We drove out there with the bus, I was driving, and the Jansens in the truck and a member guide.  We took off for what we thought would be a great day.  We planned to go up there, do a hike to a waterfall, eat some lunch and then come back and be home around two.  Notice it is now 5.  

About 20 Kilometers before you reach the parking place, you begin on a dirt road.  Dirt roads in the Amazon are awesome, massive massive puddles of water.  The issue is that this water got into our engine, and about half way in the car stopped in a big puddle, not so deep that we couldn't get out, but it was stopped.  Everyone started flipping out, and wondering what we were going to do.  Our guide, who is Broeder Holman, (whose name when spoken sounds similar to my name and I kept getting confused), took out the filter, and sprayed some aerosal bug spray into the engine and got the car running again.  So, we continued deeper into the jungle.  Then we got to this big big hill, with big ruts and a very steep decline on the left side.  As we drove, the bus lost traction and slid into the rut and we got stuck.  (I'm sorry that this story isn't written in a way that is fun to read, but I'm trying to type quickly.) Now some of the Elders were getting somewhat uncomfortable.  I was loving the whole thing.  Just giggling about the entire experience, being in the middle of the jungle with one local and a bunch of white people.  It was decided that we'd ditch the bus after getting it unstuck, and walk the rest of the way to the parking lot.  I took a picture of a monkey, but have no way to send pictures.  It was a nice walk, and at the parking lot they had these crazy birds that I don't think can fly.  They are black, about as big as a chicken, and have this helmet of grey feathers.  They also have some green and purple on their neck (think male mallard).  They make noises like the sound effects on the Donkey Kong game for Super Nintendo.  By the time we got to the place, we had time to eat lunch, hike back, and go home.  We didn't really have time, because we were way late, but we did it anyway.  There was a nice lookout at the parking lot though, that was cool.

Photos stolen by VaLene without permission from Sis. Jansen's Facebook 

The whole experience really proved the point that sometimes what you planned simply doesn't happen.  But if you go about yourself enjoying it, it ends up being way more fun that what you had expected.  But I still got scared because president Gamiette told us specifically to be home before 2, but we didn't even go home yet and it's 5:40.  What a great adventure.  We have to personally fund the fuel and stuff (we have to buy the car a new filter I think). 

Must be the monkey Xander spoke of

President Gamiette tried to teach me this principle, and I've been experiencing it ever since.  This principle I will explain right now:

There are two factors, circumstance, and faith.  Circumstance can come in many forms; i.e., you were placed in a bad branch or area, you don't like your companion, the members aren't helpful, your plans fell through, you can't reach your daily goals, etc.  Now, circumstance like this is unavoidable, nothing will work out perfectly.  The choice we have is how we react.  If I get to my 5pm appointment and it falls through, and the member who was going to come bailed and everything falls to pieces, this is a bad circumstance.  This is where faith can come in.  My desires, my thoughts, and my actions if mixed together becomes my faith.  If I desire to still have a good day, I'll think about what I can do to create it, and then I'll perform in a way that brings a good day.  If my desires are to chill, or simply do mediocre missionary work, or anything like that, I'll think about those things and act accordingly.  Abraham 3:23.  God made us his rulers.  If I choose to rule the situation, I become this ruler, this creator.  If I choose to let the situation rule me, I'm wasting God's time.  I have loved experimenting with this principle all week.  

Marina is going to be baptized on the 6th of August.  I don't know how she'll get free from her chinese boss, but we'll figure something out.  I'm so glad to be seeing her progress.  Zuma taught the best Law of Chastity lesson ever on Sunday.  It's not quite as monumental as what happened with you home boys on Sunday, but I enjoyed it.  We also had Brother Chin give one of the best talks I've ever heard, he spoke about work.  How it is a principle of the Gospel.   He's been a member longer than anyone in the branch, he's also been less active for longer than anyone else has been a member.  He was ordained to be a priest last week, and is doing well.  

I'm doing very well, I'm busy but good.  I love you all a ton.  Thanks for the Birthday whatups.

-Elder Hulme

my hands hurt from typing

7/11/11

4th of July with the Jansens was gezeleg. They put up all these American flags with Dutch flags next to them. There was one that looked like a tattoo that a man on a Harley would possess. Zr Jansen made us hamburgers, and really they were top 3 of the best hamburgers I've ever had, not very American at all though. They take good care of us, and I'll be eating there on Thursday for lunch :). It's nice being with the car, because they are always needing us to come over for one reason or another, so we have more interactions with them than normal. Their grandson is going to be here for the next 3 weeks. He's 16 and is doing what's called a mini mission. He's here working with a pair of elders for two weeks, then he'll spend a week with only the Jansens. It sounds like a pretty good gig for a well behave 16 year old. I think at that age for me, I wouldn't have enjoyed it very much.



Oh, If you ever see Ande's chocolates that are the crunchy toffee flavor, don't be fooled, they are awful, and cost 11SRD.

Pres. Gamiette flew in Wednesday night, and we picked him up Thursday morning for zone conference. Our portion was shortened down to 20 minutes because he wanted to talk more about planning, then it got shortened again to about 8 minutes. It was pretty easy, and we only covered one topic. Pres. Gamiette is brilliant, absolutely the best teacher I've ever encountered. He ended up teaching basically the whole experience. But the real treat came from my interview. One on One with him for about 45 minutes, it was super. I expressed concerns about how long it's been since I've baptized, and he said that if I begin teaching better, contacting better, and repenting more, "we'll see if you don't baptize" the whole experience gave me a lot of hope, and drive to do better. I never have enough time to study and ponder all the things that seem necessary to study and ponder.

We talked to Ruben Saturday. He explained how the Book of Mormon gave him nightmares, and how he believes that it is not of God but of man. He gave the book back and asked us not to return. This blew me away. I was so bummed. We now have 0 families to work with again. We've got to find a whole new teaching pool. We have one girl with a baptismal date for August 6th. I think she'll make it, she's best friends with Zuma, and we think they should get married. Zuma will put his papers in in a few weeks, I'm so happy for him. I was a bit bummed to learn that the only Suriname missionary now is Elder Hoepel, and he goes home the exact same time I do. He'd be returning to be in this branch too, we've only got one returned missionary in this branch, and that's Ritchi Bishesar, and he still needs to finish his mission. Ritchi is good though, his younger brother is also working on his papers, we just need to help him fill them out.
One of the areas, Wanica, is District leadered by my old companion Elder Bytendorp. I learned a lot of good things while working with Elder Bytendorp. It's his last transfer, then he goes home in the middle of August. I'll be eating lunch at Burger King with him in about 35 minutes.

It's interesting reading from the BoM and seeing how closely even missionaries, servants of God can follow the Nephi, Sam, or Laman and Lemuel pattern. There is:
Yes of course, I don't know how but I will do it.
Ok, I'll try
That's going to be hard.... I don't know... Whose Idea was this?



I try to never assume that I'm out of the range of being in these categories.

I used to sleep on my side or stomach. I hit the bed so hard now, that I lay down on my back to wait a little while to cool off before I get under my blanket, and wake up when the alarm goes off not having moved at all.
Thanks for all the birthday love
-Elder Hulme

4th of July

This last month is nothing but a blur.  This week has been lovely, we've been able to sleep in until 6:30am almost every day.  We went over to the Jansen's to double check all the stuff for the ability of the missionaries to stay in Suriname, and everything turned out fine.  I don't really know what happened, but the mean voice lawyer called me because I had sent an email to Pres. Ricks in the Mission Presidency, who forwarded my email to the lawyer.  They got everything worked out and we'll continue missionary efforts in Suriname. 

We'll be going to the Jansen's again today, to have a 4th of July celebration, because the BBQ at the Ambassador's house isn't going to go through.  We'll eat hamburgers and have rootbeer floats and have a grand time. 

I've got now a thing that allows me to drive here in Suriname, it's good.  Driving on the wrong side of the road is about as strange as riding a bike on the wrong side of the road.  After about two weeks it feels mostly normal.  The stranger part is that you have to stay abnormally close to the lines on the inside, because I'm not accustomed to having all the excess automobile hanging off the the left of me.  Normally it's off to the right.  But,  yeah, it all gets normal after a bit of practice. 

Pres. Gamiette is coming Thursday, which is good because we need help.  Everyone is struggling and seeing little to no success in the work.  This is a massive problem because we're supposed to begin baptizing weekly.  We didn't even get to see the people we needed to this week, they were simply too busy, or out of town, or not interested anyway, and didn't get anyone who needed to be there into the church.  So now, we have to wait another week before we can baptize anyone.  It just keeps getting pushed further and further away. 

Elder Hulme and Elder Freeman

We've been teaching a man named Ruben.  He's stubborn.  He's Christian, but refuses to go to church, saying that his home is holy enough so he doesn't need anything further.  He's been reading in the Book of Mormon though, and I think he's learning bit by bit.  He, his wife and a few of his 5 children would then all be baptized.  I've set two personal goals for the last 9 months of service as a full time missionary.  They are as follows

1. Baptize every week for 12 weeks straight

2. Baptize two families, Father Mother Children

These are incredibly lofty, but I think I can do it.  I think also, that this is what the Lord expects of me. 

As I said earlier, President Gamiette will be here Thursday, we are his drivers to everywhere he needs to go.  We'll be having a zone conference and the part that Elder Guinn and I are doing is on the Doctrine of Christ, which goes a lot into unity.  The point I think we want to make is that if we do everything that President Gamiette and the Prophets ask, we'll then produce what is expected of us.  I hope that this will impact the other missionaries like it has impacted me.  It's interesting that I'm striving to be micromanaged by God and his servants, I never thought I'd do that.

Love Elder Hulme

Hiace

Zone leaders don't have any keys, they are all held by the mission president, and we borrow them as necessary (for baptisms and things).  Leadership as a missionary isn't like a calling.  My calling is as an Elder.  But when someone is called into such a position, he is just given further responsibilities within the original calling.  In place of interviews, we do exchanges, or trade offs.  Where you switch companions for a day.  The whole event is ideally an interview/training situation.

just a photo borrowed from the web.

We drive a Toyata Hiace.  It's a big 10 passenger minivan.  Driving outside America is a treat, and something many many people should experience.

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