Thanksgiving 2007

We came to New Amsterdam Wednesday afternoon because the ferry takes so long. We were invited to help Elder and Sister Platt with a Thanksgiving celebration for the 16 elders who are on that side of the Berbice River. We took the Platts out to dinner Wednesday night and got to know them better. They are from Canada and this is their third mission. The first was a stay-at-home mission, the second was to Mongolia and now they are here. She says they are tired. President Robison is sending them to St. Martins in March to finish their mission. That will be a big change from here.

Sister Platt made baked chicken, jello and pear salad and a pumpkin dessert. She told the elders it was pot luck and they were all to bring something. I brought fruit; pineapples, watermelons and bananas and two cakes. Dinner was wonderful. We had our stuff plus mashed potatoes, pasta salad, Stromboli, cheese cake, soda pop, and stove-top stuffing. The elders were a delight. This was the first time we got to sit and talk with them. They love Guyana. Everyone in the mission wants to be in Guyana because here is where the baptisms are. The harder it is, the more they love it. They were swapping Guyana stories and saying that they were going to have so much to tell others when they get home. Elder Fox said that the best part of his mission so far was to be sent to Crabwood Creek. It is on the Guyana/Suriname border and mostly Amerindian. He said he was excited to be the first missionary to set foot in Crabwood Creek. He and his companion found a building (shack) with four walls, two hammocks and a bucket. They had no running water, no electricity, an outhouse and they loved it. He said it was like camping and the funnest thing he’s gotten to do. In teaching the Amerindians, they are more than ready for the gospel. We heard a story from the Georgetown District President that one of the tribal chiefs in the interior, got hold of a box of Book of Mormons and they were having meetings and teaching from it. When Elder Fox was teaching last week, a woman’s mother was visiting and when the mother heard them read from the Book of Mormon, she recognized it and asked when the elders were going to come to her village. She said her husband had a book like that. They recognize that the Book of Mormon is about them. Is it any wonder that the elders love the people and that everyone wants to come to Guyana.

We were impressed with their attitude of enjoyment. What we worry about, they think is a great adventure. The tougher the better because it gives them bragging rights. As they entered the Platt’s house, they all took their shoes off like Guyanese and most of them can talk Guyanese (it’s English sort of – they do not use the pronouns him or her – I took she home. And they have idioms that take some getting used to – What shall I walk with? Means do you want me to bring anything with me?) The elders are independent and capable. They were not tremendously hungry as we expected and the food they brought was tasty and well prepared. Their mothers would be proud of them. We left a little before the elders in order to get in line for the ferry home. We were lucky and got on the second boat. Elder Langford was in heaven. There is a big ferry and a barge. This time we got to go on the barge. It is much smaller and for some reason, he really wanted to do that. I just closed my eyes.