Lindstead - 2

Linstead week 2 has been a good one. A hard one. But a good one.

I can't count the number of times I heard this before I got to Jamaica...... "Where will you be seriving?" "Jamaica" "Jamaica?! That's not a mission, that's a vacation! Hahahaha (Laughing in vain)" Missionary work is WORK. This is no vacation. My surfing time is limited to ONLY 2 hours a day. (That's a joke). Seriously thought, this is hard stuff. But I'm happy to do it. "The truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, til it has visited every climb, swept every country, and sounded in every ear" I'm SO GRATEFUL to a part of this great work and to serve the Lord and the people of Linstead, Jamaica.

Last Tuesday (I think), Elder Hall, Elder Gordon, Elder Ostrowski, and I went to a dinner appointment at Mama Davis' house. Mama Davis is in her 60s and crazy. Super nice lady though and a long-time member of the church (since 1999). She is married to a Rasta. Papa Rasta. Papa Rasta is ALWAYS high. Seriously. ALWAYS. The elders love eating at Mama Davis' because of Papa Rasta (and the food). The guy is crazy. CRAZY. He speaks HARD Patwa and just goes on rants forever. He's hilarious. He explains to us why Eve is evil. She partook of the fruit, and E-V-E. You take of the last 'E' and add an 'I-L'. E-V-I-L. Look at that. Hahaha the guy's logic is different. He explained why ganja is good for you (it's apparent by just looking at him). Mama Davis gave us all a slice of pear (avocado - they call avocado 'pear' here). Someone said 'pear', and then Papa Rasta, stands up and SCREAMS, "Dat's no pair!! Dat a single!!!" He then grabbed two slices of avocado, and said "Dis is a pair!!!" He then went on a 20 minute rant on how Americans can't pronounce anything right. He was smoking his ganja the whole time, and preparing his next joint. Funny guy. We all filmed him the whole time, and he was oblivious to it. Mama Davis fed us stew peas with chicken foot and pig tail. yum.

On Saturday, the Linstead Ward and us 6 elders performed a service project at a primary school up in Ewarton. We were there mixing cement and paving a new driveway fromt the school to the dirt road. Hard work. While we were there two white people show up acting like they own the place (pssshhh white people). Actually they were from KSL. They had coordinated this with Bishop Richardson, and they would be filiming us for a documentary about the LDS Church and service. THIS WILL BE AIRING IN BETWEEN CONFERENCE SESSIONS IN OCTOBER. Look out for me everybody. Imma be famous. It was hard work and I'm sore, but some of the sisters cooked up some fried chicken, and that makes it all better.

It's been a good week. I love it.

Elder Ritchie

pic 1 - Found this in one of our progressing investigator's garden