Happy to be Staying in St Vincent

 This week wasn't the best. We struggled to meet with our appointments and to find back-ups the entire week. We weren't very effective in our finding efforts either. It didn't help that we were short a couple of days either, but we did our best, and will pray that the Lord will help us have more success this week. We do have a few great new investigators that we met recently and were able to teach this week, so there is something good that happened. I am trying to improve each day and think of ways that we can change our approach to be more effective. I am learning that we simply have to trust in the Lord and do our very best even when things don't go as planned. 

I was happy though not entirely surprised to hear that Sister Bennie would be serving together again this transfer. The new transfer starts on Wednesday (my 4th!) I am glad to be serving with her, she is a great missionary and a wonderful daughter of God; I love her! We are still getting along great and will be happy to serve together as long as possible. 

So I heard that we will be having Zone Conference in St. Lucia this transfer. That will be a good experience, though I was excited to go see Barbados and to be with all of the Sisters there. I'm sure it will be nice to even see two other sisters though, as well as Sister Mehr and President Mehr. 

We were really sad not to have been able to watch any of Conference yesterday due to not having internet connection. We think that the big storm on Saturday night may have knocked out the internet in the area. I guess the Elders were able to watch some of it in Kingstown, but Sister Bennie and I didn't know they got the internet back on, so we hope to have the opportunity to see it later on. We were really looking forward to watching Conference. It is one of my favorite times of year to hear the words of the prophet and apostles. I am grateful to have seen the Saturday sessions, however, and will look forward to getting the Liahona with the talks if nothing else. 

I love you lots! 

Sister Bratt

P.S. - HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON FRIDAY MEGHAN!! LOVE YA!

Storms & Tremors

We will be in St. Lucia next week for zone conference. That will be a good experience, though I was excited to go see Barbados and to be with all of the Sisters there. I'm sure it will be nice to see even two other sisters though, as well as Sister Mehr and President Mehr.  I'm excited for the little mini vacation (lol). It will be a long, but good couple of days. 

This week was a bit better than last week. Sister Bennie and I gave two of the talks on Sunday. It was an interesting day, because we got a lot of rain which kept people from church. When we got there there were only about 15 people there (5 of which were the branch presidency and the elders). A few more showed up, but we decided not to have our other meetings since both of the Sunday School teachers weren't there, and there were so few people. We did end up having a short relief society with the 6 sisters there while the kids practiced for the primary program in a couple weeks. It was an interesting day. The other two branches had really low attendance as well. Was there a hurricane or tsunami somewhere? I heard that may have been what caused all the rain; plus there was apparently a tremor the other night around 10 or so, but I was sound asleep. Sister Bennie felt it, but didn't know if she imagined it until she heard other people talk about it. 

We are trying our best to avoid getting sick. There is a flu going around that I would prefer not to get. I am taking vitamins and airborn to keep my immune system up, so hopefully it helps.

I love you all,

Sister Bratt

Standard of Excellence

As a zone we have been working to make our "Standard of Excellence" for the categories of member lessons, referrals, and member referrals taught. We decided to give ourselves a bit of an incentive and say that if we make our goal for 2 out of 3 of them, then we get to go to Bequia, one of the Grenadine islands that is closest to us. If we get all three, then we get to have t-shirts made to wear when we go to Bequia. We made the challenge about 2 weeks ago, and the past two weeks haven't been the greatest. We haven't made our goal either week. So this week we will be striving to work extra hard and be extra diligent so that we get to go to Bequia on the 30th. 

Our investigators weren't able to meet with us Thursday or Saturday for our scheduled appointments, but they did come to church on Sunday which was great! Plus, they brought his younger brother with them! So things there are still going well. 

The Elders in our branch had a baptism this past Saturday (the day Kaden was born!). Two investigators were baptized, as was an 8 year old from our branch whose parents and older sister are all baptized already. It was a really cool experience to see all of them baptized one after another. They were all very excited; especially one of the investigators. She has been coming to church off and on for over 5 years and her two teenage daughters were baptized about that long ago. Due to certain things in her life, she hasn't been able to be baptized even though she had the desire and a testimony of the truthfulness of the church. Finally things in her life fell into place so that she was able to be baptized, and it was amazing to see the joy that she radiated. She definitely appreciates the experience even more because she had to wait so long for it. 

Did I tell you that I live with Buddy the Elf? Haha! Sister Bennie is a bean pole yet she eats chocolate syrup on her pizza (and basically anything else; see pictures for proof), soda in her cereal, and thinks that ice cream, chocolate, soda, and pepper sauce go with anything. She is so lucky that she gets to eat like that and not gain a pound! It makes it hard for me to not gain weight with her eating all that, but I love her anyway! I'm trying to eat healthy and exercise, but I can't seem to keep my weight under control no matter how hard I try. 

So I don't know if the pictures will load today, but we met a cute family with three little girls (4,6, and 11) who are obsessed with playing with our hair. One of them calls me mom, and even the mom loves us. She is lonely I think and likes the company. She taught us how to make pilau, a local rice dish, as well as frying us up some french fries and hot dogs and making up homemade passion fruit juice, the first time we went over. They are really sweet. 

So I had a pretty nasty fall the other day. We were going up to a house to call inside and contact, but I stepped off the path to let Sister Bennie and the member who was with us pass, and ended up on top of a cinder block that wasn't very stable. It ended up toppling over and I fell, in the process scrapping my shin on the block pretty good. I posted some pictures I think, but if not they will go on next week. It isn't as bad as it looks really. At first I didn't even know it was scrapped I was just muddy. Then I cleaned it off and it started bleeding so I went to a nearby members house and cleaned it with peroxide. Don't worry though, Sister Bird, as well as various members, are taking good care to make sure I am re-applying peroxide and neosporin. It will be better in no time! 

Love you all,

Sister Bratt

   

Wonderful Investigators

We had the wonderful opportunity on Tuesday this week to extend a baptismal date to one of the amazing families we have been teaching. They are a great married couple with two children ages 11 and 2 that will be a great addition to our branch when they are baptized on October 12th if all goes well. They have been able to feel the difference in our church that they have never felt in any other church they have attended. The husband has never had the desire to join a church or even to attend one before, but he is now desiring to come to church to feel the Spirit he has felt there, and to be baptized as well. I have had the opportunity to see the great change that has come over him in the past few weeks as we have been teaching them, and I am so excited for them as they make this right step that will bless their family abundantly. The husband's sister is a member in Kingstown branch so they have a strong connection to the church through her example. I have seen that the adversary is working overtime to keep them from making this important step in their lives. However, I know that they can make it through whatever he throws at them. They are very strong as they help each other to progress. I know that the Lord will help them to accomplish their righteous desires.

Love you all,

Sister Bratt

                                               Sister Bratt loves to take pictures of the animals 

                                                she sees in St. Vincent. I knew Corn would 
                                                  appreciate these pics.          

New Companion ~ Sister Bennie

Sister Bennie is doing great. We had a really successful week this week, and all the investigators and members love Sister Bennie. We met a great family, the women is married to...or dating I'm not sure, a man from Guyana! We haven't met him yet, because he is a police officer and is busy a lot, but we feel like this family has great potential. We taught her about eternal families and she was really interested. She has two little girls and they are really cute. Family is definitely important to her, so the gospel will truly bless their lives. 

 I am getting to be a great driver from learning to drive here! I don't think I'll have any more problems in the States when I get home, so insurance shouldn't be a problem, haha. I am more alert when I drive now and can back up and use my mirrors really well!

As for shopping, it was alright. We didn't find too much, but sister Bennie did buy a couple of really cute skirts and one shirt. It takes a lot of hunting to find anything good here. There are just little shops in town like you might find on the boardwalk of a beach or something...at least it reminds me of the small shops in Ocean City, New Jersey when I went with Kristen. I almost got a skirt like the ones Sister Bennie got, but they were a little on the short side for me. I will keep an eye out though.

Well, I love you LOTS! And I miss you. How is the country doing btw? I heard Obama might start war on Serbia or something...? Keep me posted so I know whether to expect the second coming ;) Jk. 

Love, 

Sister Bratt

                                                        Finding cool abandoned mansions!

This is an abandoned building we found while contacting last week, we asked around and got different stories. The gist is that the man who built it was a millionaire con man who laundered the money or something. Eventually the police went after him and  he fled the country. After he left either the people burned it down in anger at the man, or it accidentally happened, we aren't quite sure. But it looked like it was either a hotel or a country club of some sort from the membership cards we found. It was once really beautiful, and the view from that location is amazing! Too bad they don't put something else there. 

Transfers and Changes

Well the big news for this week is that I am going into my 3rd transfer and that means that I'm training....yay! I don't feel ready yet, but apparently the Lord does, and he knows better than me, so I will have to trust him on that. Sister Crompton will be leaving St. Vincent after spending her first 7 1/2 months here. She is being transferred to St. Martin (sometimes referred to as little America by the missionaries because of it's very American feel and left hand drive cars on the right side of the roads). She feels like she is being spoiled by first serving in St. Vincent and having a really nice apartment, now going to St. Martin where there will actually be places to shop! I don't think she really minds though. She will be serving with a sister from St. Lucia, the only St. Lucian sister currently serving. She sounds a lot like Sister Forbes, the temp that Sister Crompton had before. She should do great with her. They speak some French in St Martin, so that will be interesting. Well, as for me, I will be staying here in Calliaqua and will be finishing the training of Sister Bennie from Guyana. She served her first transfer in Barbados. A lot of the missionaries who have served in Guyana know her family and say that they are great. I am sure that she is an awesome missionary and I look forward to meeting her, though I am nervous as well. I will miss Sister Crompton for sure, but I know it is for the best. I cried...A LOT at church because she bore her testimony and people were saying goodbye and all that. But that's me for ya! 

 

It is going to be interesting to have someone being trained in each of the companionships here on St. Vincent next transfer. We are going to be a very "young" island. I'm excited to work with all the new missionaries coming in. It should be interesting to see the work progress in Georgetown with two sets of Elders there. There will be 12 total missionaries here now instead of the 8 that were here just a few transfers ago. The work is truly being hastened. We got 30 new missionaries in the mission this transfer!

I hope all is well at home! I love you all

 

Sister Bratt

 

 

Thanks to Sister Bird for sharing the photos.

Sure will miss Sister Crompton!

I couldn't have asked for a better trainer!

 

The district before transfers.

 

Member Referrals Rock

This week was very good. We had big success with our member referrals. We have started teaching a member's son and he is becoming more interested each day. He was able to come to church this week and also came to the branch activity we had the day before. He really enjoys the Elders and wants to learn more about the Book of Mormon. He came hiking with us this morning as well.

We were able to have a great experience with another member's sister. We had our branch party on Saturday and then taught a couple of recent converts. After that we planned to see some of our progressing investigators, but our appointments fell through. As we prayed and contemplated about who we could see, Sister Crompton had the idea to park the car at our apartment and walk down to see one of the families we have been teaching near us and to stop at this member's sister's house on the way. As we were walking we almost passed right by her house, but the spirit reminded me to stop and it turned out to be a really cool experience. As we called up to the house, the dad poked his head out the window and said that he had just been asking if we were ever coming back to teach them again, because we hadn't been there in a week or so. It was really special to see how the spirit truly has a hand in this work as long as we are listening and worthy to receive its promptings. The lesson that followed was really great and it concluded with our investigator asking us when we could come back when usually it is the other way around.

Our last member referral that we had an awesome experience with this week was a member's brother and his wife. We have been trying to get together with them for the past couple weeks and it always falls through. Then on Sunday we stopped by and the wife was there, but the husband wasn't. So we talked with her for a while and taught her a great lesson about the gospel of Jesus Christ focusing on faith. She then was able to share with us a dream she had one night after reading from the Book of Mormon in which she was speaking with us as well as the pastor of her church. She asked in the dream why it is that our churches don't just come together since we are so similar. The pastor answered that he had been thinking about doing just that. So, whatever the intended meaning of the dream, I think it has come to her as a confirmation that this gospel is true.

You asked about rain. It does rain off and on here. We haven't been poured on more than a couple of times though while we were out. Usually we are driving or are in our apartment when it is really coming down hard, because it never lasts very long. There have been times though, like today. lol. We woke up to pouring rain outside. We had planned to hike the volcano and weren't sure whether we would still be going. But we got ready anyway, and it turned out that we did get to go. It was just foggy at first, but then after a little while it started raining pretty hard. It was fun despite the rain. I didn't mind it; I love rain. The hike was harder than I thought it would be, but it may have just been the fast pace of the Elders that made it hard. Haha. I made it to the top though, and we got to see the foggy white abyss that was the crater at the top. I posted the pictures I took. There weren't very many, because once the rain started we had to put our cameras away. The way down was a lot easier. It was funny, because one of our investigators saw us last night and heard that we were hiking the volcano. He hasn't ever done it even though he has lived here his whole life. He had to catch the van (the public transportation) to get there and it is a long way around because of routes and stops. He hiked with us and seemed to have a good time. He is pretty fit and ended up beating us all to the top.

Hope all is well for you all!

Love ya,
Sister Bratt

 

                                                            Hiking La Soufreir   (Volcano)