Week #66 - We're Doing This Because We Love You

Hey Family!

This week was great.

We had a few people out of town all week so it put a little damper on the week. Also, we got caught in heavy rain a few times. It was usually hard enough that we had to just wait it out for 20-30 minutes until it let up a bit. 

The Samuda family is doing great still. Romario has been showing us his drumming skills and beat boxing. The dude is an 8-year-old beat genius. Plans are being made for people from the branch to bring some food and other small details but the most important part is that IT'S HAPPENING so that is super awesome and Elder Hansen and I are stoked out of our minds.

They are kind of the highlight of the week. Other than that, there are a few other people that are having trouble exercising discipline with commandments. It is difficult to change from having no sense of commitment to anything, to every sense of commitment to the most important things. These things take time, so we are going to take more of a "WE'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU" approach like Alma did to Corianton. So yeah we will see how that goes.

That's about all the interesting stuff for this week. My legs are getting torn (translation: buff) so that is a plus. Until next week!

Love, 

Elder Graham

The Tates (from Sav) and Elder Keuhn

First successful attempt at rice and peas with a little BBQ chicken medley

Week #62 - April Showers Ain't for Sissies

Hey Family!

This week went by quick as always. 

We got transfer calls Friday night this time. I am being transferred tomorrow to Junction to serve with Elder Hansen. Elder Kuehn is going to Spanish Town, Elder Riding to Linstead and Elder Simpson will stay in Sav. Yes, my area is getting white washed so someone can train here.

Sav Showers

The crazy stuff that happened was all on the weekend. On Saturday we took a trip out to a place called Belmont to deliver a special Book of Mormon with a note to the mother of a missionary serving from Sav. After we got back, we got a call from Tony (an investigator/boyfriend of a member) asking if we could come help him move a pile of stone and sand bout 100-150 feet over to the side of his house. We did as much as we could until rain started to fall and wet the sand. They fed us some awesome fry fish. While we were eating, the rainfall turned into a dang cyclone almost. It was coming down harder than I have ever seen and it would NOT let up. Finally we decided to just take the 10 minute walk home through the crazy storm. I kid you not, we were walking through rivers that flooded the streets while taking a bath in rainfall. We had to just call the day at that point. Everyone cancelled on us and the rain would not let up so we were kind of stuck in the house.

Sunday was full of signing journal writing, goodbyes, pictures and the works. Sister Lynn had her hair braided like a Jamaican for her departure home in a few days and they needed to "boil" her hair (apparently that helps straighten it back out from being in a bun??) but didn't have a big enough pot, so they just had us boil them some water and sat outside and proceeded to literally pour boiling water strategically throughout her hair. So that happened.

Anywho, I'll email next week from Junction. 

Love you!

Elder Graham

 

Sav Missionaries: Sisters Lynn, Wright and Smith
Elders Kuehn, Graham, Riding, and Simpson

Week #60 - You Get Credit for Trying

Yo Family!

Well, I called it - the week flew by like lightning.

We went up to Mo Bay for zone meeting on Wednesday. After that we had to make a traditional stop at Tutti Fruiti and snag some froze yogurt. That place is insane - super high tech. Their cash registers are like iPads connected to a machine. Everything is white and chrome inside haha it's nuts. Definitely not like the usual Jamaican stores!

We were all over the place tracking down a referral we got from a guy in the states. Since there aren't many street signs or house numbers here, it was tough, but we found him! He is pretty cool!  Elder Kuehn and I also had consecutively weird encounters with different girls around neighborhoods for three or four days in a row. Super uncomfortable but whatever.

General conference was awesome as it always is. We had a guy bring his girlfriend (and himself) for the first time. They came to the priesthood session right in time for President Uchtdorf's talk on saving marriages and stuff haha PERFECT. But a random rain storm screwed up the internet so we missed President Monson's address for the Priesthood Session. Jerome said he appreciated what they said though. Literally EVERY general conference broadcast here gets messed up by random crazy rain storms. Elder Holland’s address that wrapped up conference was absolutely amazing. Big up to everyone who is trying their best to follow Christ. YOU GET CREDIT FOR TRYING!!!

Anyway, today should be relaxing, and this week should be relatively back to normal.

Love,

Elder Graham

Week #58 - FBI and the Grahams

Hey Family!

This week was great. We are putting in work here in Sav.  Elder Kuehn is from Layton, UT - first comp from Utah haha weird right? We get along great mostly because we lived together in Yallahs - he is awesome.

We met a guy named who hasn't been to church for a long while, but used to go teaching with missionaries all the time and he is now in the process of getting contact information for a bunch of people who used to be taught in the past.  Also, someone sent a referral to us from the states and now we are in contact with the guy who sent the referral to see if we can find the dude so that is pretty exciting. It makes me feel a little more FBI-like. The referral is also a Graham so I am even more interested in finding him. Wish us luck!

Pictures will come next week of a coconut smoothie that our friend told us to make. He said it is the healthiest breakfast we will ever have.- I'll get ingredients to you if you want.

Take care!

Love,

Elder Graham

Week #57 - Flashbacks, What a Feeling (Wait, that's Flashdance)

Hey Family!

Couple changes this week:

Tuesday morning Elder Sandmaier headed out to Junction and I picked up Elder Kuehn. He is way sick (really great). We share a lot of funny flashbacks to Yallahs.  We spent the whole week just doing what we do best.

Today is just the usual. We usually go to lunch at this place called Little Tokyo, which is a not-as-good version of Panda Express.  Unfortunately I had a ton of internet problems which erased most of this email. I will get more to you next week. So sorry!

Love,

Elder Graham

Thirteen months out!

Week #56 - A Blast From the Yallahs Past

Hey Family!

This week was really good. We are seeing little miracles here.

I went on a trade-off with Elder Porter on Wednesday. We just stayed in Sav this time. He is a BOSS. We found a ton of people and I was hoping to be able to teach some people with him but unfortunately didn't get the chance. However, we talked to some guys that we went back a few days later and taught and they are sweet!! 

We are beginning to teach a lot more young men which is exactly what the church needs here. So I'm excited to keep working with these people. One kid does parkour like professionally and comes to Friday Night Activity with his parkour friends and they always are flipping and stuff. They provide some good entertainment!

We got transfer calls Saturday morning. Elder Sandmaier is going to Junction and I will be staying here in Sav and receiving Elder Kuehn! I'm excited for that - it should be a blast! I lived in the same house as him back in Yallahs. I also found out that Elder Christensen is going to be with Elder Fowkes! My son (Cody trained Elder Christensen)and my father (Elder Fowkes trained Cody) will be tearing it up in Boulevard!

The week was good. We got a lot of work done and there is a lot more happening in the area now. We will see how this next week goes!

Love,

Elder Graham

This might be my first real picture with Sandmaier... my bad!

He's tall.