Mon, Jan 31, 2011
Sounds like y'all are having fun. Things are going good here. We had another good but crazy week. Last tuesday for p-day we went with the elders from Port Antonio and Ocho Rios to 9-Miles, the birth place and burial place of Bob Marley. Don't ever go there. It is way out in the middle of nowhere and the tour is pretty lame and the rumors that you get to see his mummified body are not true. Not to mention there's a guy named Weedy outside the gate that scams you into buying weed. Don't worry, we didn't smoke it! It made for an exciting day.
The rest of the week went good though. On Wednesday I went to Ocho Rios to do a baptismal interview. We have a lot of good investigators right now and we've been having some good success with less actives. We found and been working with two inactive brothers that are elders. one came to church and agreed to teach young men's. We are really excited for them because they will really be a strength to the branch.
It has been fun the last couple days to teach. because of a sore throat I lost my voice for Friday, Saturday, and sunday, and it's still not all the way back. It makes it interesting to teach and lead the music in church, and teach gospel principles class, and everything else when you can't talk. For 5th sunday disscussion we talked with the members on things we could do to strengthen the branch. As of right now when church is supposed to start, there's usually only 2 or 3 people there. Even the branch president is late most of the time. Also we talked about organizing and serving in the church because no one in the branch has callings and there's no visiting or home teaching. There's a lot of work to be done, but that's what I'm here for. Our discussion was really good and hopefully effective. since our branch president is a recent convert and is so new he doesn't really know how it's all supposed to work, so we're trying to help him to get things going.
Anyway, Things are going very well for the most part. Thanks for the emails and everything.
Love you lots,
Elder Kartchner
Showing posts with label letter January 2011. Show all posts
Showing posts with label letter January 2011. Show all posts
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Hello!!!
Mon, Jan 24, 2011
Hello Fam!
This week was a little bit different than most. As you heard Elder Walker got shot last week monday. It was pretty crazy. I was really good friends with Elder Walker and his companion Elder Luke. Elder Luke is actually in my group although he didn't go to the mtc with us. He is a great guy and we had figured out that that he is related to some of my aunts. Elder Walker was 3 weeks away from finishing his mission, but now he's been called on another one. It's pretty crazy because I was serving around him about a month or so ago when his mom died. Anyway, we had a memorial service for him this morning in Spanish Town. We had the whole mission there along with members from around the island. Even Elder Coleman from the area presidency came. It was really good. Things are fine, though. Don't worry about me.
The rest of the week went really good though. We have several good investigators we are working with. One of them, Sister Kelly, accepted a baptismal date but she ended up not coming to church so I'm not sure what's up with that. Church yesterday was pretty interesting. The branch president showed up 20 minutes late to sacrament meeting. We also had some random white girl visit church. It was the first time seeing a white person at church that wasn't a missionary. crazy. Anyway, Things are going good. We are working hard. Because of Elder Walkers memorial this morning, we are having p-day tomorrow. If all goes well Elder Conder and I should be going fishing in Robins Bay with some rastas in the morning. I'm excited.
Thanks for everything, Love you all
Elder Kartchner
Hello Fam!
This week was a little bit different than most. As you heard Elder Walker got shot last week monday. It was pretty crazy. I was really good friends with Elder Walker and his companion Elder Luke. Elder Luke is actually in my group although he didn't go to the mtc with us. He is a great guy and we had figured out that that he is related to some of my aunts. Elder Walker was 3 weeks away from finishing his mission, but now he's been called on another one. It's pretty crazy because I was serving around him about a month or so ago when his mom died. Anyway, we had a memorial service for him this morning in Spanish Town. We had the whole mission there along with members from around the island. Even Elder Coleman from the area presidency came. It was really good. Things are fine, though. Don't worry about me.
The rest of the week went really good though. We have several good investigators we are working with. One of them, Sister Kelly, accepted a baptismal date but she ended up not coming to church so I'm not sure what's up with that. Church yesterday was pretty interesting. The branch president showed up 20 minutes late to sacrament meeting. We also had some random white girl visit church. It was the first time seeing a white person at church that wasn't a missionary. crazy. Anyway, Things are going good. We are working hard. Because of Elder Walkers memorial this morning, we are having p-day tomorrow. If all goes well Elder Conder and I should be going fishing in Robins Bay with some rastas in the morning. I'm excited.
Thanks for everything, Love you all
Elder Kartchner
Monday, January 17, 2011
Hey Fam
Mon, Jan 17, 2011
Things are going good. Highgate is still cool. We're continuing to work hard. we've had some success with some of the less active members. We've been working on updating the branch list. we don't have a branch clerk and it is in desperate need of updating. we've been trying to find all the members. I think we've found about 20-25 names on the list of 130 members have either moved or died and we have yet to find some. It's been pretty fun to try to put the puzzle together. Anyway, this last week I did my first baptismal interview in port antonio which was cool. church yesterday was really good as well. hope you enjoy the pictures.
Love you lots,
Elder Kartchner
Things are going good. Highgate is still cool. We're continuing to work hard. we've had some success with some of the less active members. We've been working on updating the branch list. we don't have a branch clerk and it is in desperate need of updating. we've been trying to find all the members. I think we've found about 20-25 names on the list of 130 members have either moved or died and we have yet to find some. It's been pretty fun to try to put the puzzle together. Anyway, this last week I did my first baptismal interview in port antonio which was cool. church yesterday was really good as well. hope you enjoy the pictures.
Love you lots,
Elder Kartchner
Monday, January 10, 2011
Highgate
Mon, Jan 10, 2011
Well, things are going good here. I love Highgate. We've had a good week. On Wednesday we went to Port Antonio for district meeting. the drive there is so pretty. you drive right along the coast with the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other. This part of the island is much more jungleish. Wednesday night I spent the night in Ocho Rios and drove to Kingston Thursday morning with the zone leaders for some leadership training with President Hendricks. It was really good. I got to spend the night in the mission home. It was so nice to see carpet and hot water again. The rest of the week went really well. Elder Conder and I have been teaching our behinds off. It paid off when we had one of our investigators came to church with her 3 kids as well as 2 others that came that were invited by a member. Chris Singh unfortunately missed church. we had a good talk with him yesterday about why church is so important. He is still doing ok. he has been reading a lot from the book of mormon. he could use some prayers though.
Elder Conder and I have been working very hard and teaching our behinds off. We are really trying to get the members more involved in our missionary work. Elder Conder and I simply don't have time to do everything that we want to do especially when we have to spend some time dealing with branch buisness. We got the OK from the branch president to start our Member Missionary Preparation Class on Tuesday night. This class is meant to help members understand the doctrine of missionary work, understand and explain our beliefs, give practical ideas for member missionary work, and coordinate our efforts with the members. Since we don't have any structure in the branch to work with, we are trying to work directly with as many members as we can. Hopefully we will have a good turn out and it will be effective. We are hoping to get the members motivated so that by next week we can start another class on Thursday night at the church to which we can invite investigators and encourage members to invite people to. We haven't finalized our plans for this class yet but our thought is that if we can get people to come it will be those who are prepared to hear our message. Those that come will have an immediate support system from the member that invited them, coming to the church for the class will make it easier to come back on Sunday, and those that come will be those who are interested in learning and are willing to act on an invitation. This is all part of our plan to think of different ways of how to find those who are prepared to act on our message. We'll keep working at it and see how it goes.
Thanks for all you do. Love you all, have a great week.
Elder Kartchner
Well, things are going good here. I love Highgate. We've had a good week. On Wednesday we went to Port Antonio for district meeting. the drive there is so pretty. you drive right along the coast with the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other. This part of the island is much more jungleish. Wednesday night I spent the night in Ocho Rios and drove to Kingston Thursday morning with the zone leaders for some leadership training with President Hendricks. It was really good. I got to spend the night in the mission home. It was so nice to see carpet and hot water again. The rest of the week went really well. Elder Conder and I have been teaching our behinds off. It paid off when we had one of our investigators came to church with her 3 kids as well as 2 others that came that were invited by a member. Chris Singh unfortunately missed church. we had a good talk with him yesterday about why church is so important. He is still doing ok. he has been reading a lot from the book of mormon. he could use some prayers though.
Elder Conder and I have been working very hard and teaching our behinds off. We are really trying to get the members more involved in our missionary work. Elder Conder and I simply don't have time to do everything that we want to do especially when we have to spend some time dealing with branch buisness. We got the OK from the branch president to start our Member Missionary Preparation Class on Tuesday night. This class is meant to help members understand the doctrine of missionary work, understand and explain our beliefs, give practical ideas for member missionary work, and coordinate our efforts with the members. Since we don't have any structure in the branch to work with, we are trying to work directly with as many members as we can. Hopefully we will have a good turn out and it will be effective. We are hoping to get the members motivated so that by next week we can start another class on Thursday night at the church to which we can invite investigators and encourage members to invite people to. We haven't finalized our plans for this class yet but our thought is that if we can get people to come it will be those who are prepared to hear our message. Those that come will have an immediate support system from the member that invited them, coming to the church for the class will make it easier to come back on Sunday, and those that come will be those who are interested in learning and are willing to act on an invitation. This is all part of our plan to think of different ways of how to find those who are prepared to act on our message. We'll keep working at it and see how it goes.
Thanks for all you do. Love you all, have a great week.
Elder Kartchner
Monday, January 3, 2011
Happy New Year in a New Place
Mon, Jan 3, 2011
Wow, sounds like an exciting christmas break. It sounds way too cold to me. I think I might just stay in Jamaica forever. So you got a new building? me too, Highgate's building is about the same as Old Harbour's - just a little rented space. The branch is good though. We have several really good member missionaries which helps out a lot. Elder Conder and I got to our new house Wednesday night and we decided to go visit one member. She had one of her friends at her house so we taught him. we saw him a few more times during the week. He came to church yesterday for the first time and loved it. To our surprise he walked up and bore his testimony! His name is Chris Singh and he is awesome. We're coming up with a program right now to help get members more involved in missionary work
So, high gate takes my small branch experience to another level. it is one of the smallest branches on the island. we had maybe 30 people there. There isn't much priesthood experience to speak of. we do have a few active priesthood but most of them are recent converts. a month or so ago they stopped having a missionary be the branch president and called bro. Barbagee to be the new branch president. he was baptized less than a year ago but is a great guy. elder conder and I act as his counselors in the branch presidency and have the responsibility to help train him. Yesterday I got my first crash-course lesson in running a branch. we got to write up the program for sacrament mtg, bless the sacrament, lead the music, bear my testimony, distribute the new sunday school manuals, teach a lesson, do tithing, try to organize the branch president office, and a whole lot else. At least church isn't boring (not that it ever is).
Elder conder is new but very good. he is very motivated and loves talking to EVERYONE, which is great. I'm looking forward to the rest of the transfer. high gate is very small and every one knows eachother. it is way up in the hills. I'm now walking instead of biking because the area is fairly small and nothing is anywhere close to flat. I don't think it ever stops raining up here. high gate is right on top of a big hill so the view is amazing.
Thanks for all the emails and such. love you lots.
Elder Kartchner
Wow, sounds like an exciting christmas break. It sounds way too cold to me. I think I might just stay in Jamaica forever. So you got a new building? me too, Highgate's building is about the same as Old Harbour's - just a little rented space. The branch is good though. We have several really good member missionaries which helps out a lot. Elder Conder and I got to our new house Wednesday night and we decided to go visit one member. She had one of her friends at her house so we taught him. we saw him a few more times during the week. He came to church yesterday for the first time and loved it. To our surprise he walked up and bore his testimony! His name is Chris Singh and he is awesome. We're coming up with a program right now to help get members more involved in missionary work
So, high gate takes my small branch experience to another level. it is one of the smallest branches on the island. we had maybe 30 people there. There isn't much priesthood experience to speak of. we do have a few active priesthood but most of them are recent converts. a month or so ago they stopped having a missionary be the branch president and called bro. Barbagee to be the new branch president. he was baptized less than a year ago but is a great guy. elder conder and I act as his counselors in the branch presidency and have the responsibility to help train him. Yesterday I got my first crash-course lesson in running a branch. we got to write up the program for sacrament mtg, bless the sacrament, lead the music, bear my testimony, distribute the new sunday school manuals, teach a lesson, do tithing, try to organize the branch president office, and a whole lot else. At least church isn't boring (not that it ever is).
Elder conder is new but very good. he is very motivated and loves talking to EVERYONE, which is great. I'm looking forward to the rest of the transfer. high gate is very small and every one knows eachother. it is way up in the hills. I'm now walking instead of biking because the area is fairly small and nothing is anywhere close to flat. I don't think it ever stops raining up here. high gate is right on top of a big hill so the view is amazing.
Thanks for all the emails and such. love you lots.
Elder Kartchner
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