Kevan Kingsley Clawson's Blog, page 4

Zoyah Joseph baptism

Yesterday we had a member of record baptism at the Branch: Zoyah Joseph. She just turned 8 years old and had her baptism the same day. There were a LOT of people that came out to see the baptism, including 4-5 investigators.

Brother George, counselor to the Branch President, was honored to do the ordinance of baptism for Zoyah. It was the first time he had been given the privilege to baptize someone…and he did it perfectly! It was wonderful.

After the baptism, and since it was Zoyah’s birthday, her mother had brought a cake and some other food to share with everyone. We all sang happy birthday to Zoyah, and had a great time celebrating this special day!

Zoyah and Brother George

Zoyah, Brother George, and Sister Joseph, with other friends and family

Zoyah’s family with Sister Provsgaard and Sister Rindlisbacher

Zoyah ready to hear the birthday song!

We even had special musical numbers played by Brother Plaisimond

Terri deep into some discussion with the Sisters

 It was a great evening for all who came. The cake was great, and everyone had a fun time. Zoyah will remember this day for the rest of her life–the day she was baptized!

August District Meeting

Here are some pics of our latest District Meeting. We were being taught about making sure to teach everyone–never assume someone would not be willing to listen and accept the gospel!

Elder Clement gave a short talk during the meeting

During roll-play, Elder Monroe and Johnson pretend to be uninterested contacts being approached by Elder Lindsey and Elder  Clement. Elder Anderson sits at the table.

  Elder Monroe was making it hard for the ‘missionaries’ to get their point across!

But Elder Clement and Elder Linsey were persistent (and nice) and eventually made an appointment…

Elder Smith was greatly amused by the roll-play going on!

The roll-play created varied reactions: from putting Elder Rowley to sleep, to stunned wonder in Elder Noho, and the Sisters just sat and shook their heads….

Missionary training is necessary, and sometimes tough to do– roll-play (practice) makes perfect, although sometimes it can all go south on you… But the missionaries do their best to make it interesting and fun. We have great missionaries here. We aren’t just saying that, we have proof: the proof is in the number of contacts, lessons, people coming to church, etc. They are working hard, and having fun doing it!

Missionary Talks

We had three missionaries talk in Sacrament today: two current missionaries and one past missionary who was visiting the island!

Elder Clement, our new Zone Leader, spoke

Elder Anderson, new to St Martin spoke

Sister Crompton, a young woman who served in St Martin a few years ago and was visiting the Branch was given an opportunity to bear her testimony.

Recent Zone Conference

Here are some pics of our recent Zone Conf. let by Elder Monroe and Clement

Elder Noho giving a presentation

Elder Smith, our new District Leader

No, this isn’t a new Elder… just a new freind

Elder Lindsey giving a presentation

Elder Rowley giving a presentation

Elder Clement, a new Zone Leader, leading a discussion

Elder Monroe, a new Zone Leader, sharing some thoughts

Elders Lindsey, Clement, and Smith role-playing

Elders Rowley and Noho practicing street contacting (in French)

Elders Clement, Smith, and Lindsay practicing street contacting

Sisters P and R (Provsgaard and Rindlisbacher) enjoying the elders attempting to explain the Book of Mormon

Elder Johnson and Monroe

Zone Leaders Clement and Monroe leading a discussion

More new freinds found on a morning walk…

New Missionarys in St Martin

All of our new missionaries are finally here! Elder Anderson was the last to arrive– almost three weeks late!

Elder Noho and Elder Rowley working in Marigot on the French side of the island

Elder Lindsey and Elder Johnson working in Belvedere on the Dutch side

Elder Smith and Elder Anderson working in St Peters on the Dutch side

Elder Monroe and Elder Clement (new Zone Leaders) working in Ebenezer on the Dutch side

Senior Conference II

Here are some more pics of our time at sea– taken by the boat crew:

And yes, that is me, the deep sea diver in the flower suit[image error]

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Senior Conference in Barbados

This was a crazy week. Terri and I were scheduled to go to Senior Conference in Barbados, but there was a sick sister missionary that needed to be escorted home to Tahiti. This mixed up our plans quite a bit.

On Saturday Terri and I traveled to Guadeloupe to pick-up the sick sister, and we returned on Monday. On Tuesday Terri left with the sister on a 77 hour voyage to Tahiti. On Wedsnday I traveled to Barbados for the conference.

So while Terri was stuck on a plane for days on end, I got to enjoy good food and company, go turtle watching and snorkling, etc., witht the other senior missionaries! Ahh the luck of the draw (if it had been an elder, like last time, I would have had to go also…).

Here are some pics of my time in Barbados:

Going to and from Barbados was a long ordeal (although I can’t complain around Terri, as she was on a plane for days…). I left in the morning and didn’t get there til about 5pm. I spent a lot of time in Tortola airport

Here is our first meeting in the lower level of the mission home

The rest of the time we were in the living room. Here is Pres. and Sister Herrington giving us some instruction.

On Thursday afternoon we all went on a cruise to go turtle watching, snorkling, and to eat dinner aboard ship. We did snorkle in two spots, and saw sea turtles and ship-wrecks! The weather was great, the water was warm, and we had a good time.

Sister Neil talking to one of the crew

Pres. and Sister Herrington enjoying the sun

Elder Brady taking pics

Picture of me and Elder Brady in the front of the boat

Here is one of our snorkling spots

There were lots of other people coming to see the turtles and the ship wrecks

After the snorkling it was time for a real Caribean dinner! This is me with Sister Loche and Sister Ray who work in the mission office. Sister Brady is to the right

  

Elder Leavit and Sister Neil

Pres and Sister Herrington

 

Sister Neil, badge and all!

Pres and Sister Herrington, Elder Brady, Sister Loche and Ray

Elder Neil talking to one of the crew

       

Group shot: Sister & Pres Herrington, Elder and Sister Mills, Sister Brady, Elder and Sister Leavit, Sister Ray and Elder Brady up front, Elder Neil, Sister Loche, Elder Clawson and Sister Neil  

Friday at the mission home

At the mission office just before going to Washington’s home on Barbados

Sister Ray’s scripture bag!

Washington’s home

Dinner at the mission home, prior to testimony meeting. We DID eat well!

It was a great conference! Our last goodbyes to the couples!

Last District Meeting

Today was the last District Meeting before the transfers begin (Elder Okano and Wilson leave today).

On Monday we all ate at a local Indian restaurant 

The food was so good Elder Moux ate two meals!

At our District meeting time was given to Elder Okano to share with everyone the five most important things he learned while serving on his mission (he leaves for home today). And here they are:

Learn to use every tool the Church has provided for us to share the gospel. For example, we have the Preach My Gospel book, the Daily Planners, the various reports, the Zone Conferences, etc. All these have been provided to aid missionaries to become more effective and better at both finding and teaching investigators. Use them!
One must put forth daily effort to learn to recognize and then act on the spiritual promptings we receive from the Lord. We need to learn to recognize when and how the Lord speaks to us, and then, just as important, to act upon those feelings and inspirations that come to us. We also should write in our journals the promptings we have received so that we can learn from them.
We need to set goals to meet our expectations. If we want to accomplish something–no matter what it might be–we will obtain those things faster and with more ability if we set goals along the way to reach them.
Don’t abandon our personal agency to others. Don’t let other people decide what you should do or how you should lead your life. We must take charge of our own life and make decisions, rather than just going along or letting others, or just circumstances, decide the course of our lives, or our missions.
Use our agency and decision making to give our lives over to the Lord. Allow God to guide us. Moroni 10:32. Deny ourselves all ungodliness, and choose to follow God’s will.

Elder Moux gave a short talk and bore his testimony of the Lord.

One last group photo of our Zone before everything changes!

Back row LtoR: Elder Moux, Elder Noho, Elder Okano, Elder Stevens, Elder Ashcraft, Elder Johnson

Front row LtoR: Elder Smith (our new District Leader), Elder Wilson, Elder Monroe (our new Zone Leader), Sister Provsgaard, Sister Rindlisbacher

Today Elder Okano and Wilson leave

Wednesday Elder Ashcraft and Moux leave and Elder Linsey arrives

Thurs Elder Stevens leaves

Next week Elder Rowley arrives and the week after Elder Clement

And in three weeks Elder Anderson arrives

The travel here lately has been crazy, so the transfers are spread out instead of all at the same time.

Transfers

Well, we finally know who is getting transfered:

Elder Moux, Elder Stevens, and Elder Ashcraft are being transferred to other areas of the mission. Elder Wilson and Elder Okano are going home. So we end up losing almost half of our missionaries this time! We do have four coming in, so we will keep our contingent of Ten missionaries here on St Martin!

We will miss Elder Ashcraft! I had the opportunity to work with him on teaching appointments more than any other elder on my mission! He is a great teacher and a great missionary!

Elder Moux was our Zone Leader, and worked the French side of the island. I only remember teaching with him once, with Elder Sabin. I was so impressed with his ability to make people at ease and how powerful his testimony of the gospel was! Even in my limited French, I could feel the power of the spirit when he taught.

Elder Stevens worked the St Peters area. I never had the opportunity to work with Elder Stevens, but whenever he had the opportunity to teach in District Meeting, he was impressive. He was quiet, and sometimes went without being noticed. But every companion praised his ability to contact people on the street and get teaching appointments! And once you could get him talking, the Spirit of God just poured out of him– it was amazing to see the transformation!

We will miss all of our missionaries and wish them well in their new areas!

 

Farewell pics begin

We will be saying goodbye to two missionaries, and hasta luego to others this week as transfers are upon us. We say goodbye to Elders Okano and Wilson who will be heading home– those being transferred we don’t know yet!

Two of our elders shared their testimony at the last Fast and Testimony meeting (one just never knows if they will be the one transferred!)

Elder Monroe bearing his testimony in sacrament meeting

Elder Ashcraft bearing his testimony in sacrament meeting

The Constant’s (a member family living on the French side) invited the missionaries to lunch to say thanks (for aiding in their move) and goodbye (to anyone leaving).