ELDER AND SISTER PITMAN'S AWESOME EXPERIENCES
October 13, 2011
We hope this first part won't be too boring. I promise it will get better!
We started out driving up to the MTC in our little motor home leaving it at Fred's son Mat for him to sell while we are gone. The Sunday evening before going to the MTC we had a family and friends gathering at Mat and Shanda's home. Tony and Charlene Pitman and family from Pleasantville Utah, Susie and Harold Diesen from Polson Montana, Jo and Jen Diesen from
Linden and Shane and Deeanna Silcox from South Jordan, Mike and Ashley Weber from South Jordan, Adair and Ron Shepherd (originally from New Jersey), Patti and John Monson (originaly from Mesa), Keith and Maryjane Whisenant) (originally from New Jersey), and Deeanna and Cleve Roberts (originally from New Jersey) came to visit. It was wonderful to feel of their support.
October 16, 2011
We decided to check in at the MTC on Sunday evening where they gave us a temporary room and then on Monday moved us into our regular room with the other senior couples. We were very impressed with the following week as the Mission Training Center truly is just that...awe inspiring. We don't see how anyone could go on a mission without spending time there. That first evening (of course) we had to walk the mile or so to the BYU creamery for some ice cream. The food was great, but due to some warnings from friends we were careful and did not gain any weight. On Wednesdays they have unlimited BYU creamery ice cream. We were careful! For some reason our papers stated "Spanish" so this allowed us to get 3 two hour private tutoring lessons in Spanish. The time spent at the MTC was irreplaceable. We met the Chapin's son there which was great. Dale and Bobbie Tippets were not able to make it to the family/friends gathering so they came to pick us up at the MTC and we spent some time together at the creamery.
Octber 24, 2011
We departed the USA for Puerto Rico, San Juan where we met President Hymas and his wife who treated us royally. Also spent some time with the Buttons (the Halls daughter and her husband) and then topped our time on the island with an overnighter at our mission President's home.
Arrived on the island of Dominica to a tiny little airport and then on to our apartment. It is nice
by Dominica standards, has 3 bedrooms a kitchen and large living room and 2 bathrooms. One bedroom and bath is just for us and the kitchen is basically just for us. The balance is used for Church. We have seminary each morning at 6:15 AM and is taught by a sister with 2 students who come most of the time. Church is held in our living room where about 25 chairs are set up. The 2 bedrooms are used for primary and priesthood and relief society is held in the living room. We have a wash machine that works well and a wonderful coated metal folding dryer that I put our wash on to dry. We don't have any hot water except a point of use heater that heats just the water we use for a shower which does the trick. We are well supplied with neccesities and often go into town to purchase some of our daily needs. We live on a corner and have a bar as our next door neighbor and they play reqae music really loud till about 10 PM each night. We have gotten used to it. There are chickens walking all around and one family we especially enjoy watching, a mother hen and 6 little chickies. We worry about the day we won't see them all.
October 31, 2011
Our first week in Dominica and we are still trying to learn the streets, downtown stores and where members live. Elder Pitman is doing very well driving on the left side of the road with the steering wheel on the right and a floor mounted standard shift in the center of the floor. Brake, clutch and gas pedal are on the right but in normal position with respect to each other. We'll send a picture of our 2011 Ford Ranger 4 wheel drive truck which the previous senior couple, the Babcocks ran into a ditch and tore up the whole left side (it has only 10,000 miles, originally cost $43,000).
November 7, 2011
FHE is held on Monday evening and two youth come to it, Terry age 14 a member and Terrianne age 10, brother and sister. Tonight Elder Pitman gave her a Book of Mormon. She was so happy for it that she hugged and kissed it. It was sweet. We are teaching two Chinese men pronunciation of english words and giving them bits of the gospel at the same time. Last week we went to visit a member who has not been out for a while. We spent some quality time with her and her two 6 year old granddaughters who live with her. The girls were mesmerized with us and I am sure they all will come to Church on Sunday. We have been visiting atleast 7 part member or inactive families in their homes...single mothers raising their children, grandmothers raising grandchildren, unmarried couples with children. Quite a variety of family life here. There are many Rastafarions here, Bob Marley being their most famous one. Try looking it up on the internet and you'll know more about them. They do not cut their hair and wear it in long dread locks. Sometimes in the evening we take a walk and of course hold hands. We stopped at a liitle store and the lady commented that she has seen us walk past her place holding hands. These people need to see love rather than distance with one another. They need to see that marriage is a good thing rather than just living together and having babies.
November 13, 2011
We often go into town, sometimes we drive and sometimes we walk. Parking can be a problem unless we go into town very early. We meet many people who reconize our missionary name tags. Some want to argue and some are very friendly. We have given out about 10 Books of Mormon and are gradually forming a followup procedure. Last week we had 22 in Church and this week we had 24. A few new ones come each week and a few regulars miss. This weekend we
have a guy, 17 years old who will be babtized in the ocean, and then a new member will be receiving the priesthood on Sunday. We will be unable to go to either as our mission President has scheduled the whole zone to fly to St. Kitts for a zone conference from Friday to Sunday. Sooo you can see we are on the move.
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