Rastafarians

Hi everyone,

Things here have been good, it’s really hot, but the rain has died down. Luckily, I’m getting used to just sweating a small ocean every time I step out into the sun:)

Teaching here is really quite difficult. I think it’s because of the doctrine thing. People here just believe the first doctrine they hear from their church-- so when we introduce new doctrine, they rarely listen, because they are so caught up in their way vs. your way-- kind of thing. I’ve found the only way to get through to them, is to talk about Christ, and love and help them realize that on the spiritual level, we’re on the same page, but even still there are just some people who won’t listen to anything you say no matter what. But I still love everyone I come across, and it pushes me forward every day.

Last week like I said, we went to the beach. The water is soooooo clear!!! We played soccer until they kicked us off the beach for not paying a huge amount of money for drinks. Dang it the pictures won’t download again. Sorry, I’ll try and make it work, but no promises, my card gets a virus like every two seconds so I have to keep getting it cleared.

This is the end of my first transfer (first six weeks). One of my companions, Elder Humphrys is leaving, so my other companion, Elder Packer, will finish my training and it will just be the two of us. I’m excited for it to only be two of us—I’m starting to feel like I don’t get to say much. I like Elder Packer, he’s a really cool guy, but after this next six weeks he goes home too, so both of my trainers are leaving and then I won’t know anyone again. Oh well.

It’s so much fun talking to all the people here, some of them really do have some crazy ideas, especially the Rastas! :) Rastafarians are totally different than I expected. Out here, they’re usually in the lower class, and are always crazy-stoned-out-of-their-mind, but are not exactly chill. In fact they’re often hostile and some carry machetes all over the place. You just walk away from those ones. :)

I love you mom and I love you family!









My District in front of the church



Cook shop meal, fried chicken, veggies, akki and salt fish, dumpling and rice and peas

Outer Space

Hey Mom and Dad,

Today for Pday we woke up at 4 in the morning again to come to Ochi, it’s a tourist town with beaches and craft markets. I didn’t really find anything worth buying in the craft market but I’m excited to go to the beach after this:) I’ll send those pics next week.

It’s sad, but a good amount of people join the church here for support, but since no one really pays much fast offerings there’s never really anything to go around. I don’t know all the details, but it feels like the church out here doesn’t really get very much support from the US. 

It has been so hard out here! I’m not too  tired anymore though, I kinda got used to it, but teaching out here is crazy difficult since no one really has a desire to exercise faith and mostly just want to talk with the white guys and the china man. None of our investigators came to church again which was kinda discouraging, but I guess it’s the norm out here. God always lifts my spirits though. Like the other day, I went to the baptism of the sisters investigator, and wow, she went in glowing and came out shining! I could see she truly had faith to follow her Father in Heaven. I know God has people He wants me to meet out here, even if it’s not to baptize all of them, He still wants me to help them. I’ve never felt so much love for random strangers:) The peoples life style here is often really jacked --and it’s really starting to take a toll on me spiritually. It’s just a lot of darkness, but God is strengthening me by it, without a doubt and I feel I’m growing closer to him every day. 

We bike so much out here, probably like 10 miles or more a day sometimes. My companions have kinda crappy bikes, so they’re pretty slow and I ride ahead. I’ve gotten really good at wheelies-- then I tore a hole in my pants:) oops! Good thing you sent me with those patches! Thanks Mom:) 

I’ve been practicing meeting people and finding potential investigators. My favorite thing to do is to walk up to someone with a smile, pull out the Book of Mormon and say, "Hey! Have you ever seen one of these before?" It works pretty good! The other day, I met and made 7 appointments, which is a lot. But numbers don’t matter, out here it’s all about just helping people at least have a desire to show faith to God. Everyone is Christian, but no one wants to do anything about it. But there are a few we met and things are going well with. One of our investigators, named Kernel, we asked, “When do you want to get baptized?” and he just said, “Whenever you’re ready!!” and he was serious. He’s already read the Book of Mormon one and a half times. He was telling us though, that he wants to make this dramatic exit from his 7th Day church and try to bring some people with him, we just told to bring everyone who would come:)

Ok you will not believe what happened to me literally just now! This old lady came up from behind me and  just kissed me on the neck, and then said, “Do you remember me from outer space?” I was like, freak no lady! I’m writing an email!!! Holy crap, freakiest thing ever!!!!!! 

Me and my friend Elder Gordan, the Jamaican missionary who lives with us, are pretty good friends. Every night we sing an EFY song together and compare Jamaica to the US. We have a good time and I feel like we get each other. This is Elder Gordan and I in front of our house:) The other one is me and my companions on a bridge over a nice river.

Walking to the caves

Entrance to the caves, via tree roots and vines

Elder Fitkau climbing down

Luke climbing down

Inside the cave

Lots and lots of bats, it felt like they were going to run into your face the whole time!

Crazy rock formations inside the cave, it looked like an alien planet!

Oh and happy fathers day dad! I really am so grateful to have my best friend as my Dad. Love you guys.

Caving and Spirit Juice

Hey Mom,

So first things first, and I'm really sorry, but no pictures this week! We are at a bush internet cafe, but next week for sure! 

For P Day today we woke up at 4am in the morning to go caving! Wow! It was so cool! We hiked through the jungle and then climbed down vines into a 20 ft. hole, and then went like 2 miles down into this cave full of bats and crystal stalagmites. Wow, it was sooooooo cool! Especially climbing the vines on the way out. 

It's so hard out here, I'm totally tired every day, but when I teach someone, the Spirit just blasts me in the face with Spirit juice until at the end of the lesson I'm crying. I cry like every day in front of my investigators. The other day our investigator named Anesha said I was emotional and all I could do was agree, as I choked through the prayer. :) I love helping everyone out here, I just hope God blesses me with the ability to teach in a way that might soften their hearts enough to accept the joy that comes from coming closer to God. It's amazing! 

God has really been teaching me how to trust him with my learning. He's taught me how to be teachable from everything. He's also really taught me a lot of sacrifice. A LOT! Freak, I feel like I could go through anything and be able to keep giving, which is such a blessing because all I want to do is serve and make others happy. :) But it is starting to take a toll on me, living in a house with five guys! :) But who cares? It's amazing out here in they ghetto bush country. I love it and I love all the people here! Every day I feel more tired than the day before but every day I want to yell louder and louder that Christ lives!!!! And that God loves them!!!! Wow, such a wonderful time! 

Well anyway, that's about it. Our investigators are all doing pretty good for the most part and we had the first stake conference in Jamaica yesterday. A 70 gave a pretty great talk about sacrifice, which was definitely for me. 

Love you all so much,

Luke

More Thunder Man

Hey everyone,

I’ve been learning so much from my studies and teaching people! Basically, I just want to learn to follow the spirit better so I can follow it like it says in 2 Nephi 32,  because that is the only doctrine given, so it’s pretty dang important. 

My companions are good friends and I love them.  I learn a ton from them! (not when they try to teach me though:) One of my companions’ dad died while he’s been out, I haven’t really talked to him about it, but he’s so strong and a really cool kid. 

I was talking to Thunder man again the other day. I really tried listening with the spirit and I started to realize, this guy is some sort of visionary man!! Holy crap! It was awesome! He was telling me how he was hungry, so he prayed to God to catch a big fish. When he went fishing he caught a huuuuuge fish but it had a crown on its head, which he took and held, and the crown granted him power over the sea, even to covering all the land with water, but because he wanted to restore balance he threw the crown back into the water. When I first heard this I was like what the *^%$?! But when I looked at it from a symbolic standpoint, the spirit likened it unto this cool parable. He prayed for strength from God and God gave it to him because of his faith, but once he had the strength and power he then surrendered it back to God to restore balance. He said it was a great trial for him to throw the crown back. Anyway, kinda weird but I learned something. He also told me about the second coming and the iron rod and the Godhead and how we have to choose the right and grab the iron rod or we wouldn’t see the light come out of the sky during the second coming of God. He told me the only one who could pull us out of the hole with the rope was Jesus, and  the lightning that came down from the sky was God’s commandments and that’s why he grabbed on to them to choose the right!!!! Wow. I just want to hear more from this guy! Anyway, the whole time we were talking I really felt like he was my friend and that I loved him. I’m glad the spirit prompted me to talk to him so I didn’t just judge him as hopeless.

This week we’ve been teaching a lot of people, but most just like to hear us talk, not pray or read or do anything! So we have to drop a lot of people and let them know we’re here to invite them to Christ through faith, and then not teach them for like a month and see if that does anything-- and it works a lot! They realize the lack of spirit and it makes them want to act and have faith for themselves. I love the people who are so ready to put the gospel to the test and find their own witness. They’re so easy to teach! We have this one guy who has read the book of Mormon one and a half times already and knows it’s true and knows the gospel is true, but he won’t come to church because of his social life in his 7th day church, but he’s a really cool guy and we are inviting him to go cave exploring with us next  P-day.  That’ll be fun! 

The investigators named Suzette and Hores who are married came to church last week and they had a good experience. They appreciated the classroom setting of Sunday school and actually learning doctrine, but they missed the shouts and praises of their church. I tried to explain we don’t worship God just with our lips but with our heart and that that was the environment we try to culture at church-- one where you can find God inside of you, instead of around you. 

So far I’ve met a few prophets, or so they claimed to be-- but mostly it just sounds like they had some satanic experience, even though they describe the spirit and God perfectly. I think people out here are so open to the spiritual realm, and because of that they have a lot of good experiences, but they also lack discernment to tell when they’re straight-up possessed, and think it’s God. I haven’t had to cast out any devils yet though...

The fruit here is crazy! I’ve had star fruit and jack fruit and bread fruit and cashew fruit and mango and cane and coconut and everything! Everyone makes really good juice to go with their chicken and rice (which is still the only dish I’ve been feed) except for when they feed us fish, but I’m not complaining-- it’s all so good-- they have the best chicken in the whole world here! 

We did some more service for a member, pulling dirt up two stories onto a roof to make cement for her house construction. When we leave a spiritual thought with a member, my companions always say, "Well, we’d like to leave a spiritual thought with you, Elder Johnson has prepared one for you." Even though I hadn’t prepared anything. It’s mostly just funny and I always make it work, but after like the tenth time I started doing it to them:) They didn’t think it was funny:) I’ve been soooooooooooooooo tired lately, but today I’m feeling pretty good. I always fall asleep during nightly planning. I’m sure I’ll get used to it soon. 

Anyway, I think that’s about everything. Me and my companions buy ice cream like every other day for 100$ ($1 US), it’s become a tradition. Also the other day I had a jelly, which is a coconut that’s full of water. They hack the top off right there and you drink it and give it back,  then they hack it in half and you scrape the meat out and eat it and then pay them. It’s pretty cool. 

The computer is really bad and I can't send any photos. Sorry. 

Love you guys,

Luke

Rain and Thunder Man

Hey Mom,

Don't worry, my house is really solid for hurricane, they make them like that on purpose. Also we have like 100 gallons of water and filter water bottles so don't worry. The mosquitos are starting to stop biting too, so don't worry about that either. My diet is fine, I buy fruits and veggies from the market place for dirt cheap.(He's just responding to all my worries!) Also my bike is nicer than both my companions, I got it used from the last missionary. I kinda leave them in the dust wherever I go. I love you all so much! Thanks for being worried Mom but I'm fine, I love you. :)

The outside looks nice right? But he says the inside is super crappy. lol.
This is our house, we live in about a 1/4 of it on the bottom floor. Oh by the way, did I mention there is no hot water?! Showers are really cold, but it's not too bad because of the heat. Also the power and water sometimes just turn off for a while! This really is a third world country.

This me and my companions going to our investigators in the ghetto during a rain storm. We get soaked at least once a day-- it rains a lot! Elder Packer is in the middle, Elder Humpreys is on the right.

This is the view of the jungle from a cliff side that one of our investigators lives on.

The other day a dog bit my ankle and bruised my heel pretty good, but it didn't cut me because of my pants. Also, a week ago I asked a less-active to be baptized!!! Hahaha, she just looked at me like, "What?" and then my companion whispers that she's a member! And so I was like, "Oh, I mean, now it's time for the baptism of fire." We all laughed and she was nice about it. :) We still get fed everyday by someone. Apparently, this is like the only area where people are so nice. The other missionaries at zone conference said they never get fed. Also, this area is the most beautiful and least violent crime-wise, so I pretty much lucked out.

Sunset after a storm

This is me and my companions walking on a wall between a robbed graveyard(?) and a small ocean that was in the road! It was a fun day!

The other day I met a guy who rode a motorcycle and called himself 'Thunder man'. He told me his life story while he was smoking a joint, and it goes like this (he's like 50):

"Two bolts of lightning came down and I grabbed them with my hands and God pulled me up to heaven on the bolts. He then showed me the creation of the world and I walked through the door of the moon and the door of the sun and saw the orbit of the universe ( I'm summarizing the story-- he was saying way more crazy stuff). He then told me that Adam and Eve were not the first people on earth, it was a man named George who was a ninja and who could control the elements and he came to earth in a meteor...

Anyway he was nuts, but I really loved listening to his craziness! :) I think he actually was struck by lightning. :)

Oh one more story, we met this guy named Mr. Brown behind a bar and taught him about the origin of the Book of Mormon, but he refused to even pray to know if Christ came to the Americas. He basically worshiped the Bible and was really stuck in his ways. I really loved him though, and really just hoped he would pray about anything. Then while my companions were fighting with him it started to rain. I knew there was nothing else we could say to convince this man that he needed to pray, yet I felt like we should stay, even though my companions were basically yelling at this guy. All of a sudden, a younger man walks under our roof to stay dry and immediately picks up a Book of Mormon, and starts reading the introduction and the testimony of the witnesses. While he's doing this Mr. Brown is yelling at him, telling him we were liars and stuff, but he just kept reading and saying "It's just a testament of Jesus." Then we told him about how the book talks about how Christ came to the Americas. Mr. Brown screamed, "Lies!" but he just said, "Show me." So we turned to 3 Nephi and he started reading aloud the acount of Christ coming to the people and how they felt the prints in his hands and side and were crying. The whole time Mr. Brown kept yelling, but his eyes just kept getting brighter and brighter. When he was done he just looked at Mr. Brown and said, "This book talks about Jesus." Mr. Brown walked out-- even though it was raining (people do not like to get wet here) and the younger man told us that Mr. Brown was like his father figure, but he was so faithful that he just kept reading about Jesus. Anyway, we shared the message of the restoration and made a return appointment. I can't wait to see him next, because he knows the Spirit and is willing to pray, and the adversary using Mr. Brown just strengthened his understanding of the spirit because he was able to feel the opposition. It was awesome! I love you guys, have a great summer!

The 3 pound snail

Freaky spider. *shudder*