May 25, 2015

Hello from Nassau!

Wahooo...cool...yaya...rah rah....wray wray....

What can I say? No matter where I go, I love the kids!

Well, I have been here for a full week and I still miss Jamaica. So I have been on a mission for seven months. This is my third area and my fifth companion. Despite the many changes, every time a changes comes, I hate it. I am sorry, that is some strong language, but that is just how it goes. Every time. The natural man inside of me fights change with all of its might. I am trying to be patient. I have found that it takes about 2 weeks to adjust completely, whether to an area or a new companion. HALF WAY THERE!

A less active's house. Adorable and the mango tree just completes the look

So pretty much all of our investigators speak Creole. We have to bring members with us to translate. There is a lot of frustrating factors that come along with translating.
Number one: Is is hard to know if the person translating is saying what you said, and the way you want it to be said.
Number two: Lessons take twice as long
Number three: It is hard to tell if the investigator is really understanding.
Sister Nelson is learning the language, but I just feel no desire to learn it. Stupid natural man again. I don't know, maybe it will grow on me.

This is Tahan, He is almost nine years old. Perfect for Aubrey!

And after all of that, on Thursday we got in a car accident. Sweet! So we were driving down this little road and this car coming the other direction hit our right side mirror. It knocked the covering and the mirror off, but the rest of the mirror is still there. The car sped off and we didn't get their license plate number. Later we found out that little road is nicknamed mirror alley. That road is like a museum of glass shards and broken pieces. Well, you can guess who will never be driving down that road again.

Car accident:(

Other than that, the work is the same. The branch building is super nice and I love the branch members! They are so sweet. The missionaries get taken care of out here. We have dinner appointments almost every day of the week. It feels like a mission in America. I think I could potentially find myself very happy here.

Justin

Crabs in a bucket

Our apartment. I will have to send more pictures of it next week, it is really weird.

I hope you all have a week filled with adventure and joy.

I love you so very much!
Love,
Sister Tuttle

May 19,2015

My dearest bestest family and friends,

This past week has gone way too quickly.

BCE

On Monday, Sister Peynado and I took a long road trip to the Bob Marley Museum in Nine Mile (more like 900 mile). It was really fun! It was the place Bob was born and also where he was buried. I can now say I have been just a few inches away from the legend! (Despite the fact that he has been dead for years and years...it was still cool).  There are two more Bob Marley Museums on the Island, so hopefully I will be able to go to those too.

Maybe one day people will make steel cut outs of your face

Wednesday we drove to Port Antonio for district meeting. I can't even describe how beautiful that drive is. I love it! I love it! On the way home Sister Peynado and I stopped a few times to try and capture the beauty. The pictures don't do it justice.

Porty

Thursday we had a Sister Specialized Training meeting. They happen every 6 months and this was my second one (that means I only have one left...eeekkkks). It was in Kingston, so we were in for another road trip. I loved the meeting. I got to see Sister Dill and a few of the other sisters I haven't seen in awhile. President Brown taught us through these statements
I can
I will
I should
I am
It was a very uplifting presentation. He also instructed us to read the Book of Mormon every 100 days. He is concerned that this mission is using the Bible too much to try and convince people. He wants us to know the Book of Mormon and teach from it.

Coconut tree fields

Saturday morning we got transfer calls. NASSAU!! Sunday morning the AP's called me and told me I would be flying out Monday afternoon. BOOOOO. I don't know, I can't even describe what I was feeling, but I will try... So my whole mission I have served around companions who have served off-island. It was all I wanted. It just sounded so adventurous and fun. When I got the call that I was really going, I just felt so sad. Jamaica has truly become my home. I love it. I love the people. I love the beauty. I just love it.

The Francis family (and Bobby Hewitt) love these people!

Anyways, I packed everything Sunday night (one bag, one carry on. *clap clap for down sizing*). Sister Peynado and I woke up at 3 o'clock Monday morning. We had to get Sister Peynado to Mandeville and I had to get to the airport. So we had another road trip all the way from Ochi to Mandeville. We got there and the AP's took me and the other sister being transferred to Nassau to the airport. The whole time I just felt anxious.

Sister Rob

Well, I made it here. My new companions name is Sister Nelson. She is from May Pen so I know her family. She reminds me a lot of Sister Thompson. There are a lot of Haitians in Nassau. A lot of people speak French creole so most of our lessons need an interpreter. The members are willing to come teaching with us, so it is good. It is hard to get used to another culture though. I don't even feel like part of the Jamaica Kingston mission. And I don't know I am having a hard time embracing Nassau. It will come with time, I know.

Flying into Nassau. Looks like a picture of a magazine picture... but I promise, it's real!

 All is well. I am alive and the work is moving forward.

I love you all so much! Have a fabulous week!

Love,
Sister Tuttle

Bob

Bob

A weed plant...lol. It wouldn't be a Bob Marley Museum without one!

Bob's meditation rock

So much fun!

The tiny road we drove to get to the Museum

Driving along the coast

The prettiest view of them all

My cute Sister Dill!

Sister Mundle

Looking to Nassau

I am going to miss Ochi!

Lessons with soon to be baptized Demar (so sad I am going to miss it)

Sonia was sick, but she still came to church...lol 

May 11, 2015

SPOILER ALERT!! Warning: This letter may include some secret information about future events and if you cannot keep a secret then stop reading now. lol lol

WE LOVE THE GOSPEL!

Okay so last week Sister Peynado has this brilliant idea to go fishing. So we went out and gathered a few bamboo sticks for our poles. We bought some fishing line and hooks from a china shop. We went to my first favorite view in all of Ochi (White River Bridge) stood on the bridge and threw our lines over. We used white bread as our bate. Within the first 10 minutes Sister Peynado starts pulling up her line and tells me that she caught one. I would not believe it if I didn't see it. She pulls the fish up and I just start laughing. Oh my goodness! It was sooooo funny. It was just so unexpected. I was laughing so hard tears were falling. The fish was flicking around and we were both scared to touch it. Luckily this man walked by. He took the hook out of the fishes mouth and put in a bag for us. We stood on the bridge with our lines in the water for another 2 hours, but we didn't catch any more fish:( It was so funny though. I love Ochi. It is so full of adventure.

Thank goodness for this guy!

So I am in Jamaica on my mission (just a reminder). Everyone here knows the Bible, so I started reading it. Sister Peynado has a really good knowledge of the Bible so she answers all my questions. Who knows how much of it I will actually read, but I am already in Exodus! I actually weirdly really like it and spend a lot of my free time reading it. I just have to say, the mission does weird things to you.

I love Ochi with all my heart!

Okay so here comes the secrets:
Wednesday we had interviews with President Brown. We opened with a prayer and he asks me what I want to talk about. I start telling him about how much I love Ochi and all the great people we are working with. He let me talk for about 30 seconds and says, well you know you are not staying. I was speechless. I just kept asking him if he was sure, and he kept saying "yes, but it's not me, it's the Lord." How could this happen? I have only been in Ochi for 11 weeks, and let me tell you, THAT IS NOT ENOUGH TIME IN AN AREA. I shed a few tears and told him I couldn't believe he was making me pack my stuff again. Then he says "and your not going to be able to take all of it." Okay, okay are you getting these hints? Next week I am going off-island. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I am so not ready to leave Jamaica. This place is my home. Anyways, there is still a small chance that things could change.

Drama. Drama. Drama. We get transfer calls on Saturday so that is when I will know for sure.

Well I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love,
Sister Tuttle

P.S. Mother's day skyping was wayy too good! Soo looking forward to Christmas!

Our fishing spot

Scared of the fish face

THE FISH!

Our fishing on the bridge started to draw a crowd lol 

She wasn't afraid to gut it! Thank goodness!

Fish with noodles! mmmmmmmmmmmm

We have had these baptismal pants in our apartment so we tried them on. Oh man, It was hilarious!

The baptismal pants. We are so random and funny together. I love it. 

Sister Peynado getting hit by a cannon.

Sista missionaries

Second favorite view in Ochi

BCE (If you don't get it yet, Best Companions Ever)

Kids playing a secret river

Adventures while taking Jodi teaching!

Okay is this picture not hilarious??? I was laughing because the security guard put his arm around Sister Peynado and she didn't know what to do. lol lol 

Qui Qui and her oranges (Oh, by the way oranges are green in Jamaica...??)

May 4, 2015

Good morning everyone!!

SISTA MUNDLE

This week we had zone meeting in Montego Bay. I always look forward to zone stuff because I get to see Sister Mundle (formerly Funchie Munchie). I love that girl so much!  She has already been out for 3 months. The weirdest thing is how other peoples missions go so quickly, yet mine feels like FOREVER! I am not complaining, I swear I am loving every minute (well, I am giving it an honest effort). Sister Peynado and I taught part of the zone meeting. We taught about being persistently diligent. So a few weeks ago I wrote about speaking in church and how easy it was. Well, I don't know what the difference between a congregation and a group of missionaries is, but this was not easy. I was soooo nervous. Thank goodness for companions though!   I made this little puzzle from a picture of Jesus Christ with questions and examples of diligence. Every one loved it. I was so glad when it was over though!

I can't hold human babies, but no one said anything about kitties!!!!!

On our way home from Mo Bay we stopped in Runaway Bay and met with AJ ( the man from the resort that came to church last week). This man is so prepared! The only problem is his work schedule. Because he is the head chef at the resort he is really busy and usually works on Sundays. We invited him to pray that Heavenly Father will provide a way for him to come to church. He wasn't able to make it yesterday, but we will hopefully see him this week. He is so worth the 60 kilos we have to use to meet with him!

Little Boy

My bff Raj

Nobles family

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were very average. I guess summer is on it's way (like it wasn't hot enough here already). I pretty much sweat 24/7. We have fans in our apartment, but they just mix the hot air around. I have bid any hope of ever looking presentable goodbye. Thank goodness for bun head.

Putting plaits (braids)  in a less active granddaughters hair

The process

Sister Peynado was so proud of me!

Saturday we met with this guy named Demar. One of the members of the branch invited him to church last Sunday and he actually came. He is twenty years old and Sister Peynado and I cannot stop dreaming about sending him on a mission. He is really smart and I am just praying he will be willing to make the effort! He is great though. After we met with Demar we had a Relief Society activity. SPA NIGHT! It was really fun! Facials and nails, it was great! It was really good for the women too. They are planning on doing it once a month now.

SPA NIGHT!! The steaming

Classic!

Also on Saturday we found another river. This new one is just like a Utah river (except the freshly melted snow part). My journal is turning into a treasure map with secret rivers as the treasure. The maps I have been drawing are pretty hilarious. I think I am the only one who can actually read them. So pretty much if any of you are planning on coming to Ochi to see some pretty secret rivers, you have to bring me with you!

Utah river

View from the bridge (not so Utahish part)

Can you believe Sunday is Mother's Day??? YAYAYA I can't wait to see you people! It feels like Christmas is coming again!!

Well, I love you all and I am so looking forward to Sunday!

I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Love,
Sister Tuttle
xoxoxoxo