#6 First Baptism..."are we not all beggars"

OH MAN! It is getting down to the wire to my first mission transfers.  I’m interested to see if I’ll be staying in Barbados or going somewhere else and to so see who will be leaving and staying but it’s going to be great no matter what happens!  (Dave- Basically about every month or so, a mission has “Transfers”. That’s where the Mission President moves missionaries around the mission.  You will get a call one night saying “pack your bags, you are going to a new area tomorrow”.   As you can imagine, transfers are anxious time for missionaries.)   

So this week was a short one since my last email but still full of events. On Saturday we baptized Martha and it was amazing.  She was so funny.  Just smiling and telling everyone how she thought this skinny guy who was going to baptize her wa not be able to get her up out of the water and drown her. (Not me, I’m not skinny anymore)  She is just so amazing.  She was just telling me over and over and over how she was so excited and that she has changed so much.  Seeing the before and after of this woman is incredible. This gospel has to be true to change someone like that from what she was before to what she is now.  And then Sunday rolls around and she walks into our little chapel with her arms held high waving and showing off so that everyone knew that she was baptized.  It was just too funny to see that and how she just was telling everyone how she was baptized.  I hope that’s what Kacie did Sunday!

                                                              What it's all about!

After our baptism, we had an investigator that we have been working with for a while come up and say she was ready to be baptized next week so this week we have another baptism for a young lady named Maria.   She is also awesome, we love seeing her because she is really funny and always gives us something to drink.  My new favorite drink is a drink called Mauby. It is a very interesting drink.  It goes from being really sweet to super bitter out of nowhere.  Sorry back on track, so ya, we have another baptism this week and we are super exited for her.  It’s going to be awesome again.

Today, for our Pday, me and some other missionaries found a golf course and went out and hit some balls on the driving range.   It was so much fun watching a guy from Australia play golf but he is a really good sport and tried his best and laughed it off.  That’s Elder Kuru.  He is an awesome guy. The last ball I hit I pulled back and swung and I hit the ball perfect and was going straight and then I see this other thing flying about half as far as it and I look down and the club broke!  I couldn’t believe it.  The people said that they knew it was an accident and that I didn’t have to pay for it so everything was okay.   Also I got some new t-shirts that have bob Marley on them so now I am really becoming a local. It also says CHEESE ON BREAD on it so that’s even better.

                                      

Something really cool that happened this week was that I was reading in Mosiah, in the book of Mormon and it talks about how we are all beggars.  It’s interesting to look back on my life and see how I have looked at people begging on the side of the street and said, “well they did that to themselves and they deserve the path they are going down." But then we turn around and ask heavenly father to help us and beg him for forgiveness and a second chance a third chance, but we can’t help that one person.  It just gives me a better perspective that if we are begging to Heavenly Father to help us and we turn around and can’t help the beggar than we are like the servant in the parable told by Jesus.

That doesn’t mean that you have to go start looking for crackheads and such to give money too but just think of that and it will help you look at people in whole different way I can promise you that.

I love this gospel so much! It brings me comfort and it brings me so much joy. Every day, at least one of the many prayers I say, I ask Heavenly Father to help me through this and to keep me strong and I remember that my family will be blessed and many other lives will be blessed as I am out here.  If anyone ever is questioning whether or not this church is true or even if Heavenly Father still loves and helps his children, I challenge you to walk around with the missionaries for one day and see if you able to do it without his help and his strength.

This guy Jehile was surprised that we were able to do this for two years but I told him, "Heavenly Father has not forgotten us, all we need to do is not forget him." Love everyone please.  Everyone needs it.  I’m not perfect and I know that, but Heavenly Father can help us get as close as possible in this life.  I love Lexy!

Love with every fiber of my body

-Elder Fokken

And one more picture of me and one of our Barbados neighbors.   

                                       

#5 Thanksgiving Turkey and Barbados Independence Day Coucou

This week has been a long one with Thanksgiving and Independence Day in Barbados! But it was also a great week for so many reasons.  Surprisingly, we had all traditional food on Thanksgiving because a family that is from America fed all the missionaries.  I ATE SO MUCH it would scare people but it really wouldn’t be a surprise because of all the weight I have been gained.   Most of it is muscle which is super awesome.  I have gained ten pounds and I eat like a cow. It frustrates Elder Miller because I eat all our food!

Barbados Independence day wasn’t too special.  We had an activity with about 40 people, half missionaries and half members of the church.  It was interesting to get some Bajan cooking like Coucou and Mac Pie but it was still food so I ate it all!!!

Also this week Elder Martinez of the Seventy came to Barbados for a church conference and spoke to us missionaries too.  It was awesome! He talked about so many things but just getting to hear his testimony that he has of the Savior was great.  It just gives you such a sense of peace and comfort.  That’s what the gospel does, it gives you a peace and comfort we all want but for some reason, we try to find it in other places but nothing will work as well as the gospel.

We also have a baptism for a lady named Martha.   She is my most favorite person in the world.  I get in trouble because I just sit and gaf (talk) with her forever because she is just so funny.  She reminds me a lot of Grandma! She is 80 years old and is getting baptized on the 5^th of December, just like my cousin Kacie!   I will tell Martha that she is getting baptized the same day as Kacie and she will think that’s awesome!   We are so excited for her!  She is amazing.  She calls us all the time to ask us what she needs to do.  She is so excited to become a member of this amazing church because she said it makes her fake eye and her barely working eye work better and also because it brings her that same peace I was talking about earlier. You will get to see pictures of her next week.

I just found out I am an uncle!  I am so excited, I was tearing up sitting in the Library because I was sad that I don’t get to see her but I know she is awesome!  I also was tearing up because I know that she is a daughter of God and Heavenly Father has a plan for her. We go out and teach this plan to people and it just reminds me of one thing. This little girl is a miracle and there are going to be many miracles in her lifetime, but the one miracle that I hope she will always hold dear is that Jesus Christ died for HER! FOR HER, personally. He died for all of us personally and it gives me that sense of hope for myself and also for that baby girl that everything will work out. I already love that little girl so much I can’t wait to see her on Christmas!

I got my Christmas package this week and there were so many awesome things! We already broke the whoopee cushion but we also set up a finger football tournament and its pretty intense! We leave our goal post up all day! Also the tree and the tiny nativity set are set up in our front room. It’s getting really Trunky (homesick) in my apartment.  We are all really excited to be able to call home on Christmas!

Oh shoot, I almost forgot! In Zone Conference the other day, all the missionaries in Barbados got together so we could have a little training and to be able to talk about our areas personally.  Apparently our Zone Leaders assign talks to two missionaries to talk during the conference and they never told me that I was one of them!  When my name was called to go up and speak, I almost pooped! (At least he would have been able to check off “Pooped my pants”)  But it came to show me the power of the spirit and speaking by the spirit and why having the Holy Ghost with you all the time is so important.  I got up there and just talked about things I had never thought about and how when Jesus spoke with authority and how the people were so inspired and touched by his words (Mathew 7:29).  And how Jesus Christ taught with love and he spoke with love in his voice. Scribes memorized and taught but Jesus Christ used the spirit and taught with love.  SO to you all, if you go about whatever you are doing with love, it can really change how people perceive you and listen to you and just love you back.  Jesus Christ is the greatest teacher of all time and I just hope to learn a thing or two from him.

Well another week has gone by, I just started realizing how much I miss baseball and sports but I am also starting to realize how amazing this experience is.  Even with all the homesickness, disappointment and everything, and as hard as it is, it all gets better with the love of my Heavenly Father and the comfort from the Holy Ghost when I am teaching someone about Jesus Christ.  I miss everyone soooo much but I’m not coming home any time soon because Heavenly Father needs me here and I will do anything to feel his love always!

Love you all so very much     Elder(Uncle) Fokken

#4 Ding Dong Curtain Ditch...Great Week!

Hello Everyone.  

This past week went by very fast week.  Both some cool stuff and a lot of really awesome spiritual experiences too.

Barbados is great but it has some crappy things too.   Like how you cannot even go to bathroom without sweating the entire time! It is frustrating but you can’t do much about it. 

Tuesday I went on a Missionary exchange with Elder Platt, he is our District leader.  He is so funny. I went to his area and I have to say, I have never laughed so hard.  He tells people that he is 50 years old and from china and they believe him.   We ended up going to family that he teaches and when we got there the women was telling us how they haven't eaten and how they were starving today.  Elder Platt and I, without telling her, went to the store and got her some groceries so she could make some food. We left them on her curtain step and then knocked and ran. It left me with such a great feeling.  I love that part of missionary work! 

We have been teaching this man named Gladstone for a while now.  Elder Miller and I gave him the lesson on baptism and got him to commit to being baptized and then two seconds later his friend Michael shows up and we started teaching him too.   It was so cool to see the confidence in Gladstone who wasn't even a member of the church, already wanting to do missionary work because he knows the great amount of joy that comes from Jesus Christ and his Gospel.

At church yesterday we talked about going to church and the importance of it.  Church is something that we go on a regular basis.  If we let things become as though it is just something we do because that’s what we are supposed to do, then that's when we are no longer able to improve ourselves in church.   If we frequently speak in a manner that is inappropriate or we dress in a way that's inappropriate, it becomes something that becomes normal.  It’s sad that in our world today, we can do so many bad things that Heavenly Father is disappointing in but we see them as normal.  So this next week have an abnormal week.  See the things that have become frequently acceptable and be different.  Church is there to make us grow and if we go expecting to have the same thing happen every time or go to socialize because that's normal, then you are digging yourself in hole that is hard to get out of.  Just ask me. It took me to go on a mission to see that I was a missing the boat.  I have guilt but through Jesus Christ, our Older Brother, who sacrificed his life and suffered for us, we can get through it!

Cool Stuff-

Elder Miller and I were walking down the street and a little monkey runs up to us and jumps on me. It was so cool! Then a little girl, about 6 years old, runs up and tells us we were stealing her pet!  I was like, THAT'S YOUR PET!!!!  I wanted to take it home with me.  She said he loves popcorn and is name is Cesar.  He is probably my best friend now. He is awesome!

Also when I was out with Elder Broadbent.  I learned a lesson of why I shouldn't be sticking my hand over every gate to pet dogs because I was reaching over to pet a dog and I hit an Electric wire and shocked me.  It wasn't anything too bad it just made me jump and then laugh like crazy.  It made Elder Broadbent day and he made fun of me the rest of the day!

Overall, this week are really great! 

I love you all and May the odds be ever in your favor (that's for you SAM)

Jerhi, the monkey picture is for you.  

#3 David who defeated Goliath

First off, Parker asked us to post a link to a short video that has helped him a lot so far on his mission.   It is directed towards missionaries but it might help anyone that might be having a hard time or just asking “why is life hard?”.    

Link:   Salvation was never easy

Hi everyone.   This week has been very interesting.  There are a lot of people on this island that are kind of crazy. We were just walking to the library today to do our emails and a man jumps out of nowhere and starts karate chopping the air and then stared at me and Elder Miller.  It scared the crap out of Elder Miller but I couldn’t help laugh.   Raymond, the crazy guy I mentioned last week, gave me my Biblical name.  It’s David who defeated Goliath.  He says I am here to defeat the big guys who cannot be defeated otherwise!  Raymond believes that he is the master of all the missionaries and he commands us to go and teach his word!

So more on a serious note, there is a lady that we teach, her name is Martha.  She is about 70 years old and is going to get baptized December 5.  She loves telling us that nothing is holding her back.  The cool thing is that when we first started meeting with her, she was cussing like crazy and was like super insane.  Now she is like the sweetest old lady I have ever met.  She has a little shop that she sells snacks and drinks out of and even though alcohol is a main income to her, she said that because of the things that she has learned, she wants to stop selling it.  She says, “The Lord will provide a way.”

Last week, at a service project, we cleared out a forest area.  We were all really confused why because it was in the middle of nowhere.  After a while, we started to haul away everything and we see a 10 by 10 shack.   We find out an old man is living there.   It was literally the worst conditions I have ever seen and yet he was still surviving somehow.  Barbados really isn’t to gross or anything, it’s just that people really don’t care about self-hygiene or self-care.  Anyway, 4 hours later, we were able to make his home livable and kind of safe. It was insane.

Today for our PDay, our Zone of about 20 missionaries went and played some sports on the beach.  Some missionaries went and played volleyball and futbol(soccer) and the men went over and played Rugby with some locals.   I love rugby!  Especially when playing with men form Australia, Kenya, Samoa, and a football stud from Utah.   Everyone calls us crazy but I just love just running around having fun like that.   Elder Miller thinks I’m crazy but it’s was a blast.

 Food here is not that great.  It was great that we did have a meal with a family in our ward Tuesday.  They are the Spalding’s.  Brother Spalding works for the embassy as a Police man, he is awesome.  It was good to talk to people who spoke English not Bajan.  Just so you know family, I have not pooped my pants yet but maybe soon. (Dave: We where told by someone who served there that every missionary poops their pants at least once from eating the food so we always joked with Parker saying we are going to have a "Parker pooped his pants pool")

   

It is really interesting what a mission does to you.  I look in the mirror every day and some days I see a man and some days I see a boy but every day I see someone who wants to do good.   I am working really hard to be a good missionary.   I’m definitely not the best missionary but being led by the spirit, I know that I can at least make some people’s lives better.   

P.S. Cricket is a dumb sport.  I throw it so flippin hard and the freaking cricket guys just lay there bat in front of the wickets or whatever it is  so you can’t get them out.   Coming here I thought I would like cricket but I’ll stick with rugby.

 I Love you all so much.
 Love Elder Fokken

A Nice Surprise Today. Pictures!!!

Got an unexpected surprise today.  A Good man in Barbados was out with Elder Fokken and his companion, Elder Miller who's first name is Parker too,  knocking on doors today.  He posted a couple pictures on Facebook for us to see.  Thank you Brother Taylor!

#2 CHEESE ON BREAD!!!!

So I arrived here in Barbados on Monday, 11/2.  We stayed in a hotel until Wednesday when we got put with our trainer.  My trainer is Elder Miller.  He is from Fillmore UT.   He played baseball like me but he is a Utah Utes fan so that makes things awkward.  I will stay here in Barbados for my first transfer at least.   My area is called Voxhall.   The humidity here kills and the only place that has AC is in our room in the apartment so we are sweating all the time.

This first week has been interesting.  We go out knocking on doors but don’t actually knock, we yell "good day INSIDE!!!" to let people to know were there.  They have doors to knock on but I guess it’s just the way it’s done.  There is a crazy guy in our area, his name is Raymond.  He thinks he is Jesus Christ and that we are his servants and such. He gives us names of Bible people.  The people here definitely talk super crazy and I’m already saying things like they do.  Like they don’t say the "th" it’s just "t" so you say “tat” for “that” etc.... And they say CHEESE ON BREAD!!!  I like that one.

We have a lot of investigators and I have been getting a lot better at teaching lessons.  We do have a baptism this week which is super exciting.   We also have an investigator named Gladstone (yes his first name) and he watches American football so that’s how me and Elder Miller found out who is winning and losing and pretty much the jist of what’s going on in sports.

You could get hit by a car every day because people are crazy drivers but we know how to handle it.  It’s kind of fun actually when people fly by yelling at us.  The hardest thing for me so far is there is no such thing as dinner here.  By the time we get back to our apartment at 9pm, I am starving!     

 I got all the packages at the MTC and I am so thankful for all of them.  It was awesome to get them!

I get homesick ever day but I read this scriptures about others being away from their family and it helps.

It’s hard here but I get better every day.  I live with the assistants to the president so I have a lot of really good examples already.

I am working hard and miss everyone.  I promise to get you some picture next week!

Love you
Elder Fokken

It's Official! Elder Fokken is in Barbados

And I did check, the plane has landed!