December 16th, 2015

Dear family and friends,

Probably the busiest week so far on the mission. It started in Curacao with a district meeting with the missionaries, followed by interviews with members.Then on to Bonaire for a Zone Meeting with the entire ABC island zone and missionaries.These are actually Iive video conferences so that all 16 missionaries are able to participate from each island. Mom taught with the sisters that night and I went with the elders to contact less active Melchizedek priesthood holders.  We helped one of the less active members install windows as we invited him to return to church. He promised that he and his family would come to church after we helped him install and caulk three or four windows. He also promised the elders dinner next month when his house is finished. 

Aruba was our next destination for three days. I had been contacted earlier in the week by Naomi Witcher who had been a sister missionary on Temple Square when grandpa and grandma served on Temple Square.She was on Aruba for the week and wanted us to meet her father who spoke Dutch and had not been to church for quite some time.He came to church on Sunday and he remembered grandpa and grandma and their visit to Aruba almost 20 years ago.In Aruba, talks in Sacrament meetings are generally given in Spanish or Papiamento but since Naomi's father spoke Dutch, I spoke in Dutch.He promised to come to church again next week.That night we held a video conference leadership meeting with the branch presidencies of the three ABC islands. They have never been trained before as to what their responsibilities are. Most of them have only been members for 3 or 4 years. They are very eager to learn and are grateful for the chance they have to serve.

After our tour wrapped up we were headed back to Trinidad to pick up 14 incoming missionaries. We beat them back to Trinidad by one hour and Mom quickly whipped up a midnight snack before the next day of training and orientation. After they were sent to their new companions the following day, we had two missionaries who were going home. Since there were only two, we decided to alter the normal day and take them on a Swamp tour. We saw a boa, some caimans, four eyed fish and the return of scarlet ibis, blue herons, and white  egrets to the mangrove at sunset. It was pretty fascinating. Then we took the missionaries to dinner and back to the mission home for a fireside and testimony meeting.  They actually just left their exit interviews with me and leave in the morning at 5:30 am. Mom is wiping the floor with her tears as saying goodbye to our missionaries is always hard!

Tomorrow evening we pick up our new senior couple that are from Norway and orient them as to their job description. It sure is good that we don't have any time on our hands...what would we do? It's hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. You are in our thoughts and prayers and we realize that the best gift that we have in this life is our family!

Love Trini and Dad

December 8th, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

It's not beginning to look much like Christmas around here! Sipping hot chocolate, skiing the sloes, snuggling by the fire....NOT. Christmas in the Caribbean actually started in September. They love their holidays! Some homes are decorated with a few lights and wreaths. There are a handful that are pretty amazing and then we have Clark Griswold (AKA the mission president) who has to make sure that the mission home is illuminated both on the exterior and the interior. No gingerbread and anise cookies in the oven yet....but it is still early. We have thoroughly enjoyed having Marielle and McCrae here to visit this week. It will be hard to let them go tomorrow. This week we went to the zoo,a steel pan shop and out to dinner. Thank goodness we bought a little pool for the backyard because McCrae has been going from the pool to the bath to the pool to the bath.  He is coming home nice and tan for the snow and cold in Utah. It really has been pretty pleasant here lately. The humidity has been bearable and the temperature has been in the low 80's. We have been in Trinidad for the longest stay ever and will head out on Wednesday for the ABC islands. I have been on the lookout for a new nativity set but so far no luck. There obviously isn't much time for shopping and sightseeing. I just want to find something authentic to the country...not made in China. We hope you enjoyed Sinterklaas. It was fun to see some of your posts on Instagram. Enjoy the countdown to Christmas! 

Love,

Trini and Dad

December 1st, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,   

      It's hard to believe that it is really December when we are having 85 degree days with blue cloud filled skies and afternoon rain showers. This past week has been spent at home in Trinidad celebrating Thanksgiving and enjoying our visit with Marielle,Conner and McCrae. They arrived last Tuesday evening and we enjoyed a happy reunion. Wednesday was spent at the grocery store and preparing food for our private Thanksgiving dinner with them. It was a very quiet Thanksgiving with the four of us since McCrae was sleeping. We were missing all of you and thinking about the turkey day that you were enjoying with each other. Dad did enjoy the Snowbird picture that you sent. It was the first time he had missed the traditional family Thanksgiving ski day in over 25 years! We did listen to the John Denver Christmas CD later that day as well.Yes, another family tradition!

 Friday we loaded up and headed to Maracas Beach on the north shore of Trinidad. It was Conner's birthday and evidently the word was out because it was like a private beach party complete with a massage on the beach for the birthday boy. McCrae had a lot of fun playing in the sand and the water. We all did, until we began scratching from sand bug bites......since some of us forgot to wear bug spray. We got home later that afternoon and Conner and Dad went to teach with the missionaries in Port of Spain. Conner thought the area was a "little sketchy" but nevertheless he and the two elders that he was with made a good contact with a woman who wondered "Why are you young men out at this time of the night in this area of town?

      Saturday we began preparing food for the Thanksgiving Dinner for our Trinidad Zone missionaries the following Monday. After church on Sunday we came home and continued getting ready for Monday's feast. We baked 8 pies, 4 batches of homemade rolls, 5 turkeys, 20 #lbs of potatoes, a roaster of gravy, a roaster of stuffing, yams, peas, corn pudding and cranberries! The 50 missionaries and senior couples arrived at 1:00pm the next day for lunch and a Thanksgiving program followed by pumpkin pie and whipped cream. Everyone helped clean up and by 6 we were ready for bed but could hardly move to get there. It was nice to have Marielle and Conner's help.Conner left early this morning and Marielle gets to stay another week.

       Dad returned today early from his meetings and unpacked his Christmas lights that he shipped over in June.We began playing Christmas music as he and McCrae tested the bulbs. Believe it or not there are a few over the top homes decorated with lights and characters. The "external illumination" process is just beginning so you may have to wait for the revealing until next week's posting. We hope you had a great holiday and are preparing to enjoy the Christmas season. Thank you for your pictures and videos of the kids and your family activities. We miss you...but are trying our best to take care of these great elders and sisters that have been entrusted to our care. Sinterklaas is coming this week. The 5th of December, so put your wooden shoes out!

Love Trini and Dad.

November 24th, 2015

Dear Family and friends,

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are so thankful for each of you and the love and support that you offer us while we are away serving the Lord. It is bittersweet to have the holidays upon us, when we remember our family traditions so far away from home. But we are being able to fill in the homesickness void for 100 missionaries as they are away from their families too. We are excited for Marielle, Conner and McCrae's arrival for Thanksgivng. Thank you for getting together to celebrate as a family in our absence. I'm sure it will be fabulous food and great company! We will be thinking of each of you and hoping to Skype sometime that day. I will be cooking for about 60 missionaries and senior couples that we will have over the following Monday on their pday for a Thanksgiving feast. I'm glad I have Marielle's help in this endeavor. Each 14-16 lb turkey was $48.00 dollars! I  bought 5...Holy Cow...I mean turkey. But I can't complain because a turkey that size in Guyana was $75.00!

All I know is the missionaries better appreciate turkey like they never have before!!!

It has been a busy week as we just got home from zone conferences in the ABC islands, interviews and member meetings. Dad set apart a new branch presidency in Curacao and was able to speak to the congregation in Dutch. We actually had a morning that we spent sightseeing a little when the conferences were over. Dad chased down Sinterklaas at a children's parade in Curacao and made sure to get some pepernoten. He was just like a little kid running over the floating bridge to get a picture of Sinterklaas surrounded by his Zwarte Piets ! It brought back a lot of memories of his mission in Holland. We found a couple of souveniers to put in the mission home while on our walk and then we met our four elders that serve there and took them to lunch. Then it was back to the airport and off to Trinidad.

We are thankful for the gospel and especially for the atonement that our Savior provided for each of us. Our gratitude for an eternal family has never been more profound. What a great season to count our many blessings. You are the greatest blessing we have. 

Love, Mom and Dad  Grammy and Papa

November 15th, 2015

H A L L E L U J A H!

The bubble finally dissolved on Sunday afternoon from Dad's eye and we were on a plane the next morning headed from the Dominican Republic to Panama, then to Trinidad, and onto Suriname in ten short hours. We arrived just in time to take care of zone conferences with our missionaries there and then work with members and leaders the next day. We actually took a minute and found a little Dutch cafe that served pannekoeken and poffertjes for breakfast so Dad was in heaven. It really was delicious. Then we came back to the hotel and got caught up with emails until I went out teaching with the sister missionaries and Dad met with the members and leaders for temple recommends, PPI's, etc.

The next morning we were off to Guyana to repeat the same agenda in Georgetown for zone conferences. Yesterday, we drove out to the countryside in Guyana for more leadership meetings. Today, Dad set apart a twenty year old to serve as a branch president! It was really special.He has faith and loves the Lord, but some in the congregation think that a mere child has been called to be their judge in Israel. We are trying to give him the strength and support that he will need to perform the duties that he will have on his plate. Thankfully the Lord qualifies those He calls.

We got back to Georgetown before sunset so we wouldn't run over cows, pigs, horses or PEOPLE that are walking down the middle of the road. Our flight leaves at 6am tomorrow and arrives in Trinidad by 7:45 hopefully am. You never know in the Caribbean when you will depart and arrive for sure.

It has been so great to be with our missionaries again and we are really looking forward to going home for three whole days to take care of zone conferences in Trinidad. Then we head for the ABC islands to do the same there and return home for Thanksgiving week the following Monday night! Can't wait to have Marielle, Conner and McCrae come for TURKEY DAY!

Thank you for all your prayers and love,

Trini and Dad

Dutch Cafe

Yum

Always better with your eyes closed

My favorite country house in Guyana

Primary kids

November 7th, 2015

Dear family and friends,

We have now been in the Dominican Republic for almost two weeks. We came here originally to attend a mission president's conference for four days but ran into some unexpected difficulties. The night before we left for the trip, Dad was playing the piano and noticed that there was a circular shadow right in the center focal point of his eye. Being a migraine sufferer, he thought he'd better try to sleep it off but it was still there the next morning. When we arrived in Panama on the layover to the DR, he couldn't see much at all through his left eye. We landed in the DR at 1 in the morning and went to the hotel and were in bed by 3 am. The next morning we were able to go to the Santo Domingo Temple with all the other mission presidents and wives from the Caribbean. When we finished the session and were having lunch at the temple, Dad conferred with two members of the Area Presidency who are also doctors. They both had some connections with opthomologists in the city and we were able to be seen that day. Dad was diagnosed with a Vitreo Macular Adhesion. It required surgery and they happened to have a space available the next morning. After Dad consulted with friends of his in SLC at the Moran Eye Center, he felt like he could get it done here. We were very impressed with the doctor. He had attended Duke and Emery for his schooling and had begun an eye institute in Santo Domingo where he taught 12 residents a year. The surgery was textbook and we were very blessed to have been here in the DR because we would have never been able to get it done in Trinidad with the medical care there. Because they placed a bubble of air in the back of his eye, between the tissues for healing, we have had to wait until it dissipates before we can fly home due to pressure changes. So he has had dark glasses on and his head down for 12 days checking out everyone's shoes and trying to be patient.

We have definitely felt the prayers of family and missionaries alike. We have been staying in a senior apt on the temple grounds and the MTC campus. We have had 3 meals a day and LOVE rice, beans and meat! Everyone has been so kind.

These trials of faith have been a tender reminder of the fact that He knows us individually and by name.

We have been able to go to the temple three times and that has been a huge blessing. It has made us appreciate and feel the blessings of being an eternal family. We are very ready to get back to our missionaries as we have missed a transfer of 6 incoming missionaries but at least no outgoing. Somehow nothing has fallen completely apart, but it is really hard to do this job when you are in a different country. 

We actually got out of the apartment yesterday and were able to visit the tomb of Christopher Columbus and the oldest church in the Americas. We were taken by the MTC president and his wife. It was really nice to get some fresh humid air.We are praying for the bubble to burst asap so that we can be ready to go throughout the mission again for zone conferences which start on Tuesday. Please keep us in your prayers. We have definitely learned why PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE.

We love and appreciate all that you for us and each other.

We Love You...
Trini and Dad 

Dad still numb after surgery..therefore the funny grin

Columbus's tomb

Oldest church in the Americas

Flowers on a building I loved 

Santo Domingo Temple

October 28th, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

What a crazy week this has been. We were in Guyana for most of the week. We had zone meetings and interviews with our missionaries in Georgetown and then headed for Berbice to do the same. Dad called a 20 year-old to be the new branch president of a congregation called Rose Hall. Right now, Elder Avondette has been acting as branch president for almost a year. (Sr couple) If he continues to lead, then they are happy to follow.But if we can call a local priesthood holder they learn to govern themselves and understand how to run the organization of the church. That has probably been the most difficult part of this mission.The lack of training that the leadership of the church has, had leads to confusion and personal interpretation. Especially when you consider that there are literacy issues that inhibit understanding as well. Many simply can not read. One of the branch president's sent us an email regarding his tithing contributions for the branch that read : (now with many spelling corrections)

Dear President Egbert,

I had no priesthood to help with the tithing at church today. I knew that I could not count the money by myself without two witnesses, so my wife and my 11 year old son watched me. I hope that was ok president. I had them sign their names on the paper as witnesses. I don't know if that was right or wrong but I hope that Heavenly Father will understand and accept the offerings.

We both just cried to see how humble and concerned he was about making things right in the sight of God. It was just one of the many tender moments we experience every week.

After meetings and  interviews there, we left at night to travel back to Georgetown. When the sun goes down, there is NO LIGHT! For two and a half hours Dad had a white knuckle drive back to Georgetown trying to avoid late night impaired drivers with their brights on, animals crossing the road and people out walking on the road,who are as dark as night itself. We will never make that night drive again! It would be so easy to run over something or someone.

We have arrived back in Trinidad and are home for two days before we begin preparing to attend the annual mission president's conference in the Dominican Republic next week.We are excited to be able to attend the temple and meet with the other president's of the Caribbean Missions, the Area Presidency and Elder Christiansen of the Presidency of the Seventy. Remember, he was the one that was with Elder Holland when we were set apart. So it will be wonderful to see him again.

Can't believe it is HALLOWEEN! Have fun trick-or-treating. 

Love, Trini and Dad

Dear Kids and grandkids,

Just wanted to update you on Dad and Papa. I'm afraid that the emails I sent have not arrived. He was in surgery for about and hour. The surgeon came out and said that everything went perfect with the procedure. Thank you for your prayers. He has a  bandage on his eye until tomorrow morning when we go in for his post op appointment and has been trying to rest since we got back to the hotel face down...a little harder than it sounds. But can you imagine your Dad in one place or position for very long? We love you so much and certainly believe in the power of prayer. 

Thank you again,

Mom and Dad

Papa and Grammy