Christmas Day

Dear loved ones,

Yesterday was Christmas Day on the island of Bonaire! There too?

We awoke anticipating a fun day on the beach at Klein Bonaire. Elder VV was excited because he has always wanted to go there. It is a small uninhabited island 1/2 mile off the coast of the main island of Bonaire that is famous for wonderful beaches and diving spots. It has no facilities - no bathrooms,no water, no shade, just beach and sea. You bring it in - you take it out.

We were gong to go with the Albus' and Ellie and her girls. It was cloudy when we woke, but it often rains just for a few minutes then clears up. But it was forecast to be rainy all day. We decided against the beach and went upstairs for a Brunch of Pannenkoeken and fruit.

It started to rain! torrents and sheets of rain! then it stopped, drizzled, started pouring again, then stopped... all day. 

After lunch the Elders were to come here and Skype their families. As we waited for them Elder VV and I played UNO and I was surprised at the UNO champ I am!  I wiped him out! I won 7 of the 10 games!!

Our internet/Skype didn't work very well for the Elders so we went to the Albus' where the Sisters had already successfully made their Christmas calls to home.

We were planning to go to the new Star Wars movie at the outdoor Cinema for Christmas night. It kept raining. 

We took the Elders to dinner at the Albus' and a better skyping experience. We enjoyed visiting with President Albus' mother Astrid who lives with her son and his family. She is a lovely woman. As we were fixing dinner the power went off! We were in the dark!.... and it started to rain!

Luckily there was a full moon. The first full moon on a Christmas since 1977 and there won't be another on Christmas till 2034. So, by the light of the silvery moon we waited for the power to return.

We had a nice dinner that is a tradition for some people in Holland. It is kind of like a Fondu/Hibachi on an electric grill, cook your own dinner - meat and fresh veggies and dip it in sauce, experience.

We had a nice time and even though it was none of the things we had expected or planned to do on Christmas it was a very pleasant day. In the MTC they told us we should be flexible.

We enjoyed being able to Skype the children on Christmas Eve and it was so fun to see and hear the pandemonium we have come to miss and look forward to being a part of again.

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday with your families and loved ones. 

The new year awaits! full of wonderful surprises, challenges, adventure, and service.

We are ready!

Love, Elder and Sister VV

Fredy N- Kalala

Greetings from Bonaire!

The Saint James School of Medicine is located here on the island. There are about ? (I don't know how many and now he is gone so I can't ask him - but a whole bunch) of  students from all over the United States are here studying to be doctors. One of the students is a member of the church and is from the Congo in Africa. Because of war in his country he and his family came to America and has been living in Utah, on the Avenues.

French is the language of the Congo, he came to Utah and learned English and then he served a mission to Tennessee Spanish speaking. He fits in perfectly on this multilingual island.

He contacted the church here before he came and has been a very valuable member of the Branch, ever since, serving as the YM/YW s Sunday School class teacher.

The unique thing about Fredy is how willing he is to "invite" he has invited many of his fellow classmates to church meetings and parties, and Wednesday night basket ball. One of his friends and fellow student, Mimi, was baptized last month.

The Medical School is moving to the Island of St. Vincent because of all the rules and regulations here from the Dutch government. We will miss Fredy and his faith and testimony he has been a great example and teacher to the youth.

He has a wonderful testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and is always willing to share it and "invite".

We feel blessed to meet and come to know so many wonderful people here on the Island of Bonaire.

Away in a Manger

Greetings from Bonaire!

In September we received a call from the Sisters saying that their bed was broken. 

At about the same time we learned that there was to be a trio of Sisters on the island. So we needed another bed. Elder VV discovered that the broken bed was a bunk bed and that he could repair it. With the help of the Elders they bought boards and screws and strips of wood and went to work. 

A few months later.....

December was upon us and we were preparing for the "Night in Bethlehem" play that the youth put on for the Branch Christmas Party. I borrowed a baby doll from Ellie and had a idea that Elder VV could make a manger with the scraps of wood left over from the bed. It didn't take long and he didn't have to spend any money because he had all the materials right here at the house. 

It was very nice to have a manger for the play and a place for baby Jesus to "...lay his sweet head".

"This Christmas season we celebrate the greatest gift of all, the gift that makes all other gifts possible- the birth of the babe of Bethlehem."

  - President Uchtdorf at the Christmas Devotional 

Merry Christmas to you all that we love so much.

It's a Wonderful Life!

Greetings from Bonaire!

It hardly seems like Christmas as we sit in the heat studying the scriptures and typing on the computer. Then we hear about 12 inches of snow at home and more on the way! I really am dreaming of a White Christmas. 

We are not doing the traditional holiday things this year in our unique setting. We have been able to think more on the "Reason for the Season" Our Savior Jesus Christ.

On Monday the missionaries got a Christmas gift from the Mission President. They got to watch a movie (one movie a year). They could choose from 2 films, "Miracle on 34th Street" or "It's a Wonderful Life". They chose the latter and we had it on netflix so they came over to watch with us on our little laptop computer screen.

We had snacks and enjoyed the best Christmas movie ever made. One of the Sisters had never seem a black and white movie before and one of the Elders had never seen the movie. I feel kind of old. 

We love you all so much! We think of you and pray for you and thank Heavenly Father for you everyday.

It really is a Wonderful Life!

Love, Elder & Sister VV

Sinterklaas!

Greetings from Bonaire!

The Island started preparing for December 5th early. We first saw decorations and special foods in the store in October. Elder VV was so excited to see all his favorite treats and the prices were astounding ...compared to the prices in Utah. Chocolate letters, Kruid Noten, Taai Taai, chocolate muisjes and kikkers -(mice and frogs), stroopwafels - big and mini, speckulaas, amandel things and lots of other dutch delicacies.

As Sinterklaas approached we saw pick-up trucks with 6 or 7 of Swarte Piets in the back driving around the city, presumably to parties and all the children were having their pictures taken with Sinterklaas and Swarte Piets in the grocery store.

Sinterklaas and Christmas are two different and separate holidays . As soon as the 5th was past all the Christmas decorations went up and Sinterklaas was gone. In his place, Santa, Christmas trees, gifts with different wrapping paper and different treats. 

Ellie Noij, our upstairs land lady, and member of the branch came down with her girls, Mayra and Yalli with gifts for us for Sinterklaas. They gave me some hand cream made in Bonaire from the Aloe plant, and Elder VV some Flamingo hot sauce. It was very nice of them and we had a nice visit.

Dia de Gracia - Bonaire 2015

Thanksgiving - 2015 - Dia de Gracia

"All over the world at the end of day Heavenly Father's children kneel down to pray, each saying thank you in his own special way ...saying Thank you ,Thank you, in his own special way..."

 

Ellery and Nurgia Chirino and Sis VV

 
At first we didn't think that the Branch would celebrate Thanksgiving, since it is not a Bonarian or a Dominican holiday, but it was on the calendar. So when I saw the 10 pound turkey for $33.49 at the store I thought, well, we are going to have Thanksgiving at the church so I won't spend all that money.

They called it Thanksgiving and we talked about the things we are thankful for and we ate food but that is where the similarities ended. I am now more willing to consider the possibility of buying the turkey.
 

left to right - pink potato salad (beets make it pink), pasta salad, rice and beans, the quesadilla, turkey?/cabrito?, and bread

 Ellery bought a turkey but I think he had to stretch it to feed the 30 people who came to the dinner. Many people said this tasted a lot like cabrito!(goat) He insisted it was turkey.


The starch of choice is not potatoes, but rice and beans, the pink stuff is potato salad and the other salad was pasta with green olives filled with pimento. Genesis made chicken quesadillas and Suzanna brought cut-up fruit.
I made some lemon bars, and earthquake cake, the Sisters made chocolate chip cookies and Ramon made a pineapple upside down cake. There was as much dessert as main dish.
It was an assigned pot luck because the budget is almost gone for the year...we are saving a little for the Christmas dinner on the 19th of December.

Those wonderful women in the kitchen - Diana De Palm, Nurgia, Sister Ramirez

 After dinner President DePalm asked everyone to write on the white board what they were thankful for.

Counting our many blessings! President DePalm and wife Diana

Three generations - Susana, her son Leifer, and his son Hayden in his Swarte Piet hat

Missionaries

Melody and Genesis - "Isn't this food delicious!?"

So happy together!

Gisley, Aida and Jaun Escoto

Elder Jennings and Aury

!

We are in a perpetual state of confusion!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are so thankful to be here, for the restored gospel, these wonderful Branch members who we have come to love, the missionaries, for all our beloved family and friends.......  
             even in our perpetual state of confusion

                   Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

Immigration Office

Greetings from Bonaire!

Yesterday Elder VV and I were in the immigration office to renew our residency status so we can stay on Bonaire for 6 more months.

I need to preface this. First of all you don't talk to anyone face to face in this country. Everyone is behind a glass partition with a few holes in it. So you have to raise your voice to be heard and put you ear down by the little slot at the bottom of the glass to hear. This is at the bank, the government offices, the doctors offices, when you pay at the utilities offices, all the government buildings. The government workers and clerks in the stores are very rude. Usually the workers in restaurants are kind of pleasant ..not always but the government workers are the worst. So we were waiting for about 45 minutes for our turn at immigration. The waiting room was pretty full and one of the men was very anxious. The woman behind the glass called the next number, it was ours but we said it was ok for him to go before us because his number was lower than ours. He was speaking Spanish, the worker was telling him to move along, he was trying to talk and explain to her, she wouldn't listen.

We were looking for a Spanish person to tell the woman to let him go first and take our place. She wouldn't listen and she had done the same thing to us the last time we were at immigration. If you don't run up to the line immediately she says you lost your turn and to take another number! I was furious! BUT...We are the face of the church. We can't be rude or complain or honk, or shake our fist. We must always be kind and patient and smile.

When we got to the window Elder VV started explaining what we needed in Dutch. I got out my pen, looked at her badge, and started to write down her name. She looked startled, she said," why are you writing  my name down?!"  I just continued writing and smiling.  She said, " I am not the only one who works here!"  She was alarmed. All I did was write her name down I didn't say a word. 
It was a good day.

Boo from Bonaire!

Greetings!

Halloween seems so long ago but, Ethan wants to know what happened at our Halloween party.

The Primary and the YM/YW joined forces to throw a great party right on the 31st of October.

The Primary wanted to have a Party for Halloween and the youth wanted to do a service project so we combined them and also had a missionary event that we could invite non members to.

Sister Bennion and Genesis

Genesis spearheaded the event and she is a great organizer.  Genesis did the planning and I helped with the food and shopping and cooking 

Face painting, donuts on a string, sack race, ring toss, bowling with cans, relay race with a rock in a spoon, pin the spider on the web, and a bean bag toss.

The food was mummies( hot dogs wrapped with refrigerator dough), Ellie Noij brought pumpkin soup, smiling teeth (apples with peanut butter sticking the marshmallow teeth together, punch, cupcakes, and a big watermelon monster with fruit coming out of his mouth, and eating donuts on a string without your hands.

We encouraged costumes and the children had a fun time going from game to game, getting their face painted and eating the yummy food.

Fredy N Kalala (YM leader) and Omar - brother to Genesis

Darling Demi our face painting witch

Genesis (dressed like Dora the Explorer) and Jayson

One of the guests with the painted face

Ellie's pumpkin soup, the smiles, and the cupcakes

Watermelon Monster, smiles, cupcakes - yum yum

Where is my mummy ?!

We had a Sister missionary trio (dressed like some TV show people) at the time - on the right and Sygridt, Mimi and Genesis

Supermen! Omar and brother James

Meow! Mimi and Dayra (one of my Primary kids)

Elders Prosman and Jennings working the crowd

Gisley the blue haired witch- one of my Primary children

Mayra Noij one of the landlady's children, and one in my Primary class

Who is that old old witch!?

Demi painting Nefi

A bunch of little pink witches

Kids and moms waiting for the fun to begin

Yalli is the little girl of our neighbor Ellie, the landlady. A cute little kitty cat!

An enjoyable time was had by all!