Well, actually Soeur Holt travelled those 500 miles and then the 500 more as she and Soeur Hansen went to Guadeloupe for exchanges. Missionaries around the world will go on exchanges with a Sister Training Leader or a District/Zone Leader for Elders once a transfer at least. When Soeur Holt was in Guadeloupe she spent a day or two with Soeur Needs, now she’s in Guyane she has to travel back to Guadeloupe to spend time with the two new Sister Training Leaders- Soeur Hootini and Soeur Moore. In most missions this would not be a big deal, but in the Barbados Bridgetown Mission this means two aeroplanes (having to connect in Martinique).

One of the planes was delayed and which meant we finally arrived in Guadeloupe around 5 in the afternoon; our mission is seriously the coolest!! I worked with Soeur Moore that evening and we did lots and lots of suivis- one lady was really kind Madame Bollifond she talked to us about the elders who used to visit her. That evening we celebrated my 9 month mark with bubbly!!

As an aside we, the family at home in England, celebrated Soeur Holt’s nine month mark with friends eating home made bokits, plantain chips and mango sorbet! Our friends Joanne and John followed the instructions to make and deep fry the bread dough and we have to say the filled bokits were very delicious. We emailed Soeur Heno and Soeur Needs and they gave the following instructions: “It’s like a pizza dough that you fried and when you fried it you cut in a way that you can put stuff inside. You can put whatever you want like salad, chicken, any meat, tomatoes…”

Thursday I worked with Soeur Hootini and it was honestly like falling back into old shoes working with my old companion the unity was amazing and we taught a mami called Yvette about the Book of Mormon then walked in the rain!! Just like old times!!

That afternoon we worked with Audrey who is 17 she is so cute, her sister Ode comes back from her mission in London this week!! We mostly did contacting using the Book of Mormon and met a really cool Catholic guy just by the marina!!

That evening we worked with Soeur Kasongo to teach a guy called Leon- he was cool but the mosquitoes in his house were not. Then Frere Moronsi with Soeur Eclar; it was really nice to see all of these members again after what seems like so long.

Friday morning studies, etc and then our exchange review; Soeur Hootini shared Alma 29.9 with me:

“I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.”

The part that really touched me was in asking myself is my glory in being an instrument in the hands of the Lord to bring souls unto repentance; this idea was enhanced when I read Alma 26.15:

“Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work.”

Recently, and specifically after reading these verses, I ask in my prayers to make me a more effective tool in the lords hands every single moment.

We grabbed banane pesee for lunch and the Abymes sisters surprised us by showing up in their shiny new car; yes Abymes is in a car!! Part of me is upset that no other sister will now experience the things that I learnt from being on foot!!!!!! Airport and home.

With spending part of the week in Guadeloupe Soeurs Holt and Hansen’s activities and work in Guyane were slightly curtailed. On the Monday, our fhe cancelled so we went and suivied with the Lazou family and set up an appointment for when we got back from Guadeloupe (in that lesson we read 3 Nephi 17 together). We then visited with Derlie and baby Collie- they are so sweet I love them both!! We had a lesson and played the flour game.

We went out with Gaelle to teach the couple who have been being taught for five months. This lesson broke my companion’s heart and therefore mine as well. After basically 5 months teaching them we asked them if they wanted to be baptized- they said yes but that they are not ready to make the changes in order to be. We hope and pray that they will continue to come to church and one day they will be ready.

We had a Relief Society activity learning how to make Indian roti with Soeur Baksh.

Afterwards, and on Sunday, Soeur Hansen was sick so we only went to 2 hours of church where two of Lazou family came and then home for my poorly companion to rest..

We’ve saved some amazing photos for the end: Last pday we headed out into the jungle/ rainforest on a hike; I loved it!! You definitely realised that you were in South America as you walked by the centipede and the snakes!! Soeur Hansen so nearly stepped on one!