Week 15 - Jamaica - Yallahs

 February 27, 2017

Will add recording when I get it transcribed.

 This is the only picture for this week - the four missionaries in Yallahs all live together and they moved into a nice house this week.  Eric said he will send more pictures next week - he said the internet connection was not working well today.  This is not a picture of Eric - it is one of the other Elder's that lives there.

Week 14 - Jamaica - Yallahs

From: Eric Joseph Call

Feb 20, 2017 at 1:34 PM

Dear Momma,

Stop working so much!!!  I love the new furniture it looks soooo nice!  Sounds like when I get home everything is gonna be pretty different huh?  I'm so sorry to hear your sick as well.  I hope you get feeling better soon.  I'm doing very good and am good to go!  Elder Boyer has had some allergy issues but nothing that could stop us!  The work here in Yallahs is going very well and it sucks because of how fast time is going. We are already into the second week of my third transfer!!  Also, Mom that is a lot of writing to do.  I would prefer you to send the recording for your own benefit unless you like writing it up then you can do it if you want.  Have you still been sending it to my missionary friends and the ones here in Jamaica?  I love you very much though mom and just want you to know how grateful I am for my family!

love 

Elder Eric Call

Dear pops,

Wow that's awesome how fast the snow went away way cool get back to beast mode and get that bike out!  Here in the mission a rumor is spreading that they might be taking bikes away and just giving us a taxi stipend for when we travel a long ways, but for the most part we would walk.  I think I would like that it would keep me slimmed down!  Sounds like the usual Call house having all the kiddos over -  I love that.  Also it is funny you ask that question because I just spoke this Sunday on Elder Devn Corrnish's talk in Conference titled "you can make it."  I also talked a lot about the Armour of God and Captain Moroni and God's plan will make us all spiritually powerful and have authority.  Sounds like you are all doing well though and I'm very happy to hear that have a great day!

Love Elder Call  

Chopped Sister Lord's yard.  It was awesome and also chopped the tree!     2/14/17

 

 

 

This is jack fruit. Super weird but you eat the yellow stuff and it tastes like Starbursts.

 

Sister Tucker and her daughters.  She is on date to be baptized March 4th! 2/15/17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eric and two of Sister Tucker's Daughters.    February 15, 2017

Elder Galbraith with a nice Jamaican apple.   2/17/17

 Elder and Sister Stewart came to visit on Sunday, so great to see them!          Sunday, February 19, 2017

View of Ponside.  The other Elder's area but we went and gave Sister Nicely a blessing today.             February 20, 2017 (P-day)

Week 13 - Jamaica - Yallahs

Eric Joseph Call 

Feb 13, 2017 at 1:12 PM

I'm doing well momma and glad to hear you made it back safe from Kentucky!  Looks like you all had a lot of fun - soooo cool!  I love you all so much.  I don't have much to talk about this week, but there is some in my group email.  I'm trying a bunch of new fruits today. I bought something called jack fruit I'll send a picture of it next week.  I do not have food poisoning so that's a bonus!  I'm doing very well it's been a challenging week, but ya I'm just keepin on!  I miss all of you a lot like that video Kelsey sent me of Andrew's animal sounds melted me I broke down and cried, but that's okay I'm out here workin!  Love ya momma

 

Our Little Church Building in Yallahs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Peanut Punch is the bomb here! 

Kinda like eggnog but tastes like peanut butter! 

 

 

 

                        

The aftermath of playing futbol in the rain!  February 11, 2017  Eric and Elder Boyer 

Eric and Pops playin' some Rugby - February 12, 2017

Week 12 - Jamaica - Yallahs

Eric Joseph Call

Feb 6, 2016 at 12:56 PM

Dear Mom

Sounds like a crazy week for all of you!

To answer your questions I email Kelsey almost every week and I missed a couple weeks with Bummer but I'm going to do better.  I have not got my garments yet, but soon come hahaha.  Also I will send you the list probably next week.  On that note I'm doing great and have had quite the week here in Yallahs.  I learned I'll be staying with Elder Boyer for my third transfer so that is awesome!  It is pretty rare here in Jamaica to stay with your companion for 3 transfers unless you are off the Island.  I'm very happy to stay here though and can't wait to see what is in store for us here.  I love getting your pictures especially of the Elk that was great!!  Also of Ava and Andrew that is the best also.  I haven't however seen any of The other rugrats, but soon come ya?  I wish you all safe travels to Kentucky sounds like it will be fun!  I flew into the Dallas airport ya know before going to Miami that was were we had lunch with Nicole and Sunny and Dash.  I hope you are very good and doing well and always reading your scriptures at night.  I don't know what I would do without the Book of Mormon the testimonies of the Prophets are just amazing and any one who truly puts themselves into the scriptures could never deny the truth in every word written.  I'll talk to ya next week!

Love Elder Call

Elder Boyer Killin' It! -Went bowling with our Zone for P-Day 1/30/2017 

 

Elder  Packer and I at the bowling alley

on P-Day  1/30/2017

  

Me at Morant Bay!  Sent this picture for mom to use for my Missionary Plaque if she wants to!  

All three photos taken at "Heartease" in Yallahs.  2/1/2017 

Kishanne and I!   2/1/2017

 Secret and I arm wrestling (Secret is Brihanna's little brother)!

Week 11 - Jamaica - Yallahs

Eric's Weekly Recording:  1-30-2017

Hey everyone its Elder Call again!  I know I probably shouldn’t introduce myself every email but oh well.  haha
Well, I was just thinking today, Elder Boyer and I are here in Kingston because we’re going to have a Zone P-day today.  We are going to be going bowling with the whole zone today, well for everyone that can come in but it is going to be fun I am excited for that.   We dropped of tithing today and everything, just did the usual for P-day other than we are in Kingston of course.  I guess how our week went was really good and on Tuesday we got to see a lot of potential investigators that could be really promising soon.  We had a man named Marlin or Brother Morrison, we met him almost a month ago but we didn’t know it was him for the longest time but the other Elders in Yallahs saw him and was talking to him and he said “yea, I know the other Elders and so that all worked out and we were able to contact him and get a meeting scheduled and went and shared the restoration with him and it was kinda funny because when Elder Boyer and I first went in Elder Boyer said “What do you like to do Marlin?” and he says “I thought we were here to talk about the Book of Mormon” so we just went straight to the point and started teaching him and he just really loved it and understood Priesthood keys and everything.  It was very good, a very powerful lesson as we continue to try and use Elder Gamiette’s  teaching that he showed us on Saturday a couple of Saturday’s ago.  That was a really great lesson for us, really helped build us up and the Spirit was just so strong there and then later that evening one of our less active members, her name is Sister Stanley, she has a boyfriend named Adam that we have just begun teaching.  We have only taught him the Restoration and he has met with missionaries before but we’ve just had a couple of appointments that fell through but when we get to teaching the Plan of Salvation it should be really well. 
We are in an Internet Café right now, it is really fun.  I like going to these little shops, it is way cool!  The rest of the week we have just done normal teaching and everything.  We went to Leaele and Marsha’s just about every day to try and prepare CJ for baptism because we were supposed to get him baptized this Saturday but in the end the waves were just way too high and Leaele and Marsha didn’t get to Sister Bailey’s so that all didn’t work out and they actually weren’t at church Sunday so me and Elder Boyer discussed it on Sunday when we were doing Branch work after church and he will not be getting baptized yet they need to understand that they have to follow God’s commandments and they haven’t come to church and they haven’t kept the Sabbath day holy.  They’ve just really been missing out on some of the blessings they could be receiving and they hadn’t been reading much.  It’s just sad to see the progression of some people, it’s just like so great and then it just stops because they are not willing to continue to try their best and follow what the Lord asks of us because it only one day out of six and I just hope that they will see that blessing in their life and really want it back because if they don’t continue to progress Elder Boyer and I will have to discuss it but we may have to drop them just to see how it goes, not sure yet though.  Elder Boyer looks at my right now like I’m crazy but it’s something we will have to discuss later that will be later though not yet.  Before the baptism we had to go print off some agendas and as we were going to do that Elder Boyer and I were riding our bikes to the church and we saw smoke just coming up and we thought the church was on fire but we got there and it was just the yard had been caught on fire and the side of the road and everything and we talked to the fire fighters and they said yea someone threw a cigarette butt out on the side of the road and it just burned everywhere so Elder Boyer and I  became some fire fighters for about 20 minutes but we did all that and it was just crazy, didn’t think it was going to be like that but it all worked out and we’re here now and the church is still standing.  There was just a little like barrier around the church and there was just like a circle where there was completely nothing burned around the church and in a video I will probably send I’ll tell you a little bit about it in the video.  It was really cool, really exciting.  Our week has been really well we had a lot of successful teaching and Elder Boyer had a couple of interviews he got to do.  Sunday was really nice; we had 49 people at church we have been really high up in the numbers for the whole month of January so if we continue to work and strive to have faith I know that the Lord is going to bless us with a building. 
I hope you are all having a great week and able to continue to see the blessings in your life, just continue to watch for those little miracles even every day.  Alright I will talk to you later. 
Elder Call

    Elder Boyer and I washing LOADS of dishes when we had NO RUNNING WATER!!

The other Elders in the house "FLOURED"me for my 3 month mark on January 26, 2017!!

 Elder Call and Elder Boyer were riding their bikes to the building that they meet in for church and they saw smoke rising above the trees and thought the building was on fire!  When they arrived they found the yard all around the church was burning and the fire fighters were there. 🔥 They got to help the fire fighters for about 20 minutes.  They said some one had thrown a cigarette butt out and that is what started the fire.  Eric said that there was a circular barrier all the way around the building - it was like an invisible barrier had protected the building from the fire!  He said it was cool to know that the building was protected! 

 

 

Oh Boy!!!🙈

Climbing a tree to get a  basketball!
REALLY!!                                                                   

 

Week 10 - Jamaica - Yallahs

Eric Joseph Call

Jan 23 at 1:17 PM

Hello,

I have been going out and doing some great work I've sent you voice recordings the past weeks I have been using those as my group e-mails from now on it saves me alot of time to email.  Maybe I forgot to send them but I know I sent one this week.  I've been doing great other than since Friday we have had no running water in our house so that is way fun!

 Dad!  That's awesome you went out and did some visiting.  If that was happening in Jamaica we would have so many less active members come back to the church.  The awesome thing is the members here in Yallahs are getting organized and are doing their part now and it's awesome I love the work going on here in Yallahs!  Sounds like same old Idaho in the winter but I still love it!!
Here it's so freaking hot I'll be ordering some new garments because cotton poly are way to hot!  I also had some awesome shaved ice today when we dropped off the tithing money in Morant Bay.  Elder Boyer and I have had some fun on our p-days even when it really is just chores some days.  I got my hair cut today by a Jamaican and I was super worried, but it looks quite nice.  I'll have to send ya a picture.  I'm glad to hear that everyone is doing well.  I am trying to do my best to serve the Lord and to align my will with His.  I love it so much doing this work!  I also saw on the TV at the bank a bunch of things that are going on with Donald Trump and some of his plans sounds quite interesting.  I wish you luck haha.  I'll be back for the other half - oh boy.  I'm continually seeing miracles as I strive to do my best and be obedient.  Thanks for e-mailing me every week love ya and keep the pictures coming they are great!

Love,  Your son

Elder Call

Eric started sending a Voice Recording via email - mom decided to transcribe them to text so she could post them on the blog because the recording is not in a format that allows it to upload to the blog.  Hopefully there will be a transcription of his recording every week if mom can keep up!
Below is the transcribed recording he sent on Monday, January 23, 2017:

Watta Gwan everyone!! – that means “How’s it going” in Jamaican or Patios (Patwa). Hope you are all doing really good!  It has been great here, it’s been a great week!  Last week you probably got my recording and I sounded all depressed and sad but I really wasn’t, I was just sick and I was done with it – but I was able to get out this week with Elder Boyer and we killed it we did some really great work.  We’re really busy with Branch stuff right now, so yesterday we were at the church basically all day but yeah that was rough.  Friday we had branch day and we were here at the church most of the day but the days we are able to proselyte we try to do our very best we got to see a lot of people this week. There is a lot going on here in Yallahs!   It’s a beautiful place!!!!
Oh yeah, forgot to tell you also we’ve been out of water since Friday, so that’s great.  We have no running water we’re just having to use 5 gallon jugs that we have filled up and we don’t  have any more now so the office Elders are supposed to be arriving at our house sometime soon to give us twelve more of those.  Hopefully our water comes back on soon though because we are going on day number four now that we have no running water so that’s nice; take bucket showers, fill the toilet up, wash dishes in  tubs, we haven’t done that yet so we have to do that today before we go out proselyting again.  Yah it’s been great, real enjoyable.  
On a more spiritual side, Saturday we went to Spanish Town to the Stake Center there and Elder Gamiette, our area Seventy; he spoke with us.  The meeting was from about nine o’clock until about 12:30 but it felt like  a half an hour meeting, it was so fast.  I loved it!  I learned so much there!  One of the biggest things I learned is that Elder Gamiette said,  “that when you are teaching right and you are teaching with the spirit, you shouldn’t be teaching, the investigator is going to be teaching themselves and they’ll know the truth so much that they can’t deny it because they taught it themselves and so they are gonna want to hide from you and not hear the truth because they know it’s the truth but they are scared to see you because you’re the one that helped them to realize it on their own.”  It was really powerful for me and member work, member work is huge; it’s like a team of oxen, if only one side is pulling no matter what you are not going to be able to pull through with that because if one ox is pulling and the other one is not pulling equally it doesn’t distribute and it’s that same with members and missionaries and Elder Boyer and I have really tried to incorporate that in our work.  This week we saw Marsha and  Leaele they are doing good, they were on a trip Sunday so that’s a big problem so CJ might not be able to get baptized this next Saturday so there’s that.  We’ve been meeting with Oralee, who’s also someone we were planning on putting on date he’s just not really willing to commit to church because he has school and he’s really busy, we’re working with that as well so we’ll see how it goes.  We also have an investigator named Andreen, haven’t been able to see her at all this week.  She’s been up in a place called Montpelier haven’t seen her at all but I’d say the work is going very well really enjoying it here in Yallahs!
We have a missionary broadcast this Wednesday that could apparently change mission rules worldwide so that’s gonna be something really interesting.  We’ll see how that goes.  I am excited to see what it’s like.  It’s going to be interesting I can definitely say that it’ll shape my whole mission.
 It’s been stinking hot here in Yallahs and freezing cold in the mornings, like 70 degrees; I need a blanket haha, it sounds so weird to say that haha!!   This Wednesday we’ll have to go into Kingston and that’s actually quite a ways from Yallahs.  I also got my first Jamaican hair cut today, had a Jamaican cut it for me.  He actually did a really good job, I was really worried because most missionaries say a lot of Jamaicans will really screw up your hair but he did really good, it looks nice so I like it a lot.   This week has been great!  I’ve been reading a lot in the end of Mosiah just talking more about kind of the uprising how people get out of temptation like after King Noah and everything; his son Limhi was a very righteous man and they were trying to do the very best they can fighting against the Lamanites and being with the Lord so it was really impressive, I was impressed by that.  I enjoyed this week, it was really effective. Hope you are all doing well back home and living your lives as best as you can and always just trying to follow our Savior.  Just remember your Savior loves you, no matter who you are, no matter where you’re at your Savior loves you.  I love you guys.  Bye Bye   

Ramble - a beautiful part of our area 30 minutes Northwest of Yallahs.

 

Elder Larson - one of our Zone Leaders 

We were on trade offs on Wednesday

January 18, 2017 

 

 

A bunch of stupid ANTS on

 my Shirley biscuits!  

 

Mom asked for a picture of me so I took one with the beautiful sunset in the background!  Jan. 20, 2017

 

Kishanne and Brihanna

L

 

 

 

MTC group reunited in Jamaica!!     L to R:  Elder Rasmussen, Elder Morris, Elder Call, Elder Harris

MY FIRST JAMAICAN HAIRCUT!         January 23, 2017 

Week 9 - Jamaica - Yallahs

Eric Joseph Call 

Jan 16 , 2016 at 12:02 PM

Dear Momma,
Well everything is going great I'm doing good, but my stupid sickness came back and I have been in the house all week and haven't been able to do much!!! Geez that sounds like a lot of fun being with the kiddos all the time hahaha!  Yep I will make sure to send lots of pictures last week I forgot my camera whoops!  I have not gotten your letter yet but soon come everything here always takes a little bit longer since the ZL's only come to Yallahs like every other week now.
 My protein is great I haven't used much since I've been sick!  It is the worst being a missionary and being sick haha but I'm being positive and doing well and will soon be back to preaching the Gospel!  I'll take some pictures this week of the bike okay hahaha especially because I just got it washed so you could say it's a big deal quite a slick ride;)!
The work from what Elder Boyer tells me is good other than that I have no clue  sine I have not bben able to go out and work like I want to be doing and need to be doing.
Love you all
Elder Call


Hello Pops!

First It's watta gwan dad hahaha that basically means hows it going in patwa here in Jamaica.  I got those pictures love em and home looks as could as ever!  I was freezing this morning ya know and it was about 70 degrees!  Better get on that bike soon.  We bike a lot and I work out for an hour so I'm staying in good shape but my waist is definitely not a 30" anymore I think I'm just growing I feel a little taller and my waist size is like 32".  My suit pant slacks do not fit!!  I only weigh about 165 though so I've only gained about 10 pounds.  I sent loads of pictures this week!!!  I'm doing good other than I've been freaking sick this whole week again with my throat, but soon come for me to get out and preach the Gospel!  I have been playing it by ear but I'm probably going out tomorrow!  You all sound like you are doing great and everybody is happy.  Especially Kelsey and you and mom with the Kiddos!  

Love Elder Eric Call

**Eric had a rough week because he was not able to go out and do the work he is learning to love.  Hopefully he gets feeling better and will be able to get back out with Elder Boyer and teach!!

They have different flavors of Tang!

                                                                          

Brihanna, the girl we baptized on December 3rd, her friend Janell and my SWEET bike! 

The real life of Trainer and Trainee doing additional studying!!!

                               My first Jamaican apple!  They are basically a really good pear! 

 WEEKLY PLANNING SNACKS!  Not sure if he is eating healthy by the looks of these "snacks"!

 LIZARD EARRING!!  Yup, that's a REAL LIVE LIZARD    hanging from my ear!!!  Pretty cool huh?!

           Jamaican Hearse!

               Sister Medely and I at church on January 8, 2017




My "Merica" shorts, shirt and tie!   






       P-Day - January 9, 2017

Elder Boyer and I in Morant Bay - playing some basketball!!
                                                                     
                                    ⇣                    ⇢

     WE found this DISGUSTING CREATURE in our kitchen!! 

  



OH AND THIS CHOICE CREATURE ALSO!  
Cockroaches are gross!!