Mashramani in Guyana

Dear Family,

This week we learned about the Guyanese holiday called Mashramani.  It is the celebration of Guyana becoming a republic. It is a little like Marti Gras in New Orleans.  There is a big parade and lots of picnicing and frolic in the streets.  

What we didn't expect was the all night music festivals.  They started on Friday night in a large congressional center about a kilometer from our neighborhood.  The  music was very very loud and they played it until 6:00 AM Saturday morning.  Then last night, they started it up again about 6 pm and went til about 3:00 am this morning.  I called it "music from hades".  We did not go near any of the celebrations but we saw some of the drunks walking home afterwards as we took our morning walk.  I am glad that we won't have to listen to that again next year!

During the earlier part of the week, we spent a day in Linden, closing out one of the apartments which the elders lived in and bringing furniture to Georgetown in a pick-up truck.  We really piled it on to get as much as we could.  Then on Friday, we went to Berbice to deliver the furniture to a new missionary couple, the ones who know the Stegelmeiers,  They are moving into an apartment where the missionaries used to live and it was unfurnished.  They did not have a driveway across the ditch, so the landlord built one for them.  He is also going to get screens on the windows so they can open them without having bugs and wasps come in.  They are brave to move into an apartment which was not already set up for couple missionaries.  I personally think that the should invest in a small air conditioning unit also.

Today, we went to the Demerara branch and Elder Beutler was able to confirm two children members of the Church.  We helped  teach them and their grandparents a couple of months ago.  Their mother has listened to the discussions, but has not yet decided to be baptized.  Its been a great opportunity to know this family.  The grandmother, who is probably 5 years younger that us is really a kindred spirit.  I hope, like all missionaries, that the members there will fellowship them and help them to be strong in their new faith.

It has been a good productive week and we are looking forward to another humanitarian project this week.  We will tell you about that one next week.  Love Melvin and Carol