Alonzo and Kites

Alonzo, age almost 12,  has been coming to church every week.  Yesterday was fast Sunday.  This young man came to the front of the chapel with his parents not even present and expressed some tender feelings from his heart.  He said, “I am not a member of the Church, but I know that I like the feeling I have here.”  Then he sat down.  

Alonzo

Tears welled up in my eyes as the Spirit testified to me that he has a testimony.

Kaylee, 3,  and Sister Millington

The branch has been working on making kites for the last three Mutual nights.  Easter Monday is a big celebration in Guyana. They make kites and come together to fly them at a central location.  Apparently that place on Tortola is a large empty space near the cruise ship docks.  It is rather loosely planned, but nobody seems to be concerned about that.  I made a small box kite, about 29 cm long.  I also made a larger delta kite with 3 foot spars.  This will be interesting to see if they fly.  I have looked all over town for kites or kite materials and I have found nothing.  Even the string to fly the kites has been hard to find.  This could be interesting.

Homemade Kite

We just returned from flying kites all day in town next to the cruise ship dock.  

The dot Right of Center is a 4-ft kite

We arrived about 1100 and there were only a couple of cars.  When we left about 1630 the lot was full of cars and the sky was full of kites.  There was one that was almost beyond being visible with the naked eye.  I think he had at least 800 yards of line out.  The wind was really quite stiff, which made for good kite flying conditions.  It always blows from the east and from the water to the shore.  I made a small 29cm box kite.  It sort of flew.  I also made a delta kite, but it did not even get out of the car.  The instructions said it is a breeze kite, not a strong wind kite.  I even bought a box kite from Bolo’s.  It flew quite well.  I also had a small airplane kite that I gave up on quickly but Vanessa, one of the youth in the branch, worked with that little thing and flew it for hours.

Vanessa, age 12. Note her YW Medallion

She was so very patient with getting the string all tangled up and the kite crashing.  I also got a royal sunburn.  I wore a hat, but my arms look like they do in Idaho when I go out for the first sunny warm day in the spring.  I told the branch members I am a paleface and not blessed with skin like theirs.

We had several branch members come out, 

Frankie, Br Millington, Jose, Kalyee

including Alonzo.  He was trying to fly a standard shaped kite but it wouldn’t go up very well.  The kite experts worked with it and after they got about 20 feet of tail on it the kite flew quite well.  

Alonzo's is the white one

Totally homemade.  There were several very interesting homemade kites that flew very well.  The builders knew how to make the kites and attach the bridles so that the pull-point was in just the right place for the wind conditions.  They could even adjust them as the wind changed.

Adjusting the bridle on the Singing Kite

One kite was so small it fit into the maker’s hand.

The smallest Kite.  It actually flew well!

Anyway, I learned more about flying kites today than I have learned in my entire prior accumulated life.  Activities like this strengthen the branch, for they increase the interpersonal contact with each other. Even some who don't come to church come to some activities.  We were happy to see Patricia stop by.