PORT OF SPAIN TRINIDAD DISTRICT

Part 2

PRESIDENT ALBERT ALLEYNE, the first man to be called as District President over the PORT OF SPAIN TRINIDAD DISTRICT, is a committed pioneer to the work of the Lord in this country. Pres. Alleyne was baptized on the 20th October, 1991, his wife, Yvonne, followed on the 17th September, 1995. They have three boys; Terrance, Tracy, and Trevor. Pres. Alleyne has a colorful career working in varying aspects of business including being head chef on an international cargo ship, owning a bakery and managing small fast food outlets. In later years he settled to be an airport taxi driver to avoid the burden of concerning himself with the tedious management of providing food services. It was from doing this 'new' line of work, driving tourists, he was introduced to the Church. He picked up a passenger who happened to be a member of the Church from England. Pres. Alleyne later went on a holiday trip to England where he attended sacrament meetings there. It was a whole new way of life for him, but a life that interested him greatly. After receiving a Book of Mormon, he immediately started reading it and felt moved by the Book of 2nd Nephi. Upon his return to Trinidad he came one Sabbath morning to sacrament services held at #97 Tragarete Rd; Woodbrook. Three weeks later he was baptized at Westmoorings by-the-Sea.

"I received the Melchizedek priesthood in three months followed by callings in the Activities committee, Elders Quorum Presidency, first Counselor in the Branch President and now District. My wife and I have grown now into being spiritually in tune with each other and I feel so happy serving the Lord",

said Pres. Alleyne. I remember Pres. Valantine commented on one of the characteristics of Pres. Alleyne as being very teachable, hence his call.

Pres. Alleyne related his feelings on the formation of the Port of Spain Trinidad District;

"Firstly I feel it is a blessing that we have a District, I know it is the Lord's work, and that we are led by a prophet of God under the direction of the Lord. His work will go onward until it has filled the whole earth -- this is what the Lord wants. I'm grateful to be the first District President, but I do feel humbled by the weight of the call for I am ever learning to be a servant to many. My days are constantly filled with prayer, fasting, studying the scriptures and the spoken word from the General Authorities of the Church--- this helps me to become ever increasingly attuned to the wishes of my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and a knowledge that they live !"

Pres. Alleyne felt inadequate, inexperienced and too 'young' in the Church to be called to such a position of leadership, but as he was counseled and coached by President Valantine, he became aware of his role in the work. His visit to Utah and especially the temple became a new spiritual boost to him;

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"My experience in Utah was great both temporal and spiritual. I learnt how to give love, how to appreciate all kinds of people, to have faith in myself, understand commitment, devotion and dedication. I came to a personal awareness of the legacy of which the pioneers left for us all. Great is the work of the holy temple. Meeting with the prophet, missionaries and couples who served in Trinidad, were all fantastic experiences for my wife and me." Pres. Alleyne went through a period of long-suffering while waiting for his wife to be baptized, but when she did enter the waters of baptism, it became more than a special day -- it was the count down point in which they could enter the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity. This has been a long standing goal for Pres. Alleyne;

"Being sealed to my wife brought upon us feelings of love, joy and peace as we were in the House of the Lord. I then understood D&C 121:42-46. My testimony became firm and my witness clearer."

Pres. Alleyne had a difficult up bringing and can relate to the souls who carry heavy burdens. In my years working with Pres. Alleyne, I have seen no other local priesthood holder invest more time, travel, preparation, and temporal support to the Kingdom of God -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He is a true example of being committed to the Gospel. One day, years from now, when this History of the Saints in Trinidad and Tobago will truly become appreciated it will be said of Albert Alleyne;

"He was a man of God who would give his whole being to the grand work of the Church and its members."

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PRESIDENT HUBERT KERWYN SADAPHAL, the Second Counselor in the District Presidency, relates his conversion to the Gospel and his present calling.

"Before I became a member of this unique and wonderful Church my life was in a total chaos. There was mismanagement, there was intolerance. Humility and spiritually was something I knew little about. Eventually after a number of years I had reached my 'rock bottom'. After being sick and tired of being sick and tired I finally gave up. I had accepted defeat. I knew I needed to change and I decided to put my life back in order. After so many years it would be tough to change, but the support of my loving wife, Mindy, helped me to replace bad habits with good habits. It started to work, I saw changes, I was happier and I would think to myself that I had reached the 'place' I wanted to be." [Little did Hubert know that there were greater 'places' in life for him to be and overcoming his past prepared him to receive the Restored Gospel.] "Somehow deep down inside I felt an emptiness -- I would say to myself that I was happy, but yet still I was not, something was missing. I was not sure what it was and I just could not put my finger on it. One faithful day two heavenly messengers came at my door calling. They were dressed in white shirts, dark trousers, ties, and shoes that I thought came out of World War II. They were also sun burnt and sweaty and they said, "We have a message for you". I was really surprised by all of this, so I invited them out of the hot blistering tropical sun and offered them some cool refreshing drink. By this time I knew that they were from some church. I was prepared to pay for any magazine they had to offer, listen to whatever little they had to say and quite politely get rid of them as soon as possible, but it was just the opposite. These men started to tell me new things about a book and a prophet, even a prophet in these days. I was quite impressed by what I heard them say and we made arrangements for my wife and me to have the discussions."

Pres. Sadaphal then realized what he was missing and felt the Spirit when the missionaries came over. He wanted that same feeling of joy with him always and he started to read the Book of Mormon. He was quickly converted to the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon after reading the introduction. Hubert became hungry for the discussions and put it in this way;

"At work all I could think about was getting home to my discussions."

The time then came for the Sadaphals to accept the ultimate challenge that all nonmembers have when they accept to hear the missionaries;

"My wife and I knelt down to pray about being baptized with the missionaries. This was another new experience for me as I had never been on my knees in prayer before, but it was a wonderful feeling. It felt a bit uncomfortable at first, but I gained spiritually."

Pres. Sadaphal described his baptism with words of "peace, joy, contentment and serenity" but he related to me that there are not specific words that can really describe or do justice to the way you feel as you come up out of the waters of baptism. After a few weeks, Pres. Sadaphal was ordained a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood and in a couple of months was set apart as the San Fernando Branch Clerk. He served in the capacity of a Counselor in the Branch Presidency and then was called to be the Second Counselor in the Port of Spain Trinidad District.

"I thanked my Heavenly Father for that calling and vowed to serve my fellowman and do whatever the Lord commanded me to do. Today I have learnt that humility is an essential part of my spiritual development and as such humility must be practiced in all my affairs. This is in addition to diligent study of the Book of Mormon, which I have come to see is more than just written words, constant prayer and pondering on the affairs of the Kingdom. I believe that the standard of truth has indeed been erected and no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. All thanks to my Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ and also my loving wife for having so much faith in me. She supported me greatly during this time. I know Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us, mine has only just begun......"

Pres. Sadaphal has a special love for the Church. His conversion shows how many souls are out in the wilderness of the world just waiting for the truth to come into their lives -- fill the 'missing gap'.