Companionship Study

We modeled a companionship study due zone conference. The missionaries really went with it.

98-year-old convert

One for the team

New Granddaughter

So happy I was able to return to the USA for a couple days to help me only daughter with her first baby:)

Remind You of Anyone You Know?

Becoming adept at changing a tire

Quintessential Santo Domingo

A valiant attempt to beautify alongside the garbage.

Just Who is in Charge Here?

Miracles with the Pamphlets

We have been trying to make better use of the pictures in the pamphlets, ask our investigators inspired questions, and let the spirit give them the answer. Yesterday, I was teaching with some Hermanas who found a new investigator who had heard that Joseph Smith founded our church but knew nothing of the first vision. When we showed her this photo she said, “that’s Joseph Smith and that is God and Jesus Christ,” then she added, “he must have been really prepared to see god because I think I would die on the spot.” Yes, he was prepared... and apparently so is she!

A Final Gift

These kind missionaries sang Presidents favorite song for him the night before they went home.

Our Anniversary Dinner

Not a Doll

This dear sister was trying to teach Relief Society with a baby on her lap and a toddler trying vying for her attention. So I got to hold the baby for the whole lesson.

Such Kind Hermanas

Grandpa's Passing

We were very saddened at the passing of President's father this past week. He was 82 years old and had been widowed right before we left on our mission last June. He was extremely lonely and we feel he is very happy to be reunited with his beloved wife of more than 60 years. Presidente is mourning the loss of a great mentor but focusing on the needs of the mission makes the loss more bearable.

Galen and Carol Smith
50th Wedding Anniversary

Front Yard Hair Salon

Our Hermanas contacted this lady while she was creating braids.

Training Ward Missionaries

Our capable missionaries trained all the ward missionaries in their stake, even practicing contacting with them.

P-Day Service

These wonderful missionaries sacrificed their p-day to help clean up an old missionary apartment that had been vacant for some time.  They scraped inches of grime off this floor and left it cleaner than ever!

Not a Choir!

One of our elders made ties for his entire zone. He insists he was not inspired by the Hermanas gift at Christmastime. (Right!)

Charging Batteries at Zone Conference

We just finished three wonderful days of zone conference. I often wonder if the missionaries like getting spirituality fed as much as they enjoy getting physically fed!

Marvelous Conference!

The members here were so excited about some of the announcements this conference they yelled out loud in the chapels! Our missionaries brought their investigators to our casa for the last session. One of the boys was celebrating his 13th birthday. Luckily the session lasted two hours and gave me time to bake a couple of cakes.  After the session two couples whose children were baptized but they had been holding out asked when they could be baptized!

Our Wonderful Hermana Leaders

I didn’t even notice until now that 8 of our 10 hermana leaders are Latin.

Purple Rice?

Did I order that? Our caterer must have thought I was celebrating Easter. In reality I mixed up marron and marado!

We Love Working Together

“We are having so much fun.” That’s what our missionaries are telling us.

Musicians

When your companion plays the piano, you become musical.

District Choir

This darling choir sang at our district conference.

Upcoming Missionaries

We absolutely loved having our kiddos here for a few days. Sawyer learned how to contact with the Book of Mormon.

The Future Elder Smith

Tender Mercy #2

Our new missionaries are playing a get to know you game. When the new missionaries arrived, I had to train in three languages. I found a missionary who spoke Spanish and English and another who spoke Spanish and Portuguese. So, I trained in Spanish and the missionaries translated into English and Portuguese. The tender mercy was when I discovered one if the translators had just spent the morning studying the exact chapter of scripture I used in my training. She understood perfectly what I was teaching, even when my Spanish wasn’t perfect.

Dinner for 17

Tender Mercy #1

This Morning I felt impressed to take a pair of shoes to the office that had been sitting around my casa for a month. When I arrived I mentioned to one of the assistants I had this extra pair of shoes for a missionary. He immediately ran out of the office to catch an elder who was just leaving for the campo where he would be walking for hours a day. Here you can see the shoes the elder had been wearing and the ones I brought in fit him perfectly!

Miracle Marriage

These missionaries were so diligent about helping this couple get married. They arranged for missionaries in the West mission to meet up with missionaries in Haiti to to bring papers needed for the marriage here in the East mission.

Serious Stake Choir

Consecrated Missionary

While waiting to be seen by a doctor, this elder was busy checking on all his investigators.

Precious Conversion Story

This sister worked at a colmado (a corner market) and day after day she watched the missionaries asking people if they wanted to hear the gospel. One day she noticed the sincere disappointment in an elder's face when the contact wasn't interested. She felt so bad for him that she piped up and said, “I’ll listen to your message.” That was almost 20 years ago.

Dominican Myths

My housekeeper believes the seeds in grape tomatoes cause illness so she removed the seeds in an entire box of grape tomatoes!  She also unplugs all my appliances and chargers every day :)

Grooming One Another

Our missionaries are constantly caring for one another rubbing sore shoulders and feet. They are so good to one another.

The Engineer at Work

Nobody makes a paper airplane fly like President Smith. The children adore it.

President's First Birthday in the Mission

Nancy K.

This dear sister from California brought $1000 to help the Dominican and Haitian couples get married so they can be baptized. Because, often, it’s just the money that is keeping them from receiving the ordinances of salvation in this life.

Amazing Support

One of the stake presidents paid for a bus to bring some of the current investigators in his stake to the Temple where we were invited to testify. It is a wonderful way to help them see the blessings that are in store for them.

Not My Idea!

But, the elders loved it. The object? The assistants talked about unity and how we all need each other. I talked about how we depend on the strong ones to hold us up!