Here comes the storm!

One of those tropical storms in the Caribbean hit us today.  We were assigned to speak at a stake conference and we thought nobody would come.  The Dominicans really don't like rain.  Their houses flood and many of the streets turn into unpassable rivers.  But the stake center was full.  Our missionaries arrived soaked to the bone, as did some members.  Even the investigators came, and expressed how blessed they felt for being there!

New recruits

We bumped into some of our up-coming missionaries today.  They were headed out to do service and they recognize us.  They will be coming to our mission next transfer after they finish their time in the CCM.  We will receive 20 new missionaries next transfer and only 7 go home!

The next bishop

Our missionaries just baptized this amazing man, Junior, along with his wife and three of his four children.  He knew the moment he read it that the Book of Mormon was the word of God.  His wife took a little longer to receive her testimony, but will be baptized this weekend.  Their youngest child will be baptized when she turns eight.

Keeping our promise

Each zone finds a way to demonstrate their faith in the goal for the month. They set their goals prayerfully so they can call it a promise 

Animated Zone

Lá zona restauradores found a way to act out a scripture where the lamanites fought like dragons. The elders loved it

Waiting for the prophet

Our marvelous missionaries stood for an hour in place waiting for the prophet to arrive and take photos with them. They said it was totally worth it!

The biggest surprise so far!!

The prophet is coming to our mission!  We only found out last week!  Everyone is scrambling to be ready.  The gardners worked through a rainstorm 

Another fruit for Eve

The temple at night

For the first time in 14 months we went to the temple gardens at night.  President had to do an interview with someone there. We wish we could do so every night. It is so peaceful.

It's a good thing we only have three cars for the whole mission!

To each his own

Consecrated members

The branch presidents wife in one of the branches told me today she really wanted to attend the baptisms of all the new converts. However they don’t have a baptismal font in their building and the new converts have to travel across town to be baptized. She prayed about it and received the impression she needed to wash bottles. She could earn just enough money washing bottles to pay for the bus ride to the baptism.  Then she said “why else would I need more money?”

Elder Bednar on revelation

In the seminary for new mission presidents Elder Bednar taught that we might not always know we are receiving revelation until later.  This past week we felt impressed in the weekly letter to remind the missionaries to speak with everybody.  

That week two of our elders were trying very hard to get a birth certificate for a woman who wanted to get married (so she could get baptized.)  Her name appeared in three different ways in different government documents and the officials told her it would be practically impossible to get her birth certificate and if they could it would take months.

The elders were discourage but when they entered the elevator to leave the building, they remembered the words from the weekly letter that said to talk to everybody.  They started talking to a man in the elevator, who asked why they were there.  They told him their dilemma and he said he knew how to fix it.  They followed him to his office and right then and there he gave them the documents they needed so this woman could get married and baptized.  They knew it was a blessing because they were obedient to the counsel reiterated in Presidents' letter.

Object lesson

The box of m n ms was wrapped heavily in packing tape.  The question was, “how much do you want it?  And what are you willing to do to get it?”

Honored guests

This is the choir from stake conference today in the stake los restauradores.  This member insisted she take photos with us and her friends.  Only later I found out she was in charge of public relations, her friends were pastors from another church, and the photo was for the paper!

You've never seen anything like it

People line up to enter “santo Domingo’s got talent” for primary children. Each ward in the stake has an “act,” children singing and dancing and the gym is overflowing with fans cheering and yelling. You would think it’s a rock concert

Fish anyone?

They sell some pretty weird things from car to car while we wait in traffic but I am most amused by the goldfish!  Who decides, on the way home from work, “oh, I forgot to buy my goldfish?”

Miracles Never Cease

Remember Hermana Mendez, who baptized the step father and the father of a Dominican sister who she taught with while preparing for her own mission?  Well, the stories gets even better...

Elder Peay was in walking on the temple grounds one day and bumped into a non-member from Villa Mella.  He sent the reference to the missionaries in Villa Mella, but they could not find the reference.  The following transfer Elder Peay was transferred to Villa Mella.  (President and I knew nothing about the reference).  Amazingly, Elder Peay bumped into the reference on the street.  He was able to teach her himself and she decided to get baptized.  He asked if there was anyone special she would like to perform the baptism.  She said she had a brother-in-law who had recently joined the church who could perform the ordinance.  Elder Peay found the brother-in-law and it turned out to be the step-father of Hermana Mendez' companion whom Elder Peay had himself just baptized in his previous area.

Story to follow

It's a promise

This is our mission leadership council putting their names to the baptismal goal they have for this month

Practical Dominicans

The Dominicans are nothing if not practical.  What’s that in those motos sitting in the sun?  A piece of cardboard held in place with a hunk of concrete 

Like I've been saying.......

You really need a hat here in the DR no matter how you find one

Anybody for some fodd?

New Friend

I found the cutest hairdresser she does a great job and she’s going to meet with the missionaries on Thursday!

Another Tender Mercy

The sister who wrote this article is in our mission. She just got transferred to a new area this week and was feeling a little insecure. Sunday she was supposed to speak in church to introduce herself, but the bishop decided there wasn’t time. However the concluding speaker, not knowing who wrote it, read this story from the Liahona for her talk. When the bishop realized it was the new missionary in his ward who had written the talk, he let her introduce herself. This went a long way to boost her confidence.

Cute Little Munchkins

How can anyone focus on the lesson when the moms put their babies to sleep right beside you? I just wanted to grab them and take them home.

Hard Work

Our office elders work hard all day in the office and all evening teaching the gospel.

The Rest of the Story

The man in green is the father of the hermana who is on a mission in El Salvador who taught with one of our missionaries who came here and ended up in his area and baptized him. We just transferred this Hermana to another area which turned out to be the area where the biological father lived. The man in green was the step father. Elder Williams (l) baptized the two women in the photo.

Sad Goodbyes

We sent 17 missionaries home this transfer.  It was kind of hard because four of them had been our assistants and two Hermanas could have been assistants.  We wondered how we would proceed with so much strength leaving, but the Lord provides and our younger missionaries are doing great!

A True Convert

While in the temple last week one of our Hermanas bumped into a brother she had taught and helped get baptized last year. Such a sweet reunion.

I Love to See the Temple

We took missionaries to the temple this week and taught them the relationship between their garments and the shields and breastplates Moroni provided for his army.

Our Couples' Class

Thus weekend we taught a marriage workshop to some couples in the district. It was ironic to be talking about communication when we were trying to communicate in a foreign language.

New Friend

Someone found a home at church today.

Now's the Time

It's July. Time to put the Valentine's candies on sale!

New Blogmaster

I’m super grateful to my talented daughter in law Zoe for taking over the blog.  My sister-in-law has her plate full since Grandpa's death, and we’re grateful for her full year of service.  Zoe is the mother of three precious angels and married to Spence who is a handful all by himself! But she’s amazing and will keep up no problem. :)

Keep 'em Coming

Will wonders never cease? One of our zone leaders was companions in the CCM (Missionary Training Center) with a Dominican who lived in here our misión but was going to serve elsewhere. They became very close, and this CCM companion wrote our zone leader from time to time while our zone leader served here in Santo Domingo Este. 

One day this zone leader received a reference from the bishop in his Ward. The bishop had received a letter from a member of his Ward who was serving a misión, and the member of the Ward who was serving a mission wanted someone to teach his own family who were not members. The bishop passed the reference on to the missionaries in his Ward. 

Our zone leader was serving in this bishop’s Ward and when he went to visit the family the bishop referred, he discovered it was the family of the companion he had grown to love in the CCM (Missionary Training Center).​

God directs this work!

Hermana Sabourin was determined to meet her daily goals this week so they contacted and contacted without quitting.  The last person they contacted invited them in. This person was a member of the church who had been less active for many years. But the member recognized the name Sabourin. It turned out that the missionary who  had baptized this member along with 7 members of her family was Hermana Sabourin's Father! 

"My first miracle"

Hermana Mendez (l) went teaching with the sisters in her home ward three times a week for three months before her mission.  One of the sisters she taught with was from the Dominican Republic.  This sister told Hermana Mendes she needed to get called to the DR to baptize her father who lived there.  Lo and behold Hermana Mendez was called to the DR.  The first area we sent her to was right next to the area where the father lived.  (We had no idea!)  Elders worked in the area where the father lived and they shared a chapel with Hermana Mendez.  Hermana Mendez was able to be in the lessons and attend the baptism of the father of the Hermana who had hoped for just that.

Helping with the work

Spence did a great training on working with members. He reminded our missionaries they can earn the confidence of the members when they act like missionaries and let the members be the friends with the investigators. 

Making friends wherever we go

I can't wait until I'm 8

Our grands got to attend a baptism of 13 new converts. They thought they blended in perfectly with the Dominican children. But the Dominican children were fascinated with these little blue eyed blondes and could not stop touching their hair!

Hello! New helper with the blog :)

While visiting Presidente and Hermana Smith last month I asked if there was anything we could help with and she said asked me to help with this blog :)

I am so excited to share and I will update Hermana Smith's posts every Sunday and Thursday!