(Apparently when the Dominicans get the braids attached to their hair they can't get them wet, so a white grocery bag preserved the look)
Friday, May 3, 2019
Thursday, April 11, 2019
An Island Full of Beautiful sunsets
After listening to Conference I thought again, as I have so often, "Why would anyone want to take on the creator of the world, the creator of the universe, He who can give life, take it in an instant and raise the dead? That's someone on who's side I want to be!"
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Miracle Moment
Proof god watches over his missionaries: an Hernana from Haiti on her way to Mexico MTC got separated from her group in the airport in Santo Domingo. She left the airport hailed a taxi and pointed to her plack. The driver took her to one of the 70 churches buildings we have in the mission where they just happened to be having district meeting and there just happened to be present one of the two Hermanas in our mission who spoke creole and could help her. She spent the day teaching with our Hermanas, slept in their casa that night and the next day the travel dept came to rescue her.
Thinking outside of the box
We taught a family who was using this mattress box spring for a fence. They find uses for everything around here.
Feliz Cumpleaños
President celebrates a significant birthday with the missionaries in zona Los Restauradores
Aggressive little critter!
President caught this strange lizard inside the chapel and carried him outside. For thanks the little critter bit president on the forehead!
Faith to be Baptized!
The elders brought this couple over for a family home evening because they had some worries about the commitment they would make in choosing baptism. We had a great lesson and they will be baptized this Saturday!
Monday, March 4, 2019
Elder Conrad's Funeral
On Monday the many people who love
Elder Conrad will join to celebrate his wonderful, and full life. After a
days and days of unspeakable grief we were finally able to mention his name
without bursting into tears. So we took the opportunity during zone conference
this past week to celebrate Elder Conrad's contribution here in the
mission. We knew we had to give our
missionaries hope and help them heal. Everybody who knew Elder Conrad was
aware that he was an outstanding missionary. He has been a
motivation to every one of us. He was here on the mission for the
purest of motives, he rejoiced in bringing souls unto Christ. He helped
us remember how blessed we are to be about the Father's work. We don't
know why Heavenly Father called him to serve in another mission when he was
doing so well here, but we know he will bless those he is teaching in the
spirit world. We consider it an honor to have served with him for this
short time.
The Calvary Have Arrived
We received a new senior couple to serve in our mission today. They had vacationed in the DR and liked it so much they request to serve their mission here! If anybody knows senior couples in a position to serve, send them our way!
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Sunday, February 24, 2019
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Our Darlings from Haiti
The Lord does work miracles. We asked for Haitian missionaries just three weeks ago because we have thousands of Haitians living in our mission and nobody speaks creole. We were told it would be very difficult to get Haitians because they all get called to serve in their own country. Suddenly there is a giant riot in Haiti and now the church doesn't want to send the Hatians who were in the training center back to Haiti. So guess what? Our wish came true.
Monday, February 11, 2019
Saying goodbye is hard to do
This is clearly a work of love. Our missionaries love the people they teach and they love one another. Transfers are hard because it means some of those we love will be leaving to go home. There is nothing that bonds us like serving together bringing souls to Christ.
Verifying the promise
Our missionaries put their name to their goals. They all are committed to give everything they can to finding the people The Lord has prepared to receive the gospel.
Mission leadership council
All our Zone Leaders and Hermana Leaders gather monthly to brainstorm about how we can improve the mission. But really the inspiration come from above. How else could we have another month with OVER 300 BAPTISMS!!! 313 in January and January had only 4 weekends (December had 5 weekends)
Monday, January 28, 2019
A Thought About Stars
Many of you know we climbed to Everest Base Camp right before we came on the misión. Base Camp is 17.6 thousand feet above sea level. It’s really high. One night during our journey, we left our habitación and looked up at the stars. It was like we were standing inside a planetarium. There were stars everywhere. We didn’t even have to look up to see stars. They were straight ahead on all sides, brilliant, and abundant. It was truly a spectacular and very humbling sight.
I was thinking what it required to see such beauty, and see such light. I realized we had to get far away from civilization where there is a lot of light pollution. The lights that men make through electricity obscure the light of the stars. When we have gone camping, and been away from the man-made light pollution, we often see a beautiful sky full of stars.
As beautiful as is the sky when we go camping, the view at 17.6 feet was beyond our imagination… truly breathtaking. I realized to witness the light of Christ in our lives, we have to first get away from the things of the world, and we do this through repentance. However, to truly receive all the light Christ has to offer, we need to climb the high mountains, go to the temple, make covenants and that’s where we really see the light.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Friends from the USA
We got to attend the baptism of the niece of the wife if the doctor our son works with in the states. The doctor is from the Dominican Republic and his niece learned about the gospel while visiting him. When she returned she took the lessons and was baptized
Sunday, January 6, 2019
So much to celebrate!
320 !! That's how many baptisms we had in the month of December. Such a great way to start off the new year. The mission has been striving to reach over 300 baptisms forever, and it's such a miracle we surpassed the goal in the month of December when 1/2 of the country flees their homes for vacations. We have so much to be grateful for--consecrated missionaries, a receptive people, the true gospel of Jesus Christ restored again upon this earth!! I can't express a part of what I feel.
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Merry Christmas to All
Dear Family and Friends,
My Christmas gift to you all is my testimony of the Book of Mormon. There is so much power in this book, I can’t even think of opening it’s pages without picturing light emanating from the book.
One of the historians who writes in the Book of Mormon shares his desires for this history (Mormon chapter 8). I read it and can feel his plea to us to embrace this record. This prophet-historian, Moroni, has just witnessed the destruction of his entire people. He is sickened by the sight of so much blood spilling over the face of the earth and a people, who had once had the light of the góspel, lying across the plains, their dead bodies providing food for wild beasts. Moroni realizes he has been preserved and remains alive, although very alone, solely to complete this history and he begs us to read it.
I too, beg you to read, not just for curiosity, or for obligation, but for inspiration. The Book of Mormon is God, talking to you personally, touching your heart like he can in no other way. The book has touched my heart, and continues to do so every single day, even though I read now in Spanish! Dive right in! Read Alma Chapter 5, Read Helaman Chapter 5. They are two of my favorites.
The Book of Mormon brings us closer to Jesus Christ, helps us understand Jesus Christ, gives a greater desire to follow Jesus Christ, and shows us how to follow Jesus Christ. This Christmas, if we truly worship the son of God, we must seek to better understand and follow his teachings.
With much love,
Hermana Smith
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Gifts from caring parents
One of the mothers of a missionary in our mission made 200 pillow cases for our missionaries for Christmas It was such a good idea. Something they really needed, and beautiful too!
Missionaries Perform
For zone conference each zone (11 in total) performed a number. They sang songs, they wrote skits. They were so creative and fun!
Why Just Being Good Isn't Enough
Why Just Being Good Isn't Enough
When The Savior came to the Americas he mentioned baptism at least 100 times. (3 Nephi, especially ch 11 and 12) I have been pondering this fact. Why was he so insistent that these people be baptized? Why not just encourage them to repent, and that’s the end. Why not just tell them to be good, to be obedient, to keep the commandments and leave it at that?
Because he wanted to bless them!!! He loved them. He craved the opportunity to show his love to them. He wanted to send the Holy Ghost to be their constant companion, to comfort them, to bring them joy, to illuminate their minds, to bring all things to their remembrance, to strengthen them in hard times, to help them feel His love.
He couldn’t do this unless they agreed to be baptized. Baptism is a covenant, a contract, a binding agreement. Our part of the agreement is to be obedient to the commandments, and Christ’s part of the agreement is to bless us with the Holy Ghost. But he can’t keep his part of the agreement if we don’t have a contract!
Baptism is essential for each one of us who wants to receive blessings from The Savior. Baptism is an ordinance essential for salvation, and baptism makes it a whole lot easier to keep the commandments because we are then entitled to the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Sunday, December 9, 2018
TV Program about the Church
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| Elder Welch read Mosiah 3:19 while on the TV talk show about the church in the DR. He was a superstar. |
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| Our assistance with the talk show host who wanted to grill our elders about the law of chastity. They responded with Mosiah 3:19. |
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| We bumped into friends we knew almost 40 years ago in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They were here because Mark Tanner was one of the first missionaries here in the DR. |
Monday, December 3, 2018
Tis' the Season
The zone leaders and hermana leaders from each zone share their report for the month
Making a Point
President Smith takes a minute during Mission Leadership Counsel to talk about talking with everybody
Sunday, December 2, 2018
Measuring success
Explanation of the numbers:
1: zone
2: goal for month
3: baptisms as of the 28th
4: baptisms resulting from references
5: baptisms performed by members
6: references from members
7: reactivations
8: companionships baptized
9: baptisms scheduled for the rest of the month
10: goal for December
11: number of persons contacted in the month
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