It's a rule??

We have a rule in our mission that missionaries carry a Book of Mormon all the time so people will more easily recognize that they represent the church.  I wonder if we should count carrying the book on your head?  This elder has been teaching to many people from Haiti!

Gathering Israrl

In zone conference this week our assistants talked about gathering Israel in every lesson.  They taught the missionaries how to invite "conectados" (people nearby) to join in the lessons so we can teach more people at once and be more efficient.

Strong Hermanas

The hermana on the right had her appendix out as well as many other health problems.  We kept asking her if she wanted to go home.  She said, "No!  I had a blessing before my mission that said I would complete my mission, and I'm going to complete my mission!"  And she did.  She says the priesthood blessings she received did far more to help her heal that the doctors did.

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?”