MISSIONARY WEEK - FINALLY!

Well, Monday started slow with a "no-show" at our Manager meeting - it was a holiday but we were not informed.  We got to go to Spanish class at 5, then FHE at 6 for pizza and gelato and great company.

Tuesday we were up by 6 for a special Devotional with Elder Renlund .  Words to live by:  "... first and foremost be a disciple of Christ."

Elder Maynes spoke in Spanish so I don't have any notes from him.

And Bishop Causse encouraged us with:  "Unity is more important than having a good plan"  said with a French accent.  Powerful Devotional.

Then at 11 we began setting up for our 2 day Newly Returned Missionary Seminar.  Of course it began with FOOD! 

We ended the day at the Temple for a session together then pizza at the cafeteria.

Wednesday was rise and shine and be to the Institute at 7:30 for a real Dominican traditional breakfast of
Mangu (fried plantains) and

Queso frito (fried cheese).

The natives loved it!  And the gringos were surprisingly impressed.

Dad got to teach one session on Self-Reliance.  It was an enjoyable 2 day adventure.  Great returned missionaries.

Thursday took us back to the Institute to meet with Bro. Paniagua and Bro. Lugo.  Instead, our big B Boss sat down and talked change with us . . . we like change . . . change is good . . . it keeps life interesting.  Brother Lugo is now our manager and wants to get us to the Bani Branch tomorrow.  Bring it on!  So, you ask, what does this picture have to do with anything?  On our way home, we snapped a quick shot of this pedestrian - we almost put our hands over our hearts.  Sa - lute!

Friday was a full day out and about.  Bro. Gomez drove us (a true Dominican, but we made it alive and in a short amount of time).  There were Bro. Lugo (in front of dad), Marisa and Carolina (2 BYU-Provo students on a 3 month internship), and us.  First stop is Bro. Lugo's favorite fish restaurant for lunch.

View from the restaurant terrace where we ate.

I told Marisa that was her dinner he was fixing.

This is Bro. Lugo's dinner.  I played it safe and got pasta with shrimp.

Arrival at the Bani Uno Rama

After training our facilitator, Margarita, her Education group gathered to start their adventure in Self-Reliance.

Bro. Lugo made Bro. Gomez stop on our way home for some "dulce" (sweets).  

He bought us some pudding-like coconut stuff that was pretty good.  Not quite gelato, but we didn't turn it down.

Sunday morning we picked up the Parks at 7:30 and enjoyed the day with the Saints in Bani.  I got to play the keyboard and Dad trained Margarita some more.  We also met with the District President for about an hour.  We attended a special Self-Reliance lesson during Priesthood/Relief Society given by the branch president.  Very enjoyable day.
And finally - Trunk-or-Treat Lunch missionary style :)

Just a fun tidbit:  The Bani District President has served 3 times as District President and 4 times as Branch President.

Dad and I spend an hour each day reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish together and translating.  We then usually read a few articles in the Ensign.  This week one article in particular caught our attention so will pass it on to all of you.  It would be absolutely ideal to use in your next FHE to help safeguard your family.  It's in the January issue and entitled Our Best Defense Against Pornography.  It gives a great insight with help from the Tree of Life.  Let us know if you're able to use it and how it goes.  We haven't heard any Mission Blessing stories lately, so maybe this will create one.  We are up to 79 blessings in my book.  Have a great week!
Love you all,
Dad & Mom, Grandpa & Grandma

When you are in the service of your fellowman . . .

We started out our week in service to others . . . our FHE group needed to know exactly where the Pizza and Gelato Restaurant was for a get-together next Monday so we took it upon ourselves to find out.  

SUCCESS!  Sacrifice brings forth the blessings :)

The Parks took us to a Semi-Final baseball game Friday night.

My hearing has been impaired for life.

The Senior Couples treated one of our couples who goes home in a week to dinner at this Caribbean Restaurant out over the Sea on a pier.  The setting was fabulous - wish the food had been, too.

But it was an enjoyable evening being together.  Atmosphere!

By now you must be thinking all we do is play and eat.  Not so, we say!  But it doesn't make for an interesting blog to show pictures of Dad on the phone hour after hour, us driving around trying to find District names, addresses, etc., folding more flyers, working on the computer, and all our other daily missionary tasks.  But Sunday was a special missionary day at the Los Llamos Branch 1 1/2 hours from our apartment.  This is one of the wider roads in the town.

Elder Smith is the Branch President so he and his wife took us with them on our first adventure in this District.  This is their meeting place.  I got to play the keyboard for Sacrament Meeting.  During Relief Society, we took turns reading from the Howard W. Hunter manual . . . yes, in Spanish.  Sis. Smith and I took our turn, but were helped along with our Gringo pronunciations.  I also gave the closing prayer in Spanish (from my handy dandy cheat sheet).

Dad gets in on the discussion here in his little group.  Two young men have mission calls to Puerto Rico and another just turned in his papers.  Today finally felt like we were on a mission.

It's a very small Branch (approximately 30 attending today).  After Church Sis. Smith and I took these members around to visit all who didn't show up for meetings today.

Would you believe she can get about half the Branch in her car?  And yes, I know what a sardine feels like now!

As of last Monday, our Manager, Wagner Paniagua, has assigned us the 5 Districts to take care of concerning Self-Reliance.  We were thrilled!  Getting things organized will be a challenge, but we are happy to have a definite focus now.  We attended the temple Thursday and received a spiritual uplift.  Just wanted to also share my testimony of receiving answers to questions as I turn to the Book of Mormon and prayer.  It's a powerful book of scripture with help for everyone who chooses to use it.
TRY IT . . . YOU'LL LIKE IT!  :)

Until next week -
Your ever-loving Dad & Mom, Grandpa & Grandma

Here are a few of our activities of the past week in the Caribbean . . . 

Hermana Wilson volunteered to help fold flyers for the Public Relations missionaries during a couple of afternoons.

Inez, one of our PEF workers, celebrated her birthday.  I asked her earlier that day to tell me about her conversion and she said it was reading the Book of Mormon - not just a verse, but the feeling she would get as she would read.  She has been a member 10 years.  Also, Bro. Gomez in the doorway told me about his conversion, too.  His mother joined the church when he was 4 so he grew up with the gospel.  But when he was in the MTC, there was a special talk given that helped his testimony grow.  Then while on his mission, he had to be in his apartment for 2 days so read the Book of Mormon cover to cover in 36 hours which changed his life.  

Dad's birthday celebration at a Uruguayan Restaurant just a block from our apartment.

Happy Birthday!

Thinking of you, Staci, as Dad samples the yummy empanada.

That being said, the rest of the meal was all downhill. . . 

until we hit Bon for dessert!  NOW Dad had a happy birthday!!

Well, the Lord works in mysterious ways . . . a motorcyclist waved Elder Park and us over to the side of the road to tell us our wheel was smoking as we were driving around sightseeing on P-day.  We had been warned that this is one tactic used for robbery, but we had no brakes and had to pull over.  The guy was a mechanic and fixed it right there, charged us about half of what it would cost in the States, and we were soon on our way.  Had he not seen the problem, we could've been in a lot of trouble with no brakes on the busy highway.  We were very thankful he was not out to rob us, too.  We had prayer to give thanks for the protection.

We were headed to the Christopher Columbus museum which is fascinating.  Ever wonder what he really looked like?

Believe it or not, we are standing in front of his sarcophagus with his remains inside.  

The building is huge and many nations of the world help support it.  They have displays of their country's artifacts, etc.  Dad found Uruguay and had a moment of nostalgia.

We also found Brasil and thought of Chad.

Another inspiring occurrence on Sunday:  Dad and I visit different Wards/Branches each Sunday so had decided where we wanted to go today, but Dad changed his mind.  Then before we left, he changed his mind again.  We picked up the Parks and got to the Bella Vista Ward (we thought) 15 minutes early.  Instead, we were an hour late - they had started at 8:00 and the internet said 9:15.  Because we were late, the Bishop was in the hall and available to meet with Dad & Elder Park about Self-Reliance and CES.  It was a huge blessing because he had not received the info necessary for a special meeting to take place on Jan. 31.  We knew that we had been led to where we were suppose to be of most help.  

Couldn't get the picture to rotate, but anyway - just wanted to report on Dad and his missionary spirit.  As in Swaziland, he loves to share the gospel.  He bought some pass-along cards and then got a bunch of Books of Mormon to have on hand.  He spent some time on Saturday with the guard at our apartment building telling him about it and committing him to read. Afterall, the guard sits and looks at the temple across the street every day, he should be educated on what he's looking at!  He didn't know anything about the Church.

So our question this week for all to contemplate is:  How has the Book of Mormon touched your heart and/or changed your life?  And have you shared your experience with your children and parents and grandparents?

We are now off to the Independencia Stake for a Self-Reliance Devotional this evening.

Love to All,
Dad & Mom
Grandpa & Grandma

Our manager is still on Christmas vacation, but we have found constructive things to do in our office at the Institute.

Mom greets people at the desk and on the phone:
"Hola!  Como esta?  Como puedo ayudarle?"
If they say more than "cheque" or "Lugo", the response is:
"Un momento, por favor."  and go get Elder Wilson!

In Dad's office, he has develooped cauliflower ear from all the phone calls to returned missionaries, Stake Presidents, and Bishops preparing our activities later in the month.

Dinner at Denny's Friday night after a rewarding week of missionary work.  There were 12 couples who joined in the fun.

Here's the Value Menu 

Saturday morning was an adventure to the Farmer's Market Dominican style.

Dad enjoying shopping

Rows and rows of fruits and veggies everywhere

These Dominican carrots are large enough to rival Dad's.


We continue to work long hours at the Institute, read our Book of Mormon each day in Spanish (I figured it up and if we read 20 verses a day, we can finish before we return home . . . but it takes about 45 minutes to read that much in Spanish!), visit with people wherever we go, and pray hard.  We will finish this week's blog with a wonderful thought we received today from one of our favorite missionaries in Swaziland, Elder Maremelo:

"WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING HARD AND YOU WONDER WHERE GOD IS, REMEMBER THE TEACHER IS ALWAYS QUIET DURING A TEST."

Love to Everyone,
Dad & Mom