Week 9

HEY EVERYONE!!!! Hows everyone doing??

On December 12th I got to the DR! It was a long day of travel but we made it! We flew from Mexico to Florida then from Florida to the DR! We got on our second flight to Santiago and the plane was full of natives. I tried to talk to this cute old man sitting next to me but I swear he wasn't speaking Spanish hahaha. That's when I knew I was in for a wild ride. 

We got to Santiago and went to President Bretóns house! We spent the night there and in the morning they had a Dominican breakfast ready for us! It was really good! Then we headed to the mission office and had orientation. Then we got to meet our companions! My comp is so awesome! Her name is Hermana Lowry! She's been out in the field for almost 16 months! She's an incredible missionary and I love her!! We headed to our area and I'm in Bella Vista! 

The people here are so awesome! 

We mostly teach kids and women! The kids absolutely love to hear the gospel! 

Since I'm in the Dominican Republic, I didn't expect this but we teach SO MANY Haitians! Btw they don't speak spanish, they speak Creole, so I'm sometimes very confused hahaha. 

Spanish is hard. I'm not going to lie and the people here speak a lot of slang and don't pronounce half the word but it's all good, I'll be able to communicate eventually! On a really good note, I can sometimes understand the main concept they are talking about! I know it will come eventually. I just need to have patience!!

At church on my first Sunday, we had 11 new friends show up to church!!! It was so awesome and I'm so glad they all came!

One night we were out walking the streets and there was this group of about 7 little girls, and one of them asked my companion if I was an angel, she said, "is she an angel, she looks like she fell from heaven?" I melted inside, isn't that the cutest thing ever????

Also every time we see little girls they can't stop touching my hair, one of them called me rapunzel!!! They are so cute and I love them so much!! 

We had a Christmas party with our whole mission! Like 170 missionaries and they are all so amazing! I'm so glad I got to meet them! We had a big fancy dinner on December 20th and it ended at 11 pm! We had to Uber home and we shared the Uber with the Élders we share an area with, and we were all laughing so hard on the ride home for like 30 minutes. The Uber driver probably thought we were all really drunk cause we were laughing at absolutely nothing hahaha. Then the next morning we had a sports day with the whole mission! It was fun! We basically all just talked for 6 hours! We got home from sports day at 3 and my companion wasn't feeling too good. She threw up at least 10 times and I just studied for 7 hours! It was good! I learned that I love to read the Book of Mormon!!

We had district council this week and on our Uber ride home the driver turned on "take on me" . It was such a vibe!!!

The other day we were walking the streets and there are strange dogs everywhere, if you get grossed out easy this is your warning to STOP READING, there was this dog, and he was eating another stray dog. It was traumitizing! So moral of the story I miss my buddy champ

Christmas Eve and Christmas

On Christmas Eve we had 2 member meals, one for lunch and one for dinner. I've learned since being in the DR that Dominicans are ALWAYS running at least an hour and a half late, we got to the members house at 12:00 for lunch and we didn't eat until 1:30! And then we had dinner at 6:30 and we didn't start eating until 8:30!! It's crazy!! But the food they fed us was good! It's usually just rice, chicken, avocado, and egg salad??? They love egg salad!

Then on Christmas, we woke up and went to church. Since it was Christmas I was expecting to hear talks about Jesus Christ and His life but the three talks we had were about the Word of Wisdom and pornography??? It was a really interesting meeting haha.

 We got home and I got to talk to my family for a while and that was for sure the highlight! I love them so much!!!!!!! Everyone go give them a GIANT bear hug from me

A miracle I saw!

Okay okay so we have a new friend and her name is Rosa! She's 20, married, and has the cutest daughter! Her and her husband were going to move to another area, far away from the church, but she told her husband she wouldn't move far away from the church and far away from the missionaries. So she and her husband found a house within walking distance from the church!!! So awesome! Then after they moved, she came to church for the first time on Sunday and loved it! She's getting baptized on January 7th! 

Spiritual thought

As I was studying for 7 hours on the 21st, I was reading in Mosiah 2: 23-24 

23 And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.

24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?

He has seriously given us EVERYTHING! He gave us life, what could be better than that? 

I've been a little homesick, it's Christmas season and I'm in a completely foreign country with a totally new culture. I was feeling a little discouraged but then I ran into this scripture. God has given me everything I could have ever imagined. The best family, being born in this gospel, being able to share this gospel with new people everyday, and so much more! I know I will be okay, this sacrifice of leaving the people and the things I love for 18 months is the least I can do for my Father in Heaven.

We are teaching this little boy Maison and he is supposed to get baptized this Saturday, so keep him in your prayers.

:,(

On a really sad note, but it's a new rule in my mission. I'm not allowed to message anyone other than my family, so if you message me I can see it but I'm not allowed to answer:( but just know I love to see all of your messages, they make my whole week!!!! I love you all!!

Anyways, I hope you all had a great Christmas and are all doing AMAZING!!! I love and miss you all so much!!!!! 

pictures

1&2&3 CHRISTMAS!!

4 a member gave us eggnog and I LOVE EGGNOG

5 basically a chef

6 our cute friend Francheli made a nativity!

7 ROSA! we love her!!!