12/29/2012

    The power was off most of the day so we couldn't practice the keyboard, do internet Spanish, check emails, or get information ready for different people for different things.  We studied the scriptures and I studied the spanish music handbook. 
     Had no power to curl my hair or run off papers for class so we left hoping the power would be back on by the time we got home tonight.  The trip to Hainamos wasn't too bad tonight for some reason. Only seven of the students showed up so it gave us time to work with them individually. Then we had to take the twins home and pick up our keyboard from Roberto so we would have enough for classes tomorrow.  I don't know if the neighborhood would look any better in the light but it was scary in the dark with the narrow roads that were barely wide enough for the car to go down.  No wonder they don't have cars - and some have motorcycles.  I have decided that I have many irrational fears!!  We picked up Brother Soriano at a gas station with another of our keyboards and gave him a ride to Plaza Lama (WalMart type store) then came on home.
    Today was Aunt Edna's funeral. We will miss her. She was so good to our family.  We talked to her a couple of weeks ago and I thought then that I hoped we would see her when we got home.

12/28/2012 A Day With The Kids

    The day began early because we had alot to do before we picked up the kids.  We went to the store to get some last minute stuff then headed out to Tres Brasos to pick up the kids.  Originally we were going to have the four little girls. When we talked to AltaGracie last night she thought there may be as many as eight - the twins, her older daughter and her son plus William's three.  But when we got there were nine of them waiting by the road!  The group I mentioned plus two other cousins.  They were all smiles and so excited.
     We got back to the apartment.  AltaGracie's kids thought it was great to see where their Mom worked.  But what they liked best was the elevator!  They had never been in one and their reaction was hilarious when it started to go up.  We planned out the rest  of the day according to what they wanted to do then took them across the street to McDonalds. 

They love papa fritos - their names for french fries. They were ready to go back to the apartment and make cookies though.  The girls and I made and frosted sugar cookies.  I thought we would have some to send home but no - they ate them all.  It was interesting though because we just cut out two pans of cookies and Heani started cleaning up and put everything away.  I tried to tell her in my best espanol that we could make all of the dough into cookies but couldn't quite make her understand.  Meanwhile Scott had taken the boys to the park to throw around the Frisbee.  The girls and the boys loved our keyboard and were constantly playing it.  When we finished we painted fingernails - Maria painted mine a bright yellow but they liked blue and purple! Scott and the boys popped some popcorn and they immediately scarfed it down.  Then we made some brownies and some cheerio treats to send home with them.

    The kids went out in the parking lot to find their Mom and play with some of the cheap game things we had bought. They loved the frisbie.  The girls played jacks for a little while and obviously had some practice there because they were gooooood!  And of course rode the elevator up and down at least 50 times.  The boys told us there were iguanas at the park so we all packed into the car and went to the temple grounds to show the kids the manager scene there and cross the street to the park.  Scott took the boys to pick up the Yturraldes from work and the girls and I went into the park.

We found the iguanas and started towards the caves when Katy said she had to go poopoo.  Well we had no idea where there was a restroom - this park is huge.  We finally found it and Heani said she would take Katy down to the restroom.  She soon came out saying it was too late.  I went back in with Katy  only to find there were no paper towels, no toilet paper and no water.  Other than that it was great....So we started back to the temple grounds because I knew I could clean her up a bit at the Casa.  Just as we got to the gate Scott appeared with one of the boys so we walked to the car and came home with everyone complaining and holding their noses!  Katy is five or six but has a disability from having a slight stroke when she was born.  I felt so badly for her.  I soon found that cleaning up a dark brown bottom is a bit more difficult.....

 

   We divided up the treats and they decided which little toy things they wanted to take home.  Then Scott picked up Alta Gracie and gave all ten of them a ride home.  Sad to say there was no room for me so I had to stay home and recuperate........

12/27/2012

Spent the morning going through pictures for the Area History book and for Dunfords after scripture study.  We had music lessons at 2:30 but when we got there the room was full of missionaries.  So we went downstairs to the Sala and practiced the piano and the keyboard.  It was so fun because we found the songs that were in the Simplified Edition and the Hymnbook that were written in the same key and played duets.  Never in a hundred years did I think Scott and I would be playing a duet!  It would be longer than that for him!
   We had Elder Hammons Spanish class then Scott's class so had a good couple hours of learning and practicing Spanish.  Scott left to pick up the Yturraldes and didn't come back for some time.  We have a different car which they know but somehow they came out of the building and stood waiting for Scott while he was parked  facing the other way and they didn't see each other for 1/2 an hour.  He was just ready to leave when he got out of the car and saw them standing 10 feet away with their backs to him.  Wish I would have had a video camera there!
   We are getting our day ready for the kids tomorrow.  Looks like there will be eight of them - we were planning on four.  Oh well.  I wouldn't be surprised to see more than that waiting when we go to get them.  We are excited and perhaps a little crazy!

12/26/2012

 Well, I have lost this day's blog already so guess I will try again.  It's been a quite day as we have had no appointments and since Scott gave me his cough we didn't go to the temple.  He has spent the day driving the Yturraldes to and from work and down to the Area Office to get their passport and visas ready to go to Mexico.  I had cooked a turkey today so we made plates for them and after they got off work they came and ate, so that was fun.  Also while Scott was at the Area Office he traded in our car for a Rav 4 Toyota.  It holds all 12 keyboards and our music stuff so it's ok!  It is a  four wheel drive vehicle so it is higher and easier to get in an out of.  We rent the car from the mission and they have different fleets of cars for different assignments in the area and trade them in every couple of years or so. I'll get a picture tomorrow. 

12/25/2012 Christmas Day

Christmas Day - began with making cheerios treats for the missionaries and getting to the Casa by 8:45 a.m. to make plates of goodies for the missionaries.  Sister Glazier said they were letting them sleep in until 8:00 because it was Christmas. Lots of senior missionaries came with lots of treats:

Then we took the plates upstairs - the missionaries were having their morning devotional.  Pres. and Sister Glazier had arranged for us to surprise them so we went in three different doors singing "We
Wish You A Merry Christmas".  The elders and four sisters were so surprised but they started smiling when they were all handed their plates of goodies.  Enough to make them all sick!

  We sang a couple of songs to them then they sang with us.  I can't even describe the feeling in that room. Pres. Glazier started crying, then the senior missionaries had tears streaming down their faces  - it was one of those times it just felt like your heart would stop it was so poignant.  We have had the opportunity of feeling the Christmas spirit here in such a powerful way that has had everything to do with the  love we all feel for each other and for the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ.
    After that experience we headed home to get things ready to take to the Dunfords for Christmas dinner party.  It was a great get-together with some of the area senior missionaries.  (The Hammon, the Ruckers, the Mayhons, the Marinos, and the Eickbushes)  They had a slide show of pictures that some of the couples had taken so it was a lot of fun.
  Came home and tried to get ahold of our kids but the internet kept shutting down.  Christmas without family and without snow was much different for us but this has truly been a memorable experience

 

12/24/2012 Christmas Eve day

So different from our Christmas Eve's at home but interesting none the less.  We traveled this morning to Hogar Mercedes orphanage with a group of senior missionaries.  Knowing from our guards lives how poverty stricken some of these people are, we expected a similar type of facility.

What a wonderful to surprise to see children from 3 to 20 years old that were loved and well cared for. They make sure the kids have an education past high school that will enable them to support themselves when they leave. It is run by the Catholic Church and we met about five of the nuns that work there.   They have their own school that professional teachers come in and teach in. The most touching part of the morning for me was seeing the tears on the faces of the nuns as their children were given presents and sang to.  As we went through their living quarters I felt such a kinship with those Catholic sisters and an immense sense of gratitude that they have given their lives to help these children. Just the morning before a mother had brought by her two little girls - 3 and 5- and said she just could not take care of them any longer.  So they just added more beds and the girls will stay there.  It really is such a good place for these children.  They have many more opportunities than our little "adopted family of kids".  It was a choice experience.

  I believe the two on the left are the ones that were dropped off yesterday.  There are many children left orphans when their father kills their mother then himself or he is sent to prison and the kids have no one to care for them.  Not that those kinds of fathers take care of the kids anyway!  This happens often here. Such innocent little spirits exposed to the worst of the world when they have to fend for themselves. That's one reason you see very young. not even teenage, girls prostituting themselves at truck stops to provide diapers and milk for the babies they have had and have to take care of when they are just children themselves with no way to provide for them.  It is heartbreaking to realize that so many young girls are raped and taken advantage.
    On the way to Hogar Mercedes along the sides of the roads everyone had roasting pig stands. The dead pigs were laying on a table.  Then they just run the pole through the pig, back to front, and roast the whole thing.  It looks like you can buy chunks  of the pig because there were just heads left on some of the poles.  Worse was the goat roasts where they had the live goats tied to something until they were ready to roast them - and they looked so oblivious to what was going on!  I put one of those pictures on yesterday so won't ruin someones Christmas by putting another one on here.
There must have been 10-12 different pig roasting stands.  Pres. Bair said they bought some last Christmas off a roadside pit and it was really good.
   We came home and Scott left to take Brother Yturraldie to Quisquea to do a service project and I stayed home to bake treats for Family Home Evening.  The oven worked! He came back just as we were to leave with blisters on his hand from shoveling and ant bites on his arms. 
   The Christmas party at the Casa was awesome.  Sister Cornish played the mandolin(?) with Sister Bair at the piano and it was amazing.  I had never even seen the instrument.

  Pres. Anderson and his son Spencer played their guitars and sang a "Tennessee Christmas"

Pres. Sivic sang "White Christmas" with his wife accompanying him.  What a beautiful voice he has!
Don't know if he has ever seen a white Christmas or not though........

After many lovely musical numbers and the singing of Christmas hymns Reid lead the last song.

Just as we finished the missionaries from upstairs came in and sang some songs for us.  What powerful voices and spirits they have!

 

Then we went into the kitchen for treats.  When cleaning up the missionaries came in for their Christmas Eve treats:

 

This may not look like alot of ice cream but we figured there was about a quart in each dish and the elders who were dishing the ice cream finished theirs off with twice as much.
  At the end of the Christmas Eve day we had been blessed to feel the Christmas spirit many times. To marvel at what the birth of Christ meant in our lives: to ponder how we could be more like Him.

12/23/2012

Two days before Christmas - it all seems so strange!  No snow, no family - but on the up side it is in the 70's at night with a cool breeze and absolutely wonderful plus we associate with many people who treat us like family and we get to love here.  As I sit here at the computer all of the dogs in the neighborhood are barking.  It reminds me of 1001 Dalmatians - I asked Scott if he thought they were talking to each other.  He already thinks I'm crazy so I can say things like that to him!
   Yesterday was an interesting day as we went shopping for Christmas presents for two girls in an o here.  They are both 15 years old.  One is an adult large and the other is an adult medium.  After shopping for a while we decided why these women look like they are dressed in clothes that are too small.  Their size mediums for women would fit and extra small woman at home.  Perhaps they just don't make clothes big enough.  We could hope that was the reason, huh?!  I really wanted to work in an orphanage when we came here but they told us that the Americans were not wanted at the orphanages.  I am anxious to see just what it is like.  Anyway, coming out of the grocery store there were 6 or so people gathered around and a man sitting on the floor leaning against the wall.  I stopped to see what was going on - the man against the wall was older, eyes wide open but dead as can be.  No one seemed to know what to do so they just stood there looking at him.  Someone had brought an oxygen tank but obviously thought it was too late.  I thought about my EMT kids who would have immediately taken charge of the situation and realized how grateful I am that they have had that training. I've seen his face a hundred times since!  How reaffirming it is when you see a body the spirit has left that there really are two separate entities.
    Our lesson in Hainamosa was pretty much Scott's job since I was playing for another of Elder Esplin's baptisms.  Of course it was supposed to begin at 5:00 and by 5:45 the guy they were baptizing hadn't shown up.  They went out and called him and he finally came but when they got the clothes out for him something was wrong so they had to get white pants and a white shirt.
By 6:30 he was finally baptized.  I did get an hour and a half of practice time!  Scott can always teach without me.  The Lord is amazing in His kindness to help us teach despite our lack of knowledge.
   Today we decided to go to our own ward for the Christmas program.  Yturraldies are grounded because the mission just sent out a notice that those driving here without an International Drivers Permit should cease driving immediately and arrange to get one.  Both Scott and I have them so we're ok.  Like I am ever going to use mine unless it is midnight and no one else is on the road!  So they came to the ward with us.
    Half and hour later we left for San Crystobol.  For some reason there was lots of traffic.  Sunday is usually a pretty good travel day.  We are always passing dead dogs on the roads - it is just strange that there never are any other kinds of animals hit on the roads.  We passed several stands with goats in various stages of being cooked.  Two were alive tied to the fence.  Three were whole goats being cooked on a spit thing over an open fire.  I sure hope those two goats didn't know they were next!
Then we passed a pig barbeque - I did take a picture of that to pass on,

 Is that enough to make you sick or what?  The bottom one had been moslty sold.  You could almost reach out your car window and grab it.  It you wanted to that is!
   To make up for the goat and pig roasts was this beautiful sunset along the ocean.  I still can't get ussed to having the ocean right next to the road and know that there is no beacch area.  If you go off the road you are in deep, deep water.

When Scott got home from is job this morning he said there were a thousand people on the corner.  Of course I thought he was exaggerating but he wasn't.  You can't see the people behind the trees.  The government was giving the poor people bags of we don't know what for Christmas.  You just had to pick up a ticket at the grocery store - not prove you were poor or anything.  The way things go here I expected to see some violence but it seemed to go well.  They had security guards everywhere!  They let them out a line at a time to walk to the trucks to get their bags - they didn't come back so we don't know where they went from there.  Apparently they had a beloved president who was blind that gave bags to the poor every Christmas so they keep his memory alive by keeping this going.

 

 

 

After traveling all day we are back safe and sound and know we have been blessed with safety yet another day.

 

 

12/21/2012 Los Americas Stake visit

Studied  this morning and got things together to present to the Los Americas Stake the music program.  What was cool was they had just met a couple of Sundays ago and were worrying about what they could do to improve the music in their stake.  A day later we called their high councilor to see if they wanted us to come do some lessons.  He was so excited as he told us  that we were an answer to their prayers!  So were we.  We did get lost a couple of times on the way and the guy who had called us met us just past the toll booth where they charge you to leave the country.  (You can come in for free)  Anyway we would have been hours finding the place if he hadn't led us there!
So they want us to do two lessons in their Stake on Saturdays.  One in the stake center and the other miles away from there where we were today.  We will see how that goes since we have to be at Hainamosa by 5:00 and these places are all quite a ways apart.  It is always fun to meet more of these people.  And the most exciting thing - - - I could actually understand most of what the music director way saying because he talked slow enough for me to catch the words.  I can't even express how nice it is when you understand what someone is saying.
  We found our way home but got stuck in traffic so it took us quite a while.  We had a dinner appointment with the Ramishes and they were all ready to go by the time we got back.  They wanted to go down to the Hard Rock Cafe in the Colonial City - which is a very dangerous place at night for foreigners.  Talked them out of that and went to Adrian Tropical instead. You look out over the ocean so at night you can see the white caps on the waves roll in.It was a beautiful and refreshingly cool night.   The food was great!  They stay open all night and say their busiest hours are between 9:00pm and 12:00am but that people come in all night.  The amazing thing is you know some of these people get up and go to work in the morning but they love the night life here.

12/21/2012 Christmas party Tres Brasos

Twas a busy day today.  We had our music lesson with the returned missionaries, Spanish class with Elder Hammon, then Scott's Spanish class; then the Navidad fiesta with William and AltaGracie's kids.  We tried to get the parents to go because their kids really wanted to go but they were either at school, at work, or generally busy.   So we pulled up to get the kids and not only were they waiting by the road for us, they had three other cousins with them!  Having no idea what this Christmas party would be like and taking nine kids with us was a stretch. It was a lovely program for the members of the ward.  They had Christmas music playing, the Christmas story read, testimonies of all of the ward leaders, and a video of both activities that had gone one through the year and the baptisms that had taken place.  Then they moved to the hall and had a dance.  Wow can these people dance!  Scott and I decided maybe we should learn how they dance before we come home - they were having so much fun. And we have to say they are the nosiest people we have ever heard.  Everything they do is loud - and we don't hear well these days so you know how loud it must be! Then they served a dinner that Scott said was pretty good.  The kids filled up their plates and had pop.  I'm sure they thought they were in heaven having so much good food to eat!  It really made me miss home and our ward and the joy of being with family and friends at this special time of the year.  All in all we were pooped by the time we got home. Instead of writing the names under the pictures I will just put them in here. Henani and her cousin, Gregory and two boy cousins, Maria, Alta Gracie, Eliana, and Katy.
   Scott wanted to skype with his daughters.  How we love them all - in-laws as well.  Our kids have chosen great mates to add to our family!  In less than a month some of them will be here.  I daresn't even think about it for fear something will happen and they won't come!

  Will post some party pictures that we want to keep:

One of the best ideas these people have - bring your own mattress for sleepy kids!

12/20-31/2012

So here I am again, a few days behind.  Sunday was our usual busy day with taking William's kids to church along with a cousin.  Just love those kids!  Then we rushed home to pack our car for lessons in San Crystobol.  We are using their ward for the area website page Pres. Anderson wants us to do.  There are two younger girls in there that bring me things - this week apples.  They are so sweet. I did get their pictures with all of the picture taking we were doing.

The one in pink Scott calls "lancena" because she reminds him of our grandson Lance.  The smaller one we call "flaco" because she is the skinniest little thing we have ever seen and flaco in espanol means skinny.  We don't even know their names because there have been so many in the class.  Now we need to do name tags.  This is a great group!  They are so anxious to learn and actually do practice during the week which helps them alot.

We left for our Oriental lesson and got there only to find they thought lessons were canceled for the entire Christmas season so we only had one student show up.  Luckily enough it was Sarah who we are also using in the web page for the area.  She and Stephanie have their papers in for their missions.  Sarah is amazing and her dad, the stake president has been so helpful to our music program.   Stephanie is the dark eyed girl who always looked so sad and distant.  As the time has gone by with lessons she became lighter and lighter in her countenance and happier and happier.  She has done so well and I know it has helped her with her self-confidence.  She has been playing out of the hymn book for Sacrament Meeting and is an entirely different young woman.  And now she is going on a mission .. . that is just amazing!  What a difference the gospel makes in the lives of these young people that we teach.  We are so blessed to have the guidance of the gospel in our lives and in the lives of our children and grandchildren.

 On Monday Elder Yturralde needed a ride to Quesquea to pick up a computer at the church.  He still has no permit to drive so Scott drove him out there and Sister Yturralde and I went along.  It is about an hour drive but quite pretty and a fairly descent road until you get there.  Then it is dirt lanes (kind of like the undeveloped roads on the ranged) between rows of houses.  Got some good pictures but am having trouble downloading them.  Will add them when I learn how!  I went to a Primary meeting with Sister Yturralde at Sister Miller's house that I visited with Sister Snow the only other time I have been there.  At that time she was in bed with a broken leg but now she is up and going.  They have quite a nice house for the area.  There are petitioned off rooms with walls instead of just sheets.  I asked to use her bathroom  - what I didn't know is they can't flush the toilets there so the big barrel of water at the side of the toilet is their bath, wash and flush toilet water.  So I learned you dip out the water and fill the toilet basin until it flushes.  Never did work for me however!  What a peaceful area though.  People just milling around visiting, children playing in the dirt, teens on their phones.  Sunday must be the day they go to the beauty shop because we saw women all over with dye in their hair walking around, girls with 3" curlers and many open beauty shops.  A bit different than the ones you see in the states but still full of women getting their hair washed and straightened or put in huge rollers.  The barbershops were full of men getting their hair cut and getting shaved. Of course if there were more than two people in there at one time the room was full!  Many things here are like you see in old movies - about 40 years behind the times that we live in at home.
    When we got back to Santo Domingo we decided to go down to the old part of the city they call the Colonial Zone because it was the first area colonized by the Europeans.  It was fun to see the old buildings and the home built by the son of Columbus  in the 1500's.  On one street they have converted the buildings to restaurants and we had decided to  eat at one of them that Yturraldes had been to.  Great atmosphere up on the balcony with a cool breeze blowing and music playing.  Scott and I had a specialized meat platter.  We never did ask what the meat was because we weren't sure we wanted to know until after we had eaten.  It was good but the only thing I recognized was the chicken.
    We arrived at the Casa just in time for the New Year's Eve party.  They had set up eight groups of tables with different games and each half hour you changed tables but couldn't be with your spouse. It was actually alot of fun.  Then they did white elephant gifts that were hilarious!  They showed a movie after that but we figured we'd just fall asleep so we came home.

12/19/2012 Pres. Anderson visit

 It is great to feel good!  Joe emailed a couple days ago and told us that the Snows had stopped by to say hello.  They are good friends of ours from Roosevelt that left here a couple of months ago.  We miss them.    
  Yesterday we went down to visit the Denishes and take them some rice  krispie treats.  They bring us all of this weird food so we thought we would return the favor!  I had never met him but since he is home recovering from what they thought was a heart attack he hasn't gone back to Haiti yet.  They are a delightful couple.  Since they are homebound we took them some church magazines and videos.
Unlike our Nepalize friends, they believe in Christ and she very much wants to attend Church.  The members of the ward have been very good to them.  You never know what will happen but at least they will know more about the church.  She has always had a maid that cooked for them until they came here so she wants to learn how to cook.  We decided they should try everything we make and if they like it I will teach her how to make it....From what she has brought here I'd say there won't be much we eat that is spicy enough for them!
  We got a call this morning from the high counselor over music in the Las Americas stake and are supposed to meet with them on Friday night before our dinner with the Rameshes.  That will probably give us another stake to teach.
  I am so excited because on the 24th we get to go to an orphanage here to take gifts.  I really wanted to work at an orphanage here but when they said they would not let you pick up the kids or give them extra attention I thought I just couldn't do it but we will see.  I was surprised to see kids that were 17 and 20 years old on the list.  It will be an interesting experience. 
   On Christmas morning we are taking treats to the CCM to make baskets for the missionaries for Christmas so that will be fun .  I need to start baking! Which is always fun in my sometimes working oven...
   We met with Pres. Anderson today for an interview.  It was fun to show him pictures of our classes because he gets so excited to think that someone here is learning to play the piano - besides Scott that is.  He wants us to do a page for the Caribbean Area web page on music and what we have been doing.  That will be a challenge!  We figure that so far with the directing and keyboard classes we have taught around 80 students and there are so many senior missionaries in the surrounding islands that are teaching also.  Our goal is just to get these people playing and teaching for themselves instead of having to rely on the missionaries.  Their culture is difficult to change so we will see if they take that on or not.
   We left the interview in time to get to the 5:00 session.  That usually enables us to do two sessions but there were so many complications with the Haitian group that is staying at the Casa to attend the temple that we were too late getting out.  Interesting enough there were two sisters in the session that reminded me of Jessica Espinosa and Faith Turner - just darker!  When we got home I called Jessica.  It was so good to talk to her.  Tried Faith but she must not be home from work. 
  
   

12/18/2012 Scott's morning jog

    Sweating with a stingy rash isn't much fun so I decided to tag along with Scott this morning on his usual jog - only we walked...First we pass the night worker downstairs who haven't  left yet - Scott leaves him a banana.  Joel wasn't out with his stand so didn't see him.  His girl friend(?)- he is married with three children -was at her stand by the guagua's this morning.  Then we got to Paublo who has to stay 24 hours a day at the school he guards because they are out for vacation.  Scott says they have some kind of quarters for him to rest in.  I had met Paublo who is a very friendly guy and really wanted to be a Mormon until he realized that we don't drink alcoholic beverages.  He's been drunk a few times when Scott and the missionaries have met there with him.  Then there was Yamasa (Pascual) who is 80 years old with a 50 year old wife and a handicapped son.  He is a little man with eyes that look like they have seen much of the world.  The missionaries are teaching him.  Scott always takes him a banana in the morning.  I just call Scott the banana man since he supplies half of the neighborhood outside and inside with bananas and pineapple every morning.  Of course by then he had given away all of his bananas and had to go buy more from his banana lady who I had never seen up close but he had told me much about.  Notice the blobs on the lobes of her ears.  We can't decide if she somehow did that purposely or if she was born that way.  She's a very nice lady keeps and Scott's banana supply going

Paublo at his school

.Joel's friend and her roadside stand

Yamasa at the building he has worked at for 32 years

The banana lady

So all in all it was a fun walk for me seeing the people Scott talks about all of the time.

I worked on a report for our meeting with President Anderson tomorrow and a history of the music since we have been here - or for 2012.  Should be interesting!                                                         

12/17/2012

I do believe I just wrote this morning catching up.  We did have Spanish classes today and very good FHE at the Casa.  The Men's Choir that sang to us once before did the program and they were excellent!  I was grateful they sang in Spanish because it wasn't as emotional for me as it would have been in English as they sang many Christmas songs and the Dominicans were in tears.

Brother Williams, the director, sang in the States with a barbershop quartet.  He wanted to bring that style of music here and so that is how they sing.  No accompanying music just harmonizing. 
    I did see the doctor tonight - he looked at my rash and said I had a flu virus that because of the type it was - ended up in the rash and it should be gone sometime.  I did mention that he was a radiologist in his previous life, right?  (In Idaho that is)  Something like Fifths Disease the kids get at home.  Who knows.. I did take some kind of an antihistamine they use here this afternoon and it hasn't been quite so bothersome.  (This info is for my sister who ordered me to see a doctor!)
 

12/17/2012

  Haven't written for a few days because didn't feel well - no energy and rash still! 
   On our usual busy Thursday I stayed home to be near the bathroom so I have had lots of time to work on many things.  But basically have just slept alot.
   Friday was also a wash for me but come Saturday we went to our lessons in Hainamosa.  We have had our lessons in a small room so it is a bit noisy and hard to hear so we will be happy when they are through with their activities in the gym.  On Saturday they were having a Modesty Show in which a young woman modeled modest prom dresses and every day attire.  That was a great idea here because women do not dress modestly. Did see Elder Esplin teaching his English class again.  He has another baptism next week so I'll try to get some treats made.
   Our upstairs neighbors from India are back. They brought us a calendar and some candy from Nepal.  We had worried about their apartment with the hurricane and all but they said there was no water damage there.  Only 1/4 inch of greasy dust all over everything.  They realized that their lungs probably looked about the same - as must all of ours - and decided they would try to find another place where there isn't as much pollution.  They want to go out for dinner for Christmas this coming Friday so that will be fun.  They didn't manage to find a wife for their son.  Actually they said they had found some girls but their son was not interested.  Imagine that!  It is good to have them back.
    On Sunday we went to pick up the girls for church.  Pooled up on the road was a bunch of water (so I thought) that covered our side of the street.  Scott was saying "Oh no, this isn't good!" Me thinking it was just water couldn't figure out why he would say that until we drove through it.  Apparently they drain their sewage that was and it was really, really stinky and gross.  The smell was awful until we had driven all the way to Williams.  This time some of the kids were actually ready but William's kids hadn't even started to get ready.  So we waited on that busy, and somewhat scary, street for them to come.  If we could ever get there before it started I could play for the RS but we are usually late.  Don't know if they appreciate us doubling their Primary every week with these kids or if it more of a hassle for them.  The kids are adorable!  One of the twins was setting on my lap and the other beside me.  When they said the prayer and I had my eyes closed, the one next to me kissed me on  the cheek. So then they all thought that was the thing to do.  What a sweet thing for a grandma far away from her grandkids. They are so excited to come spend a day with us - we just have to finish planning what all we want to do. I have yet to see a baby or little child here who does not look well  loved and taken care of.  That doesn't mean there aren't any though!  What these kids lack is a mother who has time to spend with them, at least that is true with Alta Gracie's kids.
   As we drove into the parking lot to load up  for the two afternoon  lessons , our Nepal neighbor was driving a car around the parking lot.  He had told us he wanted to buy a car.  There were two for sale in the parking lot but knowing no Spanish, he couldn't figure out exactly what he needed to know so Scott stayed downstairs to help him.
   Loaded up and drove out to San Crystobol for lessons.  This is such a fun group because most of them are adults and so excited to learn.  Three of them have purchased keyboards of their own and the Bishop has bought three more for their ward.  They are the only class we have that comes anywhere near the time the lessons begin.  Lesson time was interrupted by someone shouting from outside and half of the students running out the door, across the parking lot, and down the street.  Had no idea what was going on until some came back and said there had been a fire and someone's grandmother's face had been burned.  Don't know if it was someone they knew - it must have been.

The Bishop is the one with a tie on the second row with his arm around his son.  He is so much fun!  Kind of reminds me of Bishop Glover.  Two of my favorite students were not there. They are all great students! I am continually surprised by these men who are so anxious to learn.

    Also on the way to our next lesson in Oriental we were following this motorcycle with the woman holding the birthday cake - which we thought was hilarious knowing how everyone drives here.  But when we passed them we saw that she was actually holding one in the other hand in front of her!
We figured they must be the delivery service for whoever had made the cakes.  So amazing that they can even balance themselves let alone two cakes!
  

12/13/2012

Well now I'm not just a red neck but a whole upper body red!  Got to love it...  I don't know if it is some virus or something I am allergic to but it is hot and itches so am hoping it goes away soon.
  Today was our music class with the returned missionaries.  The two guys were busy with the new Latin missionaries and couldn't come so it was just Katty.  She is awesome!  It is difficult for her to learn but she just keeps trying.  After the lesson she came back with some sugar cookies she had made for us.  I've sworn off sugar but Scott really enjoyed them and shared them with the Spanish class.
  For Elder Hammons class today we were supposed to tell a Christmas related tradition in espanol.  The only one I could think of that would be fairly easy to translate was how Scott has never appreciated Christmas lights on houses, etc.  The funny thing being that now we have six families living around us and they all have Christmas lights on their houses.  One day he will soften!!
  Reid and I were talking before Spanish about having family around for Christmas.  When he said "I will have family around because you are my family" it really made me think of how true that is.  We love these people and they are our family here.  If I could ever be as pure as Reid is, it would be marvelous.  We are trying to decide what to do for him for Christmas that would be meaningful to him.  He is always typing up poems and letters and special quotes and giving them to us.  I remember Megan working with some Down's Syndrome kids at school and how much she loved those kids - now I really understand why.
   Kelsey and Levi were supposed to move into the Rock House yesterday.  It will be so nice to have them on the ranch.  Eli and Chris and the girls came to Utah two days ago and went down to visit with Chris's family.  Experience is a great teacher  - now I know how Eli feels being away from home when everyone is there enjoying each other.  How grateful I am for a wonderful family!

12/12/2012

    Well today I have fewer digestion problems and a dizziness that is going away but now I have this flushed red neck and the redness is moving down - so who knows what is going on! Scott says it just proves that I am a "red neck".  Oh well . . .
     After shopping I felt lousy and thought Scott would be going to the temple again tonight by himself but thank heavens, my head cleared up just in time to go.   It was a big session tonight.  And finally a woman sat by me who was actually taller than me - alot taller!  I never feel tall around my family but here it is a different story.  My hair color fit right in though .. So we had English, Spanish and French speaking people in the session.  Such a variety of cultures in the Caribbean area is an interesting experience for us.
     So the tire scam when shopping the other day happened to the Hammons on the same day a couple of hours later when they came out of a restaurant.  Elder Hammon took a picture of the guy because he wondered if he was legitimate.  Sure enough - same guy who showed up to fix our perfectly good tire showed up to fix theirs. He just happened to have everything he needed to fix what was wrong.  So now they want us to file a complaint with the police so they can watch for him.  The police in the last five days have shot and killed seven people.  It would be nice if they would actually take the people into custody and find out if they are guilty before they shoot them.  So we will see how you go about filing a complaint here.
    Our elevator is fixed again!  The apartment owners met and decided to fire Soyla -for a multitude of reasons based on her dishonesty.  We will see if things run smoother... Our apartment owner never did come back - she is probably still on the run.  

12/11/2012

Not much to write because I have been sick for a couple of days.  However, I did convince Scott to dye my hair this afternoon.  Now I do fit in with the Dominicans!  It will wash out but till then I will look pretty strange...  Scott went to the temple and I stayed home close to the bathroom but have been able to get some things done.
   Our Nepal neighbors are back from their month and a half vacation to Nepal.  Can't wait to talk to them and see if they found a wife for their son!  Scott is trying to figure out how to introduce them to the church.  They have mentioned that they would like to go to the temple with us sometime but we haven't had time to explain.  That probably would be a good starting place.

12/9/2012

  I forgot last night to mention our Pico Pollo experience...  Ever since we started traveling out of the city Scott has wanted to stop at one of the hundred Pico Pollo places to buy a chicken because they had places like this in Peru when he was on his mission.  We never have stopped but last night when we saw one that roasted the chickens over a hot coals in plain sight - we stopped.  It was so interesting how they had a bellows thing that fanned the flames and made the coals burn hotter.  When the chicken was dark, dark, dark brown, almost black, they would pull it off the rod it was on and take something that looked like garden snippers and cut it up the breast bone.  Then they cut off the thigh, leg, and wing and stuff everything into a styrofoam container.  I was really glad to see there wasn't a head and feet still on the chicken! The chicken was moist and flavorful.   Scott loved the extra brown skin!  Anyway, we think we may do that again sometime.  We managed to find a parking place right in front and still Scott was a little nervous about something happening to the car.  The people were very friendly and helpful.  Probably felt sorry for us.....As side dishes (which we didn't have) they had gray, peeled bananas; some kind of potato that looked boiled, and their fried plantains.  It's just fun to see what they serve!
  Today was our usual busy day.  When we got out to pick up the kids for church they had not had water and had no clean clothes so they weren't going to Church.  So we hurried back to our ward - got lost on the way - in time for a bit of Sacrament Meeting and Sunday School.  Then came home for a quick lunch and headed out to San Crystobol.  This is such a fun group because they are so anxious to learn!  Most of them are adults but there are a few kids.  One is a skinny little girl who tells me I am her favorite teacher.  Funny, huh!  She is taking English classes but hates to talk in English because she thinks she doesn't know anything - wow, do I know how that feels!  We lost a keyboard cord somewhere last week so were missing one keyboard but they don't mind doubling up.  There is one young man who comes every week and just sits by one of the students and tries to learn because there is not a keyboard for him.  We are trying to decide if we could go out to San Crystobol one night during the week and take our trunk full of keyboards so they could practice during the week. The traffic is terrible in the early evening and it is a little dangerous for us to travel at night bit we will see what we can do to help them.
    We got carried away at San Crystobal and didn't even look at the time until we had gone over 1/2 an hour.  This group just hates to quit practicing - imagine that!  So we were late getting to Oriental and seven of our students were sitting out on the front steps waiting to help us carry everything in.  They wanted to know if we are going to teach another class after we finish with them - good question....
Around seven we arrived home to carry up all of the music stuff that won't fit in the trunk.  Sure was nice to have an elevator for the two days that it worked!
  A fun surprise tonight was to see little Samson in his blessing suit.  Joe and Hannah are so good to skype so we can see him.  Also got an email from Garret about our bull taking 1st place in the Reno sale.  That's great! 

12/8/2012 The owner visit/event

   This morning Joel (the handyman) called and said he was coming by but Scott couldn't understand the rest of what he said.  Someone knocked on the door and there was Joel, the owner of this apartment from New York and Loardis, the sister of the owner that we have dealt with in the past but haven't been able to reach for the past six months.  Then Joel left and Danny came up and the two women were arguing with him about apartment dues.  I don't know who had or hadn't paid them but they were having a very lively conversation. Then the owner, a spunky little Dominican, she peaks some English, told us that she is Mormon but is running from the Church.  Joel came back and she said the Lord would be happy with us if when we got back home we could say that Joel was a member of the Church.  She must really like Joel.  He wasn't too impressed with the whole hullabaloo!  Probably because he looks like he is involved in something that is dragging him down. She kept asking Scott if he wanted to buy the apartment because she wants to sell it.  She said to do anything we needed to do here to be comfortable and she would pay for it.  That would be great if we could ever get ahold of her!  She was in a big hurry because someone was waiting for her but she grabbed Joel and her sister by the hands and motioned to us to come and join hands with them. 
She got us all in a circle and asked Scott to pray for her.  So we all stood there holding hands in a circle and  she was off!!  It was just a crazy experience - like a whirlwind blowing in and back out.  We asked her to come back and tell us her story but who knows if she will or not.  Nothing is impossible in this country - except getting something fixed quickly....When they left  Scott and I looked at each other like "What just happened"?
   Just got back from lessons at Hainamosa and guess what - the elevator is broken again!  Should have known it was too good to be true. But got some special pictures for my family:

Just when we thought L&R was dead and gone - it was resurrected here!  Every time we pass it Dad and I think of home.

  This is the local mattress salesman - they normally have the helpers sitting on top of the mattresses.
Wonder what happens if you want the bottom one?????  Scott says this is just half of a load!

This guy's daughter is one of our students.  We have never seen him before but the minute he walked in and smiled we looked at each other and said "Travis Toone!" just a little darker.  He really looks like Travis - walks like Travis- and smiles like Travis.  He had learned English as a kid and has tried to keep it up for years by reading scriptures and everything he could find in English.
    Found out tonight that two of our kids have the high counselor in our class in an English class at school.  So now they are helping me with my "Dominican" and I am helping them with their English.  They tell me that Spanish and Dominican are two different languages.  What a surprise that is!  Between the three of us we have pledged to find Soreono (high councilman) a wife since he is in his forties and still single.  There are many single men and women here in their 40's on up that we have met at Church.  The choir members sang at a party their stake was having so they didn't make it to lessons but the ones who were there really needed individual attention so it was all good.
 On our way to Hainamosa we were following a guagua.  This man came into the street with a huge (big cantaloupe size) thing in his hand and he was running after the bus.  I thought he was trying to catch it for a ride but all of a sudden he wound up and threw the big rock right through the back window of the bus. The window shattered and the guagua pulled off the road as we passed by.  In the side mirror we saw the bus unloading but I don't know if the man ran off or just what happened.   It was shocking to see.

12/7/2012 William's Fruit and Vegetable Stand

  Spent the morning studying the scriptures and spanish.  Went grocery shopping and arranged with Alta Gracie and Wilton to take us to William's selling place when they got off work. 
   We left around five with Alta Gracie and Wilton and sat in traffic for an hour before we got to where William was.  What an amazing experience! I have absolutely no idea where we went but it was still in the city.  For blocks and blocks there was every kind of shop you can imagine and along the streets were outside vendors of all kinds of fruit and vegetables, beans, and other things that I don't know what were.  Alta Gracie grabbed my hand and led me through a sea of Dominican humanity to where William's stand was. There were people everywhere!  When we found William he was delighted to see us - which was nice..Out of the hundreds of people on that corner we were the only ones who were white. It was a bit like a maze.we were glad to have them with us.   I asked Wilton what one strange looking thing was and he immediately bought it and cut it open for me to try.  That was the last time I asked him that question!  Turns out it was something you just eat the seeds of -not too bad.  I wish these pictures did justice to the actual scene there but they will help me remember:

Wilton rode back a ways with us because he was afraid we would get lost.  What ever gave him that idea???  I couldn't imagine where "back home" even was. I just know that I really love these guards that take such good care of us! Alta Gracie agreed to let her twins come and spend a day with us during the holidays -we are excited about that. 
  What an experience this mission has been!  We have learned so many things that we didn't imagine would be part of our mission.  I know that wherever we are - all of us- we are on a mission to be the best we can be, to care for those who need help, to love and support each other, to set an example of Christlike living to the rest of the world.  Raising children is such a vital mission!
   It has rained all day so it has been fairly cool but so humid you have to have a fan on to move the air around.  I still wake in the  night to noises and think I am on the ranch.  When I get home I'll wake up to noise and think it's a guagua or taxi driver yelling outside our window.

12/6/2012

  Today has been a cool day here in the Dominican -maybe even down to the high 70's.  At the Casa where we went for lessons today all of the guest who come to stay and attend the temple were decked out in coats and scarfs around their necks and were still shivering.  It was so funny - it was like walking into a different world.  It was so humid my face was all sweaty and Jose, the student I worked with today could not believe I was hot because he was freezing.  He said he had no desire to visit us in Utah during the winter.  It is just so hard to keep track of time when every day is the same and you have always lived with four seasons.
  Our elevator is finally working!!  But when we came home from lessons the water in the bathroom was not running - still isn't.  I guess they started working on it and the worker got tired and went home.  That's how things are here.  It's the first time I have actually him voice disgust with what goes on, or doesn't go on, in our apartment.  "Can't we go one day with everything working?"
Of course we can't.  He should know that by now......
  There is a guagua that stops outside of our window on the street that plays "Oh Suzannah" in horn music when he pulls in.  What a refreshing change!
I have wanted to include a picture of Pres. and Sister Anderson, Area President who is over us, so here is one from Thanksgiving dinner:

 

12/5/2112

   Well today has been a sad day.  We have a friend, Alice, that has had cancer for six or so years and a month ago was told it has spread to other places.  Now she is starting yet another chemo treatment.
We talked to both Blair and Alice this morning.  Ever since I can remember Blair has helped on the ranch when we needed him.  Alice has been an amazing friend  - if there was ever a way she could help she was right there.  I remember clearly one day when all of the kids were young someone knocked on the door.  There stood Alice with a smile on her face saying she was there to help me do anything that needed done. Many a time when I was bowled over by caring for 10 kids or anything else she would show up to help. That is the kind of friend she has always been.  It must have been  very difficult for her not to have the health these last years to help everybody else. 
    Then the Yturraldes stopped by to say their boss wanted to have a conference with them today.  Then stopped to say they are being sent to Mexico as soon as the paper work is done to do Extraction work there.  They were there for a week working a while back.  They are working with a different program than the normal missionary program.  They are the main reason we have stayed in this building.  They have become such good friends.  We will always be grateful for the opportunity of getting to know them.  Don't know who will help me with computer problems when Sister Yturraldie goes.  It has just been fun and helpful to have them here in this building to share woes with!
     Being a bit sad we decided to do two sessions at the temple tonight.  Pres. Anderson and his wife,
Pres. Cornish and his wife and a few others were in the last session.  It is wonderful to be in the temple with so many friends!
A quote from Reid:  "The purpose of life is a life full of purpose."
  The happy news is Kelsey and Levi have moved to the ranch and Joe and Hannah have moved into their house.  What a marvelous blessing family is!
 

12/4/2012

"Junk is stuff you throw away and stuff is junk you keep"... A quote from Sister Chantelier.  Many of our friends here have no stuff and their treasures are what we would consider junk.  But they go on living ..                                                                                                                                                                    We went to the Institute today for choir and not a soul but the Mahons showed up. Don't know what happened to Tom ( the professional musician.) This week and next week are finals for the kids then they won't be around the Institute because school will be out until the second week in January.  So we decided to stop and start again with a scheduled piano class in January because we know some kids that want to learn to play.  But we had a very informative meeting with the Mahons.  Sister Mahon is a beautician by trade and when she found out how much time and  money the girls spent on having their hair washed and blown dry and straightened once or twice a week - they often go without food to have their hair done - she decided to teach a class on hair care hoping to teach them to save money and time by doing their own hair.  She found out that the Dominicans resent the "white people" coming in and trying to change their culture.  Some of the younger kids must have thought it was a good idea but the older women teachers at the Institute were very insulted.  It makes you wonder what they think about any of the things we as missionaries do.  I'm sure they have some resentment towards us.  It did clear up for us that some of the people here are just fine having the missionaries come in and do their music rather than taking that responsibility themselves.  That helps us understand the stake presidents here who just don't want to have a music program in their stakes that they have to be responsible for - just play the canned music, it is much easier for them.  Anyway we will just do what we can!
  We went to the temple tonight and the Hammons were there to go through the session with  us.  Another couple came in that came from Kentucky.  He served his mission here ten years ago and comes back at least every two years.  He really wants to live here but she does not.  Can't get the return key to work on my laptop so guess I'll close for the night and google it!

12/3/2012

      It seems like I got nothing done today....We had refreshments with two others couples for the FHE at the Casa tonight.  Had to bake a banana cake, go to Price Mart to get ice cream and get the rest of the things we needed together.  Anytime you go to Price Mart it is a 11/2 hour trip at best - and it is only five miles away.  Takes at least 1/2 an hour to get there and 1/2 to get  home. I'm tired of this city living that is supposed to be so great because you have many shopping options but it takes forever to get there, find a parking place, and get home.  Can't just jump in the car and run to Jubilee and be home in 1/2 an hour or 45 minutes.....
    Baked the cake and made some cheeseburger soup for Scott.  Did some Spanish homework then it was time to go to Spanish classes.  They actually made sense to me today - on subjunctive conjugation of verbs.  I'm trying to speak to the locals more - the little kids are the best to practice on!
Everyone here agrees that the Dominicans speak their own brand of Spanish so I don't feel quite as inadequate.
    Family Home Evening was a farewell meeting for the Browns and Sister Chantrelle.   We went down early to set up the chairs but some good soul had already done that so we got the cakes and fruit set out.  Sister Brown has come to Scott's Spanish but has not been able to be there all of the time and despite her husband's prodding for her to learn Spanish she really hasn't.  She has been refreshing to have in class because she isn't stressed out about learning.  Sister Cuenot told us tonight that she had cured her cataracts by putting slices of onion on her eyelids and kept on while she slept with a band of some kind.  She has been doing this for over a year. I can just imagine Scott sleeping next to me with the smell of fresh onions - Vicks drives him crazy!
 

12/1/2012

My oldest son turns 40 today - that must mean I am as old as the hills!  Or older!! We are very grateful for him.  I look at pictures of our family and I know we are so blessed - I can't wait to see some of them in person in January!!
   We just got home from lessons out in Hainamosa.  Elder Esplin was having another baptism today so I played for that while Scott taught keyboard.  Everyone should have the experience of playing for these people to sing.  The ward mission leader is one of our students and lead the music or tried to anyway.  It was a 6/8 song and he couldn't keep on beat which didn't matter too much as the people weren't singing with either one of us.  You just want to stop playing and have them try to match their voices with the notes but by the second verse they pick it up a bit and by the third many of them are singing on tune.  Anyway, Elder Esplin is fun to work with and is doing a great job out in the Hainamosa area.  We took cheerio treats and as soon as I put them out all of the kids from the hallway came in and had some also so there were none left for Scott.  He was sad.....
    Today in the paper we read that the Caribbean area is second in the world with AIDS and STDs.  What is amazing is they don't seem to realize their behavior is much of the reason.  They should burn those Cabanas to the ground for a starter!  The high councilor over music for the Hainamosa stake is taking lessons and we give him a ride back into Santo Domingo. When we were talking about the AIDS epidemic he shrugged and laughed and said"that's just the way it is here".  Unfortunately I think that is everybody's attitude. We take a car load of kids back to their houses after lessons - they pack in two deep.  I am amazed that they walk to lessons which are a at least 4-5 miles from their homes.
  I am grateful it is time for bed!  The day was hot but it actually cooled off tonight after a rain storm.
Hooray!  The downstairs India neighbors came up to visit - the husband actually made it home this weekend from Haiti.  They just want to go to a Christian church.  She and the kids have been going but this will be the first week for him.  They are very nice people.