3/31/2012

    What a wonderful day listening to conference!  I loved the statement "You can never be wrong by doing right and you can never be right by doing wrong".  It is such a blessing to have the encouraging words of conference two times a year to motivate us to try harder to be and do better.  Scott went to the Priesthood Session at the temple president's home and should be getting home soon.  Seeing Julie Beck replaced was rather sad because she is such an amazing example and teacher of standing up for righteousness as women in the church in a very straight forward way. 
     Scott called me to our open window just before he left to see these great big bats flying in and out of the tree below our apartment.  That's enough to make me close the windows!  Santa Domingo touts itself as such a clean city, yet there is always garbage by the sides of the roads and throwm on the sidewalks that is
 disgusting.  They do keep their buildings and cement walls around them painted though.  Every place that is a residence of some kind has a cement wall and a metal gate that is locked.  Up to the fourth floor the windows all have iron bars, usually decorative but functional.  They also have guards at the gates, many with shotguns.  While walking we have seen broken glass inserted to the cement at the top of the wall - which is usually 8 to 10 ft tall.  Then there are the walls that have barbed wire at the top.
Scott thinks they have more police here than they do people.  There are the traffic police, the national police, the swat police, and many more - you see them everywhere in their different colored vests.
   We have one ceiling light in our bedroom.  It is unique because it flickers on and off when it is supposed to be off.  So during the night you are awakened by this quick flash of light - then it's gone.  What does that say for the wiring? At least it stays on when it is supposed to be on! Nothing completes with the noise outside though as far as waking you up or keeping you awake.  It is never completely dark here because we have the street lights next to our apartment so you don't need to worry about having a nightlight!
   Guess I'll go study until Scott gets home.
  

3/30/2012

As I sat down to blog I see two of these tiny, tiny little ants running across the desk - they are everywhere but when I try to get a picture they move so fast you can't find them.  However I just went to the kitchen and of course the cupcakes bowls from this morning are still in the sink because we have no water and there were over fifty ants in the bowl.
  We have these friends from the East Mission office (the Eickbushes) who are always bringing us treats, etc.  Since our oven is supposed to be working we decided to make some cupcakes and take them over.  After testing we did get it working so the bottom didn't burn! The Eickbushes eat aross the street at this little Chinese place so we all decided to try it.  Of course it is a major feat to get across the street without getting ran over!  There were dishes with broccoli and some kind of meat but since we weren't sure what the meat was and it didn't even look familiar we got their chicken and rice and fried banana dish. The bananas are called plantins and aren't really bananas but a vegetable of some kind.  They taste like a flavorless potatoe - that must be why they always deep fry them!  The food was good though and we may venture out there again and try something different.

    Since this is a slow day for us we ventured out with the Snow's to this place called "Yellow Steps".  It is big building crammed with little shops selling souvenirs and everything else you can imagine. I will put some pictures in.  They have tons of jewlery that is made from coconut shells that have been filed down.  Everyone here must be an artist from the variety of pictures and art forms of different kinds that are displayed.  Almost every shop has the same kind of things except for the first one that had water containers made from animal hoofs. My water supply would last a very long time if I were drinking out of that thing.  The shop keepers don't sit back and let you look at their things, they almost drag you into their little shops and have to tell you about everything in there.  Of course that wasn't of much interest when you can't tell what they are saying.  One had a framed snake and when Scott asked if it was poisonous the guy laughed and said, "No, but it scares everyone to death."  It was probably a foot long - he should see our ranch grown snakes, they are much more impressive!  I want to go back before we go home and actually buy some of the quaint things there.  
     We are going to spend the night studying and practicing piano and getting ready for conference this weekend.  How grateful we are to have a living prophet who can guide us through these perilous times.  We will be grateful to hear conference - on our computer!

3/30/2012

   As I set down to blog I see two or three of these tiny, tiny little ants that move faster than any bug I have seen.  They look like a tiny spec of dirt - which I tried to get a picture of but by the time the camera flashes they are gone.  Just went to the kitchen to get a drink and there were some in a cupcake mixing  bowl  - Probably about 50.  I'm going to blog this so I can remember these little critters that are always everywhere.

3/29/2012

  Today began with a walk around the city block to the temple grounds.  It was a nice cool, but still sticky, morning here.  We found a new way to go and the sidewalk is much better - since the sidewalks we have taken to the temple are broken up and non-existent in many places.  This way has tiled walk ways!  They tile everywhere here - on walls, on floors, on sidewalks.  Guess it's one of the few surfaces that doesn't mildew and can be easily washed.  Chlorine will forever more remind me of the Dominican Republic because it is used to clean everything here. We passed a military training center where the guard said they train military men to keep the president from being overthrown.  Scott asked if there were over 200 men there being trained and he said there were many,many more than that.  The training center takes up half of the block.  It is a much quieter street than ours - probably because they have armed guards around!
   We finally got our oven fixed.  The trouble is it is gas and I have never cooked with gas and didn't realize that I had to move the rack up farther so burned the bottom of this big pan or brownies.  That didn't keep Scott from cutting off the bottom and taking some to the guards here and his friend up the street.  He brought the neighbor lady in to meet me and thought we should take her breakfast. I realize more each day how important it is to be able to communicate with these people.  I am determined to be able to do that, in a small way, before long.
    Spanish class was today and when we got there the teacher had left a message for Scott to take over for him because he was caught up doing something else.  An opportunity to go to the temple again tonight - there were lots of people there.  They have sessions at 9:00 and 10:00 am and 5:00, 6:00, and 7:00 pm.  This is where the clorox smell is the strongest- maybe because they wash so many white clothes there!  It is amazing to see what the gospel has done for the people here.  The church helps here with humanitarian efforts in so many ways. It has been interesting to see the different kits that we have all been involved in putting together at times distributed here to people who need them so badly. 
     The water is on for it's nightly two hours.  There was an article in their paper today that said there just isn't enough water so this may be a more permanent thing here.  Oh well - at least the power is on.

3/28/2012

  Thanks to Kelsey, I now know how to find my lost blogs!  We have spent the entire day today in Santiago or traveling to and from there.  The Hammon's (area welfare missionaries) had asked us to ride with them out to find a hospital and a new institute building.  We haven't been out of Santo Domingo but will be sooner or later so we were excited to go.
  As as got further away from the city and into the farmland the poverty of the people became more evident.  I didn't get a chance to get good pictures of the houses (?) but did get some fun pictures of the many little stands along the rode selling everything from live chickens, all kinds of fruit and vegetables, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted pork with the skin still on, wooden spoons and boards, fish, pottery, chairs, to rugs made from scraps they get from the Victoria Secret's warehouse here.  There were many, many rugs but then what would expect from all of the leftover material from their merchandise!  The country was beautiful with tree and bush covered mountains and trees branching over the road.  I had never seen rice paddies, orange groves, or banana trees.We finally did see some cattle and lots of horses and chickens.
    The way the roads are set up here is a mystery to everyone.  Certainly not like they are in Utah!  In the business district some of the businesses are all crowded together down a skinny little street that runs at an angle from the main road.  Everything is crammed so close together.  They don't have many stores that you can go to and buy a variety of things - they have specialty stores. 
   We enjoyed being with the Hammons.  Elder Hammon thought his wife with the gps had directed him right into the miserable rush hour traffic and was getting pretty uptight - she and I started laughing (think we were just tired) and couldn't stop.  Scott was trying to keep him calm and kept telling us to quit laughing. Elder Hammon would have opened the doors and kicked us out but the other cars were so close you couldn't open the doors.  We finally made it home despite everything!
    We did meet one of the stake presidents in the Santiago Mission and see the new Institute they are building there.  That gave us a chance to talk to him about the music in his stake.  He says there is none.  We have to wait for the stakes and wards to organize their music programs before we can help in any way.  It's about a 2 hour drive there and you can't drive after dark because there are road "robbers".  President Andersen had car trouble one night and had a scary experience with some "robbers" and now they don't want any of the missionaries driving out of the city after dark.

   I'm going to post some pictures of things we saw today - or I'm going to try!

   

3/27/2012

It's been a good day.We have been waiting to hear from Pres. Andersen to see if we needed to change our area music plan and today we got an email from him saying it was fine, to translate it to Spanish and send it back so they could have it for their meeting with the members of the seventies and the stake presidents in the area.  That is such a weight off our shoulders!  However it opens up the entire area for us to be available for so we'll see just how that goes. Talked to Diane Bastion from the church music headquarters so we will be receiving 20 keyboards to help get the training sessions going from the Harmon Grant Foundation. 
   We went to the Spanish class today.  I swear Elder Hammon, the teacher, talks some completely different language!  The good thing is I am not the only one lost in that class.  We stayed for Family Home Evening which was a presentation on mental and physical health by the McDermits.  They are the mental health people for the mission - and they are always busy...
    The Snow's from Roosevelt had a daughter and her family visiting.  She and her husband, when they found out we were from Morgan, asked if we knew a woman named MaryKaye.  Turned out to be MaryKaye Christiansen.  The story is these two young people, the girl and her husband, were headed to Salt Lake to a ChrisLaDou(?) concert.  Their car broke down and they were at  the dirt spot by Peterson when this woman came up to them and asked if they needed help.  When they told her their plight she insisted that they take her suburban to the concert.  She told them where she lived and said they should bring her car back when they were through and leave the keys under the mat.  And they did... How proud were we to say we knew MaryKaye!  That's the kind of people you want living in your town.
    On Sunday we got to skype with Eli and her two beautiful little girls- you just want to squeeze them.  Then on Monday we got to see and talk to Alysha's family. Jakes's family, Joe's family at Megans.  Life is much  better out here with the ability to see and talk to our family.  One of the women here said to me "You make me feel like home."  I've thought about that alot because I know what home means to me and I have decided that is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.  I'm going to remember that because it describes so well how so many of our friends give us that same feeling.

    I don't know if I remembered to put this in or not but last Sunday this woman came over to Scott and threw her arms around him and called him Sugar.  Now anyone who knows Scott knows he is not a hugger(though he is becoming much better).   It is normal here for women to hug women in greeting but that really took Scott by surprise.  I thought it was great!!  Maybe she was referring to his color.
    We got to talk to Mike and Melissa Pfannerstil (haven't spelled their name right all week).  What a joy it is to know they have survived such a scare.  I'm sure it will take some time to recover mentally as well as physically.
    Our water is still off and just as we were getting ready to go to the temple, the power went off.  It is so surprising to see things like this happen in such a big city.  I'm going to post some power lines here so it's no surprise that the power goes off.  They say they don't turn off people's power, they just cut the lines and tie them around the pole until the bill is paid, then they splice them back together.   

3/25/2012

What a great set of pictures to post on Sunday! I'll add some of the temple to bring the spirit back..  There is a wall around the temple and a guarded gate to enter the temple grounds. You don't see people walking around the temple grounds like you do in Utah.  The entrance to the temple ( the big pillars) is striking simplicity.  The different kinds of palm trees and flowering shrubs and trees are beautiful and hopefully I will get some better pictures in the daylight!

pictures of washer and dryer

I think I have explained our washer and air dryer before but must not have inluded a picture.   What I wonder is who would go to the trouble to get to the roof of our building and break the lock on the rusty partitioned gate to steal our clothes...

3/25/2012

   I am not sure how I could be any dumber - I have somehow deleted the last two blogs and pictures.
I am going to call Kelsey today and see if she can tell me what I am doing.  Finally have the instructions in English which should help but you never know!  It has taken me hours to do the blogs and far more hours to try to find them after they have disappeared.  Had told myself many times I was going to take a computer class and never did so I deserve whats happening.
   On Friday night we went to the temple then decided to walk around and find someplace to eat supper.
Walking is much faster and safer than driving - maybe. You have to sprint through the cars and hope one is not coming from somewhere it shouldn't. It's heartwarming to hear the people on the sidewalks yelling for you to be careful because they think you are going to get yourself killed!  They should know..
I am amazed that we have not seen an accident here.  We see all kinds of dented, beat up cars and see how they drive but have never actually seen an accident.  The motorcyclists are crazy and are supposed to be the number one cause of death here.  The next is the men killing their wives/concubines who they are unhappy with.  The welfare specialists here say there is a new incident of this daily in the paper.  That is interesting because you see so many working women here that you would think they weren't held back by their husbands in other ways.
  Anyway, back to the supper adventure.  Just down from us are a couple of pizza places - one American and one Dominican.  We went into the Dominican Pizzelle.  The place filled up with college students laughing and talking.  We tried a pizza with everything on - the most notable difference was their vegetables were not cooked on the pizza.  They just cut up the peppers, onions, etc the threw it on after.  They also put kernels of corn on their pizza with a different spice that we weren't familiar with. It was good but we think we'll go to the American one next!  They bagged up our extra pizza and we left only to find a shoeshine boy waiting on the steps to give shoeshines.  The trouble was it was dark so Scott didn't think that would be a great idea.  The boy said he was hungry and needed the money so Scott gave him the rest of our pizza. I hope it helped him a little.
   Don't know if I have mentioned the absence of clocks here - everyone here says that is just the Dominican way and we are beginning to believe there is something to that. 
  On the past two posts that I lost I had put pictures of our smiley face washer and natural air dryer. I will try that again. On Saturday we had water first thing in the morning.  I showered and got some clothes ready to wash and Scott got ready to shower only to find when he stepped in the shower the water went off.  They say the city water system does not have enough water because it is a drought year - now that is hard to believe.  They should live in Utah instead of a country where it rains every day!  When it rains here it literally pours. Water runs down the streets and puddles up everywhere even though they have drain trenches down the sides of every street.
  Today has been fast Sunday here because of General Conference next week. We went to the ward we would normally be in here.  There were as many white people there as Dominicans.  Haven't seen so much blond hair the whole time we have been here.  It was almost shocking!  This ward has all of the area presidency and all of the temple missionaries plus all of the men and their families that are here working for the church in different business and welfare ventures.  We actually heard a Sunday School lesson in English.  Sure am glad not to be the woman who teaches that class!  There is such a special spirit among these people.  One of the women here with her husband said she had served a mission here and was so happy to come back because these people are much more loving and accepting than those in the states.  That's a sad reflection on us.  The chapels we have been in all have their chapels on the second floor of the building with many fans whirling around.  The weather is nice now but we hear it gets very uncomfortable in the summer months.
  Tonight Brother Rappley is giving a fireside on the gospel here in the Dominican.  They say it is excellent and we should attend - so we will. We'll get to see Elder Midgley again for a few minutes so that will be fun.
   When you decide to go on a mission as a senior couple, don't let Pres. Porter put that you can do anything they want you to do on your application. Just a thought..Everything moves so slow here but we are beginning to see the music program being established in some stakes and wards.  It is so interesting how the Lord opens up ways for you to do what He wants done.  From showing up at the wrong building for Church only to find it was the best place for you to be, to finding a young woman in the Templo Tienda ( mini distribution center) at the Casa who wanted to be taught music lessons.  When we went in to check on her she began laughing and said she was just called to be the music chairman in her ward.  As we were talking a man was fixing a broken door and begn asking questions.  We were so blessed to find he is a bishop in one of the city wards and wanted to know how to increase the use of music in his ward.  Such small steps at home but such big ones here.
    We miss home -our wonderful family and the ranch - our ward family - our friends and want to make the time we are serving helpful to these people and to our Father in Heaven.
  If I erase this post I'm giving up! 
    

3/24/2012 (1)

  After accidently changing the blog language to Iranian, it has taken me a long time to figure out the scrawls to find where to change back to English.  Then they have changed the way I have to log in so I have really been lost.  (With my great computer skills!)
   We did make it to the temple last night. You don't see people sleep in the temple here!  On the way home we decided to go out for dinner.  It is easier to park the car and walk than it is to drive if it isn't too far away.  We are surrounded by three universities so there are many young people in our area after 8:00 at night.  We walked down to a local pizza place for fun.  The combination pizza there had corn, onion, peppers, bacon, sausage - but only the meat had cooked with the pizza.  The vegetables were put on just before they served it and they were raw.  It was interesting and fairly good.  The best part is always listening to Scott try to get help understanding what everything is.  Easy for me because I just listen!
We bagged up the extra pizza and as we walked out the door a shoe shine boy wanted to shine Scott's shoes because he was hungry.  Problem was it dark outside so Scott just gave him the rest of our pizza.
The biggest challenge is getting across the streets here  because you never know if a car is coming from somewhere it shouldn't be.
  Today being Saturday we would usually wash.  When I got up there was water so I showered and gathered up clothes hoping there would be water for an hour - but no - Scott had just gotten into the shower when the water went off again.  By night time the water came on for another hour so I finally did get to wash the clothes.  I'm posting a picture of our smiley face washer and our ever so natural dryer!  It's a good thing we have a balcony to hang things around in.

•    Sometimes we wonder just what we are doing here but then we hear that some of the bishops are actually calling music chairmen in their wards and the stakes selecting music chairmen - so when they finally get a stake organized, we can start doing training.  I am convinced our purpose here is mainly to get them to focus on the music; to get their people called and follow the priesthood keys in establishing music programs.  It's amazing how the Lord puts people in your path.  A sister at the Templo Tenda (very, very small distribution center) wanted to take piano lessons.  When we stopped to talk to her yesterday she started laughing and said she had just been called to be her ward music chairman.  Fixing a swinging door in the shop was another man.  As we talked with her he began asking questions and come to find out he was a bishop in a city ward so we were able to encourage him to get his music chairman picked so we could help them.  Such little steps but they are huge for the people here.  Most people have no idea there should be a music chairman or anyone in charge of music in their wards.  Just pop the hymn in a CD player!  If anyone plans on going on a mission as a senior couple, try to learn some music before you go because it really is a great need in the church in these countries that are new to the gospel.  Scott and I think the average age of a bishop here is aroung 30.  Many are much younger - newly returned and married missionaries.  The returned missionaries are indispensible to the organization of the church here.  Many have numerous callings but they are the only ones who have a basic understanding of how the church works.  The need for senior missionaries is great!  We are so excited to hear where the Baxters are going..
•     The great thing about being old and being on a mission is you can call home anytime you want.  It feels so much better to us to be able to keep in contact with loved ones back home than it would be following the normal - twice a year calls young missionaries get.  There have to be some perks to being old!  
•      It's getting time for a haircut and that is a scary thought.  They say there is a "beautician"
• that works out of a hotel a ways from here.  Does both men and womens hair.  I think I'll let Scott go first and see how he looks!  Most of the work beauticians do here is straightening women's hair - or so they say.  Must be working because almost every woman here has long. straight dark brown or black hair.  Scott said if I got my hair cut like him he woud even let me borrow his brush.  That was so kind of him, hah!
•  

3/24/2012

   Here it is Saturday.  Tomorrow is fast Sunday here and we want to find a ward on the outskirts of the city to attend.  We understand life is much different for the people there.  It is exciting to see the baby steps they are taking in their music programs.  Today in the Templo Tienda (very small distribution center) the sister we talked to about lessons a week ago has now been called to be the  music director in her ward.  There just happened to be a man there fixing one of the swinging doors there that was interested in the conversation we were having and soon disclosed that he is a bishop here and was happy to have that information.  It's been amazing to see how the Lord opens doors here for what He wants done. The average age here for a bishop must be 30.  You often have a member of a ward bishopric also called to be a counselor in a stake presidency.  I have learned to appreciate living in Utah where there is an abundance of members who know how the gospel organizations function.
   We understand Mike Pfanterstil came home yesterday.  What a miraculous blessing! Scott will never forget the time he spent in Kim and Nikki's home with Mike and Melissa having gospel discussions.  He sure loves those couples. We miss our ward and the wonderful people there.
    We see every day why the need for couple missionaries is so great.  We are just grateful to be here and hope we are helping in some small way.
   Since it is Saturday and would be wash day if we had any water, I am going to try to include a picture of our smiley face washer and our handy dryer eight floors up.  A picture of our one-person at a time kitchen is also included.  Notice that the kitchen area is just a little wider than the bedroom door.

.

don't know what happened!

how many of these people could have darker skin.  They are a beautiful people. Interesting that they cover themselves not to get darker and we suntan to get darker.  Guess we are never satisfied.
     We left early for a walk because it was so nice and cool.  There are three different colleges within a three mile area here in the part of the city we are in.  So this morning all of these students were trying to get to class, people were walking to work, a bus of teenage school kids went by with them all waving and yelling out of the window.  Scott thought it must have been a volleyball team coming home from winning state!  As we walked a man stopped us and explained that he is a Mormon - a member of the bishopric in one of the wards here.  There is an excitement about the gospel here that is contagious.  Perhaps because they are all converts - very few are second generation church members. It is wonderful to be a part of the gospel and have a purpose in life.  I'm still amazed that each day we are out someone comes up to us that is Mormon or knows someone who is.  We understood there is a strong Catholic influence here but it doesn't seem to stop these people from listening to the truth.
      Scott just finished reading his Spanish Book of Mormon out loud in Spanish all the way through and is so proud of himself!  Our landlord was to come today to fix our oven.  His "mommy" got here before he did and was talking to Scott about her reading the Pearl Of Great Price. So of course he pulls out his Book of Mormon and is reading it with her when her son came.  She said she watched the missionaries pass her house every day and wanted to talk to them but just hadn't quite dared do it.  So now she is committed to asking them to come read the book with her. When I listen to Scott try to communicate with people
it makes me wonder if I will ever be able to understand them.
    We decided they do not have noise ordinances here; nor do they have curfews of any kind.  It is not unusual for someone to be singing or yelling in the street long after midnight. 
    We went to the Spanish class today.  We decided it must be an accelerated course!  Then three of the couples in the class went to the temple with us.  We were the only ones there.  Here no one has their own temple clothes so they rent them every time.  Tonight though we were told that you could leave your temple clothes in your locker if you were coming back within the week.  You just give them your locker key and the next time you come you get your key from them and use the same clothes again.  On Saturday they go through the lockers and take out the clothes and wash them.  Seems like that would cut down on some wash for them.  Imagine that happening in the Bountiful temple!

3/22/2012

Two days in a row, I am good!  Still no water... They say that there is not enough water for the city because they have not had enough water.  Are you kidding?? It has poured all day long and most days it rains and this is their dry season.  I did learn today why these people use umbrellas in the sun.  Our landlord said it is because they don't want their skin to get darker because the lighter your skin is the higher on the social ladder you are.  Just don't know how some of these

3/21/2012

  I just asked Scott what we had done the past two days and he said "I'm sure we went shopping every day, it's a continual round of shopping!"  That is how much he enjoys shopping.  I don't know which is worse for him - the driving in crazy traffic or the actual shopping which he has always hated. The fact that we are lost half of the time we are on the roads might be a factor.  However, he is becoming very adept at making a turn from the outside lane that is not a turn lane  It does seem to me that the traffic is a little less crazy than it was when we first got here.  Maybe the shock and awe factor has worn off.
   They do not have clocks in their church buildings and many do not wear watches.   I don't know if that is because they don't care what time it is or don't want it to be snatched off their wrists.  The people here actually seem very respectful to us.  But I do wish they had clocks in their churches because those meetings are long when you don't understand what they are saying and at least glancing at the clock every once in a while would give me something to do.  When they have an English speaking person speaking spanish I can understand quite a bit of what they say, but these Dominicans must learn to talk muy rapido at a very early age.
    On Monday we had a family home evening given by Sister Mead.  She is from Iran and was promised in her patriarchal blessing that she would be a missionary in her country.  She is in her seventies now and can hardly wait for that to happen.  We watched a video on Iran which was very interesting as the man who did the interview talked to many of the Iranian people and all of them said they liked Americans, that it was just the government that had a problem with the U.S.  We also had our Spanish class today that is taught by Elder Hammon.  Many of the women have been in the class for a year or more and do well.  Then there is the rest of us who are trying hard to learn!
    On Tuesday we did go shopping to try and find an ironing board.  We went to three different stores, which accounts for Scott's thinking that we shop all of the time.  Finally did find one though so now we can were our other clothes that have been wrinkled since we got here.  Wearing the same thing day after day is freeing in a way - fewer decisions to make.
     After studying and practicing and working on a music goal for the area we went to the temple. (Scott needed to go to the temple after shopping for four hours) I was able to understand so much more of the Spanish even though I had headphones for English.  There was a Sister Gomez in the session who was in a wheelchair with multiple handicaps.  I don't know who brought her but to see the sisters in the session take care of her brought such a sweet spirit. 
     We stopped on the way home at this frozen yogurt place that is a couple of blocks from us.  The young man who waited on us noticed our tags and said he was a member of the church.  I expected never to run into people in public that were Mormon but we are always running into them.  The light in their countenances is amazing!
     Today we finished the area plan and needs assessment and got it in to President Andersen.  President Andersen is actually from Arizona and remembered meeting my brother, Brent.  We have people to begin teaching so that will be interesting.  Scott practices the piano for an hour or two every day.  Bet his old music teachers would be amazed at that!
     We still do not have water for household use.  If you can catch the 1/2 hour it is on in the morning and at night you can at least flush the toilets and wash the dishes, and shower if you are really lucky.
Made us feel better to look over at the Marriot Hotel next to us and see the water truck pumping water into their system.  The hotel is lovely and likely not very happy with the water situation
 .As we go out and see people carring umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun you have to wonder if they are trained at an early age that the sun can damage their skin or just what.  They certainly cannot be worried about getting sunburned.  You see as many umbrellas in the sun as you do in the rain.

   
   
 
  

3/18/2012

 We were so excited to read Melissa's message on facebook! Mike has been aware enough to recognize them and remember events.  How grateful we are to a Father in Heaven who hears and answers prayers.  Who puts people in positions to help us before we even know we need the help.
  We started out this morning with a sacrament meeting at the Casa (MTC building).  When we attend conferences we don't get to take the sacrament.  We hear so much about the Haitian missionaries and how well prepared they are intellectually and spiritually to serve.  They are such humble missionaries. They arrive in suits that surely belonged to someone else  - too big,  too small - but with the sweetest spirits you've ever felt.  The hymns were sung in French, Spanish and English (at the same time!) and were so powerful.  It was a blessing to be there. 
   Then another trek to find yet another stake building.  We eventually saw people in church clothes walking along the street so we followed them.. Finally realized they were going back to their cars not to a church.  One of them told us where to find the church though so that was extremely helpful.  ( Much better than the gps) In this stake they have all of the area presidency so there were a few people there we knew.  We had never met Pres. Vinas's wife and though she speaks Spanish she looks American. Elder Bair and his wife (temple president) spoke.  They were the only talks I understood most of.  Every man and boy over twelve  has on a white shirt where ever we go to church meetings.
   We are going this afternoon to the Ozama stake to visit with Katty Paulino who is the stake music director in her stake and is teaching a group how to conduct.  Alexis Menedez, area office secretary, sings in a mens choir that practices tonight at the Casa so we are planning on being there.  Anywhere you can meet people who know music is helpful for us in trying to arrange music being used here in meetings and those who might able to help.

3/17/2012

We are always excited to see the water truck come because that means we will have water enough to flush the toilets!

Add caption

  After 40 years of marriage I learned something about Scott I had never known.  Yesterday he was telling the new elders to be sure and share their musical talents if they had any. Well I was in working on the computer last night and I hear the keyboard playing a hymn.  Wondering what was going on I went into our familyroom area and there was my husband plunking out one hand of a hymn.  Now all of us in the family know that he plays one tune well but that is all we have ever heard.  When I asked him what the story was he said he had taken lessons for years.  From four or five different teachers - imagine that!
He is determined to be able to help out and practice what he preaches.  Wow! I'm so proud of him for being willing to work on that skill.

   I'm going to try and add a few pictures.  One is the view from our window.  The other is how they buy water here and the water truck pumping water into our apartments.  Then we have water for an hour!

3/17/2012

    Thought I would take some time and figure out how to put some pictures on this blog - so it may or may not happen.
  We are so worried about Mike and pray for him and his family.  They are such a wonderful addition to our ward! 
    I tried to pull up a picture of the view we have out of our windows.  The problem is all of the instructions on my computer are in spanish.

3/15/2012

   In the early days when we walking to the temple because we didn't have a car a young man came across the street to talk to us.  He had been around when we were trying to find an apartment but not directly involved, he said.  He and Scott talked for a few minutes and he said he was an architect and was building the apartment there.  He had this shining countenance (I can't spell in English anymore!) that was amazing.  Scott got his business card and asked him if he would come to dinner some time.  Today while I was practicing Scott went out to see if he could find him and give him a church video for investigators.
He came back so excited.  He had found him  and had given him the video.  He had asked Scott if we would come to dinner at his house.  What an asset to the church here he would be!  Scott has befriended all of the guards that work here and today found a woman who also works as a guard and found that her sister is a Mormon.  So he has already figured out that our apartment would be a wonderful place for her to listen to the missionaries since she lives with her mother who is a "don't bother me catholic".  Of course she may not be interested but that probably won't stop Scott.  I am sure everyone that will listen around here will hear about the church from my husband.  He's a bit more comfortable with missionary work than he is organizing music!  What a great missionary he is!!
   I'm waiting to hear about Sheri's funeral.  Kelly was recording it for Tim so said he would send me a copy.  I am so grateful!
   We are on our way to the temple again.  What a privilege it is to be close to a temple.

A strange thing ...

.You know in Utah when it rains it smells so good?  It rains here alot but does not have that fresh air smell - nor any smell at all in fact.  Guess that is because there is no dirt here, just cement.

3/14/2012

   I did write on this blog last night but somehow erased it so will start again.  The problem is I can't tell what the selections are in Spanish.  Thinking that I m going to learn from the last time I push a button - and just like magic everything disappears never to be found again.
  On Sunday we visited a stake conference.  The spirit felt just like home.  The little kids were fussing and restless so Scott found a little girl in front of us to draw his animal pictures for.  He just needed some smarties and he could have had a dozen kids crowded around him. It is so good to see children.  We have very rarely seen them when we have been shopping or around on the streets with their parents.  They are beautiful and very well dressed here in the city.  The Santo Domingo stake seems to be one of the wealthier stakes.  I'm anxious to go out to the country and meet the people there.  We had a Haitian member of the quorum of the seventy there but he spoke French so someone had to translate into Spanish and I only picked up a few words here and there.  I think even Scott gave up trying to understand what he was saying.
   Our water went off on Saturday and it has been mostly off since then.  Every once in a 12 hour period they turn it on for half and hour so you can flush the toilets and mop the floors, take a quick shower if you don't care what color the water is!  We managed to put some water in  our little washer and let it sit until the water came on eight hours later. Then drained the water out and filled it up again to rinse - another eight hours later.  Takes quite a while to wash that way.  And you know those no wrinkle white shirts?  Well when you put them in the spinner to get the water out of them they become permanently wrinkled.  Did find an iron though.  The prices here for most things are about the same as they are home.
   We have been spending alot of time studying Spanish and the music program.  We also spend quite a bit of time lost!  On Monday night we went to family home evening at the Casa with the other senior missionary couples.  Elder Snow from down in southern Utah did some cowboy poetry and Scott loved it.  I was out in the hall coughing.  Either this air is very heavy or there is something floating around here in the air.  When you wipe off the table there is this black film on your towel.  I thought it  was just the pollution from the  buses and taxis but everyone says they have it too.  It is interesting to see their buildings going up with them making their own cement in the street with no machines - just by hand.  Everything is done by hand here but there is much construction going on.  They don't have room to build out so they build up.  The big stores here are two, three, and four levels high.
   On Tuesday we worked on music things then went to the temple before we went out to a ward where two senior missionaries are teaching music. This time I had the ear phones so I knew what was going on. It is such a special place.  We are so blessed to be able to  leave the hustle and noise behind and go into the Lord's quiet, peaceful house.                                     
   We had a gps so set it for the church we were going to.  The problem is it doesn't tell you that the street is one way!  The people here say you can never follow a gps in Santo Domingo because they change the directions of the one-way roads almost weekly and some are one way in the mornings and different at night.  We found the church and a perfect  example of what we want to help with here.  Sister Anderson was teaching a new choir director how the notes go up and down so she could help her choir.  One of the sisters here, Sister Mead, who looks and acts like Mother Teresa, says "these people are just like children waiting to be taught". It is so true!  So we started home excited about the progress in their ward but soon found that we were completely lost.  After learning that this is one of the main drug trafficking places it was scary to drive through some of the rougher areas  where the road was ten feet wide and on each side of the road were these little outside tables that people were sitting at drinking and looking sinister.  To  make it worse we couldn't seem to find our way out and each area we went through looked a little scarier! So Scott finally found light at the end of the tunnel and got us to a bigger road.  Trying to follow the gps directions we turned the wrong way onto a one-way street right into oncoming traffic. A car was coming right at us.  Scott pulled to one side of the road and sure enough - the car that was coming directly at us turned on it's flashing police lights.  We have heard nothing good about the police here so we were expecting all kinds of bad stuff.  Two men got out of their police car and walked toward us. One went to Scott's window and one came to mine.  Scott's was nicer!  He actually laughed when he realized we were gringos and not just a couple of drunks.  They stopped traffic and let us continue on the wrong way until we could get on a one way road going the other way.  All in all, it took us about and hour to get home from a church that is about ten miles or less away.
   One of the funnest things we get to do out here is to call home.  This gmail calling is great even though the sound isn't too good.  Some of our friends here are psychiatrists who work with the elders in the mission.  They say they work with many of the senior couples that have a hard time adjusting to the difference between a young person mission and a senior mission.  The seniors work much harder! Not... We are just here to do the work of the Lord in whatever way we can but it is much different than Scott's 10+ hours a day doing hard physical work on the ranch.
   We talked to Kelly.  He sent me Sherie's obituary and a letter from Tim that will be read at the funeral.  I wish I could be there ; I know well what kind of a woman Sherie is and know there will be  very special spirit there.
   We have done our shopping today.  We are actually getting used to National (the big Smith's here)
where teenage boys wait to take your cart to your car so they can earn some money through tips.  It gets pretty competitive at times.  Don't be jealous but I actually found a package of chicken gizzards
here! (And I don't have to share them with my kids)
   We have noticed how many expensive SUV's there are here.  Much nicer cars than we expected!  Pres. Cornish says there are three types of people who drive those cars:  the professional ball players, the government people and the drug lords.  He says he prefers to think there are many, many   professional  ball players here. There is actually a Porshe dealership close to us.



                             

3/13/2012

   Here it is Tuesday - what happened to Sunday and Monday??  Guess they were just sad days for me thinking of the Wright family.When I heard that Sherie had only days to live I wrote a goodbye email and sent it to Kelly to read to her.  It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Sherie has been such a special friend and an amazing example of serving in my life. I just kept hoping she was right when she said she wasn't going to die because she knew she had something else on this earth to do.  Kelly did send me Sherie's obituary and a letter from Tim to his mother that will be read at the funeral on Thursday. We really appreciated that kindness at such a difficult time for Kelly.
   On Sunday we visited the Santo Domingo Stake for their conference.  They had a member of the Quorum of Seventies from Haiti speak to them. Which was doubly confusing for Scott and I - him trying to decipher the message translated from French to Spanish - and me not having any idea what was being said by either one of them!  They did have  a choir though.  The interesting thing here is everyone is so pleased to sing that singing on tune doesn't seem to matter much.  So when they announce what will be sung you find yourself asking. "Was that really We Thank Thee Oh God For a Prophet?"  There is so much to be done here with the music.  We just assume at home that someone will be able to arrange for the music -  here there are very few, if any, people familiar with leading the singing or playing the piano or singing on key.  Scott found him a beautiful little girl to entertain during the meeting with his crazy animal drawings so he was happy.  (Just needed some Smarties)
   On Monday we tried to wash in our little washer/spinner machine but there wasn't any water.

Later in the day....

Had just finished writing this morning when I received an email about Sherie passing away.  Like so many others, I just can't imagine life without Sheri.  But I do know that she is delighted to be able to move again, to help somebody again - though leaving  her beloved husband and family must have been so very difficult.  It has been a sad, sad time.
The Ickbushes (East Mission office couple stopped by too bring us some measuring cups.   Of course I looked like someone who had been crying all day - which I had  been.  Sister Ickbush was such comfort to me.   We have a keyboard that plays all kinds of music so Elder Eickbush and Scott got that going. It certainly lifted our spirits.  My heart is really heavy though.
They have a Pricemart (Sams Club) here and they have so many American groceries that it almost feels like home.
  Got to wear  pants today for the first time in three weeks -sure felt good!  We only have hot water in the bathroom.  You get up and flip the water heater on and wait half and hour then you have hot water for ten minutes - in the shower only.  No place else in the apartment has hot water.  However, today we haven't had any water a all.
  We sleep with the window open and there are no screens on the windows.  It makes me a little uncomfortable,  even though we are four floors up, remembering the years we had no screens on our windows at home - as a result we had bats, rats, cats, snakes,  and  birds in our house.. 
  Scott got back from the priesthood leadership meeting where a member of the quorum of seventies from Haiti spoke in Creole with a Spanish translator - he said that was fairly difficult to keep straight!  It is difficult to set through hours of church meetings where you don't understand what is being said.
  Don't know what is going on outside but it is after 11:00 pm and these big trucks that are decorated like floats in a parade are going by with this deafening music and flashing red, blue, and white flashing lights.
 .

3/10/12

Nothing makes you appreciate life on the ranch like life in a  great big city!  We have needed to shop for things for the apartment (lightbulbs, garbge cans etc)  for a week now but didn't know where to go  Then we found out that there is an IKEA here.  We went into a store called the Americas - which I know must have covered half of a city block.  When we couldn't find anything Scott stopped this young woman to ask directions.  She immediately recognized our name tags and said she was a member of the church and had a sister being married in the temple in April.  She showed us where to get lunch and sat and ate with us so it was lots of fun.  These people are amazing.  If you smile at them they get these great big smiles on their faces and will do anything to help you.  Ikea was about the same size so we were exhausted by the time we left.  They have these crazy wheels on their carts that stick in the grooves on these flat escalators so when normally the carts would roll down the ramp type escalator they just stick in the groove.  Kind of cool!
   Another missionary couple, the Yturraldes, live two floors straight above us.  We went with them to dinner at the Fords.( A couple from Bountiful)  It started sprinkling and ten minutes later it was pouring so hard water was running down the roads.  There are many roads here that are like following a puzzle, especially with the one-way roads, so we wound around for an hour before we found their apartment - and that was after asking for instructions three different times.  This is the Ford's fourth mission so they had many stories to tell! Elder Ford reminds me so much of my brother, Brent.
   So far we have one stake that has a high counselor or a stake person over music.  We are trying to encourage the stakes to assign someone in their stakes so we can organize the training for those who want it.  The missionaries are told not to go so far out in the country that the people they teach could not get to church if they were baptized.  That just makes you want to rent a bus (?) and pick them up every Sunday!  Scott is at a priesthood meeting for a stake conference now meeting the stake president and bishops then we will go tomorrow to their stake conference. When we start organizing the teaching it is going to be a madhouse but trying to get these people to move on something is foreign to their nature.
   Today we went with the Buttons (the area office couple) Sister Cornish and her son, Reid. to the beach.  This island seems to be mostly lava rock so on many of the beaches they have actually hauled sand in.  Reid is a DownsSyndrome young man and you can feel his special pure spirit from a mile away.  What a blessing it is to associate with someone like him.
   We have been very sad to learn of our dear friend Sherie'a  plight but like all of you who know her know - she will just move on where she can serve others at the breakneck speed she is used to,  I have never known a woman who gave as much of herself as Sherie.  What an example she is to all of us!  She and Kelly have shown such amazing strength through this heart wrenching trial.  Our thoughts and prayers are with them always.  I believe Sherie thought she was going to get well - she kept telling me that she was.  What a great friend and example she has been to me. In ways it is easier to be farther away physically but my heart aches just the same.
  One great thing about being senior missionaries is they encourage you to call home..  We have really enjoyed the blessing of being able to call our friends and family.    So if you get a call from our home phone number - answer it!
   Our apartment kitchen has cabinet space of 15"x20" total.  So while Scott is gone I'm going to try to rearrange our three small cupboards so I'd better get going.  This is going to take some creativity.
  
  
  

3/08/12

Here I thought I had added to this blog yesterday and when I open it up - not there!  Scott is learning much about technical stuff.  We have alot of computer work with our job so he finally decided to give it a try.  And of course, he has picked it up so fast.  I just don't know why I can't pick up Spanish that easily.  You know how everyone says that once you get out where they speak the language it is easier to pick it up? Not true for me...It all sounds like gibberish to me.
  We finally made it to the temple after many tries.  This temple in Santo Domingo is absolutely beautiful. It is small and the couple missionaries are most of the temple workers so it is fun to go even though there are very few patrons there during the week you are there with the other missionary couples that you have grown to know and love.  Like the fool I am, I decided to try and do the Spanish session.  I had no idea what was going on!
   For someone who is used to working ten hours or a day, this has been driving Scott crazy .
So much of what we do just takes time organizing and seeking out people.  Patience is certainly one thing we  will develop  here.  We did finally get a phone and a car (the blue bomb)  I haven't seen a car this color in the million cars we have seen dodging each other here.
   Our landlord showed us the washer/spinner here.  It is about the size of a big microwave  with two knobs and a water tap you turn on each time.  But you had better not get involved in anything else or it runs over.  We haven't figured out just how the water runs through the spinner and out.  You put the hose in one basin and let it drain for your wash cycle.  There is only hot water here in the shower if you turn on the water heater near the bathroom but you can't leave it on.  So everywhere else, the sink and clothes washer, you have only cold water.The funny thing is it doesn't even seem strange!
    We visited yesterday with the Stake Presidents in the area office. It is amazing how hard they work to make the church function here.  They are so young in the gospel and trying to get the basics down that music isn't something they have put much thought into, .  They are excited to have someone help them get it going though. These are such warm and friendly people!  I can't wait to see Scott teach the conducting class - he will be great!
   There are four different locks on our door, plus an iron gate door in front of the door.  I don't know whether to feel safe or wonder why they are there! 
  We do know that we are here for a reason. ( We wonder what sometimes)  We are so grateful for the gospel in our lives and know how much it can change the lives of the people here.As soon as night comes and we are inside the cars start going by with their big bass drum sounds which you really could hear from there if you listened carefully. 

3/7/2012

A day or two later - same kind of things!  Spent the morning talking to the bank in Morgan trying to find out why our card won't work here.  They fixed it  for us so Scott walked over to the Marriot Hotel right next to us to and sure enough - it still did not work.  Don't know what we are going to do for money.  Small problem I know!

Another confusing day!

If you want to live in the middle of a carnival - come visit us!  We are trying to figure out just how long this celebration lasts.  We had such anticipation of accomplishing something today because we actually had someone's car.  First stop was a place where we could by hardware stuff but while we were looking for garage cans, light bulbs, iron, etc the man who rented the apartment called and said if he did not have a contract signed by noon we would have to move.  So we unloaded our cart,  not knowing if we would be out on the street looking for another apartment or not.  The area office was handling the apartment leases for us.  So the church real estate lady did not give them the right contract for the apartment and they were angry that a contract had not been signed.  So we met we the lessee and his mother at the East Mission office for two hours wondering where we could find someplace to live.  Some of the couples here have two bedroom apartments so they called to offer us their extra bedrooms.   The car we were using was the missionaries and they needed it so we were transportation less again.  They say it is not safe to use any of the pubic transportation.  If you have any problem with six or more people in the back of a little taxi that looks like a demo derby car you would have a difficult time getting anywhere.  There are some buses where the same rules apply - stack them deep and sell them cheap. 
     Finally got the problems worked out and we still had someplace to live!  The landlord and his mother brought us home and reassured us that life in the Caribbean is to be lived one day at a time. 
These people  don't know what stress is - they don't even know what road rage is.  That's probably a good thing because there would be mass murders here on the roads with the way they drive.
    Brown eyes, brown straight long hair, and various shades of brown skin is the standard here!
 The women usually hug and the men do to - which is funny if you know how Scott is with hugging.  Closing out for now because I keep erasing this.

3/3/2012

Moved into our apartment yesterday!  Going from the solitude of the ranch at night to the noisy business of the street we live above is unbelievable.  The buses(that term is used loosely) are going all night and there is a bus stop just outside our apartment.  Everyone honks when they are going to do anything on the road - pull in front of you, stop in the middle of the road, want you to move out of their way, when someone is saundering across the road, etc.  Someone is always standing in the doorway waving, for what reason I don't know!  Then the taxis also pull up at the bus stop.  They are the most beat up cars on the road, end the smallest but always manage to put 6 or more people in the back seat and these are little cars.  Then there are the men who just hang around on the sidewalks doing heaven knows what but yelling out something every so often.  Then of course you have the police who always have their sirens going but we have never seen them actually stop anyone  That is probably because they can't get through the cars!  Scott says its like the teens driving Washington BLVD in Ogden as the cars drive by with their loud speakers on blasting music. I didn't sleep all night but Scott got a few hours of rest.  The sad thing is the earplugs I brought don't change things at all!  It is very colorful here.  Beautiful trees and lots of greenry.  Buildings of many colors.
Tomorrow is our first day of church with the dominican people because we went to the MTC here last week. We are excited for that! 
  Today was a day of frustration as we have a car to drive but have no idea how to get anywhere.
We tried to get money out of the ATM at the bank but the debit cards will not  work in them and that is all we brought.  Everyone says the best thing to do is bring checks and have the bank cash them.
Then we went to find a  WalMart type store only to get lost on these itsy-bitsy streets. We have a great missionary couple living in these apartments - the Etraldes.  We did get a thing called the fly box to get internet here.  You plug it into any outlet and you can get internet so that is nice for us as we will be traveling alot to places where there is no normal internet access.
  One of the older elders here is great at programing GPS systems so we now have that to find the many, many churches in the East and the West missions ( the missions we are starting with). We will probably spend most of our time lost!
  After a sporadic warm and cold shower we are ready for a night's rest.  It does sound a little quieter tonight!

3/3/2012

What a day!  We walked to the Casa from our apartment to pick up a car.  We had so much to get settled today.  Scott's first day driving in the crazy demolition derby driving here.  He did great but there is less traffic here on Saturday and Sunday.  It was a good start to avoiding potholes half the size of the car and missing manhole covers as well as the crazy drivers of the other cars!  The roads are narrow and people park on both sides so many times you are driving in a single lane with cars coming both ways. I really am trying not to gasp while Scott is driving cause  it only makes things harder for him but if we leave here alive I will be surprised

3/2/2012

Since all of the information on the computer is in Spanish I haven't been able to find how to post on the blog - don't laugh!  We are now in our sixth day here and it seems like months, hope the time goes faster as we get more involved .They were serious when they told us that we would define what our mission here would include - that is after we get the music in the area organized.  The organization will be interesting since these people don't believe in planning and organizing!  When we get a car we will start visiting the stake presidents and the high councilmen over music - which we guess will be about two in each stake.  We first can train them out of the handbook then organize ways for them to  learn how to lead and play so they can teach in their own wards.  Sound easy but I'm sure it will be challenging here.
 We are moving today into our apartment right on the corner of a busy street so with the horns honking, police cars' sirens; the screeching of tires you really get a taste of what life is like here.You can look out the balcony window and see the ocean about a mile away- which is going to take some getting used to for me! All I can see is the possibility of all that water washing us away!  We have met wonderful people here.  The temple president wants us to work a couple days a week - that would be a great opportunity for us.  Hopefully we can get out to the stakes and wards and start working on some of their needs. Pres. Hernandez assigned us to a branch then President Anderson said we would not be able to do that because we would be visiting all wards and branches in the area..  They are in such need of senior couples!  Some of you come out and join us .
  We had our first experience with the rain here the other day.  It started sprinkling while we walking down town and Scott said it would be over in a minute.  Well instead of stopping it started pouring like a bucket of water being poured over you.  Needless to say, we were very wet when we got back to the Casa.  The Dominicans laugh and say you need always to be prepared for the rain.
  It feels hot here now to me, can't wait to see what summer brings since this is their cold season.  Must go pack!
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