7/30/2012

A busy Monday... We studied this morning then went to Elder Hammons Spanish class.  We then went to the Shavers apartment to have Scott's Spanish class. An hour later we met with two missionaries upstairs in the CCM to be investigators for them to practice on.  I want to get  a picture of them next week to post. Their Spanish is getting better and it is interesting to watch them grow in presenting the gospel. 
   As soon as we were through there we met down in the kitchen area of the Casa for the farewell of the Fords and their grandson's report on Cuba.  He had spent a month taking two classes in a university there.  There is a branch of the Church - they are sponsored by a Protestant church so they can meet but have to be very careful about what they do.  If someone asks about the church, they can give them information and after attending church for one year they can be baptized.  It was interesting to hear about their government and life in general.  The Fords will surely be missed.  Sister Ford is just a riot - and Elder Ford reminds me of my brother Brent. I think they are from the Bountiful area so we may get to see them again sometime!
   Following that meeting we met in the Casa Sala for an Area Senior Missionary discussion about policies and procedures.  Our apartment does not meet the guidelines for Senior Missionary apartments but since we have been here since before they established the guidelines they will let us stay.  It was such a quiet morning.  Scott told me that when he got up before 6:00am the taxis were all lined up on the street in front of our apartment and a police truck pulled in front of them so none could leave and gave them all tickets for parking in an illegal parking place.  Sure would be nice if we didn't have to listen to them yelling out routes all morning. 

7/29/2012

  It is Father's Day here.  We can only hope that some of these fathers will be better fathers to their children than their fathers have been to them. Scott gave our guards a five minute talk yesterday on how important fathers are in the lives of their children and how they can help change society here by being good husbands and fathers.  They probably think we are crazy!  We love them though and would love to see them find the happiness we have found through living the gospel. (Or at least trying to!)  Sister Low talked in Sacrament meeting and had written her talk in Spanish so she read it all.  It was great because I understood most of it. Sitting in meetings trying to sort out words and what they mean gives me a headache every week. It is slowly getting easier - very slowly it seems to me.
  Traveled to Oriental Stake to do their music lesson.  They had all chosen a favorite song they wanted to lead.  Great for them but for me as the piano player it wasn't so great!  As a whole they sang well but obviously have not been singing with a piano or a chorister who knows how to conduct.  We would start a song and they would be half way through the song before the third measure.  Scott would stop and make them listen to the music and watch the director.  That was probably more beneficial to them than learning how to lead.  It helped us to realize that these lessons are a great way to help them with their singing at the same time they are learning other things.
  I am always fearful we will have some kind of car trouble on these roads but I do believe we are protected in our travels.  Talked to Eli today and they made it home safe.  She said the girls were much better this time.  I'm so glad they were able to spend some time at home and give some life back to our house.
 Someone just rang from downstairs and said they wanted to come up and heat up their food.  It makes me nervous because Scott lets any and every one in.

7/28/2012 Another day, another hair color!

  Today was the day for the big haircut  - we had bought some scissors at Office Depot and hair dye from the grocery store - so we were all set.  Scott wasn't quite so enthusiastic but he was willing and that's all it takes.  He has been such a good sport!  I had told him numerous times that I just wanted it trimmed - half an inch is all.  So he takes out the special comb the girls sent him, parts the hair like he knows what he is doing; and makes his first cut.   I made him cut it in front of the mirror so I could see what he was doing.  Bad idea because his first cut was 1 1/2 inches and by the time I realized that my hair was lyng on the floor and he had to make the hair even so just kept cutting.  So now it is just as short as it was the first time.  However the color is much better and he thought this one was easier to do.  He will never be Diane but at least he is willing!
  We had our music teaching meeting out in Hainamosa  today at 5:00.  It took us 45 minutes to get there so we were a few minutes late.  That is never a problem here as the majority of the people arrive half way through.  They were having an EFY at the Stake Center so there were kids everywhere.  The high councilor over music is a great guy.  He said the kids wait all year for EFY so they can be together with other Mormon kids.  This stake has the choir director who wants his choir to learn to read music.  He wants to learn how to play the piano.  Scott mentioned to him that he should be teaching and he quickly said he would.  So he took over and was teaching stuff that isn't even in our manuals.  Every time he stopped talking to show them something someone in the group would start singing a song and before you knew it the whole group was harmonizing to a Christmas hymn.  Not exactly the direction we were planning but it was fun to listen to them.  This could be a challenge just keeping the group on task!
   It's noisy in the neighborhood again.  Last night the neighbors had a party on their roof "patio" that began with pop and a barbecue and ended with alcohol and them singing along with some screen. So obviously got worse as the night went on.  Tonight it looks like another group of neighbors is having a birthday party for one of their little kids so it isn't quite as loud but they are having a good time!

7/26/2012

    The end of a great day!  We had music lessons with our returned missionaries and all four of them were there.  As time  went on we find that one of them has a beautiful voice and the other two guys harmonize beautifully.  One plays so well by ear but wants to learn how to read music.  One already plays well and but comes to support the others.  The sister missionary is the only one that has a harder time learning. I think they are the ones teaching us!  What a privilege it is to work with them.
   Then we had our Spanish class that Scott teaches.  I have decided he could teach anything whether he knows it or not.  Some of the class members were out of the country so there were just five of us.  That is the best way to learn because it is less formal.  We took Sister Mahon home instead of having her husband wait for her and got stuck in some kind of a traffic jam.  Met Yturraldes in the parking lot so they stopped by to visit.  Sister Ytur ralde reminds me so much of Linda McClellan so it's fun for me to be around her.  Their computer has been down at their family history job so they have had the past two weeks off.  She was a school teacher and has worked up all this stuff for me to study for Spanish and ideas we can use to teach 30 people at a time!  Best get off the computer so Scott can read Fox News....
 Eli and Chris and girls are leaving the ranch tomorrow to go back to Ohio.  I know they will be missed but am so glad they have be able to spend time at home wth the family.  At least being away I won't have to say goodbye to them!!!
  

7/25/012

Five months!  I can hardly believe it has been five months since we left home - at times it feels like five years and at other times just five months.  Everyone says to just look how fast each day passes not how much time you have left.  And each day does pass fast!  There is so much we would like to accomplish and know that is likely not possible. That early morning boarding of the flight to the Dominican could have been years ago it seems so distant.  It was on that flight that I wished we had traveled more so arriving somewhere strange with no idea where we would live,what we would be doing, etc.
   I have spent the whole day studying, practicing the teclado, and feeding the various people Scott has invited in.  The Yturraldes came to scan a document.  Then while I was doing a Spanish exercise on the computer Scott opens the window and starts yelling loudly, "Hey gringos!"  I am sure the neighbors think he is nuts!  He throws candy down to the kids at the taxi stop and the workers when they are eating lunch below our window.  Some of our senior missionary friends were outside by the guagua stop.  He invited them up. The Despains and the Leavits had been out on an excursion in the country and were exhausted and sweat covered. They were grateful for a drink and some brownies.  It was fun to have them here since they have just heard from others about our infamous apartment building. They had to sneak past the guards to get in. I'm sure they looked fairly innocent though.
Scott gave them a ride back to the Casa where they live.  They are both temple missionaries and have two weeks off because the temple is being cleaned. 
    The West Mission assistants to the Pres. called and wanted to go with Scott to this guy up the street who wants to be a Mormon.  He wasn't there at first so they came here and had super then went back.
When they finally found him they sat down and gave him a lesson - only one problem - he was drunk!  Scott was setting downwind from him and could smell the alcohol and said he was slurring his words, etc.  Needless to say, Scott felt badly because he had never seen Juan Paublo drunk.  The missionaries thought he was great and were excited to teach him since he is quite a ways along in the Book of Mormon and has a good understanding of what is happening in the book.  Personally, I just think it's funny!  Most people here have drank all of their lives - why not?  That is their culture.  The government has formed committee to figure out how to cut down on alcohol consumption  in hopes it will help with the crime and violence here. 
 

7/24/2012 Dominican Celebration!

  So all of the fun today wasn't in Utah - we celebrated here too!  We had an early morning breakfast at the Casa with pancakes, sausage links, bacon, eggs, hash browns, juice, and fruit.  Probably the best part was when Sister Snow led us in "Come, Come Ye Saints". All of the sisters were at the front of the room getting the food table ready and the men were in the back cooking, etc.  The sisters were half way through the first verse when the men realized we were singing and joined in.  There was such a stark contrast with them singing that you were suddenly aware of how much the men helped and did during those difficult days of crossing the plains.  Just hearing their voices was reassuring.  This all sounds kind of strange but it was a very special experience.  We are so blessed to have had people who were willing to go through what they did to travel to Utah and establish the gospel there. I would have died along the way or maybe before they even left. 
   Scott got to cook pancakes to his heart's content! That means, of course, that they were all turned over in the order they were put on the griddle!

                                         Elder Hammon, Elder Snow, Elder Rees

 I visited with Sister Cuenot.  She has had four or more of her front  teeth pulled in the last two weeks so she has that "jack-o-lantern" smile.  She said that in France where her husband served as mission president they had only one senior couple.   I asked her about the temple that they announced would be built in Paris and she said there was all kinds of opposition to it being built there.  That's not much of a surprise since Paris is supposed to be such a wicked city.   Here we have almost 30 couples working in different capacities.  It is amazing how much help senior missionary couples are.  I doubt there is a mission in the church that has as many awesome missionary couples as we have her!!
  We had the opportunity to talk with Jan Gailey today.  That was really fun!  We have thought about them so much since their call came.  They will be amazing help in the Congo or wherever they go!

7/23/2012 National Palace

Our day began with the usual exercise, scripture study, and Spanish study.  It got better though as we went with the senior missionary group to the National Palace.  The President does not live here but entertains, meets others; does business here. 

The outside is a typical Dominican look and inside the mahogany woodwork is beautiful.  The mural is a depiction of Columbus discovering the Dominican Republic.  There were three huge rooms that were all beautiful with columns and sculptures, chandeliers, stained glass windows in the ceilings, marble floors.  The first was where the government officials met, the second was a huge ballroom, and the next was a room to greet people for special occasions.  There was also a very large room and table where the workers ate.  The table was 30x10 ft.  Special tours have to be arranged because they don't have them normally.  They told us to take our passports but no one ever asked for them.  We just had to go through airport like security to get in.
    Came home and got our things for Spanish class and went back for Scott's class.  President Glazier had asked us to come and be investigators for the missionaries so we spent an hour or so doing that.  The missionaries had only been here for four days so they were just beginning to understand what they needed to know. 
  We're home for the night - yeah!  Have to be at the Casa at 7:30 in the morning to cook pancakes for a 24th of July party for the senior missionaries.  This heat just zaps the energy out of you!

7/22/2012 First day at Hainamosa

Here is the normal Saturday night around here:

It looks quite - but looks are decieving!

The top picture is the new bar - on the bottom- and the card playing women on the top.  Many business buildings have housing on the top level.  The guys playing dominoes, with the click click click, in front of the store are usually gone by 11:00 pm but the bar people are there well past midnight.  If they are inside it is ok but when they come out they sound like a New Years Eve party every night.  You can be sound asleep and all of a sudden hear a shriek and shrill laughter that goes on and on. And to think we thought it was getting noisy on the ranch when cars went by the house.

       Today started with church at the Piantini Ward.  Got home and got supplies, keyboard, books, papers, pencils, etc ready to take to our Oriental Stake lesson.  I'm putting some pictures on of these kids and adults because we just love them. Most of them are doing well - it's the teachers that you have to wonder about!
      Right after the Oriental Stake we had a meeting with the Hinamosa Stake.  We got there and the stake music director took us to the room.  Roughly five or six people followed us in. Then one by one or two by two they started into the room and they just kept coming! There were 35 students in the class by the time we ended. I'm not sure how that is going to work but they are so excited to learn..  Surely some of  them will drop out.  Either that or we will have to find more help!  The most wonderful thing happened - we had seen these two little baby boys when we came in the building.  I have no idea who the mother was but one of the women who was older had a diaper bag for them but the babies were just being passed from person to person.  Guess what??  She came over by me and I got to hold one of the babies!!!  It was heaven to cuddle a little baby again..  They were twins and as cute as can be.  And to think that we will see them every Saturday night is great. The members of the stake wanted their lessons on Saturday night from 5:00 - 7:00pm.  It will take all week to figure out just how to teach that many people at one time..
     Our friends here think we don't know how to play - relax. That may be true.  Tomorrow we are going to the National Palace for a tour. 

7/21/2012 Five wives??

  We did our shopping yesterday - much to my husband's dismay.  I will be happy to be able to go out shopping by myself again sometime and he will be happy for me to do that too!  We went to two stores because the one that carries some American products actually had a swiffer.  I thought it would be great to get some of the grime off the floor before we mop.  But you would have thought I was dragging Scott to the death chamber!  He did take me though and begrudgingly bought some Kentucky Fried Chicken for the guy across the street who worked in the States at a KFC four a short time and loved the chicken.. It was so much fun to take him some chicken and watch that brilliant smile on his face.  He's the one that knows the books in the Book of Mormon.
   We got home and unloaded the groceries just in time for Tati and two of her granddaughters to come to visit.  Her granddaughter from Spain is going to live with her for some reason. Little Estephanie loved our keyboard.  Funny thing is she stuck her tongue out the whole time she played.  Reminded me of some of my boys! We were talking with Tati about the fact that the guards downstairs told us they have over twentyfive brothers and sisters.  She said she had thirty siblings - same father but different mothers. Apparently the men may marry but have three or four women on the side. Everyone knows about and uses the "Cabana" places that rent out by the hour. The Japanese established those places of "business" here but the Dominicans are the ones who use them.
  Tati said the wives know their husbands or boyfriends are not faithful but he stops by every once in awhile to give them a little money or a gift.  She said "The women here have no shame."  What about the lousy men that go from one woman to the next procreating but never providing anything for the kids.  It just makes me sick!  I'm learning how to ask William and Wilton if they know what being faithful to their wives means..  It has been part of their culture for so long that no one thinks anything about it.  We were wondering about the the spread of sexual disease but that is a statistic they don't publish.
   I am so grateful for the gospel that makes it possihle for us to have better lives and more knowledge of how you find happiness in this life and eternally.  We are so very blessed!  Many of these people have recognized that and have left those traditions behind but they are such a minority.

   At 6:30 this morning we picked up the Despains and went to the Bishop's Storehouse to help the Hammon's do inventory.  I will include some pictures.  It was a fun change of pace except for the salt count which was different with everyone who counted the containers of salt.  Could be because there were over 400 containers of salt!

The Haws and the Leavitts, the Despains, Elder Eickbush, the Hammons and us trying to count the containers of goods at the storehouse.  What does it say about your life when counting containers at the warehouse is fun??  It is always fun to with these other old people out here!
   Worked on tomorrow's lesson and just trying to figure out how the best way to make poster board teclados and note flash cards because our classes are too big for the resources we have.  We are learning much here in the DR.
   

 

7/19/2012

      Yesterday was a quite study day for me.  We had a meeting with Pres. Anderson in the afternoon as he just got back from the states and we had many questions about music issues.  He said "I don't have any idea what to tell you.  The Lord will tell you what He wants you to do.  What you are doing is working so you must be listening to that direction."  He was just made the Caribbean Area President and says he knows he isn't capable of doing the job - but God is through him.  So we had better work hard a being worthy to receive that revelation!!! We left his office and went to get frozen yogurt at the Bon to celebrate living through the last four months and actually accomplishing something.  Scott had plums, maraschino cherries, and strawberries in his - I had blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and kiwi.  His had plum skins that actually added alot of good flavor.  The kiwis in mine did not taste good with the berries.  So now we know. Scott always asks the server wherever we are what their favorite thing is then orders it.  I'm not brave enough to do that because they like some pretty awful food here!
    Scott took Elder Yturralde out to the missionary car service place and they stopped at a Tricom place to sign us up for their internet service since ours has been fairly maddening!  They were supposed to come this morning to set it up and, of course, by the time we had to leave to teach a music class they still hadn't come.  They called at 4:30 during our Spanish class and said they were waiting at our door.  Where were we??  Scott told them to come back tomorrow so we'll see what happens next.
  After two Spanish classes today I read the" Learning A Language" part in Preach My Gospel. It had some helpful ideas that I haven't used yet!  There is a rather depressing note from Brother Holland about how long it takes to learn a language and that learning should continue for years after you return home to fully master the language.  This mission would be really fun if I didn't have to learn a language but then again I do believe it was me who put in the mission papers that I wouldn't mind learning a language!

  All of a sudden many of the senior missionaries are being robbed on the streets.  Jewelry seems to be the main target but they are so brazen it is unbelievable.  Two different couples were stopped by motorcyclists who demanded their wedding rings in broad daylight.  One of the single  women who works at the temple was attacked on her walk to the temple as they grabbed her purse and off they went. One of our students had his phone stolen out of his pocket in one of these overloaded taxis. Most of the time they don't have guns but are just threatening.  Makes you want to carry mace or pepper spray.  Of course Scott thinks it really isn't a problem!
   The picture above is a moth that we found on the curtain by the window we always leave open so the ocean breeze blows through.  Biggest moth I have ever seen!  (Wingspan was around 6 inches)
That is the parts that were still left.  From head to tail was five inches long.  The good thing was he couldn't move very fast...
   Long after we had gone to bed last night I heard someone crying or laughing and thought it must be the people at the little store across the street.  Then I realized it was later and the store was closed.  Across the street some kind businessmen have opened a bar.  It was midnight and there were about 10 people sitting on plastic chairs outside of the bar laughing and shouting back and forth.  More than a little under the influence I would say. It certainly has not been a good addition to the neighborhood..

7/17/2012

A whole day to study - while Scott ran errands to figure out how to make our voice messages on our phones work, to make more copies of the music plan,  and to set up an appointment with Pres. Anderson. Just how many ways can you study Spanish??  I know many by now!  Then tonight at dinner with the Yturraldes they (those who already know Spanish) were talking about how they could not understand many of the people here. Now that is really encouraging!
  The music is really picking up here.  It is exciting to see some of the people so excited about having their own music people.  The kids we are teaching here are so attentive (so far)  that you almost  have to laugh at their concentration.  I have been playing the piano while Scott teaches so that has been great for me.  It drives us both crazy to do lesson plans together because I want every little thing planned out and he wants to have me give him an outline which he may or may not follow.  I think his way is better, I just have never been confident enough to do it that way.   We have ran out of teaching manuals so will have to print off material from the internet and make cardboard keyboards and note cards.
    I popped some popcorn this afternoon just in time for the Yturraldes to stop by and bring fresh limes so we had juice and popcorn!  It was great...  You have to eat all of the popcorn within the first hour though or it is soggy.  They invited us to dinner.  Since he is Hispanic, they have spent much of their life serving in Spanish wards and branches.  She fixed her own tortillas, refried beans, and some kind of shredded beef.  It was delicious!  Takes such a long time to do though - neither Scott or I have that kind of patience or time but is was much better than you can buy.
   Gracie called today while I was on the internet so we got to talk to her.  It is almost sad to see the kids growing up while we are out here.  Just wish we could put them all on hold for 18 months!  They are such great kids though. 
   I don't know how many times I have said to my kids and my friends that I should take one of those free computer classes they teach at home; and never did.  Someone should have dragged me to the school kicking and screaming all the way!  I am still trying to figure out how to scan and send these English documents to other Islands.  It used to work but all of a sudden the printer and the computer don't seem to work together. Better get back to my studying..... 

7/16/2012

    For some strange reason, my printer started working.  I'm not complaining but wish I knew what had made it work for the next time it doesn't work.  Scanning documents that I am to send to the other senior missionaries working in different areas is always a lesson in frustration.  Did get some of that done this morning though. 
    We had Elder Hammon's Spanish class at 4:00 then Scott's at 5:00 this afternoon.  I am so grateful to be able to understand most of what goes on in his class now.  Scott's class is a good review of all of the things he has taught me so that is nice. However, Elder and Sister Shaver said they now have faith that there are some ok Mormons in Utah since they know us and one other couple.  Too bad we were in the thick or Spanish because I would have liked to have had that clarified.  I told them I knew many, many, many absolutley wonderful and strong members of the Church in Utah.
  Then the senior missionaries were not scheduled for home evenings so a bunch of them decided to get together and play games.They were coming as we were leaving so they peer pressured us into going.  The best part was seeing Elder Hammon in a whole different light.  He is the University President guy.  He could not figure out some of the games and it just got funnier as the night went on.because he is such an intelligent man and was very frustrated.  What a great group of people!
I think Scott wanted to learn how to play dominoes so he can join the guys across the street!
   There is nothing easy about leaving your family, friends, and home but I am very grateful to be here and to be able to help these people in some small way. I know they are our brothers and sisters.   

7/15/2012 Another Sunday!

Hasn't taken me long to realize I am not a computer person!!!  It has taken me days to figure out why my printer and computer were not working together.  Finally got it working late last night and thought all was well.  Well, of course it wasn't .  Now it says that I do not have a printer attached to the computer. Wish I knew more...
   Started off the day with church this morning at Piantini.  They needed someone to teach an English speaking primary class for two weeks in August.  Everyone just sat there when she asked for volunteers - so I volunteered.  I will have to go to Primary and see how it works here with both an English and a Spanish speaking primary so I have some idea what to do.  The missionaries bring an investigator each week and he has decided that he needs to teach me Spanish.  That would be fine if I could understand him !  I just need to speak more and not be so afraid that I don't have everything right. 
  We left at 3:30 pm for a music class in the Oriental Stake.  What cute kids!  There were four new ones there today and three of the old ones not there.  We expect quite a few of them to drop out as time goes by but they are all excited now. Next week I'll take a picture.  We got home about 6:00 pm.
    It's not as hot as it is humid today.  When we went up to Constanza a couple of weeks ago it was so easy to breathe - I now realize how refreshing the air was there. Guess I'll work on my lessons while Scott practices the keyboard.

7/14/2012

  No electricity for the morning!  We met with the Hainamosa Stake high council representative today at 2:00 at the Casa.There must have been 300 kids there who had just finished their EFY and ended up on the temple grounds hanging out and visiting all over the compound there.

   We left at 3:30 to go out to La Romana Stake to meet with the Stake President and bishops in his stake.  Snows rode out with us which made the ride much nicer.  It took us 1 1/2 hours to get there but we were early so rode around and got some fun pictures. They had metal statues all over town so I will include some interesting ones.

There was also a cow and calf and a rooster that  were awesome.The ride home was a little scary because the road isn't lit well out of the towns and there are so many lightless motorcycles and roads with no lines painted on them. There are also breaks in the cement barriers in the middle of the road where people stand who want to cross the road.  You can't see them until you are right there and they have darted out in front of your car trying to cross the road.   But we made it home safe and sound!

7/14/2012 Volebol again..

What a fun night!  The Shavers knew we had daughters who played volleyball so called and asked us if we wanted to go to a tournament they are having here.  The USA team was playing the Dominican team.  We should have known we would need ear plugs !  We watched the Brazil and Argentina game that went to five games and was a great match.  The USA games also went to five with the USA finally winning - but certainly not easily.  Sister Shaver had talked to the USA coach in the temple the day before.  Each team had seven foot players.  They moved with such agility and served  very well.  Of course at the net they didn't have to jump to do anything!  The Dominicans played with alot more heart and energy than the Americans. They must have had an Olympic

venue for volley ball here at some time because the building was huge and had Olympic signs all over.  It was freezing cold though  (air-conditioning) when they hurried to dry off the floor every time one of the players hit the floor you just had to wonder what they were wiping up because they certainly could not be sweating!

The Shavers - physical health missionaries for the area.  I should have taken some pictures of their rabid fans but you had to have the sound for it to be very realistic.  There weren't many people there so I can't imagine how loud it could have been had all of the seats been full.

7/12/2012

   Have worried today about William's wife who has been having terrible headaches.  She had an appointment at 2:00 but of course he could not leave work to be with her.  We had to leave around two for our classes at the Casa so weren't here when he left tonight.  I sure hope she is ok !  
   At our music class today where we began with three students, one got married and dropped out, another one came the next week, the next two weeks there was only one as two of them were doing EFY's; and today there were four plus (Dolly Pardon) Sister Espinoza.  I'm not sure why she comes but it is a bit of a distraction.....The extra returned missionary said he knows how to play the piano and would help us teach somewhere if we needed him to.  That is an understatement.  There is no way we can teach classes to 15 different stakes so now trying to find helpers is going to be the next push. 
   Forgot we had homework for today's Spanish from Elder Hammon so spent ten quick minutes getting it done in class.  We worked on the past tenses of Spanish verbs again.  The verb conjugations are a challenge!  The Despains had invited us to their apartment at the  Casa for dinner right after class then we all walked over to the temple to do a session.  It was so full five of we women had to set on the men's side.  The Fords, the Despains, the Haws, and the Cuenots were there tonight.  It is always wonderful to be in the temple with so many friends! There were also couples there from the Piantini Ward that we go to when we can so it was fun to see them. 
   When we got home they were having a meeting to elect the next representative for the building.  Since the murder things have really been tight here.  They thought the present representative was pocketing some of the money that was supposed to be used for improvements, etc.  There have been a few parking lot meetings which could be heard for blocks.
   I am purposely not using correct punctuation, sentence structure, etc because where is the fun in that!

7/11/2012

  A calm day in the city - at least in our area!  Have never had the "opportunity" of waking up feeling sticky - you could shower three times a day and still feel like you need to shower.   I don't know what the temperature is here because in the paper it is reported in Celsius. It isn't like walking out in an  oven because that would be dry and so a spa would be a better example of the air here.  They say the hottest weather is in August so thankfully maybe in a couple of months it will be better. We are not out in it too much though because most of our work takes traveling somewhere  and then we are in air conditioned buildings.
  We had a tight schedule of study this morning and Spanish lessons this afternoon.  I am so grateful to finally mostly understand what is going on in class.  Scott is teaching a "beginners class" on Monday and Wednesday.  The sisters love it because he teaches on their level.  Scott really should have been a teacher.  He just has a natural ability in that area that has helped here in many different ways.
   We  are looking for a new Internet service as ours cuts off when we have used our allotted number of minutes.  Unfortunately it has been at some critical times so we'll see if we can find something better. 

7/10/2012

     No internet for the past three days has made life a little tough for us. I'm embarrassed to say that knowing how many of our friends live here but it is true.  It's funny how you take for granted that you can email or call your family whenever you get a chance until that opportunity is taken away from you then you feel that panic of "what if something happens at home and no one can get hold of us".
You know that "mother thing" in  us all.
   It has been anything but dull here the last four days!  On Friday about 5:00 I was at the computer studying and Scott was in the kitchen when the computer table started to move.  I thought I had just bumped it but then noticed the garbage can was rocking back and forth .  It was an earthquake!  Interestingly enough, the earthquake was centered in an area where they have had a horrendous problem with gang violence.  It was only a 5 so there wasn't much damage but some of the cement buildings ( they are all cement buildings here) cracked.  We worked on  our lesson for Sunday.
  Many times before six in the morning you are awakened by the taxi drivers yelling out their destinations so when I woke up I thought that was what the racket outside..  Then I thought it was Sunday morning and got up to see what was going on.  It was 3:00 a.m. and there were three  cars parked in the street with guys gathered around one of them kind of shoving each other and yelling.  This continued for about 15 minutes then we heard a gunshot and thought it was one of the guards trying to break them up. They took off different directions but many were soon back on the street next to our apartment.  It was amazing how many people were walking and driving around at 3:00 in the morning.  None of them stopped to see what was going on - which was probably smart!  We found on Saturday morning that one of the guys had actually been shot and they didn't break up until morning when three more shots were fired. On the ranch when shots were fired you knew it was someone target shooting or taking care of dangerous animals - here if you here shots you know someone is the target.  It is strange going from such a peaceful ranch life (comparatively speaking)  to living in the middle of a city of 4 million people !
  Scott's Haitian friend, Joel, had come out to try to find his friend who hadn't come home during the melee during the night.  Scott had previously asked him to come go to church with us so we got  a lot of information from him. What is amazing is they don't think 3:00 in the morning is an  unusual time to be out.  I don't know how he felt about going to church but he had gone out and bought a new pair of jeans so he could go.  That made us both feel bad because he doesn't have the money to buy anything....
   Sunday at  4:00 we had a music lesson with the Oriental Stake.  Their high councilor over music was there, as was their music director for the stake along with 13 kids and 2 women who wanted to learn how to conduct music.  It was a lot of fun for me because Scott had to do the teaching and I got to run the CD and check on the students work.  They are fun to work with.  We had a message from another stake that is ready to have people from their stake taught so now we are wondering who we can get to help us because we aren't going to be able to teach them all.  Sunday is the day they want to schedule but many are far away so we'll have to figure that out as we come to it.  We are just happy to be able to work with people!
 Monday was the usual two Spanish classes and family home evening at that Casa. It was a farewell for Sister Mead and the McDermids.  Sister Mead will be missed as she is a temple worker that was fluent in French, English, Spanish, and German so she could help out with about any situation that
came up.  She is so loving and kind but very firm.  Elder McDermid is the one who was on our flight here and took care of us when we got here - thank heavens!  Sister McDermid cried the entire time she talked.  They are from Canada and have been the mental health counselors here. .  I have had similar feelings of sadness when I think that some time we will be leaving this beautiful, serene temple.
  We have a neighbor, Patricia, who is always in a hurry and Scott invites in to eat with us all of the time.  This morning she was coming home from exercising and we were just getting breakfast and she agreed to come in and eat with us.  During the meal she asked what we thought about the Mayan prediction that the world will end on Dec. 21.   So Scott told her about the record we have of the Lamanites and the last days in the Book of Mormon.  She wanted to read it and of course we have some extras because Scott gives them out to everyone!  She lives alone and spends much of her time afraid, as well she should, so I think she is grateful to have a couple of "old" friends she can turn to for help if she needs to.
   Then there was yelling in the street again - this time a woman had tried to steal another woman's wallet out of her bag as they both got into a taxi.  All of the men in the area thought it was funny and were gathered all around watching.  I can say that the women are just as loud as the men!  I'm beginning to think isn't the safest place to live....
  Yturraldes came down to scan something and ended up staying for lunch.  Makes  it a little hard to get my studying done but we love their company!
   At the temple in our session there was this woman who looked like she was 100.  I don't know if she was younger and had just had a tough life or was really old.  She couldn't see or do anything for herself but just wanted to be there.  What an inspiration!  When we think that we are just too busy to take time to go to the temple I will always remember the sisters here who sacrifice so much just to come to the temple.
    Sister Quenot's brother passed away so between that sadness and her two or three root canals she is having done she was not her usual bubbly self tonight.  They served in France as mission president.  Can't imagine a better example of love and devotion than those two are!
  

7/6/2012

   It's been such an interesting day. But yesterday I forgot something I wanted to remember.  When we got to the Casa where we hold our music class and opened the door - lo and behold there was this woman sitting on the couch that was a double for Dolly Pardon! It was shocking to see all of that long blond hair. Scott and I both did a double take and asked who she was and could we help her.  She said she had been teaching English here for some months.  Well we knew she hadn't been in the room we were in because we have been there every Thursday for a month and certainly have never seen her there.  She's the kind of woman you would remember.  She actually had been teaching down stairs but she stayed to our music class for some reason.  It was fun to have her there because she sang the hymns while our student practiced leading.  She has come to the Dominican to learn Spanish.  She is planning on coming to our Spanish class on Monday.
   We had to go out to the area office to pay for our car and talk to some of the stake presidents, and Katty Paulina there.  The Snow's work out there so we stopped to visit them.  Sister Snow had some kind of a little fruit that you split in two and peel the skin off with your teeth then you kind of chew the meat off the big stone center.  Wasn't too bad!

  Today we picked up the Whitakers from Puerto Rico who are carrying out our music plan there.  What a great couple!  He is the financial clerk for a mission there.  Sister Whitaker said she was in the office one day and she just knew she was to teach music there.  She had no experience but got in contact with us and has been doing a marvelous job organizing and teaching over there.  We went to Adrian Tropical by the ocean and had some delicious food..

  Tonight was the night William's wife and sister were to come so we could take them to supper.  They were absolutely delightful!  William's wife, Oglivia, is tiny.  Probably five feet tall at the tallest.  She and William just should be Mormons.  They have so much light!  We just loved them.  After taking them to McDonalds (which was really a treat for them) we took them back to their new home.  I have got to go back with a video camera because you could never do it justice by just explaining it.  It was dark but there were people out everywhere and the street was about one car width wide.  The motorcycles didn't have lights and the venders had no lights of any kind going down the street.  When we got to where they lived we went down this narrow alley to these crumbling, steep steps then climbed up some steps to their place. They had no lights inside but she had a lantern and lit it so we could see their home.  Oglivia is a talented decorator - what we could see of the inside was really nice.  They had a living room and kitchen about 10' by 15' and two bedrooms that Oglivia thought were very large and a restroom which she was excited to have.  I think the roof was tin and looked like it wouldn't keep the rain out - but who am I to know how that works there.  It was such a good experience for us.  My only regret was I couldn't carry on much of a conversation with them and I missed alot of the conversation.  William was a good sport and let me practice my Spanish on him while the others were getting food!

William insisted on coming with us in the car until we got out of the area he lives in then he got out and walked the mile or two back to his place.  I don't know if he thought we would get lost or mugged!  We loved being able to go to their place and see how they live.

7/5/2012

The Fourth ended on a high note here. We were busy getting things shut down for the night when we heard a great big boom!  Followed shortly by another, then another.  They were so loud and forceful I thought someone surely must be dropping bombs on us.  Ran to the window to see beautiful red, white, and blue fireworks being shot off by the US Embassy just a block away.  Sparks were hitting the ground all around our building - by ground I mean cement..  People were coming out of the Marriot Hotel to see what was going on.  Of course the Dominicans just take all that noise in stride so there were fewer of them coming out of places to see what was going on. My favorite was the one that went up in the air looking like a flag waving in the breeze.  It was probably the best fireworks show we have ever seen.
  Thursday's are a busy day for us and this was no different.  One thing that is very clear with Scott and I teaching is that we have totally different ways of preparing.  For me to be comfortable with a lesson it has to be completely organized and I have to know what I am doing.  Scott, on the other hand, prefers just to play it by ear. I wish I was more like that - guess we will hit a happy medium
somewhere! We did have to get some pictures of our lesson today for the area secretary so I will put some of them on here.  This returned missionary that is in the pictures is great.  He has picked everything up quickly and actually takes his book home and studies - in fact read the whole book on directing last week.  The other two were chaperoning a youth conference. 

We then had our Spanish class - and miracle of miracles - I actually knew what was going on and how to do the verb conjugations Elder Hammon was teaching!!
   The Temple tonight was a neat experience.  The Snows, the Dunfords, the Fords, the Cuenots,
and the Haws and us in the same session was such a warm wonderful experience. We went with the Snows to a Bon shop for ice cream and had a great time with them.  We will miss them when they leave in August!
    Came home and was skyping with Megan and Cami when a bird flew in our window - which of course does not have screens- and into the kitchen.  He flew out with a little help.  Scott thought he was part woodpecker - don't know which part that was!  The thing that is great and difficult at the same time is seeing the babies and the little ones that are growing and changing so much and not being able to hold them.  I told Scott we should have waited to come until all of the babies were here and over two.  He didn't think that was such a great idea because we might be 70 years old by then
    .

7/4/2012

Kind of a slow day today.  It has been cooler here today than it is in Morgan! The cooler temps have  probably been brought on by the violent wind and rain storm we had this afternoon.  Our apartment has huge windows on three sides that the wind was whistling through.  The rain was being blown every which way and the thunder was loud.  Funny thing though, you never see lightening.  It was actually scary for me because it sounded like the windows were going to be blown out!  Scott kept telling me it wasn't worse than some of the terrific wind storms we had at home and I guess he is right.  We just don't have windows this big in our house. We were listening to the noise before the storm and the sudden thought of "what are we doing here?" passed through my mind.  In a place so foreign to what we are used to.  (The peace and quiet!)  This I know - we will get used to it before we leave here.
  When we received our call we both thought that when we got here they would discover we had no musical ability and let us work with inactives or with a branch with leadership training, which would have been much easier for us. In the past four months I have learned that the Lord knows far more about us than we know about ourselves.   He wouldn't send us here to do something we already knew how to do.  These growth opportunities  are certainly a stretch for us.  I think it is more difficult for senior missionaries to leave home than it is for young elders. (At least for the grandmothers !)
The opportunity to get to know some of the people here has been great.  Your heart aches for so many that have absolutely nothing but they are warm, friendly, wonderful people.
   We start teaching a big directing class on Sunday in one of the stakes for their people, most young, some older.  It will be a stretch for both Scott and I but in our handbook it says that the Lord will bless us if  we are willing to do it - we are relying on that! 
   Yturraldes stopped by to visit after they visited Pres. Lee and his wife in our building.  They are fun.  He is in the middle of building a house for the Relief Society president in the ward they have been assigned to.  They are just building the frame of the house around the outside of her existing house because she has no place to live. Never heard of that before. Elder Yturralde is an amazing man - always taking on projects that will help the people help themselves.
    Received white popcorn kernels from home and a kettle popper from Amazon..  Wow - that was soooo good!  Makes you feel life is a little more normal.

7/3/2012

Yesterday was a wash!  Was sick all day and missed two Spanish classes and the July 4th party at the Casa.  If I die here you will know that Scott has been poisoning me slowly by spraying ant spray on the food!
   Today has been better.  Studied until noon then picked up the Despains to take them to Price Mart to shop.  They are temple missionaries and have no way to get around. Elder Despain knows Bishop McClellan so that has been a fun connection. Scott finally got to talk to Don the other day so he was a happy man. 
   Eli, Chris and the girls are on the ranch for awhile.  Now I know how Eli feels being away while the rest of the family is enjoying being together.  Not so fun !!  They keep finding these baby rattlesnakes on the ranch.  We are worried about the little kids and the snakes on the ranch - praying for their safety.
    Just wish it would rain at home and put out all of those fires.
    Our neighbor lady is single and about 30.  She is always on the go when we try to get her to come in and visit or have lunch.  I think she was lonely tonight because she finally came in.  She is on some kind of a diet so will never eat anything but tonight she had a piece of white chocolate pumpkin cheesecake and took a piece home.  In the paper this morning there were four more women murdered in the last 24 hours by their live in boyfriends.  It is such a rampant problem here.  Out guard friend said one of them was his cousin and that there have been two other women in his extended family killed by their boyfriends.  Our neighbor said she thinks it is because the men here consider the women their property and thus they can do whatever they want with them.  The more educated the people are, the less likely that is to happen according to Patricia.  She is an auditor and makes good money but has no time to enjoy it so she is thinking about doing something different. I feel badly for her when she says she had no time for friends because friends have been such an important part of my
life.
    The temple experience tonight was great.  This week has been the Puerto Rico stakes at the temple.  They fly here and stay at the Casa that has temporary housing for people that come to the temple and need a place to stay.  One of my favorite people is a Puerto Rican chef who comes here for six weeks at a time and does temple work.  He was so excited tonight because his "people"
(stake)  were here doing sessions.  The women were so humbled and excited to be in the temple they were in tears.  How much we take for granted!

7/1/2012

  The 1st of July - who would have thought last year at this time that we would be here saying "Hola"  instead of "Hi".   We went to our ward again today so that makes three weeks in a row.  I was thinking the other day that we could be inactive over here and no one would even miss us because no one keeps track of us and we visit different wards. Today Pres. Lee and his wife from the Santiago Mission were in our ward.  He was just released as the Mission pres. over there.  What a spirit they brought with them and shared in testimony meeting.  Then Reid, the Downs Syndrome young man, son of Pres. and Sister Cornish, bore his testimony.  He does so well.  The purity and love he has in his heart is amazing.  Megan used to tell me she wanted to adopt a Downs baby.  Every time we are around Reid I can see what she was talking about.  There is absolutely no guile in him. He is 27  years old now and just loves everybody - everyone he meets is his friend!  Pres. Lee and his wife are living in our apartment building where the Ottersons lived until the Snows move out of their apartment. 
  We had a big meeting today with the Oriental Stake.  What a great counselor over music they have!  He is so excited to get their stake trained to lead and to play so they can be responsible for their own music.  We now have about 10 people to teach each Sunday afternoon at 4:00 pm.  This should be interesting!  This has taken an amazing amount of faith that the Lord knew what He was doing
when He called us to this calling.  It's all good - we'll just go on and do the best we can!  We know that He will sustain and bless us with the ability to do what He needs us to do here.
   The White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake is delicious!