12/4/2012

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