2/28/2013

     The professors here are on strike - they want  a 100% raise.  Their economy here was headed down the same trail as ours in the US but the new president really seems to be making a difference.  It is just that people don't like it because they like what they have had.  We have seen so much illiteracy and poverty that you would think the country would be for spending the money they promised on education - as he is doing.  It looks like one of the few ways to really help the people make better lives for themselves instead of following in their parents footsteps of poverty.  We would love to see our little kids here be better educated than their parents!  There is so much complacence here. " We just do with what we have - why try to do better .
    Scott and I have become salsa gurus.  I  usually eat it in some way three times a day and he loves salsa and chips. So we are always making fresh salsa.  He's cutting up some peppers and onions now before he goes to the temple - I'm not going to tell him his hands will stink the whole night!
    I didn't blog yesterday so will add about our trip to Los Llanos.  It finally hit me as I walked out the door of the church there and the country atmosphere, the goats tied to rocks by the building, chickens clucking and running around that the reason it feels so comfortable there for me is it is like where I grew up!  There is just a feeling in the country that is not in the city.  Anyway, this tan goat was hilarious as tried to get him to look at me so I could take a picture.  They say he gets bored on Sundays and tries to come into the building - the two doors are always open.

 These other two were much quieter!  You can't really see the chickens in the background but I love seeing them running around.  The musical cart-taxi passed a couple of times during the lesson - which is always fun but I guess it would have been inappropriate for me to leave the keyboard and go out to take pictures! Will see it again sometime on our trips out there.  The people are great.  In Santo Domingo one of the women students stayed after to tell us how much she appreciated the opportunity to learn to play because she could never afford the expensive it is here to take lessons or have her children take lessons.  That warms my heart because that is what is important to me - for us to give them opportunities that they would not be able to have.
  We also went with Yturraldes yesterday to the Colonial Zone to see a replica of an old ship like the one Magellan sailed on.  It was actually beautifully finished with polished wood inside.  When I went to take a picture, I had forgotten to put the media stick back in my camera.  Sister Yturralde said she would send me some pictures so I will put them on when she does.  It was a fun experience and not too many people out and around early in the morning.
   Just got back from the temple.  The Mahon's work at the Institute where we teach.  The professors have been on strike and the Institute is just across the street from the college.  On Tuesday they got caught in a riot with black masked people and smoke bombs etc. She said it was really scary.  The past two days the roads have been closed so we couldn't have gotten there.  Guess someone was killed there in the rioting this week.  I am surprised that hasn't been in the newspaper. That is maybe a mile from us and we have two colleges within the block next to us but haven't seen problems here.
 Now that is unusual!  Scott did here shots the other morning at 3:30 but couldn't see anyone around outside.  That's probably because they were laying dead in an alley somewhere nearby!  

2/26/2013

       My years stash of medicine is about gone so we had to figure out how to get some here.  It was quite a process but the health insurance said it is possible to get them all  - we just have to find out where.  I shopped at National while Scott waited in line at the Pharmacy.  Then we both waited another half an hour  for them to get it together and still couldn't get two of the medications there so have to find them at some other place. 
       Got the washing all caught up today so we have clothes hanging all over!  But at least I have found that Clorox 2 really helps clean the clothes better. 
     We had a lesson tonight at the Gasgue chapel that has 30 people signed up for it.  We will split the class next week so will be going there Tuesday and Thursday nights.  The mission home office is right next to the chapel so we get to see the Eickbushes ( senior couple who work in the mission office)

They are leaving in two weeks but he is a surveyor and has promised to come do some work for us when we get home.  They live in Utah county.  We have been blessed with many wonderful friends here. They discovered an IHOP here so before they leave we are going out to dinner there.
  We made salsa today and we were eating some with supper when the Yturrales dropped by on their way home from the temple.  The ate salsa and chips with Scott then went up and got ice cream for root beer floats - Scott and Elder Yturralde's favorite treat.  It was nice to visit with them for a change.  Usually when they are home from work we are working but tomorrow is their national day of independence here so we are going to see this old war ship in the morning.

2/25/2013 It's been a year!

      Wow - it has been a year since we arrived here in the Dominican Republic.  How grateful I am that we are on this side of the year and not just arriving.  It is so nice to know what we are to do and be able to work on it instead of wondering just what we had gotten ourselves into.  It has been a year of testimony building as we have seen the Lord's hand in our work time and time again.  If He leads you to it, He will lead you through it!  Don't know where that quote came from but it is so true in every aspect of our lives.  Family Home Evening tonight  was a welcome for the Kanyangas and the Malans. 

   The Kanyangas are originally from the Congo.  He was a teacher there and exiled from the country.  His wife did not know if he was dead or alive or where he was for three years.  Somehow he ended up in South Korea.  After being there for three years he finally had enough money to contact her to tell her he was still alive.  Four years later he was able to send for her and the kids so they could be together.  All this time she had no money and supported her family by making and selling a type of bread.  Listening to their story of no food, no mattresses to sleep on, made the rest of us feel like a bunch of ingrates!  They are an amazing couple and will be a wonderful addition to the temple workers.  They both speak French and they were so in need of French speakers to work in the temple.

   This is the Malan's fourth mission.  They were here 10 years ago working in the temple and were called back to work there again. On their last mission they had about two months left and he had a massive heart attack - in Ecuador.  The doctor told him he wouldn't live but decided if he lived two more weeks he could fly back to the States for surgery.  He obviously lived!  His wife's health has been problematic but they had both felt they should put in their papers and go on another mission so here they are.

   Now which couple looks the happiest???  The Shavers who are leaving in two weeks.  She talked in Spanish (one of Scott's students).  They are good friends and we will miss them - despite their trashing Utah Mormons!  They are from Idaho.  He is the medical doctor here but was really a radiologist at home.  It is becoming more clear all of the time that it is not going to be easy to leave all of the people we have grown to love here when that time comes.
   

2/24/2013 Oriental Piano Recital

     We had no power when we got home last night so didn't get blogging done for the day. Saturdays are such busy days!  After the first two lessons that have taken all morning - we are ready to go home and rest but that doesn't happen.  At La Caleta we found a couple of ways to help the kids reach the keyboards:

The first one was the stand that went behind the pulpit for the bishop. etc to set on. Scott had them help him move it down and so they could set higher to play the keyboards.  Worked really well!  The next was a bunch of hymn books that actually didn't work quite as well since the kid with the grey shirt ended up on the floor.  But" whatever works" is the key to working here! 
   At the Los Molinos ward we didn't have enough tables so we improvised by using chairs for tables and getting the little chairs from the Primary room to get them at a better level to play.

  Then we got to Hainamosa where there was no power again.  We started a new class there a month ago.  Each week we have new students.  This week we had 17 students - 3 were members of the church.  The problem with that is this program is set up to help members learn to play so they can help their wards.  So what do you do?  We couldn't have our second class because there was no power to play the keyboards.  Scott was so frustrated.  It's so nice not to be in charge.......We will have to get ahold of the stake president and see what he wants to do.  At least we were home before dark!
  Today we went to Sarah's going away meeting instead of taking the little kids to church.  Katty has the flu and has been really sick.  You never quite know what to expect here.  Pres. Sivac and his wife were at the meeting and actually took all of the time.  Sarah and some guy sang a number.  She has a very nice voice.  Just love that girl!  She will make an awesome missionary.  Then we came home and had lunch and got everything ready to take to San Cristobal and Oriental for the recital.  By the time all of the students arrived we only had 45 minutes before we had to leave for Oriental.
   Our first recital - a learning experience!  How kind the Lord is to help the kids learn even though we don't even resemble music teachers.  However you would never know that if you listened to Scott teach!  When we got there a few of the students had decided they wanted to do the recital in the Chapel on the piano/organ.  Others didn't like that idea so we took a keyboard in and set it up.  Well I had never played this piano and I was to play the opening and closing song.  What a wash..  The sound of the piano was weird and the organ was much worse.  It completely threw me off.  Should have had Scott play!  The kids did pretty well though.  The whole stake presidency was there along with parents, relatives and friends so it was a nice crowd.
  Gathering for a prayer:

Picture with the stake presidency:

   It is great to have that over - just sad that we won't see these kids anymore.  We are starting another class next Sunday there.  It was interesting that when the stake president handed them their graduation certificates, their parents came up on the stand to have their picture taken.  I have never seen people who like their picture taken as much as these Dominicans do!  It was great for us though.  Now we will get them developed and see if we can find some way to get them to the kids.  At the end of this day we are relieved and now know what to expect from a piano recital here. 

2/22/2013

      Had an opportunity to catch up on studies - if there is such a thing as catching up.  As we meet more senior missionaries who have served three or four missions in Spanish speaking areas and still do not feel they know the language I realize  that learning a new language takes complete immersion in it - as the young missionaries have.  So I'll just learn all I can and quit stressing out!
      Scott went to take our pictures and passports to have our visas renewed this morning and didn't come back, and didn't come back until I thought he surely must be in trouble somewhere.  But no, he shows up finally and had been grocery shopping all by himself!  He even remembered my grapefruit.  Perhaps he can be the lone shopper from now on...  Then I can get more things done in our "office" at the apartment  He says now I can't leave and go home because we have no visas.  As if I would do a thing like that!   (tempting as it may be at times).  There is always more to do than there is time for and we don't even have the constant interruptions we used to have.  It could be that we are just getting slower........
      We had Spanish classes at 4:00 and 5:00.  I have really enjoyed Elder Marino's class.  Scott's class is kind of hard at times though.  Guess you never grow if you aren't challenged, darn!  It is a fun bunch of people in the classes.  We have really enjoyed getting to know the Marinos.  She is such a character - reddish hair and beautiful bright blue eyes. He was raised in Mexico so has many interesting stories about the language there.
    Went to the temple after Spanish for the 7:00 session.  There were lots of people there and quite a few that we knew from lessons and visits with the stake presidents.  They were having a special youth conference at the Casa so we ran into the twins and Camila from the Oriental Stake.  Was a great time to remind them of the recital on Sunday.  They seem to be calm - just Scott and I are nervous!!

2/21/2013

An early morning trying to get a program ready to take to the printer for our recital on Sunday.  Scott took them to the printer across the street and had them printed and the certificates printed.  That is a load off my mind!! Then we went to Price Mart to pick up the things we needed from there.  Scott and Pres. Diaz decided that this should not be a food event so we just picked up some oatmeal cookies ( the boxed kind - not the nice fresh ones!) and Hermana Alcantara is supposed to bring the drink. You just never quite know what will happen here so we are going prepared......
   We got home from Price Mart just in time to get ready for our lesson at the Institute.  The professors are still on strike so we were missing half of the class.  That makes it difficult as they continue to go ahead of the others. Then you are teaching two or three different groups at different levels.  I dropped Scott off a the temple to do the 5:00 session while I came home and got something to eat and got my things to head back at 6:30 to do the 7:00 session with him.  It was a big session with Pres. Olivert and his wife, our student Paula's parents, some people from other areas that we have seen.  Paula was outside waiting for her parents.  She is in the recital class for Sunday but says she hasn't been practicing.  Why is that not surprising? Just can't worry about it though.

2/20/2013 Los Llanos

     A morning Institute class was interrupted by the fact that the college professors are on strike and so the kids did not have class.  They don't have the money to come in just for one class so we only had eight students there.  It was very nice have the time to work more individually with each of them.
These kids are just starting the keyboard class.  Got home in time to have lunch then leave to pick up the Leavitts for a trip out to Los Llanos for our first lesson there.  It is an hour and a half drive to get there with roads that rival the Hianamosa highway -  bad!!  It was fun to spend time with the Leavitts though.  Here is their church which is also the community center:

The area on the left hand side of the picture was some kind of a garden.
We got there before anyone else (except a man named Confessor).  I thought that must be part of a job with the church out here because who would name their son Confessor!  When some young boys came Scott entertained them with his now famous string trick:  even he can't figure out why it works!

  

In this group there are as many non-members as there are members.  Don't know why they want to learn to play the hymns but it can only be a good thing for them.    Many in the class are under 20 but there are four men over 40 in there.  One who is probably close to 80.                                                  It was much harder for them to pick up the rhythm.

 

Here are the Leavitt's - grateful that they didn't have to teach !

We have been out to this ward twice before - just visiting.  This is the ward where we gave the little girls gum and one of those girls is actually in our class.  Then there was the older teenage boy who wrote me a note about how clean of a boy he was and could we find him a job who came around to the window by the keyboard and was asking me if I remembered him.  How could I have forgotten because I never did really know what he meant by "clean" and certainly didn't want to ask.             

As we were loading up to come home the missionaries from the Piantini Ward called to see if we could come to a lesson they were having with the Denish's at 6:00.   We were in one traffic jam after another as we hit the city so didn't get back in time.  I told them we probably wouldn't be home and to call the Yturralde's but they didn't so hope everything went well.  Reetha's husband is home for the week so it's a good time to have a lesson with them. 
   Tomorrow morning before lessons at the Institute we have to get the programs for the recital on Sunday printed off along with the certificates.  Since we have a lesson in San Cristobal and can't get to Oriental until just before the recital we are just going to pick up some dry old cookies from Price Mart for refreshments.  But since we had to have the program ok'd by President Diaz this morning at the institute, I haven't got it all together so I have much to do tonight!

2/19/2013

    Here it is Tuesday night and we have nothing ready for the recital on Sunday.  If our coming days weren't so busy it wouldn't be so stressful but I don't know when we are going to get everything done.  Of course Scott isn't worried!  I wish I could be more like that.
    I hadn't had a chance to study Spanish for days so Monday morning I washed and cooked and studied Spanish.  When you wash you have to be right by the little washer so it makes it easy to cook there in our little kitchen while you wash.  You take two steps and you are at the washer, two back and you are at the sink so it's all good.  Not much exercise though.
     Scott went to Elder Haws Spanish class and left me the car to drive up to the Casa for his lesson and Family Home Evening.  I've only driven a couple of times  here before and I wondered if I would have a panic attack when a car came at me like they do.  Well, the Lord has blessed me every time I have driven - - no cars coming within inches of hitting me!  
      Family Home Evening was at the Casanovas. They work at the temple in the temple presidency.  The only other couple there was the Freestone.  He is the MTC president here.  For me it was a treat to have them there because they speak Spanish I understand.  Our scripture to read was where Nephi said he would go and do what the Lord commanded because he knew that the Lord wouldn't give him something to do that He would not provide a way for him to do.  It struck me again just how true that is!  Here we are - being called to something we really aren't qualified to teach and yet if you heard Scott teaching you would think he was a college professor of music!  Just today he said, "When we were at home if you would have told me I was going to be teaching conducting lessons, keyboard lessons, cutting and coloring my wife's hair. teaching Spanish lessons; I would have told you that you were crazy - not in a hundred years would I be doing any of those things!" So never say never...
   Today I spent time studying Spanish and typing up lists of students so I will have them for the report I have to turn in to the area secretary before we leave.  I type the lists from their signatures and then take them to the classes to have them tell me if they are right because you would not believe some of these names!  We had a music class at the Santo Domingo Stake at 6:30 pm so left here at 5:45 and decided to try a different route. It is only a couple of miles from home.  We got stuck in the worst traffic jam we have seen here - it took us 45 minutes to go around the block.  When we got there the phone was ringing to ask us if we were coming and all of the students were sitting out on the curb.  The class was huge tonight - 26 students.  We are going to divide the class in two and will be teaching Thursday after our Institute lesson there.  The funniest thing was they wanted to sing "High on the Mountain Top" for the opening song.  And just where are the mountain tops here???  I'm sure they have some - just haven't seen many of them.  But you know how usually after the first verse they pick up the beat and some of the notes - well that didn't happen.  I had no idea where they were most of the time.  The first verse I tried to find where they were and play there, the second verse I decided to play the way it is supposed to be sung and maybe they would catch on. But nooooooooo....
It was by far the worst experience playing for the Dominicans to sing I have ever had!! So for the closing song I asked Scott to do the song again and make them sing it like it is supposed to be. After two or three times they finally got it.  They obviously do not sing with a piano!
     One of the women brought a box with some mangos and some other kind of fruit:

This is the other kind of fruit she brought.  This is the best looking one, the rest look like they should have been thrown away weeks ago  but I guess that just means they are ready to eat.  Cajuil is the name. It stunk up the whole car.  I guess they eat the fruit, which is a mass of stringing slimy stuff then cook the seed and eat it like a nut.  Scott drank some of the juice and tried a little bit of the fruit but the smell just made me sick!  The best things I have eaten for a long time werethe kiwi and blueberries today!

2/17/2013

    Getting off to a good start today.  We had talked to Oglavidia (still don't know how to spell her name) last night and she was going to have the kids ready by 8:30 so we could be to church on time.  Of course that is the plan every week and we rarely get away from their place until around 9:00am.
We were early going out to the car and everything - just to find we had a flat tire!  The  spare tire was on the back of the car but the jack inside so we had to unload all of the keyboards, cords, music books from the back of the car to get the jack.  Problem was the tire was locked with a special lock to the rear door of the car.  We finally got the flat tire off but could not get the new tire off the door of the car.  Scott called the man who does the work for the mission cars here and he said we should have the car key and one other key to open the lock.  Well we had the the car key but the other key was no where to be found.  So Scott decided to get a taxi to take him to a tire shop and get the flat tire fixed.  That is why I am blogging this morning!  It was so hot out there in the sun by the car I loaded everything back into the back seat of the car and came back to the apartment with air conditioning  So who knows what we will get to.  On normal Dominican time it would take up to four hours to fix the tire.  Of course if we knew the name of the little guy who flattened and fixed our tire once before he could fix it in no time!
   Here it is nighttime.  Just as Scott was leaving to find a taxi this morning a neighbor from upstairs was on his way to the beach and asked if he could take Scott to have the tire fixed.  So in just an hour he was back and ready to go.  Meanwhile we had called Oglavidia to tell her we weren't coming so then we wanted to find some ward that had Sacrament meeting last so we could attend.  There is only one stake we know of that has Sacrament meeting last and we were far away from there.  We went to the Gasque Stake where we teach.  Got there in time for Sunday School but they had Sacrament Meeting first.  Elder and Sister Ferguson were there along with many sets of missionaries who are always glad to see old missionaries.  Must remind them of home!
  Anyway that gave us some extra time to eat before we left for San Cristobal.  It's 30 miles or so out there but very scenic.  Like my eyes are open - great napping time for me!  It is always difficult for the students to learn how to play the keys from the music.  They start by learning to play by finger numbers - which is so confusing to me.....
   Made it on time to Oriental where some of our students were actually waiting.  I know that I am supposed to learn patience on this mission.  It drives me crazy to have other kids milling around in the classroom distracting the students.  Scott can do that man single minded stuff so he just blocks it out.  Then there is the matter of the Stake Choir director who was organizing the recital who was made the stake Relief Society Pres. and hasn't had time to do anything.  I can understand that.  But here I am not being able to communicate really well and have to leave working out the details of the recital to Scott. And you all know how working out details is for a man.  I know - I should just get over it and realize things here are not like they are in the states.  Three of the kids said they had decided they were not going to play in the recital.  One of the  boys got so nervous while rehearsing for the recital that he go up and left and did not come back.  One of the girls who said she wouldn't play came back and said she would play.  Who knows what will happen.  Now we are responsible for the programs, diploma papers, the refreshments, etc so it will be a busy week for me.  Then one of the girls who is leaving on a mission wants to play "Book of Mormon Stories" and have everybody sing.  Scott doesn't like that idea. If it goes like everything else here half of the students won't show up at the recital anyway!  It was sad to look around the room at these students and realize that after next week we won't be seeing them again.
      Anyway, I am glad to be home and getting ready to go to bed.  We got to skype with Joe, Hannah, and Samson so that made a great ending to our day!

2/16/2013

   Well it is Saturday night and I am not nearly as beat as I was last Saturday.  That could be because our 5:30 lesson cancelled. On the drive along the ocean to La Caleca there were orange leaves floating through the air and onto the road.   I couldn't see the leaves on the trees so couldn't imagine where they were coming from.  As we turned the last corner to go to the church there were two trees with leaves that were turning orange and falling to the ground.  Aha !  Fall at last!  Who knows what season they think it is..  It is the first sign of leaves changing color and dropping off the trees that I have seen and here it is January.
    Our class at Caleca was a fun one today.  They are beginning to play the finger number hymns and are so excited.  Wish it was that easy for them to learn to play the actual notes. When we left class four of our students were climbing on a motorcycle:

    Bet that is comfortable for the one sitting on the gas tank!
       We left there in time for our 12:30 lesson at Las Melinas.  They have someone come each week and start the generator so we can have power for the keyboards.  We had four more students than we had keyboards so they were sharing.  It was a bit like musical chairs!  Towards the end of class Scott was in the middle of lecturing about something and I noticed his teaching must have been more physical than mine:

         His shirttail was all the way untucked!  Didn't see him doing anything that active and he hadn't left the room.......  Who says teaching music isn't rough????

           Left there in time to get out to our 3:00 pm lesson at Hainamosa.  There was no power - so no
air-conditioning or electricity to run the keyboards.  It was ok for the first lesson because we are still on conducting.  We started with 10 and ended up with 14.  Scott was so frustrated because we are three weeks into the lessons and he has to start from the first with the new students.  They told us that there are four more coming next week.  That's it.. . .we can't just keep starting at the beginning again  or we will never get to the end. This class has as many non-members as it does members.  They had just heard from others about the class but they have not even announced it in the wards yet.  So that could mean trying to work in another lesson tine for another group.  Paciencia - paciencia- pctiencia..
That's what Pres. Anderson tells us every time we meet with him.  If ever there was a place that you needed to exercise patience, it is hear.  Our 5:00 class was cancelled because there was no power.
In all honesty, that was just fine with me!!!  Not a very dedicated teacher, am I.  One sweet thing happened in Hainamosa.  The older man who plays the guitar and used to open the building for us brought us his favorite American song book - with music only Melia could play.  But he wanted to give it to us because it had been "such a pleasure to know us" .  Sweet, huh?!
  I have noticed one thing - white people look pretty pastey these days.  One of the new couples here is in our Spanish class with another new couple from Africa.  The Ewells had served a mission in  Africa.  When we introduced Elder Ewell to the African couple, he threw up his arms and said, "I am so happy to see you.  You don't know how good it is to see a face with color." 
   For the last three weeks as we have driven home from Hainamosa, there have been these guys dressed in these white costumes with gorilla masks.  It actually has been a bit frightening because they are right in the road.  Finally got a picture of one tonight:

  When we got home Yturraldes were looking out their window and called to invite us up to supper.  That was so nice for us because we hadn't been home all day!  Still hope they don't leave until we do.....       

2/15/2013

   It is amazing how quickly time passes when you want to accomplish so many things - and don't get it done!  I am going to bed early tonight hoping tomorrow's twelve hour day won't be so tiring.  Think it will work?? 

   We left at 8:00 am for a devotional at the area office building.  Picked up Mahons and got there early.  Our area presidency, Elder Neil Anderson, Elder Rashband were in the area so they gathered all of the area workers together for a meeting.  You know what was great about the meeting?  I could understand 85% of the Spanish they spoke - didn't even need the translator headphones.  It took alot of concentration and focus (which I am not good at)  but I did it and was just so happy.  Pres. Anderson talked about us always having two voices that we can trust when all around us is going haywire.  Those are the voice of the spirit and the voice of the prophet.  That is comforting to know that no matter what happens in the world there are two sources of help and information that will never fail us.  Elder Rashband talked about being unified in our different jobs.  In the area office building they have many employees that work for the church in the Caribbean area.  There are facilities directors, CES directors, lawyers, car pool, auditing, public relations, etc.  Elder Anderson talked about not putting your testimony in danger by being offended by someone who is not living up to the standards you expect them to.  It was interesting because he said, "If you are losing your testimony because your boss is also a stake president and not living as you think he should, quit your job.  No job is worth losing your testimony but you must know that you will be offended.  It is up to you to let it go or let it destroy relationships and testimonies.  No one is perfect."

It was a short but very good meeting.  Still didn't get home until noon though.

   We had two Spanish classes this afternoon which both turned into gospel learning classes because they wanted to know what the devotional had been about.  We were supposed to be at the Dunfords at 6:00 for dinner but didn't get there until 6:30.  They had a Chinese New Years dinner the week before that we could not get to so they put some in the freezer for us.  We had a fun time with them.  They are from Georgia and are here doing public relations for the Church.  They had purchased an electronic bug killer that zaps bugs right out of the air.  Pretty impressive!

 

2/13/2013

   Life here in the mission field is much busier so time is flying by!  We had our lesson at the Institute this morning.  There is little that is as much fun as it is to watch these students open up the teclada bag for the first time.  They are so excited to learn - it is too bad that it gets difficult and not quite so much fun.  No pain, no gain I guess.... We did find a gurney thing to haul our 12 tecladas to the elevator and into the room we teach in.  Then got their 8 out so it took a little while to get going them all out and plugged in to various extension cord outlets or whatever those things are called.
Tomorrow we have twenty four in the class so I don't know how we will do that.  These college kids are fairly strong personalities - can' t quite see them being willing to share. If you spend too much time helping one of them you have two more saying "hey, teach me,  I want to know that too". What fun it is to get to know them though!
     Went shopping to two different stores so you can imagine my husband wasn't all that excited.  Can't wait to go shopping by myself again - and not have to depend on him for so many things.  Communication is tough but getting better.  It just amazing how you can understand some people and yet not have any idea what others are saying!  We have been so busy I haven't spent as much time studying Spanish so I need to make time for that.  Scott keeps looking for the "tire fixer" guy so he can turn him in but we haven't seen him again.
    We made it to the temple tonight for the 7:00 session.  Didn't see a person getting ready or in the hallway so thought we would be the only ones there but there ended up being quite a few in the session.  Many different people work on Wednesday so it is fun to see them.  I miss the women in the Tuesday sessions - they are great! We won't make it there again on Tuesday because we have the lesson for Santo Domingo.  The one class is soon to become two so when the other class is to be taught has to be decided.
    Valentines Day must be a big thing here.  In every store they had rows of "stuff" that people were sorting through.  Hope it's a happy day for all of our loved ones!

2/12/2013

    It's a cool night - no air conditioning needed!  Very nice to have it cool down a bit at night.  I am already dreading those hot days of spring and summer with sweat running down your neck and back.  What is amazing is that these dark skinned people rarely sweat.  Maybe they are just used to the heat!
    I had time to do laundry and study Spanish today along with our other daily studies. It will be nice to have a washer that washes by itself and actually cleans clothes and a dryer  that dries them when we get home.  I should never complain after seeing how AltaGracie and Oglidia have to scrub their clothes in a bucket one by one on the only day of the week they have water and lay them over whatever they can find outside to dry.  The kids are always amazingly clean....
   We had a class at the Santo Domingo Stake center tonight.  We started it last week with 12 last week and tonight had 10 more.  Have got some pictures:

Poor girl - Scott drew that beautiful pentagram and she was supposed to do two measures of notes that were 3/4 time. 

These are some of the youngest students who were trying to clap out the rhythm of the song.
  When we got to class they brought in 30 workbooks that they had printed off and bound.  How amazing!  It will help their stake so much to have the books to work with.  President Olivero was out playing ball with a bunch of boys but came in 1/2 and hour later in his white shirt and tie to make sure everything was going ok.  He is the guy in the white shirt standing in the picture of the group. Mr. Cool actually was much more likeable today as he brought a cute young boy with him and helped him throughout the lesson.  The boy isn't in the picture and that is too bad because he was all the same color - brown/yellow hair, eyes, skin, shirt and pants.  Have never seen anyone blend so well!  The lesson was going great until everything got quite (I was sitting at the keyboard working on the role).  I looked up and everyone, including Scott was looking at me expectantly.  Guess he had said I would play a song for them and I hadn't heard.  These people are so polite they don't even laugh when you do something stupid.  (At least until they get to know you)
 

2/11/2013

    We had a lovely morning talking to the kids and recovering from our last two 12 hour days. Had Spanish classes this afternoon and scheduled another music lesson out in the country for Wednesday afternoons.  Had the new couple from Korea that are from Africa but he was a teacher and had to flee for his life there.  It was three years later that his wife heard from him and knew he was living.  Three years after that she finally was allowed to go to Korea to be with him.  While in Korea  they joined the church.  They speak a little English but mostly French and need to learn Spanish.  So having them in Spanish Class today was difficult for both them and the teacher who did not know French.  They know nata.  They are such a cute couple who look completely lost - and we all know what that look feels like!  I think they will have to find someone who knows French to help them learn Spanish.  We will see what happens. 
   FHE followed Spanish where the Ewells and the Johnsons introduced themselves.  The Dunfords had invited us over for a Chinese dinner which we couldn't make it to so we were trying to figure out when we could get together.  You wouldn't think it would be so difficult.. The Eickbushes will be leaving next month - very sad for us because they are some of our best friends This is their second mission in four years so she is excited to get home and get some of her things done.  They and the Leavitts go out to Los LLanos on Sundays - that is where we are going to start next Wednesday afternoon.  It takes an hour and fifteen minutes just to get there but one of the desires of my heart was to be able to give some of the poor branches the same opportunity the city wards have.  That is the ward we have visited that had the "golf cart decorated taxi".  There area could be something out of an old movie.  I love it! Plus we have the opportunity to spend time with the Leavitts who will be going out with us.
     Alta Gracie came up to tell us goodbye today.  Wow - everyone we have known well will be gone.  It makes both of us very sad!  Don't know what she will do to provide for her family.
 

2/10/2013

     What will I do when I don't blog at night - maybe watch the news or some other depressing thing!
    Went to pick up the kids this morning and they were at the Comado buying crackers for breakfast.  They ran up the road to tell their Mom they were going and jumped in the car with a new little boy.  Had no idea who he was but didn't want to get arrested for kidnapping so called Oglidia to ask about him - turns out he is-guess what - another cousin.  He is darling. A little five year old with a cute smile.  I don't know exactly how they came up with him to go to church with them but it was kind of fun to have him with us.  Gregory took such good care of him.  I have to wonder why someone would send their little boy for the morning with someone they don't even know.  Maybe they didn't even know he was gone - who knows?! 
    They asked me to play for Relief Society.  Believe it or not it is good to play because at least I can help in some way in the ward we usually attend.  After the opening song I went to set down and minutes later heard music playing.  Sort of - a little 3 year old boy was playing the piano.  I hadn't
turned off the electronic piano.  So went up and turned it off.  He just looked a me and two seconds later he had turned it back on and was pushing all kinds of buttons.  So I went back and unplugged it and in my best Spanish told him not to play.  Soon his mother went up and took him out.  I hope she wasn't upset that I turned it off.  These people are pretty laid back and certainly not bothered by noise.
   In every ward that we go to teach or just attend there are always people being baptized or confirmed.  Guess that is fairly normal for here.  The woman from Ogledia's area asked us if we could give her a ride home - she didn't have her kids and the stroller with her.  I have always wanted to pick her up but we would have to tie her family to the top of the car!  She taught the RS lesson today.   We have never seen her husband and today she told us that he works every Sunday.  There are so many men here that work wherever and whenever they can that many are not very active participants in the gospel.  We really miss William.  I wish he could find a job that didn't require him to work on Sunday.
   We got home with half and hour to eat and. repack for the Canastica lesson. Read  scriptures in Spanish on the way out.  I can't believe how tragically sad the end of the Book of Mormon is - no matter how many times I read it.  The class members were a little late coming, which is unusual for them.  Gave Ceasar my English Hymn book because he wanted one so badly.  I'll get another from the distribution center here.  Playing and replaying the hymns makes me  even more aware of how much we can learn from them and how much peace and comfort they can give us.  D&C 12:12  " For my soul delighted in the song of the heart; yea, the son of the righteous is a prayer  unto me and it shall be answered with a  blessing upon their heads."
 Today in class one of the boys asked me if I could play one of Madonna's songs.  It took me a few minutes to realize who he was talking about!  Madonna and a church music class just are not synonymous.  I wish my Spanish was better so I could have had a conversation with them that was not offensive about their music favorites.  Guess teenagers are the same all over the world!
  Left for the Oriental Stake lesson, not knowing if we had one or two lessons scheduled there tonight. We were both exhausted yesterday after the four lessons and hours of traveling.  We figured Hainamosa is like going to Salt Lake, San Cristobal like driving to Bountiful and Oriental like driving to Salt Lake.  That would seem like alot of traveling to do in a day even at home.  Plus 11/2 to 2 hours classes make for a really tiring day.  So at Oriental half of the kids are Young Adults and had a special meeting they had to go to so we only had three left in class.  This class is going to have a recital in a couple of weeks.  Should be interesting.  Though when I listen to them play and know that they previously knew nothing, I just want to cry.  They have all learned so much.  I was so impressed last night as Anderson played for the baptism in his ward.  It is so great to have them be able to take care of their own music needs.  Found out our new class doesn't begin until the 4th of March so we actually got home by 7:00pm or before.  Such a nice break from our usual Sunday!
   
  

    This is what we work with here.  The back of our Rav 4 is filled to the top with keyboards and cords and bags of different music training books and somehow we still manage to forget things constantly!!!

2/8/2013

     Here it is 10:30 pm and I am just starting to blog!  We just got off the phone with Don and Linda McClellan - what fun that was talking to them. We have really appreciated their friendship through many years.  They are planning on going on a mission and will be a great addition wherever they go.
We had two Spanish classes today.  Elder Marino teaches the first one and he grew up in Mexico so he knows Mexican Spanish which is quite different than Dominican Spanish.  He thinks the Dominicans, if not corrected, will have a language all of their own in another 50 years.  It is always comforting to know that even the men who know Spanish can't understand what people are saying here.  You would have to be immersed in their culture to a greater extent than we are as senior missionaries are. Asi es!  We are learning and having fun in class.  Scott teaches the second class and the senior missionaries all think he was a teacher as his profession.  He can teach anything whether he knows it or not!  I just wish my mind was half as good as his. He is starting over with some new couples so it is nice to review the things I have already learned. 
   Here are some pictures from our vacation:

What a wonderful time it was to have these kids (?) here with us!

2/7/2013

      Don't know why but it has seemed like Sunday all day - Sunday never seems like Sunday. It should remind me of the days at home that I spent in meetings for most of the day - but  never spent a twelve hour day doing church work every Sunday.  We are grateful to have work to do and have people to teach so it's all good. 
       Have more work to do on the web site.  I think Sister Johnson is going to do a great job - if I get the information and pictures she needs to her.  Have to set up some situations she wants pictures of.
This Institute class today started at 3:10 with around 10 people there.  By the time class ended we had over 20 people there with four new ones again.  Scott keeps telling the Institute Director that we can't teach this many because we do not have tecladas for everyone but they just keep coming.  As I am sitting behind the piano watching what goes on, I wish I could take pictures.  One of the guys came in a levi jacket and cowboy boots - mind you it was well over 80 degrees.  Then there is this couple that obviously has a relationship out of class because he slumps over and puts his head on her shoulder for most of the class time.  She looks a bit disgusted and tries to move him.  It is hilarious!  The "sleepy" guy that never can stay awake made it to the end of class because Scott called on him to demonstrate 3/4 time.  I would like to know if he works nights or has a sleeping sickness! Towards the middle of the class the door opens and in comes this girl with clown red hair, short and fuzzy.  That is a fairly normal color here for the older women but I haven't seen a young girl with hair that color.  She was one of the new students and stayed after to talk to us.  She really is a cute girl.  One of the girls led the first song and never sang one of the notes right.  Of course everyone follows her and I finally stopped playing because I had no idea where they were or if they were singing the song I was playing.  Scott just kept singing with them and finally I recognized the chorus so picked  back up playing.  It's one of those things you would have to hear to believe!  My playing today wasn't great anyway - of course it never is great.....but I am getting better.  If there is one thing we have learned from this mission it is to roll with the punches because you never know what the next hour holds.

These girls were all leading the same song - at least two of them were together - kind of!
    Scott was going to go to a couple of sessions at the temple while I cooked and studied but we didn't get out of the Institute soon enough so he just got one session done.  It is a great thing for him to do while I do computer work and study Spanish. When he got home Yturraldes came down with dessert again.  What fun neighbors and good friends they have become!

2/6/2013

  Started the morning at the Institute trying to find out how many of their tecladas work - 8 out of 12 do work so that adds 8 to our 12 which should be enough for the classes there.  However when class was over today we had four new students - this class was really big to start with so maybe we will have to add another class during the day sometime.  Just makes it hard to help everybody when you have 20+ kids in a class!  It was such a fun class today.  It is interesting to watch how they interact with us as they get more comfortable - when they realize that I am the only sane teacher and my esposo is crazy!!!
    We were late leaving the Institute so got home in time to rest and study for a couple of hours then went to the temple to do a couple of sessions.  The dress I rented was made for a 6'2" woman so I spent the night trying to keep from tripping myself.
   When we got there we found our married couple from Hainamosa waiting to take out their endowments.  We thought they had been married in the temple but they hadn't.  She was so excited as she told us that "next Thursday she was going to marry her husband". It was great to see them there.  They went through the 6:00 session and we did the 5:00 and 7:00 sessions so we missed seeing them again but can't wait to see them Saturday at lessons.
  The Lee's were at the last session and we met them as we came into our parking lot.  They want to get together for dinner so we just have to find an open night..  The Yturraldes came down with chocolate flan, ice cream, chocolate syrup and root beer.  It was fun to visit with them for awhile.  They are working with a couple of men from Haiti that are doing extraction work with the same kind of a camera they use so they are gone early and we are gone until late so haven't had the opportunity to visit yet this week.

2/5/2013

My name should just be Catch Up Kathy since I am having such a difficult time keeping up these days.
  Sister Eickbush asked me to do the refreshments for FHE since the Bairs were leaving and two other group leaders were not going to be there either. So the Eickbushes were put in charge of the evening.  It was on geneology - the lesson I always hate to hear because Scott and I have done no geneology!Thank Heavens DeDe knew a story or two about our ancestors that I could share.  We need to do so much better....So I studied in the morning and began cooking around noon.  My oven is too little for a cookie sheet so I borrowed the Yturraldes oven and cookie sheet to bake the crust for fruit pizza. Caring a pan of dough to the elevator and the baked goods back down is so impressive to others who think I am crazy... It looked much more cakelike than I remembered but by that time it would just have to do.  Baked some cookies for those who didn't like fruit pizza ( who is that crazy??)   Got the rest of the stuff together for the refreshments.
    The problem was I was to get information to Sister Johnson with attached pictures for the web page and redo the handbook info for the Dominican since it will be years before they follow the handbook (or even read it).  I kept losing the pictures and the pages I had them written on.  I honestly thought I was losing my mind - We were to meet with Sister Johnson and Sister Anderson, the area president's wife, after Family Home Evening and I was to have all of this stuff sent to her before then.
I finally decided that I just coudn't get it done and packed up everything to take to Family Home Evening feeling like a worthless woman.  The evening was fun with the Ewells from California , the Casanovas from Puerto Rico, the Ruckers from Arizona, the Eickbushes from Utah and the Marinos from Colorado, and us - so it was fun to hear all of their stories.But it took much longer than we thought and our scheduled meeting was for 8:00 pm.  Scott was relieved when he had to leave for the meeting because he said for all he knew his ancestors crawled out from  under a rock.  Sounds like something he would say, doesn't it!  And to be honest, I was relieved he was going to the meeting and I was staying to do the refreshments.  Two minutes after he left he came back to get me because they really wanted me to be there - so sad I couldn't leave right then and go to the meeting   They loved the fruit pizza so that was a positive thing.  Then I had no more excuses, I had to go to the Casa lobby for the meeting.  Sister Johnson and Sister Anderson were obviously tired but Sister Johnson explained to me just what she wanted from me - didn't mention that I hadn't sent her the pictures - instead wants me to take many, many more of different things.  That I can do!  Don't know about the short camera videos she wants though.
      So first thing this morning I started on the revision of the information - called Sister Anderson and we collaborated on the information and got it all together.  She told me to do the responsibilities with bullets - which of course I had no idea what were.  But I did learn!  The other thing I learned was what I was trying to put together yesterday must not have been what Heavenly Father wanted because today with a different plan it just all fell in place.  Hopefully I learned when things aren't
going well, maybe there is a reason besides I am just dumb.
       Sister Button had sent back the history report with some questions about some photos she didn't get  etc, etc.  So when I was able to get with her we went through it and finished putting things together and she sent me the finished copy tonight.  YEAH!! It will be fun for us to have a copy for ourselves.  Got info sent to Sister Johnson.  What a relief.  Still have to do much more but at least part of it is done.
      I am feeling guilty about not being more thoughtful as my husband sees the city workers  out by the side of the the road laying bricks for a sidewalk and takes them out drinks of cold water and chocolates because they looked hot and tired.

 This is the side by the guagua and taxi stop and has been a broken up piece of cement ever since we have been here.  It is interesting to see them mix sand and water by hand, add a little cement powder in the wheelbarrow and put in down to lay the bricks on.  They are doing a great job!

      We had a new class tonight in the Santo Domingo Stake.  This stake building is actually about a mile away - which is a nice change when you are driving at night here.  The stake president had announced that the class was just for the YM/YW.  We were there early and waited for the stake pres. with a couple and a woman.  When the woman heard we were teaching how to play she was estatic!  However the president told Scott he wanted to focus on the youth learning.  There were four mothers who brought their teenagers and all wanted to stay and take lessons with the kids.  I can see some fun friendships ahead!  Of course when it was time to start we were the only ones in the room, half an hour later there were four, an hour later there were fifteen.  So typical for these people..... It turned out to be only two wards and presidents says they have people in six other wards that want to participate so we will have to make some other arrangements because we don't have that many keyboards. We look forward to getting to know these new students!  

     We have so many new classes it is difficult to keep the students and where they belong straight.
When we finished the training the young/older men were playing basketball in the church courtyard.  It probably is the only place in town for them to play on a good sized court.  We walked across the street and had supper at the little restaurant there.

2/3/2013

  And hear I thought weekends were to rest up from the week!  We left at 9:00a.m. on Saturday for lessons out in the Las Americas stake.  Driving was great that time of day.  Every time Scott tells a group of students we have ten kids and they gasp I am reminded of how grateful we are to have each one of our kids, their spouses, and grandchildren in our lives.  Nothing could have been more worthwhile and meaningful in our lives. 
  Our Las Caleta Ward group showed up, mostly close to on time. Two were missing and three new ones came.  It is so interesting how that works here. We finished the directing training and will be taking the keyboards next week.  When they realize that class is much harder some of them drop out.  One of the boys, 6'3" and about 17 isn't Mormon but he handed me this sweet note as he left class about how much he loved us for sharing music with him. 
  We left there at 12:00 for a lesson at Las Molenas.  When we arrived they were feverishly (for them) working on getting the power to work.  We were about mid way through class when the lights came on so we could plug in the keyboard.  This class had grown by four.  One of our new students is a woman that must be 10 months pregnant.  Obviously not getting any sleep with the big black circles under her eyes.  One thing I am really going to miss is the rooster's crowing while we are a church. Most of the churches we have been to have roosters and chickens roaming around and making noise.  I love it!!
  Another thing that is fun here is when you want someone to be quite you say "ssssssssss" kind of like a hissing sound.  Took me by surprise a couple of times!
  We left Las Molenas for Hainamosa about 2:30.  Scott wanted to find a better way there because it is clear across the city and out the other side.  We did find a way there after several tries but I don't know if it was better than the old one or not.  Good thing it was fast Sunday cause we couldn't have stopped to eat anyway!
    Started a new class at Hainamosa before our other class there.  That's always fun because we start with a few and an hour later there are a dozen. In this class we have two siblings of the twins who are in the other class.  They are really going to have a musical family....we really love our students!
Finished our last class there about 7:30 pm and had to stop and shop for Sunday.  Then Elder Eickbush called and wanted us to stop by to pick up a package and a new phone to replace the one we lost on vacation.  It was 9:30 by the time we got back into the city but we stopped.  He was baking banana bread and sent us home with a loaf. It smelled so good!
   Sunday morning began with us leaving around 8:00 for Tres Brasos to take the kids to church.  We only had five kids today.  Three boys sat by Scott and were fairly good but the two girls fought about who was going to set on my lap for most of the meeting.  Finally one sat on each knee and they were happy.  These are such precious kids - Father in Heaven must love them very much!  Just don't know why I get ready for church to go with them though because  I look like a dish rag by the time the meeting is over.  They did ask me to play for Relief Society today since we were actually there on time.  The problem was the girl who led the music stood over in front of a blackboard so I couldn't see her at all.  Oh well!
    Our drive out to San Crystobal was uneventful.  They have a big garbage dump on the side of the road, actually in the road, that they set on fire every once in a while and does it ever smell great as you enter town.  All of the group was back today and well besides.  Cesar, who Scott and I thought was 20, is having a birthday and will be 16.  He and Estarlin gave me pictures to dedicate to them - I haven't done it cause I just can't quite figure out what to write.  Cesar asked my if I had them today.  I did.  Out in the car still unwritten on!  Will do better next week.  He wants to borrow an English hymn book from me because he is learning English - actually I think he wants me to give him one for his birthday!  Birthdays here must be special because everyone we know wants us to know when their birthdays are. 
    We left in a hurry to get to Oriental.  Five of the kids didn't show up but the ones who did practiced hard on their recital pieces.  The stake music director came and she and I tried to plan a recital for three weeks from today.  I'll bet she wanted to shoot me with my limited Spanish!  We called Scott over a couple of times and he was in the middle of a conversation about planning a social event - which he doesn't like anyway.  I loved that part!  So we'll be busy trying to get ahold of all of our old students who just took the directing class.  Now at 8:00 pm we are home for the night.
   The weather here has been beautiful - in the high 70's and cooler at night.
 

2/1/2013

   Playing catchup again.  Yesterday we had our class at the Institute.  It is a class of twenty - two were absent and three new students came.  The new ones came in with about twenty minutes left in class.  They all laugh about not  being on time because it is just a Dominican thing.  There was such a funny article in the paper today about the new president of this country.  Apparently he has thrown everyone off kilter because he actually is prompt and starts things on time.  They say the last president was never on time - like most Dominicans.  The kids always want to talk or want help after class so we are usually there for at least three hours.  Everyone is so friendly and it gives me a chance to practice Spanish
    So this morning Scott came home from his jog and said the Kirby was given a notice that he too is being fired.  This Soyla is just crazy.  We don't know what on earth she is thinking but she must be in some kind of trouble financially. If she fires all of the help she won't have to pay them and doesn't even pay them the money she owes them.  Elder Yturralde has taken it to a judge here and we are trying to get some help getting rid of Soyla but who knows what will happen.  Scott  says he is not going to make friends with any more of the help because they just get fired.  I wonder if she thinks they are telling on her.
    We had two Spanish classes this afternoon.  Elder Merino, of Mexican descent, has taken Elder Hammon's place and knows much about speaking the language but not much about the grammar.  So he teaches the speaking part and Scott teaches the grammar part. Elder Merino's wife is in the class even though she knows much Spanish.  She keeps him in line - which is often hilarious!  She is the mental health doctor here and makes comments that keep you laughing.  We understand more and more why the man who called to tell us that they had our mission call said "you will love this mission".  I don't know specifically what he was talking about but we certainly have found so many things to love about this mission.
     Got the web page information to Sister Johnson to put together for us.  Bless her heart!  That is what she has been doing in the states.  Her husband is a lawyer here so when they found out she could put together media things for the area they called her to do that.  They are from Park City with a family of eight.  Anyway now there is less pressure for me.  However I have to keep all of the music info, signatures, pictures, names, etc so I can turn in a history before we leave.  That requires alot of communication with other areas in the Caribbean and alot of time on the computer.  Just wish I was trained to use different programs on the computer what would do a better job than the ones I have used.
   Scott practices the piano while I blog so he is getting very good!