3/31/2013

The temple laundry rooms - have you ever envisioned all of the clothing they have to wash?  Here there are very few people who have their own clothing. We had the opportunity to spend three hours this morning helping sort and fold clothes.  Sister Bair had called for volunteers to come help because there had been sooo many people at the temple and they couldn't keep all of the clothing washed, etc.
When we got there the Ruckers were also there so that made it fun.  Elder Rucker always has some witty remark about most everything.  The best part was sorting - the worst part was trying to fold the slips the way they do to lay smoothly in the bag!  Now that is sad isn't it? A woman who raised 4 kids and one who raised 10 kids couldn't figure out how to make that happen.  Finally Sister Rucker asked if we could have an easier job.....So they gave us two overflowing laundry baskets full of sashes.  Well at first sight we were relieved, that is until we tried to untangle hundreds of sashes to fold them just the right way so they could steam press them.  All I can say is their washers must be extraordinary because they stuff them so full the door will barely close - kind of like the taxis here.
The steam presser machine was amazing though.  They would lay a straightened bunch of something on the board and pull down the top (looked alot like a casket).  When it was done the top would pop up.  It was hot, hot, hot! It always feels good to do some service..
   We didn't have lessons so it felt like a vacation, which is good for awhile then you just feel you should be doing something more than studying.  Sunday evening we have an Easter dinner with the senior missionaries and I have cheesy potatoes to do.  It's been such a long time since I have made them I hope I can remember the recipe.  Put them together so they would just have to be cooked on Sunday.  We went out to PriceMart to get some cheese because Scott doesn't like the cheese we normally buy.
     We decided a diversion would be a good thing so invited the Yturraldes down for supper and a Crown Five game.  It was a rousing success!  Between Scott and Elder Yturralde taking five minutes to think on every turn and Sister Yturralde losing almost every hand. The entertainment was great.
    
Sunday
  The Sanchez kids were gone today so we went to the farewell of one of our students, Sara.
Their meetings start at 8:00 am.  Anyway Sara is such a beautiful girl - I just love her so much.
She is so excited to finally leave for her mission in England.  Her warmth and spirit should really help the people there.  We went up to tell her goodbye and tears just started running down my face.
I was embarrassed but couldn't seem to stop them.  When I thought we would never see her again it was heartbreaking.  Then a clear realization of how difficult it is going to be to leave all of these people that we have grown close to hit like a brick. Any advise on controlling tears??
   We have the Easter dinner tonight.  Made the potatoes and had left overs so put them in a pan for Scott and when we cooked them they were so liquidy I am cooking more potatoes to put in with them.  These potatoes seem to have more starch in them. Got to the dinner with potatoes that looked like soup.  Don't know what happened.  I know the cheese here is different but really- that different?
Guess they didn't taste too bad thankfully.  There were about 50 senior missionaries there so we had a good time.
   Sister Bair says they need help in the laundry again tomorrow so we will go at 8:00 am again.  Maybe this time I can actually learn how to fold slips.  They are very particular about how things are folded.  An inch over this or that way and it isn't acceptable.  I'll stick with the sorting dirty clothes!
   On this Easter day I have given much thought to Jesus Christ and the atonement. There is so much I cannot even comprehend  about the atonement but I am so grateful there is someone who understands the heartbreaks, the sorrows, the trials we all endure.  A brother who was willing to die a horrendously painful death that we might live again, that we can repent of our many weaknesses and sins; that we can live eternally as family.  I am very grateful!  I have never had such a strong testimony that we are all children our Father in Heaven as when I see these little kids with their big black curious eyes or the old beggars pushing carts down the road.  I know they are our brothers and sisters and we are grateful to have the opportunity to help them in any way we can.  What a privilege it is to be here with them. 
  
   
   
 

3/28/2013 Sanchez Family

      We began Wed. early teaching our first class at 10:00 am at the Institute.  We wondered if anyone would be there because it is Holy Week here and they have closed the schools down. Three faithful girls arrived:

This is a good example of the different skin coloring here.  We have alot of fun with these kids.  They keep trying to teach me Spanish and every time we come up with a word that they teach in Spanish means something different here than we have learned.  No wonder it is so difficult to know what they are saying!

   Got home about 12:30 to get ready to pick up the Leavitts for our Los Llanos lesson at 1:15.  It's about an hour and a half out there so we have time to talk.  Elder Leavitt wants Scott to teach him Spanish as we drive - which is scary the Scott drives anyway!  He is taking this Dominican driving much to seriously.  Just stay off the road when we get home and you will be safe!  There is one boy at Los Llanos that is amazingly gifted and had been through half of the lesson book that he received last
week - lots of work.

This is a picture of the back seat - just so you can see how we could have missed an extra person!

   We had planned to pick up William and his family at 6:30 but just barely got back by then.  What a wonderful night that was!  To see William again was great - we haven't seen him for months.  So funny - Scott had told Olgalidia that we didn't have room in the car to take all of the cousins plus their family.  When we picked them Carlos and the little 5 year old boy were with them.  They all climbed into the back seat and we started off for the huge mall they wanted to go to.  They all looked so cute.  When we got out of the car and they all got out, there was this strange woman standing there with them. We had no idea she was in the back seat under all of the kids.  Come to find out she was Carlos's mother.  Scott said he met her once but I had no idea who she was.  Still have no idea who the little boy belongs to.  So there were nine in the back seat of the car.  Now you see how we could have missed her!  We sure love this family.

     
 Carlos's mom, Gregory, Olgalidia, Carlos, William, Cati, little boy, Eliana.  We have tried to figure out little boy's name but it is nothing either of us can understand or remember.  Sure is a cute little tyke though.  You might notice that Olgalidia is about 4'10".  You forget how short she is until you see her with he kids who are getting as big as she is.  She is a great mom.
I hate to think we will leave here and never know what becomes of these people we love so much and it's not like we will ever get back here.
    Here are William and Olgalidia's three kids:

(plus the little boy that we don't know who he belongs to)  They just take him around like he is one of theirs but he doesn't live with them.
  This is such a cute picture of the girls I want to make sure it is never lost so am putting it in the blog.

            Eliana and Caty posing for their picture to be taken.  They learn to do that here at a very early age!  ( I'm not sure how Caty spells her name so you may see it many different ways)
   Here is Carlos and his mother(the surprise woman ).  She was very nice.

It was such a fun time to spend with the whole family +. Anyway we got there and back home with no problems despite the overload in the back seat.  They seem to think nothing of being crammed into small spaces - it happens often here.  We won't be picking up the kids for church this Sunday because they are going out to the country to visit their grandmother and next Sunday is General Conference.
We were planning on going to the ward we belong to but ran into one of our students, Sarah, at the temple and her farewell is this Sunday.  She wanted us to come out there so that's what we will do.
   On Thursday we decided to go do a couple of sessions at the temple because they were having sessions every hour.  When there is a vacation here the members come to the temple.  I wish we at home were that diligent when we have extra time.  There were people there for the 9:00 and 11:00 sessions that we attended. The time went so fast between the temple and our music class that it was soon time to go to Santo Domingo stake.  We didn't think anyone would show up because so many people had left the city.  But they did!  One woman came with a car full of girls that must have looked like our car last night.  One of the women put a jar full of something in my music bag and said it was dulce (sweet) but I have no idea what it is.  Thank heavens I am not eating sweet things!  She is so sweet though, always bringing us different kinds of things and I know she has very little herself.
    Friday morning we went to the temple again.  I came home after one session because I have things to do here but Scott stayed and still isn't home.  We have two Spanish classes this afternoon then hopefully I can persuade mi esposo to take me to PriceMart shopping.
   

3/26/2013

       I often think that life is about transitions - and the better we are at adapting to change the happier we will be.  Personally, I love things to stay the same.  (Unless they are really bad that is)  However I am happy to be recovering from my little face plant on the sidewalk.  My nose is about down to normal size and fairly normal color - not Rudolph red  anyway.  Makeup is wonderful stuff.  There's only an inch cut on the size of my nose that is still healing.  Then there's the really black bruise across my stomach and leg and the bruiseless knee that hurts so much it really should be black and blue but it isn't!  Scott says he will carry the equipment in from now on.  Yuh , we'll see how long that lasts.
I'm so grateful to have been protected from serious injury in my stupidity.
      Monday was a day to rest my decrepit body.  Studied and stayed home from Spanish classes.  Then went to FHE where the Haws ( the humanitarian people) presented a video of some of the things they have been doing here.  The church is an amazing help to these developing countries.  The one that was so sad is the hospital that did not have any means to help newborn babies breathe if they were having trouble.  So they would tell the mother just to hold the baby close until it died.  I just wanted to stand up and scream - it seems so unfair.  However, it did reaffirm to me that I never want to be in the hospital here!!  They have done water projects to bring water to areas that have had none, they have donated wheelchairs by the thousands, and prosthetic legs, taught how to plant and raise food. It would be fun to be able to help in that way.
     We have Tues and Thur mornings to go to the temple since we can't go at night.  (No time) So we went this morning.  We figure we need to fit as many trips as we can into the five months we have left.  It won't be as easy to get to the temple at home.  Sister Lilly was there.  She is in the Piantini Ward that we are supposed to attend and teaches an English Sunday School class which I dearly love.
There is such a peaceful atmosphere in the temple.  I think part of that is because these people are never in a hurry.
     Went shopping and came home to do some washing before our class at Santo Domingo Stake.  At starting time there was one woman there.  Slowly nine more came in 1/2  hour or more late.  Sometimes it is enough to drive you crazy! 

3/24/2013

    Catching up again.....
     Friday was a catch up on laundry day.  It has been so humid that many of the clothes are still drying.  Scott went to help Walkers find the Area Office and take care of many things they had to do there.  Was gone so long I thought they must have been in an accident!  Gave me some good uninterrupted time to study Spanish.  We went to Elder Marino's Spanish class then Scott's class.
We talked to Elder Johnson for a little while then went over to the temple to do a session.  Friday nights are really full but it is about the only night we can go.  This session was full - Sister Mahon and I had to set with the men.  It is always good to go and feel the peace that is there.  A couple from the Tres Brasos Ward that we take the kids to was there so it was fun to see them. 
   The Yturraldes had invited us to their house for pizza when we got home  - even though it was 9:30.  Nice of us huh?   But they did say to come when we got home but the session started late and was so big that we were longer than any of us thought we would be.  They were watching a movie.  They love old movies and watch them often.  It seems strange to me because if I have any spare time I study  - if you already know Spanish and have experience with what you have been assigned to do you probably would have time to watch movies.  That time won't come for us unless we stay another couple of years!
    Got off to a great start Saturday as we packed tecladas into the church at our first lesson in La Caleta.  I had cords and a pull bag in one hand and a couple keyboard boxes in the other and was going up the sidewalk - which has a short step on your way to the church.  Well I couldn't see the sidewalk and tripped on the step.  Since both my arms were full of stuff I couldn't catch myself.
Before I knew what was happening I was laying face down on the sidewalk wondering what had happened!  That was just before I realized my stomach, knee, and face were in extreme pain.  Have you ever fallen and wonder if you can get up because you know something must be broken?
I slowly got on my feet and thanked God that I could stand!  What a tender mercy.  As much pain as my face was in I thought I surely must be bleeding and didn't want to scare the kids.  Scott was across the street so I yelled to him to come.  I really thought my nose and front teeth would be broken.  I had hit my stomach first, then my knee, then face first onto the cement with nothing to stop the blow.  When Scott got there he assured me that I was bleeding and went to find something to catch the blood with.  I was in no shape to go in for lessons so Scott took me back to the car with kleenexs out of my bag.  When I looked in the mirror my nose was scraped up and bleeding but my teeth were still in tact.  I was so very grateful!  There were many painful places on my body but none were broken.  Of course my nose is still a bit swollen on both sides but it still looks fairly straight!  When the bleeding stopped I thought I had better go help Scott even though I looked pretty frightful - but I just felt so grateful to be in one piece!  So when Scott saw me come in he started to laugh.  Just because I looked like Rudolph gave him no excuse to laugh!  So I went through the rest of the day with this scratched up red nose that no one even asked about.  That was the funniest thing because they would look every where on my fact except my nose.  Now is that polite or what!
     When we got to Los Molinos to teach there were only three there because the rest had gone on a ward trip somewhere.  It was a great time for us to work with just three.  The new mom came back and she really looked rough.  She said she was fine and the baby was great but we later learned from her mom that she had a c-section and it had been really hard on her.  Don't know what she went through up to that point but she looks sick still.  She could easily have developed and infection.  I am so glad Alysha has been in Utah to have her c-sections.  Anyway, at the end of class another woman showed up with a baby and it was our student's new baby.  A beautiful little baby sleeping soundly in a stroller.  I wonder how the mom has enough energy to take care of him.
    I would have loved to come home and clean up and get some Ibuprofen but we didn't have time between lessons.  We headed out to Hainamosa for our two classes there.  By that time I was used to looking like a clown and the pain in my knee and face had let up a bit! 
  We had the Hainamosa 2 class (new class) then the first class that we started months ago.  You never know who is going to show up.  We left there about 7:00, took the twins and their cousin home and headed home.  None to soon for me.  We got home around 8:00 and I took meds and went straight to bed.  Not even too much bruising!
    And now it is Sunday.  We weren't going to take the kids this morning because my body felt pretty dilapidated but when Scott called them he talked to William, who had just lost his business  they had set up in an area that was not zoned for their kind of business but they didn't know that.  The government shut them down.  So they were meeting to put together an appeal to the president. Scott thought he should go see William so we just as well take the kids.  Fine with me - thank Heavens for ibuprofen.  It was great to see William - we really do love that guy.  Scott warned the kids that they could not set on my lap or bump my leg so they would harldy talk to me.  Finally warmed up and thought it was ok to set next to me and put their heads on my shoulder.  I missed their hugs and kisses
We are going to take their family out for pizza on Wed. night though so we will get to see them all again.  This coming weekend is their Semana Santa - Holy Week.  They don't have school all week and go out to the country to their grandmothers. 
   Got to come home for 1/2 an hour before leaving for San Cristobol.  The class there today was small also - only nine students.  Most of these are doing well so it was a good practice time for them.
Scott has had them all  play a piece at the same time.  Then you know who really needs help! But they love to practice that way for a little while.  The little boy who fell asleep on the table last week was there again today and sat at that piano the entire time.  We are going to ask the bishop if we can teach him.  He carries things in for us and helps us get set up then just sets there for the entire hour and a half.
     We left for Oriental but the tunnel with no lights was closed so we were a little late getting there.  Which was fine since they usually do not come on time.  And sure enough, there was no one there and they didn't start coming for half and hour.  Que sera sera!  Our older class showed up to practice
so we got to see them. 
      After another eleven hour day we are finally home and blessed to have driven in the DR another day without accident.  How, I do not know!
   

3/21/2013

  Those quiet nights at La Romana sure sound nice right now!  The ambulances going by blaring their sirens, the buses without mufflers, the honking horns, the car alarms going off, vehicles going by with their huge sound amplifiers, people yelling, dogs barking - it's hard to believe there can be so much noise!!
   We finally got to the temple this morning.  Can't go at night because we are teaching.  The session was filled with missionaries about fifteen elders and fifteen sisters.  We did meet the girl Mike Rees was dating up at Utah State.  Cute girl!  We didn't get much of a chance to talk to her but when we go to the Casa on Monday we will try to find her if they have pday.  The  session was in English because all of the missionaries were English speaking so that was a nice review for me. We kept getting messages that there was someone who wanted to meet with us after the session but we never did find out who it was or where.   We did see Katerine, our RM student there. She actually had a name and number on a piece of paper for us to call of a person who wanted to get into the Los Americas class.  She is such a darling girl. She is one of those Dominicans that looks like  she has been anorexic for years but just is built that way.  Lucky girl!
   Got home in time to eat lunch and get ready to leave for the Institute Class at 2:30.  All is well there.  Just practice, practice, practice.  I think of Thelma McKinnon who taught me piano for years and how patient she was.  It is always a learning experience to be on the other end of things!
   La Serena is on our way home so we stopped to buy a few groceries then unloaded and had half and hour to get ready to go to our Santo Domingo lesson.  I just have to think of carrying the tecladas in and out of each lesson, climbing the stairs, etc. as the only exercise we really get.  So it's all good - but tiring!  We were missing four or so students in this class.  Cool kid and his counterpart, little Ralph, weren't there tonight.  We have so many students now it is really hard to even remember their faces let alone their names.
    I didn't mention that "naked man" was out again on Sunday.  Just can't understand why someone doesn't report him walking around in public with nothing but a two inch piece of material around his waist.  I originally thought he wore a loin cloth kind of a thing, but no, it's just the waist wrap. You turn a corner and there he is - usually he has his back towards us ( which is good!) - but not this Sunday.  Right in that area is a little family park.  Maybe it's no big deal to them but it should be...  Things are different here though.  So many live in such close quarters it's probably nothing they don't usually see.  No excuse!
     I'm getting concerned about Scott's being able to readjust to driving in Utah.  He's gotten really good at driving through stop signs, stop lights, etc.  (Usually following other cars though) Most of the Senior Missionary elders are having a great time driving here because it is such a challenge to see if you can beat the other car.  It's a good thing we live on the ranch!
  
    
    

3/20/2013

So today on our way home:

We were stopped by a cattle drive!  Remind you of anything?? Almost all of these animals had thick ropes around their necks that dragged behind them for at least 15 ft.  Guess that's one way to control your cattle! 
   Spent the morning at the Institute teaching and carrying instruments in and out.  The students are great to help carry them out though. This class is moving from the finger numbering exercises to the names and locations of the keys and they think it's just impossible for them to learn.  How funny for college students!  It just takes time and work - which I don't think they were planning on......Watching them interact with each other is a hoot because they are so dramatic. The Institute's  missing keyboard has never showed up but they don't seem concerned.
  Today was our first keyboard class in Los Llanos.  We teach them how to set them up and take them down at the end of class

The power went off after an hour so they couldn't hear what they were playing.  We ended a little early:

Class leaving - I wanted to get the churchyard in the picture because it looks worse than any church yard I have ever seen.  No one seems to mind though.  As I was taking some things out to the car two of the boys followed me out carrying keyboards and our bag.  When we got to the car they just continued walking down the road.  Finally I realized they still had the keyboards so yelled at them to come back.  They thought it was so funny but they did want to take the keyboards home with them. Here are the thieves:

Look pretty harmless don't they!  
We arrived home safely another day.  What a tremendous blessing that is here!  Scott was just telling me that in the newspaper it said this country is 2nd out of 182 countries in highway deaths.  If you had ever driven here that would not be a surprise.  
   We have had no time to get to the temple so tomorrow morning we are going to try again.  We thought we could go yesterday but just as we were getting ready to leave our landlord lady's sister came to visit. She came a week or so ago and left us a big box of fruit and vegetables.  We told her we would be leaving in August and she couldn't believe we were leaving and thought for sure we must be coming back.  I think she was actually sad to think we would be gone - or sad to think they probably wouldn't get anyone else to rent this apartment (that's more like it).

3/19/2013

   We are almost down to five months - that just seems unreal!  We have sent so many good friends home so I guess it makes sense that our turn will come  too.  I am so grateful that some of our family came out to see us.  It was so nice for us to be able to experience that feeling of family again.  We have missed that so much! 
   I studied Spanish for a good three hours today. It was great to have some uninterrupted time to study.  Now the Dominicans are playing the Puerto Ricans in some world baseball tournament and they must have it televised outside close to us because we can hear the cheers and the music. We had our lesson at Gasque tonight.  The students are just learning fingering numbers and beginning on learning the keys so it is tedious and difficult for many of them.
This young boy is quick.  He must have India blood in him because he does look different than the others - he's a cute boy.

I just love this woman.  It doesn't come easy for her.  So many of these people play something for awhile and before you know it they have it memorized and don't even look at the music.

I have never seen people that know how to pose like the Dominicans!  From 2 years of age to 90.
She brought us some cajuil fruit (stinky fruit that has a stem that they roast and it becomes a cashew) and some mangos.  I know she has almost nothing.  These people are so willing to share anything they do have.
   When we got home about 8:45 we took the fruit to Yturraldes because she loves that kind of stuff.  She makes juice with them.  She was at the temple but Elder Yturralde was home sick so we went to the temple to pick her up and give her a ride home.  How great it is to have friends living in your apartment building!   We just hope they don't leave before we do!!   They are still working on the Mexico thing.
    When we pulled in to the parking lot the guard was asleep with the shotgun between his knees.  Scott stopped the car and we just sat there to see if he would wake up - he didn't until Scott honked the horn.  Now that makes you feel safe and secure!  Our gate is broken and doesn't close so anyone can drive in.
    

3/18/2013

You know when you are used to seeing something around how you expect it to appear - well it has been mice that I keep expecting to see.  Here everywhere you go there are these hair balls that roll around the floor with all of the fans going.  Every time I am startled by one I expect it to be a mouse and it never is.  Isn't that amazing? No mice here.  At least where we have been. I am sure they are all at home waiting for us. But these hairballs that scoot across the floor are fairly disconcerting!
We passed this guy as we came in to town.  Couldn't tell if he was texting or sleeping but definitely not ready to defend the business he was guarding.  This is typical of the guards they have everywhere here. Notice the nice warm coat - 80 degrees is fairly chilly for these Dominicans.
   

I am days late blogging but all has gone well.  Our Thursday lesson went well at the Santo Domino Stake and at the Institute.
  Friday we went to dinner at the Ruckers.  While we were talking we found that the Haws and the Ruckers both know who Brent is.  Sister Rucker was saying that her brother works at the temple with Pres. Hatch and as she was telling that story the phone rang and it was her brother.  He was so surprised when she told him she was having dinner with Pres. Hatch's sister.  I don't know if I measure up when they find out I am his sister.  It's a little scary!  It is such a small world.
The Crismons, the Eickbushes, the Eturraldes, the Haws, and the Fergusons were all there.  Obviously the Ruckers place is much, much bigger than ours!  It was fun to get together.  Both the Eickbushes and the Fergusons are leaving on Tuesday.
   On thing that is very common here is a cap kind of a thing that women were on their hair.  Usually they are black but this one is white:

This is my favorite little boy student.  He has such tiny hands but he is a smart kid and can play well.

Look at that concentration!

This is our new Hainamosa class.  We just kept adding tables because they just kept coming.  If there are still this many when we are finished teaching the directing course we will have to split the class at least in two groups

 

 

The same is true of the Oriental class we have on Sunday.  Don't know where we will be able to find a time to teach them that they can come and we have open.

On Sunday at SanCristobol on of the boys that was there last week came into the chapel area where we teach.  There was one keyboard empty so he went and sat down in the chair.  He was very quiet and just sat there.  Little by little his eyes started to close then he would wake up and just minutes later he would be asleep again.  Finally his head just dropped on the desk and he was out!

We picked up the kids Sunday morning  - expecting only Williams kids because that who has been coming. But no, there were nine kids ready to climb into the back seat of the car.  Three cousins and Alta Gracies kids and Williams kids.  The little 5 year old boy came again.  What is his mother thinking letting us drive off with her little boy.  We could be any kind of bad people!  We have never even seen her or the mothers of the other kids that go with us off and on.  We are just happy to have the privilege of taking them.  We stayed for the sacrament then left so we could drop the kids off and get home to watch the first hour of conference in the Morgan Stake.  What a wonderful new stake presidency we have!  Such a change from the old one  that did a marvelous job.  We so appreciate  Pres. Porter, Pres. Walker and Pres. Clemens and their focus of making Morgan a Zion stake.

Of course we love the fact that our beloved Bishop will now be in the Stake Presidency.  Guess that's why they kept him in as bishop for seven years!  It was great to be able to listen to it for an hour before we had to leave to teach.  We even got to see Saturday night's session!  We so appreciate the stake making that possible for all of us.  What an amazing mission president President Porter will be - hope they are ready for him!

We got home after 11 hours of being gone - tired.  We were supposed to host Family Home Evening at the Casa on Monday night but they have taken that room we usually use and made it  into a missionary area for all the new missionaries.  So we were assigned to go in with theYturraldes.

They came down so we could plan and visit.  Sure is wonderful to have fun neighbors.

We were all so tired all we could do was yawn so it was a short meeting.

So today I spent the day cooking.  The Eickbushes were moving out of their apartment and into the Casa where they would have no food so made soup and took it to them for super.  We helped carry stuff down and then went to FHE.  After that we went back to the Eickbushes to help them get ready to do.  The Yturraldes  came too so it didn't take us very long to do what we could to help them do.

Will surely miss them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3/13/2013

  Behind again - maybe that's the new normal for me.  On Tuesday morning we picked up the Walkers and went to sign them up for Internet.  When we got there the area president's secretary called and said they were already signed up they just needed to wait for the guy in charge of that kind of thing to take care of their getting the service activated.  He said they want to train these people to be responsible.  Problem with that is it's weeks before they "get around to it"  and there you are with no way to communicate with home.  They do have service in the doctor's office in the Casa though.  It has been fun getting to know them.  We went shopping at the only store in Santo Domingo that has Miracle Whip salad dressing - and other American things!  Elder Walker actually reminds me alot of Brent.  It was so fun to spend some time with Sister Walker after months of emailing back and forth.  They will be a great asset to the mission!
   In the evening we went to the Gasgue Chapel to teach a class.  When we got there all of the benches from the Chapel were in the room  we teach in getting refurnished and stained.  So of course there was nothing in the Chapel so we took tables in and set up our class in there. Every chapel here has folding chairs or pews that can be moved. The "cool kid" has actually turned into someone who really wants to learn.  One of the younger boys in the class looks like he is from India - he is talented but has no attention span.  Keeping him on task is a full time job! He is such a cute kid.  I would love to know his background.  The missionaries told us that our neighbor from India actually set up a baptism date  in April for her and the kids.  We haven't talked to her for quite awhile because we usually see her around but haven't for some time.  They say she is moving back to India so we need to find her and see what is going on.
   WEDNESDAY
   Had our morning class at the Institute.  They won't be having class next week because it is Holy Week where they "sit around and eat sweet beans" according to the kids.  Everything closes down and people either stay at home or go out to the country with relatives.  I wonder if we will have a quite day or two here in our apartment!!  That would be great....It is difficult to get much teaching done when they are out of school for some kind of a celebration two weeks of the month.  Next month should be better but you never know.  One of the girls wants me to come a separate time and help just her - I would like to do that but am afraid it would open a wave of doors for students that want private help and we don't have time to do that.   Another one of our students, Dorian, is putting her mission papers in.  I wonder how her mother feels about that since she hasn't lived with her husband for three years because he  is an active member of the church and she isn't a member.  Can't believe she will like it. 
   We picked up Leavitts after the Institute lesson and headed out to Los Llanos for lessons.  It's an hour and a half drive - if Scott is driving responsibly - if not we make it there in an hour and fifteen minutes!  Four of our students had led the singing in different meetings in their ward on Sunday and they were so excited.  My, what we take for granted!  They meet in this cinder block building that has a little partition thing that splits the room in two that has wheels on it and can be moved around.  So after Sacrament meeting they put it in the middle of the room and the RS meets in one side and the priesthood in the other.  It's a little noisey but Dominicans don't even notice it. Well today they had the partition in place and when I saw a hose across the floor into the other side of the room I walked over to look in.  A big swimming pool took up the entire half of the room.  They were having a baptism after our lesson.  It just happened to be that the two getting baptized were two of our students so we stayed to watch.  Besides I had never seen anyone baptized in a kid's swimming pool.  The guy was over six feet tall and finally had to kneel down and lay back before nothing came to the surface as he was baptised.  The girl was probably about 12 and had on this" one fits all" jumpsuit which just drowned her.  When they tried to get her under the water her jumpsuit would fill with water and float to the top.  Poor girl - I thought she was going to be drowned before they finally got everything to stay beneath the water.  We think they dump the pool out on the floor - which is just cement- and sweep it out the door.  It was a fun experience!  Every baptism I have been to here is so different than I have ever seen at home. I was so excited to take some pictures.  Got my camera out and I had forgotten to put the memory stick back in it after loading pictures on the computer. Someone should just shoot me!  Hopefully I will get some from the Eickbushes. 

3/11/2013

  Didn't blog last night obviously and we were even home by 7:00pm.  We had a wonderful morning with our little Dominican kids.  They were even ready when we got there so that made Scott very happy.  Arriving on time has not been a very frequent thing for us when we get there to pick them up and they aren't ready.  We just had Caty, Eliana, Gregory, Carlos and Yrguy(?) today.  I am never sure why the cousins come because they don't have an attachment to us in any way.  Today when Scott took the kids to primary the president asked how old the boys were.  Turns out that Carlos and Gregory are both twelve so he took them to the Aaronic priesthood class.   They weren't very excited but when they came in to Sacrament meeting there was a definite difference in Carlos.  He usually pays no attention to what is going on but plays on his phone the whole time.  This time he sat and listened - and kept telling Eliana to get off my lap because she was too big - and sang the songs.  Eliana is so bright; and so manipulative that I just have to tease her.  In this culture I worry about the safety of these little girls but you can only pray for them I guess. We haven't seen Alta Gracie's kids for a month.  Next week is Easter-Lent week so the schools are out for the week again and the kids go out to the country.
    We had a few minutes for lunch when we got home so packed up and headed to San Cristobol.
I still want to sight see there but we are always in such a hurry to get there and to get back to Oriental that we have no time Sunday.  We will just have to go out another day.  The Bishop's wife quit because she felt she was not progressing or "getting it".   There are three or four that really struggle and you just wish it was easier for them.  There are always a group of little boys who play in the churchyard while we teach because they have no where else to play.  Today they came over to the car to see if they could help us carry in the tecladas.  I was up on the stand by the door and as class started they stood and watched for a good ten minutes until one of the men shooed them away. With their big curious dark eyes looking in the doorway  I  was reminded of Christ with the children and felt such a strong impression of them being beloved children of our Father in Heaven - as all of us are. 
    At Oriental we had a new  class of 20+ students and our old class of 10.  I took the old class into one room and Scott had the new class.  I thought I would get in to help him but instead spent the whole time helping the older class.  He was frustrated because there are some very young kids in that class that cannot stay focused and some girls that kept talking and boys in the back that were messing around.  I was surprised that any of that bothered him because most of the time he doesn't even notice!  When the second class begins on the tecladas the old class will have to end so we want them to get all of the practice time in they can.  Just love those kids.  Paula brought us some cookies today and I took them some cheerio treats.  We also took them to San Cristobol and they loved them.  Of course everyone wants the recipe but I don't know the Spanish words so Scott figured out something they could understand and wrote it on the board.  We'll see how it turns out!  Stephanie came back today and had such a good spirit about her - I was so glad because last time I saw her she was so withdrawn.
      By Sunday night we are both pooped.  Scott loves it though because it reminds him of his first mission - the hard work that is.
          

3/9/2013

We made it through another Saturday! Didn't blog last night so I will catch up on that first.  We were supposed to take the car in to have the tires changed.  We got to the area office and I waited in the car for Scott because he was only going to be a few minutes. HA! About 1/2 an hour later he finally came back out and said we were to take the car back to the Casa and meet Alexis there.  Scott wanted to shop at Price Mart first because it was kind of out that way.  We picked up the pictures of the Oriental kids at their recital so we can take them tomorrow.  Scott took the car up to the Casa after we got home and unloaded it but Alexis still hadn't arrived there so he came back home.  We had Spanish classes at 4:00 and 5:00.  During the class Alexis called and said he was there to trade us cars so had to unload all of our music stuff out and into the other car - because, of course, they can't have it done in a day.  So who really knows when we will get our car back.  This one is a blue RAV 4 - very pretty.  I drove it home and back in an hour to meet Scott to go to the temple.  It is so good to drive every once in awhile (around the block). 
   There were so many people at the temple for the 7:00 session they had to divide it into two groups.  We ended up with the Obama Stake group.  We knew Pres. Omparo because we work with him at the Institute.  We don't have time to go on Tuesdays anymore.  I really miss the people who work there on Tuesdays - got to know them doing two sessions on Tuesday nights.  But anyway it was a neat experience.  There were three men in their group that were going through the temple for the first time.  It was heartwarming to see the men take care of each other; help each other.  They were obviously very happy to be there together!  When I went into the Celestial room they were greeting each other with tears and hugs and smiles.  I was waiting for Scott.  I had such a strong impression that that kind of a meeting would be in store for all of us when we get to the spirit world.  Thinking of all of the people I love that are no longer here and knowing the joy there will be to see them again was a wonderful feeling.
      Saturday:  So this morning at 9:00 we get down to the car to begin our long day only to find the car wouldn't start.  We had left our jumping cables in the other car.  Scott finally found some at the Lees and got the car started.  We made it out to La Caleta about 10 minutes late.  What amazes me about this class is how well the boys do!  One of the young boys played the opening hymn - with finger numbering.  An older man had the hymn book open and was holding it so the pages wouldn't turn.  I was standing right there and watched as the boy played the hymn from memory and didn't even look at the book.  He did a great job!  These kids memorize easily and usually do memorize a song after they have played it a few times.  The whole class is doing very well. The funny thing was I had worked with this one guy for a good 20 minutes trying to explain to him in Spanish what he needed to do.  So I am carrying things out and he comes up to help me and in English says: "I will have those songs ready for next week."  Can't believe he knows English and made me try to talk to him in Spanish all that time.
 Loaded up at noon and left for Los Molinos.  This is a mixed talent class so these three young kids that play well were up messing around.  So I set up a contest to see which of them could learn the next two pages and play them without mistakes.  Wow, was that ever a good idea.  I have never seen them work so hard!  I was hoping the sister who had the baby would be there with baby but she wasn't.  Would like to volunteer to be the babysitter but need to be available to help the students. Darn!
  So we left there and headed for Hainamosa not knowing what would be going on there this week.  The high council man was there and he and Scott stood outside talking for 1/2 an hour.  The class was   there so we waited and waited and waited....  The lights kept flickering on and off but were on enough that we could continue with the lesson.  We started 45 minutes late - drives me crazy!  Such a waste of time!
  Our second class there was fun with our old students.  Felix is doing so much better.  That just goes to show you that if you have enough desire, age and slowness is not a handicap.  The young husband is as attention deficit as I am.  If you are not right there with him he is distracting the student next to him or playing some ditty he knows that has nothing to do with reading music like he should be learning.  He tells me he has no time to practice because he works, goes to school, teaches seminary and is in the bishopric in his ward.  I can believe he has no time!  He does okay if you stand right by him and keep him on track.  We took five of the students home - all adults crammed in the back seat of the car.  That is a normal situation for them!  Got home after 8:00 pm and were too tired to eat.  Just then the Yturraldes knocked at the door and came to visit for awhile.  It gave me a second wind so I had enough energy to type!  Finally got some food and now we're ready for bed.

3/7/2013

   Finally home for the night!   We had an early morning meeting with Pres. Anderson.  I was so afraid he was going to tell us since the music program was going so well we should stay a little longer.  He hadn't even realized we would be leaving the end of August.  So he has this idea that we should set up an area wide choir concert type thing that involves all of the stakes in the Caribbean.  "Events" are very important here.  You know how good Scott and I are at "events" - not at all!
So he wants us to find committee members from all over and get them together and see what we could come up with - organize, etc.  He wants this to be a Christmas thing.  The great thing was we aren't going to be here.....  When we told him that he was aghast.  "Why you just got here, you can't be going home already!"  Then asked us if we knew anyone who could come and take our place.  So if you know of anyone let us know.  He asked about my brother Brent.  He asked me if Brent spoke Spanish - don't think so but will ask him.  So anyway, we have lots of work to do besides the lots of work we are doing....
   Got home and had lunch before leaving for our Institute music class.  I wish there were some magic way to get these tecladas up the stairs and into the room without having to carry them.  It does get tiring carrying them in and out of buildings.  We have been so careful to keep them in the bags and the boxes they came in to protect them but these boxes are wearing out.
   Right after Institute we drove to the Santo Domingo ward for our second class there.  We had to divide the class because it was so big.  As it turns out we should have about 14 in each class.  One of the women came in with her daughter about an hour late - her car had stopped on her.  She does speak some English so that is refreshing for me.  Scott is pooped but he never complains. 
  We received some letters from the young women and young women leaders in our ward.  It was so nice to hear from them.  We really appreciated them taking the time to write and send letters to us!

3/6/2013

    This was our morning at the Institute.  There were some students missing so we had a workable group.  They are so excited to be able to play the hymns with one note and fingering instructions.  It's much harder when they begin doing the key names and trying to find them.  We got to leave the tecladas there for our class tomorrow because we didn't need them yet at Los Llanos.  So we finished there, drove home, had lunch and left to pick up the Leavitts to go to Los Llanos.
`  We must have dozens of guardian angels the way Scott drives out there.  I keep trying to tell him it isn't a demolition derby or game of chicken but he just doesn't get it!  He put on the brakes and threw up his hands one time and Elder Leavitt screamed.  Scott was just joking and when Elder Leavitt realized that he started laughing at himself.  He has this infectious laugh you just can't help but laugh at.  I think they have decided to wear blindfolds on our next trip out there - with good reason!!  There was a big group of students at Los Llanos.  At the end of the lesson the table I was sitting at with the teclada collapsed on one side so the teclada slipped off the table to the floor.  Of course I had made some kind on noise ( probably a scream)  that scared everyone half to death.  Pretty embarrassing!
The goats were gone today - I was afraid to ask where they were because they were likely someone's dinner.
  When we got there one of the missionaries came in with a machete, like the ones our kids have.  He had been out cutting grass - here it is:  (This isn't the missionary)

  Then the town taxi went by.  It isn' t the same one I have seen before but cute nonetheless.

     The Eickbushes are leaving shortly so we met them and took them out to dinner.  They are such good friends.  We went to Tony Ramas and had the best food I have had since we came here. 

3/5/2013

      It's been a fun day.  We didn't have any extra things going on until noon when we picked up the Shavers and their daughter to go to lunch.  They are leaving on Monday to go home so we probably won't see them again.  We have really enjoyed them.  He has a personality like Uncle Roger.  They wanted to go to Andrian Tropical where we would have loved to have taken our kids when they came but didn't have time.  You set about 20 feet from the ocean overlooking the waves coming in.

They are from Idaho.  Somewhere near Boise in a place called Eagle.  I think they must have always been fairly prosperous because they say that everywhere they have lived they have had a swimming  pool in their yard.  They are going home to their place that has a connected "nanny apartment"  where they are going to live.  Their kids are living in the main part of their house.  But they also have a guest house.  It would be fun to go and see them!
     After lunch we came home and got ready for our class in Santo Domingo.  We were there on time but we had divided the class last week because there were so may in the class and they wandered in for the first hour.  We ended up with fourteen there - which is great because there will be that many or more on Thursday night. 
     The Yturraldes stopped on their way home from the temple.  They said that Sister Duran had passed away a couple of weeks ago.  She is the older handicapped woman that used to come on Tuesday nights with her son. Such a beautiful older woman with a wonderful spirit.  It was such a privilege to be able to help her.
    

3/4/2013

Missed yesterday in the hustle and bustle that Sundays are.  It was great to see our little kids again since we haven't taken them to church for the past two Sundays.  We had two "cousins" with us again.  The little five year old boy and an older boy that has come with us before. I'm not quite sure why the two extra boys show up to come with us but it certainly won't hurt them to spend three hours in church.  If I were the mother of a five year old going off with people I didn't even know - I would be getting to know who they were and where they were taking my little boy.  We have no idea who the mothers ( fathers are usually not in the picture) of these kids are.  The kids must go through the neighborhood and ask if anyone wants to go to church -   The little girls were so happy to be with us that it was heart warming.  I just hope and pray we are doing something that will help them as they grow up in far less than ideal situations.  As I was waiting in the car for Scott to go tell them we were there this little 1 year old boy across the street started screaming.  Finally I got turned to see what was going on.   Here it is:

Their side of the street had water so she had a bucket of water she was dipping him in and pouring over him.  Of course it was cold but she just laughed as he squealed.  She finally let him down and he ran around naked the rest of the time I was there.  So much for giving him a bath!
        We got to come home for twenty minutes after church to get something to eat and get the things we needed for our two lessons - which turned out to be three lessons!  At San Cristobol part  of the class was still celebrating Independence Day.  One of my favorite  students is a  girl that has  a difficult time learning but she tries so hard.  I so want her to fill successful.  The bishop was so excited because he thinks he is now famous because he is on our website article on music.   He deserves to be famous; he is such a good bishop.
       As we came home we saw many people dressed in costumes either going to or coming from a carnival parade. This celebration has lasted at least two weeks.  I don't understand the costume parade part of it. There is something about being around people with their faces painted that is frightening to me for some reason.   This should be the end tonight.
       We left for Oriental not quite knowing what to expect because we didn't know when they had announced the start of the new class.  When we got there a bunch of boys were gathered outside and followed us inside.  They thought the class started next week so I don't know what they were doing there but before we knew it there were 20 or so people there and all but two were male.  It is so surprising here that so many men are interested in playing the piano.  At the same time half of our graduating class returned saying they wanted to practice.  I thought they were over and done with but they said Scott had told them if they wanted to go on we would help them.  Of course he did!  So I took them in a room and worked with them while he went through the group that had gathered for the new lessons.  The problem being they had not even announced the class in the wards.  That means that next week when we start the class there will probably be twice as many and we will have to divide the class.  We are running out of times we can teach.  We wish there was someone taking our place when we go but Pres. Anderson said he was just grateful to have had us to work with the music and didn't think they would let him have anyone else.  At least some of the people we have taught can teach but they don't have the keyboards to work with.  We have people all of the time coming to ask when we will be starting a new class in their area; it just makes me feel bad because they probably won't have that opportunity.  It was great to see our friends there.  The new high councilman that they assigned to help us is actually taking the class with his wife. 
      Sarah came as I was getting more books from the car.  She doesn't get to leave for London (her mission) until next month.  She is so disappointed because she was supposed to leave in Feb.  She won't find the temperatures or the people as warm there as they are here. It is hard to think all of these people we have grown to love will no longer be a part of our lives.  I'm sure every missionary feels that.
       Today is our morning off.  Time to do a load of wash, read Spanish scriptures, study, fix food, make phone calls, etc.  Scott taught both of the Spanish classes today because Elder Haws was gone.
I went up to Shavers to check on a Spanish program they have.  Their daughter is here with them and will stay until they go home in a week.  We are taking them to lunch tomorrow so that will be fun.
Scott taught about the passive progressive stuff and I just barely understood what he was teaching.  The next lesson was much more fun - for the first time students.
    Family Home Evening was a program we had heard before so we sent treats with the Yturraldes and stayed home.  How nice to have an evening at home! 
     So grateful our kids got home safe from their trip and had a good time......
       
 

3/2/2013

     At the end of another Saturday I am exhausted.  I don't know how Scott keeps going - teaching, driving, teaching, carrying keyboards all over creation (well not quite).  Our classes in the morning and early afternoon in the Los Americas Stake were good.  Some had been able to practice and all were doing well with their learning for the week.  The pregnant woman in the Los Molinos Ward was not there.  They said she had her baby and her mother was home tending the kids.  We thought she was expecting twins - but one of the women there said she only had one baby girl.  Que sera sera.
Who really knows what goes on  here !  The attention span of most of the students leaves alot to be desired.  It has been great to get to know so many of the people.  They are so grateful to have the opportunity to learn to play.  I just wish there was a way to make sure their bishops used them in their wards but we are not to contact the bishops to let them know there are people in their wards that can play.  It gets pretty frustrating!
One thing that makes it all worth it are students like this young boy who is so bright

Doesn't look like it though!  He has a brother in the class and they have a teclada at home to practice on - which is unusual here.
    Hainamos was a better experience today.  We had cancelled the 3:30 lesson until we found out what the stake president wanted to do about all of the nonmembers and if the power would actually be on for our lessons.  When Scott called him he didn't want us to cancel today's lessons.  Well we already had but we went anyway.  Three new students came and two old ones - all members.   Scott's patience with this whole "groundhog day" teaching with this Hainamos group had completely left. After 45 minutes and conversations with many different people he decided to start from the beginning again with this group.

Aren't they cute?

1

These two added alot of personality to the class.  After this class Anderson and the twins showed up for their lesson which we haven't had the electricity to have for the past month.  We were surprised to see them but it was a great opportunity to work with just them.  We actually got to drive most of the way home in the light of day.  That is such a nice thing on the road to Hainamosa there are so many crazy things going on and so many people walking across the highway, cars and motorcycles without lights, etc.  And so here we are at 8:00pm home at last.  Only ten hours after we left this morning.

3/1/2013

     When we went to Los Llanos with the Leavitt's on Wednesday, they had wanted to go see the ship we saw the other day so we arranged to take them this morning.  They are temple missionaries and do not have transportation.  Since we had been inside the boat we wandered around and took pictures of the walls and structures that were built over 400 years ago. 

This is one of the look out towers.  The windows are tiny but the walls are thick and have obviously withstood being fired upon.

This was the entrance to the Colonial City.  It looks like at one time they had kind of a mote in front of the walls but have since built it up and added walkways. The Coat of Arms in cement above the walkway was amazing.

        This must have been a lower level line of defense because these cannons were in front of the others high on the wall.

There are two rows of cement walls.  The path down the middle was where the military with guns and arrow fought from - they were protected by the walls - if they weren't standing that is.
   It amazes me how much history there is here.  I love their old buildings.  They rarely tear anything down here so many of their old buildings have had another layer of cement added to the existing wall and have become homes of businesses.
  They have been celebrating their Independence Day with this weeks long carnival.  This was one of the interesting decorations we saw this morning.

We had two Spanish classes this afternoon then went to Yturralde's for dinner with the Eickbushes.  Sister Yturralde makes these chicken tacos that are delicious!  We played Five Crowns and visited.  It was lots of fun.  Hate to see the Eickbushes go.  
     Made some vegetable beef soup - which usually is tasteless because the beef is  chunks of stuff that have no flavor.  But for some reason this really tastes good.  It must have been the beef bouillon. Got to get to bed and get rested for tomorrow!