10/19/2012

    Missed last night but it was a pretty uneventful day for us.  We went to the temple again.  It has been fun to go on Wednesdays because different senior missionaries work on different days so we see friends that we don't see on Tuesday and Thursday. 
     I am finally understanding most of the Spanish scriptures -that is really exciting for me!
  We decided to go with the couples to dinner tonight because we usually don't go and we hate them to think we are never social.  There were only four couples and they had decided to go to TGIF Fridays.  Of course we haven't been there so that sounded like American fun.  Don't know what is going on in Santo Domingo tonight but it took us more than 11/2 hours to get the 10 miles we had to go.  We have never seen so many cars and such blocked in traffic.  The only good part was the company!  When we finally got there and found parking we found that the restaurant was in a huge mall..  Pres. Glazier had been there before so he knew where to go.  Thank Heavens!  The music in the mall was so loud - they were having drawings in different places and had sales many places plus the Dominican's top model was there signing autographs and wandering through the mall.  Beautiful woman in a little black dress with 6 inch heels.  We never did find out why the travel was so bad.
It was much better coming home - only took us 20 minutes. The food was good though.
   It's raining hard.  Sister Shaver says this is what winter feels like here.  It's down to 80 degrees tonight. 
  Sister Glazier was telling us about a gun fight one of the teachers at the CCM was caught in the middle of this morning.  The police caught a guy trying to break into a car.  They don't ask questions here, they just start shooting!  This girl was about 20 feet away from them and bullets (?) were whizzing by her.  She started running to get out of the way and called for someone to come help her.  When the help got there they couldn't find her because the street was blocked off.  They got to walk through to see if they could find her - she saw them and came running.  Guess she was absolutely terrified, as we all would be.  So the Morinos, a new couple here, as the mission psychiatrist spent the night with her instead of coming to dinner with us.  The one thing we have learned here is that the police are as dangerous as the robbers because they shoot first and ask questions later.

10/17/2012

I managed one line on last nights blog - maybe I can do better today.  Went to the temple in a session that had more English speaking people than Spanish so we had another English session.  That is great for me to put the Spanish and English together and make sense out of it all. We are going again tonight since we have three classes tomorrow.
  Went to PriceMart this morning to shop so got a pizza for lunch.  Then stopped at the area office on the way home to give the secretaries some for lunch.  Then fed Wilton so we don't need to worry about left over pizza!  On the way to Price Mart there were many Christmas scenes and Christmas things for sale along the road - just seems a little early. 
   Tri Com is supposed to come and work on Yturraldes internet today.  I would have changed services by now if it had been me but they are fine with coming down here for service.  Just so grateful ours has been working because we have the same service Yturraldees have.
    We had a fun visit over skype with Dwight and Jan.  Their country is much less developed than the Dominican Republic.  I am sure they they are doing great work there just as they did at home.  We are so blessed to have many, many senior missionary friends - their closest missionary friends out there are four hours away.
 

10/15/2012

First thing this morning we met the Munozs, the Leavitts, and Elder S. to go to the market.  They go every Monday morning so we thought we would tag along and see this place.  It was huge!  Can't decide which pictures are the best to put in here so:

 This area was bigger than a football field - according to my husband.  The fruits were all around the outside. the veggies on the inside along with an alleyway of places to eat (guess they think you are going to be there for a long time) and the meat market was also inside. The cow stomach and feet
must be cheap!  The man there said the only thing they do not eat on a cow is the horns.  Horns and feet sound about like sixes to me!  Then came the fish:

 This is a shell fish called lambi - appetizing, huh? 
My personal favorite is the "scared to death chickens"---

All in all it was a great trip to the market to get a feel for how life is for these people.
  When we got home the Yturraldes were here and the air conditioner men came.  It is so nice not to have water dripping down the wall all day.  We had a Spanish class at 4:00 and one at 5:00.  Came home for 1/2 an hour and went back to the Casa for Family Home Evening.  We were with the St. Helaires.  Scott and I had to sing "I Am A Child of God" in English - the good thing is none of the rest of the people really knew English but did recognize really poor singing!  They had a couple sing a song in French and then another couple sang one in Spanish and they were very good singers.  It is such a joy being with these people! 

10/14/2012 Spanish headache!

 It is amazing how tiring listening and trying to understand Spanish can be after a day long effort.
We left early this morning and picked up William's kids and AltaGracie's kids and a niece of Williams.  That was seven kids and one 20 something year old.  Oglivia was sick and William works on Sunday.  Since that made two more than we had last time we decided we had better stay at church with them so we would be there when Primary was over.  The niece of Williams and I went into Relief Society.  I hope she got more out of it than I did!  I hate feeling like I can't really help anyone that I take to Relief Society because I don't know what's going on myself.  It was better in Gospel Doctrine because Scott was there.  Except I sat by this woman who had a beautiful smile and was very friendly but had on a blouse that covered almost nothing.  Generally the women are more modestly dressed but once in a while even at church you realize they don't have much of an understanding of modesty.  One surprising thing happened during the sacrament - the pianist played sacrament songs as the sacrament was passed.  At first Scott and I both thought that was strange but then peole around us started huming and were much more reverent.  During Sacrament meeting the 14 year old daughter of Alta Gracie was sitting by Scott.  While he was trying to entertain some of the younger kids she reached up and felt his hair.  She must have thought it was fun because she kept running her fingers through it and messing it up.  It was obviously disconcerting to Scott but when he told her his hair was too long and that he was going to get it cut she told him not to cut it.  I was trying not to laugh because Scott kept looking at me with this "what should I do" look.  Last time she kept feeling my hair which wasn't nearly as fun for her! As a whole the kids were better this week but we need to take more paper and pencils for them to write.  Both families have been sick with the flu.  I was holding one of the 6year old twins and so couldn't see her face but she kept making this choking sound.  Finally realized she was so congested it was hard for her to breathe.  How blessed are we that when we are sick we can buy medicine or go to the doctor.  One of the hardest things here is knowing you can't change the way they live.
   We dropped them off and headed home to get the keyboards and books we had to take out of the car so we could fill it full of kids and head out to San Cristobol for our first lesson there.  We got lost last time but this time we made it there.  There were about 20 people there - mostly adults.  About half women and half men. We are grateful to get to work with so many of these people.  One 20 or so young man came up to the keyboard where I was playing.  He said he knew how to play a little bit so he sat down to play.  He said he couldn't play out of the hymn book so I put the simplified hymn book on the stand.  He started playing but obviously wasn't reading the music.  There are many people here who play by ear but want to know how to read music.  It is difficult to keep the pages of the book from turning as the 15 ceiling fans were whirling around as fast as they could go.  Finally found some markers to hold the pages back.  I have not been in a church room here that does not have ceiling fans - that seems to be their most common means of air conditioning.  Even the rooms that have air conditioning  have many fans that are always on.  We were at the Canastica Ward building.

    We left there shortly after 3:00 to get to our lesson in Oriental at 4:00.  We had to come back through Santo Domingo and go out the other direction.  After we took a couple of wrong roads we made it with two minutes to spare. Most of these kids are doing very well.  Two of the older boys haven't been there for a couple of weeks - which really puts them behind.  Maybe they decided it wasn't worth the effort! Scott wanted me to take this picture of the twins helping each other. 
   By the time we got loaded up and home I was so tired - and I am not the one doing the teaching.  Just trying to make sense about what is being said gets old!  We got off the elevator by our door and sitting on the stairs with their computers were the Yturraldes.  They can get internet from our connection as far out as the stairs.  Wish I had gotten a picture of them.  Anyway they came in and stayed for a couple of hours.  We just go to bed and they lock up on their way out..

10/13/2012

     It's been an interesting day here in the hot DR.  Anyone who knows Scott would know that he always has the door open.  We have two doors here and he just happened to leave them both open.  I sat down for lunch and hear someone yelling "Rees,Rees,Rees"  - and in the door, on a run, comes our Nepalize neighbor with his phone in hand.  He and his wife are leaving for Nepal in the morning and he did not know how to tell the cab driver what time and where to pick them up and the driver was on the phone.  They have been here for quite a while but have no desire to learn Spanish so anytime they need help they come to Scott.  It's actually pretty funny but I do know how desperate you can be to have someone understand you.  They have a son they are taking back to Nepal to find a wife.  Of course they haven't told him that yet!  His Dad has told him it is time to think about finding a wife and it has to be someone from their country.  We'll see how that works for him....Their two sons are in the states attending colleges and this one has finished his masters.
   We spent part of the morning arranging our Sunday and we still don't know exactly what is going on.  We are supposed to pick up William's  family, Alta Gracie's family, Wilton and Josie for church.  We need a school bus on Sunday!  Drop them off then find the church we couldn't find last week to listen to two of our students play. Then back to pick up the families and take them home.  The missionaries are trying to find someone in their area that can pick them up.  I see clearly now how vitally important it is for members to fellowship investigators. These are such friendly people but most of them do not go out of their way to be friendly to strangers - at least that I have seen.  I do know that I personally am going to do better.
   Our power went out after lunch so there wasn't too much we could do.  It was still off when we left for Hainamosa and still off when we got home at 8:00. Since everything in the fridge was warm by then and we had no lights we decided to go to McDonald's for supper and coolness all the while dreading a long hot night.  However, as we pulled in the parking lot to our apartment we saw lights coming back on.  Yeah!
  We haven't been to Hainamosa for two weeks  .Four of our normal students were not there - three new ones came.  We need more teclados but don't think we are going to get them. It is difficult to convince them that they need to come every week!  One of the new students called out to me as I was moving a table to wait and she would help me.  Well I thought this was a good time to speak some Spanish.  So I said "Estoy muy fuerte." She came over to me and said "I don't understand English."
What a disappointment!  When I told her I was actually speaking Spanish she got what I was saying.  Do you think that says anything about my Spanish???

The traveling music trunk that actually holds nine of these keyboards!

Anyway we have a set of twins that are about 13 years old.  When we finish lessons it is dark so we asked if we could take them home.  They said it wasn't far but they would like a ride.  Well, the lights were off everywhere as we wove through these scary dark neighborhoods for about 2 miles and finally came to their house.  Not far huh? I would have a heart attack if I thought my girls(at any age) were walking on those streets at night.  I do know that we will be taking them home from now on if they don't have a ride!  We usually take two others home but now they will have to wait so we can do it in shifts - wish we had a bigger car.

10/11/2012

Another hot day here in the DR!  Scott cut my hair again - this time he really did just shorten it a little.  That's because I had my hand up ready to knock the scissors out of his hands if it looked like he was cutting off more than 1/2 inch.  It's still just growing even after the last time but some areas were still longer than others.  What a husband! He is such a good sport.  Notice however that he never asks me to cut his hair....
   We were to meet with the Mahons and the Institute Director today about establishing an Institute Choir but when we got there the Mahons were at the doctor.  He had sent us a text but our phone only works half of the time.  It was fun to be at the Institute with some of the kids there for classes and just having fun together. 
   Got back just in time to teach our music class.  Katty was the only one there because a new group of missionaries came in today so I had Scott teach her.  I think it worked out much better because his Spanish is so much more helpful than mine.  We did talk in Spanish for quite a while though because my husband has coerced everyone in to just talking Spanish with me so I can learn to communicate better.  It's a good idea but sometimes very frustrating!
   Our Spanish classes were good.  The Cornishs are back from Conference so Reed was back.  What a refreshing young man he is.  He made Scott a birthday card early because he was leaving and told me today that he has mine all done too.  I told him it would be a much better world if everyone was like him.  He said "Yes, I know, but they just aren't".  Not meaning it in any way to be condescending but just a pure heart that knows how to be happy and kind at all times. (Like many Downs Syndrome kids, I hear)  I am so grateful we have had the privilege to get to know him.
  Scott and the Yturraldes are in the kitchen listening to the Ryan/Biden debate.  If I listen to that stuff at night I can never get to sleep!  Can you imagine having Biden as a president.  I did appreciate Romney saying his first stipulation in choosing a running mate was if he would be a good president if anything happened - not who would bring in voters. 

  

10/10/2012

   Another interesting day that began with AltaGracie, one of the workers here,  knocking on our door.  She was downstairs cleaning and could smell gas, which she tracked down as coming from our apartment.  She thought we must have a leaky hose.  About the same time the manager of the workers called and said he was coming up to check on the gas smell.  We had turned the gas off during the night but this morning I turned it on so I could use the stove.  Guess they were concerned about the building blowing up because they had that hose off before you knew what was going on and Danny was on his way to get a new hose.  I wonder if there is any connection between there being a gas leak and how tired we have been the last few days.  It's all fixed now though!  Now if the air conditioner man would come we would have everything working - probably not though because something else would just quit working! 
   Speaking of cooking the chicken - - I always boil a whole chicken to make soup and have done so many times here.  They always keep the gizzards, livers, etc and make separate packages.  Well this time there was a bag stuffed down inside the chicken.  Pulled it out and this is what was in there:

Yes, all neatly bagged were two chicken feet and I have no idea what that other thing was.  I have never seen chicken feet up close.  Did you know they have toenails?

Weird how much this looks like a persons hands.  The thought of someone eating that just makes me sick!  I have seen the workers food when they warm it up here and have seen a chicken foot in barbecue sauce - which is bad, but seeing it raw adds a whole new dimension to icky.  Scott says the foot is nothing, wait until you see a chicken head floating in soup with the eye open and looking at you.  Think I'll pass on that one, if possible.  However, Scott asked Alta Gracie if she wanted them and she said "Sure."  So we have a new home for the chicken feet.  ..
  Last night Elder Mahon told us he had volunteered us to do a choir class at the Institute.  We hoped he was joking but today he called and had set up a meeting with the Institute director.   Sometimes you just have to laugh - not around Scott though because he doesn't think it is very funny.  I am convinced he could teach anything with the Lord's help.  Of course neither of us sing so we would have to find some capable help.  We'll see what happens tomorrow.
  Sometimes it seems that we have just left our family and gained a new one here.  Many times a day William, Wilton, and Alta Gracie are up here for one reason or the other.  It is great to be able to help them when we can.  While one of them is here talking the phone rings to let one of the others into our building to come up.  They have all been sick over the past week with some kind of flu. At least I can ask them some questions now.  Don't understand half of what they say though.  We have really grown to love them.  Timilia's husband is in Haiti for a week so he came to ask us to watch out for her.
    It has been another downpour rain day!  For an hour it was just like the hurricane weather that hit last month with strong winds and pouring rain that gushes down the streets or floods areas it can't run out of.  This last two or three weeks has been the stormiest weather we have had here.  It ends in November they say. 
   At the temple tonight was a young woman from Guyana who is leaving next month to go to a mission in California.  The sister missionaries were with her.  It was a sweet experience to be there with them.
  We also have two new family members  - the Yturraldes. Their internet has been down so they come every day for three or four hours and use our internet.  We just go to bed and tell them to turn out the lights and lock up.  They have been great friends and neighbors.  When we got home from the temple they were here.  Elder Yturralde asked "And where have you kids been?"  "It's about time you got home!"  He and Scott harass each other constantly.