6/11/2013 Sister Farris is finally here!

  Our only day without lessons ... I washed and studied while Scott went and did a session at the temple.  We were supposed to take a treat to FHE and I was late getting it made so Scott went to the Spanish classes without me.  While at the CASA he saw Bailey Farris - I had so wanted to see her.  Then he picked me up for FHE and we went back.  While trying to cut the brownies I had made I heard this squeal and looked up to see this darling, tall, redhead girl headed toward me.  I hadn't seen Bailey for a long time but it was great to see her.  She said everyone in the building had been telling her hi for us and when she heard we would be at FHE she had to come find us.  She says she is doing very well - and that is what we hear about her - that she is going to be a super missionary.  She is a bit bowled over by the language but aren't we all??  We took some pictures and I got to send them to her mom and talk  to her on the phone. 

This is a bit strange of me but sooo cute of her!

   For FHE we sisters did a rap for the elders - it was actually quite fun.  Then they had little known facts about the men and everyone guessed who it was.  There are many amazing men in this group.

On to today:  Scott went to the temple this morning while I washed and studied.  He came home with  man that he met in the temple who was here from the US lecturing on Libraries and was in Puerto Rico but came to go through the temple.  He has been to 69 different temples in different countries.  Scott took him to McDonalds for a hamburger then we took him back to the Casa to catch a cab for the airport. I: went in to the restroom and who should be standing right there in front of the elevator but Sister Farris and her companion.  Her companion is a rugby player from BYU:

It is great to keep meeting her there!  She was surprised at how small the MTC here is - expected something like Provo's MTC.  There are only about 40 missionaries here but they seem to have a lot of fun together.
    It has poured for the last couple of days.  Almost as much as during the hurricanes last year...
We had a safe trip out to Los Llanos but there is standing water everywhere.  There weren't too many at class. We sent the missionaries and Elder Gray out to find our favorite little girl who hasn't been to lessons now for a month and she used to meet us with this great big smile at the gate each week.  When they came back they were sad.  Said her mother had moved to another town for work and had left her with this woman her mother knew.  Well this woman has three daughters of her own who feel they are far superior to our little girl and harass her constantly about not being as good and as talented as they are.  She can't leave the house because the "witch" as they called her, said she was a brat and needed to be disciplined.  The missionaries said she was in tears when they went into the house.  The "witch" told them that there must be something wrong with our church if we let someone who was possessed by the devil as she is even come in the door.  Well needless to say, we were all upset.  Does this remind you of the Cinderella story? That's exactly what the missionaries said it was.  We just pray that somehow she gets out of that mess!  That has put a real damper on the day for all of us.
    We came back into the city to drop of the Grays and get to our lesson in Santo Domingo Stake.  It was raining so hard we didn't think anyone would come but we ended up with five who are just beginning to play with two hands - at the same time!  One of the girls in the class just cannot stay in her chair and practice for more than two minutes at a time. What we need is Jake here to glue her to her chair...We really enjoy these kids.
    Got home eight hours after we left and we are both ready for bed.

6/9/2013

    So here it is, another Sunday!  We left home after 8:00 to pick up the kids at Tres Brasos.  Our three kids turned into six - the little girl who went with us last week and her five year old sister and Carlos.  I just think it is so funny that their parents just send them without even knowing what exactly they are going to for over three hours and don't even know us.  I would think that it was the baby sitting time but they just let their kids roam the neighborhood there so tending them is not an issue.  Very trusting people.  I wouldn't let my child out of the house there!  I finally have been able to sit quietly in the car while Scott goes to get the kids without hyperventilating with fear every time some one goes by.  At night time they insist on driving  to the main road with us so we will be safe - now how safe does that make you feel?? 
     We bring half of the Primary every Sunday - just like at home...Scott had to talk today and I had to bear my testimony ( in Spanish of course) Just glad it's over.. That is the first time we have had to do anything but music in the ward.  Of course we aren't really members of the ward but just go there because that is where the kids would go if they went to church on their own. 
    Got home about 12:30 just in time for a bowl of soup and to round up the music things we needed to take out to San Cristobal.  Our lesson was cut short there because we had to be back in Santo Domingo before 4:00 to a Choir Festival training meeting.  Thank heavens they put Sister Johnson in as chairman of the committee so we can do the teaching on our schedule.  She and Sister Anderson have done an amazing job.  We greeted and handed out materials then left for our lesson in Oriental.  It was fun for us because we saw so many of the people that we have been working with.
Maria, our helper  in Oriental, called just as we got into town wondering where we were with the keyboards because they were there and ready for the lesson!  As luck would have it, we were just a block from the church so it all worked out.  There were 21 students there.  They worked hard today trying to learn the where the notes were on the pentagram and the keyboard.  When they master that they just take off.  I know the Lord has blessed them to learn quickly.  Even our older woman did well today. ( Of course 75 sounds pretty young these days)  Stephanie, one of our graduated students, came to help today.  She leaves Aug 6 for her mission in Mexico with another one of our students who is also going to Mexico.  I am glad she is leaving before we do but we have discovered that they don't have any kind of a farewell for these kids when they go on missions.
   You would think there was a national emergency here with all of the national guard that are out on the roads.  The president decided they should be out helping with the intersection robberies and crime in general.  I think there were two on every intersection we passed today and some in between.  Don't know if we feel safer or more obviously in danger.
  Our travel today was filled with beautiful trees covered with red blossoms.  This is a beautiful time of the year here!  Now we are home and Scott is practicing the keyboard while I blog but we are both ready for bed after an eleven hour day...

6/8/2013 Another Saturday...

   One day it's Saturday, two days later it's Saturday again - don't know where the time goes!  The one-legged man I thought was dead on the sidewalk is always a reminder that we have just been to Los Molinos.  He is always on the street as we turn towards the church.  And to think I didn't sleep all night when we first saw him because we didn't stop to help him when he was laying on the sidewalk.  He's very mobile!
     Started our day at La Caleta.  Had a big class there but they are so divided in ability that it's like having three or four small classes at the same time.  Every time I walk up that sidewalk with the step I tripped on I count my many blessings  - but can still feel that horrendous pain in my face!  Bad memories of pain but great memories of being so blessed and watched out for.
     When we got to Los Molinos the gate was open and some of our students actually had the tables set up.  That is so nice when we don't have to go from room to room finding classroom tables to take over to the chapel.  Many of the students were there and actually came on time.  They were choosing songs out of the simplified hymn book.  There were three young girls, 10 & 11, and two teen age boys who play very well.  It is so exciting to listen to them as they take on playing with both hands at the same time.  This group has many good players compared to other classes that just have three or four that can actually play well.  It was heartwarming to see one of the boys trying to help the other one figure out how to play a song:

 The short route to Hainamosa that Pres. Diaz told us  about turned out to be longer than our old route. We pulled up just before 3:30 outside the locked gate.  It was forty five minutes before anyone came to let us in the gate and the church..  By that time at least 10 of our  students were standing waiting to get in and it was h=o=t!  I am so glad we didn't begin here in the summer.  Coming in the winter when it's about ten degrees cooler than usual was a big help in adjusting to this weather.  It is miserably  hot now and the air is so thick with humidity that there are times it is hard to breathe.  But all in all, it is very beautiful here.  So many beautiful flowering trees and bushes and greenery everywhere.

   One of our piano students and her husband were baptized today.  Before I went in to play for the baptism, I went into the restroom only to find an inch or more of water on the floor everywhere.  With my waterproof shoes, I waded through the water to see if I could find where the water was coming from.  Well soon found the baptism font had been overfilled.  The steps were covered with water and it had run right into the restroom.  It seemed to be through running in though.  Out in the hall was a woman that I literally dragged into the restroom to see what was going on.  She looked over the situation and said not to worry. Now that is a surprise isn't it??   The church had drains everywhere for flooding water.  And sure enough there was one at the top of the font stairs and one in one of the bathroom stalls.  So I just left and went back to the baptism.  It was very nice except for the song leader who was animatedly talking to me about the song we were about to sing and what she wanted me to do.  Finally stopped her with "No hablo Espanol" and the sister missionaries who were there came to the rescue and told me what she wanted.  It is wonderful to have a husband and wife both be baptized.  She is our student.

6/7/2013 Games with the Yturraldes and Merinos

 So this morning was my time alone to wash, cook, and study while Scott went to the temple and worked in the laundry as they got a big shipment of new temple clothes that needed to be sorted and taken care of.  We left before noon for our class at the Institute.  When we got there the entire parking lot was full of people sitting in chairs and standing against the walls.  It was a little unnerving!  Pres. Dias said they were sponsoring some kind of a job fair and that there were 3,000 jobs available that these mostly college age kids could apply for.  They taught them how to do resumes, how to interview, etc, then helped them fill in the applications and set up interviews for them with the companies they wanted to work for.  (Many of them were fast food places)  Religion was not a factor.  It amazes me how much good the church does around the world in so many different ways.  They had over 1,000 people there by the time we got there at noon.
   In our first class we had two new students and Michelle. ( the goth girl)  She is very bright and determined to learn and looks better every time she comes.  The other students are a little taken back when they see her - I'm sad that they are standoffish towards her.  By the time class was over today though at least one of the new students was smiling and talking to her.  A newly returned elder came in and wanted to start up again with the lessons he had taken before he left.  He came back to the class at 2:00.
    Sister Button called about some information she needed to send to SLC to get our flight information. Flight information!  I can hardly believe it as we face another Saturday and Sunday of  10 hour days - we have graduated one class on both days so that cuts down the time a bit.  When it is so hot it seems twice as long and tiring.  We have ten weekends left.
  We got home from the Institute in time to have a bowl of soup and get salsa and chips, popcorn ready to take to the Yturraldes.  Scott went to pick up the Marinos.  We had a great time visiting and discussing the latest bulletin from the US Embassy about armed robberies occurring at  intersections.  The president of the country has assigned the National Guard here to help protect the people as so many were being attacked and robbed.  Just makes you feel so secure to get those messages!  But the night was fun and the Marinos were the lucky winners of Five Crowns.

The Marinos were mission president in Honduras and said it is much more dangerous there than it is   here.  That's certainly comforting - not....Sister Marino is a very pretty woman with such a funny personality.  She is the mental health doctor here.
   We have been wondering if Bailey Ferris got here and Elder Marino said he worked with a group of sister missionaries today and she was one of them.  He said she was really sharp and impressive - so if any of you see her parents - be sure to tell them..  We are excited to see her but won't have any time to do that until Monday.  I know these young people have no idea what they are getting into when they come out on missions.  I am so impressed that they choose to serve missions, which are really hard, rather than doing something easier.

6/6/2013 Anniversary dinner with the Despains

   Wednesday began with a trip to the temple.  What a peaceful and calm way to begin the day!  Will we ever get used to the 9:00 session beginning at 9:30 of later???  Who knows.  We are the witnesses about half of the time we attend or maybe more - keeps us alert..  I just love these people.  They have such beautiful, warm smiles.
    Later in the day we were traveling to Las Caobas behind this drink wagon:

This was being pulled by a motorcycle and offered different kinds of liquor (at least that is all we could see). The way the driving here is there are probably many customs that imbibe on their way home from work.  Haven't seen one of these before but they have almost everything on sale in the streets.
     The first  class was full of the younger students:

     Then I forgot to take one of the older students in the next class but they are a hoot!  Three that work hard just to keep up, two that are doing well, and one young girl that is way ahead of them all.

THURSDAY
      An early temple session this morning.  The exact same people work on Thursday mornings as work on Wednesday mornings so it is fun to see them two days in a row.  I love to watch Sister Cuenot - she is like a little mother hen taking care of everyone she sees in need of anything.  What a great woman!  She and her husband leave in August when we do and will be returning to their home in France.
     For two weeks we had planned with the Despains to go out for our anniversary and Elder Despain's birthday.  The Glaziers and the Hammons had talked about this place, La Dolceria, that they loved to go to for dinner.  The Despains only had lunch time off and so did we so we drove around until we found the restaurant.  What a charming place it was! 

The Despains are from Smithfield so we are grateful we will get to see them again after we get home.
We were just discussing the likely hood of seeing many of the people here, who have become so special to us, again sometime - maybe in the spirit world.  I hope that is a possibility.

Now we are off to our Santo Domingo Stake lesson.  Only one tonight so we will only be three hours or so.  It is the one way streets that make traveling twice as long as it needs to be!  I have gained a great appreciation for driving conditions in Morgan and the other places I drive in Utah.  The hope is I can get Scott to start driving like a white man - maybe that isn't quite the way to put it but you know what I mean.....

6/4/2013 Our 42nd anniversary!

We just got home from a hot day of traveling and teaching!  It's 9:00 pm and we left at 1:00 for Los Llanos.  Confessor (I thought that was his profession, not his name) one of our students died this past weekend. He was in his 70's and had been taken to the hospital but walked back home.  Anyway I would have loved to have gone to the funeral but we didn't know soon enough and I doubt I could have dragged Scott  to it.  But we hear it was very interesting.  They don't embalm people here so they have to be buried within two days.  Their caskets are just a hard plastic shell that they put in a space in between the walls of the vault - vertical.  In five years they take them out and do something with their bones but we're not sure what that is....
    It was like a sweatbox in the building they use for a church.  You drive an hour and a half to get there then the lessons set up, teaching, and taking down and loading the car take two hours.  We had a new young man come in today and want to start lessons.  Problem is he is three months behind but he still thinks he can catch up.  I hope so! The Leavitts are doing a temple prep class there so they had driven out too.  The Gray's went back home with them so we could go straight to our next class.
    We all thought that would help us get there sooner but it took us two hours to get back into the city and to the Santo Domingo Stake for the next lesson.  It is sad how tired we are by that time but great that as soon as you get all of the keyboards, books, cords, hauled in and start working with the students you get a new spurt of energy. A young woman came in to class and wanted to take lessons.  As we talked she said she had just got home from a mission in Florida.  She is starting a full time job at the MTC here so we told her to watch for Bailey Ferris.  She has so many things going on and would be way behind the class so decided to wait and take lessons when she retires.  That is a little late because your brain cells really decrease with age - at least many of ours has!

6/1/2013 La Caleta & Los Molinos

  Our first lesson this morning started with a new teacher:

She must be all of two years old but she was determined to be part of the class:

One of the kids trying to get her off his chair so he could play

Then she decided to get her own chair!

What a cutie!  I don't know who she belonged to but she was with our class the entire time.  Wish our other students were as determined to play as she was!!                                                                     

Our Los Melinos class was lots of fun. There are the usual slower, average, and fast learners. 

This is our best student!  She is probably 10 or 11 and really a pretty girl.  She and her sister came with their hair unstraightened today - as you can see!

These  people are all related somehow - we aren't sure how!

We have really enjoyed working with them. 

 After this class we left for Hainamosa.  Scott tried out a new road today and it was better than the way we have been going - not much though, he says.  The power was off when we got there so the first part of class was lecture time.  It was a big class today.   Felix came to practice while we taught.

And two of our students were outside waiting when we finished.  Why they weren't inside is the question.                                                                                                                                          

Now here we are at home.  Grateful to be able to fast for Pres. Clemens and pray that all will be well with him and his family.