7/11/2012

  A calm day in the city - at least in our area!  Have never had the "opportunity" of waking up feeling sticky - you could shower three times a day and still feel like you need to shower.   I don't know what the temperature is here because in the paper it is reported in Celsius. It isn't like walking out in an  oven because that would be dry and so a spa would be a better example of the air here.  They say the hottest weather is in August so thankfully maybe in a couple of months it will be better. We are not out in it too much though because most of our work takes traveling somewhere  and then we are in air conditioned buildings.
  We had a tight schedule of study this morning and Spanish lessons this afternoon.  I am so grateful to finally mostly understand what is going on in class.  Scott is teaching a "beginners class" on Monday and Wednesday.  The sisters love it because he teaches on their level.  Scott really should have been a teacher.  He just has a natural ability in that area that has helped here in many different ways.
   We  are looking for a new Internet service as ours cuts off when we have used our allotted number of minutes.  Unfortunately it has been at some critical times so we'll see if we can find something better. 

7/10/2012

     No internet for the past three days has made life a little tough for us. I'm embarrassed to say that knowing how many of our friends live here but it is true.  It's funny how you take for granted that you can email or call your family whenever you get a chance until that opportunity is taken away from you then you feel that panic of "what if something happens at home and no one can get hold of us".
You know that "mother thing" in  us all.
   It has been anything but dull here the last four days!  On Friday about 5:00 I was at the computer studying and Scott was in the kitchen when the computer table started to move.  I thought I had just bumped it but then noticed the garbage can was rocking back and forth .  It was an earthquake!  Interestingly enough, the earthquake was centered in an area where they have had a horrendous problem with gang violence.  It was only a 5 so there wasn't much damage but some of the cement buildings ( they are all cement buildings here) cracked.  We worked on  our lesson for Sunday.
  Many times before six in the morning you are awakened by the taxi drivers yelling out their destinations so when I woke up I thought that was what the racket outside..  Then I thought it was Sunday morning and got up to see what was going on.  It was 3:00 a.m. and there were three  cars parked in the street with guys gathered around one of them kind of shoving each other and yelling.  This continued for about 15 minutes then we heard a gunshot and thought it was one of the guards trying to break them up. They took off different directions but many were soon back on the street next to our apartment.  It was amazing how many people were walking and driving around at 3:00 in the morning.  None of them stopped to see what was going on - which was probably smart!  We found on Saturday morning that one of the guys had actually been shot and they didn't break up until morning when three more shots were fired. On the ranch when shots were fired you knew it was someone target shooting or taking care of dangerous animals - here if you here shots you know someone is the target.  It is strange going from such a peaceful ranch life (comparatively speaking)  to living in the middle of a city of 4 million people !
  Scott's Haitian friend, Joel, had come out to try to find his friend who hadn't come home during the melee during the night.  Scott had previously asked him to come go to church with us so we got  a lot of information from him. What is amazing is they don't think 3:00 in the morning is an  unusual time to be out.  I don't know how he felt about going to church but he had gone out and bought a new pair of jeans so he could go.  That made us both feel bad because he doesn't have the money to buy anything....
   Sunday at  4:00 we had a music lesson with the Oriental Stake.  Their high councilor over music was there, as was their music director for the stake along with 13 kids and 2 women who wanted to learn how to conduct music.  It was a lot of fun for me because Scott had to do the teaching and I got to run the CD and check on the students work.  They are fun to work with.  We had a message from another stake that is ready to have people from their stake taught so now we are wondering who we can get to help us because we aren't going to be able to teach them all.  Sunday is the day they want to schedule but many are far away so we'll have to figure that out as we come to it.  We are just happy to be able to work with people!
 Monday was the usual two Spanish classes and family home evening at that Casa. It was a farewell for Sister Mead and the McDermids.  Sister Mead will be missed as she is a temple worker that was fluent in French, English, Spanish, and German so she could help out with about any situation that
came up.  She is so loving and kind but very firm.  Elder McDermid is the one who was on our flight here and took care of us when we got here - thank heavens!  Sister McDermid cried the entire time she talked.  They are from Canada and have been the mental health counselors here. .  I have had similar feelings of sadness when I think that some time we will be leaving this beautiful, serene temple.
  We have a neighbor, Patricia, who is always in a hurry and Scott invites in to eat with us all of the time.  This morning she was coming home from exercising and we were just getting breakfast and she agreed to come in and eat with us.  During the meal she asked what we thought about the Mayan prediction that the world will end on Dec. 21.   So Scott told her about the record we have of the Lamanites and the last days in the Book of Mormon.  She wanted to read it and of course we have some extras because Scott gives them out to everyone!  She lives alone and spends much of her time afraid, as well she should, so I think she is grateful to have a couple of "old" friends she can turn to for help if she needs to.
   Then there was yelling in the street again - this time a woman had tried to steal another woman's wallet out of her bag as they both got into a taxi.  All of the men in the area thought it was funny and were gathered all around watching.  I can say that the women are just as loud as the men!  I'm beginning to think isn't the safest place to live....
  Yturraldes came down to scan something and ended up staying for lunch.  Makes  it a little hard to get my studying done but we love their company!
   At the temple in our session there was this woman who looked like she was 100.  I don't know if she was younger and had just had a tough life or was really old.  She couldn't see or do anything for herself but just wanted to be there.  What an inspiration!  When we think that we are just too busy to take time to go to the temple I will always remember the sisters here who sacrifice so much just to come to the temple.
    Sister Quenot's brother passed away so between that sadness and her two or three root canals she is having done she was not her usual bubbly self tonight.  They served in France as mission president.  Can't imagine a better example of love and devotion than those two are!
  

7/6/2012

   It's been such an interesting day. But yesterday I forgot something I wanted to remember.  When we got to the Casa where we hold our music class and opened the door - lo and behold there was this woman sitting on the couch that was a double for Dolly Pardon! It was shocking to see all of that long blond hair. Scott and I both did a double take and asked who she was and could we help her.  She said she had been teaching English here for some months.  Well we knew she hadn't been in the room we were in because we have been there every Thursday for a month and certainly have never seen her there.  She's the kind of woman you would remember.  She actually had been teaching down stairs but she stayed to our music class for some reason.  It was fun to have her there because she sang the hymns while our student practiced leading.  She has come to the Dominican to learn Spanish.  She is planning on coming to our Spanish class on Monday.
   We had to go out to the area office to pay for our car and talk to some of the stake presidents, and Katty Paulina there.  The Snow's work out there so we stopped to visit them.  Sister Snow had some kind of a little fruit that you split in two and peel the skin off with your teeth then you kind of chew the meat off the big stone center.  Wasn't too bad!

  Today we picked up the Whitakers from Puerto Rico who are carrying out our music plan there.  What a great couple!  He is the financial clerk for a mission there.  Sister Whitaker said she was in the office one day and she just knew she was to teach music there.  She had no experience but got in contact with us and has been doing a marvelous job organizing and teaching over there.  We went to Adrian Tropical by the ocean and had some delicious food..

  Tonight was the night William's wife and sister were to come so we could take them to supper.  They were absolutely delightful!  William's wife, Oglivia, is tiny.  Probably five feet tall at the tallest.  She and William just should be Mormons.  They have so much light!  We just loved them.  After taking them to McDonalds (which was really a treat for them) we took them back to their new home.  I have got to go back with a video camera because you could never do it justice by just explaining it.  It was dark but there were people out everywhere and the street was about one car width wide.  The motorcycles didn't have lights and the venders had no lights of any kind going down the street.  When we got to where they lived we went down this narrow alley to these crumbling, steep steps then climbed up some steps to their place. They had no lights inside but she had a lantern and lit it so we could see their home.  Oglivia is a talented decorator - what we could see of the inside was really nice.  They had a living room and kitchen about 10' by 15' and two bedrooms that Oglivia thought were very large and a restroom which she was excited to have.  I think the roof was tin and looked like it wouldn't keep the rain out - but who am I to know how that works there.  It was such a good experience for us.  My only regret was I couldn't carry on much of a conversation with them and I missed alot of the conversation.  William was a good sport and let me practice my Spanish on him while the others were getting food!

William insisted on coming with us in the car until we got out of the area he lives in then he got out and walked the mile or two back to his place.  I don't know if he thought we would get lost or mugged!  We loved being able to go to their place and see how they live.

7/5/2012

The Fourth ended on a high note here. We were busy getting things shut down for the night when we heard a great big boom!  Followed shortly by another, then another.  They were so loud and forceful I thought someone surely must be dropping bombs on us.  Ran to the window to see beautiful red, white, and blue fireworks being shot off by the US Embassy just a block away.  Sparks were hitting the ground all around our building - by ground I mean cement..  People were coming out of the Marriot Hotel to see what was going on.  Of course the Dominicans just take all that noise in stride so there were fewer of them coming out of places to see what was going on. My favorite was the one that went up in the air looking like a flag waving in the breeze.  It was probably the best fireworks show we have ever seen.
  Thursday's are a busy day for us and this was no different.  One thing that is very clear with Scott and I teaching is that we have totally different ways of preparing.  For me to be comfortable with a lesson it has to be completely organized and I have to know what I am doing.  Scott, on the other hand, prefers just to play it by ear. I wish I was more like that - guess we will hit a happy medium
somewhere! We did have to get some pictures of our lesson today for the area secretary so I will put some of them on here.  This returned missionary that is in the pictures is great.  He has picked everything up quickly and actually takes his book home and studies - in fact read the whole book on directing last week.  The other two were chaperoning a youth conference. 

We then had our Spanish class - and miracle of miracles - I actually knew what was going on and how to do the verb conjugations Elder Hammon was teaching!!
   The Temple tonight was a neat experience.  The Snows, the Dunfords, the Fords, the Cuenots,
and the Haws and us in the same session was such a warm wonderful experience. We went with the Snows to a Bon shop for ice cream and had a great time with them.  We will miss them when they leave in August!
    Came home and was skyping with Megan and Cami when a bird flew in our window - which of course does not have screens- and into the kitchen.  He flew out with a little help.  Scott thought he was part woodpecker - don't know which part that was!  The thing that is great and difficult at the same time is seeing the babies and the little ones that are growing and changing so much and not being able to hold them.  I told Scott we should have waited to come until all of the babies were here and over two.  He didn't think that was such a great idea because we might be 70 years old by then
    .

7/4/2012

Kind of a slow day today.  It has been cooler here today than it is in Morgan! The cooler temps have  probably been brought on by the violent wind and rain storm we had this afternoon.  Our apartment has huge windows on three sides that the wind was whistling through.  The rain was being blown every which way and the thunder was loud.  Funny thing though, you never see lightening.  It was actually scary for me because it sounded like the windows were going to be blown out!  Scott kept telling me it wasn't worse than some of the terrific wind storms we had at home and I guess he is right.  We just don't have windows this big in our house. We were listening to the noise before the storm and the sudden thought of "what are we doing here?" passed through my mind.  In a place so foreign to what we are used to.  (The peace and quiet!)  This I know - we will get used to it before we leave here.
  When we received our call we both thought that when we got here they would discover we had no musical ability and let us work with inactives or with a branch with leadership training, which would have been much easier for us. In the past four months I have learned that the Lord knows far more about us than we know about ourselves.   He wouldn't send us here to do something we already knew how to do.  These growth opportunities  are certainly a stretch for us.  I think it is more difficult for senior missionaries to leave home than it is for young elders. (At least for the grandmothers !)
The opportunity to get to know some of the people here has been great.  Your heart aches for so many that have absolutely nothing but they are warm, friendly, wonderful people.
   We start teaching a big directing class on Sunday in one of the stakes for their people, most young, some older.  It will be a stretch for both Scott and I but in our handbook it says that the Lord will bless us if  we are willing to do it - we are relying on that! 
   Yturraldes stopped by to visit after they visited Pres. Lee and his wife in our building.  They are fun.  He is in the middle of building a house for the Relief Society president in the ward they have been assigned to.  They are just building the frame of the house around the outside of her existing house because she has no place to live. Never heard of that before. Elder Yturralde is an amazing man - always taking on projects that will help the people help themselves.
    Received white popcorn kernels from home and a kettle popper from Amazon..  Wow - that was soooo good!  Makes you feel life is a little more normal.

7/3/2012

Yesterday was a wash!  Was sick all day and missed two Spanish classes and the July 4th party at the Casa.  If I die here you will know that Scott has been poisoning me slowly by spraying ant spray on the food!
   Today has been better.  Studied until noon then picked up the Despains to take them to Price Mart to shop.  They are temple missionaries and have no way to get around. Elder Despain knows Bishop McClellan so that has been a fun connection. Scott finally got to talk to Don the other day so he was a happy man. 
   Eli, Chris and the girls are on the ranch for awhile.  Now I know how Eli feels being away while the rest of the family is enjoying being together.  Not so fun !!  They keep finding these baby rattlesnakes on the ranch.  We are worried about the little kids and the snakes on the ranch - praying for their safety.
    Just wish it would rain at home and put out all of those fires.
    Our neighbor lady is single and about 30.  She is always on the go when we try to get her to come in and visit or have lunch.  I think she was lonely tonight because she finally came in.  She is on some kind of a diet so will never eat anything but tonight she had a piece of white chocolate pumpkin cheesecake and took a piece home.  In the paper this morning there were four more women murdered in the last 24 hours by their live in boyfriends.  It is such a rampant problem here.  Out guard friend said one of them was his cousin and that there have been two other women in his extended family killed by their boyfriends.  Our neighbor said she thinks it is because the men here consider the women their property and thus they can do whatever they want with them.  The more educated the people are, the less likely that is to happen according to Patricia.  She is an auditor and makes good money but has no time to enjoy it so she is thinking about doing something different. I feel badly for her when she says she had no time for friends because friends have been such an important part of my
life.
    The temple experience tonight was great.  This week has been the Puerto Rico stakes at the temple.  They fly here and stay at the Casa that has temporary housing for people that come to the temple and need a place to stay.  One of my favorite people is a Puerto Rican chef who comes here for six weeks at a time and does temple work.  He was so excited tonight because his "people"
(stake)  were here doing sessions.  The women were so humbled and excited to be in the temple they were in tears.  How much we take for granted!

7/1/2012

  The 1st of July - who would have thought last year at this time that we would be here saying "Hola"  instead of "Hi".   We went to our ward again today so that makes three weeks in a row.  I was thinking the other day that we could be inactive over here and no one would even miss us because no one keeps track of us and we visit different wards. Today Pres. Lee and his wife from the Santiago Mission were in our ward.  He was just released as the Mission pres. over there.  What a spirit they brought with them and shared in testimony meeting.  Then Reid, the Downs Syndrome young man, son of Pres. and Sister Cornish, bore his testimony.  He does so well.  The purity and love he has in his heart is amazing.  Megan used to tell me she wanted to adopt a Downs baby.  Every time we are around Reid I can see what she was talking about.  There is absolutely no guile in him. He is 27  years old now and just loves everybody - everyone he meets is his friend!  Pres. Lee and his wife are living in our apartment building where the Ottersons lived until the Snows move out of their apartment. 
  We had a big meeting today with the Oriental Stake.  What a great counselor over music they have!  He is so excited to get their stake trained to lead and to play so they can be responsible for their own music.  We now have about 10 people to teach each Sunday afternoon at 4:00 pm.  This should be interesting!  This has taken an amazing amount of faith that the Lord knew what He was doing
when He called us to this calling.  It's all good - we'll just go on and do the best we can!  We know that He will sustain and bless us with the ability to do what He needs us to do here.
   The White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake is delicious!