Hermana Happiness!

Do You Know Your Companion?

I am happy to announce that transfer calls have come and gone and I will be. . .WITH HERMANA ARCE!!!!! And staying right where I am!!!!!!!!!!  I could do more explanation points to show the excitement that we yelled into the phone with when we got the call, but its probably not necessary!  We will be adding an Hermana to our adventures as well!!  She is from Arruba, which made me want to sing the beach boys and then I changed it to one of my favorite´s, Soy un hijo de Dios.  Her mission is actually California, but she has been waiting for quite a while for her visa so they are sending her with us for a month until she receives it!  Hermana Arce has been called as her trainer, so being in this great trio we will be in for adventures and lots of work to do!
I feel like lots happened this week and the mind is full so I am just going to let the fingers go a runnin´.  

This week in our district-zone meeting we played a ¨how well do you know your companion¨ they asked each companion questions and we had to write down the answers for companion, then we were put in front and they asked on the spot.  It was like newlyweds, but for missionarie companions!  Hermana and I won!!!

Gazcue & Issac... The Work Moves Forward!

I am happy to annouce I am staying put!!  Put right in Gazcue with my dear companion Hermana Arce!!  Yesterday Hermana said before church she was kinda feeling like she might leave, I told her not to talk dirty.  So we went about working hard and enjoying a beautiful day and last night we got the phone call.  I don´t think a district leader (the elder that calls) has ever heard a two happier Hermanas!  We wanted Heavenly Father´s plan and we are just so happy it worked out that Heavenly Father´s plan was the same beautiful thought we had too!  We have big plans for Gazcue this transfer!  

Not sure if you heard about the potential hurricane to hit the DR.  Well I am happy to report it didn´t!  Just a big beautiful down pouring rainstorm.  So you know even if it ever had I have learned some life lessons on the mission as well!  We are prepared missionaries as the prophets and leaders have counseled.  Before the storm even got here they canceled all our meetings and gave the missionaries time to make sure everything was in well place for our 72 hour kits.

A funny moment, Hermana and I as we left the house we grabbed small apples to eat and she jokingly said try to split it in half as she was grunting trying to do her´s, well I must have gotten the bit soften one because mine spilt right in half.  Her face, hilarious.  I most certainly had to laugh.  

A man gave me an avocado!  We were quite excited and he called it a welcoming.  I love how giving the people are here!  

Last night we finished all our appointments got our member home that left with us and then had to run to make it home in time!  We had been wanting rain all day and as a special blessing it came as we ran home.  Okay ran home and then sped walked and then ran and then sped walked.  But we made it and the rain, oh such a blessing.  

Sharing in missionary work brings the greatest joy!  We had some members leave with us this week and it was amazing to see how they openly testified of truths and how no matter the reactions as we left each appointment their smiles got a little bigger.  Testifying of truths Heavenly Father leads and you find joy.  

We found a lost crab on the street!  He must have wandered a little far from the ocean we wanted to help him, but his claws looked a little big and he looked a little un happy so we left him in peace.  

Weny one of our dear investigators who needs to get married, but so kind and progressing.  She is pregnant with the smallest little body.  Its like a stick with a basketball..  She walked all the way to church with us about 25 minutes.  Might not seem like much, but for a small pregnant lady in a hot August I found it incredible.  I love the faith of these dear people and the sacrifices people are willing to make. 

My heart is full of gozo(joy) and gratitude.  Fun things about Mendoza that I haven{t had the chance to include: there is a man that whenever we see him in the streets with doesn't happen often but now and then he stops and salutes us and says in very good English queen of queens!  One time he even bowed.  He has been around for a while and seems any Hermana that has served in this area knows the Queen man, well Queen man's name is
Bolvia.  And this week we happened to run into him, we have visited with him shortly before, but this week made sure to invite him to church.  He said he was coming and our hopes where he would.  Sunday
morning sure enough Queen man walked in to catch sacrament meeting. Turns out he is a less active member and was gladly welcomed back by several members after the meeting.  It was beautiful and a little miracle.

  This week we had our Baptisms of dear Margarita and Diana.  A very very special baptism.  Two dressed in white Heavenly Father's daughters with big smiles.  Both families complete there and supporting, a miracle of the baptism too.  The most people I have also ever seen at a baptism.  Such a supportive and great ward!  It was
beautiful and the spirit touched all who were present. Minerva, a contact that we found a week ago.  When we visited with her she cried as she said the closing prayer and we counted it as a miracle for the day knowing something was special about her.  Well this week for our visit to return she began with a question, now I
want to know what my dream I have been having means.  She continued to tell us how she had been dreaming of a large temple. . Hermana and I looked at each other, eyes huge, and pulled out a picture of the DR
temple.  Yes she said that's the one!  Miracle.  Its amazing how Heavenly Father prepares people.  Sunday 

morning we passed by in a car with a member for her to go to church, she was dressed and ready.  She soaked it all up and  couldn't wait for our return visit which we had yesterday afternoon.  She was touched by the spirit, the spirit does all the teaching.  I am thankful for good Hermana's that will come to this area and help her in her process of learning how she can return to her Heavenly Father.

Update from March 19, 2012

Always an adventure....

I would like to say that it is not luck of the Irish, it is blessings from Heavenly Father!!  It has been such a good week and you think that an hour to write my family and my mission president would be enough, but I feel frequently I am a mad typing woman to fill my family in all on the adventures here so I will do my best and type like crazy!

Hermana and I have made good friends with a man who has to deliver water. That is also something new about the DR, everyone has to drink purified water so everyone purchases those big blue bottles of water that they have in offices.  Anyhow we have made friends with an old man who has to deliver water and we see him everywhere!  It is our favorite to run and catch him and just pick up bottles asking where they go.  You get the most shocked looks when two girls are carrying in the bottles.  He is the sweetest and this last time he tried to give us 5 pesos for juice, but of course we passed.  Little things like this is, I love, actually I really just love it all. It's the joy anyone could find anywhere they are!
I haven't told you about Michelle yet and her bautismo is this weekend!  She is an 11 year old girl who was pretty stinkin shy when we started teaching her, her grandparents are new members that were baptized back in October.  She has certainly opened up with us!  And I am happy for this weekend, she seems pretty excited even when she was scared out of her bee gee gees to stand up at church when they announced it.  She is a sweetheart though and I am excited for her!!  

James. . . he is quite the missionary!!  He loves to share the gospel, one day we were talking with him and he said he told everyone at school about the church.  I thought okay that is awesome he shared with a couple classmates or something.  I asked him how many, [oh. .about twenty twenty five!{  Ah mi madre!  He also told them they have to wear beautiful clothes because it is a beautiful church.  I love it.  Anyhow, we are now teaching one of his friends Charles who came to his bautismo and has visited church a couple of times.  He is set on having his own answer though about the book of Mormon and Jospeh Smith though.  When he told us this, we thought, perfect he will get it!  He is Haitian and has only been here for three months, Haitians are amazing with languages so he knows quite a bit, but we still want him to understand everything.  He has a book of Mormon in French and Spanish and then James will sit in during the lessons and translate for us at times when needed.  During our third lesson he stops us when we are teaching him about the spírit world before resurrection, and says wait, when can I be baptized_  I have received an answer and I know the book of Mormon is true and that Jospeh Smith is a prophet.  Those are beautiful words to hear and Hermana and I were already thinking of a baptism service so we set his fecha, date, for April 7th!  James was so excited!  He got up and left the room, Hna and I were a bit confused but he came back in and gracefully handed him the little píece of paper.  We quickly realized it was the interview questions for the baptism that we had given him to practice spanish.  I don{t know if this describes the moment well enough but it was hilarious.  He said you can have these now!  Everyone wants to come to my church..  His friend was quick to correct him and said its not your church its the church of Jesus Christ.  They are all so great.  I love to see the light that comes to people when they learn about the gospel, it truly is the good news!
Heres a funny.  Hermana and I wake up every morning to exercise and usually just end up running down one of the calles,streets. She likes this cause then we can go at what pace we want and I don't mind.  Well since we are right there in front of our house we usually just leave it unlocked.  There is a door to our house, then a gate about four feet away.  I threw the keys on the counter and made sure I left the door unlock as I closed it. I was then talking to Hermana and was distracted by the cockroach on the ground. Her and I were talking about how they all end up on their backs somehow, well I closed the gate, then heard the click of the padlock.  Yes I closed the padlock on our gate, the padlock whose keys are past the door in on our counter.  I am in shorts and t-shirt, dont have our phone, and I haven't brushed my teeth.  Oh boy.  We start trying to think of ideas.  I think we could fit a small child through the bars that are next to our gate, I could fit my thigh through just not my body.  Only problem is it is Saturday and the usual children in the street are all passed out asleep.  We think of all the ideas and then decide to pray.  I quickly remember that our keys are on the counter next to the window, so we only need to be able to slide something through the window and hook the keys!  We headed to the abandoned chicken coop in our back yard, found some sticks and wire and started inventing!  Our house has about a foot and a half between ours and the neighbors house so we spiderman the wall to get to the window.  At this point our neighbor realizes our problem and starts looking for good materials too.  It was tricky but after some efforts and his sweet plastic tube and hook we got our keys hooked and pulled through the window!!!  Amazing!!!  That was our morning exercise, but you can picture your Hermana with her funny faces as soon as I clicked the padlock and trying to find solutions.  I love life's adventures.  

Another fella that we are teaching, Micheal.  He has such a good heart.  He literally prays for everyone when he prays.  He is reading and doing so well, but we just needed to get him to church.  His passion is baseball and Sundays of course were his day to play.  I decided to share with him my experience of basketball and the difference I noticed in my week when I did not play basketball on Sundays.  It was simple, but I do have a strong testimony of keeping the Sabbath day.  He came to church Sunday.  I feel so blessed for Heavenly Father guiding me and greater yet to see the happiness in others.  

The work, obra, is going really well here.  I feel like Hermana and I are being super super blessed.  At church we had seven investigators in sacrament and another lady made it for relief society.  Hermana and I are super grateful and this is the best kind of busy I have been or will be!  I love this work, the things I am learning, the people I am getting to love, and the blessing of Heavenly Father using my in His hands.  We truly are His tools and He blesses us with each experience as an opportunity to grow, to learn something new, to choose to follow him better, to have greater gratitude.  We each are very blessed to have a loving Heavenly Father!  

A Little Behind....:-)

We got a little behind on posts, but we (her family) will try to do better from here on out:-) Kendahl is doing great! She officially left the MTC in Provo on January 30th and flew to the Domican Republic. She has now been there for a month and her stories are quite amazing and entertaining at the same time. We will try to go back and share some of those stories with you, but for now just know that they are coming (super soon):-)