26 December 2016 - Quisqueya (San Pedro de Macoris)

(General e-mail)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO......ME!!! Yay!! 22 I mean 21 years old! ;) To celebrate, I did nothing! Cus Pday is alot shorter than it seems and we life out in the fields. Christmas was about the same. Just another day in the mission field. We only had 9 people in church today which was a little sad, but Im sure next year itll be better. I sent some pictures of our little branches chapel as well.

Lets see. This week was full of complete normalness except for a few christmas themed things we did during the week like randomly breaking out into song on the public bus and going to the capitol for the mission christmas activity. This weekend we also learned a fun new game called "Dodge the drunk motorcyclist and/or help him up when he crashes". Very exciting but not recomended for all (or any) ages.

Well this week we finally put a baptismal date! A young man named Yoel. We contacted him in his neighbors house and while he seems like kind of a bumb and hoodlum, hes pretty cool. He accepted the Restoration and even read in the pamphlet the first time! Thats very unusual for those of you who dont know. He especially liked how we didnt just tell him to convert and try to obligate him like all the other churches do, but that we focus more on prayer and his own conversion and decision to follow God.

Weve also been knocking on alot more doors, talking to people in the street and asking for references from everyone. Thats the missions big focus right now. Talk with everyone and ask for references. Its exciting to see the growth, not just of the work, but of all the missionaries as well.

Life is good for me here! Just sweatin away, workin my tail off! Love you all! Sorry this is a little short, but like normal I dont have alot of time.

Christmas!

My "Chapel"

12 December 2016 - Quisqueya (San Pedro de Macoris)

(Response to Dad's e-mail, in which he shared some insights from studying Ether 12--overcoming weakness.)

Pops! Man I have some stories from this week, but they won't be in the weekly letter. ;) So really fast, I just got back from the dentist and we just drilled a really deep cavity. The dentist says I might have to have a root canal...so...thats fun. Apparently I've had that cavity in there for like 2 years. The first, temporary filling cost about 20 bucks and the second costs more. Also she wants to make me a new grind guard and that costs over 100 dollars. Apparently the temporal ones are only for like emergency, dont provide the necessary protection and can actually damage the placement of your teeth.

So whats been happening is that I clench my teeth REALLY hard when I sleep and that has cracked or worn away the enamel on alot of my teeth making them really susceptible to cavities. The mission doesnt cover any of that so...:D 😁 Love you!!

For the call, President says I can call whenever I want. Im plannin on calling at about 7 my time. It depends because in my new area there is only one member who has wifi and a computer, and they also have a missionary who they need to call, so I have to work out the schedule with them. Theyre also not super happy with me right now so we'll see.

Ok. Thanks for the insight and the study. I've been noticing my weaknesses for a while now. We used an example with the some missionaries a while back that the close we come the The Lord, the more light shines on us, and the more light we receive the easier it is to see the darkness we have inside.

Love you Dad! I'll put some more details in the big letter.

(Post script.)

Oh, and dad. Apparently I might have to get a root canal...Prayers? Thanks!

(Response to Dad's other e-mail talking about the snow storms we had last week. Also talking about photos of the house and Christmas decorations.)

Yeah, I would wait on those photos until the call. Send me them then. haha Also, Have your email open on that day so that I can just email you and we dont have to be waiting upon one another with communication.

(General e-mail.)

Okey so this week was pretty whacko. It started off normal with the transfer and stuff. I got to my new area which is SUPER campo (rural), unpacked and went to work. Here in quisqueya (keess-keh-yuh) we are the branch secretaries because there are next to no active men. Also, the branch president only comes to church like once a month because of his work...so thats fun. My area in general is like city in the middle, but the further out you go, the more cows, goats and pigs you see. The other day we were in a lesson and a guy drove his herd of oxen right next to us. It was pretty swell. Then on Friday night we had a special transfer. My comp, Elder Carlos, got sent home to Brazil for some mental health issues. As a result, I spent a few days in the capital, camped out with the assistants. That was pretty fun though. They both are really good friends of mine and we did lots of fun harmonizing during our hours of car rides.

Now, Im with a mini missionary named Hermano Cenot. He's haitian, and super cool. He's already been a mini missionary for 5 months and knows alot. Apart from that, not alot happened. The time with the assistants kind of devoured our week so I didn't get to work in my area much. We have alot of really old investigators who dont want to be baptized who we're thinking of dropping cus they dont really progress. Apart from them we dont have alot and are practically starting form nothing. Love you all! If I think of anything else before I leave Ill send it.

Bishop's birthday party:

Burning my pants. It happened. Just move on.

Zone conference:

5 December 2016 - San Pedro de Macoris

(Response to Dad's e-mail, in which he talked about an wonderful Thanksgiving Day family get-together and asked about the Christmas phone call; also Dad is teaching Ether in Sunday School.)

Wow! Well thats pretty swell. So for "The Call" to start, I think I could do it later, maybe at like 6 my time, but I dont really know anything cus I´m going to a new area and I don´t know what members have computers we can use so...Ill keep you updated! Still no package, but Im sure Itll get here all right. I also sent you guys a package like almost a month ago...not sure if it went through....oh well.

Gah! I love Ether! So many awesome things and cool doctrine. I love the example of exemplary and unmatched faith that Ether shows and the lessons it teaches us. Super awesome. Also kind of scary to think of the curses that might be in store for our dear Promised land.

This weeks letter will have many more details, so now worries. Thanks! LOVE YOU!!

(General e-mail)

Ok! So! Today I actually have time to write and I actually have alot to say! Sorry the last few weeks have been pretty void of info, but this letter will be rich full of details. So...where to start....

Well the coolest part of this week was our Zone Conference/Mission Tour with Elder Claudio Zivic. He is the first councilor in the area presidency and us Zone Leaders spent almost 2 days with him. First he came to our Leadership council to talk about the needs and feats of our zone. Amazing! He showed us the comparison of last year to this year in regard to baptisms. Last year, in one month we normally got about 30-40, now its normal to have 150-180! The Lord is greatly blessing us! He also gave us some tips about how to help members and be true instruments of The Lord. We were all given a copy of an amazing messge about purifying and sanctifying ourselves. Truly leaving the world behind and only focusing on the things of The Lord.

I was also asked to direct the meeting! There were like 4 or 5 zones there, Pres. and sister Corbitt, Elder and Sister Zivic...woo! I was almost trembling.

Apart from that, Transfers! Im finally leaving Las Americas! I´ve been in this stake for 9 months!! Now I´m headed off to San Pedro to be whats called a Super Zone Leader. Pretty much all I do is train the Zone Leaders and advise them in how to be better. I dont have to receive calls or take down numbers or worry about counseling companionships or anything. Not that I don´t like doing that, but Itll be nice to be able to work in the area book and write in my journal again.

As far as the work itself goes, we have been contacting a ton! We also received some great references and complete families that can all be baptized this month. Alot of them were actually planning on going to church, but then it started raining....exactly at 2:40 (our church starts at 3)....so nobody came. That was slightly discouraging, but the work continues.

I think thats about everything. My new area is a branch in a district and apparently its pretty campo (rural) so Itll be a fun experience.

Love you all! Thanks for your help and sacrifice in getting my college stuff figured out and for all your prayers and love. Bye!