still here

Transfers were last week. I'm staying. This will be like 6 months in the same area and 4 months with the same companion. I feel good though.

This little store on our street burned down. It was pretty sad because it was somebody's house too. But like the whole neighborhood gathered around. It was crazy!

We found a lot of good people this week. A lot of married couples that have never talked to missionaries before!

We went with Carlos this week and he is super good. It was only the second time we visited him but he basically already knows that this is the true church. The only hard thing is that he lives super far away. He told us that we were the first missionaries to ever go into their little neighborhood. I felt super blessed and looking back I could see so many things that happened so that we would end up at his house. The Lord directs this work.

Carnaval starts next Sunday officially. It basically started yesterday though. Every Sunday of February, everybody just goes and parties haha. Last year was crazy. This country is so wild. Get ready for some good stories in February.

We were walking down the street and we saw Johan´s little brother who we are teaching riding down the street on a motorcycle. That sounds normal. But Brian is 12 years old. And he was on a grown man's motorcycle. 

I dropped my camera and it broke. Sorry.

Johan Se Bautizo!

This week was a week of fruits. Not fruits that you eat, but the fruits of our labors! I have been here in Bonao for a long time and it's been one of my toughest areas. I've worked harder than any other area and I've seen less success than any other area. But! ... that all changed.

Johan got baptized! We have been working with him for a while and he has progressed a lot. Johan is 16 and he lives with his mom and two little siblings. He is such a good kid even though he is surrounded by a lot of hard stuff. Elder Tupou baptized him! His first baptism! The baptism was super good and everything went really well. Halfway through the baptism Johan's mom showed up who has never really shared with us, so that was a miracle! After the baptism his mom said that his two little siblings want to be baptized too! WOO! It will take a little longer but we will baptize her too. 

Transfers are in two days and I have been here for a long time so I might of had my first and last baptism in Bonao, but I'll be leaving a few more people for the missionary that replaces me to baptize.

Here are pictures from the baptism! It was a good day.

Crackhead Magic

We went to visit Johan this week. He is doing really good. He took his two little siblings and their neighbor (who are actually super good too) to church on Sunday. If everything goes good, he will be getting baptized this Saturday! YAYAYAYAYAY! My last Saturday in Bonao if they transfer me somewhere else. Johan is such a good kid and I'm so happy we went back to talk to him the day we met him!

So the same dude that told us that he was Jesus Christ comes up to us and says that he was the number one magician and guitar player in all of Europe, but doesn't know how to drive a car. He took these cards out and started doing this trick and it actually was really good haha. I don't know how he did it. Some things only crackheads understand.

We went on exchanges this week. Elder Benitez, one of my old companions, came over to Bonao 1 with me. It was a good time. We taught this guy named Angel that is 20 and was super interested in the Book Of Mormon. He lives super far away from the church, but I feel really good about him.

We found these two super cool brothers. They look like the type of people that would usually reject us but they were super nice. After teaching them, we asked when we could come back and they said tomorrow haha. They are pretty close to my age and we get along super good. They are funny and understand what we teach them! What more could I ask for?

I love you all. I love the mission. I love America. Yo amo a la Republica Dominicana. Y lo mas importante yo amo a JESUS!

A NEW YEARS MIRACLE

Hey everybody! This week was super good.

We had interviews with Presidente cowan and it was awesome. I asked him about the miracles he has seen as a mission president and we talked about that for a little bit. I know that he is called of God to lead and direct this mission.

Johan went to church again! He's going to get baptized soon and I'm very grateful for him. I think I'll be leaving soon from Bonao and I haven't had too much success if you look at the numbers. But, I'm super happy for Johan and being here in Bonao will have definitely been worth my time.

On Sunday, we went to this appointment that I knew was going to fall so we planned to contact this place close by. It didn't look like anybody was home, but we saw a door opened and we called. This dude came out and let us in. We started talking to him a little bit and he said that he was going through some really hard stuff and said that just a few moments before we got there he was praying to God for help. It was a super good experience. We taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how that can help him with what he is going through. I know that God sent us to that house and there is no better feeling than knowing that God has used you as an instrument in his hands.

A bird pooped on me today for the first time of my life.

I love you all. The church is true. Jesus lives and loves you!

Pictures,

The first look at Elder Tupou and Elder Eliason in the new year.

Happy New Year!

Hello world,

The best part of this week was that I got to talk to my family. Christmas was really good. This country is wild so they made us go home early, but it was fun. We have to go home at 4 o'clock today for new years haha. But we went by a few people's houses and gave them candy canes. I don't know if they don't have them here or what, but they all got excited about the candy canes.

This week we focused a lot on commitments and getting people to commit to come to church. I felt like we were really able minister to some people and help them understand how going to church will help them have more peace in their lives. We committed at least 14 people to come. They all said yes. In the morning, we went and passed by people's houses and called to remind them, and... nobody came. The mission is sometimes hard. The people don't understand what they are missing out on. But this week we will work hard and all of those people will be in church this Sunday.

Going on a mission is the best decision I have ever made. I know that Jesus lives and that he knows us and loves us.

No pictures this week sorry.

Elder Eliason