I met a gringo this week

Something really cool happened last that week that I forgot to write about. But we were in splits and this guy stopped on a motorcycle to talk to us. He said that he found an old Book of Mormon in the street and he started to read it. He talked about Nefi and Lehi and he read Joseph Smith's testimony too. He said that he knew it was a book of God. It helped strengthen my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I was super happy to find him even though I won't be able to teach him.

We play basketball at the church every once in a while and it's awesome. I love basketball.

I bought an awesome shirt today. I'll send a picture of it next week. 

The CRAZIEST thing happened this week. But there is this inactive family here and we went to visit. But this guy is a gringo 100 percent and he is from Virginia. He used to be a member of the church, but not anymore. His wife is a member too, but she's Dominican. We went to his house on Sunday and he died on Tuesday. Wow it was really sad. But nobody speaks English so they had us go to the hospital and I had to call this guy's son to tell him what happened. It was really sad. A few other things happened during the week with this family and I feel like we were really able to help and she said that we were the answer to some of her prayers. I feel like it was a good ministering opportunity for me and I feel like I'll have more opportunities to help them even after my mission.

The church is true. Going on a mission is the best decision I've ever made. Jesus is our Savior and He lives. 

Salcedo

Hello world!

I'm here is Salcedo and I'm loving it. Salcedo is a small town and there really isn't anything here. There are four missionaries here and we live in the same house! It is so fun!!!

My companion is Elder Garcia from Honduras. In our house there's ELDER DURHAM my mtc companion, its so fun, I don't sleep, and Elder Vallejos from Niceragua. 

The members here are super good and want to help us and leave with us which is way different from Bonao. We have a few good people. I've been getting used to things here and now me and my companion are getting used to each other and how we teach. He is super outgoing, but this is his second transfer in the mission so he is still learning a lot of stuff.

On Sunday, we had this kid come to church. His name is Brendy. He likes the church and has a testimony, but we are working with him to leave some stuff so that he can get baptized. Also we are teaching this girl who has a few members in her family. She went to church. She is so sweet. 

I love Salcedo and I'm happy to be here. 

I'll try to send some pictures next week.

If anybody still reads these send me an email so I know haha.

goodbye Bonao

I'm leaving!

Four transfers, six months in Bonao and I'm finally leaving. I have learned so much here in Bonao and my testimony has grown so much. I have learned so much more about Jesus. I know that He lives.

My companion had to go to Santo Domingo for his visa or something so Elder Garcia came here with me for a little. It was super fun. We lived in the same house in Moca and I love him.

The Sister missionaries that came to the mission with me go home this week. haha.

I'm going to Salcedo! I don't know that much about it except that apparently the house is haunted. Sweet!

Things here in Bonao are pretty tough. Still a lot of people that don't want to listen to us or go to church. But, this super good guy that we are teaching named Cheo came to church! He lives super far away. He came and hour and 20 minutes late but at least he is a man of his word. God bless him. He is so good and humble. Hopefully I can come back for his baptism.

Pictures,

Me and some dominicanos

The church has a super cool camp in Bonao. We went today for Pday and it

amo a la mision

This week was super good. I learned so much.

This week somebody that we were teaching that had a baptismal date moved. Ugh. It's not the first time it's happened to me in this area. Its the fourth. But oh well.

I downloaded a talk from President Monson last week and it changed me as a person and my whole mission. He talked about seeing people as who they can become instead of who they are right now. I feel like a judge people a lot less and I feel a lot more hope talking to people. He talked about how one missionary tried to imagine every person that he talked to as who they could be as a member of the church. Ive started doing it. The first guy we talked to said that he's not about what we teach and didn't even let us tell him who we were but NO ME DESANIMO! It's helped me a lot. Everybody is a child of God and nobody is perfect. People can change. And they will change if we love them.

We had these 3 super good kids come to church on s

Sunday for the first time. Out of the 17 solid YESes that we received, 3 went. I'm doing my best haha. We have a lot of good people that have been to church, the problem is getting them to go the second time. Its kind of hard here in Bonao, but I have learned so much.

We saw a man carry a moped on top of a motorcycle. Never seen that before.

We were teaching some of our best investigators and their cousin was there. But he was super drunk. Elder Tupou was praying and then this dude says ¡BENDIGA CESAR! BLESS CESAR. It was kind of funny but after we told him that if he doesn't behave he has to leave.

Being a missionary is hard, but there is no place I would rather be. There is so much wickedness in this world, especially in la republica dominicana and especially in Bonao. But the church is still true. I know that Jesus is our Savior. No matter who you are or where you are in life, you can change! I love the Gospel! I love the DR!

I spoke to one of the 12!

This week we were walking down the street and decided to contact this one house. The guy let us in and was really nice. We talked a little about the Book of Mormon. Towards the end of the lesson, he started opening up a little and said that his house was getting foreclosed on the next day. He said that the whole morning he had been praying and that all the stuff that people say about the missionaries and church is wrong because we are good people. It was a good experience.

We got to meet an apostle this week! Elder Soares came to visit us. I got to talk to him and shake his hand too! He said como esta and I said bien y usted then he said de donde viene and I said Utah!!!!! What?! Isn't that so cool. He shared a lot of good stuff with us and I felt the spirit. He is a very humble man and I know that he really is an apostle of the Lord. 

On Sunday, everybody that said that they would come to church didn't. We were really bummed because we have a lot of good people, but if they don't go to church they don't progress as fast. Then almost at the end of the meeting we see Cheo! We had taught him a lot of times and he told us a week ago that he would go, but when we passed by his house during the week he wasn't there and he lives super far away. But he remembered! It took him a while to find the church, but he said that he was going to go every Sunday now! We are blessed.

Today we went to this river where a bunch of people go swimming. We didn't go swimming, but it was still really cool. I'll have to come back after the mission.

Pictures,

This place is super cool

DANGER!

haleluya

We had a zone conference this week. Presidente Cowan is cracking down on us. Now we can only write for one hour. We cant say bro, dope, or piña either. They did loosen up on a few things though so I can't complain.

We went with the elders from the other area so that they could meet Brian and Mariani and Johan. We taught the Plan of Salvation with four missionaries and it was alright haha. They seem really excited for their baptisms but they don't want to go to the branch that they live in (because ours is better). But we will trust in the Lord.

We found this lady a few weeks ago. Her name is Belgica and she is 28. We contacted this old dude that could barely hear and after asked him for references. I'm sure he had no idea what he was saying, but we ended up going into the alley where Belgica lives. She is AMAZING! She is just a really nice lady and easy to get along with. We taught her with the branch president and she came to church on Sunday! I said that she liked it and that she wants to come back. God bless her. I'm so happy.

Today we went on this hike to the mountains here. I was super excited because it was the first time I've ever been, but it was kind of lame. It was nice to go into nature though. I don't have any time to write anymore. I show you all pictures when I get home.

I love you all. The church is true! Cristo VIVE!

Another week in Bonao

Carlos came to church! He is so good. He has to drive so far on his moped to get there but he did it. God bless him. I feel so blessed to have found him.

We went to this Haitian families house during the week. They are super cool and live on a fish farm haha. They took their friend to church last Sunday and we went to teach her. Everything was good except for that she doesn't speak Spanish or English. I've studied a little Creole in my mission, but it was so crazy. God has blessed me with the gift of tongues. I don't even know that much, but I could like form sentences and understand some things. I'm pretty excited about learning it now so today I read in the Liv Momon An.

We have been working really hard with Johan's family so that they can all get baptized. The good news is Brian and Mariani have a baptismal date for this month! The bad news is that they moved to the other branch and other missionaries will baptize them. Also one of our very promising investigators moved to the same other branch. We might not be doing a very good job of strengthening our branch, but at least we are strengthening somebody haha. Oh well. In the future I'll know why God did that.

I've learned a lot this week about the scattering and regathering of Israel. I didn't know anything about that for so long, but it blows my mind. Israel means like true believers in Jesus Christ or something like that and we have the Book of Mormon to find those people. There's so much stuff in the Bible that says that TCOJCOLDS is the true one.

Carnaval started this week. This country is wild. If my camera worked I would send pictures.

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.