Eunice from Jarabacoa

 Hermana Funes

  Kelsea said "took a little trip to Jarabacoa to say goodbye to my friends.

The man on the left and the woman next to me are Lopez family. They are so sweet. "

 "Ramona- she isn't baptized yet- but she is on fire"

 "My best friend Ricardo, Ramona's brother.

He is the best. We taught him how to pray and this is a picture of how he "says" my name. He also loves to talk about what he ate during the day.

Last week on an intercambio, Hermana Reyes asked him how old he is. He said Ëight." I said "Ricardo, you're not eight years old! How old are you?" So he looked at his hands, started to count him fingers, and said Ëight." haha He cracks me up. "

 The Buret family, minus President Buret

 The Zone

Beautiful Dominican Republic

Saludos!
Well, this is my last letter home. I can't believe all of the things that have happened to me in the past year and a half. I've been waiting for this my whole life and now it's coming to an end. It has been so different from what I've always thought and expected, but that's why we have the phrase "He knows better than I."  I have seen and experienced so many things I didn't know I needed to learn. I am so grateful that the Lord sent me to this country, because it has changed me. To me, it is holy ground, where the heavens met the earth, where my eyes were opened.  Where I learned to love and to forgive myself, where my heart filled with gratitude, where the gospel became not only a lifestyle but who I am. I believe I would have had a happy life had I chosen not to serve a mission, but the decision I made to serve a mission has opened my eyes to who I really am, who I can become, and the things that really matter in this life. I love the Gospel.  I love God's plan for me. I love the life He has given me and the opportunities I have to develop my talents. I love the scriptures and the peace I find as I search them. I am so grateful for the sacrifices that Joseph Smith and the pioneers made in order for us to have the restored gospel.  I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know that He leads this church through living prophets, and that this is the true church. I invite all who are not members of this church to read and study the Book of Mormon, and to pray and ask God, with real intent, if it is true. It's worth the sacrifice. It's the most important decision you could make in your life. He will respond.
I can't believe it's time for me to go home. It feels like just yesterday I opened my mission call, thrilled to be called to serve in the Dominican Republic, some island in the Caribbean Sea, where my only worry was how I was going to handle the heat. And now I am here, freezing in the air-conditioned Relief Society room, wondering "how on earth am I going to survive" in freezing, cold Montana? I'll be sure to bundle up like an Eskimo. So pull out my winter jacket and get the Christmas music ready, I'm coming home!

Elder Hefner cooking steaks.  His mom sent a huge package with all the fixing for thanksgiving dinner.  But they couldn't find a turkey anywhere so they had steaks instead.

with Hermana Ely who helped cook for their Sister's meeting

with her companion Hermana Funes

with Hermana Ririe- Kelsea said she is really going to miss her!

Saludos!

Things are going great here in Navarrete! I'm been trying so hard to stay focused, but everyone hereloves to remind me just how many days I have left. haha But I'm staying strong! Yesterday we had our sister meeting and it went so well. Hermana Ely cooked for us, and it took a ton of stress off of us. She's so wonderful. We had the sisters talk about different chapters in Preach My Gospel and we talked a little bit about obedience. It helped us remember why we are here and how sacred is our calling.

On Thursday the elders planned a Thanksgiving Feast for the whole zone. It turned out so nice and we had so much fun. Elder Hefner's mom sent him a package with all sorts of Thanksgiving food, like stuffing, pumpkin bars, scalloped potatoes. It was delicious. We couldn't find a turkey anywhere, so we ate steak. :) I loved every minute of it. 

We had interviews with President on Friday, and it was such a pleasure to talk to him. I've been worried lately, thinking about everything I've done here in the mission, trying to decide if I had done enough and whether or not the Lord is please with me. He helped me understand that the Lord is please with me, and that He has accepted my work. I also received an email from my mom and then read the talk in the December Liahona about finding peace with ourselves and feeling the surety of the Lord's acceptance of our service and dedication to Him. I felt like that was written for me. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and sometimes He sends angel to help lift us up. 

I'm working hard and trying to bless these people! I'm going to give it my all these last two weeks! I can't wait to see you all soon!

Hermana Jorden

Saludos!

Sorry for not writing yesterday! I was visiting my old area in Bonao, and didn't make it back in time to write. But it was so fun! It was so good to see all of my old friends. We visited Regina, an investigator that I taught while I was there. She wasn't able to be baptized because of a smoking addiction, but she was able to overcome it and was baptized a few weeks ago. She is so happy and I am so glad that she was baptized! She told me that she's going to go to the temple at the end of this month. I also got to see two member families that I love- the Vazquez family and the Ramirez family. I was in heaven yesterday! 

Last night we had a ward activity and played games. A ton of members went, and it was so fun. It was the first time we had done something like that, and I felt like it helped me become closer with the members. There are just so many here in Navarrete that there are some people I don't know very well. But we had such a great time, and I really felt like we were able to unite the ward a little more. 

Have a great week!

Hermana Jorden 

Anadelsa (who Liza Smith taught in New York) and her family

 Cheyen Ramirez

 Hermana Taukafa

 Regina

The Vasquez family

Saludos!

Last week we starting visiting the sweetest old lady. She's the grandmother of a member in our ward, and we met her in a lesson with the member's mom. We thought that her mom, Arazelis, would accept the gospel right away, but she's had a hard time accepting the gospel doctrine. She reads the scriptures in the Bible that say exactly what we're explaining, but she doesn't want to believe. In one of our lessons, the grandma, Tago, was there and said she would love for us to visit her. So we starting going to her house, and she is the sweetest, most humble lady. Yesterday, she saw us walking to her house, so got in between us, and took each of us by the hand and walked us there. She is so sweet. Last night we invited her to be baptized December 12, and she accepted. She doesn't know how to read and doesn't understand everything, but she told us that when we grandson-in-law mentioned going to church, she felt something say to her "You need to go to that church." She said she's going to go this week, and we'll see what the Lord has planned!

Yesterday we had consejo de liderazgo for all of the zone leaders and sister leaders. I always love going. President Castillo is so inspired, and I look up to him so much. He really receives revelation for this mission. We found out that they took out a pair of sister leaders, so now there are just three sets of us, which means more intercambios! Looks like I won't have time to get trunky. :) 

Have a great week! 

Hermana Jorden