Hola familia y amigos!

It´s been a great first week here in Jarabacoa! The weather here is so much nicer than down below. Even though it´s hot, there´s always a breeze. And the nice thing is, when you go in the shade, it´s cooler, but in Santo Domingo and Santiago, the shade is just as hot as everywhere else. There´s no escape. haha But up here in the mountains, there´s always a breeze and it rains every once in a while. And the mountains are beautiful!

My companion, Hermana Hunsaker, from Idaho, is wonderful! We get along so well, and she´s a great missionary. She has really helped me ease into the mission, and tries to make me as comfortable as possible. The other two missionaries in our district, Elders Galvez and , are a lot of fun. Elder Galvez came out the same time as me, but he speaks spanish, so he has the advantage. haha It´s fun to have them around. We both serve in the Jarabacoa branch.

The people in the branch and so great. They are so loving and friendly. Unfortunately, there are so many inactive people, but the members that attend are strong in the gospel. The branch president and his family, the Burets, are so wonderful. They remind me so much of the Yanez family. Two return missionaries, and three amazing children. They are so helpful. Someone in their family goes out with us to teach nearly every day. They are so willing to help, and they have really helped the people who are struggling in the branch. And they give us delicious food! haha 

The people we meet and teach here are so friendly and willing to listen. Nobody has ever told us that they don´t want to listen to our message. The only problem is, they aren´t willing to act. The other day, we taught a less active lady in the branch. I taught about the sacrament, and the importance of taking it every Sunday, and she totally agreed. She talked about the blessings we will receive if we take it and how it´s so important. So we asked her if she would attend church this Sunday, and she said she didn´t know. It´s frustrating that these people know the truth, but they won´t act. It makes me so sad. I need to help them see the importance of our message, and I´m not quite sure how to do it. But I know that if I am obedient and teach with the Spirit, that I will do my part. I can only hope that they will accept what I´m teaching. 

A Day in the DR

There are three things that I see everywhere, and that´s motorcycles, colmadas, and stray dogs. Everyone here rides a motorcycle, and they are SO loud. I can´t hear anything my companion says when someone drives by. haha And the dogs are everywhere. It´s so sad. Colmadas are little stores that sell things like candy, bread, water, and the necessities. They´re really convenient. And then there are the dreadful roosters. I don´t see tons of them in the streets, but I sure hear them in the mornings! There are so many of them. The first day, I woke up, and I had no idea what that awful sound was. It took me a good 20 minutes to figure out that they were the roosters. The best description I can think of is it sounds like dinosaurs are attacking the city. haha 

I hope you all have a wonderful week! You´re in my prayers!