Buenas!
Today I finished my second transfer in the field, which means I´m a trained missionary! Luckily, I still get to be with Hermana Hunsaker, which means that I get to kill her because this is her last transfer. Elder Galvez is still here, but Elder Kunzler was transferred to Cotui. We have a new disctrict leader, who I haven´t met yet, but he just stuck his head over my computer to say hi. He seems nice! hahaha

This weekend, the Elders had a wedding, and then a baptism the next day. It was so special. We had a celebration after the wedding at their house, and most of the branch came to celebrate. I think it meant a lot of them to have the whole branch there. They really helped them feel welcome and a part of the Jarabacoa family. They´re such a sweet couple. The next day was their baptism. The woman wasn´t able to be baptized because she hasn´t completely quit smoking (but she´s gone from 22 cigarettes a day to 2! She´s incredible!), but her husband and their two oldest children were. It was really special. They were so happy and they were so grateful to be baptized. Yesenia came to the baptism, and afterwards she said, Is that how I´m going to get baptized? Is the water cold?! haha I think she really enjoyed it.

We´re still working hard with the Young Women. They´re all so sweet, and we love spending time with them. One of them, who has been inactive for a while, has been coming to mutual and church and she´s going to seminary! How cool is that! This past Sunday we gave a lesson about the worth of a soul. A lot of the girls here are raised to believe that they are worthless, because that´s how the men here treat them. It´s so sad. So we want to help these sweet girls understand that they are important and special, that they are daughters of a King, and that they are princesses. It was a great lesson, and I really think it helped them understand. They loved our examples of Disney princesses, and they loved the handout we gave them on the temple on one side, and a picture of a princess on the other with the quote by President Uchtdorf that said ¨Happily Ever After isn´t something found only in fairy tales. You can have it! It´s your destiny! You just need to follow Heavenly Father´s plan.¨

This week, I was thinking about different times in high school when I tried sharing the gospel with friends or classmates. Almost always, they would say, ¨Wait, you don´t drink coffee? I could never do that!¨ haha I started thinking about the Word of Wisdom, and why we have it. It says that we shouldn´t take in coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs. Then I thought about why we´re here on the earth, and our purpose. The reason that we are on earth is to grow and be perfected in Christ. Really, we are hear to be tested and to grow so that someday we can become like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.   This life is meant for us to prepare ourselves for that day. We have to be clean and pure in order to inherit the kingdom of God. People wonder why we don´t drink coffee or alcohol. I can´t picture Heavenly Father starting his morning every day with a cup of coffee. We have to live a life free from the addictions of substances such as drugs or tea or coffee, in order to grow and become exalted beings. I want to testify to you that God lives, and that He sent us here to grow and become like Him, so that one day we can live with Him and become like him.  Our time on earth is to prepare to meet God. Please don´t let worldly things get in the way of your eternal progression. Always remember that God loves you and that you can ALWAYS repent and come unto Him.

A Day in the DR:
For some reason, every one here waters the street in front of their house. We asked one of the YW why they do it, but she´s not really sure. haha I understand why people water dirt roads, but the streets here are all paved. I´ve been trying to take pictures, but I´m not sneaky enough. Someday I´ll send one.

Have a wonderful week! I hope you are all enjoying the cold for me!
Love, Hermana Jorden

Pictures are on her blog

http://sisterkelseajorden.blogspot.com/