We have had a week of miracles here in the mountains of the Dominican Republic. We´ve recently been able to find Yudi. We´ve been teaching her since I got here, but there were a couple of months when we weren´t able to find her. This week, we brought a member with us to help her create a plan to help her overcome her addiction. Everything that happened in the lesson was lead by the Spirit. I think having a member in the lesson really helped Yudi feel the desire to move forward. Eli suggested reading the scriptures and fasting. When we talked about fasting, she said "For 24 hours? I don´t think I can do that!" After talking to her about the blessings and how it´s a sacrifice to the Lord, so got really excited about it and wanted to start as soon as we left. We offered to do it with her, and she said "You guys are willing to suffer with me?" haha So we can back on Saturday and started out fast with her. We read Alma 34 with her, and she really understood all of the principles we read about. She´s really an amazing lady. She told us that this week she didn´t have to work on Sunday, and that she would be at church. All through sacrament meeting, I was praying and praying. I thought she had broken her fast and that she was embarrased to come to church, or that she was just nervous to come. I prayed that the Lord would pick up her feet and bring her to church. When sacrament meeting ended, she hadn´t come. I was so bummed. We went  to our first Creyole Sunday School class, and when we left, we say her daughter standing outside the door. She came! I couldn´t believe it. She finally came! After church, we went into a room together and broke our fast. She told us that she wasn´t even hungry! It was so sweet. I know that the Lord loves this sweet lady and wants to help her overcome her addiction. I can´t wait to keep working with her.

The Valnor´s are getting baptized this Saturday! My first baptism! I can´t wait! They´re such a sweet family. This week, we had a lesson with them, and then we went next door to teach Dieslifort´s brother, and they all came over to be a part of that lesson too! They´re such a humble, wonderful family, and I think they are truly prepared to join this wonderful church. Hermana Zegarra and I have been working on our Creyole, and my favorite phrase is "Sa ki pa touye ou, li angrese ou," or that which doesn´t kill you makes you fat. They thought that was pretty funny. :) We had our first Sunday school class in Creyole, and they were all so happy to be able to learn about the gospel in their own language.

The Lord is truly blessing us here in Jarabacoa. I´m so grateful to be here serving these wonderful people. Thanks for all of your love and support. Love, hermana Jorden

Saludos!
It´s been a great week in the montains. A few days ago, it was COLD! I
loved it! I´m sure it was only around 60 degrees, but I was shivering.
But since then it´s been warming up, and feeling a lot more like a
tropical island, unfortunately. haha

The Vargas family finally got married! The missionaries have been
setting dates for the wedding since before I got here! And they did
it! They asked me to be their godmother haha I had to call President
Douglas to make sure that´s okay, and he said go for it! That was a
fun experience. Who knew I would become a mother and a godmother in
the same transfer. :)

For Valentine´s Day we found a little pizza shop that sells heart
shaped pizza. Every year we buy a heart shaped pizza in my family, so
it was really fun to celebrate with my companion. In the afternoon,
all of out lessons fell through, so we taught with the elders. It was
a lot of fun.

Every Sunday morning, we have a meeting with the branch presidency and
all of the leaders. The Relief Soceity president shared Alma 34:28 and
talked about how after we receive a remission of our sins, we need to
reach out to bless the lives of others. She told us that every time
something good happens to their family, or they get something that
they wanted, her 8 year old daughter says "And now what are we going
to do to serve the Lord?" I love that. I hope we can each learn
something from this sweet little girl.

This week, my mom sent me a talk called Desire by Elder Dallin H.
Oaks. It really touched me, and gave me a desire to work hard and to
forget myself. Monday morning, I was determined to be happier and
focus more on those around me instead of focusing on myself. About 30
minutes into the day, my companion said "Hermana, are you okay?" I
said "Yeah! Why?" She said "You´re just really happy today. Did
something happen?" Looks like I really needed to work on that. haha
I love you all so much! Have a wonderful week and don´t forget to pray!
Love, Hermana Jorden

Saludos!

It´s been an awesome week here. I just love this place more and more. I don´t know how I´m going to be able to leave (especially thinking about the heat that awaits be in every other area in this mission haha). 

This week we´ve done a lot of exploring-that´s to say, we´ve been getting pretty lost. haha We tried visiting a member family, and they live in the mountains. I´d been there once, but it was in a car, and I couldn´t remember where it was. So we walked and walked and walked, and finally they found us. We had gone way past their house. But we were walking around in the mountains and it was beautiful. Later that week, we were looking for the house of someone we had contacted in the streets, and he had to come find us, because we were so lost. He lives way out of town, and it was such a beautfiul way. I feel so grateful to be here in the beautiful mountains of Jarabacoa. We even found the entrance to a waterfall, so we went today with the elders. It was so beautiful and peaceful. This week I´m sending lots of pictures of the beauty of this wonderful place. 

Everything is going so well with the Valnor´s. Their baptism is still set for the 28th. I can´t wait! Two weeks ago, we had a Carribean Conference through satelitte, and we told Dieslifort to give his brother and invitation to go. He said "Okay, but he doesn´t really like church things." The next time we taught them, his brother and wife were there ready to listen to us. We started teaching Dieslifort´s sister as well. And then this past Sunday, we went to their house to teach them, and two of his coworkers were there to listen to us. They´re such a wonderful family! We´re so excited to teach their friends and family. This Sunday, we talked to President Buret about having a Gospel Priniciple class in Creyol, and he asked Willy if he would be willing to give the class. Willy said "Ire y hare (I will go and do)." We´re so excited! 

Recently, we´ve been teaching a lady named Yormari. We met her because she sells the most delicious ice cream, and she was really sweet, so we asked her if we could teach her. We´ve taught her twice, and it´s been so different from any other lesson we´ve taught. She really listens to what we say and disagrees with a lot of the things we teach. And I love it. It´s been so wonderful because I really have to teach with conviction and defend my beliefs. She´s really strengthened my testimony and my love of the gospel. The second visit, we sat down, and she said "I´m not going to read that book you left me." hahaha We´ve had a lot of great discussions with her. She told us that she would pray to know if our message is true, and I know that if she does it with a willing heart, she will understand that we´re here to share the joy of this gospel. She´s so wonderful. I love her! 

A Day in the DR:

This month the people here celebrate Carnaval, or their independence from Haiti. The missionaries have told me that it´s the 2nd biggest party in the world. They said that the largest is in Brazil, and that Mardi Gras is the fifth. And it takes place in La Vega, which is the zone I´m in. They celebrate every Sunday in the month of February, and then on the 27th, which is their independence day. They decorate the streets and wear crazy costumes and drink and running around hitting people with bat-things. haha And it all takes place right outside the church building in La Vega. It was fun to see all of the decorations yesterday when we went down for our zone conference.

Have a great week! Love you all lots!

Hermana Jorden 

Buenas!

It´s been a pretty slow week. We´ve really been working on contacting and meeting new people, and we´ve been teaching quite a few new investigators. A few weeks ago, Hermana Clove and I were walking near Yudi´s house, and we saw a lady sweeping her porch, so we grabbed brooms and helped her sweep. Her neighbors saw us, so they all came over and watched us. They loved it. :) So we came back last week and shared with her. She´s great. On Monday, we were teaching her on her porch, and I felt someone standing behind me. I thought it was one of her daughters who was about to leave the house, but when I turned around, I realized it was a lady who was came to listen to us. I invited her to sit and share with us, so she pulled up a chair. She told us that her sister is a member in Manabao, and that she really likes our religion. So we shared with her too, and they were both excited to have us come back. 

Yesterday, President Buret told us that he had a reference for us. Her name is Joana, and she´s a friend of President Buret´s brother, who isn´t a member. She told him that she was ready to bring Christ into her life, and he suggested the church where his brother was the leader. We met her yesterday, and she´s wonderful. We asked her if she prays, and she told us that she prays every day, and that she can truly feel God´s presence when she prays. She says it´s always a spiritual experience for her. We talked to her for a while, and I really think that the Lord has prepared her to accept the gospel at this time in her life. 

Things are going well with the Valnor family. We´re going to change their baptismal date, because Dieslifort and Nestli´s job requires that they work some Sundays, so we´re going to work with President Buret to help them be able to attend church every day. We started teaching Dieslifort´s brother and his wife, and his sister also said that she wants to go to church. This family is so incredible!

Love you all! Have a great week!