Buenas!

It´s been a rather slow week, and I´ve been a little under the weather, so not much to report! We haven´t been able to see Berta since we took her to the hospital, but her husband gave us a call a few days ago and told us that she is doing well. She just needs to rest and recover. Thank you for all of your prayers and love.

We´ve been working really hard with the Vazquez family this week. On Thursday, we worked really hard to put a baptismal date for them to prepare for, but they wouldn´t commit. Joana said that they´re are a lot of things that she needs to figure out, and she promised us that she would figure them all out and decide by April 25th, her birthday. She told us that she doesn´t really feel a desire to read the Book of Mormon, and that she likes reading Psalms more. I was surprised that she said that because after the first lesson with her she told us that she loved the Book of Mormon because it makes sense and brings her so much peace. We were a little bummed leaving that lesson. They didn´t seem to be progressing any more. But on Monday, we had a Family Home Evening with them in the Buret´s house. We watched the Restoration movie with them, and Joana was asking me questions the whole time. Afterwards, a few people bore their testimonies to them, and then Joana said, "I think we might be getting baptized sooner than I thought. Now, I really feel a need to read the Book of Mormon." Her son, Vladimir, said "Wow. Words can´t describe that movie." It was so sweet. They truly felt the Spirit as we watched that movie, and now they have a determination to know for themselves. They are such a sweet family, and I know that the gospel is for them. They just have to fight for it, and they will receive innummerable blessings from the Lord. 

I´ve been feeling little sick lately, so it was a pretty low-key Pday, but my sweet companion gave me a honey facial. I think there´s still a bit of honey in my hair, but it was so relaxing! I´m hoping I can kick this cold soon! Have a great week! 

Hermana Jorden

Buenas!

It´s been a pretty crazy week. We have two investigators that are pregnant, and this week they finally "dieron a luz." On Thursday we stopped by Jazmin´s house to see how she´s doing, and she and the baby are doing great. They named her Miriam and she´s adorable. It´s so hard not to pick up those sweet angels and feel their pure spirits. I love holding new born babies because they have come straight from the Lord´s presence, and they are so pure and innocent. It was fun to see her. That night, we stopped by Berta and Wilson´s to see how she was doing. She had a sweet, healthy little baby girl, but Berta was really really sick. Her husband Wilson said that she needed 5 pints of blood. I spent the whole night trying to think of what I could do to help, because she was really suffering, and they couldn´t afford to receive medical care. The next morning, my companion mentioned that missionaries can give blood, so I spent the entire day on the phone with the office missionaries and the missionaries in my zone. I found two missionaries with A positive blood, and they said they were willing to donate. We had to go to La Vega, because there isn´t anywhere to donate blood in Jarabacoa, but Berta refused to take a bus to La Vega, because she thought she would die. So we called all of the missionaries with cars, and no one was able to take us on Saturday. Saturday night, we got a hold of Elder Fagersten, and he told us that he was willing to come pick us up Monday morning and take us to the hospital. We he came Monday morning, Berta did not want to go, because the people in the hospital did take very good care of her the first time she went. But the medical care is free there, and we knew that we could donate blood, so we finally got her to go. We spent all morning trying to get her registered and Elder Fagersten rounded up missionaries to donate (we found out that women can´t give blood, so he found all of the elders with 0 positive). Two of the elders were able to donate, so we had two pints waiting for Berta. Once she was finally submitted into the hospital, they nurses told us that she was really bad, and that she would have died if she hadn´t come. They sent her to get a sonogram, and took her to the ICU. Elder Fagersten arranged for some sisters in his branch to stay the night with Berta, while he took us and Wilson back up to Jarabacoa. On Tuesday, he called us and told us that they did a histerectomy, and that she´s really weak right now. But I´m so grateful for the help of the missionaries and especially Elder Fagersten. He´s been so willing to help us and he´s gone out of his way to make sure everything is taken care of for this suffering lady. He called us a few minutes ago to let us know that she is recovery from sugery. It´s been a stressful week, but it all worked out, and now we are praying that she makes a full recovery. Please keep her in your prayers.

This Sunday, we had to many less actives, recent converts, and investigators come to church. The Vasquez family came, Marcos, the Valnors, Sandi and his family, Tony, Hilari, and Luis. We had 15 people that we´re working with. I gave a talk about faith, and as I was speaking, I felt so happy as I was looking across the cogregation at all of the people who are coming unto Christ and all of the wonderful members I have come to know and love. I´m so grateful to be here, and to have spent so much time with this incredible branch. My joy was full.

I´m so grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and the wonderful opportunity I have to share the gospel. The gospel changes lives. Share it. Everyone needs the blessings of the gospel. Never forget how blessed you are to be a part of the Lord´s church. Thank you for all your love and support.

Hermana Jorden 

Saludos!

Not a lot to report this week! We didn´t have a lot of lessons, because nobody was every home, but it was a good week. 

We had intercambios (exchanges) with the sister leaders in La Vega. It´s always fun to go to a different area and meet more people. This transfer, Hermana Zegarra and I both went to their area to proselyte, and we had a fun time with them.

We´ve been working with a the Vasquez family. They´re a reference from the brother of President Buret, who isn´t a member. They´re wonderful. Joana, the mom, told President Buret´s brother that she´s looking for Christ in her life, and he suggested the church of his brother. We´re teaching Joana, the mom, and her son, Vladimir (15), Johenny (9), and Manuel (5). They´re so fun and we always have a great time teaching them. They always tell us how much they love learning from us because they things we teach are so clear and they make sense. The first time we taught her, she said "I read that book you left us. I love it!" She told us that she feel so much peace when she reads it, and it´s so clear. It´s been so fun to teach them, they´re such a happy silly family. 

A Day in the DR:

In the US, whenever we want to pretend like we speak Spanish, we add -ito to all of our words. Here, when they want to speak English, they at -ation to all of their words. haha I though that was pretty cute.

Here, when they make rice, they burn it on purpose. Then they scrape the burnt part off of the pan and call it con-con. Everyone loves it! While we were staying with the sister leaders at their house, I went over to stir the rice, and Hermana Bido said "Wait! You can´t stir it! You have to let it sit!" haha After it finished cooking, she let it sit for almost half an hour so the bottom could burn. I love these people. 

Thanks for your love and support! Have a wonderful week, and remember who you are!

Hermana Jorden

 Kelsea's first baptism- The Valnor family. The man next to Kelsea is Willy, who baptized Jeff and Nesly. The man next to Hna Zegarra is Presidente Buret, who baptized Philomise and Dieulifort. 

(Kelsea's poor mosquito eaten legs from the youth activity.)

 These pictures are from a youth activity

Wow, this has been such an incredible week. I feel so blessed to be here and for the incredible experiences that I´m having.

 The Valnor´s got baptized! We started teaching the mom, Philomise in November. She was a reference from one of the members, Daily. Hermana Hunsaker and I started teaching her once a week in the mornings, and Daily always came with us to translate. A few weeks later, we had an open house in the church, and her husband, Dieulifort, and 10-year old son, Jeff came. We set up an appointment to meet with their whole family. It took a few weeks to finally visit them, but Hermana Clove and I went the week of Christmas. That Sunday, we had fasted to find a family prepared to receive the gospel, and after our first lesson with them, we knew our prayers had been answered. They´re a family of 5, Dieulifort and Philomise, and their three children, Jeff (10), Wholf (3), and Mileidy (0). Their cousin Nesly moved in with them and we began to teach him too. Hermana Jimenez and I started visiting them 3 times a week, and we set our first baptismal date for

 January 31, but they just had so many questions! They just wanted to know everything, so we changed the date to February 28th. After Hermana Jimenez left, Hermana Zegarra and I started preparing them for baptism. They´re such an incredible family, and we´ve loved talking with them and learning new Creyole words. We were so excited for their baptism. The family arrived a little early and we got them their baptismal clothing. So many members from the branch came to support them. We took pictures outside, and then started the program. Brother Rosario shared a beautiful message about baptism, and then Hermana Zegarra and I sang I Am A Child of God. We sang the first two verses in Spanish, and the last in Creyole. They loved it and they told us that they understood! haha President Buret baptized Dieulifort and Philomise, and Willy baptized Jeff and Nesly. After they dried off and changed back into their clothes, Daily got up and bore her testimony to them in Creyole. Then they each got up and bore their testimonies, and Daily translated for us. They said that ever since we began teaching them, they´ve shared the gospel with everyone. They said they´re so grateful for the gospel, and they said it´s changed their lives. It was a beautiful baptism. The next day, they received the Gift of the Holy Ghost at church. It was fast and testimony meeting, so the members began to bear their testimonies. Hermana Zegarra sat next to Dieulifort, and she said that he was wiping away tears as soon as the meeting started. She said that every time someone finished their testimony, he started to stand up. Right before we ended, he got up, went over to Willy and asked him to translate, and went up to the podium. He said that “when we received the Holy Ghost, I saw a light fill the room.” He said that the gospel has changed his life. It was a beautiful testimony. They are an incredible family, and I know that they are going to do incredible things for this church. I love them so much, and I´m so grateful for the opportunity that I had to teach them.

On friday we had a mutual activity in the mountains. We read scriptures, ate food, and the youth we swimming in the river. It was a lot of fun, but I got attacked by mosquitos. I counted 90 the next day. It hurt to walk because my skin was swollen and stretched tight. haha And the members didn´t get a single bite! haha But it was a lot of fun and so many kids came. :)

Hermana Jorden