Buenas!

Transfer day! My querida companera, Hermana Richardson, finished her mission! She's headed home! And my new companion is Hermana Funes from El Salvador. She's amazing. She just finished training after just barely being trained herself, and now she's a sister leader with me. I've heard great things about her, and I am so excited to work with her. I know we're going to see miracles during our time together. Chances are that she could be my last companion. That's just too weird to think about. 

Last Thursday, I went to Santo Domingo to renew my visa. All of the missionaries have been going, and we've all been so excited to go because they let us go to the temple and stay the night in the CCM. Well, guess what. The temple was closed. Such a bummer. But they at least let us go the the CCM to eat lunch before we headed back. It was a fun trip and I got to hang out with a bunch a missionaries that I didn't know before. 

On Friday we had our first conference with President Castillo. I'll admit that I was pretty sleepy during the meeting, but it was still so great. I just love seeing President Castillo. He is so energetic and ready to give this mission heaven. He's such an example to me, and I love talking to him. He makes everyone feel so special. His wife is fairly quiet, but she is trying to talk to all of the missionaries and get to know them. I just adore them.

Ever since I've arrived in Navarrete, we've been planning an open house with the ward. We printed out 800 invitations and got the ward all excited to invite their friends to the open house. We arrived late because we were in Santo Domingo, but when we got there elders told us that eight people had come. I felt so bad because the ward had worked so hard, but I have faith that something will come out of the few people that came. After all, my first open house in Jarabacoa is where we found Dieulifort!

Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Jorden

A Day in the DR:

Something I love about this country and will truly miss when I'm gone is how we shake hands. In the US, you have the basic right hand shake. But here, sometimes that's just too inconvenient. Sometimes you have something in your right hard or your hands are dirty, so you just stick out your elbow and have them shake it, or your stick out your wrist and have them shake it, or sometimes you just give them your left hand and you just awkwardly hold it for a few seconds. haha I love it so much.