Sunday, October 11, 2009

Most little children in the Dominican Republic have literally nothing. Living in poverty is an understatement for them. Many have no education and help support their families by shining shoes or they sell fruit in the street to passing motorist. But in spite of their circumstance, they have an indomitable spirit for fun. I think they are the happiest children on earth. They are living proof that you don’t need money to be happy.

Many times in the past Hna. Johnson has pointed out to me little children playing with homemade toys in the streets all over the Dominican Republic and especially here in Neyba & Duverge. They can find hours of fun playing with the simplest of homemade toys. We’ve seen them everywhere pushing a bicycle rim with a stick or pulling a homemade “car” made from a cardboard box or milk carton. Giggling and squealing with delight they run and play with their toys they’ve made themselves. Maybe they live in poverty but there is no poverty in their character. These kids are the happiest children on earth.

Our weekend treks to Neyba and Duverge always takes us to the far west end of our mission. We are within a few miles of the border with the country of Haiti. There are Military Checkpoints all along the roads where soldiers with machine guns search cars and buses for illegal Haitians sneaking into the Dominican Republic. Usually we cruise past these checkpoints because the soldiers can see who we are and they wave us on by. Today we left Duverge after dark for the first time. When we got to the military check point just outside of town we were stopped for the first time. For a moment you fear for your life as soldiers pointing machine guns at you approach the passenger side of the car. But we knew there was nothing to fear. Hna. Johnson rolled her window down and the soldier asked us to turn on our dome light. When he saw our name tags he said, “Oh missionaries, you can go on through, sorry, go ahead, go ahead! It is really good to be recognized as servants of the Lord and to be protected on our way.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

This morning Hna. Johnson and I took our usual Saturday morning walk in Mirador Park. This time we were following directions and looking for a plaque. We had heard that the Dominican Republic was dedicated for the preaching of the gospel by M. Russell Nelson in 1978. There is a plaque in the exact spot commemorating the dedication of the country. We didn’t have to hunt very much; we found the marker without much difficultly.

Friday, October 9, 2009

I was off early this morning to get my “Diligencias” (errands) done. One of my stops was as “Centro Servicio” (Central Services) for the church. This is like the “Salt Lake City” for the Caribbean. It’s were the Caribbean Area offices are located. It is also the church’s distribution hub for the whole Caribbean. Just within this complex buildings and warehouses, I had 4 stops to make; dropping off forms, picking up supplies, etc.


In the list of things I was to pick up was a Book of Mormon in Braille. There isn’t much call for Braille Book of Mormons. However it seems there is a blind member that lives in Azua and now there is blind investigator there too. When the warehouse manager brought it out I was very surprised at the size of the box. It was huge! About twice the size of an ice chest. The box contained 7 volumes and each on was very large, all of this to produce just one Book of Mormon. I was even more surprised when I saw the price. The church supply catalog listed this Braille Book of Mormon at exactly the same price as a regular Book of Mormon. The church really takes care of its handicapped members.


One of my errands was a stop at Price Smart. This place is the “Costco” of the Dominican Republic. Yes, you’re right; it’s one of my favorite places to visit. Today I had to pick up some pictures I had printed for the office. About the only difference between Price Smart and Costco back home is the armed parking lot guard in the guard tower!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

This morning I drove to the Temple’s accommodation center to guide Elder and Sis. Roberts to the La Paz Chapel here in the capital. The president has set up another “Curso de Autosuficiente” (See Aug. 26, 2009) for the departing missionaries this transfer. The Roberts will be teaching them all about funding for school, applications, etc. It’s a wonderful program for these returning missionaries.

The mission office is very busy these days as we prepare for transfers this coming Tuesday. It’s going to be a big one. We will be getting in 21 new missionaries and we are only loosing 4. In six weeks it will happen again, we’ll get in over 20 and only loose a few. It means that the total numbers of Elders and Sisters in the mission will swell to around 190 more or less. The mission is supposed to have about 200 in it all the time, so we will be closed to full capacity by next transfer on November 24.


Being at full capacity is a very good thing. It means there will be more missionaries in the field, more contacts, more teaching opportunities, more reactivation and more baptisms. It also means more paper work, new apartments to open and more maintenance of apartments. The work load on the office staff will diffidently increase but that’s good too. Hna. Johnson and I are here to serve the Lord and serve we will. We love our calling here in the mission office and Love these missionaries.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

This afternoon Elder and Sister Roberts came by the mission office for their temple recommend interviews. They’ve only been here in the Dominican Republic for a week. So they are getting used to the crazy drivers here. They forgot to renew their recommends before they left. But this gave President Almonte and all of us in the office a chance to get to know them and learn what their mission call is all about.


The Robert’s are Perpetual Education Fund (PEF) missionaries. They will spend their mission helping Dominicans take advantage of the church’s perpetual education fund. Among other things they teach young people how to get an education, how to apply for and how to fund their education; even how to study for and take a test in school, etc. There is a very big need for this kind of training here. Like most third world countries, only the parents that have the money send their kids college. The church’s PEF program is a real blessing for the poor people of the Dominican Republic.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

The day dawned on a tragedy, a blessing and a miracle. I’ll explain. I was asked by President Almonte to participate in a disciplinary council at 7:00am this morning. Normally I would not be asked but both of President Almonte’s counselors were out of town and unavailable so the Mission Secretary and I (the Mission Executive Secretary) were asked to sit in on the council.

It is a real tragedy when missionaries disobey mission rules. Obedience to mission rules is very easy. Unfortunately some missionaries succumb to temptation and not only break the rules of the mission but transgress the laws of God, and break sacred vows made in the temple. Disobedience brings dishonor and shame to the missionary. It causes scandal and damages the reputation of the church. And it causes heart break to parents when their son or daughter must be sent home early and dishonorably.

However the Lord is merciful, so there was also a blessing and a miracle in the early morning. The missionary for whom we assembled was given a marvelous gift by the Savior of the world. The missionary was given the gift of repentance and the miracle of forgiveness. This gift and Miracle are so valuable that they can not be purchased with money, only with the blood of the Savior.

The disciplinary council that was held this morning sometimes is called a “Church Court” but what it really should be called is a “Council of Love.” The Savior loves this missionary so much that this morning’s “Council of Love” set his feet on the path of full repentance and complete forgiveness for his transgressions.

Many tears were shed this morning but I had the privilege of participating and being witness to a miracle, the complete and unconditional love of the Savior in action. I am truly thankful for the Savior and his atonement for the sins of this missionary as well as for all of us. Now the tragedy of the sin is in the past and the blessing of the redemption for all of mankind is available to this young missionary. I love the Lord and his plan of salvation. That he forgives us is a miracle!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

At 10:00am the whole San Juan Zone came into the capital from “El Campo” to attend a session in the Temple with the AP’s and President Almonte. Afterward they all came to the mission office for regularly scheduled interviews and physicals. It was another one of those days in the mission office that we love so much and look forward to. The office was abuzz with young enthusiastic Elders and we enjoyed talking with and being closes to them, the missionaries of this great mission.