More from the DR

Well, I am on the computer.  Good to hear from you three!  I loved the photos of the crazy Nica´s homecoming.  Can´t wait for mine in 6 weeks!  So transfer news............... I am moving from Las Americas 2a to Las Americas 2b (which means I am moving rooms in our house to be companions with Hermana Mcentire) ...sweet!   We were super excited when we found out last night.  My companion is going to where Hermana Mcentire started and her companion is going to my querida (dear) Mendoza.  Hermana Domgaard and Hermana Madden from Fiji are going to be taking over my side of the ward.  We are all excited to live together and at least the few investigators I am attached to I will still see at church and their baptisms.   Hermana Mcentire and I had a lovely time going to watch conference in English for all of the sessions.  We were concerned about having investigators but then the leaders called on Saturday morning and said it was fine to go with or without investigators since they have their agency too.  That was nice and made things less stressful.  That is crazy with the age changes for missionaries and I imagine a lot more girls will go now.  We saw the press conference in between the sessions on Saturday and it was cool that pretty much only the First Presidency and The Twelve knew about the change.  I enjoyed watching the World Report and even seeing a glimpse of what they showed of the campaign and convention.  Conference was awesome!  Elder Oaks’ talk was great and I didn´t know he used to be the Dean of the University of Chicago Law School ...cool.  Sister Burton´s talk was good too.  I was thinking about how much I miss Julie B. Beck, but the new Relief Society president pulled through for me.  I think my favorite talk was Elder Holland, especially when he talked to return missionaries and that we can never go back.  I had read through some MTC notes this week and he had said something similar then too.  It is so true.  We can never go back.  Discipleship was definitely a theme at Conference.  I thought of the Laytons a lot, too.  On Thursday afternoon, we went to a cosecha in another ward to look for menos activos and an elder from Nicaragua and another from Honduras were teaching me Central American slang. J  I picked me up a Fanta that night and thought lots about you peeps.  We visited a guy that night and taught the restoration.  Hermana Louis asked him to be baptized at the end of the month and he said yes.  He came to Conference too.  So that is cool!  My favorite food for the last week or so has been plantains with fried eggs and onions...mmmm.  I have come to really enjoy onions during the mission.  I got a package from Chessy this week ...cool.  One of the letters in it was written in May.  Crazy Chessy!   And about the girl at Costa Vida that has a sister in the DR Santiago Mission ...well her sister is one of the other sisters I lived with at the CCM.  I am hoping to fly home with her, but we shall see.  I really say things all the time and then say to Hermana Mcentire, “My Dad would say that.”  Funny ...sometimes just laughing is what keeps you going.  Maybe, I just didn´t say as much to her in the MTC as I do now.   The elder from Nica said something about gallo pinto.  He also said Alexis will speak better Spanish than me but then the other elder said I speak good Spanish.  Someone else said this week that I don´t speak typical Dominican since I don´t embrace some of the slang and stuff.  It is part of the grammar perfection I like in English and Spanish, although I am not perfect todavia (still) en Spanish.  I can just imagine you guys at home.  It is so grand seeing you three together.  Well, I am out of time.  Until next week my favorite peeps.  I’m looking forward to more letters and emails.  Love you guys a million bazillion times 46.  Love you, ejc

 

 

P.S.  Here´s some photos... some of my new planner, me eating a twin banana,  Thursday night,  and one of last week with Hermana Vera.  She´s going home tomorrow.  Enjoy!