Hello from sunny Ocoa!
I will have you know that I am extremely jealous of all of you in the snow!! My new companion Elder Meek is/was an avid skier, so we talk and dream about snow a lot; especially here in this valley, surrounded by perfect slopes.
This week was another one of ups and downs!
We kicked it off with a double Family Home Evening night on Monday. One with Nermis (another missionary mom), Diana (daughter) and friends, and another at Milagros’ house! In both lessons we talked about welcoming in the New Year, and shared Lucas 5:37 that talks about not putting old wine in new bottles, and then talked about the story of Lot’s wife who looked back at Sodom and Gomorra and turned to salt. We emphasized the need to welcome in this New Year, and to prepare to fill it with new goals and new experiences, and also to not dwell on past mistakes or hardships. Live, Learn and Move on.
I am stoked to kick this new year off! In missionary slang, 2013 will be my black year… The WHOLE year I’m away from my family. But thanks to my inspired mother, I have a calendar with them all on it, so I can look up at the wall above my desk everyday and see all of them while simultaneously counting down the days til I can hug them! Now the black year will be a cake walk! Thanks Mom!
My goals this year are as follows: Live everyday as if it’s my last. Work everyday 'til I can’t anymore… Then wake up and do it again. And CHOOSE to be Happy!! If all goes as I’d like, this year will be the best “Whole year” of my life! Woo Hoo for 2013!
The rest of the week was a rollercoaster… We worked hard, and had a lot of solid lessons, and were planning on finishing her off with a bang, i.e. a baptism. But Juana (mother of Rosanna/awesome investigator we’ve been working with since I got here), fell off her 3 week no smoking streak ON THE DAY OF HER BAPTISMAL INTERVIEW! I was bummed… But it’s ok! Cuz after she failed her interview and Elder Mendosa left, she pulled me aside and we had a really good talk about the importance of keeping the Word of Wisdom. We made some plans for her to get off cigarettes and STAY off them, and then made plans to fast together on Sunday (yesterday). It was awesome! That lady has such a strong testimony, and will be an incredible member and example, and that’s why Satan is working so hard to make her fall, and keep her down. But he WON’T win!!!
Saturday was a day full of ups! We had lunch at Mama Juana’s house. She made us “La Bandera” o sea Arroz, Habichuelas y Pollo Guisado. Then we came back up to El Pueblo, had some solid lessons, and then went over to the church for a baptism! Elder Tuanama and Elder Leyva baptized Enrique and his wife Margarita. It was awesome! They have two boys that have both been members for some time now, and finally all their prayers were answered, and their whole family is part of this church!! :) Also, both Tuanama and Leyva will still be here in a year when they go through the temple to be sealed as a family!! How awesome!!
Then yesterday hit… Our morning and afternoon were normal, but then night came, and while Tuanama was doing laundry our clothes spinner broke… Here in the DR, washers and dryers don’t exist. We have a little tub with some plastic nubs at the bottom that spin around and agitate the water with soap and our clothes in it. Then we have to ring them out, soak them in water with fabric softener, and them send them through a clothes spinner (centrifuge) thing, then hang them to dry… Well, our “washer” here in Ocoa is so weak that if you want to wash more than one article of clothing, you have to do it by hand. Not that big a deal. But the clothes spinner is SUCH A BLESSING! And now we don’t even have that! So we called the office, and after the “approval process” (3 weeks to a month) we should have a new washer/clothes spinner! :) Until then, it’s all by hand, and only ever semi-dry clothes. Haha.
Then, this morning, we woke up and didn’t have light. Not that uncommon. So we went to the church, and played volleyball while we waited for it to come back so we could do chores, and have hot showers, and other good stuff electricity allows you to do. Ha. On our way back, we asked some neighbors if the light came, and it had, so we headed home! Well… Due to some not so responsible missionaries, our light bill was backed up 2 months… I paid it last month, but apparently I was paying for October’s light bill… So Elder Leyva and I went down there and got it all figured out. Ha. Hopefully when we get back home tonight they will have turned our light back on.
But hey! It’s a great day to be alive! And to be a missionary! Happiness depends on us, NOT on our surroundings or circumstances!! Choose to be happy!
I love you all, and hope and pray for your happiness and success!
Stay strong!
-Elder Cade Mooney
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