Baseball, Babies, and Blessings - Monday, February 4, 2013

Hello Family!!

First off. I love you all. 

Second off. I just got the news that Craig's family, and all my immediate family members above the age of 12 will be a stones throw away from me the last week in March. Hmmm. Talk about a trunky dagger to the heart. Ha. Thanks guys.

Anyway. This week was solid. Tons of work, lots of success, and plenty of miracles.

On Monday night right after I hit send, we went over to the local High School, and played volleyball with a club that meets everyday at 4:30. It was AWESOME!!! We played real life 6 on 6 volleyball, and they all knew what they were doing!! It works out just right so we can go play for an hour on P-days! I am SO happy!!! They told us we are more than welcome to come back and keep playing every Monday!

After we played a few games, we came back to the house, showered, and headed over to our weekly FHE at Milagros’ house. On the way there we got a call from our District leader telling us that a member in our area had called him requesting a blessing… So we went and got Indianna, Milagros, and Miguel to help us find her house… Even with our trusty Dominican guides, it turned out to be quite the adventure… This country struggles with their address system (hence the mail problems). On top of that, the Hermana Maria has moved three times in the last 6 months… Ha. So everyone had a different address to find her at. Ha. But, with faith and willingness to ask for directions, we found her house. Turns out, she had suffered an asthma attack that morning on her way home from Bani, and was still super wound up. We talked for a while, and then gave her a blessing. It was SO cool! The spirit was tangible in that room. EVERYONE could feel of God's love for Maria, and immediately following the blessing, her shoulders relaxed, she sat back in her chair, and just smiled. J I am SO grateful for the Priesthood! Then we shared 2 Nephi 27:23 with her and testified of the power each one of us has to work miracles through our faith.

On Tuesday afternoon we went down to part of our area to teach some investigators, and both felt impressed to go contact another part of our area instead… We ignored it… and still went to our citas. Ha. Well God wanted us contacting. So ALL of our appointments failed us… And after a little slice of humble pie, we walked back over to the other neighborhood and contacted. Haha. God knows what’s up. EVERYONE was in their houses, and they were all SUPER accepting and invited us back. Just what we needed to start our week off with a bang!

Then, in the evening we were finishing up with a lesson when Diana called us and canceled the FHE we had planned for the last hour of our night… That was unexpected… But again, God knows what’s up. We felt prompted to go back over to La Hermana Maria’s house to check and see how she was doing, and to see if we could do anything for her. We got there, and she told us we were just who she wanted to see! She has been calling and calling members of our ward to find someone to accompany her to the Capital the following morning to get a check up, and to get an inhalers. She originally had planned to have her daughter (who lives in the Capital) meet her at the clinic, but she couldn't make it work that day… Well, after a quick q&a session to find out exactly where this clinic was located in the Capital, we realized that she was headed for Independencia!!! MY OLD AREA!!! So I called Amelia Guzman up, and she had no problem being at the clinic (a short walk from her house) the next morning to go with Hna Maria! It was SO cool! What a testimony that God knows EXACTLY who needs to be where, and what needs to happen to work miracles in the lives of His children. If our FHE hadn’t’ve canceled, and if I hadn’t’ve just come from the exact ward that she was heading to, it wouldn’t have worked out NEARLY as smoothly. I know God has a plan for everyone, and I know that He works miracles to help us out through those around us. I hope and pray that we can all keep being worthy and willing to act as the miracle workers that God wants us to be.

Tin roofs. 1/30/13

Wednesday we went exploring. See photo. Ha. We went down to another remote part of our area and met some super great new people! I have high hopes for both of the new neighborhoods we’re working in right now! The people are really open, and neither of them are too far away from the Chapel. :) Easy access makes people a little more willing to get up on Sunday morning for church. Haha.

Beautiful Ocoa.

Crossing the river to get to the other part of our area. 

Then, we crossed the river, shoes off, poking our feet on rocks the whole way. Ha. Adventure status. The river crossing was part of our exploration, and it actually bore some fruit! We found an awesome short cut to get from that little barrio (San Luis) to La Barra where we were headed to work for the evening!

More of my incredible Area.

In la barra we had an AWESOME lesson with Rosanna and Juana. Did I tell you all that we made Juana a no-smoking calendar, and she’s been marking off days without smoking?? Well we did! And she has gone 2 solid weeks now!! Also, Rosanna is all set for her baptism, and they are both SO pumped! The 23rd is gonna be a great day!!! 

Then we taught Ivan about Family history and he basically filled out the whole form right in front of us. Ha. He lives with his grandparents (his mom's mom, and his dad’s dad… Sorta strange, but it works), so he had a fountain of Family History knowledge at his fingertips. J He is preparing to go to the temple with the ward on the 16th! I’m so pumped for him!!

On Thursday I needed a haircut, and I refused to go back to the last guy that  butchered it Dominican style. So Elder Leyva and I went to a different one… and guess what?? HE USED SCISSORS TO CUT MY HAIR!!! It was SO great!!! Apparently he got a request from some random American to cut his hair with scissors a few years back, so he learned how and he’s been doing it ever since!! I will definitely be going back! Ha. 

Then we went down to El Barrio San Rafael (the one God made us go contact on Tuesday afternoon) and we found the most Golden family I have ever met!!! Their names are Penco and Angi. We contacted Penco on Tuesday and had a SUPER good feeling about him, then went back and it turns out that his wife Angi is one of the daughters of Maris (a lady we’ve been teaching) and she’s already been in on a bunch of lessons! They have all kinds of animo and want to come to church with us this coming Sunday!!

On Friday I spent the morning washing by hand… and counting my blessings. We may be out a washing machine, but we are SO blessed to have a roof over our head, food to eat, and clothes to hand wash. Ha. Plus, we have a hot water heater, so everything is okay.

Intercambio with Paulino, and Elder Reeder (audante) 2/1/13

Then we had an intercamibio with Elder Mendosa, my comp got sent up to spend the day with him, and Elder Paulino came to spend it with me. Then on top of that, the ayudantes del sur (they’re like AP’s but only out here in the campo) surprised us with an intercambio! Rocking trio! Elder Reeder, Elder Paulino and I went down to San luis, and taught some awesome first lessons! Also, we met another super Golden lady named Juana. While we were contacting we stopped to talk to her, and ended up sitting down to help her shuck chick peas, and visit for a while. She is the mother of 10 kids, she and her husband (the father of all 10 kids (that’s SUPER rare in this country)) have been together for 38 years and are MARRIED by the LAW (also super rare). She used to be a catholic, but decided it’s not the true religion of God… So now she reads the Bible in her house and welcomes in all missionaries cuz she’s searching for the truth. Ha. We’re the first Mormons she’s met… Finally she’s found it! I am SO excited to watch her progress!

Saturday we finished up the intercambio with a baseball game with the youth in Sabana Larga. Fun stuff. Then in the afternoon we had a ward correlation meeting. We have a pretty solid branch, and I feel blessed to be here working alongside these leaders.

Yesterday… It rocked.
We got up early and walked down to la Barra to give Carmen a nudge to get to church. She started in with an excuse about a stomach ache, but we promised her blessings if she showed her faith and devotion to the Lord. She got up, got the kids ready and we all rode the Gua Gua up to church!! Finally!! After 6 weeks of empty promises, she came! And LOVED it! She told us last night that she wants to go EVERY single week, and that she has made a promise with herself and the Lord that she will completely stop drinking Coffee, and make sure she is 100% ready for her baptism on March 2nd! So awesome! The church is true!!

Then after church and lunch, we went down to a Landia’s (a member in our ward that just had a baby on Thursday) house and met her new baby boy! She is tired, and sore, but happy! She asked us to give her a blessing, and again, all I felt was the love God had for her. It is SO awesome to be a part of God’s great work among men!

Then this morning we got up and had a Zone activity here in Ocoa! Baseball with the members! So legit!

Anyway. I am SO out of time. We have to run down to the Barra to go give two more blessings! And then teach some people!

I love you all! Keep on keepin on!

Love,
Elder Mooney