Monday, October 21, 2013

Adiós, mi Querida Barahona... -- Monday, October 21, 2013

Hey guys. 


I realize I just bombarded you with photos... Ha. Now I'll do my best to fill you in on all the fun in the time I still have left online. :)

This week was probably the best week of my mission thus far. I was on cloud nine ALL week long. :) The seasons are changing (obviously it's not as drastic for me as it is for you people, but still), so we haven't been suffering nearly as much from the sun and the heat. :) On top of the temperature change, we had/did all kinds of great stuff this week! :)

Our district (Elder Mendoza, me, Elder Dowdle, and Elder Alvarado) 10/15/2013

Fotos de La Zona: emailed ~ MI querida zona de Barahona. Les extrañaré mucho.
Sigan pa' lante, siempre confiando en el Señor. Se Me Cuidan. -Elder Mooney 10/16/2013

My comp and I with Elder De Leon (I think I sent a picture a few weeks back that I said was of Elder De Leon and I.. ha. But it wasn't. It was of Elder Cardenas and I. So this is the real Elder De Leon.) 10/16/2013

Beautiful Barahona 10/17/2013






I'll start by explaining all the food pictures... ha. This last month we made a deal with the devil. hahaha! Well actually, it was a deal with a nice, old lady that is a member of the neighboring branch. She has a colmador that's right by our house, and she told us that she would be willing to cook us lunch everyday for a month. She promised us lots of variety, and the price was beyond reasonable, so we agreed. haha... Well, true to Dominican form, the word "variety" to her means rice, beans and meat prepared in different ways. For example, one day she would send us rice with beans on the side, the next day was beans mixed in with the rice, the next day was chicken mixed in with the rice, and so on... ha. At least when we cook for ourselves we can switch things up a bit, and we can control how much oil we use to cook the food and stuff. When the Hermana cooked for us, we were subject to her will! Let's just say, my intestines may never be the same... lol. 

Elder Mendoza's Special lunch: Arroz Árabe,
Un Guisado de vegetales, y Pollo Horneado. 10/18/2013
Anyway. Monday was the last day of the deal, and we were all DYING for some real, home cooked foods. So this week we all took turns making "special meals." :) 

Elder Alvarado made Pineapple Burgers (sorry, I didn't get a picture of that one...), Elder Mendoza made an oven baked chicken with stuffing and some Arabic rice, I made chef salad (with ALL the fixins, as dad would say) with an eggplant casserole on the side, and Elder Dowdle made tacos. :) Of course we all helped each other out and took turns washing dishes and all that. ha. It was legit. As far as comida rica goes, this week tops the charts!







my special lunch: chef salad with egg plant casserole.
ha. :) The casserole is a Dominican thing.  10/19/2013



Elder Dowdle's special lunch: Tacos with Dominicanized,
Aunt-Wendy-Style, homemade salsa 10/20/2013



Besides the cool temperatures and good food, guess what else happened this week?! That's right folks, Carlos and Karen were baptized! I can't even tell you how happy I am about it! It was PERFECT!!!!!!! Guys, I know God's up there, and it's clear He loves this family, because I have literally NEVER had a wedding and/or baptism go so smoothly! On Friday we met up with them at the Judicial Building to be the witnesses for the marriage, and then on Saturday we all got together at the chapel for their baptism. :) I think I told you last week that Jonathan (Karen's son from her first marriage), was ordained a priest, so he was able to baptize his mom. Oh man you guys... I can't even tell you what it was like. Carlos and I were standing in the little stairwell of the baptismal font, and as we watched Jonathan recite the baptismal prayer and lower his mom into the water I literally thought I was going to explode. The Spirit was so strong! It filled me to the brim! And even started coming out my eye balls! ha. Yeah.. Big baby. But really. I love our church. I know it's true. Not only because it makes sense in my head, but because of how I feel. The Spirit is undeniable. 

After Carlos and I took our turn gettin' wet, we finished the baptismal service, and finished off the evening at their house for Arroz con Leche. :) Just so you all know, that's Elder Mooney's favorite Dominican dessert. :) The weekend literally couldn't have been more perfect! I LOVE BEING ON THE LORD'S TEAM!!!!!!!!! 



Carlos and Karen: Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!! 10/19/2013



Celebrating with Arroz con Leche after the Baptism 10/19/2013



Then, last night we got transfer calls. Seeing that everything went so perfectly this weekend, and we had an unbelievably spiritual day yesterday, I kinda felt like something weird was gonna happen with transfers... And... It did. ha. I am leaving my beautiful Zone of Barahona behind, and heading to an unknown area (Pres doesn't tell us where we're going anymore. He just lets us know that we're leaving so we can get packed, and then they tell us details a few hours before we leave). I love this Zone and my investigators here in the pueblo with my whole heart. It's gonna be hard to say goodbye. I don't completely understand why the Lord would take me away from here (especially because my companion has been here for 7.5 months already... We were sure HE would be the one getting transferred)... But I trust that He's in charge and that wherever He sends me, He will qualify me to do whatever He needs me to do. At the moment I'm looking back with tears in my eyes, but looking forward with hope and anxiety for what this new horizon will bring. 

The back of the house 10/21/2013
The final "cherry on top" to the perfect week was a visit to a GIANT mansion we took this morning. :) The husband of one of the most active members in our branch isn't even slightly interested in the church, so my companion and I have been trying to gain his confidence in order to start teaching him... ha. And we found his soft spot. Houses and Architecture. 

He's actually a lawyer, and he has TONS of money because of it, but his dream was always to be an engineer and build houses. So now that he's retired he just does what Grandpa does, but instead of cars, he buys and remodels/builds mansions! haha. SO legit. We told him that if either one of us got transferred, we wanted to see the house he's working on before we left, so he piled us in the back of his truck this morning and took us up the mountain. It was amazing! As you can see from the pictures it's gigantic, and has a view like no other. Sadly, he (Hno David) has his heart set on the things of this world. He's all about leaving behind a legacy, and doesn't worry much about the life that is to come. But, my companion and whoever comes to take my place will keep working with him and I'm sure he'll come around. :)


The spanish patio, and the stairwells down to the pool.


A cool angle of the stairwells and the pool

The front of the mansion

Hno David and I. The man who made it all. 10/21/2013
I don't know if you all understand how much I love being a missionary. I know this is where I belong, and I thank the Lord every single night for this opportunity. I love you all so very much, and also thank the Lord every night for your love and support. 

Don't ever forget who you are. The mansions of this world don't even compare to those that Christ is preparing for us. 

Keep your eye on the prize. 

Love, 
Elder Cade Mooney


P.S. A shout out to Dylan, congrats on the mish man! Love you!
And way to go Drew and Ariel! You guys look great! Ariel, welcome to the Mooney clan! We love you! And I can't wait to meet you! 

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