Livin Dominican: LA VEGA

Sometimes you stay in one area for 6 transfers and sometimes it is only 2. Today I left my beloved Puerto Plata and came to La Vega which is a little city a little south of Santiago. My new companion is Hermana Ruiz and she is from Mexico so I promise that my letters are going to get worse because my English will definitely leave as I start speaking Spanish 24/7 again. From what I have heard this is a small branch and it is going to be a challenge as we try and strengthen the members but I am excited for the chance to try and work really hard again. I still don´t know too much about anything because I got here just over 2 hours ago.

This past week was a little slower than usual. Hermana Tuahivaatetonohiti is training now so she had different training meetings and we came to Santiago a few times. (Hermana Santana is also training so I am a grandma! It is cool to watch your daughter grow up haha). We did have a few interesting experiences though. One was with Yovana, the reference that I mentioned had a problem with a member a few weeks ago. This week when we went to her house we started teaching the Plan of Salvation and when we started talking about our life here she abruptly told us she wanted to quit smoking. We started to explain to her different ways we could help her and more importantly that the Lord can give her extra support (through fasting, priesthood blessings, the atonement, etc). She listened very attentively and then agreed that she wanted to do a fast and asked if there was a way to receive a blessing. We talked to one of her neighbors afterward who agreed to do a family home evening about the priesthood and then give her a blessing if she desires. The spirit was really special during the lesson and I have a really good feeling about her. When we left, we saw her reading already. I hope that she continues in the gospel.

On Sunday we did a big zone activity with the Book of Mormon in one of the parks. The elders had made a giant Book of Mormon out of wood and we went to the park and just talked with everyone there about it. Then we gave out an entire box of them. Another sister and I talked to one lady that was so interested in what we had to share. She listened intently to our explanation and then when we offered her the book she took it and clasped it to her chest as if it were a treasure. She promised us she would read it and thanked us for giving her another book about her Savior. It was one of the most special contacts I´ve done in my mission. I talk with a lot of people every day about the gospel but this lady felt different. I hope that she accepts the gospel.

As I have contemplated on what I learned in Puerto Plata during the last 2 transfers many different things came to mind. First of all, members matter. When the missionaries work they see results. When the members and the missionaries work together they see miracles. It was such a blessing to me to be able to see some miracles thanks to the commitment of the members as well. Second, I have seen true conversion. There were families that were converted to the gospel by the way that they lived their lives. There were missionaries that were converted by the way that they taught. I actually grew in my conversion with the challenge from the zone leaders to talk to an extra 7 strangers every day about the gospel. Albert, Ysmenia, Carla, and Wellington all changed their lives as they entered into the waters of baptism and they are true converts. My life changed by watching the Lord change them. We must strive to put the Lord first in everything in our life and even more than that, we must strive to be the person that He would have us be. We only do the things that we do so that eventually that will be the end result. Third, the Lord is in control. Even though we saw a lot of great things in that area I know that I was merely an instrument. We can plant, sow, cultivate, weed, trim, and do all sorts of other things in the vineyard but in the end it is the Lord that causes the growth and it is according to His will and in His time. I love what 1 Corinthians 3 says. God gave the increase in Puerto Plata and will continue to do so here in La Vega.

I could go on for days and days and days but there simply is not time, and I am sure that none of you want to read for that long. I hope you all know that the Lord loves us! We are His children and He is here helping us in this life. Of course it is hard sometimes. It is a state of probation. We understood that it would be and wanted to come here and be tried. But thanks to the trials there are also triumphs.

Hope you all have a lovely week!

Hermana Ewell