Dominican Republic- October 30, 2013

This week was a pretty fun one. We had 18 people this time in English Class! It is so fun. We see the students around every once in a while and say hi and try and have a little conversation in English. It is so fun. Theres this one neighborhood that people say is really sketchy, especially at night. It may be because people here are a little racist and this neighborhood is basically all hatians, but I can see a little bit that it may be dangerous. BUT we have students in there! So we dont have to worry ahahha.

Mom, I have been taking your advice on the fruit thing. On thursday, friday, and saturday we had Batidas (those things with fruit, milk, SUGAR and ice) and we had a papaya batida, then the next day we got a Guanabana from our good friend Ezequiel, then we had a mango one. Man this place ROCKS. Then we went on a hike today to the hills behind our house. We walked for so far and found some fruit trees! We went with a friend of ours, Miguel, who is a 19 year old kid thinking about going on a mission. He talks so fast and I cannot understand him a lot of the time but hes a great guy and we had a good time. And I brought water. Dont worry mama

On sunday we had a good showing at church! We had Gregorio (less active) and his 2 kids who are progressing towards baptism, then also Basilio, the man, and then 2 sisters who are less active we have worked with and their kids! The sisters were such a suprise! We didnt even think we reminded them about church, but they just walked in and I was so happy! Its kind of hard that more people that say they will go dont, but the little blessings are what keeps me going. I was so happy when all of them walked in,  that was a good day. 

Monday Night we were planning for the next day when the sister missionaries from the branch called. Hermana Manarang said that they have been teaching a 9 year old boy, Oscar, and they asked him who he wanted to baptize him. He said me!!I was so honored and humbled by the fact that a little boy first knows who I am and trusts me to do such a thing. I was pretty happy with that. 

What else happened... there wasnt much. OH YEAH there are a few families that we have been working so hard with, or that are active in the branch, that want to get split up for various reasons. That was so hard to sit there and listen to them accuse and yell and one of them I stopped and told them that they are under convenant with the Lord and if they want to fix things they know where to go. I showed 3 Nephi 19 27 (or wherever it is on contention) and how it is of the devil. We are going to work, but man that was hard to see. Just when we feel like we are figuring things out, BAM life gives us another run for your money. We just are going to keep working. 

 

Love you all

Dallin

p.s. AUSTIN HAPPY BIRTHDAY I HOPE YOU LOVE IT I think that I love you most because of your example to me and the fact that I can always look to you for the path I should follow. Cole is lucky to have you as an older brother, and I am trying to become an example to him as you are right now. Thanks brah for everything

 

1st pic Nene the branch mission leader and his nephew Isaias, the cutest little baby. 

2. That was on the hike today

3. TOBACCO

4. Miguel and I on the hike

On the Weekly- October 23, 2013

So the weather heated back up. I dont think it is that hot, it is just pretty hot and I sweat but its not unbearable, but I laugh because all the Dominicans say that its SO HOT and they cant survive! haha I am sitting there and wondering how they can think that it is so hot. They forget what a month and a half ago felt like. IVE BEEN HERE FOR 2 MONTHS! Isnt that crazy? I love it. 

On Friday we continued digging a hole for someone's outhouse, but this time an investigator of ours who does the digging for a living came to help us. We basically doubled the depth which was just great. He is just a man of a man, he is a very strong. And a really cool guy!

So we started an english class, and the first two weeks we had 2 people each week. On Saturday we had one last lesson set up with Rafaelito, who lives way up a big hill like a mile up then we got there and guess who was there! NOT HIM so then we had to go down and walk about a half hour to the chapel and we walked in and the sister missionaries said ¨theres a lot of people upstairs¨ and I wasnt too sure what to think of a lot of people because a lot of people at things here is like 7 or 8. We walk in and there was 17! Our main man Fellito broght 5 haitian brothers with him and then there were a couple people from the branch then a few more who I had no idea who they were. It was so funny. During the lesson, I was sitting next to Fellito and Nene, our branch mission leader. Nene could not figure out how to say ¨speak¨but what saying ¨ehh speak¨ so fellito and I were trying to help him. He just couldnt get it! So Fellito placed his hand on the back of Nene´s head, and told him to just go "ssssssssssssssss" then was like ¨ahora peak!¨ and nene did it! It was so funny how excited they got. We gave fist bumps and congratulations all around to the 3 of us, these people are SO FUNNY. 

Basilio, a 30 year old less active came to church. That was all we had, but he is so great. He has elephantitis in his leg so it is huge, and it is hard to walk and he is embarrassed by it often. We met him on our first day here, and he is just a good friend. He always has good questions for us like ¨hey whats your favorite animal¨ and things like that. Someday a picture willl come with him because he is just a really great friend and we got a special connectoin. 

It is hard to say what else... not much else happened this week. But it is crazy to hear about the Northwood Girls Volleyball breaking news and I hope they know they got a thug waiting for them to come take over the world on JV named Béthany. I am glad Wes is home, he's a fighter and just keeps working hard. NOTHING LETS HIM DOWN. 

Life here is good. It is hard, we sweat a lot, and make a lot of rice, but man it is good. Today I had a thing called Yaroa, which is fries, meat, ketchup, mayonnese, and cheese. I had 2 big ones HAH! I am eating so much but maintaining my weight of 185. I just burn everything off. And mom, I don't eat the fruit because I actually have to wash it and stuff and that takes too long. We make smoothies kind of, like fruit, milk, sugar, a little bit of vanilla, and ice. that stuffs good. And we had a spagetti version the other day YUMMM spagetti batida. 

Love you all, talk to you soon. 

Dallin

Oh the weather- October 16, 2013

The weather has been so nice. Like Irvine all over again just a little more humidity. I dont even sweat that much right now, AHH I LOVE IT thank goodness. BUT yesterday it rained so hard that the roads overflowed so we got home wet to the bone. We were high up on a dirt road and we saw the rain coming so we started just running up the street yelling ¨saludos!!¨ which is how you get in houses. all of them were closed up! We began to accept our drenching doom when we saw a bunch of people sitting on a porch, so we got in then the rain started. But after sitting there and the rain hadnt let up at all, we had to leave. That was super crazy. The roads were a river and we were the driftwood. Haha life is fun here.

THIS is Elder Cannons last transfer... He is assigned to train me and then go home. WOO hes great. If you all are in pleasant grove the sunday before thanksgiving you can go to his homecoming but yeah thats basically it. 

On wednesday we went on some exchanges for just the afternoon since elder cannon and another missionary were going to go to the dinner at the mission home of all the missionaries going home, since they knew so many. Elder Drury, the one with the brother in Montreal, came over and that was fun. We taught 4 good lessons and it was fun being able to lead the lessons and teach, since he doesnt have as much experience speaking but it was still a lot of fun. 

We had 5 people at church! One was so unexpected, a mother of our new ward mission leader who had been inactive for who knows how long after being going through the temple and being a strong member for so Long. Shes so great. Her daughter, who Elder Drury and I taught wednesday, also came. I was kind of direct and bold with teaching her, but she came so I was very glad. Then Gregorio, a less active who was a great member missionary back in the day but wants to come back now, and his two kids who we have been teaching who want to be baptised. They learn a little slower but their great kids and we are going to work hard with them to get them to the point so their dad can baptize them.

One of our investigators told us last week he was going to give something up in his life, and we were thinking softball since he is on a team and it takes up a lot of time. Turns out... he was a cock fighter. Who knew? he is the most mildmannered guy and breeds and trains these killer aviaries. It is crazy! But he is going to sell his chickens then guess what? he will get enough money to get married then he can get baptized like he really wants!! Theres always a blessing. 

One thing I have realized is how important the Book of Mormon is in the conversion process. NO ONE can have a true testimony of our church being true unless they have a testimony of the Book of Mormon. And NO ONE can tell someone that their testimony of it is false until they try it themselves. I have been reading it in Spanish lately, I am almost done with 2nd Nephi and it is so good. I love it so much, I come closer to Christ every time I read it. I hope all at home, members or not, try it out because it really has changed my life and it can change anyone elses. ITS THE GREATEST.

Bethany I am glad you are going work in Volleyball.  thats my girl!

Cole, do you love sierra vista OR WHAT!?

I am so blessed to be out here, Villa Gonzalez is where its at. We walk all day but its so fun. The people are too great.

Love you all, have a great week. Stay safe!

Elder

1 This is the tobacco fields by my house, theyre so pretty!!! XD

 

2 We eat this much bread every 4 or 5 days. low carb diet

 

It's always sunny in VILLA GONZALEZ!- October 9, 2013

I´ve learned a few things on the mission so far... one of the biggest being that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are so good. My diet is literally just carbs 95 percent of the time, but peanut butter and jelly at 9:45 at night is one of the most relaxing parts of the day!

Also, mom, I got the book. THANKS it is so great. I look at the pictures and how good looking and fun family I come from, and I just give thanks over and over again. You all rock! Also, the picture of Chuck the Truck made me shed tears. Thanks

Yesterday we were walking, and we heard something that basically describes the spirit of Villa Gonzalez. We were walking down a street where no one was really out at 7:30 at night, and we hear a grown man proclaim in pure joy ¨llegó la luz!! WEEE HOOOOO!!!¨ which means ¨the light came!¨ I love it. We have light from 4 am to 10:30 am then it shuts off until 7:30ish then goes out again at 11:30. And those are approximates, its pretty iffy. But I love it!

General Conference was so great. First, D Todd Christofferson said he is from New Brunswick? did you know him dad? But that Sunday Morning session was just the greatest thing. I loved it! Elder Eyring, when he said that the way to be happy is keep the commandments, simple as that. That was so great. THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS IS NOW OVER! We found it! Then my namesake, Elder Oaks, knocked it out of the Park as well. He is great, basically telling us how it is. If Gods not the top priority.. we have it all wrong. Then President Monson´s final talk was so great. I was a little bit saddened but it was chevere to see him show emotion, being able to connect with how so many people feel. We had one less active come... it was a little disappointing but I wont let that get me down. We are doing all we can! We just need to simply do more. 

On Monday we met with a man, Pedro Pablo, an old Less active thats like 50 with bad drinking, smoking and other Word of wisdom problems. Elder Cannon was talking for a long time so i thought ¨what can I say that will get his attention¨ then the spirit reminded me of DyC 89:21, where it says that when we keep the Word of Wisdom the Destroying Angel will pass over us, or basically that we will live until our time is up.  So I told him that. I was pretty straight forward about it... but I told him we are here to help him because at the moment he doesnt have that promise. He is dealing with some dangerous things, and I told him that he might die from it. But I told him we are here to help him recieve the blessings of the Word of Wisdom. He calmed down and was a little bit more focused after that.

Also, we have been teaching 2 men, Ramon and Santo. Santo is Ramons father, and Ramon was in a bad motorcycle accident so he is all messed up. But they read and understand and love our message. We are hoping that once Ramon can walk, he will come to church and feel the spirit there. He sees the importance of it, reads all the pamphlets, and just is so humble because of this crash. Santo reads the Book of Mormon like no other, and just loves it. He actually remembers everything too and gives us a good synopsis every time! I love these guys. They are some of my favorite people to teach because I can just feel that they WANT to learn and WANT the blessings. They dont have to say it, theyre just so humble and desire more in life. 

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALYSE!! LOVE YOU!! You are seriously the coolest sister ever AHAH top 3. I love you because you brought my twin Dane into the world and you and I have similar facial structure and stuff. People alwasys say we look EXACTLY the same when they see our pics. Thats good for me! Love you sis, keep working hard and loving my nephew. and Tommy, tell him I say HELLO

Well thats all I have today, stay lovely

Elder Murphy

Always looking UP- October 2, 2013

Sorry about last week to those who emailed me, my computer was so slow that I could only write 2 emails in an hour... so lame! but its all good, as long as you know i am alive and I am LOVING IT here. The DR is the greatest thing.

On Friday, we dug a hole. we tried to dig a bathroom hole, i am not sure what it is called haha but it is what they dig underneath the outhouses. but that was the hardest thing, we were sweating our faces off. It was for a newly baptized member of the church, and we got about 2 feet down. it is supposed to go about 10! but we are going to go back and hopefully finish within the time that my mission is over. 

We are seeing all sort of miracles all around. First, we are teaching 2 kids of a less active, gregorio, and it is helping him get back into his good old groove like before. He loves the Gospel, and we are hoping that he can get ready to baptize his kids when the time comes that they are ready for that. also, we were in this really promising investigators house, Ingry, and her brother was there so we were thinking ¨we get to share a message¨ since she is never there with her brother or any men, but then he left... we were already sitting in the house, and she said to wait and she was going to try and find a neighbor or something, she went out and I prayed for her brother who lives with her to come, since we had shared with those two before. she came back and nothing had improved. but she asked us a question about a scripture in the Bible, then who walked in? JODEMI her brother. God answers prayers. Also, we were walking in the rain and then some guy yelled out ¨dont get wet!¨ in english, but we usually dont go when they say that. We went though, and who was visiting that house? another less active, sealed in the temple member. God still works today, showing his love through miracles and blessings every moment. 

Can you buy platanos in irvine? if so, I am stoked and I will make you some good good ones. I love them

We paintballed today, and I got destroyed in my finger. It looks like I got in a fight with some Tigres (Dominican Gangsters) and got the best of them. Which happens on the daily haha just kidding, but yeah it was super fun. Elder Cannons first trainee is one of the District leaders in the Zone, Elder Fabian, he is the man. Just a big buff Dominican elder. 

Oh yeah I missed Eric Banta´s birthday. Love you man, I hope it was a magical day. Keep working

Well, it was a pretty fun week but nothing too crazy. I guess we live in a sketchy neighborhood, but I think that it is calm and nice. I think that my appearance is just too similar to the hatians and dominicans that they think I am just a nice mormon. Just kidding, but these people rock. Except for coming to church, we had zero less actives and zero investigators there. BUT we are working and they have their ability to choose. 

Love you all, keep getting better Wes!!

Elder Murphy the Handsomer one