Week one in the Caribbean

Week one in the Dominican Republic:

We arrived safely in Santo Domingo on Saturday, March 9. Our boss, Bro. Lilly and his wife picked us up at the airport and took us to lunch at a restaurant on the beach. He took us to our apartment where we unpacked and then went to dinner at the Button’s apartment. Sunday we attended church at the MTC and had lunch and dinner with Elder and Sister Haws, our next door neighbors.

Jim and Joy by the ocean at Adrian’s Restaurant

We reported to work on Tuesday after spending Monday, grocery shopping and setting up our bank account. Our office is about four miles from our apartment and it takes about 30 to 40 minutes to drive there. We got our car on Tuesday and had to drive home after a day in the office. What an experience it is to drive in the Dominican Republic.

 Joy in front of Area Office

We spent most of the week meeting other couple missionaries and learning our responsibilities as welfare specialist. We will be working with three other humanitarian missionaries in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and in the West Indies. Our area covers all of the islands in the Caribbean. There are 29 countries in the Caribbean and they speak four different languages.

                
We met with the Area Presidency on Wednesday. We had a good visit with them. We are getting somewhat used to driving in the Dominican Republic. We are learning more Spanish each day and it is amazing how many members of the church we have met at stores, and on walks. There are over 120,000 members of the church in the Dominican Republic. The Lord’s work is really growing in this part of the world.

Elder and Sister Crismon with Area Presidency

We attended the temple on Saturday. The session was in Spanish. Joy and I were selected to be the witness couple since I was the only man in the session. All went well until we had to report to the veil. I tried to speak Spanish but the words wouldn't come out. Thank heavens there was a person that spoke English that helped me out.  Asi es la vida. "That is life"

 The Santo Domingo Temple

 

               This is our report.

               Sincerely: Elder and Sister Crismon