Week 5 in the D.R.

 

 

Week 5 in the D.R.

April 8, Monday

               We went into the office in the morning and started working on the containers located at the area offices. We opened up the containers and started to take an inventory of the supplies in the container. The containers were full of office supplies and building materials. We decided to wait until our boss returned to get his help in cleaning out the containers. In the evening we attended Spanish classes and acted as investigators for the sister missionaries. At family home evening we presented a slide presentation and Joy read a poem she made up to introduce us to the other couples. We went home exhausted.

April 10, Wednesday

               We went into the office until early afternoon. On our way home to our apartment, we stopped at the farmer’s market to buy fresh fruits and vegetable. We decided to go to the temple and take in a session. There were only six people in our session, so Joy and I were the witness couple. I decided to go through the veil in Spanish. I made it but it took a while. As we were leaving the temple, President Bair asked to speak to us. He wanted us to be temple workers. We accepted and will start our shift on Friday night. They asked Joy to spend her first hour mending clothing. She was excited to be able use a sewing machine. I am not sure what they want me to do. I will find out soon.

Jim at the local market

April 11, Thursday

               Our boss, Bennie was back from his vacation so we spent some time with him in the morning. We drove over to the Distribution Center after work to buy a coat for me and a pair of shoes and a dress and shoes for Joy so that we would be ready to start our temple shift on Friday. While in the distribution Center, we met the Pattersons, a senior couple from Tortola. We had a good visit. We returned home and helped open up the storehouse. About 10 minutes after we opened the door, the volunteers showed up. We were grateful.   A group of six young men showed up to bag food. We had ten volunteers for the night.

Young men bagging beans for the Storehouse

April 12, Friday

               Spent the morning in the office and then left early to get ready for our first night at the temple. We arrived at 4 pm and attended the prayer meeting. After the meeting, President Bair set us apart and then he and Sister Bair gave us a quick introduction to the temple. They left for the 5 pm session to welcome the 8 mission presidents, members of the Area Presidency and their wives that had come to attend the temple. After waiting an hour, President Bair returned and told us to study the ordinances which we did for about one hour and then we left for the evening and returned home.

April 13, Saturday

               We spent a very pleasant day with Bill and Lisa Wegeners. We drove out to Boca Chica Beach and went swimming in the beautiful Caribbean Ocean. The weather and water were perfect for a swim in the ocean. We drove home for lunch and then at 3 pm we went to the Colonial Zone to see the home of Diego Columbus, the son of Christopher Columbus. The home was well preserved and very interesting. We walked back through the shopping area and stopped and had a pizza for dinner. We returned home and spent a quiet night in our apartment.

Diego Columbus home in Santo Domingo

April 14,  Sunday

               We attended church at the Gascue Ward. The building is located five blocks from our apartment. We stayed for all three meetings and after three hours of straight Spanish we returned to our apartment. In the afternoon we went over to the Casa, (the building next to the temple that houses the temple missionaries and the MTC). Sister Hyde asked me to help her with a presentation for family home evening. We returned home and took an hour walk along the beach. The breeze was refreshing and we enjoyed watching the children flying kites. We also watched a Protestant group conduct a street revival in one of the parks. Returned home for a quiet night in our apartment.

Joy in front of Gascue Ward Chapel