Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

Monday, September 15, 2014

Change My Ways til I Shall Be in Perfect Harmony With Thee


Hey everyone! 

The title of this email is from a song... a song that's been in my head the past couple of days that I love! Look it up! :D

Okay, so mom, we usually just say "que bien" (that's good!) or "muy bien" (very good)... idk if they say good job here ... I'm still learning the lingo, big time haha. Dad, thanks for your advice. Don't worry, the most people do in this area is call out to us, they don't get crazy; and if they did, the other people would help us out. This country is pretty great about helping others, including strangers. And the area I'm in is one of the humblest and supposedly the best in the mission! I'm so glad to hear from you guys and how the family and ward is doing! And alana! Good job! Girl, that takes guts! It's so hard for me to invite people to church at first, but with time and practice, it gets easier. The first time is the hardest :) and as for her not coming to church, don't worry. You planted the seed and now it's here job to use her agency. I've been learning that bit a lot right now. It's the same with our investigators. Every Sunday, we see and count who has come to church that's our investigators. The past couple weeks have been sour cause hardly any come. BUT yesterday, ALEX CAME TO CHURCH!!!! And a couple who's been investigating for a while! And one of our young women we've been teaching! So it wasn't nearly half our investigators, but "how great will be your joy if you bring but one soul unto me." Yups, it was a WONDERFUL!!! sunday!!! Me and Hermana Fletcher were sooooo happy!! so happy! It set off our day right :)

As for the temple, that was amazing! We got inside and we were all prepared to do a session, but then we were led into this room before the session ... all of us were confused and didn't know that room existed. I thought it was a thing they did every time the missionaries came to the temple. I didn't understand everything that was said, but someone explained to me that that room is called the Room of Silent Assembly. Only a few of the temples in the world have that room and you need special permission from the 1st Presidency of the church to use it. So we were the lucky ones that got to go in there! It was amazing!! After, we did a session and it was my first time in Spanish. Yeah, didn't understand a lot, and toward the end it was a little difficult, but I realized sooooo many more things that I hadn't noticed before! It was amazing!! oh, and I may have accidently hugged a guy ... it was an accident!! I swear! But he and his wife helped us do sealings another time when I was in the mtc and I couldn't help it when he hugged me! I think i'll be forgiven ... haha

The work here is progressing ... slowly but surely. The whitewashing part is over (thank goodness!) and I'm understanding more people and more words. I still can't communicate with some people cause they tend to cut off their words or slur them together ... Domincian style of course hahaha. But it's great! Alex is one of the best investigators so far! We had one member, Diego, come with us to an appointment and it went soo well! Alex is hilarious! and he's got a baptism date!!!! YAYAYA!!! I'm so happy! And so hopeful! We gave him Oct 11 and he said "Well, if you want to baptize me, don't you want to do it sooner? like tomorrow?" hahahaha I love the guy! Also, yesterday, we took another member, Samuel, with us to an investigators house ( a couple) and he was amazing! He brought the spirit like no other. He's been a member for 20 years, but inactive for 19, just coming back. He's trying to convert his wife too and he wishes he could've gone on a mission. But I can tell you right now, that guy has a mission and he's an amazing missionary! The way he listened to our investigators, taught and testified was amazing! If he can do it, why not the members who have been active for longer? It's so awesome here!

I read an article the other day in the liahona from this past month. I don't have the title or author, but I encourage you guys to read it. It's awesome. It has a picture of an asian officer on one of the pages. At the end of the chapter, there was a quote that stuck out to me. I don't have time to quote it, but basically it said we need to have faith to walk into the dark and know that with a few steps into the dark, the light will shine again and guide us. Basically, have faith and take that risk, take that chance. You never know who might want to hear the gospel or who needs it or has been looking for it. 

I love you guys so much! know that I pray for you guys every day! Missionary work is hard, with the tag or not, but it's possible. My companion just quoted this for me"if the church weren't true, missionaries would've destroyed it a long time ago." ... which is kinda true, no offence to anyone. haha But I love the mission. Love the peole. Love the Lord! Keep being amazing! I love you guys!

love, 

Hermana Ho

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