Aloha!

Anyways, so this week was a long week. It felt like two weeks in one! It was crazy! So, yes, some dear friends went home (they finished their mission). Idk if I sent pics or not, but I'll try and send some after. Then, we had 4 other sisters stay with us on Friday because of the storm that was supposed to pass... but nothing really happened except for some strong winds. Not even a lot of rain :( but everyone is good! Hermana Gingell and McFarland were two of the sisters that stayed with us. We weren't allowed to leave the house that day, so we stayed inside ... and might've played some games ... like murder in the dark ... hahaha that was a blast! And the elders were nice enough to buy some food for all 8 of us, so we made hamburgers together and ate ice cream in celebration of Hermana Garcia's birthday :D But we were all good.

The mission is doing good. The days are long but the weeks are short!  Man, it all passes by too fast. We are still teaching the same people (finding people is hard in this area, because there aren't a lot of people home, nor are there a lot of people who let us in sometimes).  But we are trying to work more with the members. Saohny is doing good! Her brother is active now in the church (just needs to talk with bishop now I think) and her mom too. So she's good to go for her baptism! Also, Cirfrida is doing good! She talks a TON, but she treats us like her own daughters (and loves us a ton too :D) and she is super excited for her baptism. For Mirea, we are working on finding someone for her that is trustworthy enough to watch her aunt so that she can go to church on Sundays. But she is progressing so fast and just takes in everything! She is amazing!!

But yeah, that's basically it for now. Thank you all for your love and support and for your prayers! Love you all and have a great week!

Love, aloha, y amor, 

Hermana Ho

Celebrating the Storm

Some ruins in our area

some good friends that returned home with honor.

Yes, that is Hermana Hernandez. :(

Oh happy day :D

This week has been a great week!! super good. And btws, for the record, me and hermana Maltos will continue to be companions for this next transfer, here in Gascue still. That will make 5 transfers together in total!! For those who don't understand how much time that is, it's about 7 months, which is a ton!! But i'm not complaining, because I couldn't ask for a better comp! She's helped me to grow so much and literally, since day 1 in Hato Mayor, she's been my sis. We have the bad times, sure, but the good times rule them out. It's gonna hurt when we have to separate ... especially when i leave. But there's a ton of time until then :D

This past week, we went to the temple with Cifrida and Fernando!! She's progressing sooo well and is going to be baptized on 26 of Sept. She's awesome!! We went to the temple and talked about them and the plan their father in heaven has for them in the temple. They have some marriage problems, and we're working on that ... but Cifrida is amazing and a sweet sweet lady. Mirea, still is awesome! She always has a lot of questions and understands everything. In fact, she wants to learn more and wants to come to church. she said she won't be 100% sure if the church is true until she comes to church ... so she needs to find someone to take care of her aunty so she can come to church. but she's doing great! And we also have Saohny, the 12 year old girl. We've almost got her mom reactivated in church, she just needs to talk with the bishop, but she also will be baptized on the 26. She's ready too. And her brother (who is ammon's age and going to the university) also is reactivating and decided to go on a mission!! He's going to study first and then fill out his papers i think, but he's on a role too!! 

So yes, today is a happy day ... and a sad one. Transfers are tomorrow and I realize that a lot of my good friends are going home. One of them is Hermana Hernandez. Idk if you remember her, but she has been a huge example for me in the mission, a role model that i've looked up to and she's going home tomorrow. also a few elders that I've become good friends with are going home.so it's kinda sad, especially since idk when I'll see hermana hernandez again, face to face... but it's ok. I'll keep talking to her :D

The Lord truly has answered a lot of my prayers this past week. I realize that my body is just tired all the time, no matter what I try and that's the biggest struggle now because being tired affects a lot of thigs ... but the Lord has truly answered my prayers, and a lot of the answers came through my wonderful sister Hermana Maltos :D I'm so grateful to have her one more transfer! I love her so much!!

Anyway, thanks again for your love and support and for all the prayers. Seriously, thanks you all. Love you all and take care!

Love, aloha, y amor, 

Hermana Ho

Sorry that you are getting this late, things kinda didn't work out yesterday. but all is well. 

So I'm doing good. This week has been the same as any other week here in Gascue. We've had a lot of people stay in our house, missionaries, and so it's been quite a party! Also, the navy is here in the DR doing a humanitarian aid project. They actually traveled around to 7 different countries or so and the DR is number 5. They asked for translators and so the mission is helping them in that. I got the privelege to go and translate. It was super hard, but it was a sweet service project. We weren't allowed to proselyte, and that was harder than i thought it would be, but I really liked. Sorry, idk if I can be a doctor after that, or a dentist, to many medical terms that my brain cant take in and remember. But it was a neat experience. 

So not much to write. We do have a young woman who we are teaching and who is going to be baptized next month! she's 12 and she's super great. we also have a lady named cifrida that we are teaching, who is the wife of a recent convert and understands a lot of the doctrine. also, another contact that we had is Mirea, who said that never in her 60 something years has she let anyone of another religion enter her house to teach her until us and she's sweet! She wanted to come to church without us even asking! and she accepted a baptismal invitation. so that was great! but other than them, we don't have many other investigators that are progressing. 

Thanks for your emails, love and support! Love you guys and have a great week!

Love, aloha, y amor,

hermana Ho

Our zone! And then we found Charlie's Chocolate Factory!! It was super cool! 

Do You Believe in Miracles?

Hey hey hey! Glad to hear that things are going well out in Hawaii! Thanks for the emails and the updates on life back home. I'm sorry to hear that Brother Matagiese passed away. I don't remember him by name, but by face, probably. But if there's one thing I have a stronger testimony about, it's the plan of salvation and how I'm truly grateful for the work that we do for our families. The plan of salvation doesn't take away the hurt or the pain that we have when we lose a loved one, but it gives us a little more comfort to know that we will see our loved ones again. 

So, can't say this has been the best week in my mission, but it sure has been one of miracles. This past Sunday was the first sunday we had more than one investigator in church! That was exciting! One of the investigators we had was Saohny, a 12 year old girl, who came with her inactive mom and inactive brother! Tonight we have an FHE with the family and hope that we can take them to see the temple this week. Another lady is the wife of a recent convert. Her name is Cifrida. She's a sweet lady and we've gotten along really well with her. And she talks a LOT!! But she has knee problems, so it was kinda hard to find a ride to get her to church (her husband was out of town, or usually he drives), but she came and she liked it a lot! Another investigator's name is Chichi. He sews professionally and makes clothes for people and has never come to church, even though he has the day off. But he finally came!! And I think he liked it too!! And last, we helped a lady one day carry a heavy suitcase all the way to her house. When I say house, I mean a small little house built out of some wood plankes (is that what they're called?) and set up on the side of a building. Literally. And we invited her to come to church after. Three weeks later, (this past sunday), she came. I didn't get a chance to talk to her before she left, but it definitely was a miracle. 

I'm happy and I love doing the Lord's work. The thought of going home scares me, so it's easy to forget about home for a little while. But I'm grateful for that a short period of time, I can hopefully be the Lord's hands and do his will. 

Thank you for the emails and the love and support and hope you all have a great week!

Love, aloha, y amor,

Hermana Ho

Birthday Party we had for one of the sisters:

All my sisters that have been in Hato Mayor with me at one point.  Yes, Hermana Fife was there before I got there!

Also, a couple great friends that I made on the mission, one of whom left last week to go home.  :(

Went to see some caves today and it was super cool!  These pictures don't do it justice but I hope you can see a little bit of it :D

I Walk By Faith

Anyway, for the record, I'm doing good!! It's stinkin hot here and hasn't been raining much. Rumor has it that a storms coming and it's going to hit hard! But don't worry, I got my 72 hour kit all ready :D 

 So Yeah, this week was a little rough, but hey, it's ok :) I knew that this area would be a spiritual strengthener, so trials were expected. But I have forgotten to look for the miracles. But this week, I'll tell you some of the few that I've had. 

1) My companion is awesome!! She's helped me to be excited and look forward to every day as a new day in the mission, to not lose hope. She's been the one who has helped me to be more creative and to change. She is an incredible example for me and also for the sisters that live with us. I'm seriously going to be missing this girl when we separate again.

2) Claudio. He's a recent convert who doesn't have an easy life. But despite his challenges, he still leaves with us in appointments and bears strong testimony of the truths that we teach. Also, he makes me laugh a ton and is like a brother to me. So yeah, he's been a great blessing in my life.

3) the ward. Although people aren't perfect, they keep trying. And this ward es exceptional!! Every week we have people to feed us on the weekends and people who are willing to leave with us, who befriend our investigators and help them in church, and who are nice. 

4) My friends :D Yes, dad, I actually have friends, lol!! hahaha jk jk, but seriously, I have been blessed with many opportunities to get to know some pretty amazing missionaries here in the DR. It's trully been a blessing for me and to hear their stories and sees their sacrifices that they have made really inspire me to be a better person and a better missionary. 

5) we are finding families! Although missionary work takes time, patience and sacrifice, we have been able to find many families here in the city! And many that have a lot of potential to progress and to become influential in the church. I've had the privilege to get to find and know these families and I'm praying and working hard so that they can one day be an eternal family. 

So even though the mission is hard, I testify that there are the blessings and the miracles. We just gotta change perspective. And it's been hard for me to change my perspective sometimes, especially when you're sitting in a hot house with no electricity for the fan to work. But I know that with faith and works, the Lord is able to work miracles in our lives and in the mission. I've seen it and I know it to be true. One of the things that my mission president has encouraged all of us to do is to be creative in the mission. Creative in the lessons, in the contacting, in the reunions we have. And it's really helped me to learn and to grow and (hopefully) become a better missionary. 

Anyway, that's about all for now. I hope all of you are doing well! Thanks for all of your love and support and especially for your prayers. I continue seeing miracles, and I know that it isn't only my efforts that have caused these miracles to happen. Love you all and have a great week!

Love, aloha, y amor,

Hermana Ho