Attack of the Chickens

Hola Familia!!

 

Okay, so proselyting. I cannot describe the things that I saw and I am just so grateful to have a wonderful family and we are so spoiled in our big home and big and clean streets.

My splits companion's name was Hermana Sanchez. She is from the DR and she speaks English very well. It was great because she would speak to me in Spanish and make me practice but she could also describe things to me in English. She has one week left in the field so hopefully I will have her again when we go proselyting again tomorrow! We were out from 1:30-8:00. We were set up with our companions and then we walked a bit until we got to the busiest road I've seen yet and we took a taxi van thing for about 10 minutes or so.

 

Let me tell you about this van. It has three rows of seats in the back and you can fit about 20 people in there by squishing everyone in without seat belts and then you hang on for dear life. It started to rain while we were in the van and when we were dropped off. We were by an intersection and Hna Sanchez grabbed my hand and started running through the crosswalk and I know there were lights but people don't really follow them here so that was an interesting and life flashing before my eyes experience.

 

Then it started POURING!!!! And we walked and walked and walked. Until we arrived at our area. The apartment for the sisters was nice but we were proselyting in the slums. The streets were skinny, rocky, dirty, and there were all sorts of animals running around. My companion would literally hold my hand anytime we didn't have a "sidewalk" to use so I wouldn't get hit by a car. She also wouldn't tell me what the men were yelling at me. I am not going to try to explain what the living areas were like but they were very humble.

Our first appointment fell through, but we were in a little alley way and I was almost attacked by a chicken and it was the skinniest chicken I've ever seen. There were a lot of chickens in the streets too.

 

Our next lesson was with a young man (maybe 15-16) and his father or grandfather. They were both so receptive and sweet. I was able to share James 1:5 with them (we were teaching the Restoration) and I bore my testimony to them. AND THEN Hna Sanchez had me explain the pamphlet that we were giving them for next time and I think I did an okay job because she nodded and said good job.

 

 

The super tall guy is Elder Parker and he is 6'9". Hermana Johnson is the other girl and she is the only person I am taller than! Wahoo! She is super sweet:)

 

We taught another family, a woman with her mother and grandmother and it was about the Plan of Salvation and the mother just kept on nodding and saying that it made sense that we lived with Heavenly Father and that He has a plan for us. I shared Jeremiah 1:7 with them!! I tried to bear testimony but a little boy was being super loud and so I think they understood what I said and they were surprised to hear that I had only been there 4 weeks because they think I am speaking pretty well!

 

Another family we taught was from Haiti! They are learning Spanish too and the husband spoke better than his wife. We taught her how to pray in Spanish and it was an AMAZING experience. I also bore my testimony about prayer and I can honestly say that I used words in Spanish that I have not learned yet and I know that the Holy Ghost definitely had my back. That was my most spiritual experience this week. Their children were super cute as well!! The little girl kept on wanting to shake my hand:)

Also, I was able to try some fruit! Do you guys remember the fruit that we bought at Harmon's and Jonny was super excited because he had them in Nicaragua? Those were spiky though right? Well I had some fruit like that only the outside was smooth and green, and the fruit was really sweet and there was a huge seed that you can't eat. I THINK it is called limonosa or something with an L.

 

I also tried manzana de oro. Hna Sanchez said it in English first and I thought she said goat apple. But then she said it in Spanish and it's gold apple. It was hard to eat because it had spines coming from the middle that you have to chew around but it was amazing!! Also, my clothes never really dried completely but I was never uncomfortable so that was nice. I wish I brought more light cotton blouses that are durable. 

 

 

Okay. Fun stories with these pictures. The other day our water jug thingies were all dried up. So I was bringing a new jug (you know, the big ones that they have for offices) down the stairs and down the hall because there were no Elders for Hna. Jennings and I to ask. THEN a whole bunch of elders walked into the hall and one of the native speakers flipped out because I was carrying a huge jug of water by myself and they were all shocked that a little sister would be doing that herself. They told me in Spanish that the only water I'm allowed to carry is my water bottle. It was pretty funny. So they took it from me and laughed for a good ten minutes about it and that's why there's a picture of me and Elder Mongaña showing off our muscles.

 

I am so excited to start proselyting in Puerto Rico. I fly out this Tuesday!

Way to run 12 miles!! Good luck on the 14th! That sounds miserable but I am so proud of you Mom and Dad! Tell Mike and Anne congratulations for me! I am sorry I missed your dance concert and birthday Hannah, but I know you did amazing!

The food is pretty interesting here. I've had to be careful about eating somethings because they have so much onions and peppers but I am doing alright. I have been eating a lot of bananas lately. My living quarters here are now HUGE to me since going out in the field. They are also way way bigger than BYU dorms so that's nice too! Everything fits in nicely, our closets are small but it's not like I have a lot of clothes you know? I have never heard of Swiss Days before Lexie! It sounds cute.

Jonny, the thing about flies and bacteria is gross but that makes a lot of sense. There are always flies around here. There are also mosquitos but it takes 12 days to find out if you have Chikungungya so keep your fingers crossed. If you need motivation to work out then just think about me exercising at 6:30 in the morning!!!

 

FAMILY: If anyone could email me some ideas for short workouts (20-25 minutes) and a couple variations that would be great so I don't get bored with my workouts. Jonny, treadmills are awful. Try yoga. I have taught some Sister yoga classes here. It's pretty fun.

 

Emailing is interesting because the missionaries before our time go WAY over so I have to wait a while and then we go from 3-4 but dinner is at 5 so they let us stay in and finish. It's a bit sketchy. There are 54 missionaries here right now and we have 20 computers with 2 districts at a time. Right now all of the computers are taken but there are only 8 people per district. There are people who have been here for three hours.

 

I don't know what my email conditions will be like in Puerto Rico Jonny, but since we always right big sections for each other then you can do a separate email if you want! Puerto Rico also uses the US postal system so bring on the letters!! You can try sending letters from "different boys" but I don't think anyone will believe that I have that many guys writing to me. But thanks for the offer hahahaha.

I am so glad you had an awesome birthday Hannah! We are playing Lego Hobbit again in a few years kay? I am so proud of you and I am not surprised that you are dancing and singing well above your age. I am making sure to smile lots. I probably smile and laugh WAY too much because my district is HILARIOUS. We need to tone it down a bit. Sometimes they laugh at my jokes too but whatever. Alexis, I told your Benji (sp?) joke to the sisters we share a room with and I got some pity laughs!! Wahoo!

I love you ALL so much! I think about you everyday. It is a DR custom for women to kiss on the cheek before hugging and I told one of the sister teachers that that's what I do with my Mama! So she says that whenever I need a hug and kiss from my mama that I can go to her:)

Keep on rocking it familia. Enjoy school. Enjoy our countless blessings and keep the people of both the DR and Puerto Rico in your prayers.

Love you!

 

 

Hermana Hardy

Hermana Arrrdy

Hola Familia!!

 

 

Feliz Cumpleaños Hannah!! Ahora tiene trece años! Chevere.

I am feeling much much better. The medicine the doctor gave me killed my sickness. The only problem is that apparently the bacteria releases a toxin that makes people really exhausted and gives them head aches. At least that's how Pres Freestone explained it. They made me stay in my room and rest whenever I was feeling really exhausted and slow. And I would sleep for HOURS. Fortunately I did not miss much because the first day I had to do that was p-day, the second day I had to rest in the morning and our teachers weren't there so it was personal study, and the other day I was out of it was Sunday. By Sunday I was sick of wasting so much time so I had the elders in my district give me a blessing and I have felt great since and I am trying to make up for the lost time!!

 

I didn't receive any weird offers for remedies but a sister from the states did offer me some super organic vitamins and stuff with grape fruit and all the vitamins from vegetables. I will be honest, I took it. I needed the vitamins because to be perfectly honest I didn't eat at all for a couple of days!

 

I am now eating just fine. I will send a picture of a typical lunch.

 

 

My music and speakers work great! We are only allowed to listen to it on P-day but it is sweet. I have not received my 2nd package!! I can't wait to get it:)

 

We have not had a Culture Night. Pretty much being in this CCM is a culture adjustment and all of our teachers are natives of DR, and one of them served in Puerto Rico!! They were telling us how Dominicans would say our names while we're in el campo. They would call me Hermana "Eye-dee". So that's one of the ways people address me. Another way is Arrrddy. One of the teachers calls me Hermana Dificil. I am not sure if it is a joke about my personality or just because dificil is hard/difficult in spanish and so yeah.

 

There is also a new elder that just came in a week or so ago and Hermana Jennings made it a goal to make him feel more positive about being in the CCM and so he wouldn't be so negative about learning the language. Now he calls me Hermana Mom because I remind him of his mom. Today in the temple there was an ordinance worker who just called me hermanita linda or hermanita bonita. :) She was so sweet and she loves to hug and kiss everyone and says that she will be our grandmother while we're here.

 

 

While I was in the temple I could definitely feel Grandpa Weiler's spirit there with me. It was so wonderful. Also, make sure to tell Grandma that I have already sewn and fixed one of my sweaters, my companion's skirt, and another sister's sweater. I am sewing it up down here! I hope I can make her proud.

 

We watched a devotional by Elder Holland this week and his message was so powerful for all of us missionaries. Our #1 convert on our mission should be ourselves. What I really loved was when Elder Holland said that our missions are supposed to be difficult because Christ's mission and Atonement was never easy for Him.

 

I love the way that Elder Holland speaks about his mission when he was a young man. I want my mission to mean as much to me as Elder Holland's mission means to him because he says that there has not been a day gone by that he hasn't thought about his mission in 50+ years. He also said that, quite literally, his mission experience has affected every major and minor decision he has made in his life.

 

I cannot wait to get out in the field. I am nervous but I know that being out here is the best decision I have ever made and I already feel like a different person. This Friday (TOMORROW) we are going proselyting. As in, from 1:00 to 8:00 I am going to be walking around the streets of the Dominican Republic with an experienced missionary, trying to figure out what the Eskimos, um, I mean Dominicans are saying.

 

Also, our "investigator" Juan Victor has agreed to be baptized!! Hermana Jennings and I were so excited that when he said that he wanted to be baptized we kind of just stared at him for a bit. We were jumping up and down as soon as we were out of eyesight. I cannot wait until we have a real investigator agree to be baptized!!

 

 

Mama! I am so sorry that you hurt your ankle!!! That is a bum ride! I hope you don't push it running so soon after hurting yourself. I wish I could have gone to church and help with everything for you.

 

Alexis and Geoff:

 

The pizza stone goes on the right side, in the back. Cooling racks and other bulky stuff and the cake pans go on the right side however you can fit it next to and around the pizza stone. Then the cupcake sheets all fit inside of each other and go in the back of the left side. Then you slide all of the other sheets around and in front of those. xoxo

Apparently lots of football starts soon and I am apparently a Packers fan now. I don't know what that means. Is it okay if I'm a packers fan Geoff?? But I like the colors green and yellow anyways so I can work with that. Yay football! My district loves the things your primary kids say.

 

Jonny: What is Microsensors about?? That sounds pretty legit. Also, I heard all those music classes like Survey of Jazz are really hard. I had a seminary teacher who did History of Rock and it was the most difficult class he had ever taken. Good luck bro.

 

This is really nerdy but I am totally jealous of you guys playing Minecraft without me!!! I hope you guys don't mind playing the game you bought for Hannah again in a year and a half:) It's okay that you don't have a present to wrap, don't worry about it, she is going to love your present!

 

The things I miss most? Goldfish. Mom's food. The food here is packed with onions and peppers and all that yummy stuff that I try to avoid. fabric softener. Google and web searches. I really kinda need a normal dictionary. Not like it's important. But you guys know how I am and I always want to know what words mean in English. Big words:) 

 

Hannah: Good luck at Nutcracker auditions!! I am sad that I won't be able to see you dance! Happy Birthday!! Everyone here knows that it's your birthday and I've shown them a picture of you and I think I'm starting to get on everyone's nerves because I can't stop talking about you and how it's your birthday:) I love you so much. Ms. Lindsey is an amazing teacher, make sure you keep on learning as much as you can!

 

 

You should all be proud of me because I am now kind of ish good at volleyball. The elders even tried to teach me how to jump serve. That was a struggle. I almost got it at the end. They were all very patient with me. My Spanish is going pretty well, especially while I am teaching. I still struggle with understanding everything that everyone else is saying to me, especially when they go fast. My speed is also picking up a bit. Unfortunately I still struggle just speaking Spanish all the time when we talk about other things during the day. All of the grammar concepts that they are teaching us are things that I am already familiar with and so it is easier learning them this second time around. 

Look out for some pictures!! Tell Grandma Weiler to shoot me an email!

 

Lots of love, good luck with running and with school and with watching football and all of your endeavors.

 

xoxo

 

 

Hermana Hardy

Hermana Bonita

Hola Familia!

 

The language is going along pretty well! I still don't really understand the native teachers when they speak REALLY fast and they have to slow down for the rest of us.

 

We all went contacting at the University that is a few blocks away from us. We bore our testimonies to a lot of people walking around and passed out folletos and even a Book of Mormon! I really did not understand anything anyone said to me, but they understood what I was trying to say so that is good, yeah? There were a few men that may or may not have hit on me. We don't really know what they said but one of them wouldn't let go of my hand immediately after we shook hands and he kept saying bonita bonita! jajajajaja.

 

I am not dreaming in Spanish yet. However the second week in I would dream that I was translating English into Spanish so I would dream of the sentence in English then I would wake up and translate it into Spanish. It was exhausting. I didn't sleep very well doing that. Now I am sleeping like a rock! or a log. Take your pick!

Another story I would like to share is when we were teaching our "investigator" last night. I had been feeling so sick and feverish right before teaching him but right after we started with our prayer I began to feel much better and my head went to a small ache and we were able to teach him. I can't remember what I said to him but it was such a spiritual lesson about the Priesthood and the Holy Ghost and it was absolutely amazing. After the lesson I began to feel worse but that's not the important part. It's that even though I am so imperfect in so many ways and my body is weak the Lord will still find ways to work through me because of the eternal importance and divinity of our brothers and sisters who have not yet received the Gospel of Jesus Christ yet.

 

My shoes are working out great! I wore my proselyting shoes out contacting and I have some very beautiful blisters that are now turning into calluses! Which I consider a blessing. Also, blisters don't bother me anyways so I am great. I did wear my comfortable shoes for a few days after though :)

 

I am fairly certain I have enough pesos thank you! It turns out that they can exchange money here but it takes a couple days and I am so glad that we were prepared and followed the instructions in our book.

 

I haven't seen any exotic creatures yet! But they do have beautiful flowers that Hermana Freestone puts in the hallway of the CCM. They make me so happy and I can name all of the exotic flowers because of my floral design class.

 

Something that brought me immense joy this week was a musical number given at the devotional on Tuesday. Hermana Jennings and I are in charge of all the music (some people call us the lady AP's but I'm pretty sure that's not a real thing) and we asked Hermana Johnson and Hermana Sorensen to sing a number for us. They sung "Have I Done any Good in the World Today?" in Spanish and it was so beautiful. The part that touched me the most was when they sung the chorus in French for the Haitian Elders and Sisters. The Spirit was so strong I felt like I had been hit by a wall (in a good way). Music is such a blessing that brings everyone together.

 

This past week our devotionals have focused a lot on prayer. I have been trying to make my prayers more personal and more of a conversation with my Heavenly Father and it has blessed me so much. Prayer is such a wonderful gift given to all of God's children. When investigators pray they will receive answers and they will feel the Holy Ghost telling them that the Gospel is true.

 

Vernal sounds fun Dad! That is a lot of driving for one meeting but that client will definitely be lucky to have you! I am so happy that you have given Anna a calculator! I feel like those things are not going to waste. Also, I don't think it is my calculator. My calculator is in my slightly disorganized yet organized closet. It should be in a gray chevron bin that has office supplies in it so if anyone else needs a calculator they can take that one!

 

I am pumped that you are doing a 10 mile on Saturday, you will be in my prayers! Way to go! There was a marathon here around the city! We heard all this shouting outside the window this morning and looked outside to see all these people running. It made me think of both of you!

 

It has been raining lately in the afternoons. Yesterday it looked like the streets were flooding! But then everything dries very quickly so that's nice. During gym time on Saturday it started raining on us. I had just worked out and then I was starting to play volleyball when it started to pour! It felt so good and we kept on playing and the rain made it even more fun.

 

Alexis and Geoff- your stories make my laugh out loud every time. Thank you!

 

A typical day here in the CCM goes like this:6:30 Wake up, 7:00 breakfast. 7:30 personal study 8:30 additional study, then language language language lesson lunch. then lesson language gym time dinner. Then progressing investigator language lesson, language lesson, family prayer (which we do the music for) then to bed at 10:30!!

Everything goes so fast here I can't believe I'm halfway because it is so nice and sheltered here.

 

I am so excited for your programming class Jonny!!! That would definitely be a cool app. I won't mention it here so people can't steal it ;) I am glad you are taking some fun classes because you always work so hard and you deserve to have something fun!!

 

Hannah: you are in THREE dances for choreography concert???? That is too cool!! Have you received the letter I sent? maybe you will receive it next week but you are not allowed to open it until your birthday. Have so much fun at school.

 

By the way I received your package!!!! My district bullied me into sharing my oreos with them :) it was fun! Also, there are a lot of new elders that look JUST like people from home. An example would be Elder Hasler who looks exactly like Jonny's friend Ethan. I will send you a picture. This is weird to ask, but Elder Hasler would like to see a picture of Ethan just to see because he doesn't believe me. I will try to put photos on the dropbox in just a minute!

 

I love you all so much. I am so grateful for all of you. Thank you for everything. I am learning so much about Christlike love and patience through my companion, Hermana Jennings, she is truly amazing. 

 

Con amor,
 

 

Hermana Hardy

Lost in Translation :)

Hola mi familia.

This week we were teaching our "investigator" Victor. We taught him the Plan of Salvation and I pulled out a picture of our family to show him and bear my testimony and I told him about my brother and sisters. Then Victor pointed to Geoff and said "Es su hermano también?" and I said, "No, él es my cuaderno" and then we laughed and laughed. [translation: No, he is my notebook :) ]

Sorry Geoff. I meant cuñado. [brother-in-law]

 

Then Victor started asking about el infierno [hell]. The only reason I knew what that word meant was because of that Guacamelee game I played with Hannah and Jonny before I left. I also didn't know how to explain THAT part of the plan of Salvation in Spanish because it wasn't in our phrase book. All well.

 

 

My comp's name is Hermana Erin S. Jennings.

My district: Hermana Hoko ~ Puerto Rico and Hermana Seinaraine ~ Santiago, Elder Vallinga ~ Santiago (DL) and Elder Bowes ~ Puerto Rico (AP's), and Elder McDonald ~ Santiago and Elder Spencer ~ Santiago. The majority of us are from Utah, Hermana Seinaraine is from Guyana!

 

 

My first three days I learned how to pray, bear my testimony, and introduce myself in Spanish. First Sunday I bore my testimony in Sacrament Meeting. Then this past Sunday I was called to give a talk about baptism. ALL IN SPANISH! I also played the piano first Sunday in Sacrament. So the Spanish is going pretty well!

 

Hermana Jennings and I have been called to be the music directors.

Our Zone

This week most everybody shipped off for el campo, so there were only three districts left. But now we have a district from Haiti, and lots of new gringos. I now sort of know how to ask someone to lead music in French, say thank you, please, and Como seva? or como se va? or whatever means how is it going in French. Yay! [Hrmna Hardy means Comment ça va? She is now speaking Franish :) ]

Gospel Principle we discussed this week: The Spirit and what we need to do to keep it with us and also the role the Holy Ghost plays in conversion. Really, most people the missionaries teach don't really understand what on earth we are talking about because our message can seem so all over the place. But those people are converted to the church because of the feeling and the Spirit that they felt while the missionaries taught them. Pretty cool. So really, missionaries talk and talk and the Spirit does the real hard work :)

So, I had an amazing experience this week. It was during personal study and I was learning so much and it was wonderful when all the sudden my eyes welled up and I was so confused cause I was feeling just fine. Then the Spirit told me that at that exact moment that my Mama was thinking about me and praying for me. I felt so close to you Mama and I am so grateful that I was given such a tender mercy to feel that connection with you from so far away.

 

Traditions? WELL: it is a tradition here to slather butter on a long roll (inside and outside) and stick it in a panini maker. It is called pan tostado, but for some reason they all say panto for short. It is really fattening but really good. Only the missionaries from Mexico put ketchup and hot sauce on their pizza.

 

I got your package! Thank you so much!

Thanks so much for your journal entries Dad! Way to go running 9 miles!! I am sorry to hear about the braces for Hannah. Sometimes we have mashed potatoes here!!!! It makes me happy! Tell the Sisters I say hi! The pictures of Alexis are gorgeous!!

So the "investigators" are actually nuestros maestros. They are ridiculously good at staying in character. What was amazing was this Tuesday we all had a very spiritual devotional right before we taught an "investigator". The first time we met him he had been "drinking" and he was on his phone and being irritable during our talk. This second time was so different because the Spirit was so strong within us that he HAD to listen to our message. It was so powerful.

 

It turns out that TRC here is really just us visiting teaching a senior couple. Which is fun. We have taught an investigator almost every single day starting that first weekend! And now it is around twice a day that we teach. It is amazing practice even though whenever Hmna Jennings and I don't know what to say we both stare at each other. However, that one lesson we had with the guy I mentioned before went so smoothly between the both of us. That's the kind of teacher I want to be.

This past Tuesday we were able to walk out of the grounds of the CCM and walk to la tienda!! It was a few blocks away and the store is seriously just like Walmart but not with as many options. So I bought some Dominican treats and it turns out that some are actually from Honduras haha.

 

The roads here are CRAZY with drivers and I thought I was going to die from just walking on the sidewalk with three other districts. yeah. The city is different and beautiful and dirty all at the same time. The park we walked through was really cool as well. I wasn't able to take pictures because we are only allowed to take pictures on Sunday while walking around the temple at night and on P-Days. The walk back from the store was hot and sweaty so I better get used to that!

For gym time we usually play volley ball. You should all be very proud of me because sometimes I can actually hit it. But now I have bruises on my forearms so that's a bit sketch. To be honest the first few days here felt like they lasted forever but now each day seems to go by faster and faster. I feel like I have been here for months and I love it here! But today is only our two week mark! CRAZY!!

 

I love all of you, it is so good to here from you! We were all so excited to email our families that we couldn't fall asleep very fast last night!

I love you all SO much! Keep staying strong and good luck with everything you are doing!

 

Que la fuerza esté contigo.

 

Hermana Hardy