FunVal (Fundamental Values)

Each Tuesday and Wednesday, Peggy and I teach LDS young men (who are returned missionaries) an Institute class in the Book of Mormon in English. They are required to take Institute as part of a job training program to work in a call center for companies such as Direct TV, Convergys, etc. This training program called Fundamental Values or Funval is in the Dominican Republic, Peru, Guatamala and Equador.

 
In addition, for the last 20 minutes of our 60 minute class on Wednesday, I teach them about the USA and American culture.  They will be talking to Americans in their work so their Funval supervisor wanted me to tell the young men about the USA culture.  They love hearing about baseball in the US.  Peggy showed them a recent video of our grandson Jackson blasting a double into left field at his little league game.  The Dominicans were impressed! especially Jaime who is a baseball crazy!  Baseball is the Dominican Republic national pastime.  We talk the regions of the USA, the individual states and cities, Utah, holidays such as Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas etc.   We teach in a three-story old office building in East Santo Domingo in a dimly lit room that sometimes (many times) is a little dark and hot after one of the frequent power outages takes out what light there is.  However, the light in their eyes, their love of the Lord, the knowledge of the scriptures, and the conviction in their hearts that Jesus is the Christ their Savior, makes the room glow.  It is powerful!  Wow, we really do stand all amazed!  Peggy is a good teacher.  She really touches their hearts with her testimony and her love for these guys.  You can't help but fall in love with them when they welcome us into their classroom each week.

 
Each week the number of students in the class is getting smaller as they are getting hired and moving into on-the-job training.  These jobs give them the skills necessary to lift them up economically and allow them to support themselves and their family.  We saying goodbye to a few each week.   We will soon say hello to a new class of young men who I'm sure will be just as amazing. In the mean time we hope to keep in touch with this our first group.  We have grown to love Alberto, Emanuel, Carlos, Jose, Miguel, Jaime, Edison, Anderson, Ruben, Cruz, Jack, Santiago, Victorino, Enmanuel, Daniel and Basilio.