Some of our new firends

We thought it would be fun to tell you about some of our amazing new friends we have made here in the DR.  They have touched our lives and we feel the spirit when we are around them.

L-R Vicki Rappleye, Kent Rappleye, Luis Daniel Santana, Randy, Peggy

From the beginning we have to start with Luis Daniel Santana, the new Church Education System (CES) Director.  At age 36, he is the first Dominican to lead the Caribbean CES.  He is so friendly and willing to do anything for us.  We embrace every time we see each other.  He and his awesome wife, Carolina have hearts full of love.  He took the place of Kent Rappelye who was called to serve in the CES in Long Island, N.Y.  We love our "boss!"  Elder Clair and Sister Josie Jensen from Branson, Missouri were in our position previously, trained us in our new assignment, passed us the baton and said, "It's all yours!"  We got to know the Jensen's through Skype and spent our first three days with them.  They are fun and special people. Their shoes will be hard to fill.

L-R Elder Jensen, Sister Jensen, Luis Daniel Santana, Carolina Santana, Peggy, Randy

Jhon Lopez and Oscar Amparo are the Institute Directors at the University of Santo Domingo  Both are stake presidents and powerful teachers.

Peggy, Jhon Lopez, Steven Wallace, Oscaro Amparo, Randy

We work with them daily in coordinating the teaching and activities that go on at the Institute. Oscar speaks good English.  Jhon speaks a little English and always tries to get us to speak Spanish.  Jhon talks "muy rapido"  (very fast) Spanish.  These are great men and we love working with them.

L-R Oscar Amparo, Peggy, Jhon Lopez, Arihanny Muniz

Arihanny (R-re-an-e) Muniz is the Institute office specialist.  She keeps everything going every day.  She speaks English quite well but doesn't understand our American humor.  She teaches us Spanish and we drive her to pick up the refreshments and supplies for the Institute activities.  She is the Primary president in her ward.  We see her and work with her every day.  We love her!

Arihanny Muniz and Bismark Brito

Bismark Brito is 22 and teaches at the Institute two times each week.  He is Mr. Happy Guy and always so positive.  He lifts our spirits and makes us laugh--a lot!  Although not our direct student, he will graduate from the Pathway program at the end of this month.  A returned missionary, he works in the temple, teaches Institute New Testament. and always walks in the door with a real loud greeting, "Hello Seester Park, Hello Elder Park.  How are you today?" We tease him.  He speaks English really well.  (Peggy has nicknamed him "the boat" after the German war ship so she can remember his name).  He is dating a beautiful girl Emil Gomez Perez, Sister Park's Pathway student.  He sang "Mary Did You Know?" at the Area Church Employees Christmas luncheon and did an amazing job.  The guy can sing!

Moroni Eve (pronounced Mor-on-ee) is an amazing young man.  Is the Institute Student Council President.  Student activities are so successful because of him and his beautiful wife Lucy. We enjoy working with Moroni.

Moroni Eve

An excellent leader and well organized, he is well liked by all and skilled on Facebook and at graphic design.  He teaches gospel doctrine classes at the Institute.  He makes our job easy.

Jose Cordero

Jose Cordero is a non-member but attends Institute each week.  He and Peggy make cookies and prepare refreshments most Wednesday's for the Friday devotional.  He is so friendly and smart.  Helps many students with their Chemistry.  A happy young man and has many friends.  We gave him a Book of Mormon for Christmas with our picture and testimony.

L-R Nelly Luiciano, Peggy, Anabel Luiciano

Nelly and Anabel Luiciano are so cute and fun.  Anabel attends English class each week.  They both speak good English.  Their smiles melt your heart.  They seem to always be in the middle of group conversations in the student multi-purpose room.

L-R Alwin Nunez and Jose Rodriquez

Alwin Nunez and Jose Rodriquez are two returned missionaries that we have met singing in our senior missionary choir.  These guys are so much fun and full of life.  Both play piano and are excellent musicians with really good singing voices.  Alwin sings tenor and I get to sing next to him. Jose sings a mean bass. They both teach us Spanish.  I tease them as we sing in Spanish that "I kill their beautiful language with my bad pronunciation,"  They both assure me that I don't..."the Dominicans are the ones that kill the language!"  I will miss these guys when we leave the DR.

Ammy Aybar is a special young lady.  She will be leaving soon to serve a spanish-speaking mission in Rochester, N.Y.

Ammy Aybar and Peggy

She will be serving in the same mission as our neighbor, friend and home teacher Jake Wagstaff.  We kid her about where she will find and buy a coat, boots, gloves etc. for New York; not many places here in the DR--zero!  She is a little nervous but we assure she will love it (when Spring and Summer finally show up).  Just think, the DR to NY in January!!

Wilkins is my friend who asks for me to help him with advanced English.  I am his English speaking partner and we sit together and work on difficult English phrases.  He always asks me to pray before we start and to pray for him. Wilkins is very kind. spiritual and loves the Lord.

Wilkins

Eduardo Mateo

Eduardo Mateo is a non-member who comes to the Institute to learn English and enjoy the fellowship.  He is smart and helps me explain English words and phrases to beginning English students.  He is very friendly and calls me "teacher." I have been helping him prepare for a job interview by practicing his English pronunciation.  He is a great

Steven  Wallace

young man and we hope he will embrace the restored gospel.

Steven Wallace was recently baptized.  He speaks about two English words--"Hello" and "See you"  a special young, man with a great singing voice.  Only two days in Santo Domingo, we met Steven when he sang as a non-member, four verses of "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" in front of 200 young adults at the going-away party devotional for Elder and Sister Jensen that we replaced.  He was baptized about a month ago.  He has a million friends and is so friendly.  We love this young man.  He wants to serve a mission.  I hope to get him into my English class this semester.

Jose Diaz is another special friend.  He is Peggy's Pathway student and I have been working with him as an English speaking partner in Pathway.

Several months ago he loaned me his guitar to play Christmas and other music.  He said, "Elder Park, I haven't played my guitar for a long time.  You have 'happy fingers' and you could make my guitar happy if you play it."  I have enjoyed his guitar. Peggy and I enjoyed a family home evening dinner and lesson several months ago with he and his family in their home.  We love Jose and the Diaz family!
Randy