We just arrived home from Puerto Plata where we spent three days with 16 other missionaries. Wow! I had no idea how beautiful this country is! Santo Domingo is just another big city. Para when you go 25-30 miles north you start to see the amazingly beautiful tropical paradise that it is. Some areas are so dense, that it gets dark driving through.
We rented two houses and Randy and I stayed in one with just one other couple. We had an amazing view of the ocean from our bedroom balcony.
Each couple bought food for one meal and the maids cooked for us. Some wanted to cook themselves. We snorkeled, hiked, went to Ocean World (like Sea World), Monkey Jungle, and Parque Nacional La Isabela ( National Park.) We took the gondola to the highest point of Puerto Plata, Pico Isabel de Torres. There we enjoyed a replica of the statue of Christ the Redeemer that is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was a great weekend with awesome friends.
One of the highlights was attending the Puerto Plata Oeste Ward on Sunday morning. One of the first people to greet me was a young man that I had met at the National Park the day before. He is serving in Santiago as an Elder's Quorum President and was vacationing in Puerta Plata also. He gave me a big hug and said "Good to see you again!" After sacrament meeting, he said,"I'll see you at the temple". These young people are so dedicated. They go to the temple all the time. The ward members here are very strong and grounded in the gospel. We were there on fast Sunday, so we're able to enjoy the spirit of their beautiful testimonies. One man who was a new member or investigator came with his tie in hand and a young Elder tied it for him before the meeting began. He later stood and bore his testimony. It was so powerful! The sister who taught Gospel Doctrine was knowledgeable and confident. I didn't understand a lot of it, but what a powerful spirit was in that classroom.
She challenged everyone to read the complete Book of Mormon another time in 2016, studying by topics.
It's so impressive to me how the Spirit teaches through language barriers. I hope I can always feel the Spirit so that I can learn all that God has for me. I have so much to learn, I often wonder why I'm teaching. I guess it's partly because when you teach, you learn more than your students. How I love the people here. As we were leaving I noticed a mother with her four children who drove out of the church parking lot on her "moto." A motorcycle is a very popular, inexpensive form of transportation here in the DR. they are everywhere!How about the phrase, "a family that rides together, stays together."
On Tuesday, December 29th we were invited to have dinner at the Diaz's for a second time. The first was a month or so ago at the request of their son, Jose. This time Jose was out of town and it was us and his parents and two younger sisters. They are such good people. Jose Luis and Margo are their names. They told us that they like our company (so kind of them). He is a caterer and a good one. I love his food!
Their son, Jose (Luis) is waiting for a mission call. I think they are excited and a little nervous to see him go. His Mom wants him to go somewhere where he can be humbled. She says, "Africa". I think he will be humbled wherever he goes. They do well and have a nice life. They are humble in nature though and I really love them. Both have started their own businesses. His is catering and hers is an online business.
Peggy
We rented two houses and Randy and I stayed in one with just one other couple. We had an amazing view of the ocean from our bedroom balcony.
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| View from our rental house |
Each couple bought food for one meal and the maids cooked for us. Some wanted to cook themselves. We snorkeled, hiked, went to Ocean World (like Sea World), Monkey Jungle, and Parque Nacional La Isabela ( National Park.) We took the gondola to the highest point of Puerto Plata, Pico Isabel de Torres. There we enjoyed a replica of the statue of Christ the Redeemer that is in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was a great weekend with awesome friends.
 |
| Christ the Redeemer Puerto Plata |
One of the highlights was attending the Puerto Plata Oeste Ward on Sunday morning. One of the first people to greet me was a young man that I had met at the National Park the day before. He is serving in Santiago as an Elder's Quorum President and was vacationing in Puerta Plata also. He gave me a big hug and said "Good to see you again!" After sacrament meeting, he said,"I'll see you at the temple". These young people are so dedicated. They go to the temple all the time. The ward members here are very strong and grounded in the gospel. We were there on fast Sunday, so we're able to enjoy the spirit of their beautiful testimonies. One man who was a new member or investigator came with his tie in hand and a young Elder tied it for him before the meeting began. He later stood and bore his testimony. It was so powerful! The sister who taught Gospel Doctrine was knowledgeable and confident. I didn't understand a lot of it, but what a powerful spirit was in that classroom.
She challenged everyone to read the complete Book of Mormon another time in 2016, studying by topics.
It's so impressive to me how the Spirit teaches through language barriers. I hope I can always feel the Spirit so that I can learn all that God has for me. I have so much to learn, I often wonder why I'm teaching. I guess it's partly because when you teach, you learn more than your students. How I love the people here. As we were leaving I noticed a mother with her four children who drove out of the church parking lot on her "moto." A motorcycle is a very popular, inexpensive form of transportation here in the DR. they are everywhere!How about the phrase, "a family that rides together, stays together."
On Tuesday, December 29th we were invited to have dinner at the Diaz's for a second time. The first was a month or so ago at the request of their son, Jose. This time Jose was out of town and it was us and his parents and two younger sisters. They are such good people. Jose Luis and Margo are their names. They told us that they like our company (so kind of them). He is a caterer and a good one. I love his food!
Their son, Jose (Luis) is waiting for a mission call. I think they are excited and a little nervous to see him go. His Mom wants him to go somewhere where he can be humbled. She says, "Africa". I think he will be humbled wherever he goes. They do well and have a nice life. They are humble in nature though and I really love them. Both have started their own businesses. His is catering and hers is an online business.
Peggy
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